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Authors: John Faherty
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the darkened silhouette of a man. Recognizing his outline he
called his name. He saw again in his mind’s eye the words he had
seen emblazoned upon his capsule, and he spoke them aloud,
"Hector the King." As the name rolled off his tongue a wave of
incandescent light surrounded and consumed them both. As
quickly as it had appeared this bright glow had dimmed to an ember, and there in its place stood the silhouetted image of Hector.
The edges of his armor glinted like a coronal eclipse of an artificial sun. There seemingly the two figures were now as if forged
into one.
He leapt in panicked disarray from his slumber and fell writhing
to the floor. A moment later he awoke to find himself naked and
alone. He ran toward the billowing curtains of his open window
and screamed out in a terrible cry. Though his heart was still
thumping wildly from the visions of his dreams, it took him only
a moment to realize he had been dreaming. As this revelation began to sink in, the image of the morning sun shining through his
window filled his eyes. Its sudden appearance there, in contrast to
his dream seemed to calm him. A moment later a rap upon his
door signaled the arrival of an attendant. She announced herself
then entered the room presenting a tray of breakfast, and a change
of clothing. She found him hiding himself modestly behind the
drapery, still a bit shaken up. He was quite a sight. In fear of this
stranger she avoided the subject of his bizarre outburst that she
had heard only moments before. So in speaking to him she was
careful to avoid looking into his eyes and spoke in a reassuring
tone, "Good morning to you sir. How is the day finding you?"
For her benefit he quickly managed to pull himself together and
responded, "I am well."
"That's good, sir. If I may suggest, I'm sure you're by now
ready for a hearty breakfast and a change of clean clothes."
Averting her eyes, she draped the clothes over the back of a
chair. "I took the liberty of estimating your dimensions. I think it
will be a good fit."
"Thank you." This gesture and his changing demeanor seemed
to put her more at ease.
"Lady Xora informed me to tell you she will be joining you
shortly." He nodded to her in acknowledgment. She took this
sign to mean she was excused. "Well then, if there will be anything else, please be sure to ask me." she said as she exited,
closing the door behind her.
After she left the room all modesty fell away as his attentions
were now drawn to the delectable smells of his meal that swirled
about him. Until that moment he had forgotten that the acute
pain he was feeling in his gut was that of hunger. He sat down at
the small table and quickly devoured his meal. Though he finished the plate of food before him he was not satisfied. His
body had suffered an ordeal and he seemingly was burning calories at a terrific rate. He would need to be mindful of this. Pushing the tray away he stood from the table and retired to the adjoining bath. There were other needs beyond his immediate sustenance that also needed his attention. His ordeal also had him
left anxious to wash clean his body and change into fresh clothing. Within the ornately tiled room he found a bath recessed into
the landing. It was filled with fresh clean water that flowed directly up from a heated spring deep in the earth. He watched as
the water flowed over the edge of the basin into the drain.
He caught in his eye, his own image standing before the bath
held captive there within the frame of the full length mirror. Staring back at himself this was the first time he had seen himself
since he had laid down in his capsule so many years before. His
image though familiar, was somewhat shocking to look at. He
had almost forgotten how his own likeness had appeared. His
head and face were covered in long hair. His hands and body
were blistered and burnt from his day of exposure upon the water
as well as those marks borne by body armor that held him for so
long in a state of suspended
called his name. He saw again in his mind’s eye the words he had
seen emblazoned upon his capsule, and he spoke them aloud,
"Hector the King." As the name rolled off his tongue a wave of
incandescent light surrounded and consumed them both. As
quickly as it had appeared this bright glow had dimmed to an ember, and there in its place stood the silhouetted image of Hector.
The edges of his armor glinted like a coronal eclipse of an artificial sun. There seemingly the two figures were now as if forged
into one.
He leapt in panicked disarray from his slumber and fell writhing
to the floor. A moment later he awoke to find himself naked and
alone. He ran toward the billowing curtains of his open window
and screamed out in a terrible cry. Though his heart was still
thumping wildly from the visions of his dreams, it took him only
a moment to realize he had been dreaming. As this revelation began to sink in, the image of the morning sun shining through his
window filled his eyes. Its sudden appearance there, in contrast to
his dream seemed to calm him. A moment later a rap upon his
door signaled the arrival of an attendant. She announced herself
then entered the room presenting a tray of breakfast, and a change
of clothing. She found him hiding himself modestly behind the
drapery, still a bit shaken up. He was quite a sight. In fear of this
stranger she avoided the subject of his bizarre outburst that she
had heard only moments before. So in speaking to him she was
careful to avoid looking into his eyes and spoke in a reassuring
tone, "Good morning to you sir. How is the day finding you?"
For her benefit he quickly managed to pull himself together and
responded, "I am well."
"That's good, sir. If I may suggest, I'm sure you're by now
ready for a hearty breakfast and a change of clean clothes."
Averting her eyes, she draped the clothes over the back of a
chair. "I took the liberty of estimating your dimensions. I think it
will be a good fit."
"Thank you." This gesture and his changing demeanor seemed
to put her more at ease.
"Lady Xora informed me to tell you she will be joining you
shortly." He nodded to her in acknowledgment. She took this
sign to mean she was excused. "Well then, if there will be anything else, please be sure to ask me." she said as she exited,
closing the door behind her.
After she left the room all modesty fell away as his attentions
were now drawn to the delectable smells of his meal that swirled
about him. Until that moment he had forgotten that the acute
pain he was feeling in his gut was that of hunger. He sat down at
the small table and quickly devoured his meal. Though he finished the plate of food before him he was not satisfied. His
body had suffered an ordeal and he seemingly was burning calories at a terrific rate. He would need to be mindful of this. Pushing the tray away he stood from the table and retired to the adjoining bath. There were other needs beyond his immediate sustenance that also needed his attention. His ordeal also had him
left anxious to wash clean his body and change into fresh clothing. Within the ornately tiled room he found a bath recessed into
the landing. It was filled with fresh clean water that flowed directly up from a heated spring deep in the earth. He watched as
the water flowed over the edge of the basin into the drain.
He caught in his eye, his own image standing before the bath
held captive there within the frame of the full length mirror. Staring back at himself this was the first time he had seen himself
since he had laid down in his capsule so many years before. His
image though familiar, was somewhat shocking to look at. He
had almost forgotten how his own likeness had appeared. His
head and face were covered in long hair. His hands and body
were blistered and burnt from his day of exposure upon the water
as well as those marks borne by body armor that held him for so
long in a state of suspended
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