Hutch stared in silent wonder, as his senses slowly returned to him. Her warmth radiated through her hands, permeating his arm, and he could feel the softness of her skin beneath the tip of his thumb, as he delicately ran it over the apple of her cheek, praying to every god he knew that this was no illusion.
"Are you real?" His whisper was as faint as the wind, and the tears that had clung so valiantly to the corners of his eyes, began to let go.
She smiled, and with a tender touch, wiped the tears from his cheek. "Of course, I am. I broke whatever spell he tried to put on you. I managed to reach you, just in time. You hear that, Salvador? You failed!" she shouted, looking past Hutch's shoulder.
"Salvador," he muttered, turning with Kahlala as she stepped around him, to see Casimir on his knees, his arm wrapped around his side, fall forward against the blood coated floor. "Cas!" Hutch hollered rushing to his side. "Shit! Shit! Shit!" He was panicking as he took in the sight of blood leaking out from Casimir's side. "Lala, your cloak! Hurry! Give it here!"
"Hurry?" she questioned, looking down at him in confusion. "You… why are you…"
"I'll explain in a minute. Now, please, your cloak!" he shouted, as he carefully rolled Casimir onto his back.
"Fuck," Casimir groaned, "this hurts worse than I remember."
"Yeah. I imagine it does. Just hang on though, okay? I'm going to figure this out," Hutch said, as he dropped the amulet at Casimir's side and began to unfasten the buckles that held the two parts of his breastplate together.
"Damn," Casimir huffed and groaned as Hutch shifted and pulled away the front plate, revealing the open wound in the side of his gut, surrounded by the remains of a blood drenched under armor and tunic, which Hutch promptly tore open further. "You got me good. Right up under the edge of the plate."
"Stop talking. Conserve your strength," Hutch stated as he looked up at Kahlala, who was watching him in a near daze, her hand clutched tight around her cloak. "Lala, please," Hutch begged, holding his hand out to her. "I have to try…"
"To what?" she interrupted, throwing her cloak into his hand. "To save him? You would stain my cloak in his blood, after all he has done?" She snickered. "Let him die. It may not be the justice we wanted, but it is justice all the same."
"Nice to see you again too," Casimir remarked, as Hutch rolled up, Kahala's cloak. "She's more beautiful than I remember, even though she's angry."
Kahlala scoffed and turned away, as if disgusted by the notion that Casimir had a fond opinion of her.
"I couldn't agree more," Hutch replied, and Casimir moaned through clenched teeth as he pressed the waded-up cloak down against his side. "Oh, yeah, deep breaths, Cas. Deep breaths, old friend. The worst of the pain will pass in a moment, and when it does, I need you to tell me where the closest of your banners would be."
"Ha, you expect me to remember that after all this time?" Casimir strained out his reply, as he continued to struggle breathing, laboring rapid shallow huffs through his stiffened jaw.
"Right. No. I suppose you wouldn't. Lala, come over here, please," Hutch requested, motioning for her to step closer. "Please, I am begging you to trust me."
She was hesitant at first, but as he looked up into her eyes, she relented and when she was close enough, Hutch reached up and grabbed her hand. Pulling her down to her knees, he pressed her hand against the cloak.
"I need you to hold this for me. Keep the pressure on it, while I go and look for one of his banners."
Pulling back her hand she held it to her chest. "No. I will not do this. Not even for you. He is a monster, Xalgon! Have you forgotten all we have done to get here? The compromises we have made to end his reign? He is better dead! Let him die."
"I can't!"
"Hutch," Casimir raised his voice as much as he could to grab his attention. "Hutch, it's okay." Lifting his hand, he pressed it onto the cloak. "Even if you found a banner, there's not much they could do. Potions can't fix organs. I knew I was dead, the moment you pulled out your sword."
"That's…" Hutch shook his head, "that's why you broke it, isn't it?!"
"It was better than letting my death, hang on your conscience. I know this wasn't what either of you had planned."
"But if you die here…"
"I don't know what will happen. Neither do you. But it's okay. I always knew this was a possibility. So, don't worry. Just be happy… with… her," he whispered as his eyes closed and breathing slowed.
"No, no, no. Cas, come on. Stay with me," he begged as he looked at the cloak, which had nearly soaked through.
"Hutch, you fucking idiot!" Someone shouted as they stumbled out from behind the throne. He was taller, and in excellent physical shape, but Hutch recognized the sound of Julian's voice, instantly.
"Halt! Stop where you are!" Kahlala proclaimed, standing to her feet as she unsheathed her sword.
Julian, who was unsteady on his feet, was clinging to the side of the throne, and rubbing harshly at his eyes. As he finally managed to open one, he pulled his hand back from his face and stared at it for several moments. "What the hell!?" he shouted as if his situation suddenly struck him. Glancing around, he then looked down at himself and hurriedly squatted, hiding himself behind his knees. "Why am I naked! What the hell is going on here?!"
"Jay, hold tight. Kahlala, put your sword away. I promise, he's not a threat," Hutch stated and continued to speak as she sheathed her sword. "Tear down one of those tapestries and pass it to the guy near the throne. His names Jay, and he has nothing to do with any of this. I swear."
"Fine, but I want an explanation," she barked, as she ran to the side of the room and tore down one of the heraldic tapestries, quickly taking it over to Julian by the throne.
"Thanks," he remarked as he took the tapestry and hurriedly wrapped it around his waist, tossing the length over his shoulder, like a toga as he made his way towards Hutch.
"Now, what the hell is going on Hutch, and where's… dad? Dad!" he shouted as he dropped down beside Casimir. "What the hell happened?"
"I'd like to know the answer to that too," Kahlala chimed in, approaching them as sounds of others began to echo from the hallway outside of the throne room.
"It's a long story, but he's going to die if I don't find Val'Bragah and a potion. I need you to hold this and don't let go," Hutch demanded as he grabbed Julian's hand and pressed it down over Casimir's to keep the cloak in place.
"Don't leave," Casimir groaned to the added pressure, causing Hutch to stay at his side.
"Dad, hey, it's me. I need you to open your eyes," Julian said, as he reached up and pressed his other hand to the side of his neck. "Shit, this really is bad."
"It is," Casimir replied as he forced his eyes open, a faint smile drifting across his lips as they fell upon Julian. "Look at you," he managed to whisper. "It worked. You're all grown up."
"Yeah, I'm a damned giant. Tell me how to help you."
"You can't. It's too late. Stay with Hutch, he will help you find a way home."
"It's not too late. Just hold on," Hutch stated, only for Kahlala to set her hand on his shoulder, stopping him from getting up.
"It is. That is the sound of our men coming to fetch him. I do not understand what has happened here, but if he is someone to you, say your farewell. There is no one who can help him now," Kahlala explained.
Looking up at her over his shoulder, Hutch understood her callous sentiment towards Casimir. He even understood her desire to see him die, even though that had not been the outcome they had been hoping for when they set out to storm the city. Even so, he couldn't stop himself from trying to save him, regardless of how dire the situation looked. Turning back to the door, the noises were still faint. Whoever was on their way, was taking their time getting there. When he leaned forward, pressing his hand to the floor so he could get his feet beneath him, he managed to bump the amulet, with his fingers and his heart sank in his chest. Staring down at that cursed thing, he knew what he had to do. He couldn't let Casimir die in that place. He couldn't force Julian to watch it happen or demand he stay on Illimev, simply because it was what he wanted. He couldn't rob a family of a father and son or a wife of her husband, nor the world of a good, kind, and caring man, that he knew Casimir to be.
"Don't say anything. I am going to help him," Hutch stated to Julian, as he scooped up the amulet, and clambered to his feet.
Grabbing Kahlala, he pulled her several feet away before wrapping his arms around her and hugging her with every ounce of his strength.
"I'm sorry," he began, "I'm so sorry."
"I do not understand. What is happening," she replied, as he pressed his hand to her cheek and his brow against hers.
"It's okay. It's going to be okay. I promise. I promise, I found my way back to you, and I'll do it again. As many times as it takes to fix this. But right now, I have to do the right thing. I have to save Cas's life."
"You aren't making any sense!" she replied, pulling back from him. "You don't owe him anything."
"Shh, shh, shh," he hushed her, pulling her back, returning his forehead to hers. "I know. I know it's not making sense, but I swear to you, everything about what we thought about what happened to our tribe was a lie. Casimir wasn't responsible."
"No. No, no, no," she replied, rolling her brow against his. "No. You're confused. He did something to you. He is responsible. We know this. Ensaso showed us the order. He signed it. We saw this."
"It wasn't him. It wasn't him, Lala. I swear to you. I swear on my life; on our life, it wasn't him. It was his decoy."
"I hate to interrupt, but are you going for help or not?" Julian shouted at them.
"Just hang on!" Hutch shouted back. "Listen to me, Kahala. I love you. More than anything else in this life, I love you. No matter what, I will never stop trying to get back to you."
"Stop it! What are you saying?" she questioned as she looked into his eyes.
"I'm saying, forgive me." Leaning in, he prevented her from responding, by pressing his lips against hers. He pulled her closer and kissed her with everything he had, leaving her breathless when he stepped back from her. Looking down at the amulet in his hand, he looked back into her eyes, and smiled through his turmoil, sadness, and tears. "You know, the difference between monsters and kings is the perspective of those around you. He isn't a monster, and I don't want to be a monster anymore too. I'll be back before you even realize I'm gone. I promise."
"Hutch?"
He heard her call out as he turned his back to her.
"What are you talking about? Hutch? Answer me!"
Dropping to his knees at Casimir's side, he looked up at Kahlala and grinned.
"I'm doing the right thing now, so I can love you with everything I am, the next time I see you."
Lifting the amulet, over his head, Hutch brought it down, shattering the glass, against the floor.