Day 1
Blood dripped freely down the scaled hide of Semuan-Ya. The great gashes in her wings had forced her to walk, to stumble along...
Her body had lost so much blood, she felt cold and weak. Her mouth was dry, and the blood that oozed out felt like it was taking all the warmth from her. Her hearing seemed heightened but her sight dull with pain. She could hear the gobs of blood as they hit the dusty ground below her.
Plop....
...plop..
But she walked, she could not pass out here in the open. If she was to die, she'd do it alone with no shameful eyes watching. "Sssssisssssterrssssss ssssshall paysss..." Her voice was barely audible as she moved in a fevered delirium. Visions swam before her eyes, blood drenched ground...broken wings, bloody hooves...Like some nightmare that she couldn't stop.
Her heavy feet stumbled on, making herself walk through the visions that plagued her dull eyes. How many miles had she walked, how many hours? It felt like centuries...aeons....
Then she felt coolness blow over her body, chilling her to the bone and some sense of sight returned briefly. She was in a cave, by a cool stream. Falling to the ground, she drank deeply trying to assuage the burning thirst that cried out in agonizing pain. The water seemed to whisper secrets to her, life-less words...visions she couldn't understand.
With all her strength, she struggled into the stream and let the water flow over her. She was shaking---freezing, the fever burning hotter and hotter it felt. Then with her last strength she pulled herself to the bank and rolled in the mud to cake her wounds shut. She had to stop the blood. She had to live. Or to die alone.....Her eyes rolled back to her head and she passed out.
Day 3
Faces had hovered over her in the night. Delirium had come and gone. She had seen lights and devils, mocking faces, sharp searing pains...she could feel the life flowing out of her....The mocking faces...Her body stripped of wings her sisters mocking her defiled body. She had screamed it again and again into the dark, listening cave, "Ssssssisssssttterssssss ssssshhhhall paaayyssssss."
Day 4
The fever had broke, but she was weak. The only thing that had sustained her was the water she could barely lift her head to dip her muzzle in. It had taken hours of strength to reach for one sip without drowning herself.
But today, today was different. Her muscles were heavy and weak. But she could, she would feed now. Her eyes were accustomed to the dark, and the rats who had disregarded her lifelessness--who had tried to ravage her still body would be her meal. She remained still, watching them approach her until suddenly her mighty jaws would snap and she could feel the warm gush in her mouth. Food...it was good to eat again.
Day 5
Some strength had returned, she could stand now. Wading into the stream, she washed the mud away no longer fearing the open bleeding or the sweeping fevers. She was ready to move to another place after this. As the water washed away the caked mud, she could see the livid scars left behind. She could not fly yet, but she would live....She would live....
"Sssshe thinksssss ssssheee's safe," a malicious smile tore at the corners of her mouth. "Theyssss ssshallsss paysss!"
