Rastaban had tried not to draw too much attention to himself and he didn't resist when he was captured and thrown in jail. He didn't know where he was and his magic was likely to make things worse. Unfortunately the people here were more attuned to magic than he expected. He didn't go quietly when they took him in for experimentation. He siphoned the life energy from anyone who touched him and he shaped his magic into vines of golden light that entangled everyone in the room. He was injured from his capture though and he couldn't sustain his magic and heal at the same time. After a fierce struggle Rastaban was overpowered and restrained.
He didn't remember much after that. When his captors started slicing into him he shifted his consciousness to his magic side to avoid the pain. Under the embrace of his magic the world around him blurred under a weightless cloud of magical energy that resonated with his anger and terror. He was only vaguely aware he was being moved somewhere else.
In his weakened state he noticed the addicting warmth of Tox's life energy before anything. Life energy gives off a special warmth. The warmth is tied to the person's soul so everyone's warmth feels slightly different. In general sickness or injury will make the life energy give off less warmth and magic generates more but nothing is set in stone. Rastaban was curious what Tox's energy would feel like and he struggled to sit up. They weren't moving, were they another prisoner? He hesitated. He had already broken his vow to not drain someone's life earlier today. Although he could argue that it was self defense. This wouldn't be and he slumped back down with a groan. His golden glowing eyes flickered with a spark of irritation as he turned to Tox with a frown.
Tox's life energy probably feels... Unique, to say the least. He has a grave injury, necrotic magic rotting through his eyes and into his skull as his body tries to fight it off with fever. But he also has magic, inherent and biological. Poison infused in every cell of his body, summoned at will.
He hears the stranger settle into the other bed, and his shivering muscles tense even more with hypervigilance. It's difficult being so attuned to danger around you but missing one of your key senses for assuring it's not there. He feels primed for more pain at any moment.
The other man groans, and Tox can smell the blood on him with his unnaturally heightened senses. Like a bloodhound, his father used to say proudly.
"No, not really," he mumbles quietly, slightly delirious and expecting no one to care or take pity on him.
Unique was an understatement and his glowing eyes narrowed with an agitated flicker as he followed the flow of of the necrotic magic and poison coursing through Tox's body. The severity of the other's injuries made him reluctantly sit up.
"I'll manage." He brushed Tox's concern aside as he tried to force his body to move. "More importantly how are you still alive?" The poison inside his body didn't feel like it was attacking him at the moment at least unlike the necrotic magic around his eyes. "Can you even see right now?"
Rastaban was blunt but there was genuine concern in his voice, underneath his irritation.
"No," he says simply. With or without the bandages on his eyes, everything is dark, and he's starting to accept that he may never get his vision back. "I might be blind for good."
It feels horrible to say out loud, and he curls in on himself more.
"And I might die yet, so... Stay tuned, I guess." Dark, dry humour, sure. He shivers violently, his teeth chattering slightly. Since the rot is magical, he doubts that his body will actually be able to get rid of it with fever. Who knows how long it'll be until it rots into his brain. But, the poison magic doesn't seem to be hurting him at all, strangely enough. If anything, it's fighting against the rot too.
"You won't. Not while I'm here." Rastaban's confident voice rang with a silent promise. He didn't know if he could restore his sight, but he would keep him alive. Unfortunately in order to heal him he needed to see, which meant leaving the safety of his magic where he could ignore pain. With a sharp sigh he closed his eyes and focused on calming his emotions. His golden eyes flashed with a pained flash as he nearly doubled over when the pain returned.
"Gah! By the damn Goddess!" He cursed as he slowly opened his eyes. At least the cell was dark so it was easier for his eyes to adjust. Stifling another cry of pain, he stumbled over to Tox's bed. His arms shook as he tightly gripped the bed to keep from falling over as he caught his breath.
"Hah, I'm going to try to take away the necrotic energy in your eyes. I don't have the strength to fight you so try not to thrash around too much if it hurts."
Despite his blunt bedside manner, Rastaban's touch was gentle as he reached for Tox's blindfold. He didn't know how the necrotic magic would react so he poured some of his life energy into Tox first to accelerate the healing process. The warmth from Rastaban's energy was weak, but there was a stubbornness to it that was stronger than its frail warmth would suggest. It was this hidden strength that filled Tox with energy, but there was a price. Rastaban's head swam as transfered his energy to Tox but he stubbornly pushed through it with an irriated sigh. "Are you alright so far?"
Tox is confused by the stranger's determination, and further bewildered as he exclaims in pain.
"What happened? Don't— don't hurt yourself on my behalf," he urges. Why is he swearing to a goddess? That's blasphemous in and of itself, and Tox doesn't even know of any goddess that could be worshipped down here.
His body tenses up even more as the man touches his bed and the bandages on his face, his jaw clenching. It seems that the stranger wants to help him, but he can't help his instinct to brace for pain. He wants to ask who he is and what his intentions are, but he's in no position to demand answers. And soon, those questions seem to matter less, as warm energy flows into him, slowly soothing his tight aching muscles.
"Yes..." He's still on edge, because the stranger is still a stranger, and he said it might hurt, so he waits for the painful part, balling his hands into fists and willing himself to make no sound.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2025-12-04 12:22 pm (UTC)From:He didn't remember much after that. When his captors started slicing into him he shifted his consciousness to his magic side to avoid the pain. Under the embrace of his magic the world around him blurred under a weightless cloud of magical energy that resonated with his anger and terror. He was only vaguely aware he was being moved somewhere else.
In his weakened state he noticed the addicting warmth of Tox's life energy before anything. Life energy gives off a special warmth. The warmth is tied to the person's soul so everyone's warmth feels slightly different. In general sickness or injury will make the life energy give off less warmth and magic generates more but nothing is set in stone. Rastaban was curious what Tox's energy would feel like and he struggled to sit up. They weren't moving, were they another prisoner? He hesitated. He had already broken his vow to not drain someone's life earlier today. Although he could argue that it was self defense. This wouldn't be and he slumped back down with a groan. His golden glowing eyes flickered with a spark of irritation as he turned to Tox with a frown.
"Are you alright?"
cw eye gore
Date: 2025-12-05 03:51 am (UTC)From:He hears the stranger settle into the other bed, and his shivering muscles tense even more with hypervigilance. It's difficult being so attuned to danger around you but missing one of your key senses for assuring it's not there. He feels primed for more pain at any moment.
The other man groans, and Tox can smell the blood on him with his unnaturally heightened senses. Like a bloodhound, his father used to say proudly.
"No, not really," he mumbles quietly, slightly delirious and expecting no one to care or take pity on him.
"You?"
no subject
Date: 2025-12-10 11:36 am (UTC)From:"I'll manage." He brushed Tox's concern aside as he tried to force his body to move. "More importantly how are you still alive?" The poison inside his body didn't feel like it was attacking him at the moment at least unlike the necrotic magic around his eyes. "Can you even see right now?"
Rastaban was blunt but there was genuine concern in his voice, underneath his irritation.
no subject
Date: 2025-12-10 04:15 pm (UTC)From:It feels horrible to say out loud, and he curls in on himself more.
"And I might die yet, so... Stay tuned, I guess." Dark, dry humour, sure. He shivers violently, his teeth chattering slightly. Since the rot is magical, he doubts that his body will actually be able to get rid of it with fever. Who knows how long it'll be until it rots into his brain. But, the poison magic doesn't seem to be hurting him at all, strangely enough. If anything, it's fighting against the rot too.
the snail returns!
Date: 2025-12-19 11:31 am (UTC)From:"Gah! By the damn Goddess!" He cursed as he slowly opened his eyes. At least the cell was dark so it was easier for his eyes to adjust. Stifling another cry of pain, he stumbled over to Tox's bed. His arms shook as he tightly gripped the bed to keep from falling over as he caught his breath.
"Hah, I'm going to try to take away the necrotic energy in your eyes. I don't have the strength to fight you so try not to thrash around too much if it hurts."
Despite his blunt bedside manner, Rastaban's touch was gentle as he reached for Tox's blindfold. He didn't know how the necrotic magic would react so he poured some of his life energy into Tox first to accelerate the healing process. The warmth from Rastaban's energy was weak, but there was a stubbornness to it that was stronger than its frail warmth would suggest. It was this hidden strength that filled Tox with energy, but there was a price. Rastaban's head swam as transfered his energy to Tox but he stubbornly pushed through it with an irriated sigh. "Are you alright so far?"
🐌❤️
Date: 2025-12-19 05:38 pm (UTC)From:"What happened? Don't— don't hurt yourself on my behalf," he urges. Why is he swearing to a goddess? That's blasphemous in and of itself, and Tox doesn't even know of any goddess that could be worshipped down here.
His body tenses up even more as the man touches his bed and the bandages on his face, his jaw clenching. It seems that the stranger wants to help him, but he can't help his instinct to brace for pain. He wants to ask who he is and what his intentions are, but he's in no position to demand answers. And soon, those questions seem to matter less, as warm energy flows into him, slowly soothing his tight aching muscles.
"Yes..." He's still on edge, because the stranger is still a stranger, and he said it might hurt, so he waits for the painful part, balling his hands into fists and willing himself to make no sound.