Pain. Excruciating, burning, frightening, horrifying pain. Every muscle, bone, nerve was on fire, clenching and unclenching in spasms of agony that razed his body like fire going rampant in a forest. Every cell screamed for mercy as they writhed in torment and each of his joints felt like they were being dislodged from their sockets. Pain. He wanted it to end. He wanted Death to swoop down and embrace him in his dead arms, to wrap him in his black velvet cloak of death and then finally consume his life; just so his suffering would cease.