He's dead. He was really, truly dead. In all of the senses; no pulse, no heartbeat, and no breath. The warmth was slowly seeping out of her father's body… Just like his blood from the impaled chest. A dark, almost black pool had begun to circle his form on the dirty ground. Inside the house Nathan had come from, joyous voices laughed uproariously and light flowed from a makeshift window. No one was aware there was a little girl, whose father had just been brutally murdered before her eyes, outside. He was just so still. So… lifeless. So… Dead. Nathan's chest didn't rise in wheezing gasps of air; in futile attempts to breathe, even with the blood filling his lungs at a rapid pace and clogging his oropharynx, the piece of throat used for breathing. Red liquid seeped from his nasal cavities and drooled from his parted lips.
At fifteen, Canali didn't know what to do as she leaned over her father's dead corpse. Tears pricked at her eyes, but she shoved them away for a later time. Now was now the right moment to give into weakness. Her father needed her! Maybe he was still alive? Even though she knew it was a long shot, Canali shoved her ear next to his wet mouth, ignoring the warm sensation encasing the side of her face. One hand rested numbly on his chest, in an unconscious need to feel his heart thumping; one she had fallen asleep against so many times when Canali was young. No thump, thump pushed against her fingers and no moist breath decorated her straining ear. "No!" Canali shouted in denial, hoarse voice rough with unshed tears and fueled by the adrenaline which had kicked in to push the shock out.
Using blood covered hands, Canali rammed her hands against the cadaver, as if she were trying to shove the death out. Scrambling backwards on her bum and scraping her hands across the hard ground, Canali stared horrified at Nathan. Why hadn't he just listened to her when she tried to warn him! Couldn't he have put his dreams aside for one night and went back to the tavern, enjoyed a great tasting meal and went to bed? Blood had bleached Nathan's shirt like a tie-dye. His brown eyes were still open, staring into nothing. Had the last image on his mind been of the murderer, who had so ruthlessly shoved a dagger through Nathan's chest before removing said weapon, along with his money, and ran off like the coward he was? What was his last thought? Fear for his daughter who had been left behind in a cruel world to defend for herself? Or peace, looking forwards to seeing his previously dead wife?
Canali's throat was constricting, breaths coming short and tight. Lungs burning and frame shaking, she could no longer stare at the gruesome sight before her grey eyes. Hurriedly scrambling to her feet, Canali turned and ran down the shady street, letting the tears which had threatened earlier pour out and leak down her extremely pale cheeks. Where could she go? Back to the tavern? There was nothing there of importance. No clothing, no mizas, nothing. They hadn't had much of that stuff for a long while. Several seasons, even. Nathan had often skipped out on the bill the next day as they disappeared into the dark streets of Sunberth. Trying to think, trying to use her mind which had been scrambled like a pair of eggs for breakfast, Canali grasped at straws. Staying in the streets at her age would be dumb, stupid, idiotic and maybe even showing signs of a mental disease. Her aunt and uncle? Yes! They were only a close distance away with her cousins. Nathan and Canali had stayed several nights there before when allowed. Never too long in case the past caught up to them and stayed… At Bryan's house.
After figuring out where she was exactly, Canali broke out into a full run, scrambling through dangerous alley ways. Fairly soon, she reached the poor condition door which was their house. Raising a shaking hand and pushing away at the tears on her cheeks with the other, Canali knocked.
UnsureI wasn't sure of the date. Could you timestamp it sometime during the year of 506 AV?
At fifteen, Canali didn't know what to do as she leaned over her father's dead corpse. Tears pricked at her eyes, but she shoved them away for a later time. Now was now the right moment to give into weakness. Her father needed her! Maybe he was still alive? Even though she knew it was a long shot, Canali shoved her ear next to his wet mouth, ignoring the warm sensation encasing the side of her face. One hand rested numbly on his chest, in an unconscious need to feel his heart thumping; one she had fallen asleep against so many times when Canali was young. No thump, thump pushed against her fingers and no moist breath decorated her straining ear. "No!" Canali shouted in denial, hoarse voice rough with unshed tears and fueled by the adrenaline which had kicked in to push the shock out.
Using blood covered hands, Canali rammed her hands against the cadaver, as if she were trying to shove the death out. Scrambling backwards on her bum and scraping her hands across the hard ground, Canali stared horrified at Nathan. Why hadn't he just listened to her when she tried to warn him! Couldn't he have put his dreams aside for one night and went back to the tavern, enjoyed a great tasting meal and went to bed? Blood had bleached Nathan's shirt like a tie-dye. His brown eyes were still open, staring into nothing. Had the last image on his mind been of the murderer, who had so ruthlessly shoved a dagger through Nathan's chest before removing said weapon, along with his money, and ran off like the coward he was? What was his last thought? Fear for his daughter who had been left behind in a cruel world to defend for herself? Or peace, looking forwards to seeing his previously dead wife?
Canali's throat was constricting, breaths coming short and tight. Lungs burning and frame shaking, she could no longer stare at the gruesome sight before her grey eyes. Hurriedly scrambling to her feet, Canali turned and ran down the shady street, letting the tears which had threatened earlier pour out and leak down her extremely pale cheeks. Where could she go? Back to the tavern? There was nothing there of importance. No clothing, no mizas, nothing. They hadn't had much of that stuff for a long while. Several seasons, even. Nathan had often skipped out on the bill the next day as they disappeared into the dark streets of Sunberth. Trying to think, trying to use her mind which had been scrambled like a pair of eggs for breakfast, Canali grasped at straws. Staying in the streets at her age would be dumb, stupid, idiotic and maybe even showing signs of a mental disease. Her aunt and uncle? Yes! They were only a close distance away with her cousins. Nathan and Canali had stayed several nights there before when allowed. Never too long in case the past caught up to them and stayed… At Bryan's house.
After figuring out where she was exactly, Canali broke out into a full run, scrambling through dangerous alley ways. Fairly soon, she reached the poor condition door which was their house. Raising a shaking hand and pushing away at the tears on her cheeks with the other, Canali knocked.
UnsureI wasn't sure of the date. Could you timestamp it sometime during the year of 506 AV?