The Death of Time

Wibbly, Wobbly...

Finding that something is missing...

Ananke knew that something was off the moment her feet hit the ground of this new country. The air around her was pleasant and yet she felt as if her breath should fog on the air. And with growing intensity she felt the need to keep moving forward, the pull in her gut a guiding pressure. Herald followed with her, both of them carrying the bags of their supplies in silence and for once 'nake almost wished that Chronos would start with his snide remarks and insults again. Instead he remained detatched and silent, keeping the enforced separation between them.

Something had happened to make him retreat like a wounded animal. She knew it was an incident she should be able to recall and yet... there was a soft spot in her memory. A fog bank of forgetting that didn't feel like the memories that Thanatos had taken. Once again someone was leaving blanks in her memory and even though she should be angry for it, Ananke just felt tired and alone. Despite recognizing the intereference of another though, 'nake never mentioned the incident to Herald. Some part of her instincts or the pull in her gut comforted her on the fact that although it was manipulative, it wasn't malevolent. Then again, her parents had thought that keeping silent on Andru's indiscretions had been for her own benefit, so sometimes the intent was far short of the effect.

The tugging in her gut gave a suddenly sharp pull, making Ananke need to draw a deep breath, a grunt barely held back. Despite having stayed at a constant level until now, it felt like her summons was being wound up into a fever's pitch.

Chronos... Ananke called out to her mental companion, knowing that this was something he had to be aware of.

Silence.

The next tug was even more painful and Herald gave Ananke a strange look. She must have made a sound this time. Chronos!

I'm listening. Chronos offered by way of explanation. And even though he had been holding their minds as seperate as possible, he suddenly swarmed up, as intense as he had ever been.

Ananke felt her body lock into place, unable to move forward and even though her eyes were open, they saw things that could not be there. Giant wolves prowled amongst the crowds of people, snapping and snarling, silently herding them in huddled groups and yet never drawing blood. Coiled around the perimeters of the room writhed great serpents that were impossibly monstrous wyrms. Gyrating and gnashing their teeth, slithering close to the humans and threatening to crush them under their great coils and yet no one seemed to see them but Ananke.

She felt like her body was too full suddenly, as if Chronos' mind was filling up as much of her as her own psyche could. Two hands in one glove, only this glove was mortal flesh and her mind was starting to shudder under the strain of holding control of her body together. It wasn't that Chronos was trying to take over even, but his suddenly renewed presence made the pull in her gut suddenly escalate into agony, a demanding force that was trying to compell her forward. I can't... Ananke struggled to keep her feet rooted, not knowing what it was she was trying to resist and what Chronos was doing to hinder or help. It felt like trying to hang onto the edge of a cliff by the fingers of one hand while the other held a hundred pound weight. She was being sheared in two directions and starting to come apart at the seams.

Don't fight it 'nake. It's inevitable that they Call us across the Veil. Someone is keenly interested in your presence being there. We shall oblige them. But I will be watching to keep you safe. So there is no need to fight. Chronos finally spoke, his words oddly soothing and Ananke was suddenly loosened from the pressure inside and the agony trying to force her onwards. Herald was watching her strangely as she took an awkward step forward, her body feeling strangely disjointed and stretched, as if the psychic trauma was revealed in the joints of her body.