Time crashed back with the force of a tidal wave, knocking me to the ground. I gasped for breath, clutching at my chest in vain as the light faded and darkness claimed me. Suspending time for so long, even with Fable and Elaine joining on their own, was too much for my time-tossed soul.
I awoke with a start, curled in a ball on hard, smooth stone. Tears welled up in my eyes, and my throat ached. The pain and stress of my soul had subsided somewhat, but a dull ache remained. I reached for Fable, but my fingers grasped empty air.
"You're awake."
Avant's rough voice greeted me as I raised my head. I lay in the ash and dust at his feet, beneath the umbrella cast by his protective wards. He held his staff and was currently casting several sixth and seventh-level spells at once, chantless.
"H-how long?" I croaked, checking myself for injuries. My tail stung a bit where I'd fallen on it, but a soulcast second-circle spell soothed that and the various other minor aches.
