Could she stop it? Maybe if she lay here long enough she would drown in the goo that was oozing from her nose, mouth, and eyes. Maybe if she tried to talk, the choking would actually succeed in choking her. It was as if she couldn't swallow. Everything was wrong about this thing that was affecting her - and she wasn't even sure that she had seen it correctly. Maybe the goo was all a figment of her imagination. Maybe it had all been a dream.

But, from the way Valiance was acting she knew it wasn't. Still, she fell into the sleep rather easily. Perhaps it was because she had just given up and her energy was gone. Perhaps it was because she hadn't slept in so long. Either way, all she knew was that she couldn't be the reason others got infected. She wouldn't go into the lands and infect others. She couldn't - it went against every fiber of her being.

Valiance had simply clicked when his name was uttered by Archibald - panic coursing through his veins when he watched the mammoth start coughing and sputtering up the black tar. Carefully, he edged in closer - trying to brush his wings against Archibald's withers and nuzzle the giant's neck in a form of comfort (should it be allowed) before he rushed off to Resplendence. The deepness, the darkness of her thoughts had him beyond concerned.

If it wasn't for the darkness of the tar that was merging with her glitter, pouring from her eyes, nose, and mouth, she would have looked peaceful laying there in a pile of her glitter. Her hair spread out around her in gentle tendrils and her breathing (minus a few splutters here and there of gagging) was even and quiet. It was Archibald's voice that tore her from the sleepy haze she was in, though. His coughs causing her head to jerk up awkwardly and an attempt to speak happening. Her mouth opens, "ARCHIBALD!" Panic crossing her face as the tar seems to bubble in her throat, choking her and not letting any words out.

She gasps for air, but the tar only continues to bubble and gurgle until she almost passes out. Then, it seems to stop and she ends up coughing up huge chunks of the tar. She wants to speak, but she had forgotten how painful that was. She goes to stumble onto her feet, standing up and allowing her eyes to meet his gaze. Aye, but they weren't the same. Instead of the gorgeous gold that matched her pendant they resembled the deep maroon of blood. The only look she could give him screamed "Help me…" and as the tears began to flow they mixed with the tar (or at least Valiance hoped it was mixing with the tar) to create streaks of blood across her face. Her ear pinning in panic, in shame that she couldn't even heal herself.

How was she supposed to help anyone like this? How was she supposed to help them when she couldn't help herself?

Resplendence

Grace is just a weakness; or so I've been told