Damian's Oracle

Pierre dropped beside her, muttering. Sofia sagged, exhausted. Before she started to drift into an in-between place, she saw Darian stand and look around, awake for the first time in thousands of years.

Dustin's face was a mottled mess of emotions. Darian eyed him warily, not recognizing him, before he knelt beside her again. Heat scorched through her and she gasped, fully awake once again.

"You can see the stars, kiri," he said in his monotonous, mechanical voice.

"I know, Darian. You did good," she managed.

"Rainy, where's my chopper?" Dustin shouted, drawing his weapon again.

"Looks like we should start running, non?" Pierre asked.

Sofia pushed Darian's hands away. Though she was fatigued, her wounds were healed. Pierre hauled her up.

"Pierre, carry her. We'll run," Dustin said.

I'll protect you, kiri, Darian said into her mind. Before Pierre could comply with Dustin's order, Darian shoved him aside and swept her off her feet.

They ran to the next nearest group of rocks, where a handful of four-by-fours waited. Darian placed her behind Dustin and climbed behind Rainy. Sofia wrapped her arms around Dustin and squeezed her eyes closed as the engine roared to life. Sand flew as they soared and leapt through the desert. The distant beat of a helicopter's wings drew closer as they raced away from the mountains. A chopper landed ahead of them on a wide, flat mesa.

Dustin braked hard and swung his leg over the handlebars.

"Sofi, go! Rainy, Lon, with me!"

Sofia shielded her eyes against the wind and sand. She hopped off the four by four, reached out to Darian and grabbed his hand, pulling him with her. His world was one of confusion, his memories overwhelming as the dam that had been in place for thousands of years crumbled. Darian held his head, and she wrapped her arms around him, wishing she could protect him from the dark memories breaking free.

I'm scared, kiri.

"Hold on, Darian," she whispered, tears blurring her vision. "I'm here."

He showed her a picture of where he'd taken Damian.

"Thank you, Darian!" she cried.

I'm scared, kiri, he said again into her head.

She felt his fear and squeezed her eyes closed, the man in her arms colliding with the man hiding in the corner of her mind. They became one, and this time, when she reached out to him, he took her hand. She sobbed, absorbing the black visions spilling through his mind. Thousands of years of Czerno's depravity threatened to consume him. She was his only relief, and the visions threatened to consume her.

Peace, Oracle.

She didn't recognize the voice in her mind and felt the presence of someone-or something-beside her. A hand swept the dark memories from her mind, and she sagged against Darian, feeling the same sense of peace overtake his mind.