Summoning Camile

He sat cross-legged, in an opening circled around with trees. The shoreline could be heard, as he was just north-east of the docks, and brought a sense of peace to the location. Lance needed this concentration as he worked.

His hand worked a pen, writing inscriptions over blank cards then laying them aside to move on to the next until he had a small deck compiled. His hand ached, so he shook it as he stretched back and the bones of his spine popped.

Sighing, he bent over lined the cards up and inspected each. He switched card for card, moving their order, until he was finally satisfied and nodded to reassure himself. Moving himself to sit on the back of his legs, his body leaned forward and reached down to the grass to press index and middle finger over one of the cards and slid it forward across the grass as if offering it so someone that was playing against him in a game.

Ruis. Ruis.
Ruis. Ruis. Ruis. Ruis.
Ruis. Ruis. Ruis.
Ruis.
Ruis. Ruis. Ruis. Ruis.

The ruis runic card burned to ash, invoking the power of the language, and the air rippled as if disturbed by a higher force. Lance continued, pulling his hand back to push and burn card after card as the power and meaning of every spell tied together.

Eite. Spas.
Beithe. Uath. Ehwaz. Mannaz.
Ingwaz. Nion. Raidho.
Eite Thuathail.

Space and time was disturbed, a hole and gate ripping opening before Lance as the final charm was invoked.

a s c e n s i o n

All that was Camile were summoning, pulling through reality and fantasy. Phsycological, physical, soul, spiritual and signature of that which was Camile were tied together once more, pulled from the alternate realm which prisoned her.

Lance awaited the results. Would he fail, or would she return safely?

Camile

The saw-toothed grass before her eyes seemed tall and stiff as sabres. They would cut the wind, not bend to it. Camile groaned as she lifted her head. She did not possess such dignity. Her stomach was threateningly liquid, her forehead and eyes burned. Why was she no longer in her bed? Last she remembered, she felt the quickening of her womb. She knew it was time. Her attention was averted by a sound; a chant. There was a man, sitting not far from her and she tried to take in as much as she could about the man while giving the appearance of calm. While in actuality, her entire body was crawling with mad mixture of terror and exhilaration.

Slowly, without taking her gaze from this man, she moved her hand down her body. Past the far too deflated abdomen to between her legs. After bringing back to her face, she put down the red-smeared hand into the grass and there was a widening of her eyes. Beneath the incomprehension, the man saw two things: A flare-up of her terror and a faint, almost unrecognized hope that he might after all be able to do something. The sound of her heart was within her ears, closing off this world to her and her gore burned the back of her throat. Before the blackness descended upon her -in cold, hard words- she whispered as vehemently as possible, "Where's..my ..baby?"

Lance sighed, more relieved than tired that the magic incantations had worked. To say the least, runic charms were more likely to fail the more powerful the spell. Camile was lucky to be in one peice. To be alive.

The amber eyes filling his sockets failed to keep their strong, collected essence as he studied the bare and beaten body of Camile before him. For the time being, he chose to set aside her question to stand, hands rising up to unbuckle the gold emblem holding his white cloak together. Swinging it around his body, he kneeled down to wrap its material around her body, whispering as he worked.

"Dearest Camile.. Must you be in pain every time I see you?"

He shook his head, pausing to lean closer to use soothing words while his gloved hand slid over her brow to wipe the dirt and sweat away.

"Rest."

His arms dug beneath her, fitting the back of her knees in the crook of his left arm and her upper body in his right---pulling her close to rest her head against his chest. He turned his body, walking back into the woods and toward Nede.

"Everything will be fine, soon."