La Gaudière
three
"It's a sacrifice we have to make, Azati. You must know that."
The young man sighed, seeming no older than a boy in that moment. He stared at the stone wall behind the man standing before him, avoiding eye contact. "What have we accomplished?"
"You know very well what was on that boat and why it needed to be taken down. It was a precaution we had to take. For your safety."
"But I thought I was doing this for you, Artifys." Azati turned away from the olive-skinned man and started to unbutton his shirt. There was only one splash of red on the sleeve, but he folded it over and threw the shirt into the corner.
"Indirectly, as a whole, yes," Artifys said. "But for my safety? No. Only yours."
Azati sighed once more. "I don't know, Artifys."
"This is only the first step. You know very well there are harder tasks to come."
"I know. It's just... I'm not sure about this anymore." Azati sat down on his bed, running his hand along the rough pink covers. "It can't be a good thing."
"I've told you many times. Good and bad are subjective. What we are doing... it is neither."
"I know what you said." His voice was quiet.
"Then you must remember what I have done for you, and what that makes me."
Azati closed his eyes, blocking the tall figure from his sight. "I remember, Artifys."
The young man sighed, seeming no older than a boy in that moment. He stared at the stone wall behind the man standing before him, avoiding eye contact. "What have we accomplished?"
"You know very well what was on that boat and why it needed to be taken down. It was a precaution we had to take. For your safety."
"But I thought I was doing this for you, Artifys." Azati turned away from the olive-skinned man and started to unbutton his shirt. There was only one splash of red on the sleeve, but he folded it over and threw the shirt into the corner.
"Indirectly, as a whole, yes," Artifys said. "But for my safety? No. Only yours."
Azati sighed once more. "I don't know, Artifys."
"This is only the first step. You know very well there are harder tasks to come."
"I know. It's just... I'm not sure about this anymore." Azati sat down on his bed, running his hand along the rough pink covers. "It can't be a good thing."
"I've told you many times. Good and bad are subjective. What we are doing... it is neither."
"I know what you said." His voice was quiet.
"Then you must remember what I have done for you, and what that makes me."
Azati closed his eyes, blocking the tall figure from his sight. "I remember, Artifys."