"Two weeks, no more! I promise."

"It's ok Mei, I really do not mind."

"I promise you! Just two weeks."

"I don’t mind you staying here longer."

I've had this exact conversation with Meijen at least three times. They've been here with Mia for two months now and it has been great. I don’t know how they do it, but the halls of the house seem full of light, the dampness is gone and they must have been cleaning everywhere, since all the dust is gone too.

I took his pleading hands into mine.

"Mei, its ok. I like having you here."

His panic has left him somewhat. He started thanking me, tried to bow and kiss my boots, but I jerked away.

"Thanks Thren." Mia was leaning on the wall. She left the begging for Meijen, or more even, she knew it was absolutely not needed.

"No problem. It's not even like you just squat here not doing anything. It looks better here than it ever did. Plus, we are friends aren't we? I wouldn't just push you out now, would I?" Especially since I felt sane in a way I haven't felt for a long time.

Meijen finally calmed himself and thanked me. I never understood why he acts so on edge everytime he asks, he doesn’t even need to ask.

I haven't seen mother for a long time either. I mean, I haven't seen her ghost. Maybe I really was getting sane. Its miraculous what actual human company can do for you.

Over the time they were here, I guided them throughout the expensive library. The artists were incredibly interested in the books I showed them, especially when it came to the old tomes I couldn't decipher. Meijen even told me one of them probably was something of a bestiary. That’s not really precise, but it was a catalogue of angels. Types of them, what they really are, etc. He couldn't read it, but he did recognize the pictures.

Life was good. Simple. Nice.

But then, Meijen came running to the house. Bloodied from head to toe.

"THREN!" he shouted.

I threw the book I was holding somewhere and ran down to Meijen, almost knocking myself unconscious, as I almost opened my head with a wooden beam on the way out.

"What-whats going ?" I said, pressing a random white cloth on my forehead.

"They have her'"

"Who?"

"The fuckers have Mia!" Meijen ran away, motioning me to go with him. I started running, I didn't know where but Meijen did. Though he was covered in blood, it didn't seem to be his own, I didn't spot a single wound on the man.

"What happened?" I asked inbetween breaths.

"We were performing, then this group of men came. Said we owe them money. Not just us, everyone, they started cutting the others, took the women. I ran just in time to survive. But when I looked behind me." Meijen had a pained expression on his face. "They took Mia."

"And you let them go just like that?"

"What the fuck was I supposed to do! I buckle under stress! All I could think about doing is getting you to help!" he shouted at me.

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I sped up, I didn’t care that I would lose Meijen, I was just hoping that Mia was alright.

I got to the tavern and immediately felt the scent of blood and innards hit my nose. The door was open, there was noone inside.

I frantically looked around, but all I could see were the slashed remains of the other townsfolk.

I ran back out, I found some tracks left by hooves, fresh ones. I didn’t wager myself or my stamina good enough to catch up to a horse, but that wasn’t a reason to at least try.

I hadn't run long when I saw fire in the distance, somewhere close to a forest. Slowing down, I steadily got my breath under control. Had to be prepared for what I thought was about to happen.

I slowly paced around the bushes, I saw glimpses of men in armor, heavy armor, not the sort I expected. There were around a dozen there. Cleaning their bloodied weapons. They had a few horses tied down.

I had to think, even if I somehow got Mia, if we somehow got away, they would still catch us. I had to get rid of the horses. There was a guard there. Staying too close of me to just simply untie them. If I had a dagger, I might have cut it fast enough, but I didn’t bring it with me. For name's sake.

I thought about just throwing a rock somewhere, but that seemed too cliché even in books, I don’t see a reason why he would just walk there.

Time was running out and for the lack of a better idea I just decided to go for the rock.

I didn't throw anything, Instead I skulked around the guard, getting behind him. I thanked my lucky stars that he didn’t wear a helmet and I bashed the stone against his temple. The man fell down with a thud. I waited in the shadows for a little while, but it seemed like nobody noticed. I cut the horses with the blade the man had on him, then scared them off so they would run out.

I came back to the main campsite. There were small tents around, encircling the lit fireplaces. There were racks of weapons, spears, axes, swords. They seemed well crafted and expansive. Not the kind random bandits would poses. But time for theories would come later, maybe.

I decided to go straight to the biggest tent. The only one that could house a few captives. As I got closer, I could hear some voices inside.

"…for me." Mia's voice said, tone defiant.

"The more of you, the better. There is no better joy that making that foul mouth speak. So many dead."

"I won't tell you anything you priest-cock sucker!"

I heard a slap and a thud of a body falling to the ground.

"Talk you ill-words as much as you want, my order knows all it needs now. We aren't looking for information" Even though I didn’t see the man's face, I could hear the smirk in his words.

"I don’t need you to speak of any information, I need you to speak of the pain we will inflict."

I couldn’t take it. I didn't have anybody for two months and that seemed more than enough. Now I got friends, I couldn't let them take them away.

I prepared the axe and ran inside. The man turned to me in shock.

He was around middle age. He didn’t have any hair, had a mustache and a scar across his left eye. He wore heavy armor, like the men outside, but his was laden with gold sigils and marking. He had a red cape and seemed to stand with a regal grin.

I parted that grin with my axe.

I got lost again, smashing and smashing, long after the legs and arms stopped moving. It was fast, fast enough for him not to make a sound while bleeding out on the floor.

After I was done I dropped the axe. Mia looked at me, looked at the man. She dipped fingers into his blood and wrote an X over his chest plate. Then she took my hand and ran out with me.

We started running. I didn’t know the direction. I just felt Mia's hand on mine and heard the shouts behind us. It didn’t take them long to find out. The sounds weren't fading away, they were running after us.

We ran through the forest, some branches cut my clothes, my face. Mia was running before me, she was pulling me.

We ran so fast we almost fell right into the ravine, it was deep.

We could do nothing but to watch the forest hoping that maybe they won't find us. That’s when I decided. I told Mia to stay put, and I ran. When I was a little further from her, I started shouting. The bandits heard me, they followed me, which meant my plan had worked. Mia was safe.

Before I could even try to put up a last fight. I felt an arrow enter my chest. One of the bandits must have been behind me. I didn’t look. I felt the hot liquid leaving my body. My heart in panic, pumped more on more. Spilling my life onto the ground beneath me. It punctured a lung, I couldn’t breathe. Blood was coming out of my mouth. World was spinning, fading.

I saw her. Mother was dancing happily in the deep ravine. She was looking at me. She was nudging me to go to her.

I didn’t need to think, didn’t need to have any strength to go where I wanted. I rolled to my left and started falling.

I'm coming mother