I wake in Meredith's tent. She's cuddled up with me, and so is Tiru. She must have snuck out of the wagon. I hope she didn't see anything. She’s a little young to be watching me enjoy adult pleasures, though I worry that she has already bore witness to such things in her captivity. A smile spreads across my face as I stare up at the constellations etched into the ceiling of Meredith’s tent. Their comfort may be short lived, so I’ll try to enjoy it.

My mind drifts away to the land of eternal turmoil that is sleep.

"Choose," The Destroyer says holding up Tiru and Gatz by their throats.

"I can't, just let them go!"

He squeezes Gatz's throat crushing his windpipe tossing his lifeless corpse to the ground. Tears stream down Tiru's soft little cheeks as she struggles against him.

"How could you, you monster!"

The destroyer grabs Shiroi by the throat and holds her up.

"Choose, you know what happens if you don't."

My eyes glance down at Gatz’s lifeless form on the ground, then over at Meredith bleeding out a few feet away from a near deceased Vene.

"Please, don't do this,” I beg.

He crushes Shiroi's throat and lets her suffocate on the ground. I step toward him, and he presses Tiru to a tree. She screams for me. She screams my name.

The destroyer pulls Crimson Fate from its sheathe shoving it through Tiru's chest and pinning her to the tree. She claws at him spitting blood as her legs kick unable to reach the ground. Zurko turns to me with a cynical grin as her arms and legs go limp. Blood dripping down her body off her feet into a puddle below her.

"I’ll kill you!”

I wake and Meredith is gone. Tiru is still resting with me, her soft little nose pressed against my bare chest. She wakes feeling my heart beating out of my chest and tries to calm me. Another night, another nightmare. Strange that it felt more like a memory.

"Dirk, you don't rest well, will you tell me what's wrong, maybe I can help you,” Tiru says her soft ears folded back with concern.

Tiru pulls herself as close to me as she can. She's afraid again, it's my fault. I pet her soft ears then rub her back.

"Don't worry about it, I'm fine."

She looks up into my eyes and sniffles. The poor girl has lived nothing but a life of fear. Even now that she feels safe with me, she fears losing me.

"You're the only one I trust, I need you, me and Gatz need you, who will protect us if you're gone?"

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I pet her head for a few minutes until she calms down. Her company also helps me to calm myself.

"Don't worry Tiru, I'll keep you both safe, just be calm."

I stand cradling her in my arms. As the dawn rises a cool and calm breeze rustles the dew off jade colored leaves. The sun penetrates the horizon with a pleasant glow as I carry a frightened Tiru to the wagon. Entering I notice Shiroi and Gatz are enjoying a board game.

"Where is Meredith?"

Shiroi looks up at me confused.

"Shiroi thought she was with you, maybe if not with you, with Vene, no, maybe she ventured to town."

Looking to the front of the wagon I notice one of the horses is missing. Strange, I need to find out why she ran ran off without a word.

I unhook the other horse as Vene approaches me.

"The girl took off early this morning, she headed west toward Rukzhael, don't know what she's hoping to find there, only Ruksha bandits there,” Vene says scratching his head.

I give off a worried sigh and spur my horse. Hooves clatter against hard stone and soft earth as I approach the settlement.

Rukzhael is a rundown Ruksha camp, it was going to be a grand city until the New Dominion burned it down. From the ashes came what was left of its people. Shattered and broken they turned to a life of violence and hate. I should show strength here. Kindness will get me killed.

I enter the town stopping at the tavern, Meredith is surely here. I rope my horse by the tavern and step in awash with a feeling of unease. A Ruksha approaches me. He's scrawny, covered in scars, and missing part of his tail.

"What is it you seek mixed blood?"

"I'm looking for a woman."

He laughs, and the others behind him laugh too.

“What kind of woman, Ruksha, orc, maybe an elf, oh my my, perhaps a soft skin?"

I grab him by the throat and lifting him into the air his tail waiving desperately behind him.

"I'm not looking for a doll to fuck, I'm looking for a friend,” I reply angrily.

The other Ruksha stand drawing their swords as he struggles against me. I toss him into a table and draw Crimson Fate. They start to speak amongst themselves in their native tongue.

"Stop, stop this insolent bigotry," I hear from the stairs.

A large white scaled Ruksha with brilliant feathers steps down into the tavern.

“Are you the bastard Meredith spoke of, if you are she is not here now, I will return your horse to you after we speak."

I sheathe my sword and step forward.

"Where is Meredith?"

"Where is my daughter Shiroihana," he says with a smile.

I stare into his pale blue eyes, "she's with the wagon, I didn't want to put her in harm's way."

"Take your horses, bring me my daughter, we will talk then."

I leave taking the horses. This guy seems shady, even for a lizard. I don’t trust him. Returning to the wagon I notice a large bag on the side of the other horse that slipped my mind for some reason. I grab it reading a poorly written note that is attached.

Shiroihana, you are a mentor to me. There is something I must do. I have procured these for you on your day of birth. Please forgive me, I wish things could be different. Your friend, your little soft skin. – Meredith

Shiroi and Vene approach me as I tie the horses back to the wagon.

“Did you find her, where is she," Vene asks.

I pull the bag from the saddle and hand it to Shiroi.

"She wanted you to have these, it seems she will not be traveling with us anymore."

Shiroi opens the bag and pulls out a pair of boots. She starts to weep uncontrollably. I step past Vene and head toward the wagon.

"Dirk, don't be hard on her, she surely has her reasons."

I stop for a moment before continuing to the wagon.

Tiru grabs my arm enthusiastically as I step inside. I push her aside like she's nothing and sit on a bedroll crossing my legs. Tiru pins her little ears back and sits down staring at the floor. I raise my hands and breath deeply as I start to meditate.

The orc hangs there pinned to the pillar of the burning cabin. I feel the blood of the freshly slain boy dripping off my hands. Who am I? Still a bastard, just a bastard.

My eyes open squinting as Tiru sneaks toward me like she's stalking prey. She's relentless in her efforts to comfort me. I do feel she is a joy to me, maybe I should let her in. To push her away after we've been so close would be cruel. I could be a father to her. A father I never had.