Miach Glimpses

[Miach]

As the plane took off, a tall man leaned on the window, his eyes wet. His hand shook off the first tears that came, and he ruled his red mane back in place.

The City of Angels... Curse you !

His gaze didn't linger long, just enough for him to know it wouldn't be easy to come back, if ever. So many memories...

The beach were he had met Menwël the first time, that italian restaurant on the hill where she had loved to take him, the cuban bar where they had used to hang out after long shifts at the hospital, and so on, and so on. The bad part about living a very full life was that you had a lot of memories. So many aches when things turned sour. Supposedly, they could be a blessing too, but '''Miach''' didn't feel like that at all.

Though the flight was uneventful, he couldn't sleep well, and the landing came as a relief.

Sacramento...

[Miach]

It had been a long day at the Sutter General Hospital, and the doctor Blyes was very relieved when he sent the child with a bad knee sprain back to his parents. The kid's smile and his parent's thanks were all he needed really to know he had fixed him well enough, and that he would be seeing him again some day soon. The tall red-haired man looked forward to it. Kids were meant to enjoy life even more so than anybody else, and if they got hurt once in a while along the way, well, that's what he was here for.

He smiled broadly as the clock ticked the end of his shift, and he went to the locker room, nodding to a nurse here, a colleague there. A hot shower later, he was heading toward the de Vere's pub, where he intended to have a delicatly baked salmon with soft curry rice, before probably hitting the Park Ultra Lounge. He already had doubts about the club, but there were things to be said for it anyway, and he intented to make the most of his night. He didn't want to sleep alone.

While walking toward the pub, he reminisced of all he had Menwël to thank for : a conscience, lust for life, respect for others, appreciation of the finer things in life, to name but a very few, very mundane things. He wondered who he would have become if not for the Thyrsus woman. Probably not Miach, nor the good doctor Blyes. More likely than not, he would have ended misusing Magic in no time, and dead from Paradox in a handful of years. He was very conscious of it all, of this debt he'd never be able to repay. And so he celebrated Life every possible minute, and tried to convey its beauty around him.

A few minutes later, he arrived at the pub. It was only a few weeks till his arrival, and already he had taken a liking to the place. Shaking hands here, kissing pretty faces there, he made his way in the already crowded pub to a quieter corner, before ordering his meal.


To be continued...

[Miach]

Even while eating his tenderly baked salmon, doctor Blyes looked all around him. People were enjoying themselves :a family gathering there around a boy who just entered manhood, friends beginning a wild night in heavy laughter and heavier alcohol, elderly reminiscing of their early years in a corner they'be been going to for years, and so on, and so on. He loved living. Really, deeply, vividly loved living. Of course, he was now rather alone, and life was much less enjoyable if you didn't share it. That had been one of the main lesson he learned from Menwël.

He was thinking about his ambivalent feeling about loneliness and happiness when a young hispanic woman he had watched twice dared move to him.

Hello. You're waiting for someone ?

Ha... I've not lost my appeal, it would seem. Let's see about my hand, then...

If I said I was waiting for you, would you believe me too bold, or would you rather believe my wits have been stunned by your beauty ?

Jonathan knew full well that the most likely reaction was a smile, followed by a "Sorry, I've been mistaken" as she turned back to her friends. But she didn't, laughed merrily, and sat in front of him. Tonight, Fate was with him early on.


To be continued...

[Miach]

From the premises of the evening, it couldn't have gone wrong. Indeed Jonathan Blyes had a sweet time having diner with Constanza, the latina woman who had hailed him boldly. They were nearing the end of the meal, he savouring pineapples, she having strawberries, and they laughed at each other's jokes, fun times, and at the night in general. By the time they were finished, her friends had left the place, and she was alone with Jonathan, in a mood for partying.

He had but to invite her to cross the street, and she readily agreed. Jonathan knew he earned points when he shook hand with Ted the bouncer, 7.ft 250 lbs of muscle as if they had been pals from the cradle, and he let them enter at once, leaving a queue of dozens outside. Before they knew it, they were in the middle of the floor, moving in unison, like twin snakes coiling each around the other, or flames that danced to the invisible beat of the Life drum. Such was his desire to enjoy it that Jonathan was enraptured by that beauty's dance. After what felt like hours, the atmosphere around them was so electrical that Jonathan was oblivious to other people, focused as he was on himself, the woman in front of him, and what linked them.

When she nearly collapsed from exhaustion, asking for a drink, he kissed her hand and ran to the bar for some Redbull-vodka. He had no idea what time it was, but he knew there were lots of folks in front of him, and he would have cursed them, if he didn't fear it would effectively happen. So instead he just waited for what seemed like an eternity, but couldn't have been more than a couple of minutes. Drinks in hand, he rushed back to the seat he had left Constanza, only to find her gone. He couldn't believe it, and looked all around, afraid of what might have happened to her.

Among all the dancers, clubbers, and other less identified creatures of the night, Jonathan searched, stunned, for his sweet partner in revels. It took him some time to catch a glimpse of her long, auburn hairs, twisting rapidly at the sound of the bass. The tall man was relieved that she merely had recovered so quickly, and cleared a path toward her. Suddenly he froze in his shoes.


To be continued...

[Miach]

You gotta be kidding me...

What Jonathan saw was the wet dream of many male teenagers, two exotic beauties dancing, caressing, kissing each other. Only thing was, how could she have so quickly shifted gears from him to... her ? Jonathan's rival was indeed as gorgeous as they come, with the body of a goddess, enhanced by a milky white complexion, long dark hairs, and green eyes the color of jade that seemed to hold many many promises. He didn't feel like admitting defeat without putting up a fight, and as such he moved to the women, inserting his own moves into their dance, trying to form a trio from their duo. At first, it worked quite well, and it must have been very beautiful as the three of them seemed to share the same thoughts, the same rythm, the same moves. Only Jonathan knew that he was synchronizing to the girls, but that he wasn't part of their dance. He could feel that, as well as he danced around them, he was kept on the outskirts of their duo. He was kept apart, locked out from the link they shared. After some vain minutes trying to keep up a losing battle, he gave up and rushed out of the club, downing the Redbull-Vodka in two gulps.

Come on... what the heck happened down there... How could I have lost to... a girl... Oh well, it's not like we were offering the same deal, anyway. Deal with it, Jonathan !

Instead of sulking any longer, the doctor decided to take a night stroll in the Capitol Park instead, and oblivious of anything else walked into it, enjoying the fresh air, the muffled sounds of city life, and the hidden promises in the shade of the trees.


To be continued...

[Miach]

As Jonathan walked in the park, he went from tree to tree, hugging each one as if they were long-lost relatives he only found back now. Perhaps he was drunk, indeed... It's probably because he was drunk that the Acanthus decided he wanted to hug that particular young sequoia over there, behind the bush and the thorns. He got scratched in the process, but he couldn't care less, nor did he care about the few other people's cautious glances. His fingers were nearly touching the tree's bark when he heard a soft hiss coming from the ground, and he looked down to see a basket. Cautiously, he crouched, and the hissing grew stronger.

Pfffsss... meoooww... psssss....

It was a young kitten abandoned to die or survive on his own, more probably the former. He was black as night, with bright yellow eyes, and thin as a leaf... It broke Jonathan's heart to see him like that, weakened and scruffy, fearful and defiant. He tried to pick the kitten but he was meowling as if he were possessed, and fought back as if his life depended on it. Obviously though, he was so weak that the exhaustion just might kill it. Finally, Miach thought he had no choice left, and resorted to using Magic.

Feeling the threads of Life that animated the young cat, he took hold of them and strengthened ever so lightly one of them, pushing it to behave as if his mother had come to pick it up. The kitty curled and let Miach carry it, rushing to the nearest convenience store while holding this precious life in his hands.


To be continued...

[Miach]

Thanks to his copious training regimen, Miach was a very fit runner, and he was running swiftly toward the K Midtown Mini Mart, when he passed before the Hyatt's Regency. It struck him as the very best place he could possibly find help at this wee hour, and he entered Dawson's American Bistro with a kitten wrapped in his arms, sweating alcohool and musk, clothes torned and mudded from his "walk" in the park. The carefree Acanthus didn't care, though, and walked boldly to the bar where a couple were the only customers in sight.

"Warm milk for the kitty, please, and some gas water for me. Quickly."

Whether it was the tone of his voice used to giving orders in the ER, or the desperate meows coming from the starved kitten, the bartender didn't think twice, and did exactly as he was told. Meanwhile, Miach tried to sustain that life with a regular flow of Mana he despoiled himself for. Either through the magical care, sheer resilience, luck, or a little bit of all, the young cat's health stabilized enough that she could weakly lap up the milk on a small porcelain plate. What seemed like hours passed as Jonathan, a softened bartender, and a moved couple watched that young thing sate herself on the milk she had been deprived of for so long. Without anyone asking, the bartender even went to the kitchen and fetched a little bit of white meat that he mixed to enrich the meal. When she had finished her meal, she stretched uncertainly, nearly fell but caught herself, turned thrice on herself, and leaned in Miach's arm before rolling into a ball. In the silent night, she could be heard purring for the first time in her life.

Miach smiled tenderly.

I will not be sleeping alone tonight...

[Miach]

Inspired by >THIS SONG<

Christmas...

When he was still only Jonathan Blyes, Miach had always reveled in that period of the year. It had always been synonymous with gifts from his parents, skiing with friends, and parties, preferably in a jacuzzi. All in all good times of pure carefreeness. Then, when he started discovering the world from another perspectives with Menwel, it became a time when he focused his efforts to share with others what gifts he had been granted, and see a light rekindled in their eyes, if only for a time. And now that Menwel had left him alone, what was its meaning to Miach ?

Dr Blyes... Dr Blyes is expected room 421... Dr Blyes... the speaker said mechanically, pulling Jonathan out of his daydreaming. He was the latest arrivee, he had no family, so he had to be on duty when no one else was available. Moving sluggishly to said room, he looked through tired eyes at some volunteers who were trying to cheer up the patients, especially the kids. He would join them later. He walked over to the room he had been called to, one of Mr Lawrence. He was a very old man, aged 103 years, though still amazingly fit and witty. He had entered the hospital walking, only leaning on his cane once in a while, and he looked at Miach entering with his keen wall-eyes.

Good evening doctor. Sorry to be a nuisance, but I feel I'm dying, and I wouldn't have minded some company, if you could spare me the time.

Miach was amazed at the request, and didn't quite know what to reply.

Come on, Mr Lawrence, don't say such things. You're so healthy you'll bury me !

Maybe, maybe... but health is not the issue, you know. I'm tired, doctor, very tired. I've lived a very full life, and up to a very few years ago, I felt like I had a duty to fulfill. But now it's done. I've seen the War, son, and its stories needed to be told. Would you like to hear my story ? It will be my last time, I promise.

The young Acanthus didn't really know what to answer, and was taken aback by the elderly gentleman. Stuttering, he assented, and sat. He sat, and listened intently as Mr Lawrence told him a fantastic story of a life lived defiantly, proud and standing in front of the horror. He listened enraptured about a life dutifully spent trying to heal the grievous wounds of a blighted past, teaching and transmitting lessons paid in blood so it would never happen again. He listened till the very end, and it passed in an eyeblink.

... and now that I've told my story ten thousand times, I can at last rest. I'm so eager to rest, you know...

All that Miach could do as Mr Lawrence closed his eyes for the last time was to weep, and mutter sobbing a last sentence, a last farewell to a great man...

Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence...

[Miach]

One morning, Miach looked out to see a beautiful winter day, and on a whim decided to change his routine of the last few weeks. He put on warm clothes, double-checked to make sure Bastet, the kitten he had rescued before, had everything it needed, and decided to ride his bicycle to Sutter. Heading north on 59th from his current home near Tahoe Park until he crossed the highway, the Enchanter reached Folsom Boulevard, and turned west. He noticed the Corti Bros shop, and made a mental note to come back and check it later. Menwel had often teased him about "real italian food" when he spoke of pizzas, and he would have to please her by trying it out someday.

It was a pleasant ride, looking around to see new scenery, but now that she was on his mind, Miach couldn't help but wonder at each step "What would Menwel say ? would she have liked this shop ? What about that restaurant ?" It was in this mindset that he reached the crossing with 46th Street, and the East Lawn Memorial Cemetary looming in the distance. Whether his dark thoughts sharpened his senses to Stygia's influence, or the Gauntled really was thinner here, but Miach felt like Menwel was suddenly closer to him, as if she had been waiting for him, or maybe even calling. Focusing on this sensation, he rode the 46th southward, forgetful of his duty at the hospital. As he nearly reached the railway, the Acanthus noticed that an hedge separated the 46th from the houses nearby on the east. The south-east corner of the Memorial Cemetary was for all purposes a no-man's-land, where only dead spirits trespassing their alloted landscape would venture.

Hiding in the bushes along the railway, Miach called upon his powers of Sight to see whether Stygia had left its mark in this corner. It was nor surprise to him to see a rather heavy weight of Death behind some forgotten rubble, subtly laying there for any with a Sight. But who would ever come and pick up the clue ? Well... that Awakened did. He walked carefully to the mound of earth, and found a rusty trapdoor, stained with mub, and forlorn weeds. No one would ever come here but on purpose. Obviously no one had had a purpose in a long time, and as he drew on the trapdoor, it creaked and cried in protest. There was only darkness inside, darkness and an old, rusty ladder. The call and the curiosity of the Enchanter were too great, and he walked inside recklessly. Standing there, alone in the dark, he waited for his sight to adjust, and slowly started discerning an old basement. He couldn't know for sure, but it seemed like it must have been used at first during the building of the railway. The influence of Stygia was strong though, and Miach guessed the place must have been used for other, darker purposes at some point in its history. It troubled him, but there was nothing he could do about it, so he tried to dismiss the thought, and focused instead on his find: an unclaimed place, leftover from ancient time, with a tie to Death strong enough it had awakened a Hallow! Already his mind was racing with possibilities galore, and he knew, knew for a fact, that it was Menwel that had guided him to that place where he could become better able to reach her, where they could maybe be reunited someday ?

Miach smiled as he left the place, and swore to come back soon.

[Miach]

It was a bright day of winter, when people wore lighter clothes to enjoy the warming rays of the sun, and walked leisurely between ranges of trees to feel nature sleeping and regenerating its strength for the spring to come. It was a day when children took out the bikes they got at Christmas for a first ride, when grown-up deemed the time ripe for some gardening, when elderly felt like they had overcome yet one winter. It was spring-came-early days.

Miach was on call, but felt confident it would be fine. He really felt like he would enjoy a ride too, and loaded his bike onto his car, aiming for Lake Berryessa. Listening to the Beach Boys, he wished it would already be summer, but quickly shrugged the thought away, and focused on what laid ahead instead. After half an hour drive, he reached the borders of the Lake, and embraced the view: sunrays on the surface of water, trees standing leafless on the banks, wildlife springing all around. Parking at the beginning of a trail along the lake, the tall Enchanter changed into his track suite, unpacked his bike, and leisurely started riding counter clockwise.

After what seemed like mere minutes of ride, Miach stopped at an opening in the trees from where he had a wonderful view on the landscape, the lake as a whole, the unclouded sky, and sat there for a while, lost in contemplation. He was so still that birds started landing close to him, chirping nuts and other breadcrumbs left behind by former passer-bys. Whatever thoughts crossed his mind, he was at ease, and smiled all along.

After a while, Miach felt slight shivers from the relative cold of the air, and hopped back onto his bike, decided to make the most of his afternoon. The track was devoid of any other people, and he accelerated steadily as his muscles got warmer. The thin smile of contentment he wore before quickly turned to one of pure elation as he felt his body working like a well-oiled machine: his lungs bringing in oxygen, his heart pumping it to his muscles, his muscles changing it into motion, speed, pleasure… His mind was bathing in the feelings he got from his body, and loving every second of it.

TING-A-LING !

The corner of his mind that still remained somewhat aware of external sensation tried to bring it to the attention of his brain, but was quickly shut down by the imperious need to balance the bike as it rode down a steep slope while evading logs and bushes.

TING-A-LING !

Once safely arrived down the slope, said corner of the mind tried for a second time to relay the sound from the ears to the conscious mind, but was then shut down by the all-consuming sensation of cool wind on the skin of the face.

TING-A-LING !

In a last ditch effort, it reached at last the higher brain, submitting his message that a phone call was incoming. Miach then reflexively allocated some brainpower-time to weighing the time he would spend answering the call against the time he would rather spend lost away from conscious thought, and made a decision. The body slowed down ever so slightly, tensed somewhat as the left-hand reached into the pocket for the mobile phone… and shut it down.

Miach spent the rest of the afternoon in bliss, riding, watching, listening, communing with his body and nature at large without a care for the world.
……………………………………

As night neared, the lean Acanthus felt tired at last, and decided to call it a day. He came back to his car and drank some energizing stuff that was supposed to prevent muscle ache. Miach smiled. He could feel all his body and all was well, from the smallest of his toes to his neck, from his joints to his spine, from his heart to his lungs. He loaded his bike back on his car, and started the engine, his mind already set on a hot shower back home, and later petting Bastet, his black kitten.

Instead of the music he had been listening though, the local radio was airing a special news flash:

“The driver of a bus full of children lost control of his vehicle on Lincoln Highway three hours ago. He collided against three other vehicles coming the opposite way, including another bus, full of elderly. Estimated casualties range from forty to sixty in the best cases. Twelve persons were already dead on site when the EMT arrived, and the others were heavily wounded. They were dispatched across the various hospitals in town as quickly as possible. Hospitals announced they would do their very best, but have already warned that they wouldn’t be able to properly manage the full the scope of victims due to a shortage of staff.”

The ER doctor didn’t dare turn on his phone. That evening, Miach drove home silent, and ashamed.