Cry Havoc
⑧
He returns the very next day.
“Can you tell me who the riddle refers to?”
“No.”
“Oh. What can you do?”
“Very little. I’m sorry.”
“No, you aren’t.”
“Believe what you will.”
“You’re not falling over yourself to apologize.”
“I’m still sorry for it all, but I’ve learnt that you don’t care what I say. Why should I waste my voice?”
“So you’re giving up?”
“I’d rather not consider it giving up, but yes, essentially. When all I have to anticipate is pain, my hopes diminish quickly.”
“What if you weren’t trapped here?”
“Pardon?”
“I’ve been doing some research about your imprisonment.”
My blood runs cold. “You what?” To my shame and infinite humiliation, I begin to shake. “Why? Why would you—”
“From what I read, you know precisely how to free yourself.”
“That's not an option,” I snarl bitterly. “For numerous reasons.”
“How do you free yourself?”
“Must I answer this? Can’t you content yourself with knowing I cannot leave?”
“Don’t make me order you to answer.”
Shame and disgust cause my eyes to water. “If you must know, I would need a mortal to take my place.”
“Is that why you asked me to stay? So you could trick me into becoming your replacement?”
I wince, more at the words than his tone. “Not — not entirely,” I admit. “It has been too lonesome rotting in this prison, but... Yes, I saw an opportunity when you approached me.”
He is silent, mulling over what I've just said, for a while. My fear threatens to get the best of me. Fear of what, precisely?
He finally speaks again. “Would you use me to free yourself, if given the chance now?”
My voice is weak as I answer, “No.”
He says nothing in response, and remains silent even as he leaves. The last vestiges of his body heat dissipate, and I collapse into sobs.
This damn mortal has caused me nothing but misery by entering my life, and yet the thought of him dying fills me with worse despair than the thought of another millennium trapped here.
His sister is dying. He'll undoubtedly be brought to ruin by his quest. I cannot think of a means of saving him; and that terrifies me more than anything.
Fates, give me a sign.
“Can you tell me who the riddle refers to?”
“No.”
“Oh. What can you do?”
“Very little. I’m sorry.”
“No, you aren’t.”
“Believe what you will.”
“You’re not falling over yourself to apologize.”
“I’m still sorry for it all, but I’ve learnt that you don’t care what I say. Why should I waste my voice?”
“So you’re giving up?”
“I’d rather not consider it giving up, but yes, essentially. When all I have to anticipate is pain, my hopes diminish quickly.”
“What if you weren’t trapped here?”
“Pardon?”
“I’ve been doing some research about your imprisonment.”
My blood runs cold. “You what?” To my shame and infinite humiliation, I begin to shake. “Why? Why would you—”
“From what I read, you know precisely how to free yourself.”
“That's not an option,” I snarl bitterly. “For numerous reasons.”
“How do you free yourself?”
“Must I answer this? Can’t you content yourself with knowing I cannot leave?”
“Don’t make me order you to answer.”
Shame and disgust cause my eyes to water. “If you must know, I would need a mortal to take my place.”
“Is that why you asked me to stay? So you could trick me into becoming your replacement?”
I wince, more at the words than his tone. “Not — not entirely,” I admit. “It has been too lonesome rotting in this prison, but... Yes, I saw an opportunity when you approached me.”
He is silent, mulling over what I've just said, for a while. My fear threatens to get the best of me. Fear of what, precisely?
He finally speaks again. “Would you use me to free yourself, if given the chance now?”
My voice is weak as I answer, “No.”
He says nothing in response, and remains silent even as he leaves. The last vestiges of his body heat dissipate, and I collapse into sobs.
This damn mortal has caused me nothing but misery by entering my life, and yet the thought of him dying fills me with worse despair than the thought of another millennium trapped here.
His sister is dying. He'll undoubtedly be brought to ruin by his quest. I cannot think of a means of saving him; and that terrifies me more than anything.
Fates, give me a sign.