Ghak froze when she heard the man's faint plea. She took a steadying breath and tugged on Thorkan's hand, urging him forward as if she hadn't heard a thing.
But before they could take more than a few steps, she felt a small tug on her already torn and grimy shirt. "Wait, sis," Thorkan whispered urgently. His large, innocent eyes looked up at her, wide with concern. "He's still alive. We should help him."
Ghak stopped and turned to him, crouching to his level. Her voice was soft but firm. "Thorkan," she said, brushing a strand of his messy hair out of his face, "you're a good boy, and I love that about you. But we can't. We barely have enough water for ourselves. And remember what Mom always said? We have to rely on each other. We don't know him. We don't know what he might do. It's safer for us to keep moving."
She stood up again and started forward, trying to push away the pang of guilt that stabbed at her. But then she heard Thorkan's small voice behind her. "We can't just leave him like that, sis. He'll die."
Her steps faltered. She stopped and took a long, shaky breath before turning back to him. She saw the determination in his face, his tiny hands clutching that battered plush bear, and she felt her resolve waver. "Thorkan," she started, her voice barely above a whisper. "Sometimes... we have to make hard choices—"
"Please," he interrupted, his voice cracking slightly. "We have to help him, sis. Mom would've helped him."
Ghak's hands trembled as she knelt down again, this time unable to look her brother in the eye. Her lips quivered, and she finally nodded. "Okay," she said softly. "But we have to be careful. Promise me, Thorkan. Do exactly as I say."
He nodded eagerly, his expression lighting up as if she'd just promised him the world. "Yes, sis! I promise!" he said, giving her a clumsy salute with his free hand.
Ghak couldn't help but smile at his innocence, even in such a bleak situation. She patted his head and stood up, her hand gripping the rusty knife she carried. She kept Thorkan behind her as they approached the man cautiously, her eyes darting around for any sign of danger. The man was still lying there, his body thin and frail, his breaths shallow.
When they were a few steps away, she stopped and whispered to Thorkan, "Stay here. I'll give him some water. Don't move, okay?"
Thorkan nodded seriously, clutching his bear to his chest. Ghak moved forward slowly, every step deliberate. She reached into her small satchel and pulled out their precious water flask. Her hands trembled slightly as she crouched beside the man.
"We have some water," she said louder this time, her voice cautious and wary. "But just a little. Don't try anything."
The man's eyes fluttered open slightly, but they were unfocused. Ghak poured a small amount of water into her hand and let it drip onto his cracked lips. He swallowed weakly, and she repeated the process until his breathing grew a little steadier. Then she stood up quickly and backed away to where Thorkan was waiting.
"Thank you," the man rasped weakly, his voice barely audible.
Ghak watched him cautiously, but her tension eased slightly when he didn't move. She turned her attention back to Thorkan, who was beaming with pride. "See, sis?" he whispered. "We did the right thing."
Before Ghak could respond, a loud explosion boomed in the distance, shaking the ground beneath them. Both she and Thorkan snapped their heads toward the source of the noise. Smoke and fire billowed in the distance, and the faint sound of shouting reached their ears. Ghak's heart pounded as she grabbed Thorkan's hand. "We need to move," she said urgently. "It's not safe here."
Unbeknownst to them, the man's vision was slowly clearing. His blurred sight became sharper, and the shape of the two figures standing before him came into focus. Green skin. His heart lurched with fear. 'Orcs.'
He panicked. His mind was clouded with desperation and trauma from all the time of fighting with the orcs. He rolled onto his side, fumbling weakly with the dagger strapped to his belt. His fingers shook as he freed it, his thoughts racing. 'They'll kill me. I have to act first.'
As Ghak and Thorkan turned away, distracted by the distant explosion, the man threw the dagger with the last of his strength. It spun through the air with a faint whistle before embedding itself with a sickening thud into Thorkan's small back.
Thorkan gasped, his eyes wide with shock. His small hands reached for Ghak's shirt, tugging weakly. "Sis," he whispered, his voice trembling. "I... I don't feel well..." His knees buckled, and he crumpled to the ground.
Ghak froze, her blood running cold as she turned to see him lying there. His tiny body lay motionless, his small face turned toward the ground, and his fingers clutched the little plush bear as if it were his lifeline. Ghak stared, her mind struggling to process the horrific reality before her. Her lips quivered, and tears streamed freely down her dirt-streaked face.
Her trembling turned into shaking as the full weight of her grief crushed her. She knelt down beside him, her voice cracking as she whispered, "Thorkan... come on... wake up." She brushed a hand over his messy hair. "Please... I'll do anything. Just open your eyes. Please, Thorkan... don't leave me alone."
The man, still weak and unsteady, took a step closer, his vision fully clearing. When he saw Thorkan's lifeless form crumpled on the ground, his eyes widened in horror. The sight of the little plush bear clutched in the child's hand made his stomach churn. He dropped the weapon.
"Oh, God," he muttered, his voice thick with disbelief. "What have I done? It was a child... They saved me..."
He stumbled forward, his hands outstretched as if to offer comfort. "I—I didn't mean to—"
Before he could finish, Ghak turned to him, her grief twisting into pure rage. Her teeth clenched, her tear-filled eyes blazing with fury. Without hesitation, she lunged forward and drove her small blade into his stomach. The man gasped, staggering back a few steps as blood seeped from the wound.
"Wait," he croaked, his voice pained. "I didn't mean to hurt—"
But Ghak didn't let him finish. A guttural roar erupted from her throat as she swung her fist and struck him hard across the face. The man stumbled back, falling onto his back with a thud. His head hit the stone ground, dazing him. Ghak didn't stop. She climbed on top of him, gripping her blade with both hands.
"You killed him!" she screamed, her voice breaking. "You killed Thorkan!"
She brought the blade down again, stabbing him in the chest. The man tried to raise a hand in a weak attempt to defend himself, but she swatted it aside with her free hand. Her punches rained down on him, each blow fueled by her overwhelming grief and rage.
"Thorkan trusted you!" she cried, her voice hoarse from yelling. "He innocently wanted to help you!"
She plunged the blade into him again and again, her screams echoing in the ruins. Blood pooled beneath his body, his chest heaving one last time before falling still. Ghak finally stopped, her breaths coming in shallow, shaky bursts. Her hands and face were smeared with blood, but she didn't care. She stumbled back, her legs barely holding her up as she turned to Thorkan.
She collapsed beside him, pulling his lifeless body into her arms. Her sobs were quiet now, a deep, hollow ache consuming her. She held him close, rocking back and forth as if that would somehow bring him back. "I'm sorry, Thorkan," she whispered. "I'm so sorry... I couldn't protect you... I'm so sorry..."
Time passed in a blur. The sun began to set, casting long shadows over the ruined town. Ghak's tears had long since dried, her face a mask of numb exhaustion. She sat there, cradling Thorkan in her lap, stroking his hair softly. Her mind was blank, the world around her reduced to silence.
The sound of voices shattered the stillness. "He should be somewhere near here," a man's voice said. "I hope he's still alive."
Ghak's ears perked up, and her eyes darted toward the source of the sound. Her body tensed instinctively, her hand gripping her bloodied blade.
A group of three humans appeared, stepping cautiously through the rubble. One of them stopped, squinting as he spotted Ghak in the fading light. "Over there," he whispered. "There's an orc."
The others stiffened, their hands hovering near their weapons. One of them knelt slightly, motioning for the others to stay quiet. "Careful," he murmured. "Could be dangerous."
As they crept closer, they noticed the small figure in Ghak's lap. The kneeling man tilted his head, his expression softening. "Wait... It's just a child," he said quietly. "Poor thing. She must've lost her brother."
The man stood and took a step closer. His voice was gentle. "Hey there," he said, holding his hands up to show he meant no harm. "We're not here to hurt you. Are you okay?"
Ghak's gaze snapped to him, her eyes wide and filled with cold fury. Her grip on her blade tightened.
Another man, standing behind the first, squinted at the scene. His eyes widened when he recognized the bloodied corpse lying nearby. "Hey!" he exclaimed. "Isn't that Foco?"
The first man glanced back at him, but before he could react, Ghak moved. She slashed the man's throat in one fluid motion. Blood sprayed from the wound as his eyes widened in shock. He collapsed to the ground, clutching at his neck as he gurgled his last breaths.