AvengerThe first thing he knows again is pain. Wretched, stiffling, brutal pain. Pain is good. Pain means he’s still alive. If he is alive he can fight. If he can fight he can serve. Serve… Who does he serve? It takes him a moment to remember. Ruakh. Captain Ruakh. This is the second thing he knows. ‘Seark,’ calls a voice. This is the third thing he knows. Really two things at once: He is not alone, and he recognizes his own name. ‘Captain,’ he tries to say. His mouth if full of fluid and grit. He tries to move and can’t at first. ‘Seark. Do you live, brother?” Brother. That concept touches something deep inside him; a melancholy thing, at the center of his will. Someone is nearby, scraping and shuffling around him. He feels weight shift against his back and head. Then the weight is removed.