They murdered him. And I don't mean just murdered, but they hack and slash, blood and gore, movie-murder killed him. Because he was with me. He was protecting me. Said it was his duty as mine was to help others when and however I could. He had been training me for eight years. When my parents would allow it. He had taught me self defense, how to use just about every weapon imaginable (though the crossbow was always my favorite), and about the things that go bump in the night.
He said I had to be ready. Any day I could 'come into my powers.' Become the next Slayer. The next defender of the innocent and destroyer of bad guys. Okay, that wasn't exactly how he put it, but that's not the point. He was constantly getting on me for…just about everything. Lecturing about the duties of my calling. The importance of learning what he had to teach me. The fact that the weight of the world could almost literally be on my shoulders at any moment should the current World Hero croak.
I never appreciated him. Not like I should have. I always tried to prove him wrong - and succeeded a few times as well. Always tried to find ways around whatever he wanted me to do unless it was something I enjoyed. I bitched all the time about not wanting to train with him. Not needing him to teach me anything…until they came.
The guys in robes with no eyes. The guys who were hell bent on killing me because I was a Potential Slayer. Hell of a reason if you ask me. They almost succeeded, too. But, he stopped them. He gave up his life in order for me to get away. I should have stayed. I should have done something…anything. But, it had been built in (finally) that when he gave me an order - one that he clearly meant and was best not to ignore - I followed it. So, when he said 'run,' I got the hell out of there. But not before seeing what they'd done to him.
I would like to think I could have taken them, but I'm not quite that egotistical. I can't help but think that I could have saved him had I at least tried. He told me to run, but maybe we both could have gotten away somehow…I'm told not to dwell on that. Not to dwell on the past and my life before coming here, but it's not that simple. Just because things change, doesn't mean the past never happened.