CaptainWacky
I want to smell dark matter
The king's wizard was before him, smiling darkly. Where was he? He couldn't remember and he could go no further in his memory. Something was blocking him, SOMETHING...damn it! He was back in Brandy Field...no, forward, this was the future, the past...what? What was he trying to remember? The wizard! He knew something, he'd found something...what was it!
He sat up with a start once again. Barry was at his bed.
"Try not sleep," said Barry. "You must stay awake until the poison is out of your system."
It had been discovered he'd been stung by the psychotropic Hoooood plant. It could mess with your mind, your sense of perception, make you forget things...make you remember.
"I need more," he said. "I need more of the plant's poison."
"It almost killed you!" said Barry.
"I survived, I'll survive again," he said. "I was so close! I nearly remembered that time...something about the wizard! Rusknose's wizard, do you remember him?"
"Of course," said Barry. "Never trusted him. He disappeared at the time Rusknose killed himself. I always thought the wizard was involved, but we never found him."
"I can find him," he said. "In my mind."
"What does it matter now?" asked Barry. Old, broken Barry. "Rusknose is long dead."
"We must stop Zorn!"
"Rusknose and his wizard had no connection with Zorn!" For some reason this triggered a memory. He saw the wizard again...in a cave?
"Maybe they did," he said.
"Do you even remember where we are? We're in the Kaladash jungle, on the run from the Vendal army. We are in no position to take on Zorn."
"My life is dedicated to stopping Zorn!"
"You agreed to forget Zorn! Don't you remeber?"
He didn't. That didn't sound like something he would say. "I must have lied. The poisoning, Barry...it brought so much back to me. And this Vendal army...they serve Zorn, remember? By fighting them, we are fighting Zorn. I never gave up the hunt."
"We aren't exactly fighting them..." said Barry. Mandy entered the room.
"How are you feeling?"
"Fine. Need more poison. Please, Mandy, I can handle it. I was so close...to something!"
"Stewart..."
"Remember when Rusknose disappeared? It was a month before he returned and took his own life, wasn't it?"
"That sounds about right," said Mandy.
"What did he do in that time? We never found out..."
"Why does it matter?"
"It matters! What did WE do in that time...I can't remember..."
"We served the kingdom," said Barry, his voice tinged with disgust.
"But I can't remember anything of that time..."
"You were poisoned," said Mandy. "You might never get some of your memories back! You can't take the poison again, it's too dangerous."
"But..."
"Please, Stewart."
"Okay...okay...leave me, please. I won't sleep. I just want to think."
Mandy touched his had with hers, then left. Barry followed her. Stewart shut his eyes again and tried to remember, but it was no good. He needed the poison. Barry and Mandy wouldn't help him.
But the Hawkman might.
He sat up with a start once again. Barry was at his bed.
"Try not sleep," said Barry. "You must stay awake until the poison is out of your system."
It had been discovered he'd been stung by the psychotropic Hoooood plant. It could mess with your mind, your sense of perception, make you forget things...make you remember.
"I need more," he said. "I need more of the plant's poison."
"It almost killed you!" said Barry.
"I survived, I'll survive again," he said. "I was so close! I nearly remembered that time...something about the wizard! Rusknose's wizard, do you remember him?"
"Of course," said Barry. "Never trusted him. He disappeared at the time Rusknose killed himself. I always thought the wizard was involved, but we never found him."
"I can find him," he said. "In my mind."
"What does it matter now?" asked Barry. Old, broken Barry. "Rusknose is long dead."
"We must stop Zorn!"
"Rusknose and his wizard had no connection with Zorn!" For some reason this triggered a memory. He saw the wizard again...in a cave?
"Maybe they did," he said.
"Do you even remember where we are? We're in the Kaladash jungle, on the run from the Vendal army. We are in no position to take on Zorn."
"My life is dedicated to stopping Zorn!"
"You agreed to forget Zorn! Don't you remeber?"
He didn't. That didn't sound like something he would say. "I must have lied. The poisoning, Barry...it brought so much back to me. And this Vendal army...they serve Zorn, remember? By fighting them, we are fighting Zorn. I never gave up the hunt."
"We aren't exactly fighting them..." said Barry. Mandy entered the room.
"How are you feeling?"
"Fine. Need more poison. Please, Mandy, I can handle it. I was so close...to something!"
"Stewart..."
"Remember when Rusknose disappeared? It was a month before he returned and took his own life, wasn't it?"
"That sounds about right," said Mandy.
"What did he do in that time? We never found out..."
"Why does it matter?"
"It matters! What did WE do in that time...I can't remember..."
"We served the kingdom," said Barry, his voice tinged with disgust.
"But I can't remember anything of that time..."
"You were poisoned," said Mandy. "You might never get some of your memories back! You can't take the poison again, it's too dangerous."
"But..."
"Please, Stewart."
"Okay...okay...leave me, please. I won't sleep. I just want to think."
Mandy touched his had with hers, then left. Barry followed her. Stewart shut his eyes again and tried to remember, but it was no good. He needed the poison. Barry and Mandy wouldn't help him.
But the Hawkman might.