Colin's posts

Adym just sighed again.

"Well, whatever." he said. "At least they're not trying to throw you out." he reasoned. "Thank heavens for small miracles, I guess." he added in a bit of a tone that signaled surrender.

He was through picking a battle over this.

They stayed there over the course of 4 days, and after several visits from the medics, and him hardly doing anything, Callie saw him come down the stairs, looking better than he had in a while.

And this was exemplified when he stretched out and let out a loud yawn.

"Man, I feel GOOD." he declared.

"I bet I can deal with that pack now!" he told Callie confidently.

He narrowed his eyes, but then shook his head.

"...whatever." he said.

"Pick your battles, I guess." he then mumbled.

"I don't like it, but... whatever. We work with what we have." he reasoned.

"I AM sorry for my people, though." he then apologised.

"You shouldn't be treated this way."

Adym froze up for a moment when she said that.

"....free?" he asked.

Callie nodded in response.

She then saw him... honestly adopt an expression that implied his entire worldview was crashing down on him. Like he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"That's..." he mumbled. "That's actually incredible." he told her.

"And the fact that you've not been... wait, have you been forcibly ejected from any place?" he asked.

"No." she responded.

"...I guess they're far more accepting of you than I initially assumed..." he reasoned.

"At least there's that." Adym sighed.

"Also, judging from how I'm feeling, I won't be moving around much for a few days." he told her.

"When someone comes by to check up on me, however, if you don't want to deal with them, I'll do it myself." he then said.

"You shouldn't have to endure these people just because of me." he growled.

"It sickens me to think of how they've been treating you, probably."

Adym was silent again for a moment, before sighing heavily once more.

"...of course." he said.

"Yeah, sorry, my place isn't built with guests in mind." he apologised. "Or... arranged for it, anyway." he clarified.

"So... sorry you've had to resort to sleeping on this." he apologised further.

"I wouldn't have cared if you had taken my bed." he then admitted.

"But at least it was comfy." he admitted. "It's as comfy as it is because it's... well... home-grown." he told her with a small laugh.

Adym didn't really move as he answered. He just continued to stare at his ceiling, but emitted a light chuckle when she made her statement about what they did throwing a wrench into Vyran's plans.

"...well, it needed to be done." he said.

"We saved the forest, the village, nature, AND we eliminated somewhere his tendrils reach." he went on.

"We won the battle, but this war is so far from over, it's honestly a little on the sickening side." he said bluntly.

"But we cannot afford to get bogged down over that." he reasoned with a small sigh.

"...have you at least been comfortable staying here?" he then asked her, shifting the subject.

Adym looked at her in silence as she said that, before just heaving a heavy sigh.

"Well... when you're right, you're right." he said.

"I can't really argue with that line of reasoning." he admitted, shaking his head once more, and relaxing into the couch a little. He looked at his ceiling for a few moments, before looking at Callie.

"...thank you." he then said.

"For helping me save the forest." he clarified. "I wouldn't have been able to do it without you." he said further.

"Myself, the elves, nature itself... owes you an immense debt of gratitude."

Adym shook his head.

"No." he replied.

"Well... at least, I'm pretty sure it won't be just the two of us." he told her.

"The prophecy is vague, yes, but it very heavily alludes to those that will take Vyran down totaling... uh... a number greater than 2?" he said further.

"It has been a while since I have read or heard it." he admitted to her.

"But I can reasonably say that I don't think we're going to have to do this alone."

"It's all we CAN do." Adym responded.

"We either die trying to save this world, or die hiding, dooming the world." he sighed.

"...or we succeed and survive, and save this world." he then added.

"Quite frankly, the third option would be great." he admitted.

"But we only can try. Just push forward." he muttered.

Adym paused again, considering what all she had said, pondering it.

"...I admit, if I had children, I would pass them down to them." he told her. "I cannot explain why. Despite everything I have just said about elves and their attitudes, I feel like I would regret it if I did not pass them down, when I had the opportunity to." he admitted.

"It's... a strange feeling." he sighed.

He then just shook his head, and smiled.

"And fair enough on the age thing." he said.

"I think we're around the same age, yes. There is still plenty of time." he agreed.

"Assuming we save the world." he added quietly at the end.

Adym was silent for another moment as she asked her question about him passing the bow on to his children. His face turned a little red, and he looked away from her, slightly flustered.

"I... I don't know." he said.

"I don't know if I ever will have children." he then admitted. "None of the women in this village appeal to me, as their elven attitudes are ugly and disgusting." he spat.

"And I don't know if a non-elf would go for me." he said further.

"So... it might just end with me."

"....ah. Yes." Adym responded. "Yes, that IS my room." he confirmed.

"And that bow and quiver is... well, it's essentially a family heirloom." he told her. "Been passed down for generations in my family, so long I can't even remember." he said further.

"It's... more a decoration, than anything else." he then admitted.

"Regardless, I appreciate you respecting privacy and such, but it would have been all right if you had stepped in there and such." he continued.

"As for a map... yeah, yeah, I should have some." he went on, addressing her first question. "I know... I put them in a black and brown wooden chest..." he went on, trying to remember where he'd put it.

Adym really didn't have much to say about that. Everything that could have been said... had already been spoken. Anything he would say now would be rehashing, retreading, or repeating what was already said.

They knew it had to have been done. That part was not in question or contention. But it still didn't sit well with either of them that it had to have been done in the first place. He understood how she felt. But he got the distinct impression that it was weighing on Callie FAR more than it was on him.

Or maybe she was just showing it more than him.

"Regardless..." he finally said. "I think we need to just concentrate on the future." he told her.

"Plot a course for when I can travel without hurting myself."

Adym finished the drink, setting the glass down, and sighing heavily.

"I know." he said. "I didn't like it, either." he told her.

"But we had to." he admitted. "It seemed like the corruption was too ingrained in it. There was no saving it at that point." he said. "In killing it, we released it from its suffering, at least?" he continued.

"...even though that probably helps little." he then mumbled quietly.

"Also doesn't change the fact that we technically committed what this village would see at the greatest of sins." he went on. "To attempt harm to, or to slight, the guardian is... well, it's the worst thing one can do." he went on.

"However, circumstances were... extremely extenuating." he continued. "I think the fact that we're not exiled right now, or dead, is proof of THAT."