Darker than black.

*Drip*

A dripping noise sounded out.

'So tired.'

Was I underwater?

Groggily, I opened my eyes only to realize that I was in fact underwater.

'How did I get here?'

I looked right, then left. I was in some kind of black ocean. I couldn't see anything.

'What was I doing? How did I get here? 

I was confused yet calm.

Is it a dream?'

'This feeling. It's comfortable.'

*Drip*

There's that drip again.

It felt almost hypnotizing. Like it was trying to put me to sleep.

'Yes, I should rest.'

I slowly began closing my eyes. Trying to drift to sleep.

'Losing all my stamina in battle really put a toll on my body....'

I felt myself twitch…

'Battle?.....' 

I can't seem to recall, Did I get into a fight?... 

I knit my brows in confusion. Opening them back up.

'How strange? Why can't I remember? How long have I been floating here? I need to get up'

Trying to move my body… I felt my energy begin to return… But just as it started to come.

*Drip*

I suddenly felt tired again…

'What's with that dripping noise? It doesn't matter, does it?… Just…. Need some sleep.'

'No, Something is wrong.'

I shook my head dispelling the dizziness.

I suddenly realized.. The darkness, It felt like it was clinging to me.

*Drip*

I felt like I was gonna pass out.

'Something, feels….. wrong.'

'Maybe I'm just overthinking things?'

Yeah, that's probably the case….

'But, Maybe I should just get up anyway? Just to make sure.'

Slowly more and more warmth entered my body, and the cold, while not uncomfortable, seemed to recede.

*Drip*

The tiredness grew stronger...

'Ah, I remember now, I was fighting a rat.'

'Wait, why was I fighting a rat?'

Different images slowly began flashing through my mind. 

'Egg? Why was I in an egg? I'm a human right?….. No, that's not the case… I think I am. Or wasn't I something else?'

Two different thoughts crashed against each other. 

Both answers seemed right. But that doesn't make sense. 

'I'm a human but at the same time, I'm not a human? I was in an egg though? And I hatched?'

'I was reborn?'

Like a switch, light flashed through my eyes and everything that happened came rushing back to me. Reborn, Deathclaw, Molag Bal, mother, training, sculpting, bugs, wolves, rats, retreat, panic, and then death.

*Drip*

A heavy ripple passed through me as my eyes shot wide open. 

'I'm! Where?'

'Wait…. Who are these people?'

I looked around. I wasn't alone.

Multiple dozen of people were floating around me. 

Men and women alike. They were all naked. 

But they weren't awake.

Instead, they appeared to be almost grayed out. Like they were paused or something.

I looked down at my hands…. They weren't human. My gray skin and black claws were still there. But there was a difference between me and the surrounding people. Although my skin was naturally gray. I seemed to be more colorful?

'Did I…. die?'

The thought left a bad taste in my mouth.

'The last thing I remember was hearing mother…. Then darkness.'

*Drip*

'What!?'

I felt my mind sway.

That dripping noise. It isn't anything good. I don't have time to investigate. I need to do something before it's too late.'

'I need to get out of here. But how? The Drips seem to be trying to pull my consciousness away.'

It hit me.

'I must stay conscious!'

Raising my hands I delivered a hard slap on my face, but it didn't remove the tired feeling it only slightly lessened it. 

'I need more than this.'

Without hesitation, I dug my claw deep into my cheek drawing blood.

I began feeling more energized. but it wasn't enough. I couldn't fight against the pull of sleep. Not even as I clawed harder. 

'The tiredness.. It won't let go of me.'

*Drip*

I felt my eyes begin to roll to the back of my head. The warmth in my body seemed to start diminishing.

Such force! It was too much. I felt like I was about to fall unconscious.

'No.'

I pleaded weakly.

I felt my awareness start to slip. 

'In...fo Page…'

But nothing happened.

'I need…. that warmth. If I don't get the heat back it's over, I can feel it.'

I raised my hand and tried to grasp anything. But there was nothing. Just a desperate struggle.

'I need it. I need it. I need it! I NEED IT!!!'

Aggressively shoving my thumb into my mouth. I viciously bite down. 

*Haaamach*

I felt something sliding down my throat… Not a second later a terrible pain shot through me.

Opening my mouth… I tried to scream but nothing came out.

Pain.. So much pain.

I bit my thumb off. 

I instantly felt awake. But for some reason I lost movement in my body.

Shortly after that a new sensation assaulted my hand. The pain abruptly disappeared. And I was startled. my hand… It felt warm.

It was engulfed in heat and instantly the pulling sensation that was so persistent earlier, just….. vanished. Confused, I looked at my palm. Inside was a tiny reddish-orange flame.

Studying the flame. A thought entered my mind.

"Magic?'

'This is Magic? I can feel a draining sensation different from before. Something inside of me is being consumed.' 

'It's… No, it doesn't matter right now. I need to leave this place first.' 

Just as the thought passed through me something started happening. The fire in my hand grew. Spreading to my arm then followed by the rest of my body. Slowly, I was engulfed. But it didn't burn…. Or it did?

I watched in surprise as my fingers started turning to ash….. 

"Is this the way? Or am I dying?'

I tore my gaze away from my crumbling hands. 

I looked around at the random people floating in this abyss. 

*Drip*

A weak pull tugged at my consciousness but it was quickly burned away. 

'The flame is warding off the sleep. This must be how I get out of here… But what are these people doing here?'

I inspected everyone around me. Some were further away than others… But I couldn't leave the spot I was hovering in to examine them closer… Why are they here?

An abrupt thought struck me.

'Why are they all human? Why was I the only non-human here?'

As I considered this, the rest of my body turned to ash, and I disappeared from the strange space.

...…

...

...

...

...

...

Snow was hugging the limp body of her young one. She didn't know what to do now and was very quiet. It was like her son was just sleeping and she was trying not to wake him.

This and that were two different things though. She knew…. Her son was not asleep. He was dead. She didn't want to just leave. To just go about her day like nothing happened. To go back to her solitary lifestyle.

And she did not want to leave his body. She wanted to take it with her. Or else it will be eaten. But, even if it wasn't. She has seen what happens to dead bodies when left for too long. They will give off a bad smell and turn to mush. After a while, all that will be left, would be the bone. She did not want that to happen either.

Both thoughts terrified her. And she began shaking again. Even if she stopped his body from being eaten she could not stop the decay. It was something that would come no matter what.

If only she was better. She could have stopped all of this. As she was about to leave something happened.

....

....

....

Suddenly the body in her hands twitched.

Startled, she stilled…. She peered down at the limp Deathclaw in her arms. One of its little arms reached out trying to grasp at something. Then slowly fell back down.

The light instantly came back to Snow's dull eyes as she stared at the slowly breathing body in her arms.

'Alive!.... He…... is alive!'

She thought with so much emotion that tears threatened to spill but she held them back.

'Cold….. He is cold. He….needs help.'

She didn't know how but her child was somehow still alive. His wounds didn't bleed and he was slowly breathing. But he felt so cold. Like he could die again any second.

But how can she help him? His wounds are terrible. She didn't think his natural healing would be of much help. He's lost too much blood. 

She tried desperately to think of a solution. But her mind was almost primitive. Randomly, A distant memory floated into her mind… It was blurry. Almost forgotten, A fight, A battle that she had witnessed long ago. The things the prey used during that time…

If only she had one of those. One of those things that allowed the small food to continue fighting.

Yes! Maybe if she could get one of those she may be able to help her son. But their territory is far from here. It would take a while even if she ran at her full speed. Would she have enough time?

Feeling the weak breaths against her chest. Her eyes filled with a new emotion.

RESOLVE.

End of chapter 14.