-I'm overthinking things, aren't I?
Sirius lingers behind Kynn. They continue walking toward his house in silence.
-He couldn't possibly have predicted that would happen. He almost died himself. I shouldn't blame him for my own stupidity. I can trust him...
...Trust... What am I saying? Have I ever trusted anyone?
For almost his entire life, Sirius has been an isolated personality. He never paid attention to other people, unless it was to gain something from them. Or to fit in. To be perfect. He's had plenty of pretend friendships, but never once considered anyone a true friend.
Bonds and relationships have refused to form. Other people have never truly cared about him, so why should he care about them? Other people only ever want something from him, so how can he place faith in them?
Even in this new world, it's difficult to see the people around him.
...
But Korlin did say... they care about you, Sirius.
-I was so happy to hear those words. I want someone to care for me. I want to care for someone. But what if those words were a lie, too?... Damn it, me. Why do I always overthink things?
By the time they arrive at Kynn's house, the blood on Sirius's shoes has frozen over.
Pholy heads inside to take a bath and put on new clothes. Korlin is nowhere to be found.
Kynn suggests that Sirius and Aureole warm up by the fire.
"Sorry," Aureole says. "I'm going to go help out at the medical hut. You two take your rest."
"Have you been helping out there?" Sirius asks.
"Mm, I figured I need to do something productive while you all risk your lives. Besides, I like helping people."
"You're a kind person," Sirius smiles.
-I've always thought that. She's exceedingly kind. She took me in and comforted me without knowing a thing about me. Maybe there's another motive there... but still... I've always known she was this kind, so why... Why do I feel a little jealous?
"Uh," Aureole scratches the nape of her neck. Her eyes drop along with her voice. "I don't know about that..."
"..."
-She doesn't view herself as being kind... does she?
"I-I'll be off now, see you!"
Aureole smiles and waves before running off.
"Bye..."
Sirius, mired with thoughts, enters Kynn's home.
Sirius sits down on a chair near the fireplace.
"Sweet dreams," Kynn whispers as he closes the door to his mother's room. "I love you..."
Sirius rests his eyes and tries to clear his head.
"...Are you hurt at all?" Kynn asks.
"No, I'm fine... You?"
"Nah, I just had a little scare."
"I'm sorry for making a mess of things back there. I thought I could make decisions now..."
"Ah, that wasn't your fault. You panicked, that's natural. Don't worry about it... Remember what I told you earlier? People are reactionary. That includes you. A few missed decisions aren't the end of the world."
"Hm, I'm just not the best at making decisions."
"What are you talking about?" Kynn heads down the stairs and sinks into the chair beside Sirius. "You did just fine earlier!"
"When?"
"When we dueled! You made a whole bunch of split-second decisions. Pretty good ones at that."
"That's different... That's more just reflex."
"Alright... Say what you will... But I think you're better than you realize."
"...Thanks, man."
-I sound like I'm whining... I should shut up.
"I like to think of it this way... Life is like a duel."
"?"
"It's you against the world and sometimes against yourself. But they're never your enemy. You fight, make decisions, sometimes rash and hasty ones... And those decisions can sometimes pay off, but most of the time, they get you knocked down."
"..."
"But even if you do get knocked down, the world never will. All you can do is stand up and make more decisions. To try and pin the world in a corner..."
"..."
Kynn looks at the door to his mother's room.
"Life is a constant battle... The best we can do is not let it win."
...
"...Do you ever feel like you aren't doing enough? That life is winning...?"
"Mm, all of the time."
"..."
Kynn stands up and grabs one of the vases near the fireplace. He turns it upside down and places his hand underneath. A small bag falls from inside and lands in his palm.
It's a wallet. Exactly like Sirius's wallet that can store infinite nem.
"Before all of this began, I saved up a large amount of nem." Kynn shuffles back over into his chair, fiddling with the bag. "I was planning on traveling to try and find someone who can cure her."
"...Can something like that be fixed?"
"I'm sure there's a way... There always is. But one thing is for sure... Until the hoarbanes are gone, she'll be stuck like this."
"...You really care for her, don't you?"
Kynn smiles.
"Yes, I'd do anything for her."
"..."
"Try and keep this a secret from her, alright?" Kynn stands up and places the nem back in the vase.
"Sure... Can I ask you something?"
"Go ahead."
"How can you tell me all of this so easily? You're so open and carefree."
"Is that how you see me?" he smirks. "Well, my mom would always say... Sharing weakness is a strength."
"..."
"Or was it knowing your weak makes you strong...?"
"You don't remember-?" Sirius almost laughs.
"It was a long time ago..." Kynn chuckles to himself.
The bathroom door opens, and Pholy walks out clean and newly dressed.
"Ah," Kynn perks up. "All done?"
"Mm," Pholy responds. "Thank you for letting me use the bath."
"Of course! Alright, your turn, Sirius. Hurry along so we can chat with the king."
"You don't have to wait for me..."
"I know, I just want you to be there."
"...Alright..." Sirius almost blushes. "Hey, why do you talk to me so much?"
"Hm? You don't want me to?"
"Ah- I didn't say that... I'm just wondering why you hold me in such a high regard."
"Well, we're dating now, aren't we?"
"Wha?!"
"Huh?!"
Pholy and Sirius are equally thrown aback by the comment.
"Haha! I'm just messing with you. I just think you're interesting."
"Huh..." Sirius scratches his head. "I'm taking my bath now..."
"That reaction was priceless..." Kynn continues laughing to himself.
Shaking his head, Sirius passes Pholy on the stairs.
"You're into guys, huh? What will Aure think..." Pholy teases.
"Shut it."
Pholy laughs, and Sirius enters the bathroom.
Removing the smile from his face, Sirius takes a deep breath.
-I wish I could be like you...
⧗⧖⧗⧖⧗
Sirius dries himself off and stares into the small mirror.
"My hair is getting longer..."
The proof of time not left stagnant.
Sirius routinely wraps the band around his arm and ties the string around his wrist. It's only then that he realizes...
-Aureole still has my watch...
Kynn's words resound in his mind.
-"You only met her a few days ago and trust her to hold onto that?"
...
...
Sirius leaves the bathroom and heads down the stairs. (Fully clothed).
Kynn is getting ready to leave the house.
"Ah, Sirius, sorry, but I need to go meet up with the guards quick."
"Okay."
"The scout team still hasn't returned. The others are worried that something happened to them. They asked me to go help search for them."
"Oh, well, good luck."
"Yeah! Oh, and apparently, there's also been a hole found along the walls."
"A hole...? On the walls around the outpost?"
"Yes. If the hoarbanes find it, it could spell all of our demises."
"..."
"Would you mind going to check it out? I heard it's on the east side. I sent Pholy out there already."
"Sure... What do you want me to do exactly?"
"Take some of the firewood. I don't know how large the hole is, but try and fill it in. Pholy took some already, but you should bring some more just in case. It won't be as strong as the walls, but it should at least look like it is."
"Alright."
"You're really easy to convince, aren't you?"
"...I guess so?"
Kynn chuckles. He opens the door and gives a quick wave goodbye.
"See ya!"
"Mm, see ya."
Kynn leaves Sirius alone in the home. Apart from Kynn's mother, Sirius is left by himself.
In the subtle silence, Sirius walks over next to the crackling fireplace. He reaches over and grabs some of the spare firewood he gathered earlier.
Without so much as a single thought, Sirius does as he's told and takes the firewood out of the house.
With logs in arms, Sirius wanders around the outpost.
He hasn't seen much of the place. Or rather, there isn't much to see. Not anymore.
The buildings and igloos are repetitive in design and layout. They all stand small and are spaced out from each other. As if all connection between them has been lost.
The atmosphere is desolate and melancholic. Snow falls gently with the soft wind, a prominent feeling of hopelessness and desperation filling the air.
Since the outpost is plagued with sickness and poison, not many squallers wander the streets. Instead, they cramp together in huts, praying that they'll live another day.
This is a settlement far out of its prime.
The sadness this place brings is almost nostalgic... It's like he's visiting a place he used to grow up in, only now it lies in ruins.
Sunlight suddenly pokes through the clouds. It's almost blinding... But there isn't any color.
Only the cold hue of white.
...
Guards and the few remaining warriors run past to try and find their friends. The looks on their faces are grim and depressing.
They want this hell to end.
Sirius avoids eye contact and searches for the hole in the wall.
He passes by a medical hut. Distant coughing and groans come from within. It's a painful, nauseating noise...
But still, Sirius feels no sympathy. His thoughts are empty.
Sirius shivers despite the glaring sun.
As he walks past, someone spots him from within.
Footsteps begin crunching toward him. He doesn't turn around and waits for the person to catch up. The crunching comes closer and stops beside him.
It's Pholy. Holding a few logs.
"Kynn ask you to help out, too?"
"Yeah, what have you been up to?"
"I got distracted and started talking with Aure. She's been helping out in the medical huts."
"Ah. You didn't go lie about how I like guys, did you?"
"I don't know..." Pholy giggles. "Maybe I did, maybe I didn't."
"You did, didn't you?" Sirius sighs.
"What?" Pholy laughs. "Of course not... What kind of person do you think I am?" She pouts jokingly.
"Who knows..."
"Oh!" Pholy stops in place. "Is that the hole?!"
Pholy nods forward at a human-sized hole carved into the outpost's wall.
"It's huge..."
The two of them jog over to the splintered wall and set down the firewood.
"What possibly caused this...?" Pholy ponders. "We're going to need way more wood to patch this up..."
"Hm... There should be more wood over by the king's place. Want to head over there?"
"Yeah, we probably should. We also need something to nail the wood down."
"True..."
The two turn around and are about to start heading toward the king's quarters, when...
"Help!"
"Hm?" Pholy looks around. "Did you hear that?"
"Yeah..."
"Help!"
The cry is distant. Desperate. But where is it coming from?
The two search around, but there is no one around. No sign of a struggle.
Suddenly, a door flies open from a nearby igloo.
An older snowsqualler comes out; he looks tired. "What is going on out here?!"
"We don't know..." Pholy tells him. "Someone is crying for help."
"Help!"
The plea is getting louder. It sounds like it's coming from all angles.
Unable to find anything, Sirius glances over at the hole in the wall.
"Help!"
There is the source.
Someone is sprinting through the haze, gunning for the hole.
"There," Sirius points.
The person stumbles through the hole and cries for help.
It's a male snowsqualler. He's a warrior from the scouting team, and he looks unwell. Severely unwell.
This is a man about to die.
His hand is humongous and swelled into a deep purple color. It pulses and puffs, like a hulking blob of bleeding skin. It could almost be classified as its own organism.
Higher up on his arm, a rope is tied tightly into a makeshift tourniquet.
"I've been poisoned! Please! Help!"
His voice is visceral and unstable, his face screaming in sheer horror. It's almost hysterical, but so suffocatingly real. This is nothing like the poison seen earlier. This is abhorrent, gruesome. This is beyond what a hoarbane is capable of.
"Holy shit..."
"The rope is stopping it from killing me, but it won't last long!" The man collapses at Sirius's feet. "Please! Help me take it off!"
"What-?" Sirius's heart rate is skyrocketing. Pholy watches in shock, holding her mouth in disgust. "Wh-What do you want me to do?!"
"Cut it off! My arm! Cut my arm off, now!"
The man pins himself to the ground and extends his mutated arm out. It almost looks like a hoarbane's bulbous has attached itself to his hand and wrist. The purple mass of a hand is vomit-inducing.
"You want me to cut your arm off?!"
"Yes! Now!!"
The man's desperation is clear. He's fully serious.
"Is there no one who can help treat this?"
"No! Nobody here even has expert-level detoxification abilities."
Sirius swallows and takes a quick breath. He steels himself.
"Alright."
Sirius reaches into his pocket for the dagger Kynn gave him.
It's not there.
-Shit!
Sirius frantically searches around and spots a long dagger sticking out of the man's coat pocket. Sirius reaches over and takes up the blade.
"You!" The elderly squaller watching from afar shouts. "Be ready to cauterize his wound quickly!"
"R-Right!" Phoy shakes off her disgust and rushes to Sirius's side.
Sirius takes the sharp dagger and lifts it right above the man's forearm.
He tries to concentrate, but this is all happening too fast. He takes a deep breath and calms his heart.
With a final breath, he readies the strike. Sirius winds back the blade and-
"Wait! You need to break the bone first!"
"What..."
"Break the bone! That way it's easier to cut!" The man is clenching his teeth. He's in agony. The poison makes it feel like his hand is melting off.
Sirius lowers the blade and looks around for something to break the man's arm with.
He spots a rock. An equivalent to granite, to be precise.
Sirius quickly grabs the large stone and swaps the dagger for it.
Sirius raises the rock above the man's arm. He can hardly process what's happening.
"Just break it and cut it! Don't think! Just do it!"
-Don't think...
Sirius steels himself. He aims below the tourniquet.
"You ready?"
The man nods, and his face tightens in anticipation.
"On three, alright?"
"..."
"One... TWO!"
CRUNCH
Sirius smashes the rock onto the man's forearm. The bone shatters beneath the skin, splintering into shards.
The man suppresses a scream by biting on his collar, veins bulging on his forehead. It feels like hell.
Without giving the man time to fully feel the pain, Sirius immediately grabs the dagger and, within less than five seconds of breaking the man's arm, slashes down into his flesh.
The sharp blade carves through the twisted skin like chalk. The bones, nerves, and muscles cut cleanly. It's like chopping a carrot. It's almost too easy.
Sirius pulls the blade back toward himself to sever the remaining pieces of bone and muscle. The poisoned appendage separates from the man's body, and blood seeps from his arm, pooling out like a faucet.
The warrior wails a revolting release of pain. He flails his limbs as his throat erupts in a violent scream.
Sirius slams his hands down onto the man's shoulder to keep him still.
"Now!"
Pholy, still somewhat in shock, forces a fountain of fire onto the wound. Her pink flames singe the severed body part in unbearable heat.
The man tries to squirm, but Sirius pins him down. Tears run down the man's cheeks, his teeth grinding together.
Typically when cauterizing a wound in an emergency, metal is heated to high temperatures and then applied to the wound. Pholy could heat the dagger and perform this method, but, due to a blessing she applies every morning as a precaution, there is no need. This blessing allows her safely burn and seal wounds, and enable healing blessings to do the rest. It still hurts like hell, though.
"Hang in there..." Sirius soothes him.
After a couple of excruciating seconds, the wound forms a cauterized nub.
Sirius lets go, and the man immediately plunges his amputated arm into the cold snow. Steam rises, and the man heaves breaths. He lets his tears and pain run dry...
Sirius falls onto his back along with Pholy. They are both silent in shock at what they just did. They catch their breath.
"T-Thank you," the man whimpers. "Thank you, you two... I-I don't think I could've made it back to camp. You saved my life..."
The man painfully peers at his cut-off lower arm. It remains in a puffing, purple state.
"What... happened to you?" Sirius asks. "That's nothing like the poison we've seen."
"We... We found it."
"Found what...?"
"Their den. We found... the hoarbanes' den."
"You found it?!"
"Y-yes... But it turns out the hoarbanes aren't the real issue..."
"What do you mean?"
"In their den..." The man winces, either from the pain or the memory. "We found their Mother."
"Mother...?"
"We found the Mother in a cave east of here. It... It killed half of us in seconds." The man's bloodshot eyes shrink in fear. "It... It slaughtered them so easily..."
"Is it's poison that dangerous?"
"Yeah... If you can even call it poison... The hoarbane's poison is slow to kill, but that thing... It's almost instant."
"..."
"We retreated immediately, but... That thing grazed my hand. I was too scared to cut my own arm off... So, I would've died if not for this rope..." The man sinks in his palm. "I got lost running for my life... I don't know if anyone else survived..."
Blood continues to trickle out of the cauterized nub. It's not the prettiest cauterization in the world, but it's sufficient.
The warrior's head hangs low in defeat and agony.
"That's horrible..." Pholy whispers.
"Hey! You kids! Help bring him over here!"
It's the elderly man. He went and gathered healers from the medical huts.
Sirius drops the dagger and lifts the man out of the snow.
Sirius and Pholy prop the man on their shoulders and help him walk over to the huts. As they sluggishly advance, healers cast blessings on the man's nub. The bleeding stops, and the cauterized wound folds over. A new layer of skin overlays the burnt one.
The man's arm doesn't grow back, but it heals as if he never had an arm to begin with. The pain seems to diminish, too, but his experience has left him scarred.
The old man walks with the mutated hand in his arms, wrapped in an old blanket. He's bringing it along for analysis.
They eventually arrive at the nearest hut and lay the man on a bed. He's exhausted, so they let him rest while adding additional blessings.
...
This situation reminds Sirius of when his own arm was mangled. He needed healers to fix his arm, much like now. That feels so long ago...
The old man agrees to look after the warrior and thanks Sirius and Pholy.
The pair exits the hut and slumps against a wall.
-What the hell... I've never done anything like that before...
"I'm surprised by how well you handled that," Pholy initiates.
"Huh-?" Sirius snaps out of his reflecting. "Oh- I was... just following directions."
"Yeah, but you did that with like zero hesitation. I would not have been able to do that." She shivers just thinking about it. "Gross..."
"His life was in danger. I kind of had to. Besides, I'm great at doing what people tell me to do."
-If Kynn and Korlin just agreed for me to help one of them... I could have done it easily. Instead, they had me decide, and it led to people getting hurt... Letting me decide what to do always ends poorly. I'm much better at following directions.
"Hm... You're weird... Anyway, good work." She pats Sirius on the shoulder. "I'll tell Aureole all about it," she teases.
"Thank you, I guess? You were pretty great yourself. I'll tell-"
"Don't you dare tell Korlin."
Her fuchsia eyes begin to burn.
"Alright, alright..." Sirius giggles. "We should probably go patch up that hole now. Let's go get some more wood."
⧗⧖⧗⧖⧗
Sirius hums a simple tune as he drives another nail into the wall.
"Two more..."
"What are you humming?"
"Hm? Oh, just a song my mom used to sing me when I was little."
"Like a lullaby?"
"Yeah, she'd sing it before I went to sleep. It's catchy, so I end up humming it sometimes."
"Are there lyrics?"
"If you're asking me to sing, I refuse."
"Aw..."
Sirius pounds in the final nail.
"And done..."
"Wow. It looks horrible."
"Yeah... It'll work though... right?"
It's a rough patch job. The logs have differing lengths, so they had to be nailed at different angles to cover the hole completely.
"Hopefully..."
"Sirius! Pholy!"
An out-of-breath boy calls out to the judgmental duo.
It's Kynn.
"This is where you two were..." Kynn drags his feet over. "I heard what happened! You cut off Carpi's arm?!"
-So his name was Carpi...
"Yeah... I-"
"That's awesome!"
"...Is it??"
"I knew I could count on you! Thank you, Sirius. You too, Pholy!"
"Weren't you out searching for the other scout members?" Pholy asks.
"Yeah, we ran into a couple of them. They were sprinting away from something. They were terrified, but said they found the den."
"Yeah, he mentioned that."
"We're all gathering at the king's place now. You two should come."
"Alright, we'll be there."
Kynn nods and smiles. He then looks at the messy wall, and his grin vanishes.
"...What am I looking at?"
"Don't worry about it."
⧗⧖⧗⧖⧗
The king's quarters are tense and full of heavy breathing.
Guards and warriors fill the square room. The other survivors of Carpi's squad are present.
The King is wracked with worry for his warriors. Hearing of their losses breaks his heart. He puts his kindness on full display.
"Thank you... from the bottom of my heart. All of you, your sacrifices will not go unrecognized. I promise you... I will compensate you all when I am able. In any way I can."
"Don't concern yourself with that," a warrior speaks.
The King nods.
"Now then, please, describe what has happened."
Multiple warriors describe in detail what Carpi explained earlier.
The scouting team stumbled across a large number of herbs to the east, which they decided to go and gather. The herbs led them to a mound that turned out to be a cave. Inside the cave was an abundance of hoarbanes.
And, at the den's center, was a massive, plant-like creature with thin stems for arms. Its body was covered in ice, and it had a massive bulbous for a head, just like a hoarbane. It was horrifying, and it instantly spotted the squad of eight.
The plant monster swung its thorny arms and whipped four of the members. An impossible poison spread through their swelling bodies until they died in a matter of seconds. The other four members managed to escape, though Carpi got hit by the beast, and another was struck by a hoarbane in their retreat.
Carpi got lost and accidentally found the mysterious hole in the wall, while the other three ran into Kynn's squad.
No herbs were recovered. Four were killed, and two were poisoned in their return. One by a hoarbane, and one by the plant creature, labeled the Mother. Thankfully, once his arm was severed, the poison did not spread throughout Carpi's body.
The only thing gained from the expedition was intelligence.
"I see... How awful..." The King rubs his eyelids. "Kynn, did your group find anything of use? Is the ember capable of melting their armor?"
"Yes, sir. Pholy's flames are able to melt the ice surrounding the hoarbane's skin."
The room lights up with smiles and hope. The King stands from his seat.
"Do you mean it?! Does that mean we can kill those creatures?!"
"Unfortunately..." Kynn shuts down everyone's hope. "While the ice surrounding their bodies can be dealt with, their actual skin is even harder to penetrate. My sword did nothing to it. Her flames don't have an effect on it either."
The King's elation fades from his face, and he sinks back in his chair. The guards and warriors erupt in anger.
"Damn it!"
"What do we do now?!"
"I can't do this anymore..."
"Are we just supposed to die...?"
Pholy's eyes are glued to the floor.
Sirius looks away from the others in the room. His view falls to the corner of the room, and in the corner, he spots his companion listening in. There's a resolute glint in his eyes.
The boy's right eye seems to have been healed.
-Korlin? Where's he been?
The room is absorbed in conversation and stress. No one notices Korlin listening behind the wall.
"There is no need to panic!" The King roars and instantly silences the entire building.
Korlin steps out of sight.
-...?
"There is no skin that cannot be punctured. Their ice can be melted; we need simply find a device capable of stabbing them." King Bora scans the room. "Kynn, you look as if you have more to say."
"Well, when we were fighting the hoarbanes, we managed to escape after attacking the bulbouses on their heads. When the bulbous explodes, which it easily does, it temporarily stuns and blinds them. While they can regenerate, it gives us a brief grace period."
"Hm, I see... I see! Yes! This is very helpful! You see, everyone? There is light yet in these dark times."
"Even if we know this, what good is it if we can't kill them?" a warrior questions.
"Hm... I understand your concern. But, if we are to capture a hoarbane, we may be able to test what is effective against them."
"That would require more sacrifices, your majesty."
"You're right... But I see no other way currently. I do not wish to keep sending you all on perilous expeditions... So, if we can capture just one, we'll be able to safely figure out how to deal with this problem." He clears his throat. "We must not let those who have fallen go unavenged. We must act so that their families can continue living their lives... And so that you all may follow."
"Yes, sir."
"Mm... I apologize for being such a spineless ruler. We've been at peace for so long... I hardly remember how to handle times such as these."
"Think nothing of it, Your Majesty. Your support is more than enough to drive us."
"I thank you all... I pray we get through this together."
The meeting wraps up, and the warriors leave in higher spirits than when they arrived.
Even in these dark times, their respect for their king stands true. The sense of community in the outpost is heartwarming. Everyone seems to care and trust each other.
Sirius waits for the others to clear out, and, as he waits, the boy Sirius spoke with earlier makes an appearance.
From the room behind the wooden throne, the boy pops out and runs up to the king.
The boy gleefully converses with the king. He leans on the throne as if it were his own.
The king talks to the boy with warmth.
-Are they related?
The boy spots Sirius and gives him a meek wave. Sirius returns with one of the same.
The King, noticing the subtle interaction, turns over to Sirius.
"Sirius, yes?"
"Hm?" Sirius is thrown off guard. "Oh- Yes?" Sirius stiffens and tries to be polite.
"Have you been acquainted with my son?"
-So they are related...
The man excitedly awaits Sirius's response. He really is just a big teddy bear.
"Oh, a little bit..."
The King unfolds a sincere and heartfelt smile. His eyes soften, and his head nods to Sirius.
"I hope you can continue sharing your kindness with him."
"Oh- Um, of course. I will."
"Thank you, Sirius."
Sirius scratches his neck, unsure of how to react.
"Dad... Cut it out," the son whispers.
"Oh! Haha!" The King erupts in laughter. "Did I embarrass you? Apologies."
The son grumbles and scampers away into another room.
"Ha..." Sirius has no idea how to react. "I'm going to get going. Bye, Y-Your Majesty." Sirius awkwardly bows and waves before quickly escaping from the room.
Sirius leaves the quarters before the king can say anything further.
-I'm so awkward...
Pholy is already long gone somewhere. Likely meeting up with Aureole.
Kynn is off with the guards to discuss strategy.
Sirius stumbles out into the snow, unsure of what to do. Images of himself cutting off Carpi's arm replay in his head. It makes him cringe a little.
The gross thought makes him realize he left behind the dagger.
-I should go return it...
Sirius takes himself to the boarded-up hole in the wall. In the bloody snow lies the dagger that separated Carpi's hand and arm. Sirius bends down and inspects it.
-Gross...
Sirius has never been the queasy type. Blood and gore have never been something that freaks him out. But the more the scene plays in his head, the more repugnant it seems.
Sirius heads to the medical hut where Carpi is still recovering. He cleans the dagger on the way inside. He finds Carpi sleeping on a bed. His nub looks great. It makes him look like an old pirate.
Sirius sets the dagger down next to the man's coat and departs.
-I wonder where my dagger went...
As he leaves the hut, many sickly squallers glare in his direction. They all look terrible and death-ready. Sirius avoids looking into any of their eyes.
Leaving the hut makes his body feel much lighter. It makes the air a little more breathable.
Sirius stares up at the sun. Evening is drawing near.
With a little daylight still left to burn...
-I should go find Korlin...
Sirius decides to head toward Kynn's house. Korlin could be sword-training there.
As Sirius walks in pace with the slow falling snow, a voice faintly brushes his ears.
"H-Hey..."
Sirius turns around the find the king's son.
"Oh, hey..."
"Would you mind talking with me? Just for a little bit?"