Elise walked away from the bonfire and settled herself on a fallen branch at the foot of a large birch tree. Being surrounded by too many people unsettled her, bringing memories of torture and screams into her mind. It was best to keep away from everyone. She was here only to assist, after all. Making friends seemed so useless.
"You are to aid the group," was Markovic's words.
Assist this group while they walk into the Wasteland, she found herself thinking. That was as good as telling her to give up her life for them. Her proficiency in the higher healing arts would ultimately drain her of her life. Traveling through the dangers of the Wasteland would no doubt put them in danger. Danger almost always translates to injuries. And the more everyone was injured, the more she would need to intervene. If one from the group dies, she and Vladimir would die as well. If she kept them all alive, she would definitely kill herself. It was a no win situation. Ultimately, all roads will lead to her death.
"And so I shall," she muttered softly to herself.
Vladimir settled down beside Elise, his weight weighing down his side of the branch, making Elise's feet lift off the ground a few inches.
"Seems like you have taken a liking to that Kil'garen," he said.
"These are the people who will eventually end my life. There is no sense for me to like any of them," Elise responded in the same detached tone she always used when conversing with others.
"Take your life? I shall be beside you to protect you. No one will---" Vladimir began.
"You know what I mean, Vladimir." Elise cut him off.
Vladimir's words died on his lips. She was right. He knew very well what she meant.
"If your little mage proves to be difficult, you make take it unto yourself to dispose her off" Markovic's voice echoed in his head again. He sighed as he rubbed the arm where he had been injected a few days ago. At first he had thought that Elise was to be disposed off once they had finished their mission. But having been injected with a bomb himself, he found that his perspective changed completely. The Ascended Templar did not mean for both of them to return alive.
He looked at the mage, at her cold, dull blue eyes. Ever since he had met her, it didn't seem as though she had any will to live but she had always fought with all that she had to bring each mission to a success. He needed to protect her and make sure both of them make it out of this mess alive.
"He is... interesting," Elise's quiet voice broke through Vladimir's thoughts.
Vladimir raised an eyebrow and gave a low chuckle.
"I already assumed you thought that way if he managed to make you smile. You should do that a lot more often. It makes you look prettier."Elise looked at Vladimir. Her eyes had the same dull look but it seemed like her guardian's words made a bit of an impact on her. But, again, without saying anything, she turned her gaze away from him. Her eyes fell on an elf and a human just a few feet away. They were walking hand in hand.
Hazy memories of a boy looking at her flashed through her mind. That last look that he gave her when she was struck down. She never knew what happened to him and spent several years thinking about how he had just watched while she died. But the time she spent being experimented on and being tortured made his face almost completely forgotten. Memories of her past life became something like a far off dream and she sometimes questioned if they were even real.
But now, there he was, in the flesh. Everything seemed to become clearer. She immediately averted her gaze. But his face and name remained in her mind.
Member
_(2).JPG)
