[ It's already been seven days too long for Laurent. Seven days of an almost unbearable crushing loneliness the likes of which he hadn't known since he had lost his brother. And somehow, it was worse even still than that.
Whatever had pulled him here, it of course made sense that Damen would not have followed him to this place. The orientation 'video' had said that it was those who felt displaced who were called away. Of course Laurent should have been better prepared for it all to be torn away from him. He should have seen it coming, that his uncle would find some way to have one last laugh.
Reasonably he knew that the former Regent had nothing to do with his current state, and yet he could not help the feeling.
With an almost single-minded focus, Laurent had thrown himself into what he could do, instead of focusing on what he could not. If Damen was here, then Laurent would find him. If he was not, well... then Laurent would deal with that too. And work on finding his way home to him, as soon as was possible.
For now, that meant dirty work. The nitty gritty of exterminating monsters. A task Laurent could handle. A task that he could throw himself into, and serve as an appropriate distraction.
He had been at it for days. Scarcely taking breaks long enough to clean his sword, let alone eat, or sleep. It all seemed superfluous in the wake of the gaping space at his side where Damen ought to have been. So he drove forward; let the days begin to blur together while he looked for something, anything, that might take him home faster than the required 'community service' the perimeter guard had offered.
Haggard panting, Laurent was alone in the gloomy remains of the nest, the only light filtering from a storm drain off to his left. His handheld 'eleck-trick' had been lost in the chaos of the fight; lay somewhere amongst swampy detritus that Laurent had no interest fishing through to retrieve it.
With a hissing screech, he decapitated the last of one of the juvenile creatures- and then slumped. Sagging heavily towards one of the walls, not quite leaning against it as he panted for breath. And not for the first time, pushed down the gnawing, painful ache of loss that battered at his ribcage; threatened to crack him in two.
When Damen rounded the corner, Laurent's back was to him. Bathed in those three, slivering slats of light. head bowed, sword point tipped towards the floor. ]
i.
Whatever had pulled him here, it of course made sense that Damen would not have followed him to this place. The orientation 'video' had said that it was those who felt displaced who were called away. Of course Laurent should have been better prepared for it all to be torn away from him. He should have seen it coming, that his uncle would find some way to have one last laugh.
Reasonably he knew that the former Regent had nothing to do with his current state, and yet he could not help the feeling.
With an almost single-minded focus, Laurent had thrown himself into what he could do, instead of focusing on what he could not. If Damen was here, then Laurent would find him. If he was not, well... then Laurent would deal with that too. And work on finding his way home to him, as soon as was possible.
For now, that meant dirty work. The nitty gritty of exterminating monsters. A task Laurent could handle. A task that he could throw himself into, and serve as an appropriate distraction.
He had been at it for days. Scarcely taking breaks long enough to clean his sword, let alone eat, or sleep. It all seemed superfluous in the wake of the gaping space at his side where Damen ought to have been. So he drove forward; let the days begin to blur together while he looked for something, anything, that might take him home faster than the required 'community service' the perimeter guard had offered.
Haggard panting, Laurent was alone in the gloomy remains of the nest, the only light filtering from a storm drain off to his left. His handheld 'eleck-trick' had been lost in the chaos of the fight; lay somewhere amongst swampy detritus that Laurent had no interest fishing through to retrieve it.
With a hissing screech, he decapitated the last of one of the juvenile creatures- and then slumped. Sagging heavily towards one of the walls, not quite leaning against it as he panted for breath. And not for the first time, pushed down the gnawing, painful ache of loss that battered at his ribcage; threatened to crack him in two.
When Damen rounded the corner, Laurent's back was to him. Bathed in those three, slivering slats of light. head bowed, sword point tipped towards the floor. ]