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 Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2006 8:02 pm
Hanukhemetu's House Hanukhemetu lives with his wife, Nariketh. They live in a brightly lit house a little west of Kanesakht's. All three council members live very close to one another and the Council Hall.
Hanu's house is decorated with all sorts of fanciful paintings and sculptures. Many of his books are novels, which, while well written, aren't that popular in Baarikmet. Hanu may have the largest collection, in fact.
The house itself is two floors. The top floor has a balcony extending over the front courtyard, which is encircled by a low wall, maybe three feet high, of beautiful stones piled one atop the other with no mortar. A few plants grow here and there, but the real centerpiece is the intricate tile work laid down in winding paths. The entire design makes up one large labyrinth.
Hanu welcomes visitors at almost any time. Current Apprentices :: Rhiket & Magdalene
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2006 8:21 am
Nariketh and Hanukhemetu hurried in, passing through the courtyard without even a glance at the tile work. They entered the house and immediately set to work. In Hanu's arms lay a small Uluen, near death. He cradled the creature close for a moment more before taking it to a small guest bedroom.
Settling the creature down amongst soft sheets and pillows, he called out to his wife, "Nari! Bring me a bowl with warm water, some rags, and the blue jar on the second shelf, would you?"
A minute or two later, she entered and handed over the requested items. "What kind of soup should I make, Hanu?"
"Something thin, mostly broth. Add some of the powdered Askhet root - that should dull the pain and help him breathe more easily." Hanu bit his lower lip, taking up a rag and dabbing, gently, at the wounds. He had to clean them, hope they didn't get infected - the small, frail creature before him wouldn't be able to survive that.
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2006 8:27 am
Rhiket started shivering. Full-body convulsions that worsened the bleeding with each shake of his small frame. His throat had been lacerated, there were wounds over his ribs and heart, the back of his head, his paws, all four of them bleeding. He was barely breathing. His heart barely had the strength to beat.
He simply lie there where he was set, and shivered. His skin was growing warm - too warm. Hot. The fragile balance between Light and Dark, Life and Death - was slowly being tipped to the 'D' side. He tried to breathe again, his paws peddaling in the throes of another convulsion. Many more like that, and the poor kid might very well break his neck.
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2006 8:35 am
Hanu drew in a sharp breath, holding the boy down, gently. Convulsions were bad.
"And Nari, also soak one of the Nesithet leaves in the broth. It'll help reduce his fever... the poor boy is burning up. And don't make the broth too hot! Luke-warm."
Nari nodded and hurried out of the room.
"Come on..." Hanu murmured, taking a small leaf out of the jar by his side and breaking it open, squeezing a small amount of liquid onto the wound he was cleaning. "Hold out a little longer."
He began to dab at the deep cuts on the Uluen's neck, all the while keeping him, with one hand, from moving too much. He could feel the weak beating of the boy's heart, and it scared him.
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2006 8:44 am
He seemed to hear - and respond. His shivers slowly, slowly started to die down. There were no more convulsions, though his fever still raged. That tiny heart was getting weaker, but he wasn't trembling anymore, though his body was still fragile as glass. His breathing started to shallow even more, both breath and beat slowing and weakening. His breathing grew erractic, as well as the pulsebeat beneath Hanu's hand - a beat that was playing a little like an untrained apprentice at a drum. No rhythm.
But he was hanging on as hard as he could to that one thread of life, that one strand - the person's voice. The man's voice that he heard. He had to hold onto it, or he would lose himself completely to the encroaching dark. Even though his heart struggled, he had to cling tightly with his paws and teeth to that one golden strand of sound in the silence.
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2006 9:02 am
Nari hurried once more into the room, holding a bowl of soup. "It's part of the soup I was making for dinner," she explained. "I had left it cooking while we were gone. I skimmed off some of the broth and added what you told me to..."
Hanu nodded, letting go of the Uluen for a moment and taking the bowl. He took a small spoonful - not much, he needed to be careful. "Open his mouth for me, Nari."
The woman nodded, leaning forward and tipping open the boy's mouth as gently as she could. Hanu set the bowl on the bed and placed his free hand against the boy's throat. He tipped the contents of the spoon, lukewarm and perhaps a bit too spiced, into the Uluen's mouth and gently stroked his throat.
"Come on now, swallow... you need some food in you..."
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2006 9:14 am
The little Uluen swallowed only because he was forced to. His little tongue lolled out of his mouth. He liked that, though - even if it felt like fire and ashes in his stomach. He mewed, softly. His first sound aside from labored breathing since they'd found him. His eyes didn't open, and he didn't move, but a small sound was a good start. The Uluen coughed lightly, his heart jumping at that, and immediately sank back into the darkness.
Fading. In and out. Dark and Light. Breathing? Not? Breathing, but it was hard again - he was back in the cold, then out again, shivering then stilling. This wasn't making things easier for his struggling heart.
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2006 9:28 am
Hanu continued to feed him, gently, one small spoonful at a time, hoping that the soup would help calm his fever and give him some measure of energy.
"Nari, can you check his breathing and heart rate?" he murmured, concentrating on his job.
She nodded and knelt beside him, placing her hands on the Uluen's chest again. Her eyes flashed white once more, and she listened carefully to his heartbeat, trying to help it steady out. Her body shuddered from the effort.
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2006 9:35 am
The poor thing's heart was beating at about 200 beats per minute, and his respirations were no better - at eighty. All in all, he wasn't doing well at all. Nari would probably sense this.
He liked the broth, though. But his stomach was starting to grumble and growl - almost rejecting it. Almost. His little body was so very ill... It was going to take a long time for the Uluen to recover - if he recovered at all.
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2006 9:38 am
Thankfully, Hanu stopped feeding him. "That's enough for now..."
Nari didn't hear him, though. Her fur was becoming damp with sweat, her body swaying. She had to slow his heart and lungs down - she had to! Exerting all of the force she could, she tried to pull down and steady the boy's heart rate and breathing. It was nowhere near normal, but it was certainly safer. If she could just hold it there while the herbs took effect, maybe the Uluen would have a fighting chance...
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Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2006 1:32 am
The Uluen seemed to be responding to the herbs as the broth hit his bloodstream. Healing tendrils raced around the boy's body, cooling his fever, steadying the thready pulse, and clearing the airway for the boy to breathe. It was almost a miracle. The boy began breathing steadily on his own, and his heart leveled out, strengthened - but only slightly. Enough to support consciousness.
Rhiket started to come to after a few moments, his tiny mouth giving a great yawn, and his legs stretching, as if from a long nap. The first thing his non-blind eye beheld was... something, like himself. And the first thing he consciously felt was a gentle hand over his heart, pressing slightly in-between ribs. He could feel his heart pounding as he suddenly realized he had no clue where he was. He mewed - pitifully - but to someone able to speak their language - it translated to something like:
~Don't hurt me!~
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Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2006 5:06 am
Hanu's lips curled into a smile, and he stroked the boy's fur lightly. "Shh, it'll be all right. We'll get you patched up." Still smiling, he reached for the bowl of water, and began to clean the lacerations on the boy's neck with all possible caution.
Nari, on the other hand, waited a few more moments before coming out of her trance. She rocked back on her heals, shivering.
"I need... to sleep... dear..." she murmured.
"All right. I'll stay here." He looked over at her, concerned. "Just go relax, dear."
She nodded and stood, steadying herself with her wings and tail, and trudged off, wearily.
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Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2006 5:19 am
The weak Uluen couldn't lift his head to look around with his one good eye, nor could he attempt to toddle around - he was far too weak. But he did, however, enjoy the hand stroking his fur. He forgot himself for a moment, and started purring.
But that was before the full force of the pain hit, and his little heart jerked into irregularity again with panic. He curled up tightly into himself - the vague realization that his throat was torn open dawning on him - as well as the feel of the various bites and scratches from the rats - now starting to bleed again as there was no water to wash them clean.
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Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2006 5:43 am
Whatever was in the leaves that Hanu continued to crush and apply to the wounds, however, took away a good deal of the pain and helped the blood to clot.
"Shhh... don't move, it will hurt more... relax as much as you can..." he murmured as he continued to work, pausing every few moments to stroke the Uluen's fur where there was no blood.
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Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2006 3:48 pm
Rhiket relaxed, slowly, as he felt the pain beginning to eb and die. His eyes closed again, and he drifted. He could let himself pass out now - he was safe. He was secure. There was another taking care of him that wouldn't let him be hurt. He sighed contentedly, and let his consciousness slip.
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