Gone

[Lark 2227]

 

It happened in an instant, as natural as breathing. Dain didn't remember the how, the why, or the when, he just knew he was gone. There was nothing in front of him, nothing behind him. There was nothing around him. There was no light, no darkness. The rules of life itself seemed null here. What did exist, was the single thought that seemed to scream within Dain's head. He was alone.

 

 

He could not weep, for tears did not exist here. He could not speak, for his sounds had no way to be heard. He could see, but he could not tell if his eyes were closed or open. He was alone, with himself. Floating aimlessly through the Void for seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, years, or even eons. Time did not exist here either. Yet, somehow Dain did. He alone, had slipped into the dimension that which almost all mages draw their power from. This confused him, for there was nothing in here to begin with. Perhaps he was not in the Void, and merely unconscious. Perhaps he had been drugged somehow. Perhaps, he was dead. But he did not feel unconscious, he did not feel drugged, he did not feel dead. While nothing existed outside of him, everything still existed within him. Content with this realization he continued to float, no direction, no purpose, no god to guide. Dain was alone in the Void. Or perhaps he was not.

 

 

Dain continued to float throughout the Void, occasionally finding bits and pieces of translocation experiments. The occasional staff, pictures of loved ones, treebark, and unmentionable wizard things used for wizard private times. While he floated, or at least he liked to think he was floating; he began to think, as it seemed a good as time as any to. What will happen to me? Will I go insane? Will I stay sane? Will I live to tell the tale? Will I die here alone? Will my loved one die never knowing what happened to me? Will my friends never miss me? These barrage of thoughts; doubts, fears, paranoia, were silenced.

 

I will be ok.

 

It was the Void, he must be here for a reason. Very few things happen without a reason. But in the end, those things happen for a reason dictated by a divine being or power beyond our mortal comprehension. For whatever reason he was here, he was. Alone. But he would be ok, this was a given. Everything always turned out okay, no matter the horrible things he had to face to see it turn out ok in the end. He repeated this to himself, once, twice, a hundred times.

 

I will be ok.

 

Then Dain heard his first noise in the Void.

 

I hope.

[Ford 1996]

Archibladdo prays for the safe return of his blacksmith friend, sprinkling iron shavings while muttering "Bluesteel be with you."

[Endovelicus 614]

People across Vailor mourn Dain's disapearence. Everywhere you go you can hear the sweet sound of trumpets honouring the missing smith, as people await for his return.

 

[Elad™ 560]

Haadi doubts the smith's chance of re-appearance significantly, as any living beings that have somehow managed to pass into the void die.

[Lark 2227]

Dain blinks as he finds himself on the stone cold floor of Saltstone-by-the-Sea. He pats the ground and smiles. "Nice."

 

[Huh 91]

Moved to the Archive. It shall be sorted into the appropriate category shortly.