#aryvis

The unthinkable has happened. When you read of tales of heroes and their quests, they fall (if ever) in glory, meaningful sacrifices that lead to victory. Oh how foolish I was to think we would be one of the fortunate, to never taste the sting of death. And how much more foolish was I to trust such stories, to think it may have been something nobel, something heroic.

To see the life, torn out of her eyes, to hear such a heart wrenching scream… I doubt I will ever forget it. We’ve been out here long enough, we’ve seen death. I have killed before, not just monsters, but people. When someone has wronged you the weight of their lifeblood on your sword is perhaps not as heavy as it ought to be. However, seeing Aryvis running towards us, so close to escape, only to be struck from the back, well, that’s much different. The fear in her eyes, the brief hope of escape, followed closely by unfathomable pain.

Why must this world take every good thing from me? First, what little stability and homely comfort I could find in the uncaring depths, and now my dearest friend, a kind soul who thought nothing of saving me from the merciless sun. Out of all of us, Why? Why did it have to be Aryvis? I am eternally thankful to her for saving Deka’s life, to be sure, but what sort of life is it, to wish the life of one soul above another? Of friends, even?! What sort of monster am I, to wish that fate on any other. If the things spell had targeted me, I suppose I wouldn’t have to question who amung us deserved the bell’s toll.

Had I not raised the alarm, would the hut have protected us? If I had thought to act faster, to destroy the things light, would I have freed everyone from its thrawl? That vile abomination, it towered over us, thin and pale like a half-rotted corpse, a blight on even the likes of Huldera. I have no doubt that such pure evil could only have come from a place tainted by Atropis. To know we were on the right track is little comfort now.

I loathe the thought of returning to that cursed place. Seeing it awash in the light of day will do nothing to remove the memories of the night. We cannot defeat that monster, which shrugged off the flames so easily. But if nothing else, we can destroy its very life force, remove the thing which spawned it here. If this is indeed the power of Atropis, then we would be right to eradicate it, to spare this world from such corruption. Oh, but for what?

They told me the surface would be kinder. What lies! The reaches of death do not know bounds, they are unfettered across every realm! And why should I face them in the hope of sparing a world who has shown no such kindness to me?! Would destroying each and every last shard do anything to halt the evil that roams across this world? If there is indeed kindness here I have yet to see it myself.

Although… I suppose that isn’t entirely fair. The priestess of Llewua acted selflessly, putting Aryvis to a proper rest far more quickly than I could have. She saved Deka and Kayra when I was too blinded to act. Hyleido ran out of his way to carry Aryvis with him, a feat I would have been powerless to do myself. Sirris showed the presence of mind to bring us to someone who could help. But do the good acts of the few really outweigh the cruelty that necessitates them?