[PRP] Resolution (Larak and Sorra Suau)

[belloblossom]

Larak had traveled on, but his pace was slow and sluggish. He felt sick. He felt hollow. Something was weighing him down and eventually he collapsed forward, wheezing. Larak was unfamiliar with the concept of panic attacks. He may have had one in his youth, when he was first coming to the realization that he would be expected to fight to survive, but he couldn't remember it. At that moment, he could only feel a cold dread that he had left a lioness who he cared about so deeply to rot.

He'd never had someone tell him that they hated him so adamantly. He ducked his head. He felt sick. He didn't know how to get up from this. He shook and curled in on himself, the sand and sun assaulting him from every angle. He could get home. He should go seek comfort in other lionesses or his family.

"Sorra." He groaned, his tone remorseful. He should get home, he thought, pulling himself into a sitting position, but he was weary. He cast a long look behind him and his tail flicked uncertainly. He would wait here. Maybe these feelings would pass. Or... maybe... He flattened his ears. He was clinging to false hope. Sorra wanted him dead, he was certain of it, but his paws wouldn't move and so, he would have to wait.

- Mynsed -

 

[- Mynsed -]

She was alone. When she opened her eyes, Larak had left. He was no longer there. A dry sob escaped her, one that she didn’t expect. It had been lurking in her throat, waiting for it’s chance to escape. And it had. Looking around, she desperately realized she was alone in this desert and she had no idea which way to go. All she had for company was the body, the body she refused to look at. She would end up like that body, if she didn’t start moving.

But… what would she do? Try to find her way out of the desert? Back to Nergui? Back to Larak? Anger had evaporated from her body, replaced with guilt and hopeless sorrow. Taking a deep breath, she surveyed the area again, purposely skirting past the body, refusing to see it. Foot prints. The sands were moving, slowly covering them, but the prints were still there. She hesitated. Maybe… if she followed slowly, she could not encounter Larak until she got back to the Nergui. Maybe she could talk to Kimya first. Though, she felt as though she knew what Kimya would say.

Ears flattening, she began to walk, following the footprints. She had to start moving. Thoughts about water made her throat parched and quickly she pressed it to the side. Her thoughts were filled with Larak and Nergui. What was she going to do?

She walked slowly, following the trail. It felt like hours and she began stumbling more than she was walking. It was hard, to keep pressing on. Her eyes barely looked ahead, just focused on the footprints she was following. Her paws fit perfectly into his steps, almost twice so. She never noticed how large his paws were before. Sighing, she looked up to judge the sun. And froze.

A figure was in the distance. A familiar figure. Fear grabbed her heart. Why was he just sitting there? Why wasn’t he home already? Was something the matter? Heart hammering, she began to run, feet pushing heavily into the sand, ignoring the burn and aches of her already sore muscles. ”Larak!” she shouted as she got closer and soon, came to a few feet away. Her eyes looked over him, searching for an injury. He didn’t look well. But… there was no injuries that she could see. Still, took a hesitant step closer. ”Are you… are you alright?” she asked thickly.

Belloblossom

 

[belloblossom]

Larak was used to the sand and the sun, but now they seemed to burn into his skin, despite the fur that covered it. His chest heaved and he felt like he was going to heave up anything that remained in his stomach, even if it was only bile at this point.

His eyes had closed and he'd started to wobble when he heard a voice calling his name. He opened his eyes slowly, overheated and sluggish, only to see Sorra standing in front of him, something like concern in her eyes. Was this a mirage come to torment him for what he had done? Was this a ghost of his dear Sorra, already gone from this world?

Lurching clumsily forward, he leaned forward, only to knock his nose against hers. Tears welled up in his eyes. She was really here and she was really asking after him. He couldn't begin to comprehend why, but he dove forward, shoving his muzzle towards the sand as he rumbled.

"Sorra, dv Sorra. (Sorra, my Sorra.)" His voice was thick and his fur burned and he was certain he was going to be sick. "I ba rak vaerk vai ka roaeqo. I aed kuv'rs, dik I aed rak kuv'rs oraisl aerb I aed ae larotk r'ar, dik vai ba rak vaerk do aerb I irboutkaerb dokaeito I vaet kuior aerb I ba rak draedo vai, dik I kaerrak laeqo vai do louo aeraro, ta... (I do not want you to leave. I am trying, but I am not trying enough and I am a honest lion, but you do not want me and I understand because I was cruel and I do not blame you, but I cannot have you be here alone, so...)" He bumbled through his words, but looked up at her from his place on the sandy ground, looking desperate and weepy and all manner of emotional as he went on, with something new in his voice. If he could do anything, anything to make her see how much he needed her at his side, he would do it. "Ig vai ditk roaeqo, rok do too vai agg guad klo Nousi', v'kl gaab 'r vaiu dorrv aerb vaekou ka piorkl vaiu kl'utk aerb... aerb I irboutkaerb 'g vai vaerk ka roaeqo, dik Sauuae, boaeu I v'tl I kairb do v'kl vai, ka vuakokk vai gauoqou aerb 'g vai tkaev, I'rr daexo klaek laevvor, I vuad'to I'rr daexo tiuo vai sok oqouv laevv'rott aerb I- (If you must leave, let me see you off from the Nergui, with food in your belly and water to quench your thirst and... and I understand if you want to leave, but Sorra, dear I wish I could be with you, to protect you forever and if you stay, I'll make that happen, I promise I'll make sure you get every happiness and I-)" He had the sense to jerk to the side, narrowly avoiding her as he heaved bile onto the sand. His head was becoming fuzzy, but he managed to look up at her and give her a small, hopeful smile despite it.

- Mynsed -

 

[- Mynsed -]

Something really was wrong. Her heart hammered in her chest, looking over him again. Did something bite him? Something poisonous? Why was he swaying? She flinched back as his nose knocked into hers. Was that… tears? She swallowed hard. Something really had to be wrong. She didn’t think Larak could cry. ”Larak!” she cried out as he collapsed, immediately jumping closer and looking over him.

When he spoke, even as she scrambled to decipher what he was saying, she found she almost wanted to start bawling. His Sorra. She swallowed thickly, still not finding an injury. She placed a paw on him; he was hot… too hot, even in this desert. She knew Larak’s warmth, at the very least. It was what helped her sleep at night. And this… this heat was double. ”Shhh,” she tried to soothe, straightening up and looking desperately around while he rambled. How was she going to get him back to the Nergui? He needed help. She didn’t know the way. She couldn’t carry him. She couldn’t help him.

”Larak,” she whispered, crouching in front of him. She had to get him to walk. To find water and shade, at least. Then she can try to find out what was wrong. Dear. He called her dear. She swallowed thickly. He doesn’t mean it, he’s delirious. Don’t start falling for him, she scolded herself. But her heart ached. She hated the man. Or, thought she did. But him weak, him tearing up and collapsed. Larak spilling words that he possibly didn’t mean but touched Sorra’s heart… she wasn’t quite sure if she could hate him. If she ever truly did. ”Shhh, Shh now, Larak,” she tried and jumped back as he heaved onto the sand. Oh gods, he really was sick. And now he was smiling. She was horrified. She didn’t know how to tend to the sick. But… thoughts of the body came back and she swallowed hard. She couldn’t let him become that. Wouldn’t allow him to become that.

”Larak… Larak, listen. Stand and lean on, yes? I help walk. We need shadows,” she tried, moving to his side and nudging her head to him. She knew she was garbling the language but her worry didn’t give her clear thoughts. Oh gods, she needed to help him.

Belloblossom

 

[belloblossom]

She was here, she was here, she was here. Sorra had returned and nothing could possibly go wrong again. He couldn't quite feel anything anymore, his paws seemed far away from the rest of him, but if his Sorra wanted him to walk, he would do his best.

"I irboutkaerb. (I understand.)" He said and lurched forward, his paws feeling like they were stretched out in front of them, though when he looked down they seemed attached and straight as ever, though... did he always have eight paws? He shook his head slightly, blinked profusely and then looked up to meet Sorra's gaze. "I vairb garrav vai ka klo orbt ag klo oaeukl, 'g vai aetxob do ka. (I would follow you to the ends of the earth, if you asked me to.)" He told her, his tone serious, before he leaned slightly onto her. She was so small, so he didn't want to rely so much on her, lest she fall over. He would be distraught if he hurt someone so precious.

"Haeqo I oqou karb vai lav dikl I qaerio vaiu kadvaer'artl'v? (Have I ever told you how much I value your companionship?)" He drawled as they stumbled along. "I ba, vai xrav. Ik't titk laeub ka kaerx aedaik 'k, dokaeito 'r Nousi' vai bar'k uoaerrv, kaerx aedaik kloto kl'rst. Bik I vaerk vai ka xrav klaek I ba. (I do, you know. It's just hard to talk about it, because in Nergui you don't really, talk about these things. But I want you to know that I do.)" His tone was consistently serious and he hoped it was getting across, though what he didn't realize was the fact that he slurred and that his legs wobbled when he walked. Everything felt so distant. Everything about his Sorra, at his side. He was the happiest lion in the desert with her at his side.

- Mynsed -

 

[- Mynsed -]

Sorra didn’t know what to do, she was at wits end. Her eyes were scanning the desert, spotting an outcropping that would provide a little bit of shade. But no water. She would have to get him settled in and somehow bring back water. Somehow. Panic was washing through her again. ”I just need you to follow me to shade,” she whispered desperately, pressing against him to help him walk. Oh gods, he was heavy. Looking at him, Sorra guessed she didn’t have even half his weight. Swallowing, she tensed her muscles, glad for the bit of training Larak gave her. Otherwise, she wasn’t sure she would have been able to do this.

And then, she walked, going slow and keeping up with his stumbles, sometimes stumbling herself. They were almost there and her concentration on just walking made her miss bit and pieces of his rambling. Especially since it was in his dialect. What he was saying couldn’t be correct. Her was misunderstanding the words. He didn’t value their companionship. That isn’t what he said. ”I know, I know,” she murmured, finally getting him to the shade. ”Lay down,” she told him, not stepping away from him until she knew he had his balance. Her heart was beating hard against her chest and she wasn’t sure if it was just from helping Larak walk.

Belloblossom