FICLET: In Silence (Coldfire, gen) [PG]
Because Coldfire has eaten my brain once again, and because alighiera posted new fic:
Title: In Silence
Characters: Damien Vryce, Gerald Tarrant (gen)
Rating: PG
Summary: Post-Trilogy: Damien remembers the Hunter. 250 words.
**
There is nothing there, now: The Hunter is dead.
It's only silence now. The hunger, the icy cruelty, the terrible unclean essence of the Hunter - all of that, no longer there.
Gerald's sacrifice, Gerald becoming mortal, their race to the Keep - there was no time to truly notice, then. But the channel between them was changed already, before that final death.
Even if something remains of Gerald Tarrant, the Hunter is well and truly gone. And with him, what defined their bond.
Even Damien's dreams are all his own now.
He should be glad for it.
He shouldn't be waking from nightmares with a brief, insane surge of hope.
The world is better for it, he knows. And as for Gerald himself - the death of the Hunter was his chance at redemption, freeing him from the compact with the Unnamed. How can he regret that?
Yes, missing Gerald is quite enough.
But it was the Hunter who had a piece of his soul, who gave him a piece of his own.
It was necessity, nothing more - there was nothing pleasant about it. The Hunter's cold, deadly touch, the corruption bringing bile to his throat so many times, the horror of a mental presence that aroused every hidden fear in Damien's mind, drowning him in its roar - -
No, he shouldn't feel as though he's lost a limb. He shouldn't miss the Hunter.
He should be revolted at the very thought. He shouldn't miss something so terrible and vile.
But he does.
Title: In Silence
Characters: Damien Vryce, Gerald Tarrant (gen)
Rating: PG
Summary: Post-Trilogy: Damien remembers the Hunter. 250 words.
**
There is nothing there, now: The Hunter is dead.
It's only silence now. The hunger, the icy cruelty, the terrible unclean essence of the Hunter - all of that, no longer there.
Gerald's sacrifice, Gerald becoming mortal, their race to the Keep - there was no time to truly notice, then. But the channel between them was changed already, before that final death.
Even if something remains of Gerald Tarrant, the Hunter is well and truly gone. And with him, what defined their bond.
Even Damien's dreams are all his own now.
He should be glad for it.
He shouldn't be waking from nightmares with a brief, insane surge of hope.
The world is better for it, he knows. And as for Gerald himself - the death of the Hunter was his chance at redemption, freeing him from the compact with the Unnamed. How can he regret that?
Yes, missing Gerald is quite enough.
But it was the Hunter who had a piece of his soul, who gave him a piece of his own.
It was necessity, nothing more - there was nothing pleasant about it. The Hunter's cold, deadly touch, the corruption bringing bile to his throat so many times, the horror of a mental presence that aroused every hidden fear in Damien's mind, drowning him in its roar - -
No, he shouldn't feel as though he's lost a limb. He shouldn't miss the Hunter.
He should be revolted at the very thought. He shouldn't miss something so terrible and vile.
But he does.