Anna and Horrik were walking back towards camp together. Just after Anna finished helping Horrik commune with his deceased mate Dourathia.

“Thank you once again An… I mean, thank you Shaman. I will be forever in your debt.”

“Really though! Don’t make a big deal out of this. You could even say I was using you in fact, so I wouldn’t feel right to accept your thank you.” Anna said humbly.

“What do you mean?”

Anna looked down at her hands that held her staff horizontally in-front of herself. Her expression a tad guilty.

“I was… I need time away to clear my thoughts… I… I was really curious about what your problems were, and how I could help. Considering that your mate kept coming to ask me every other night you prayed to her.”

“Every other night?”

“…………………”

Anna was quiet before she answered. Knowing she couldn’t reveal to much.

“This also goes in to my other selfish thing… I also learned why it is a shaman’s duty to commune with the dead… and why we are able to do…” She pointed back at the clearing. “that; to become synchronized.”

“Synchronized?”

“……Yeah……”

Anna had to pause again to process, to think of a way to explain this without revealing to much, like she almost had.

“Do you know what a book is?”

“Please Shaman, I know you are ignorant of Mokra’Torc development, but we at least have paper and books.”

“Okay… fair enough. But… it was… the way I would describe it as. Is that it was like watching a movie of your mate’s life before my eyes in an instant; and I think it was the same for her.”

“I don’t know what a Moo-Vie is, but I assume it is a thing that allowed you to experience my Ashu’Rágé’s life?”

“Sort of… let me explain what a movie is really quick, then maybe you might gleam some understanding on why that shaman of your refused.” Anna told Horrik. “A movie, is a lot like a play, do you know what that is?”

Horrik nodded in answer.

“Yeah, it is like a reenactment of a story or an event, correct?”

“Sort of, really close in fact: but a play is not a necessary a true event, and it is usually preformed on a platform called a stage. With me so far?”

He nodded.

“Well, plays have times and dates that they show their performances on. So that all the people can take their time to go and purchase tickets to go on certain days: a movie, or a T.V. more specifically, is a small box like device, that you might call magical, that allowed you to view plays or reenactments from the connivence of your own home.”

Horrik’s eyes went wide at this.

“That sounds like it would bring fun to a home quite often! To have your own personal story teller at your command. What a great way to entertain the young!” Horrik thought.

“…Man, you have no idea…” Anna mumbled.

                         

“What was that?” Horrik asked, not hearing her.

“I said, you’re right! You have a good idea what that is now. So now, to explain what happened to your wife and I when we synchronized… it was like I was trapped in-front of a play, or a movie. I saw everything, almost in an instant. How she lived, who she was as a person, what she did… Anything and everything. It was… kinda terrifying really. To see a person’s whole life flash before my eyes. To see how they lived. Words… can’t describe it.”

“……………………….”

Horrik was quiet for a moment before asking.

“So does that also mean, you?—“ Horrik trailed off.

Anna shook her head.

“No, we didn’t share our thoughts or emotions on things. We could feel each other’s emotions while synced. But I couldn’t sense them during her memories. So those, along with her thoughts, were kept private. But I got to hear and see what she did in her life.

“So, much like a movie or a play. I was watching your mate’s life, getting invested into her life. I could almost call her a sister at this point; though she might not enjoy a human calling her sister. Hehehe…” Anna giggled to laugh off the almost awkward now conversation.

“I see…… So my shaman probably did not want to experience something like that with my mate. I can see how that might be weird to do.”

“I won’t lie, it was. But now that I have experienced it. The next time won’t be as bad.”

Horrik smiled at Anna.

“Then you are braver than most. I hear Shamans tend to only do such a thing as a last resort.”

“Oh pah! It wasn’t that bad! Maybe I can understand that it might be to much for some. But honestly, if I just view it as less, no offense to your mate’s life, and just think of it as a story. I can see them one after another and not be influenced by them.” Anna bragged.

Horrik thought on this before he replied.

“I suppose, your other world prepared you for something like this. To be immersed into another’s life; to feel for them and see things through their point of view.” Horrik commented.

                

Anna was stunned by this revelation.

“HEH! Guess it did…” She quips.

They were quiet for the last legs of the trip back to camp, but right before they stepped into the campsite, Horrik said to Anna.

“And I do not think my Ashu’Rágé would have a problem with you calling her sister. She can brag in the Beyond about having a human Shaman sister then.” He told her with a smile.

Anna looked up at Horrik with a smile.

“Thank you Horrik.” She appreciated his words.

“No. Thank you my Shaman.” He saluted her, with an arm across his chest, bent at the waist.

Anna had never before seen a salute like this before.

          

*CLACK*

Anna started in place as she heard the noise.

One of the Mokra’Torcs by the fire dropped their dish of food. It clacking as it struck the seat he was on.

             

“Umm… Hi? Were back!” Anna announced unnecessarily.

The three’s wide eyed stares dug into Anna and Horrik as the looked at them. As Horrik righted himself up. Harks spoke up.

“Did you literally just swear loyalty to that human boy?!” He said with a mixture of disappointment, astonishment, and sounding like an upset parent; rather than being out right angry.

“I am, and I did.” Horrik announced as he turned to look at Harks dead in the eyes. “From now on, Anna is now and forever will be, my family’s Shaman.”

All four other people there looked at him with wide eyes.

                  

That escalated quickly! Anna thought.

“Horrik? Are you sure?” She asked him.

He nodded his head.

“Without a doubt in my mind. Where you and the Warchief travel. I will go.”

Anna felt very touched by this. She was also especially glad that he included Lilian into this.

“Thank you then Horrik. Lilian and I appreciate your loyalty. I promise we will not besmirch your trust or your family’s honor.”

“The honor, is all mine my Shaman.” He told her with another salute.

                            

*CLAP*

           

*CLAP*

          

“Very good Anna. Very good.” Said a condescending voice from behind them.

While Anna felt a jolt of surprise be her sudden entrance. She knew that Lilian had to have been close behind them.

“Lili—“

“Warchief,” Lilian cut her off. “Since you seem so fond of subverting my authority and ignoring my orders: since you also don’t want me to call you… that right now. If you want me to address you by your title, I want you to address me by mine!”

                  

Anna stood there. Gapping at her love in astonishment.

             

She couldn’t even find the will to even be angry at her.

*SIGH*

“I can’t believe this… …This is so unbelievably childish, I don’t even want to fall for the bait...” She mumbled before look up at Lilian face, who was smirking down at her with narrowed eyes.

“Fine then.” Anna replied to Lilian. “Then I am announcing, that I’m switching my sleeping schedule with Horrik.”

                

The stunned look on Lilian’s face was exactly what Anna had expected.

“What?!” Lilian whispered in disbelief.

“Yup, and I am going to sleep by myself tonight.”

“WHAT?!”

Anna raised a palm up towards Lilian.

“Look Lilian. Do you really want to do this now? In-front of all your men? Because if you want to get into an argument and finally talk about our problems. I am ready to do so at anytime.” Anna smirked at her. She knew what she was doing was also as childish as what Lilian was doing.

But Lilian need to learn a lesson that two could play this game.

“So? What is it going to be? Allow me to sleep alone tonight? Or are we going to hash out our problems right here and now?” Anna questioned.

                         

Lilian looked flustered on what to do. She looked from Anna, back to the faces of the rest of her men, then back to Anna.

Her expression changed from frantic to upset as she shouted.

“FINE THEN!” She then stomped away towards their tent.

She pulled out Anna’s things before toss them on to the ground.

“DO WHAT YOU WANT! Seems you really aren’t my Ashu’Rágé anymore!”

Then she disappeared behind the tent flap.

                        

Anna had to bite her lip and close her eyes and center herself. To fight back against the pain of her love lashing out.

“Anna?”

But she lifted her hand to forestall Horrik’s concern.

“I—…. I’m fine… just… *SHAKY INHALE* ……Just give me moment.” She told him this without moving or looking at him.

“Sure, take all the time you need.” He assured her.

                  

Anna heard him walk away. She stood there for another five minutes. Just waiting for the dizziness to pass from the mental blow she received from Lilian.

After the world stopped spinning, and her legs felt steady enough that she didn’t need to lock her knees into place. She moved to collect her things in-front of her and Lilian’s tent.

Just as she was picking up the last thing, she stopped to look up at the entrance. She hesitated before she whispered into the tents flap.

“Just so you know… I will always be your Ashu’Rágé… I love you Lilian… with all of my soul, from here to the Beyond.”

She took her pack and bed roll and moved towards Grak’Horve and Safarti’s tent.

“So? Would you two mind if I slept here until your shift is over tonight?”

The two looked towards each other, their cheeks both full with the food they were eating.

They both turned to her before both nodding their heads.

“Thanks guys…”

She moved to crawl into their tent. She barely got her bedroll unwound to plop on top of it.

“…What a jerk…” Was her last thought before unconsciousness took her.

           

             

Lilian was curled up on her own bedroll. Tears streaming down her face from what she had said but didn’t mean, and from what Anna had told her in a whisper.

“…I’m sorry!…” She whispered to no one but herself as she to succumbed to sleep.

                     

————————————————-

                                

“Hey?” She felt a hand shaking her foot. “You awake?”

        

“Huh?… …What?…” Anna mumbled as she lifted herself by her arms.

She looked around confused at first on where she was and what had happened.

Oh…… Right…

“Yeah… I am up, just give me a minute.”

She picked up and gathered her things before moving to leave the tent.

She looked up at the concerned faces of the twos’ tent she had invaded.

“Hey! Thanks again guys.”

“Hey, no problem!” Grak’Horve assured her.

“Anytime.” Safarti told her.

She smiled at them before crawling out of the way. They then crawled their way into their tent.

“Good night boys!” She called out to them.

They popped their heads back out to look at her.

“”GOOD NIGHT!”” They said in unison. As they pulled back into the tent.

*THACK*

“OW!”

“HEY!”

Then she heard the sound of shoving and slapping from outside the tent.

This made Anna laugh for the first time in she could not remember how long.

But as she stared towards the campfire, her laughter died in her throat.

                       

“Yeah…… Did you forget who you would be working with tonight?”

Harks questioned Anna as she stood there with a shocked expression on her face.

But she shook herself from her reverie.

“No… just forgot who I wasn’t working with tonight. Still waking up.”

“Heh! Nice excuse.” He jerked his head towards the log. “Come, sit.”

                 

She did as he suggested and sat next to their small campfire.

They just sat there in silence.

It was almost a full thirty minutes before either of them spoke again.

“Do you have food? You didn’t eat earlier.” Harks comments.

“Oh…” Just as he mentions food. She felt her stomach complain for the lack of nutrients it had consumed. “Yeah, I guess I didn’t huh?”

“Yeah, you didn’t.” He reached into his pack to toss her a leather wrapped parcel. “Here,” He told her. “not much, but dried rations work in a pinch.”

She looked down at the package for a moment before untying the bundle open and looking at its content.

Dried jerky of a garratas, along with some dried berries.

“Thanks Harks.”

“Don’t mention it Shaman.”

This caused Anna to snort. Which made Harks quirk an eyebrow at her.

“So what? A little bit of talking to the dead and a show of throwing water and vines around and suddenly you are all on board?”

“HA! Hardly!” He retorted. He looked down at his hands before he spoke. “It was the fact that the elemental guardian obeyed you. That was the icing on the cake.”

Anna looked at him with an incredulous look on her face.

“What?!” He shouted at her.

“I don’t know. I was just thinking to myself that you know an awful lot of human terms and facts.”

“We discussed this the other day.”

Again, Anna had an incredulous look on her face.

“Not that I remember.”

“…….……………”

Harks had a confused look on his face before it clicked.

“Right! That was your mate there! Not you. We were discussing you, and by that point, you had been long gone.” Harks supplied. He sighed before taking a deep breath.

“I am not from the wetlands originally. I am from a port city off of the coast near the goblin merchant territory of Thibes: the town is called Port Gramrim. Since I am sure you have no idea where or what any of that means; being from a different world and all.”

         

Anna had a gapping expression that suggested that she was putting all the pieces together.

“I see! That explains everything…”

“Does it?”

“Yeah… it does” She told him with a side eye glance at his shoulder.

                  

They had returned to a silence that they had before when they first started their shift.

It was about another forty-five minutes before either spoke again, and while Anna finished the rations.

“Thanks for the food again…” She told him as she handed him the leather bundle back. She had been thinking about how to broach the subject, so she used this as an opening. “… I will make it up to you by making you, your favorite meal.”

“HA! And what would that be? Because, truth be told, I an sick and tired of Garrata.”

Anna chortled at his response.

“No, not garrata. Mutton roast.” She told him.

               

This got his attention.

He looked at her with a glower.

“How long?” He asked her with a low menacing voice.

Anna wasn’t intimidated by it.

“Harks…” She called his name with a condescending tone. “I didn’t just become a shaman over night. I’ve been one since before we met.”

Harks was quiet for a moment while he glared down at his clenched fists.

“…Right…”

                  

She gave him a sympathetic look.

“Want to talk about it?” Anna asked him cautiously.

He snorted.

“Not especially, no!” He told her firmly.

“Might help?” She suggested.

“Help? Help how?” He said with a notable irritation in his voice.

“Might bring you peace.”

“HA! And—“

“And!” Anna interrupted his tirade. “It would bring her closure. Allow her to move to the Beyond.”

“…………………………”

This brought up Harks short.

“You— *GULP*….. you can see her?!” He asked in a disbelieving whisper.

She nodded her head.

“Your wife comes to you almost everyday to lay her head on your shoulder as she weeps for you Harks… Do you want to talk to her?—“

“NO!” He shouted. But then clamped up as he clenched his fists tighter, his eyes were shut as he grit his teeth while looking like he was in some sort of pain.

“……Just…… No……” He told her more softly then before, but still firm. “I can’t…… I don’t want to relive that part of my life… I just want to forget it and move on.” He told Anna.

“Harks.” Anna called to him gently. “You are always going to live with this, and relive it with regret and despair unless you are willing to talk about it; to face it: because right now? You wife is sobbing on your shoulders, clenching to you. With your ancestors are looking behind you right now, judging you on how she can’t seem to leave your side and move on. You are killing her twice because of this Harks!” Anna berated. “She can’t leave you and go with your ancestors to the Beyond until you give her what she wants Harks. She needs something from you.”

               

Harks was quiet for a long time before he finally look up at Anna. She was surprised by the tears she had see in his eyes.

“I don’t even know what to say Shaman… what am I supposed to do?”

“Allow me to synchronize with her if you want, or if that is not an option you which to pursue, then maybe just talking about what happened to her. Because she has something she is regretting. I… I don’t know what that is. But she obviously can’t move on and past this unless you help her Harks.”

Harks looked back down at his hands. Not sure what to even say, or how to begin.          

                             

              

After a long silence, Harks began his tale.

                  

           

I was born into the port city of Port Gramrim. It was a goblin port trading city. As you may, or may not know. Goblin’s, while allied with the humanoid faction of races, are actually a free nation ruled by no one but the elected officials of each of their of their own cities. They form a coalition called the Thibes Goblin Alliance. Which is ruled by majority vote. It’s a neat system if I’m honest, but that is probably just my bias talking, since I grew up there.

But I digress. My parents were immigrants from the sinking isles. Which is a misnomer if you weren’t aware. They were called that when they were first discovered. But the truth if the matter is, that they are a series of islands birthed form the very core of Rayala herself: they aren’t sinking. They’re raising. They are growing straight out of the sea itself.

Again sorry, I digress.

After my parents came to Port Gramrim. They had me, their only son.

After which, I grew up, had a life, yada yada yada! Boyhood and all that.

But the important bit here is, I was raised there in that city. I expected to grow up and old in that city. Its where I thought I would die as well.

That was until I met her there.

My darling Isabella.

My wife.

The love of my life.

She!— I!— Gods! Where do I even begin?

Heheh…

I guess from where I first met her.

I was a sailor.

            

Shut up!

                

No one asked you.

Anyways. I traveled from port to port. Sailing with a crew of privateers. They traded with all the ports, guaranteeing secure and honest trades with the cargo they hauled for others.

Ports that weren’t owned by goblins’ were classified as a no leave zone. In other words, if we had any other sort of crewmen that did not belong to humanoid alliance. Then we could not rightfully depart off our ship. So, we were instead just guards or deckhands.

Which was fine by most of us. Except the more adventurous lot that wished to travel. They wished to explore and see the world. Fools! The lot of them. Got us in trouble quite a few times those bastards, heheh… hmm? My wife?

OH YES! My wife! Ahem! Sorry about that. Where was I?

Anyways!

We were traveling to a new part town that had just opened its gates.

Free…… Something or rather, can’t remember its name now. Been a long time ago. Anyways!

This was a new, strange sort of place. This was a town run by a human. But a human that saw fit to welcome all into his port.

Because of this. And how it was a port, between two ports, it became immensely popular.

There… at the place I can’t be bothered to remember.

Was when I first laid eyes on her.

My Isabella.

My future wife.

           

At first, because it was a human town, I didn’t want to have anything to do with the place. Out of fear they would easily accuse of something and keelhaul us. That is when you… hmm? You know what keelhauling is? Were you a sailor to?

What the hell do you mean I am diverging from the topic again?! While I ought to!— ahem! Anyways!

A troll, a goblin, and an orc walk into a bar… why are you laughing? STOP LAUGHING!

It was your a typical tavern. But with a not so typical stage running down the center of it.

What do you mean that the stage then doesn’t make it typical and that I contradicted myself?! Do you want to tell my story?! Is that it?! I will let you if you want! No? Then shut up and listen!

Anyways!

My friends drag me there kicking and screaming for a pint to drink. We are there, being typical rowdy patrons, at a typical bar… shut up!… When all of a sudden, the lights were snuffed out with only a few remaining lit.

That is when she made her way on stage.

My darling Isabella.

            

She danced and twirled in this provocative pink baby nighty slip of hers as she pranced from one end of stage to the next.

It revealed every little bit of her, hiding almost nothing to the your eyes. Hmm? What was her hair color? Oh it was a beautiful black, ebon more like. It shone like polished obsidian! Her eyes were a mesmerizing brown and… and are you imagining my wife on stage?!

Oh right! You are one of those.

Yes! I called you that! Stop your squawking! You were trying to make a mental image of my wife on stage!

Let’s get back on track, shall we?

After that, I took every job I could to get to the new port city of Freedom.

*SNAP*

That was it! Freedom! Hahahah! I knew I would remember it!

I would visit that bar often, and would take flowers to her, two or three times while we were there.

Finally, she had been fed up with my advances.

She had waited for me by the bar. She asked that I stopped trying to court her, that the amount of affection she was receiving from me was troubling her.

Heartbroken lad as I was at the time. I drank myself into a stupor. I drank and I drank, until the bar had closed. The bartender having to take me out with the rest of the trash. Dropping me next to the refuse from the night. I coughed and gagged my way from there, crawling on my hands and feet back to docks. To drunk to stand on my feet. But refusing to lay and sleep in the gutter.

But not long after crawling. I heard a scream.

I looked up, blurry eyed as I was. The lamp post revealed a shiny dark haired lass being harassed by two gentlemen.

Naturally, in my stupid drunk off my ass mind. All I saw was a couple of people harassing, what I thought was the love of my life. So, from on all fours,  I roared and went into my Demon’s fire for the first time in my life. Didn’t know what that was or what had happened to me at the time.

All I know is that, by the time I was done with the two of them, I was back to being face down onto the ground again from fighting them and being drunk off my ass.

The woman at the time had apparently gotten away and called the city guard.

I was brought in on charges for murdering one man and severely injuring another.

Not even sure how I had hurt them or how or which one died.

All I know is, that hours after getting incarcerated, the woman I rescued came forward and testified about how I rescued her from the assailants. The allowed me to go free, on the fact that I was defending another from an attack.

This woman was named Ashlyn Wellfield. Very dark hair, red eyes. She thanked me for helping her, which I did in turn, for her assistants on getting me out of there.

Before parting ways, the woman had asked if I was going to be in port for a long time, I told her I wasn’t, but I came by often.

A while after that. Every time I visited the port. I would be greeted by the woman there, as she herself standing there, holding a different bouquet of flowers to greet me at my arrivals.

Don’t get all sappy on me! I got enough of that treatment from my sailing buddies on board the ship to last me a life time.

We would sneak out after I finished my dock work and I would spend the couple days ashore with her there. I was enjoying myself and we had a wonderful time.

It got to the point I asked her to marry me. To come back to my port city and live with me.

Ashlyn with a down trodden expression told me she could. At least she could do it right then and now when I had asked her. That she would need a few months.

I told her I would wait as long as she needed me to. So, after another few months of sailing, I returned. To see her friend there, waiting for me at the port.

She had a letter for me from Ashlyn.

She told me she cared for me, loved me even. But couldn’t see herself living with an orc for the rest of her life. That at this point, I wasn’t what she was looking for in a husband.

      

What? What?!

Why on Rayala are you crying?! I haven’t even gotten to the end yet or the sad, or the happy parts yet! You can see my wife right?! It is proof I got married eventually.

Anyways! As I was saying.

       

After her letter saying she moved away and that I was never going to see her again.

I got some booze and stayed on the ship, drinking for two days. Swearing to myself that I was giving up on women.

On the night before we were supposed to ship out, the two trouble making friends of mine came for me.

So once again, a goblin, a troll, and an orc walk into a bar.

………Why do you giggle at that? What is so funny?………

They came to get me because they had found out that this was going to be miss Isabella’s last show of her career. That she was giving up her dancing on stage for some sort of rich husband that proposed to her.

Yeah, I know. The irony of it. That I, who was just rejected from my woman, was dragged to a dancing striper’s last performance before she got married.

But you see shaman… life has a funny way of working itself out like that.

         

The lights went low, the stage was set.

With my drink in hand. I wasn’t even watching the stage.

But the gasps and murmurs drew my gaze to look towards it anyways.

And there she stood.

                  

Dark brown hair.

                             

Red eyes.

                        

There stood the woman I was set to take as my bride; instead of the Isabella on stage.

I was flabbergasted at what I was seeing.

All the other patrons were as well.

                      

Ashlyn smiled down at everyone in the main room of the large tavern. She was wearing a white skimpy dress that she had called her wedding outfit and announced.

“Now that I am leaving the dancer’s stage life behind. I may as well come clean. My name isn’t Isabella Wells.”

“It is Ashlyn Isabell Wellfield.”

She then announced up on that stage she was marrying that handsome orc everyone could see over there.        

                       

Hahahah!…… I don’t think I have ever been so embarrassed, and so happy in all of my life.

So, I will skip the mushy stuff and the life things in my story. After she explained that she had to set her affairs in order. And wanted to go out with a bang at the tavern. She also wanted to come clean to me in a flashy way.

She was genuinely disturbed by fans that gave her gifts or had stalked her for her looks. You heard what happened to her when I rescued her; that is the result of obsessed fans of hers. So, she tried to keep her on stage persona different from her off stage one. She thought I was more of the same.

But when I saved her.

She gave me a chance to know the real her. The off stage her.

                       

She…— *HIC* —… She made me the happiest orc alive that day.

Afterwards we were set to sail and I was taking home my new wife. Then We had a long and wonder marriage for four wonderful years.

Life looked like it couldn’t get better for us.

          

And then they didn’t.

After getting married. I took on less sailing jobs to be closer to home, and more hunting jobs. Which suited me fine.

But then, years later. On our forth year of marriage. My two old buddies came to see me.

They came to me with a genuine written proposal for a contract that they wanted me to go in on them with.

After reading it over and thinking about all I had saved up. I saw no real risks for this.

The plan was actually halfway sound.

Plus I had more than enough money saved up for starting to help my friends make a new investment without hurting myself.

                       

But it was all a trick.

My “friends” had grown jealous of my success. They hated that all my hard work had paid off for me.

They were contacted by a prominent businessman within Port Gramrim. This was all Unbeknownst to me at time. I found all this out later, mind you. And this business man that they happened to contact, was none other than our old captain, the now goblin mayor of Port Gramrim.

He drew up the document they had brought me.

This made it look and was, very legitimate. Which only added to the fact that I was not supposed to pay off the “debt” the other two had accrued with this phony contract.

None of the lawyers I went to would touch my case. My old captain was to high up the list of command, with to many people on his payroll to touch.

So I was robbed of half of my fortune. Which, in the grand scheme of things, was a small price to pay.

I couldn’t even seek a trial by combat for my honor, since I had willingly signed the contract.

So, with nothing left to do. I was set to just forget the whole thing, and chock it all up as loss.

Our plans with that money was to buy a small company and house so that we could start a family.

But Isabella had other ideas.

She……

She went to them, talked with our mayor herself. She… she convinced him to kill the other two. To kill my friends and make it look like suicides. To get the money for himself.

Being as greedy as he was, he naturally took hold of her plan and ran with it. She……

*SIGH*

Give… give me a moment to calm down shaman… I… I was about to awake my demon’s fire.

             

What did she do? Hah!

…………..

She slept with him.

         

She cheated on me.

                

Her plan was to con him into killing those two. Plant evidence of him being implicated to it. Even though he really did do it. While also signing away his fortune to her; to us.

I… I did not know any of this at the time.

        

After not seeing or finding Isabella for several days. I… I got a message from Thaxsin… my captain: our mayor’s name.

He had… his own plans: unbeknownst to my wife’s plans.

His letter invited me to his place, to settle something about the debt being paid. That I needed to see him in person.

So I came to his office. Which was strangely quiet. As I got to his third floor office, overlooking the bay…

That is when I found them.

Found her.

               

He got it into his mind… that my wife had loved him. Or at least… wanted to trade up… So that is why she came up with her plan to seduce him and kill off our old friends.

When I caught them mid copulation.

         

My mind went blank. I froze, unable to move.

My wife screamed at me in panic. Begging me to wait and listen. He laughed as he told his guards who escorted me, came and pushed me to the floor. their cutlasses held to my throat.

Isabella screamed at Thaxsin for what he had done. Which he just laughed at, claiming she not need to put up her act anymore………

              

He order them to kill me.

           

My wife screamed in torment at what he was doing.

                            

But he forgot.

               

Heheh… all humanoids tend to forget…

         

Never make an orc angry.

                  

                   

My Duroak’fira activated.

My rage was all consuming.

      

….. from what I remember…..

I broke free from his guards with little easy. Snapping both of their necks with a flick of my wrists.

More guards came up the stairs. Running to come and protect their city leader.

Goblins.

Humans.

Dwarves.

A few elves.

A couple other orcs even.

And one troll…

           

Forty-eight people in total.

             

When it was all over… Thaxsin was a mess.

He had thoroughly soiled himself and was sweating profusely. He looked like he might die from a heart attack at any moment.

I…

Heheh… I won’t lie shaman.

I to great pleasure in splitting him down the middle; by holding his legs in both hands and pulling until he was two halves.

……………

I……..

I wish I stopped there.

           

I wish that was the end.

            

I…… I walked up to her, shaman……

I reached down towards he throat with perfect clarity of mind at the time…

         

            

I killed her.

             

           

I strangled her with my own two hands.

                  

It…….. it was later… much… much later…. That I found out the truth of what happened……..

I went home… cleaned up…. Got all the possessions I could carry, took out all the money I had saved up… then left the city.

                    

I… in my panicked mind… I just threw a bunch of stuff into a bag… one of which was my wife’s diary.

She… she had all her plans laid out…

Even how she was going to kill Thaxsin that day.

             

I wept shaman.

       

After five days of running and hopping boats and coaches.

       

After finding and reading about what she had planned…

I wept for three days in the woods.

           

After that. It was just a lot of traveling.

       

Several attempts to kill myself. Failing. Or just being to much of a coward to go through with it.

         

Long story short.

         

I made it on a boat heading for the sinking isles. I figured my parents home land would be as good as place to make a fresh start.

But then I met someone there that sent me on a course to hopefully find at least a warrior’s death in battle to reclaim some sense of honor.

                

I met Nad’Lug.

                                           

                       

Anna looked at him with a tilt of her head.

“Nad’Lug?… where have I heard that name before?”

“That was the name of the “Shaman” of the Fel’Agrian clan.”

“Oh! That guy! Yuck!…… Wait? You met him there? No, wait a moment! I thought you were part of clan Framprom’Kron?!”

“Heheh… that is what I said… or, at the least. Clan Framprom’Kron believes me as part of their clan.”

“What do you mean? What did you do?” Anna asked Harks cautiously.

He shrugged.

“Nothing.”

“Nothing?” She questioned him incredulously.

               

“Nothing.” He answered her. “You, and many others, seem to underestimate an old man. Once I saw how clan Fel’Agrian’s chieftain was fairing against Lilian. I decided that the best thing to do was just to blend in with the crowd. So I just made my way over towards some of the captured clans. Dressed down. Threw away my weapons. Then blended into the background as just another old man within their clan. Not a one questioned me.”

         

Anna gapped at him.

“Wow! That is as impressive as it is terrifying.” She said as she readied her staff.

“Shaman?”

“Look… Answer me this one thing, then I will put my staff down: do you have any allegiance towards Clan Fel’Agrian? Or to Nad’Lug?” Anna questioned him.

       

“Bah! Of course not! Like I have been telling you. I have been wondering around. Looking for a way to die. Or just to wait for my time to run out. Clan Fel’Agrian was recruiting warriors and was itching for a war and fight.” Harks shrugged. “Looked like my opportunity to do something there: had I any idea that Nad’Lug was a warlock… well, I might have done something earlier, before he found Krak’Nathal. But… well… I am an old man, and while I am looking to die. I don’t want to just waste it on a pointless fight.”

       

“Guess that is fair…” Anna agreed with what she heard. The elders behind Harks nodding with what they heard him say. So she choose to take it as gospel. “Could have saved a lot of people a lot of trouble if you did though.”

“Yeah… just another notch of my tombstone of what ifs and such for things I could have done differently.” He told Anna morosely.

         

Anna threw Harks a sad smile. She put her staff back down on her lap.

       

She built up the courage then asked him.

“Are you ready?”

“…… For?” Harks asked her.

“To say goodbye to her? To forgive her? To forgive yourself?” Anna heavily implied.

“……………………….”

            

At first, Anna thought he was going to refuse.

         

“*SIGH* Fine.”

“Wait? Really?”

“You know? You can pretend not to be surprised!” He berated her.

Anna chortled at his grumpy disposition.

She then grew serious as she looked towards Isabella’s spirit.

“Are you ready?” She called to her.

               

The spirit gave a nod of her head before she floated up and towards Anna.

                          

As Isabella spirit floated inside and rested within her.

                    

Anna receive all the information and play back of everything that Isabella had ever seen, done, or heard.

               

Anna let out a gasp at one piece of information that she had learned that Harks did not know at the time.

                 

(Shhhhh) Isabella thought for Anna to hear. (I will tell him… just… just let me be the one)

       

But Anna had one thought that concerned her.

(Will you make it?) She asked concerned with her condition.

       

(If I don’t… will you convey my words to him?) She begged Anna.

(Yes, you can count on me. I am your shaman) Anna assured Isabella.

        

They opened their eyes.

They looked at Harks sitting their. Staring at them with wide eyes.

(It’s going to be like that every time, isn’t it?) Anna thought to herself.

           

But Isabella ignored her quip in favor of getting straight to the point.

            

“Hello my sweet husband.”

“Izzy…” Harks called out softly at the sound of his wife’s voice. “I!-… there is so much I want to say! I am so sorry!” He told her before tears started streaming down his face. “*HIC*— I am so! *HIC* So, so sorry! I just!— I hate myself for what I did to you and Izzy! I am so sorry!” Then Harks broke down into sobs.

       

With a force of will that was almost to powerful for Anna to control. Her body leaped up to take the three steps to get closer to Harks and wrap her arms around his shoulders.

“It’s alright my sweet! It’s okay! If anyone of us should apologize. It’s me… I am so sorry for what I did! For what I basically made you think I did! If anyone is to blame for you killing me. Then it is me; I am the one to blame.” Isabella told him.

“No my love! *SOB* No! I shouldn’t have! *HIC*— I could have!— *HIC*”

“Shhh! Listen now love. Listen good and well… for I don’t have much time in this realm before I have to leave it. Most likely for good…… I am so tired love. So so, so tired.” She told him. “We both regret what happened that day love. And know this, that it was not either of our faults. I should have told you. But I didn’t. Thinking I could handle this on my own and surprise you with a few things at once. All I need now from you my little love song, is that you can say to me honestly, that you forgive me. Then I can leave without regret. Because, I do not regret dying to you my love. If anyone was going to end my life. I am so glad that person was you love.”

Harks just held Anna by her waist.

“I… I… I…—*HIC*— I forgive you! And I am so sorry!”

         

Anna felt herself smile down at Harks as Isabella said.

“And I you my love. I forgive you. I love you with all of my soul my sweet little love song.”

               

“And I you! My personal dancer! With all of my heart!”

“…. Love…”

“Yes?”

“There is one more thing I must tell you before I leave…”

“What is it?” He asks her.

“There will be no easy way to say this my love… but… we were with child…” Isabella told Harks.

               

Harks was completely silent as he processed this.

                   

“My love?”

        

“So? It is not just my wife’s life I snuffed out. By my child’s as well… Gods! I am a monster…” He said with a renewed regret.

But for some reason, she felt herself smile.

“Do not feel so sad for this child’s life my love… he is here with me my love. Here in the Beyond. I… I feel bad that I have not been there often for him. But he is happy here. But I have not given him a proper name yet.” Isabella told him. “I wished to wait until I had your blessing before we named him.

                 

Harks was again quiet as he just held Anna close to him.

“My love?”

“Andrew.”

         

Both Anna and Isabella gapped at what he suggested.

“Are?….. are you sure? That is my father’s—“

“Yes love!… I am more sure than anything… I wish for him to have a name he can be proud of! Not a name that I feel I have tarnished.”

“If you are sure…”

“I am.” He told her.

(Then I suggest Harks’ father’s name, as a middle one) Anna threw in.

(A middle one? Like how nobles do it?) Isabella questioned back.

(Umm… sure?) Anna confirmed with uncertainty. (That is just how we did it from my world) She told Isabella.

“Very well.” Isabella said to both Harks and Anna. “Then our son’s name is, Andrew Kronmor Wellfield.”

          

*SOB*

“What a wonderful name! *HIC*”

“It is.” Isabella assured her husband. “…… I hate to say it husband… but my time to rest is here.”

His arms tighten around Anna’s waist.

“…….. After twenty-five years of being so scared to hear from you. Or to even die and face you…. Now I am to scared to say goodbye!” He said to her in a strained voice.

“I know… I am the same. But worry not love. I will be waiting here, with open arms. But promise me you will go and find more reasons to love. If not for yourself. Then for Andrew. So that he can hear more stories of his father and be proud of them when you get here.”

Harks nodded his head against Anna’s stomach.

“…Okay…” He agreed quietly.

“And as a favor for me. Find a way to enjoy life if you can. Find someone to spend your remaining years with. If for nothing else, than your companionship: you have a lot of love to give out my sweet.”

               

He whimpered at her request.

Which tugged on Anna’s heartstrings, because of how much that reminded her of Lilian.

                 

“I love you Harks.” Isabella told him.

“And I love you, Ashlyn.”

Two tears spilled from Anna’s eyes before she felt Isabella depart.

           

“She’s gone now Harks…” Anna told him.

               

But he did not move.

“Can?—“ He started to ask.

“Hmm?”

                

“Can you just let me hold you like this… just for a bit more?” He asked her in a small voice.

      

She smiled down at the vulnerable old man in her arms.

“Anything you need Harks.” She giggle as she said this. “I am your shaman after all.” She quipped.

     

“Yes you are.” He agreed.