Post by Desert on Jan 24, 2009 23:31:12 GMT -5
ooc; no one has to reply to this or anything, i just wanted to get out there the end result of K'tal's abrupt bout of Zaire there at the end of Ziinyth's Flight.
Yet again, a small group of Healers trooped up the stairs to the high ledge. At the top, the morosely still mahogany form of the big bronze Zhek awaited them. He hadn't moved in almost seven days, a mountainous bulk of dragonflesh blocking the entrance into the weyr he and his rider shared. K'tal was effectively sealed inside, since his dragon allowed no flow of traffic in or out.
There were, however, signs of life from the big bronze, that gave the Healers hope that whatever was wrong wasn't dire yet. Zhek moved every now and then, twitching and flinching in response to his rider's condition. His eyes were the biggest indicator that the disastrous disease Rogue hadn't taken over: instead of the motionless gold, the multifaceted jewels wheeled and spun frantically, a mix of yellow, white, gray and red that clashed weirdly with each other, accentuating the chaotic state of mind he was in.
"Zhek, let us by. We need to check on K'tal," begged the senior Healer. "We can help him get better, truly we can, Zhek, but we need to see him to do that." This was hardly the first time they had tried persuading the bronze to move, but each time they had been met with failure. This attempt looked doomed as well, for Zhek merely shook his head tersely at the Healers, while a low growl bubbled up from his chest.
A younger, journeyman Healer stepped up behind his superior. "We're just trying to help, that's all," he told the dragon fervently. "But we can't do that unless we know what's going on."
Like most dragons, the canons especially, Zhek wasn't too fond of mind-speaking another human than his rider. The big dragon eyed the Healers suspiciously. K'talMine said not to let anyone in.[/b][/color]
The Healers jumped to hear the dragon's voice in their minds. The senior Healer recovered the quickest. "Why did he do that, Zhek?" he asked. Meanwhile, his mind was racing. Why would the rider be in self-imposed quarantine? It was obvious he was very sick, or his dragon wouldn't look so stressed. The younger Healers muttered to each other, wary now. What could the bronze possibly mean?
He has Zaire. He didn't want others to get it, [/b][/color] Zhek explained sullenly. His tail twitched irritably, frustrated, as if the answer should have been obvious. I think the worst is over, though. He will live. He didn't bleed so much. They always died if they bled a lot, in Eden. Zaire killed many riders in Eden, but not the dragons. Not like Rogue.[/b][/color] He heaved a huge, gusty sigh.
An apprentice Healer stiffened. "I read about Zaire in the new records we got, I had to copy them. It's cropped up only in Eden so far. The record said it's pretty hard to catch, unless you do something dumb like eating it or something," she said, babbling excitedly, her fists clenched. "But it said that there's not much we can do, once it gets far enough along. You said he was over the worst of it, Zhek? We might be able to help some, now that it's run its course," she added, taking a step toward the big bronze.
The coppery, wedge-shaped head lifted off his folded forepaws, while some of the anguished gray faded from his eyes. Really? You can help? [/b][/color] He paused uncertainly. But... MineK'tal said not to let anyone in. It won't hurt if you bring food and leave it here, though. He hasn't eaten in days. He...[/b][/color] The big bronze paused, flinching slightly. He was bad. He started to lose. He might still lose. I don't know. I can't tell. I can't recognize him anymore. He's not there! His mind sounds like a dumb beast's mind![/b][/color] Zhek whimpered pitifully. All I can hear is hunger and pain and confusion. He's more hungry now, the hurt has faded. He's too tired to be confused. He can't sleep, though, because he's so hungry. Humans have to eat a lot. Food will help him. Can you bring him some food?[/b][/color] he begged, and the gray started to reappear.
The senior Healer waved the apprentices away, and they scampered to the kitchens to get food. "We can do that much, of course, Zhek. Do you need food, too?" he asked, noting the reds wheeling in the bronze's eyes.
Zhek shook his head impatiently. No, I'm not hungry. I ate before. I'm good. K'tal needs food, not me.[/b][/color] He was starting to feel the first faint pangs of hunger, but while his rider was so ill he couldn't even think of eating. Even if someone brought food up to him.
As the apprentices were laboring back up the stairs laden with trays of nutrient-rich broth, the senior Healer was trying to wheedle Zhek into letting him past. "K'tal can't feed himself in his state, Zhek. We need to go in there and give him the food. I promise we'll be very careful not to catch anything, all right?"
Suddenly, the big bronze froze. His neck curved around while a surprised yelp slipped from his maw. The Healers heard nothing, but it was apparent that he was speaking to his rider. Then, they heard a soft thump, and Zhek moaned. He shuffled backwards.
Yes! It is fine, he is fine. He will live. We saw this in Eden when another broke with Zaire. He will recover! He is hungry now! You can come in, but be careful! I will stand watch again. [/b][/color] Zhekalenearth's mind-voice was weak with relief, and when the great head emerged again his eyes wheeled with greens, all the gray and white gone. There was still some red and a few smudges of yellow, but the big dragon was evidently confident of his rider's survival. He stepped to one side, allowing the Healers into the weyr.
The apprentices to a man retched when they entered. The place smelled like a slaughterhouse, and one of the youngest had to go be sick in a corner. "Uurp! No wonder he quarantined himself! I wouldn't wanna catch this," she remarked, trotting over to the rest of the group once she had emptied her stomach.
Blood was everywhere. The journeyman wrinkled his nose in horror. "Oh ay. It's a wonder the man didn't die of blood loss. Where d'you suppose this all came from? I don't see any major lesions in his skin."
"The record said the blood hemorrhages right into the stomach and they vomit it," an apprentice explained. Her voice was remarkably bland and professional.
The senior Healer cut off the banter, and they set about cleaning up the mess and getting nourishment into the sick rider's body. He watched them through bloody eyes like a canine stared at the BeastHealer about to administer a dose of medicine: there was no recognition, only bewildered fear. The senior Healer understood then what Zhek had mentioned about his rider not being there anymore. Whatever Zaire had done to this man, the damage to his brain was horrendous. "Varreley, did that record mention anything about a survivor's recovery?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder at the apprentice in question.
She frowned thoughtfully for a moment. "It said... recovery takes a sevenday or two, but after that they seem not much the worse for wear. They don't seem to remember much about being sick, and they go back to their normal lives once they're healed." She shook her head. "It's hard to believe that, looking at him," she said, gesturing to K'tal's bloodstained, limp form.
He will recover. I have seen others heal fully. He will survive. He has to,[/b][/color] Zhek commented firmly.
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Yet again, a small group of Healers trooped up the stairs to the high ledge. At the top, the morosely still mahogany form of the big bronze Zhek awaited them. He hadn't moved in almost seven days, a mountainous bulk of dragonflesh blocking the entrance into the weyr he and his rider shared. K'tal was effectively sealed inside, since his dragon allowed no flow of traffic in or out.
There were, however, signs of life from the big bronze, that gave the Healers hope that whatever was wrong wasn't dire yet. Zhek moved every now and then, twitching and flinching in response to his rider's condition. His eyes were the biggest indicator that the disastrous disease Rogue hadn't taken over: instead of the motionless gold, the multifaceted jewels wheeled and spun frantically, a mix of yellow, white, gray and red that clashed weirdly with each other, accentuating the chaotic state of mind he was in.
"Zhek, let us by. We need to check on K'tal," begged the senior Healer. "We can help him get better, truly we can, Zhek, but we need to see him to do that." This was hardly the first time they had tried persuading the bronze to move, but each time they had been met with failure. This attempt looked doomed as well, for Zhek merely shook his head tersely at the Healers, while a low growl bubbled up from his chest.
A younger, journeyman Healer stepped up behind his superior. "We're just trying to help, that's all," he told the dragon fervently. "But we can't do that unless we know what's going on."
Like most dragons, the canons especially, Zhek wasn't too fond of mind-speaking another human than his rider. The big dragon eyed the Healers suspiciously. K'talMine said not to let anyone in.[/b][/color]
The Healers jumped to hear the dragon's voice in their minds. The senior Healer recovered the quickest. "Why did he do that, Zhek?" he asked. Meanwhile, his mind was racing. Why would the rider be in self-imposed quarantine? It was obvious he was very sick, or his dragon wouldn't look so stressed. The younger Healers muttered to each other, wary now. What could the bronze possibly mean?
He has Zaire. He didn't want others to get it, [/b][/color] Zhek explained sullenly. His tail twitched irritably, frustrated, as if the answer should have been obvious. I think the worst is over, though. He will live. He didn't bleed so much. They always died if they bled a lot, in Eden. Zaire killed many riders in Eden, but not the dragons. Not like Rogue.[/b][/color] He heaved a huge, gusty sigh.
An apprentice Healer stiffened. "I read about Zaire in the new records we got, I had to copy them. It's cropped up only in Eden so far. The record said it's pretty hard to catch, unless you do something dumb like eating it or something," she said, babbling excitedly, her fists clenched. "But it said that there's not much we can do, once it gets far enough along. You said he was over the worst of it, Zhek? We might be able to help some, now that it's run its course," she added, taking a step toward the big bronze.
The coppery, wedge-shaped head lifted off his folded forepaws, while some of the anguished gray faded from his eyes. Really? You can help? [/b][/color] He paused uncertainly. But... MineK'tal said not to let anyone in. It won't hurt if you bring food and leave it here, though. He hasn't eaten in days. He...[/b][/color] The big bronze paused, flinching slightly. He was bad. He started to lose. He might still lose. I don't know. I can't tell. I can't recognize him anymore. He's not there! His mind sounds like a dumb beast's mind![/b][/color] Zhek whimpered pitifully. All I can hear is hunger and pain and confusion. He's more hungry now, the hurt has faded. He's too tired to be confused. He can't sleep, though, because he's so hungry. Humans have to eat a lot. Food will help him. Can you bring him some food?[/b][/color] he begged, and the gray started to reappear.
The senior Healer waved the apprentices away, and they scampered to the kitchens to get food. "We can do that much, of course, Zhek. Do you need food, too?" he asked, noting the reds wheeling in the bronze's eyes.
Zhek shook his head impatiently. No, I'm not hungry. I ate before. I'm good. K'tal needs food, not me.[/b][/color] He was starting to feel the first faint pangs of hunger, but while his rider was so ill he couldn't even think of eating. Even if someone brought food up to him.
As the apprentices were laboring back up the stairs laden with trays of nutrient-rich broth, the senior Healer was trying to wheedle Zhek into letting him past. "K'tal can't feed himself in his state, Zhek. We need to go in there and give him the food. I promise we'll be very careful not to catch anything, all right?"
Suddenly, the big bronze froze. His neck curved around while a surprised yelp slipped from his maw. The Healers heard nothing, but it was apparent that he was speaking to his rider. Then, they heard a soft thump, and Zhek moaned. He shuffled backwards.
Yes! It is fine, he is fine. He will live. We saw this in Eden when another broke with Zaire. He will recover! He is hungry now! You can come in, but be careful! I will stand watch again. [/b][/color] Zhekalenearth's mind-voice was weak with relief, and when the great head emerged again his eyes wheeled with greens, all the gray and white gone. There was still some red and a few smudges of yellow, but the big dragon was evidently confident of his rider's survival. He stepped to one side, allowing the Healers into the weyr.
The apprentices to a man retched when they entered. The place smelled like a slaughterhouse, and one of the youngest had to go be sick in a corner. "Uurp! No wonder he quarantined himself! I wouldn't wanna catch this," she remarked, trotting over to the rest of the group once she had emptied her stomach.
Blood was everywhere. The journeyman wrinkled his nose in horror. "Oh ay. It's a wonder the man didn't die of blood loss. Where d'you suppose this all came from? I don't see any major lesions in his skin."
"The record said the blood hemorrhages right into the stomach and they vomit it," an apprentice explained. Her voice was remarkably bland and professional.
The senior Healer cut off the banter, and they set about cleaning up the mess and getting nourishment into the sick rider's body. He watched them through bloody eyes like a canine stared at the BeastHealer about to administer a dose of medicine: there was no recognition, only bewildered fear. The senior Healer understood then what Zhek had mentioned about his rider not being there anymore. Whatever Zaire had done to this man, the damage to his brain was horrendous. "Varreley, did that record mention anything about a survivor's recovery?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder at the apprentice in question.
She frowned thoughtfully for a moment. "It said... recovery takes a sevenday or two, but after that they seem not much the worse for wear. They don't seem to remember much about being sick, and they go back to their normal lives once they're healed." She shook her head. "It's hard to believe that, looking at him," she said, gesturing to K'tal's bloodstained, limp form.
He will recover. I have seen others heal fully. He will survive. He has to,[/b][/color] Zhek commented firmly.
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