"What a liar you are."
That was the first thing I heard when I opened my eyes, and Oswin's body came into view. He sat down beside me, legs folded and head held low.
"Oswin?"
"You said you'd hold up." He clenched his fists around his knees. "It's been two days, I thought you were going to die."
"Oswin." I blinked myself awake completely, trying to sit up. "Where are we?"
"A medical centre in Rustwood. And you passed out from blood loss." He looked up at me, eyes moist under the dim light from the small lantern in the room. It was probably evening or almost midnight, I couldn't tell just yet.
I moved the blanket I was kept warm wrapped in, and stared at the dressing around my wound neatly.
"Did you go?" I asked quietly.
"I did."
"What happened?"
"Nothing we hadn't expected." Oswin told me. "I won't stop you if you want to go now."
I hissed in pain, as I tried to move my body. Everything hurt, from my head to my toes. And my thighs had hit a different level of numbness.
"I can't feel the stabbed area." I said.
"It's the herbs, acting as painkillers."
"Is that so?"
"Yes."
He helped me up onto my feet, and I limped my way until I was sure I could walk on my own. It did hurt, but it was tolerable.
A gush of strong wind blew past us as we walked on the street. It actually was midnight, and he strolled behind me, hands in his pockets and in a trance.
These streets, I could walk on them with my eyes blind.
And so we reached a point where we couldn't continue further anymore.
The buildings were down into dust, the houses looked like they were rampaged on. No one in sight, just us looking at our neighborhood in silence.
"Quinn-"
I took off, running forward, my face changing colours of expressions and eyes widened like the full moon that night hidden behind the heavy dark clouds.
The season's first rain drop hit my face first, and they kept aiming well to an extent I couldn't make out the difference between my own tears and the rain.
"No!"
"Quinn, wait!" Oswin was running, fast on his heels, trying to catch up to me.
I ignored every pain that shot through me that night, as I ran towards my house. My house, hoping to see Aenor.
"Aenor!" I wailed, expecting a reply. "Aenor!"
Oswin didn't call out to me, just stopped on his tracks and watched me.
"Aenor!" I breathed heavily, drenched in the rain.
"She's not here." He told me, walking. "Vadon got to her."
My body trembled, knees touching the wet road. The sound of my sobs gladly mixed with that of the heavy drops of water.
"Father?" I choked. "Where.. where is-"
"Gone."
"Gone? Where?"
"I'm sorry." Oswin spoke, walking towards me and sitting down next to me. "This destruction that Vadon caused, it took many lives. It took my dad, and yours too."
I looked up at him, and I could make out the blood shot eyes even in the darkest of hours. "Your father?"
"Yes." He said, chuckling bitterly. "It's funny, isn't it? My dad had nothing to do with this, yet he had to go."
Father had told me she'd be safe with him. That, he would keep her safe. In the afterlife, if I meet you, father, I won't ever trust you again.
But, he was still a father to me.
I had spent my childhood waiting for him every weekend, he'd either show up, or he wouldn't. I couldn't tell, but I'd still wait.
Because he was still my father.
I wiped my silent tears, even though I didn't have to when they'd just mix with the rain.
That night, two boys in their youth, grieved over their losses.
"And, what happened to God?"
"God?"
"You told me," I looked up, as if there was someone looking back at me from the heavens. "Sinners will face their death by the hands of God. Isn't God passing the wrong judgements?"
I scoffed.
"Quinn, let's go back."
"Where?"
"To Oldwest." Oswin heaved out a sigh. "Let's fight this war, I will join you."
"You want to?"
"I want to."
"Why?"
His hair was sticking to his forehead in the rain, and he moved it back to its place. "There is no real answer. I want to."
"At what cost? They're all dead."
I felt his instense stare.
And I won't forget the way Oswin and I had nothing more to say than come to a conclusion together that, even if it cost our lives, we were going to kill him.
"Kill him." I took a sharp breath. "Kill everyone involved. Kill his entire clan."
Oswin shook his head. "No. Only him. You're angry, I know you are. I was too, two days ago, yesterday, a second ago. But think about it, we don't want more blood on our hands, Quinn." He put his hand on my shoulder, shaking it rigidly. "No one wants to lose more people."
I pushed his hand away. "I don't have anymore to lose."
"You have me."
The world was spiraling in front of my eyes. But I couldn't care less.
Pain hit me the second I pulled Oswin into a hug, and I couldn't tell where it hurt the most, inside or was it the throbbing pain in my thigh? But I knew If I had to lose someone, I'd rather lose me than anyone else again.
"Okay." I told Oswin. "But, I can't feel my body."
"What?"
"Help me."
"Quinn, stay." He pulled away from me, holding my face up. "Don't close your eyes."
It was tiring.
I didn't wanna fight the urge anymore.
I shut my eyes close, and I didn't know what went down after that. But atleast, I wasn't afraid anymore.