[Warning! This solo contains heavy religious references. Viewer discretion is advised.]
When he awoke next, Leucite felt better than ever. It was as if all the weight that he had been carrying had taken from him in the night. Though he still ached and stung from his wounds, he felt refreshed and reinvigorated. He quickly set to work finishing his rosary.
Taking the strap from his bag, he used the sharp piece of crystal he’d been using as a drill to strip it down into a thin, thin cloth. This he threaded through all the holes he had drilled, tying it off once he’d slipped on the cross to finish the rosary. Holding it in his hands, he could feel it thrumming with power.
So he prayed.
As he declared the Mystery of The Resurrection and recited it, he felt the guilt that he had long felt thrum from the cross on the end of the rosary. Smiling, he wondered what would happen if someone other than he touched the rosary while he spoke.
Perhaps when he returned he could find out.
It was an interesting thought. The fact that the rosary possessed powers at all surprised him, but then, he had crafted it from the magical crystals natural to the Rift, who knew what powers they had been blessed with by God? He was not about to question this gift.
In fact he welcomed it.
It would suit him just fine, a rosary fit for a Negaverse Officer. He wrapped the rosary around his wrapped fist, and slowly rose. Affixing what remained of the strap to the bag, he slung it over his shoulder, and picked his weapon back up.
Turning to Iudicael he smiled. “Come boy, let’s go.”
Leucite began his long trek back to the Hall of Shadows. But he kept a straight line toward it, and he kept his pace as rapid as he dared in his current weakened state. He avoided youma as much as he could, having no desire to fight any more of them than he already had.
It took many hours, but he finally arrived at the Hall of Shadows. Reaching out, he pet Iudicael. “Go hunt,” he told the youma, letting it return the way they had come to do whatever it was that youma did. Passing back through the Hall of Shadows, Leucite found himself far less afraid of the youma within its walls. In fact, they were almost comforting. Angelic in their own, twisted way.
Once he was back in Negaspace, he teleported home. Dropping his bag on the floor, he powered down to Mathias and flopped onto his bed. Instantly regretting it as the bandages and everything disappeared, leaving him with sore, barely healed hands.
The rosary was missing too.
Mathias hissed and looked around the room, only finding his normal rosary on the bed. Picking it up, he powered up again, watching it vanish and his Rift Crystal one reappear.
Well then - it really was a rosary fit for a Negaverse Officer. Grinning, he powered down once more, and sat down on his bed once more.
He prayed the rosary again, this time reflecting on The Mystery of The Descent of The Holy Spirit. He reflected on how he could share this newfound truth with everyone. Only one thing came to his mind. But he would need time. Time and people.
“Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy. Hail, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; To thee do we send up our sighs, Mourning and weeping in this vale of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, Thine eyes of mercy toward us; And after this our exile, Show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ, thy Son.” He said, as he began to close out the rosary, ending with.
“Almighty, everlasting God, who by the cooperation of the Holy Spirit didst prepare the body and soul of the glorious Virgin-Mother Mary to become a dwelling-place meet for thy Son: grant that as we rejoice in her commemoration; so by her fervent intercession we may be delivered from present evils and from everlasting death. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.”
With that, he fell back against the bed, clutching the rosary close to his heart. It had been a very, very long… week? He did not know, he was not sure. Did it matter? Right then, he only needed two things. First, a shower - to wash off the stench of his constant travels and to soothe his burning wounds. Second, food. He was starving, and he needed energy.
The shower was an easy enough thing, and he was in and out of it quickly.
The food took a bit more time, as having not eaten for who knew how long, his body was not quite sure what it needed. So, he defaulted to a bit of toast and some eggs. It went down easy enough, and soon he found himself wanting more. So he made more. Finally, finding that he was pretty much out of food in his house. He looked at the clock.
It was early afternoon. He wondered if Imara would be interested in some lunch. And hearing about his little adventure. It would be good to see her again. He missed her, no matter how much he wanted to deny it. He found himself not wanting to, even knowing she did not feel the same. It was of little consequence. Life would go on, and what would be would be. It did not change how he felt, or how she felt. All he could do was live his life and do what needed to be done.
Moving for his phone, he decided to see how many messages he had, and call Imara and invite her to lunch if she wasn’t working or busy. He wanted to see her, so he was going to do just that.
