Flashback Poisenous Revenge {Ninus}

[Ronan Dugal]

Ronan was not amused by Ninus desire to take away his drink and toss it into the rainbarrel. Just when he was about to complain, Ninus explained that the barrel had been poisoned. When Ninus told him not to move Ronan froze on the spot, one arm half raised to grab Ninus, since that was what he had been doing at the moment. From his eyes, Ronan didn't seem too bothered by the poison since he had an expert right here in front of him who could and would make sure he was safe in case there was a problem. "I just had a sip... maybe two, that's all." Ronan said, moving his lips as little as possible, making his words more difficult to hear. His eyes were fixed on Ninus who was focused on the servant. The servant stood across the table from them, scared and a little hurt that people thought he had poisoned the master he had served faithfully for so many years. "Everyone drinks from that barrel, ser. I drink from it, the mistress drinks from it and the master drinks from it. I use it to cook and to clean the dishes. I also use it to heat up and fill the bath with." It was obvious from his tone of voice that the servant realized that Ninus suspected him from poisoning the entire family. Ronan watched from the side, still standing perfectly still, his eyes moving back and forth between the servant and Ninus. "Maybe..." Ronan broke his statue stance and walked over to Ninus, whispering in his ear. "What if we were seen? What if it was poisoned moments before we got here?" Ronan stepped back as he let Ninus think about that. If the servant spoke the truth, of course, then how had the poisoner been able to poison just the master from the water in the barrel? There were only a limited amount of people here to question and it didn't seem like the mistress had much of a clue as to what went on in her house outside of the study and dining room.

[Ninus Aurellius]

The Prince of Rats Ninus frowned at the servant. "Thy water has been poisoned within the last few hours, when thine kitchen lay still and abandoned." he told him. "If it was not thine hand, then another has snuck into your home, thoughts of your and your mistress' deaths comforting him. Pray, pour it into the street and burn the barrel. Thou wilt find no comfort in the aqualine embrace of such a foul substance. For my dear friend and neighbor, who sheds merry pink blossoms in the spring and grants children its sweet fruit in the summer, has been kidnapped and used for a hideous purpose. The business of death. His cheerful, light heart is corrupted and damned." Ninus took Ronan's hand and led him to the table, bidding him to sit. "And my knight, my beautiful noble ser, hath been bitten by such a possessed mad friend." he said sadly. "Nay, not enough to kill. Ser, your next few hours will be but hell and hellfire, and there is little I can do. My mad friend, my dear merry creature, gallops through your veins. One can do nothing but let him extinguish his madness. One can cure the rage of a mother for an injured child, as poor Turan knew, but my friend hath lost his senses. He would not listen to me, not now, and even the gifts of the fire will not comfort thee in this moment." He knew now that the poisoner was onto them, or at least seeking to kill off his witnesses. He looked at the servant. "I apologize for having accused thee in my thoughtlessness. Watch over your water and food, eat nor drink nothing which thou hast not watched over with a careful eye. Look toward the locks of thine home, for that is what has betrayed thine poor, ill-fated master. I promise this household I will end this farce, but my knight threatens to fall down the same mountain as thy master." he told him. Ninus looked at Ronan with worry. A few sips, and the mysterious enemy had put enough in to make the taste tangible. He wanted the mistress and her servants dead, and with the same violent fire. But this time his patience had run thin and he had put too much in, wanting a swifter end, and had tipped Ninus off to its existence. "My knight, we will head toward mine home." Ninus said. "In the den of rats I must watch thee and provide thee with fresh water, for the sun will not set upon thee this day. Nay, fire will be in your thoughts until morning, sleep will not find you, and though sweat may coat you it will seem like boiling oil." He put the back of his hand to Ronan's forehead. It was already growing warm. He knew what had happened to the master then. It wasn't the rain barrel, or the servant and mistress would be dead by now. It would have had to have been something else...he eyed a silver pitcher. "Servant, pray tell me, what didst thou use to take the water up to thine master?" he asked. The poison could have been routinely coated on a pitcher or cup. If a household expected illness, usually quarantine was the rule, and no one else would use that pitcher or cup. He silently applauded the poisoner for his clever wits.

[Ronan Dugal]

Ronan listened with increased dread to Ninus' words. He was going to die? From drinking water? Water was supposed to prolong his life, not shorten it like it apparently had. With Ninus guiding his hand, Ronan plonked himself down on the chair. Most of what Ninus said passed him by as he could feel the heat in his body starting to rise already. Or was he just imagining things? Was he going to burn like Ninus had described? Sweat blood and eventually just die out like a fire? Burn until nothing was left and then simply fade away? He hadn't achieved anything yet. No grand empire, no mountains of Mizas. No lovely women who moved at his every call. "I don't want to die." His voice cracked as he spoke, his eyes big and pleading towards Ninus. He gripped onto Ninus' hand as he looked at him. Even without words, his face said it all. 'Don't let me die.' - 'Help me.' - 'Save me.' When Ninus spoke, Ronan agreed. Yes, they would go to his apartment and he would help him. Ninus would make him better. The hand on his forehead felt cool and he welcomed the touch but it only lasted a moment. "Your place sounds nice..." Ronan managed a smile but it was shaky at best and his thoughts were obviously disturbed by the bleak future he had in front of him. Without letting go of Ninus' hand, Ronan listened to the questions asked by the poisoner and to the answers given by the servant. "A pitcher, of course. And then I would serve it to... the... master..." The man slowed down his speech near the end of his sentence as something started to occur to him. "In his favorite glass, which remained by his side from the moment he took ill and had to stay in bed... It was made for him and his name blown into the glass. He always smiled when his fingers wrapped around the letters in the glass." The man turned a deathly pale just before turning around and running up the stairs in a very unprofessional manner. There was a lot of stumbling about from the level above. The man was moving around the room and muffled cursing could be heard from above. Whatever was wrong did not sit well with the servant. Five chimes later, the man stomped back down the stairs and rushed into the kitchen. "It's gone. The glass is... is gone. I had left it there... the mistress didn't want the room changed. I cleaned everything of course but I put the glass up there again..." From his seat, Ronan looked up at Ninus. From where Ronan was sitting it looked awfully like someone had removed the only piece of useful evidence from the entire scene. "What now?"

[Ninus Aurellius]

The Prince of Rats Ninus scowled. "Then the poison in the barrel had two purposes." he said. "It was meant to draw the eye and the attention to itself, whilst our poisoner removed the marks of his trade. I am certain he rubbed the poultice around the rim, the patient consuming with vigor what he most held dear. Keep a close watch, servant, and convince your mistress to hire faithful dogs in armor, that they may keep her safe. We shall come again, and mark your progress." He frowned down at Ronan and put his hand again to his forehead. "I shall take you now. No death or lasting harm will befall you, but tonight will be one to burn into your skull. You shall not forget it as long as you shall live, and I will make sure that is a long time indeed. Come hither." he put Ronan's arm over his shoulder. "You may not my weedy frame at this moment, but your strength will fade in the passing minutes until you are but a fawn trembling in afterbirth. I thank you for your aid, servant, but this is a pressing matter." Ninus helped Ronan toward the door, poison kit taken up in one hand. Cricet bounded along beside them. Ninus had to get Ronan home and quickly. He wasn't sure how Ronan would process the poison, but he couldn't risk him collapsing in a house he wasn't sure was safe. "My noble knight, screw your courage to the sticking place. We shall be there soon." he said.

[Ronan Dugal]

Ronan was sitting in the chair with his mouth open, sweating as he listened to Ninus. He wasn't going to die. But it wasn't going to be a nice evening out either, from Ninus' description. Ronan nodded and stood up, his arm around Ninus to support him. At first he felt quite alright, except for the heat and wasn't too sure about walking with his arm around Ninus all the way back home. It had taken them a good ten chimes to get here, with Ninus' wounds. Now, with Ronan in an even worse state than Ninus he wondered how long it would take before they got back. By the time the front door closed behind them, Ronan was leaning heavily on his friend and they hadn't even started walking yet. Already the side pushed against Ninus was dripping with sweat and Ronan hung heavily on the man. Feeling ashamed of his need to depend so heavily on someone else, Ronan steeled himself and pulled himself up on his legs. Although he still required Ninus' help not to keel over on the spot, at least he managed to walk on his own. His head was heavy and hot and it made it difficult to think. "You weren't... kidding when you said... burn into my... skull." His free hand pressed against his forehead. Ronan swallowed harshly as the two started walking. His steps went slowly, as he had to focus on moving his foot quite intensely. He groaned every two or three steps and was panting the whole time. It occurred to him that he was in quite a bad state, even considered to most of his life so far. As he pulled at the neck of his shirt, trying to cool himself off, Ronan continued to lean on Ninus as they walked. For the time it took them to get where they needed to be, Ronan was uncharacteristically quiet, apart from the groaning every now and then.

[Ninus Aurellius]

The Prince of Rats Ninus grit his teeth. Even though Ronan was trying his best, the man was much heavier than the skinny poisoner. His injured ribs were screaming in protest, filling his eyes with water. But he would get Ronan to his home, where he could treat him properly. Cherry poison...there was nothing to do but let it pass. Water passed so quickly through the digestive system that one would have had to consume charcoal with the water to help the symptoms. Ninus had been taking tiny, tiny amounts of the tree poisons ever since he was a child. It was likely he would have been able to consume such a small amount without issue. He shifted Ronan's sweaty form on his shoulders, teeth bared as he walked. Cricet showed them the way, as neither man was up to navigating. When they stumbled drunkenly up the stairs, Ninus guided Ronan to rest against the door whilst he opened it. Cricet did him a wonderful favor and burst into the room like a small furry lion, baring her fangs and driving out the flood of rats with sharp nips to ears, rears, and tails. When the rats on the bed were loath to move, she leapt amongst them with vicious bites, forcing them to recognize her as alpha. They fled squeaking out of the window, and normally Ninus would tell her not to be so cruel to rodents a quarter of her size...but now was not the time. He supported Ronan and guided him to the bed, sitting him down and gently undoing his clothes. "I will lay you bare, and use rags to keep thine burning oil off of thine body. It will make the passage of this night pass not so much in ease, but better if I had not." he said carefully as he folded up Ronan's jacket and shirt, undoing his trousers and sliding off his shoes. He folded them and put them in a cupboard, bidding Ronan to lay back on the bed. Had the situation not been so grave, he might have found it amusing. Two weeks ago he'd kissed Ronan and asked to have him in bed, and now here Ronan lay. But sex was far from Ninus' mind as he gathered up fairly clean rags and pulled the heavy rain barrel that held his water over to Ronan. He tasted the water first, and ran his fingers about the rim. Nothing. It was clean. He ladled some into a bowl. "In but a candlemark, visions will come to thine head. Know none of them are flesh and blood, but shadows of my gentle tree's madness. If thou willst flail, I will tie thee to the bed until thine hallucinations calm." Ninus warned. "My ser, my dear knight and friend...I will guide you through hell. Speak to me, and speak of good things." He had to keep Ronan speaking to him, lucid and focused, as his body heat skyrocketed in an attempt to fight off the poison. Ninus dipped a cloth in the cool water and bathed Ronan's face, chest and underarms. Hopefully the coolness as well as the removal of burning sweat would help. Cricet watched in concern, along with the other rats who hadn't been able to flee: the nursing mothers and pups. She liked Ronan, the man had never turned an unkind hand toward her. But she didn't dare go and look. Ninus was focused, alternating between feeding Ronan water from a carefully washed cup and bathing his entirety with the rags.

[Ronan Dugal]

Every step up the stairs was torment. His body was sweating and hot and every time he raised his foot to take a step, Ronan felt like he dipped his knee and hip into fire. Sweat was dripping from his nose and running down his cheeks and neck. Under the cloak and clothes, Ronan felt like a mussel, cooking in his own juice. Ronan didn't notice the opening of the door or the rat scaring away all the others. His eyes were closed as he rested against the door. His mouth was open in an attempt to cool down. But nothing was working. From the inside out, Ronan felt like he was cooking. Ninus' words and actions passed by him as Ronan was sat down on the bed. As soon as Ninus let go of him he started to tilt over and fall to the side. He didn't notice that his clothes were taken off and put aside so very carefully. All there was for Ronan was heat, heat and boiling. His breathing became shorter as he panted for air. Every motion he made hurt and was difficult to complete so Ronan lay as still as possible. The water on his face and chest felt cool only for a split moment before it heated up and became a bother, rather than help. The sweat ran down all over his body as Ronan lay on Ninus' bed. "Not a knight..." Ronan managed to mutter. He kept his eyes closed. He could feel himself falling to the side, even though he knew he was lying flat on the bed. But his mind fell, as if he was in a box and someone had tilted the box. Ronan slid along the wall until he hit the next wall. Then the box was turned once more and he started to fall backwards until he got stuck in a corner of the box. He could see how the edge of the box extended out from where he was endlessly but at the same time ending. He could see the end of the edge, another corner, but he knew he wouldn't reach it. Not ever. As Ronan's mind drew him away from reality, his body was fed water and washed by the gentle hands of Ninus, who did his best to take care of him. Ronan never noticed any of it.

[Ninus Aurellius]

The Prince of Rats Ninus kept bathing Ronan, but he knew it wouldn't be enough. He kept feeding him water, and eventually pulled him from the bed onto the cool floor. He poured water over him, ladling him head to toe. "You are just as strong, and half again as noble." Ninus told him. "Be still, the floor will help cool you. Remain with me my knight, do not allow those visions in your head to consume you." he grabbed the ladle again and poured water over Ronan, wishing and praying he had a tub, or ice, or some gift with magic that he could use to ease Ronan's pain. But he had nothing but a ladle, lukewarm water, and the rags. He emptied out the rags into a bowl, squeezing them dry before using them to mop Ronan down again. He emptied the rag out and saw rusty orange water flow into the bowl. Bad sign. Ronan was beginning to sweat blood, meaning his capillaries were bursting under his skin. As the hours wore on, it didn't worsen, but the warm room began to smell of blood and sweat. Ninus put a cool cloth of Ronan's head. "Speak to me." he ordered, his voice steeling.

[Ronan Dugal]

Ronan found himself in a dark black room. Even though there was no light to see with, Ronan could see that the entire room was empty. He felt a pull at the back of his head and he stepped back, more and more until he found himself in a corner of the room. But the pulling didn't stop. Ronan leaned back against the wall and the entire room started to tilt upwards, the opposite corner rising up in the air. And as the opposite corner was exactly above him, the pulling at his head continued. Roan blinked through the heat, smacking his dry lips. His entire mouth felt like a dune, even though the rest of his body was dripping with water or sweat. He remained still on the floor as the second ladle of water hit him and it helped to cool him ever so little. The third ladle of water was poured over him and Ronan tried to drink from the water. He was so thirsty. "Water" He croaked, his voice sounding exactly the way his mouth felt. He lifted his arm up and tried to get the ladle for himself so he could drink. His arm didn't move. Ronan remembered that the floor had felt nice and cool at first but now it was just as hot as the bed, the air and the rest of his body. Between blinking and slipping in and out of his mind, Ronan could see Ninus at all times, standing near him or over him, cleaning him or pouring water over him. "Worst day..." The rest of the words were too mumbled to be understood. And his body continued to feel too hot and sweat away all the water it contained. He blinked once more and let his eyes close again. He found himself in a dark black room...

[Ninus Aurellius]

The Prince of Rats Ninus stayed with Ronan all night, mopping his brow and bathing him endlessly. He was the cleanest thing in the apartment, while Ninus was soaked with sweat from his work, and the rainbarrel was almost empty. He fed Ronan as much water as he dared, but water could kill just as easily as a knife if overconsumed. So he limited Ronan to a few sips of water every few minutes. By the time morning broke Ninus was exhausted. But the sweat had stopped coming and Ronan had begun to cool down. Ninus looked out at the sun, then put his wet hand against Ronan's forehead. Cooler, much cooler. He had won out against the poison. He kissed Ronan's cheek. "My knight...open thine eyes, morning has broken." he grabbed Ronan under the armpits and hauled him up into a sitting position, squatting and hauling the heavy man up. He grunted and half-set, half-threw him on the bed. Panting, Ninus lay a cool cloth on his forehead and let him lay naked above the covers. The poisoner sat down heavily, wiping his forehead.