Aster could feel her legs beginning to give out. Her throat felt like sandpaper, and breathing was a struggle, let alone walking. What little she could see that wasn't obscured by smoke was spinning around her as dizziness clouded her head. She struggled forward another step, then one more, before her knees finally buckled. The last thing she was aware of before she slumped to the ground were the whimpers coming from the child in her arms.
The clamoring of voices woke her. Aster cracked her eyes open blearily, blinking hard to relieve them of their stinging. She knew where she was instantly; she would be hard-pressed not to recognize the interior of Ionu's Mercy. A weak cough rattled out of her, stinging her roughened throat.
Asterope lay still as nurses bustled around her; the back of her dress had been cut open, and compresses were being pressed onto what she could only assume were burns. She winced slightly, but the stinging was quickly overtaken by soothing, and she relaxed into the cot she lay on as she attempted to bring herself to coherent thoughts.
The child. She jerked, attempting to push herself up, but was pushed back down firmly but gently. "Asterope, you will lie there and let yourself be treated like the others." The scolding voice of Irene came from her left, just out of her view. She turned her head to look towards where it had come from, and was greeted with the sight of the masked firefighter standing by the door, in heated conversation with two figures whose backs were turned to her.
The masked woman departed quickly, and the other two turned. Aster recognized the woman with the strange glass-like skin as the one who had been in the depths of the Womiyu with the child; she was glad to see the Speaker was unharmed, despite having stayed behind.
The speech given by the man was short but genuine. When done, the female Speaker strode towards Aster, and despite smiling, she spoke harshly. Asterope swallowed hard, ignoring how it grated on her throat, but before she could say anything the woman's tone softened, and her words turned to praise.
A flush crept up Aster's face; guilt twisted in her stomach despite the Speaker's words, knowing she had only put the child in more danger than he'd already been in. But he was fine, and that was what mattered. "I'm simply glad he's okay," She croaked out, wincing at both the pain of speaking and the sound of her voice. "And you, as well."
She watched as Aysu placed the bottle down on the table beside her; the scene within the glass was as mesmerizing as the woman before her. The liquid inside was the crystalline blue of the ocean, and movement flickered within as tiny fish swam around, releasing small bursts of bubbles every so often.
"Thank you," She said hoarsely, slightly humbled by the extraordinary gift, despite the fact that she wasn't entirely sure of what it was. "Of course. I won't tell anyone." She was curious to know who the boy was, and his relationship to the deep-voiced woman standing by her cot, but she had the good sense to hold her tongue.
Asterope nodded slightly to Aysu as she retreated, and relaxed back down onto her cot as the Speakers left, content to let herself be treated now that she knew that the child and the others had made it out safely.
***
The clamoring of voices woke her. Aster cracked her eyes open blearily, blinking hard to relieve them of their stinging. She knew where she was instantly; she would be hard-pressed not to recognize the interior of Ionu's Mercy. A weak cough rattled out of her, stinging her roughened throat.
Asterope lay still as nurses bustled around her; the back of her dress had been cut open, and compresses were being pressed onto what she could only assume were burns. She winced slightly, but the stinging was quickly overtaken by soothing, and she relaxed into the cot she lay on as she attempted to bring herself to coherent thoughts.
The child. She jerked, attempting to push herself up, but was pushed back down firmly but gently. "Asterope, you will lie there and let yourself be treated like the others." The scolding voice of Irene came from her left, just out of her view. She turned her head to look towards where it had come from, and was greeted with the sight of the masked firefighter standing by the door, in heated conversation with two figures whose backs were turned to her.
The masked woman departed quickly, and the other two turned. Aster recognized the woman with the strange glass-like skin as the one who had been in the depths of the Womiyu with the child; she was glad to see the Speaker was unharmed, despite having stayed behind.
The speech given by the man was short but genuine. When done, the female Speaker strode towards Aster, and despite smiling, she spoke harshly. Asterope swallowed hard, ignoring how it grated on her throat, but before she could say anything the woman's tone softened, and her words turned to praise.
A flush crept up Aster's face; guilt twisted in her stomach despite the Speaker's words, knowing she had only put the child in more danger than he'd already been in. But he was fine, and that was what mattered. "I'm simply glad he's okay," She croaked out, wincing at both the pain of speaking and the sound of her voice. "And you, as well."
She watched as Aysu placed the bottle down on the table beside her; the scene within the glass was as mesmerizing as the woman before her. The liquid inside was the crystalline blue of the ocean, and movement flickered within as tiny fish swam around, releasing small bursts of bubbles every so often.
"Thank you," She said hoarsely, slightly humbled by the extraordinary gift, despite the fact that she wasn't entirely sure of what it was. "Of course. I won't tell anyone." She was curious to know who the boy was, and his relationship to the deep-voiced woman standing by her cot, but she had the good sense to hold her tongue.
Asterope nodded slightly to Aysu as she retreated, and relaxed back down onto her cot as the Speakers left, content to let herself be treated now that she knew that the child and the others had made it out safely.
