Zachary Evans - dependable, noble, good - was clearly agitated as made his way over to the former sergeant and held out the head to him. The gladiator deliberately avoided meeting anyone's gaze. "Here."
Osric glanced over and scowled.Â
That's what you are to these people, came the familiar silken voice of the Whore, behind it the rumbling of the Beast. Each and every time, they come to you. And for what? To clean up whatever mess they've made for themselves. Here and now you stand due to their carelessness, his and hers. You warned them, and they didn't listen. Now that the rest have, they refuse to deal with the afterbirth of their labor. And why? Because you're the one who sullies himself so that others don't have to.Â
That's who he is, came the familiar cadence of the Soldier, behind it the silence that belied the stoic resolve and unbending will of the Man. Who we are. That's our duty, and we see it through.Â
"Right," he growled, as he parted from his beloved and took the head by the hair. He walked past the Garlean highlander, who muttered something under his breath, and knelt beside the body.
"Are we done here?" came Zachary's voice. "I need to get back to Carteneau."
Osric pulled the glass jar close, unscrewed the lid, slipped the head inside, and sealed the jar back up again. "...we're done."
"Just, make sure you burn that son of a bitch, Osric." Sizha'to again. "Please."
Osric, listen. Saravena needs rescuing. Osric, help. Roen's been kidnapped. Osric, please. Osric, Osric, Osric...
I never asked for this, bellowed the youthful voice of the Boy, behind him the fears and terrors of the Gutterborn. I could have had it easy! Could've left my family t'rot, could've made my fortune carving shites up in Limsa, could've looked out for number one! He chose differently! He cared, and now we suffer for it! I NEVER ASKED FOR THIS!
"Kahn'a," he called, and it was a wonder his voice didn't crack right then and there.Â
"I hear you."
"The body needs to go to Erik. Tell him to burn it."
"With fucking pleasure."
"Why? Why does it need to go to him?"
"Because, Sizzie...."
Why do I do this?
"...because I'd rather not cause you all pain. I'm a selfish arse that way."
"You're a little too gods damned late for that."
And there it was, out in the open. He'd chosen love over friendship, had gone to radical lengths, and now he'd pay for it. He'd burn in the hells for it.Â
"...I know. Sorry about stabbing you."
Od'hilkas growled from somewhere behind him, and Osric flinched. There came the sound of clenched leather; he paid it no mind, instead staring at the face in the jar for a moment before standing and turning around...
Natalie and Franz had left. Bartolomeo and Zachary were only just taking their leave. That left only Kahn'a, Sizha'to, and... and... and Kiht?
"The least you could do is make sure that body is fucked up beyond all recognition. I'll accept your apology once you've done that." And with that came the squelch and rattle of chainmail and plate armor as the male took off.
"Zha'to, wait!"Â
And there went Kahn'a. Love over friendship... they kept to the same principle, and yet they blamed him for following it through to the end.Â
Why do I do this?
He scowled again and turned to the Keeper female. The woman who should have understood, the woman who'd been collared just as he had been... by more than just the metal choker around his neck.Â
"Alright, Kiht. Out with it. I'm tired of tryin' t'make amends. Just... out with it."
She walked up to him. Pulled her mask off, revealing her own scowl. Her arm moved, and she slapped Osric across the face. He took it. What was the point in doing otherwise? He deserved it.
"...I'd explain, but I don't think you'd care to listen."
Kiht Jakkya quivered, shook with barely contained anger. "...why. Why are you free when Roen is in jail?"
He blinked. "Roen is in jail...? Since when?!"
"You did not know? She is in jail for charges of desertion."
Kiht's eyes welled up with tears, and behind them lurked blame, judgment, condemnation. She wanted to know why he was free when Roen was not. He didn't have the heart to tell her. He was too overwhelmed by his own failure.Â
Roen had not escaped. After the high price and toll she and others had paid... she had not escaped. Her suffering had been for naught. Askier's, for naught. His own efforts had been for naught.Â
Why do I do this?
"...shite!" He paced back and forth across the width of Highbridge, agitated beyond reason. "Who has her? Blades, Flames, 'sworn?"
"Sultansworn...." Kiht grit her teeth, seething in her own frustration. "What is wrong with the Ul'dahn justice system?"
"People like Natalie, that's what... how in the hells did they even find her?"
"She turned herself in!"
"...she wha- Gods."
Kiht averted her gaze. "I... it was stupid, but she trusts the 'sworn."
"...Crofte. It must have been Crofte." He turned to attend to what Kahn'a had not. He reached inside the burlap sack and pulled out a body bag. Into the sack went the jar, and into the bag went the body. He tucked the former under his arm and threw the latter over his shoulder, then turned back, walked back.
"I got as far as the Sultansworn prison on Hustings. There was a female paladin with red hair."
"...that'd be Crofte. Kanaria... time to go."
His beloved's eyes were still transfixed on the spot where Jin'li had fallen... but she glanced up at the sound of his voice, and answered, "Yes, Ser."
He pivoted back to Kiht... and spotted someone over her shoulder.Â
"Buttons."
Leilani Belle's eyes shifted from her sister to her sister's partner. "Hmm?"
"That really you?"
Buttons glanced down at herself, gave herself a quick inspection, then looked back up. "Might as well ask my spoon, Ossy."
"I'd rather not upset Mr. Scoopers by doubting him."
Kiht turned to regard the other female just as Kanaria stepped forward and answered, "that's the real Buttons...."
Osric sighed with relief, then turned again to regard Kiht.Â
"Talk to Erik. He'll vouch for me."
Silence. Long, hard, cold silence.Â
"Very well," she finally responded. "I will indeed talk to Erik. He has either lost his mind or has a good reason I do not know about..."
There it was again. The doubt. Always now, they were doubting him. Once they had trusted him... never again.
Why do I do this?
He glanced over at Kanaria... and found the thief who had stolen his heart in a heavy embrace with her sister. Then, finally, at last, there came an answer... and the answer came in two parts...
"You will be a force, saving the women of others, and never be seen. You will be a shadow."
Erik Mynhier -Â
...Erik had spoken of the Red Wings as an impurity, and impurities as the source of a jewel's strength... but, while valid, that was only a partial answer. Gems needed protecting. Sapphires, emeralds, rubies... diamonds...
- and from within, a voice he had not heard in years. A voice he had locked away, had hidden from the world in order to keep it safe. The voice of a child. His own voice, from when he had been young and innocent and full of hopes and dreams.Â
I want t'be a knight, Da, just like in Tabby's books, and fight dragons and save princesses! I want to be a hero!
He set his jaw and looked over at Kiht one last time. He reached inside a belt pouch for the small shards of aetheryte crystal he always carried with him lately... and stopped. He didn't need them anymore. He could feel it. Feel the crystal he had attuned with, so long ago.
He could feel it calling him... calling him...
He pulled out a shard anyroad, for the sake of appearances, and crushed it in his hand. A portal opened up behind him, behind the sisters, and he gave Kiht a sad smile.Â
"I am the rough, Kiht. And I've found my faith."
They went home.
Osric glanced over and scowled.Â
That's what you are to these people, came the familiar silken voice of the Whore, behind it the rumbling of the Beast. Each and every time, they come to you. And for what? To clean up whatever mess they've made for themselves. Here and now you stand due to their carelessness, his and hers. You warned them, and they didn't listen. Now that the rest have, they refuse to deal with the afterbirth of their labor. And why? Because you're the one who sullies himself so that others don't have to.Â
That's who he is, came the familiar cadence of the Soldier, behind it the silence that belied the stoic resolve and unbending will of the Man. Who we are. That's our duty, and we see it through.Â
"Right," he growled, as he parted from his beloved and took the head by the hair. He walked past the Garlean highlander, who muttered something under his breath, and knelt beside the body.
"Are we done here?" came Zachary's voice. "I need to get back to Carteneau."
Osric pulled the glass jar close, unscrewed the lid, slipped the head inside, and sealed the jar back up again. "...we're done."
"Just, make sure you burn that son of a bitch, Osric." Sizha'to again. "Please."
Osric, listen. Saravena needs rescuing. Osric, help. Roen's been kidnapped. Osric, please. Osric, Osric, Osric...
I never asked for this, bellowed the youthful voice of the Boy, behind him the fears and terrors of the Gutterborn. I could have had it easy! Could've left my family t'rot, could've made my fortune carving shites up in Limsa, could've looked out for number one! He chose differently! He cared, and now we suffer for it! I NEVER ASKED FOR THIS!
"Kahn'a," he called, and it was a wonder his voice didn't crack right then and there.Â
"I hear you."
"The body needs to go to Erik. Tell him to burn it."
"With fucking pleasure."
"Why? Why does it need to go to him?"
"Because, Sizzie...."
Why do I do this?
"...because I'd rather not cause you all pain. I'm a selfish arse that way."
"You're a little too gods damned late for that."
And there it was, out in the open. He'd chosen love over friendship, had gone to radical lengths, and now he'd pay for it. He'd burn in the hells for it.Â
"...I know. Sorry about stabbing you."
Od'hilkas growled from somewhere behind him, and Osric flinched. There came the sound of clenched leather; he paid it no mind, instead staring at the face in the jar for a moment before standing and turning around...
Natalie and Franz had left. Bartolomeo and Zachary were only just taking their leave. That left only Kahn'a, Sizha'to, and... and... and Kiht?
"The least you could do is make sure that body is fucked up beyond all recognition. I'll accept your apology once you've done that." And with that came the squelch and rattle of chainmail and plate armor as the male took off.
"Zha'to, wait!"Â
And there went Kahn'a. Love over friendship... they kept to the same principle, and yet they blamed him for following it through to the end.Â
Why do I do this?
He scowled again and turned to the Keeper female. The woman who should have understood, the woman who'd been collared just as he had been... by more than just the metal choker around his neck.Â
"Alright, Kiht. Out with it. I'm tired of tryin' t'make amends. Just... out with it."
She walked up to him. Pulled her mask off, revealing her own scowl. Her arm moved, and she slapped Osric across the face. He took it. What was the point in doing otherwise? He deserved it.
"...I'd explain, but I don't think you'd care to listen."
Kiht Jakkya quivered, shook with barely contained anger. "...why. Why are you free when Roen is in jail?"
He blinked. "Roen is in jail...? Since when?!"
"You did not know? She is in jail for charges of desertion."
Kiht's eyes welled up with tears, and behind them lurked blame, judgment, condemnation. She wanted to know why he was free when Roen was not. He didn't have the heart to tell her. He was too overwhelmed by his own failure.Â
Roen had not escaped. After the high price and toll she and others had paid... she had not escaped. Her suffering had been for naught. Askier's, for naught. His own efforts had been for naught.Â
Why do I do this?
"...shite!" He paced back and forth across the width of Highbridge, agitated beyond reason. "Who has her? Blades, Flames, 'sworn?"
"Sultansworn...." Kiht grit her teeth, seething in her own frustration. "What is wrong with the Ul'dahn justice system?"
"People like Natalie, that's what... how in the hells did they even find her?"
"She turned herself in!"
"...she wha- Gods."
Kiht averted her gaze. "I... it was stupid, but she trusts the 'sworn."
"...Crofte. It must have been Crofte." He turned to attend to what Kahn'a had not. He reached inside the burlap sack and pulled out a body bag. Into the sack went the jar, and into the bag went the body. He tucked the former under his arm and threw the latter over his shoulder, then turned back, walked back.
"I got as far as the Sultansworn prison on Hustings. There was a female paladin with red hair."
"...that'd be Crofte. Kanaria... time to go."
His beloved's eyes were still transfixed on the spot where Jin'li had fallen... but she glanced up at the sound of his voice, and answered, "Yes, Ser."
He pivoted back to Kiht... and spotted someone over her shoulder.Â
"Buttons."
Leilani Belle's eyes shifted from her sister to her sister's partner. "Hmm?"
"That really you?"
Buttons glanced down at herself, gave herself a quick inspection, then looked back up. "Might as well ask my spoon, Ossy."
"I'd rather not upset Mr. Scoopers by doubting him."
Kiht turned to regard the other female just as Kanaria stepped forward and answered, "that's the real Buttons...."
Osric sighed with relief, then turned again to regard Kiht.Â
"Talk to Erik. He'll vouch for me."
Silence. Long, hard, cold silence.Â
"Very well," she finally responded. "I will indeed talk to Erik. He has either lost his mind or has a good reason I do not know about..."
There it was again. The doubt. Always now, they were doubting him. Once they had trusted him... never again.
Why do I do this?
He glanced over at Kanaria... and found the thief who had stolen his heart in a heavy embrace with her sister. Then, finally, at last, there came an answer... and the answer came in two parts...
"You will be a force, saving the women of others, and never be seen. You will be a shadow."
Erik Mynhier -Â
...Erik had spoken of the Red Wings as an impurity, and impurities as the source of a jewel's strength... but, while valid, that was only a partial answer. Gems needed protecting. Sapphires, emeralds, rubies... diamonds...
- and from within, a voice he had not heard in years. A voice he had locked away, had hidden from the world in order to keep it safe. The voice of a child. His own voice, from when he had been young and innocent and full of hopes and dreams.Â
I want t'be a knight, Da, just like in Tabby's books, and fight dragons and save princesses! I want to be a hero!
He set his jaw and looked over at Kiht one last time. He reached inside a belt pouch for the small shards of aetheryte crystal he always carried with him lately... and stopped. He didn't need them anymore. He could feel it. Feel the crystal he had attuned with, so long ago.
He could feel it calling him... calling him...
He pulled out a shard anyroad, for the sake of appearances, and crushed it in his hand. A portal opened up behind him, behind the sisters, and he gave Kiht a sad smile.Â
"I am the rough, Kiht. And I've found my faith."
They went home.
![[Image: 1qVSsTp.png]](http://i.imgur.com/1qVSsTp.png)
