"Tell me, what is your reason for living?"
Akh-Null's eyes shot open. Well, his one good eye did. The other had been lost a long time ago. He placed his hand over his eyepatch. Underneath it the empty socket throbbed.
He must have fallen asleep at some point. He had been having the same recurring dream about his first meeting with ____ , and the question he has asked him.
He scoffed. What was he living for, he had asked himself that question everyday of his insignificant life. And even in death he was still searching for a reason.
Once he had the Moonglaive he would have his answer. Or maybe he wouldn't, and this would have all been a complete waste of his time.
The moon shined brightly in the quiet night sky, casting a melancholic glow over the town. The streets were empty. All the townspeople were in their homes sleeping, oblivious to the fact that their fates were sealed.
He sighed as he slid down from his spot on the roof of the inn. He decided to take a stroll. He couldn't quite put his finger on it but something about this night that reminded him of his past.
Not in a good way, never in a good way.
×
Null's earliest memories were of he and his sister in that orphanage in a small town in the middle of nowhere. His sister... he could no longer remember her name, or her face. But he would have done anything to protect her, that much he was still sure of.
They weren't blood related. No, Null had been born to some unknown courtesan who had left him for dead in an abandoned building. And he would have died but a passerby who heard his cries had been kind enough to at least drop him off at the local orphanage.
He grew up there, with her. He promised to always look after her, that was his purpose.
But then the plagues came. Within a few weeks countless bodies littered the ground. Soon they were the only two left alive... or at least he thinks they were. His memories were hazy.
They were surrounded by only death. There was nothing more for them there, so he decided they had to leave. Find somewhere, anywhere else to live. Their final days together, he remembered those like they were just yesterday.
"W-where are we going?" She asked, coughing. She was too weak to walk so he had been carrying her on his back. She had started displaying the same symptoms as the others. But it was not that bad yet. He still had time to get her help, once they reached a big city.
He couldn't tell how long he had been walking at that point. He just knew he couldn't stop.
"Go back to sleep," he replied, trying to soothe her. "We'll be there soon... and- and then we'll get you some help."
He was pretty much out of breath, but he had to look strong so she wouldn't worry. He would take care of her. He had promised.
The scorching sand seared at the soles of his bare feet. His tattered sandals had long since torn off leaving his feet subject to the elements. He could barely feel them anymore though, so it didn't matter much.
Nothing mattered, except reaching the city. A city, any city... which city?
He came to a stop. He really had no idea where they were going. There was only sand as far as the eye could see. They were going to die out here, alone and forgotten. The heat would kill them if the disease didn't first.
He shut his eyes tightly, trying to block out the negative thoughts. He couldn't give up hope yet, it wasn't over while they were still breathing.
"Remember... what I told you?" He started to speak to her, trying to keep his mind focused on something so he wouldn't crumble and blow away like the sand. "After you get better, we're going to see the sea. You still want to, right?"
The girl gave him a weak nod, her cheek rubbing against his back. She had only ever heard of the sea, or read about it in books. She wanted to know if it was really as salty as they said.
Null smiled at her, they would go see the sea together. They would... they would...
It was becoming harder and harder to keep a train of thought. He felt his legs wobble and shake violently beneath him. After a few more miles he couldn't take a step further.
His knees gave out and they tumbled onto the sand. Rolling down until they came to a stop at the bottom of a dune.
He rolled over, searching for her. There was sand in his eyes but he could make out a small figure lying a few feet away from him. He crawled forward on his belly and nudged her.
She let out a small moan as he took her hand in his. "A-are we there yet?"
There was nothing funny about the question, or even the way she asked it. But all of a sudden he found himself laughing. Laughing so loudly his ribs began to hurt. He was afraid that if he stopped laughing he would begin to cry. And the tears would never stop.
"Yes, yes we're there." He answered, pulling her closer. Her little hands gripped at his torn shirt. "We made it. I promised we would, didn't I?"
"The sea is a lot less... wet than I imagined." She wondered out loud. Her eyes had long since swollen shut. She couldn't see where they actually were.
Null nodded, biting back tears. "Yes, yes it is."
She nestled closer to him, burying her face in his chest. "Thank you. For keeping your promise."
He smiled. If they were fated to die, at least they would do it together.
He shut his eyes as the sea of sand engulfed them.
×
Null's eye's cracked open slightly. Bright sunlight hitting his tired eyes. He could hear voices above him talking. Men.
"What are you doing?" One asked.
"This one's still alive." Another replied, getting closer to him.
A third voice scoffed in disbelief. "How did a child manage to survive one of these sandstorms completely unprotected? Not to mention the plagues."
Null felt a strong grip pull him up. He tried opening his eyes wider and found himself face to face with an adult man. From the looks of him they seemed to be traders.
The man grinned, appraising him. "You're quite a hardy one, aren't ya boy? Might sell for a silver or two."
He was still too weak to move a muscle. The man flung him over his camel's back before getting on himself.
"W-wait," Null protested weakly. "My sister, where is she?"
The man seemed confused for a second before realizing who he was referring to. "You mean that diseased little girl? Sorry, she's been dead for a while now."
Null shook his head as the camel began to move forward. "No...no, where are you taking me? I can't just leave her here. I promised! I promised! I-..."
His hoarse shouts of protest soon turned into sobs. The man ignored him and kept riding onward.
They sold him once they reached a city. To a wealthy noble woman and her husband.
But he was already far too broken to be of any use to them. No matter how many times they had him beaten. Even taking out his eye didn't change anything.
So for the next few months he just sat in a corner of their servants' quarters, looking completely dejected. Until they got tired of him and planned to pawn him off on someone else.
That was when he met him. A downtrodden and enigmatic man with the palest skin. He looked almost devoid of color, except for his eyes. A piercing blood red. He wasn't from around there, you could tell just by looking at him.
"That look in your eyes," ____ said to him. "Complete emptiness. I know it well."
Null stared at him blankly, wondering if he was here to buy him.
The man knelt down to his eye level. "Tell me child, do you want to die?"
The odd question caught Null off guard. The man looked completely serious, like he would actually kill him if he said yes.
He didn't answer but the look in his eyes told the man all he needed to know. The man chuckled. "It's a funny thing isn't it? Not wanting to live but being too afraid to die. Which leads me to my next question;
What is your reason for living?"
His reason had died a long time ago, with him along with her.
____ smiled, standing back up. He hadn't expected an answer. He stretched an open hand towards him. "I could free you from here. Give you the power to find your own 'end'. Would you like that?"
Null stared at the outstretched hand for a few seconds. The power to decide when and how he wanted to die. It sounded better than the way he was currently living.
He took the man's hand and was lifted onto his feet. All of a sudden all the pain he had been feeling, the aching feeling in his chest faded to nothing. Replaced with a gnawing void consuming all he was. All he had been.
The thought that he may have just made a mistake flashed through his mind. But it didn't matter now.
Nothing mattered.
×
Null strolled through the empty streets, past all the people sleeping peacefully in their homes.
He wondered how they would feel once they found out their unremarkable lives were coming to an end, just like that. Almost without any reason or cause. None known to them, anyway.
He wanted to know. He would know, in a few more hours.
His 'end' was close at hand, there was no stopping it now.