Drawing the curtains

[Maeve]

She was losing it. Desperation clouding everything else.

She had to know, needed to know, if the city of Basra truly was behind that door; with its crowded streets and markets and shops and merchants and busy habitants, restlessly swarming everywhere like an ant-hill. Only when she’d be standing outside would it all make sense, or at least that’s what she told herself. It was the only way to know for sure if this nightmare was real or just a cruel illusion, if her pain was justified or not, even if everything was already aiming at the former outcomes.

Driven by the burning heaviness spreading in her chest, she felt like every fibre of her being was madly focused on getting out of this small room, the motivation still barely holding her up altogether residing in reaching the damn door. The pain was just so unbearable...But right when her hands touched the doorknob, his strong grip stopped her, blocking her way to find the dreadful answers to her stinging dismay. She wouldn’t let him though. Couldn’t let him. She was too close now and whoever he was, she didn’t care. Screaming and groaning, she resisted him immediately as hard as she could, pushing him away and trying everything to twist her way out of his solid grasp, anything to reach the doorknob. “Let go of me!!”

[Ziad]

She put up quite a fight and that surprised him as much as it shook him to the core. It told Ziad that this woman whoever she was, was desperate. Or crazy. Or maybe both. Her screams woke his compassion but he knew he couldn´t just let her wander off. That mustn´t happen. It would only get him into more trouble. That, and in that state she was in, she was not safe.

Ziad dropped his sword and the weapon gave a loud clang when it hit the cold stone floor. He had no idea how to approach her, how to calm her, let alone what to do with her. "Calm down," I therefore just exclaimed, trying to sound reassuring. "I have no intent to hurt you, but you need to calm down. Something strange happened here you...you just showed up. I need to find out what has been happening here, you understand?" He dearly hoped his words were getting through to her.

[Maeve]

The clanking thud of his sword on the ground told her she had caught him quite off guard with her forceful attempts at resistance. But she didn’t give a damn about whatever he blurted out to try and calm her down. She just spat right back at him. “No, I don’t understand! And I don’t know what happened! Just let me out!”

And she went on struggling to get passed him to reach the door, the vivid stabbing pain in her chest becoming more and more insufferably real with every second that went by. Her inner battle to push away the horrible truth was simmering away rapidly, but as long as she was busy being angry and desperate, the ache would remain at its same accountable intensity, so she just kept on resisting him tooth and nail, stubbornly refusing to surrender and face what she had done.

[Ziad]

He was losing his patience with her as much as her current state distressed her. "All right, that´s it, LISTEN." The last word was a command, given by someone who knew how to command, who had self confidence in it. He swiftly walked around her, blocking the door with his body, firmly grabbing her by the shoulders, careful not to hurt her but grabbing firmly.

"You will listen to me first." Ziad insisted, trying to make eye contact. "Either in a nice and calm way or I´ll make sure you can not run by putting you behind bars. But you will. listen. now."

[Maeve]

The harshness in his voice coupled with the way he suddenly grabbed her shoulders to look her straight in the eyes surprised her greatly but it didn’t soothe her hysterical opposition at all. She still stood up to him like an angry child who would for nothing in the world admit defeat. And even as she realized that he probably had something to do with the law, his authoritative and confident composure indicating all she needed to know, it would take more than that to make her back away. She was too desperately furious to care about being put behind bars or not.

“Are you threatening me?” She glared at him with her fiery eyes, trying to hide with her anger and distress the great deal of pain that was crushing her inside. Swallowing hard, she pushed his hands away from her sharply. Her voice was near the breaking point but she clenched her jaw as tightly as she could, praying for her point to get across before her throat could knot, but her attempt was vain. What she said next was shaky and wrecked. “For goodness sake, I just want to step outside, is that too much to ask?” Her broken voice may have failed her but her eyes didn’t. Underneath her boiling rage, a slight morsel of beaten hope shone through, and she silently begged for it to reason the stubborn man in front of her.

[Ziad]

Ziad let go of her, something, the kind heart that lay under the guard´s disguise, demanding him to do so, to regard the woman with a slight scowl. How could anyone be so desperate, so furious, so confused? By everything that was holy, he thought, what had happened to her to shake her so. He looked at her for a moment moment, before he nodded.

"All right," he then said, raising his hands. His sword he could see from where he was, but he made no effort ot retreat it so that he stood in front of her unarmed. "All right, let´s step outside. But please, promise me you are not going to run. I will get into big trouble if you run and I explain to you what I know."

[Mala]

Desperate. Why was she being so desperate?

Mala shared the guard’s confusion. And she was deeply worried for the young woman in front of her. Her son had told her that she was with a friend and that she was supposed to be safe. Had he erred? What had happened to the sorceress that made her mind search frantically for an answer to a question that hope had stirred inside her heart? Was it still the influence of the essence that had never been part of this world before?

When the man finally let go off her, granting her the chance to realize what she so obviously needed to do, Mala decided to try something she had only seldomly done before. Slowly she approached the redhead. Standing right behind her she studied her features for a moment - allowed herself to feel and memorize the magic that ran through her veins - before carefully, almost hesitantly, she raised her right hand to let it rest on the ground that was the human's shoulder. Mala knew well that, if anything at all, the mortal wouldn't feel anything but a breeze passing by. But for the ghost it was a way to get access to the woman's inner self. Closing her eyes she breathed in deeply and concentrated on all what magic would allow her to receive.
And there it was. She saw her essence like a flickering flame - set ablaze by a wind it had not expected to encounter it was torn between flaring up and dwindling away under the intensity of what met her senses. The ghost frowned at all the different kinds of emotions that seemed to radiate from her and mix with her magical trace. And feeling her own heart ache at the young woman’s almost unbearable pain she was sorry for the girl.

Mala really wished she could do something to help; wished she could will the calm seas that filled her ghostly shape to ease the essence of the sorceress’ fiery core. But reaching out to someone’s heart and actually affecting it she had never done before, and fearing what may come of it if she didn’t do it right, the ghost felt doomed to watch and wait for the young woman to make her move.

[Maeve]

Her request finally seemed to have gone through and when the man let go of her and held up his hands in a surrendering yet still vigilant manner, she knew that in a few seconds, it would all be over, that her small childish agony would be replaced by the authentic stabbing one. It didn’t matter anymore if this was real or not, she already knew answer, already knew what she’d find behind the door, had known it from the beginning. And yet a self-destructive pull was still yanking her outside cruelly.

So she nodded at the man, silently promising him that she wouldn’t run, and hurriedly brushed passed him before he could change his mind. Crashing thought the door, she finally stepped in the street, her breath catching in her throat immediately as she recognized the familiar maze of lanes.

The sun was barely up in the morning blue sky; the night still lingering in the early colours of dawn; and everything was still asleep, except for a few quiet merchants out and about with the settings of their shops. Houses and stands, fragrant scents of spices and fishes, colourful sheets and fabrics hanging on the many balconies…everything silently radiated with vibrant vitality, and in less than an hour, it would all turn into a teeming hive.

It was Basra.

There was no mistaking it.

And as she glanced around, taking a few hesitant, defeated steps ahead, the pain crushed her for good. Tears swelled up in her eyes again as her hands reached up to cup her nose and her mouth. The pain was excruciating. Shock, disbelief, confusion, she could feel it all, as well as the anger. The same burning rage she had directed at the messy neutral magic earlier. Only this time, it was directed at herself. At her own carelessness and foolishness.

She had screwed up. Badly screwed up.

And it hurt like hell.

Broken, she shot her eyes tightly, guilt surging through her like lightning strikes, like thousands of razor-sharp nails piercing her inside out. She felt like yelling at the top of her lungs but she couldn’t breathe. And when she felt her knees threatening to give out from under her, she slowly leaned on the nearest wall for support, her hands uncovering her torn features to tremblingly place themselves high on her twisted stomach. Then she opened her tearful eyes again to glance at the streets miserably, her awful mistake sinking in at an agonizing pace.

She was back.

Her breathing was ragged, the pain devouring her. It was unbearable. But she deserved the suffering.

She was back, but without him…

[Mala]

When the redhead stepped outside, Mala let go off her but despite disconnecting her senses from the young woman's magic, the Roman still received her feelings. Everyone who had a heart to listen would.
The pain, guilt and anger that were flooding the sorceress' core this very moment emenated from her figure and made Mala catch her breath. These feelings were so strong, so overwhelming that even when not reaching out to her she felt them almost as if they were her own. And with every second that she had to witness this agony her wish of helping her became stronger. Only that she could not do the same.
Albeit knowing that his eyes would not receive her gaze, Maea turned to the young guard who still was standing next to her. Pleadingly yet unseen she looked at him, willing him with silent words to do something, anything to help the one who she knew meant so much to her son.

[Ziad]

When she stepped outside, Ziad watched her closely with a mix of confusion, mild irritation adn wariness, not looking like it but being ready to leap into her direction to hold her back if she should change her mind. He felt compassion for her battered self, she was a strange woman so full of strong emotions as far as he could tell and even though he could not understand where these emotions were rooted, they awoke his pity. As he watched her look around he wondered where she had just come from. Maybe she had been taken away from her loved ones, a lover or family and was now trying to comprehend her loss. Poor thing, he thought, if that were the case. One more reason to contact Caipra as soon as possible.

But while he was still contmplating what to do with her she broke down, literally, in front of his very eyes. His reflexes kicked in and he rushed forwards, trying to catch her before she fell completely, rocked and shaken with sobs. He managed to catch her, or at least, somewhat, unable to keep her from sinking into the dusty street, but wrapping his arms around her. He felt helpless, confused, but at the same time found himself look around nervously. A lad of maybe 12 years, obviously one of those that helped the merchants for a few coins early in the morning, tossed him a glance in passing and their eyes met before Ziad broke it. "Shhh... no, it´s all right. It´s okay, you´re safe." His words, uttered in a soothing yet what-the-heck-am-I-to-do-here-and-why-the-hell-did-I-of-all-people-end-up-in this were a reflex, an attempt to calm her and comfort her. It was as if her emotions were having an effect on her or rather as if they were washing over him like a wave, so strong it nearly made him gasp as he caught her, giving him the impression of something strange, eery, invisible that was passing through his very soul like a single, strong plea. He had to help her. The thought was there abruptly.

He sank to the ground, holding her up somewhat awkwardly. "It´s all right..." he repeated. "Come on, I´ll help you. I´ll get you some help."

[Maeve]

Everything was blurry, except for the sharpness of the guilt that was consuming her. Her head felt like a bustling mess of regrets and remorse, all the cruel facts of her mistake tumbling down on her as if the sky itself was crashing. She should’ve stayed in bed. She should’ve turned around to alert him. She should’ve waited before venturing too close to the ripple. She should’ve fought the light with more energy. Everything she should have done… The blame she was inflicting upon herself was fully justified; she deserved all the pain that was tearing her apart at the moment.

Because Dim-Dim should have been here with her.

But her inconsiderate foolishness had condemned him. She had let her stubborn curiosity take over instead of alarming him that something was wrong. And it had cost him his freedom. Something she would never forgive herself for. It was her fault. She had left him behind. This truth carved itself inside her head like a deadly curse, an eternal souvenir of the cruel price of her return...

As she struggled with the crushing weight of guilt in her chest, she didn’t even notice the man walking up to her. She just felt his arms around her at some point, silently offering comfort and support. In other circumstances she would have pushed him away immediately, especially since he was a total stranger, but perhaps this was just the reason as to why she let him come to her in such a critical breakdown. Because they were strangers. Because it didn’t matter what opinion he had at the moment concerning her wrecked condition since he didn’t know her. Which made things a lot more easier to bear.

However, and this was at least the flickery part of who she was that still managed to smoulder underneath her vulnerable state: stabbing culpability she could endure, but compassionate peptalk she couldn’t. She could lose her composure by breaking down if she lacked the strength to control herself, but she wouldn’t lose her dignity.

Thus she pushed him away gently, deciding she needed her own personal space to deal with the flow of emotions that was devastating her inside. This man had seen enough of her weakness and distress, and the last thing she needed was his pity. She had to get a grip now. Forcing air into her lungs again by taking deep breaths, she stepped away from him and pulled herself together as best as she could, closing her eyes to find the strength she needed to tame the pain in her chest.

“I’m fine.” She said so more for her sake than his, angrily sniffling and rubbing her tired eyes with one hand to shrug off the remnants of her guilty tears.

[Mala]

Mala frowned slightly at the young woman’s sudden action. She felt her struggle to get control; felt her trying to get a grip on herself and the situation while still the pain and a guilt, the ghost as an observer could not possibly know where it came from, were all too evidently filling her heart. Pushing the guard away was something Maea had not expected her to do and yet the vague feeling arouse in her that just maybe this was nothing but part of the redhead's nature.
Slightly then the ghost shifted her gaze to let it lie almost questioningly at the man nearby. She still was surprised about the change she had felt in his thoughts only moments before. His sudden wish to help Maeve had not gone unnoticed by the Roman and she couldn’t help but wonder deeply just how she had managed to stir it inside his heart when she had done no conscious thing; had in fact believed her call would never reach his soul.

[Ziad]

Ziad quickly got the impression that this woman was one that did not like being messed with - or one that liked to be patronized for that matter and since she seemed to not be passing out or intent to run, he gave in and stepped away again, however one hand still reaching into her direction, even though he didn´t touch her. The lad from earlier was still there and right now after he ahd finished helping with a merchant´s cart, he was standing lazily against a wall, chewing on an apple. Ziad waved him closer and while the boy approached them, he turned to the red head again. "I don´t know what´s happening here, but I will send for someone, a friend, she might know more. Let´s just go inside again, all right?"

[Maeve]

She ran a hand through her hair, forcing herself to bottle up the boiling load of emotions assailing her. Pacing a little, she breathed deeply, trying as best as she could to channel and suppress all the severe feelings that were coursing through her because she knew that if she let them roam free in her heart and in her mind for too long and at this crazy intensity, she would go mad. The guilt would never leave her, that was absolutely certain, but she was already familiar with the constant heaviness of its burden anyway...

Glancing back at the man, she noticed for the time the young boy he had waved closer. Her brown eyes travelled between them mistrustfully as he spoke to her about help again, but she decided it didn’t even matter. She simply gave in, no arguing and no resisting. After all, he had been everything but threatening to her ever since she had barged in on him unexpectedly, and she had too much inner-struggle and turmoil to deal with right now to be stubborn about trust. She had nothing to lose, and nothing to gain. And she simply didn’t care.

Hence, without even looking at him in acknowledgment, she simply went back inside, to the only place that still somehow tied her to the realm, to the beach, and to Dim-Dim.

[Kalani]

It was quiet out, as mornings this early often were. Only a few merchants, like herself, were out setting up their wares in preparation for the crowds that would bustle about when the city roused itself more fully. Kalani tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear, surveying her set up for a moment. Smiling in satisfaction, she was about to turn to the boy who often came to offer his assitance -- in exchange for a fair wage, naturally -- to pay him as she always did. However, before she could speak a word to him, something else caught her attention. A man, one of the city's guards she would guess, judging by his garb, was standing nearby. And at that moment, the guard was waving her young employee over. Curious as to what might be going on, Kalani followed the boy -- incidentally making sure the boy was not going to get into any trouble with the guard, if the man were to suspect the boy of having stolen the apple he was eating.

However, she had only taken a few steps when out of the corner of her eye she spotted a woman striding away from the guard. The distinctive red hair of the woman seemed quite familiar and pausing a moment, Kalani recognized at last the woman who was walking towards an open door.

'Maeve?' she called, tone only slightly hesitant, in case she had mistaken the identity of the red-head.