16th of Ash, 120
In the cold darkness of the abandoned factory, Arkash steadily recovered from his physical therapy sessions. He was made to stretch and test his joints at several points during the day, and it left him tired. He'd been a lot more flexible prior to his coma but didn't worry too much about it. His main focus was to walk without support. He needed that independence, and he needed to find Cojack as soon as possible. He wouldn't be able to find the sickly horse if he couldn't walk. The promise Fayeth had made him, that she and Asmodei would help him look, kept him going.
It was a mixture of that, and his sense of progress. As Arkash had discovered, he wasn't as weak as he believed himself to be. Asmodei's patience and support worked to enforce his confidence, as well as his trust in the pair. Knowing that he wasn't as dependent as he'd thought he was was half the battle. The fact that he believed he could recover worked well for his progress, and he stuck through all his strength training sessions that day.
At his blind side, Asmodei was busy with the fire. His back faced Arkash while he ignited the coals. The sudden flicker of light drew the Rathari's attention, and he looked to Asmodei with a half-smile. "Thanks, Az," he spoke quietly. Fayeth was nowhere to be seen, but he didn't doubt she was somewhere near.
"It's quite alright, Arkash," returned the giant winged man with a smile. "We can't have you freezing up for our final session of the day, can we?" Asmodei stood and closed the short gap between himself and Arkash's stained bed with a single pace, then leaned forward to look over the comparably small lizard.
He bowed his head to start, then took hold of his stump. "I guess so. What are we doing for this one? More stretching?" It was reasonable to assume that would be the case, given that's what the past two sessions revolved around.
"No," replied Asmodei. "You're going to stand."
Arkash couldn't help but furrow his brow, then smirk as he shook his head. "We already tried that today, and I fell flat on my face. Remember?" Despite his renewed spirit and vigor, he really didn't feel too keen to drop on his knees a second time.
"Yes, but you dove right in before I could explain. So hear me out a second." Arkash flexed a brow, then nodded to affirm that he listened. "I'm going to hold you under your arms, and you're just going to stand while I hold your weight. Then, I'm going to steadily decrease how much help I give you until you ask me to stop. You're just going to focus on holding as much of your weight as possible for as long as you can. How does that sound?"
The Avialae had demonstrated time and time again that he could hold Arkash's weight, so he didn't doubt the false argent's ability. But, it sounded a little strange to be held by someone. Especially given that they were so much larger than he was. He didn't want to make a habit of being manhandled either. "Sounds like it'll work," started the rathari, who didn't bother to express his discomfort. It seemed like a good idea, and it would get Arkash to strain his weakened muscles. Specifically, the muscles that he needed to stand unsupported.
"Great!" Asmodei clapped once with excitement. "When you're ready, sit with your legs hanging off the bed like earlier." Arkash knew what he meant. It was just a bit of a struggle to manage. He dragged his body over nonetheless, then allowed his bony legs to fall limply off the edge, where they dangled like pendulums.
"...Ready," he affirmed with a nod. Asmodei moved his hands to hold beneath Arkash's arms. As he'd expected, it felt weird. He didn't like it. Arkash gripped the avialae's arm and pressed his jaw tight. The whole situation turned his stomach in knots, and though he didn't know why it was uncomfortable, he couldn't help but think it was because of all the times Brodie had grabbed and hurt him.
Asmodei looked at Arkash with a furrowed brow as he bent down to look the lizard in the eye. "Is something wrong?"
"N-no. I'm fine. Are we doing this or what?" His whole chest tensed up as the Avialae lifted him like that. His legs shot out to grab something but found no purchase, and his claws tightened on Asmodei's arm. His heart raced in his chest; it almost felt as though he experienced some sort of panic attack. He kept his lessons in mind and steadied his breathing manually. Gradually, his heart returned to a normal pace, and his feet met the ground.
Asmodei held him there, then lowered to one knee before the rathari to maintain a good hold on him. "Your legs are shaking. Is this too much?"
They were? Arkash looked down at his withered body, where he saw his legs shake. It wasn't with strain, it must have been due to his panic. It was embarrassing. To think he was so frightened over nothing. It was strange though, as he'd not experienced a panic attack without intense, crippling fear before. "I'm just panicking a bit, I think..." He admitted sheepishly.
"Oh!" Spoke Asmodei as though he'd been enlightened. His eyes reflected the tone until his brows furrowed in clear confusion. "...Why?"
Why was he panicking? That was a good question. "I just... don't want you to drop me," he answered with a lie. Asmodei seemed to buy it though, as he nodded in understanding.
"I won't, I promise. Are you ready?"
Arkash gave a brief nod and secured his feet on the wooden planks. The pressure on his legs began to build, and it was uncomfortable on his bones. His claws raked Asmodei's armor as he grunted, then moved his left foot forward a touch to bend while his right performed the vice versa. "Stop-" he called with a wince. Asmodei held the current level of assistance while Arkash tried his best to hold his stand. His whole body shook with strain. it wasn't just his legs, it was his stomach, his back, his shoulders. He was tried to keep his upper body upright, after all.
After thirty seconds or so, Arkash huffed. He began to pant through exhaustion; he couldn't keep it up much longer. "Swap your legs," instructed Asmodei.
"I can't-," Arkash shut his one eye and groaned painfully.
"You didn't even try," Asmodei furrowed his brow.
The avialae was right. Arkash had to try. So, he carefully lifted his right foot, then moved it forward while it wobbled and shook with unfathomable strain. For his left, he moved it back to about the same position as the right, then planted his claws firmly on the planks. It hurt- a lot, but not as much as it did in the other position. Arkash found that he trained both legs equally by swapping to bear the weight. It was why they weren't as tired in their new settings.
The pair kept it up for a good couple of minutes before Arkash fell limp in the giant's hold, and Asmodei caught his weight. Arkash panted and heaved. He didn't even have the strength to hold Asmodei's arm properly.
So, the avialae gently lifted the lizard off the ground, and put him back on the bed. If it weren't for the kindness that the avialae showed when he gently laid Arkash out on the primitive mattress, Arkash would have dropped on the spot. He'd spent the entire day eating and training his body. As such, he was exhausted. H laid there for a moment and reflected on what had just occurred. His panic had long since faded, but it felt as though he'd settled wrong.
"You made amazing progress today, Arkash. I think you'll be walking again in no time if you can keep it up." Arkash could barely speak, he was totally out of breath. But, as he thought bout it, he found that it was a better kind of soreness and exhaustion than the kind he was used to. It felt as though he was really making progress toward something, unlike the fatigue he earned from days underground with a pickaxe in hand.
It might have been his euphoria-addled mind talking, but he felt less stressed in the filthy abandoned factory than he did in his wooden shack. He didn't know why, as he imagined most people would hate the sort of situation he'd landed himself in. But in those moments, despite being an amputee and half-blind, Arkash was at peace. "Asmodei," he spoke through a wheeze. The avialae looked to him expectantly. "Thank you... For everything," he smiled, then tilted his head to land his good eye on the false argent. Asmodei smiled back at him.
"You're welcome, Arkash," He spoke in turn, then stretched his plated shoulders a little before he looked to the surrounding dark. "Get some rest, alright? I'll be back in the morning with another meal for you, then more exercise."
Arkash nodded once, then returned his gaze to the ceiling as the sound of sabatons walked away from him. Overnight, his whole world had been turned upside down, but at its core, everything was the same. Once he could walk again, he would find Cojack, and the two would make due on their dream to leave the frozen wasteland behind.
In the cold darkness of the abandoned factory, Arkash steadily recovered from his physical therapy sessions. He was made to stretch and test his joints at several points during the day, and it left him tired. He'd been a lot more flexible prior to his coma but didn't worry too much about it. His main focus was to walk without support. He needed that independence, and he needed to find Cojack as soon as possible. He wouldn't be able to find the sickly horse if he couldn't walk. The promise Fayeth had made him, that she and Asmodei would help him look, kept him going.
It was a mixture of that, and his sense of progress. As Arkash had discovered, he wasn't as weak as he believed himself to be. Asmodei's patience and support worked to enforce his confidence, as well as his trust in the pair. Knowing that he wasn't as dependent as he'd thought he was was half the battle. The fact that he believed he could recover worked well for his progress, and he stuck through all his strength training sessions that day.
At his blind side, Asmodei was busy with the fire. His back faced Arkash while he ignited the coals. The sudden flicker of light drew the Rathari's attention, and he looked to Asmodei with a half-smile. "Thanks, Az," he spoke quietly. Fayeth was nowhere to be seen, but he didn't doubt she was somewhere near.
"It's quite alright, Arkash," returned the giant winged man with a smile. "We can't have you freezing up for our final session of the day, can we?" Asmodei stood and closed the short gap between himself and Arkash's stained bed with a single pace, then leaned forward to look over the comparably small lizard.
He bowed his head to start, then took hold of his stump. "I guess so. What are we doing for this one? More stretching?" It was reasonable to assume that would be the case, given that's what the past two sessions revolved around.
"No," replied Asmodei. "You're going to stand."
Arkash couldn't help but furrow his brow, then smirk as he shook his head. "We already tried that today, and I fell flat on my face. Remember?" Despite his renewed spirit and vigor, he really didn't feel too keen to drop on his knees a second time.
"Yes, but you dove right in before I could explain. So hear me out a second." Arkash flexed a brow, then nodded to affirm that he listened. "I'm going to hold you under your arms, and you're just going to stand while I hold your weight. Then, I'm going to steadily decrease how much help I give you until you ask me to stop. You're just going to focus on holding as much of your weight as possible for as long as you can. How does that sound?"
The Avialae had demonstrated time and time again that he could hold Arkash's weight, so he didn't doubt the false argent's ability. But, it sounded a little strange to be held by someone. Especially given that they were so much larger than he was. He didn't want to make a habit of being manhandled either. "Sounds like it'll work," started the rathari, who didn't bother to express his discomfort. It seemed like a good idea, and it would get Arkash to strain his weakened muscles. Specifically, the muscles that he needed to stand unsupported.
"Great!" Asmodei clapped once with excitement. "When you're ready, sit with your legs hanging off the bed like earlier." Arkash knew what he meant. It was just a bit of a struggle to manage. He dragged his body over nonetheless, then allowed his bony legs to fall limply off the edge, where they dangled like pendulums.
"...Ready," he affirmed with a nod. Asmodei moved his hands to hold beneath Arkash's arms. As he'd expected, it felt weird. He didn't like it. Arkash gripped the avialae's arm and pressed his jaw tight. The whole situation turned his stomach in knots, and though he didn't know why it was uncomfortable, he couldn't help but think it was because of all the times Brodie had grabbed and hurt him.
Asmodei looked at Arkash with a furrowed brow as he bent down to look the lizard in the eye. "Is something wrong?"
"N-no. I'm fine. Are we doing this or what?" His whole chest tensed up as the Avialae lifted him like that. His legs shot out to grab something but found no purchase, and his claws tightened on Asmodei's arm. His heart raced in his chest; it almost felt as though he experienced some sort of panic attack. He kept his lessons in mind and steadied his breathing manually. Gradually, his heart returned to a normal pace, and his feet met the ground.
Asmodei held him there, then lowered to one knee before the rathari to maintain a good hold on him. "Your legs are shaking. Is this too much?"
They were? Arkash looked down at his withered body, where he saw his legs shake. It wasn't with strain, it must have been due to his panic. It was embarrassing. To think he was so frightened over nothing. It was strange though, as he'd not experienced a panic attack without intense, crippling fear before. "I'm just panicking a bit, I think..." He admitted sheepishly.
"Oh!" Spoke Asmodei as though he'd been enlightened. His eyes reflected the tone until his brows furrowed in clear confusion. "...Why?"
Why was he panicking? That was a good question. "I just... don't want you to drop me," he answered with a lie. Asmodei seemed to buy it though, as he nodded in understanding.
"I won't, I promise. Are you ready?"
Arkash gave a brief nod and secured his feet on the wooden planks. The pressure on his legs began to build, and it was uncomfortable on his bones. His claws raked Asmodei's armor as he grunted, then moved his left foot forward a touch to bend while his right performed the vice versa. "Stop-" he called with a wince. Asmodei held the current level of assistance while Arkash tried his best to hold his stand. His whole body shook with strain. it wasn't just his legs, it was his stomach, his back, his shoulders. He was tried to keep his upper body upright, after all.
After thirty seconds or so, Arkash huffed. He began to pant through exhaustion; he couldn't keep it up much longer. "Swap your legs," instructed Asmodei.
"I can't-," Arkash shut his one eye and groaned painfully.
"You didn't even try," Asmodei furrowed his brow.
The avialae was right. Arkash had to try. So, he carefully lifted his right foot, then moved it forward while it wobbled and shook with unfathomable strain. For his left, he moved it back to about the same position as the right, then planted his claws firmly on the planks. It hurt- a lot, but not as much as it did in the other position. Arkash found that he trained both legs equally by swapping to bear the weight. It was why they weren't as tired in their new settings.
The pair kept it up for a good couple of minutes before Arkash fell limp in the giant's hold, and Asmodei caught his weight. Arkash panted and heaved. He didn't even have the strength to hold Asmodei's arm properly.
So, the avialae gently lifted the lizard off the ground, and put him back on the bed. If it weren't for the kindness that the avialae showed when he gently laid Arkash out on the primitive mattress, Arkash would have dropped on the spot. He'd spent the entire day eating and training his body. As such, he was exhausted. H laid there for a moment and reflected on what had just occurred. His panic had long since faded, but it felt as though he'd settled wrong.
"You made amazing progress today, Arkash. I think you'll be walking again in no time if you can keep it up." Arkash could barely speak, he was totally out of breath. But, as he thought bout it, he found that it was a better kind of soreness and exhaustion than the kind he was used to. It felt as though he was really making progress toward something, unlike the fatigue he earned from days underground with a pickaxe in hand.
It might have been his euphoria-addled mind talking, but he felt less stressed in the filthy abandoned factory than he did in his wooden shack. He didn't know why, as he imagined most people would hate the sort of situation he'd landed himself in. But in those moments, despite being an amputee and half-blind, Arkash was at peace. "Asmodei," he spoke through a wheeze. The avialae looked to him expectantly. "Thank you... For everything," he smiled, then tilted his head to land his good eye on the false argent. Asmodei smiled back at him.
"You're welcome, Arkash," He spoke in turn, then stretched his plated shoulders a little before he looked to the surrounding dark. "Get some rest, alright? I'll be back in the morning with another meal for you, then more exercise."
Arkash nodded once, then returned his gaze to the ceiling as the sound of sabatons walked away from him. Overnight, his whole world had been turned upside down, but at its core, everything was the same. Once he could walk again, he would find Cojack, and the two would make due on their dream to leave the frozen wasteland behind.
