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I hope you enjoy the chapter!
"I'm back."
Andre looked away from the fortress. The distraction Siegemeyer offered him with his arrival was more than welcome.
"Did you find them?" Andre asked as he approached Siegmeyer. His question was answered by the sight of three eggs resting close to the bonfire.
"Finding them was the easy part, getting them down from their nest proved to be a little trickier." Siegmeyer wiped away the sweat beading on his forehead with the back of his gauntlet. His helmet, which he had filled with grass and had used as a basket to carry the eggs, lay discarded on the floor. " I just hope there is still some hope for these little fellows… they have been out in the cold for who knows how long. Their mother was nowhere to be seen."
Siegmeyer looked at the eggs with compassion. Andre almost chuckled at the sight of a full-fledged knight showing sympathy for some orphaned eggs.
It wasn't that Andre thought of it as ridiculous or childish, he simply was not used to such displays of humanity and kindness.
They were rare in Lordran.
Deep down, he too felt a sense of loss for what the eggs' abandonment implied.
The raven would not be coming back. Andre had not been particularly fond of the bird, but he had become so used to the animal's presence that its absence felt like a blow to his entire world.
Its distant cries, its scattered feathers across Firelink Shrine and the old church, the fluttering sound of its wings as it took flight to the Undead Asylum… all of it was gone forever, as was the crestfallen warrior that had lingered around the shrine for so long.
When Andre had not seen either of them in Firelink Shrine, a part of him had known they were gone forever.
Andre didn't understand why the loss of a man he barely had ever talked to, or that of a crow he had never approached, hurt him like they did.
I never got to know either of you.
Andre knelt next to the eggs and caressed one of them gently with his rough and calloused hands. The shell was cold. The chances that it held any life inside it were scarce.
The unborn chicks would follow their mother into death soon.
I ignored you both, just like you ignored me. We chose to be alone, trapped inside our own little worlds, even if that wasn't what any of us wanted at all.
It was bold of him to presume he had any idea of what that crestfallen knight had ever wanted. For all Andre knew, that knight had been content in his solitude, and just because Andre resented his own loneliness, that didn't mean that had been the case for the knight or the raven.
Andre decided it was best to let those old ghosts rest. They were gone, and Andre would be respectful of their memories. It was the least he owed to the crestfallen and the raven for the aloof and silent company they had kept him for years.
"I'll keep an eye in case their mother returns." Andre stood up and looked at Siegmeyer, who was almost done cleaning his helmet. "In the meanwhile, I'll take care of these eggs. I'm not what you would call a fatherly man, but I'll do my best to help these chicks hatch. What?"
Siegmeyer smiled at him. "It seems you've taken a liking to taking care of others, don't you think? Well, what do you know,the blacksmith's frozen heart has melted!"
"Oh, shut your hole, sir onion."
"Then again, you are Astoran. It was only a matter of time before something like this happened."
"The only thing that will be a matter of time is my fist breaking your nose if you keep talking nonsense."
"See? You have become the personification of selflessness, you old sod" Siegmeyer's laughter filled the old church.
Rather than being true to his threat, Andre laughed alongside Siegmeyer.
"Well, Oswald's request is fulfilled." Siegmeyer put his helmet back on and retrieved his greatsword from the floor. "It's time for me to depart, Andre. Do not worry, we'll meet again soon, you have my word."
"If you are expecting a hug or something, you are going to be bitterly disappointed." Andre smiled when Siegemeyer received the friendly jab with a chuckle. Then, he offered him his hand. "Don't you dare go Hollow, my friend"
Siegmeyer firmly accepted the handshake.
"Be safe." Siegmeyer said with a gentle nod of his head.
Andre watched him go.
The growing impulse to stop Siegmeyer overcame him. It wasn't only because the idea of being left alone no longer seemed desirable for Andre, he also wondered why the Catarinian knight had not taken the path that led to the fortress.
"Oscar and the others left for the fortress not long ago." Andre said. Siegmeyer stopped in front of the stairs and stared at Andre through the slit of his helmet. "You can still catch up to them if you hurry."
"No." Siegmeyer's reply was as definite as it was brief. Its simplicity left Andre speechless. With a softer voice, Siegmeyer continued, "I'm sorry, but I have my own business to tend to. Once I am done with them, perhaps I'll join Solaire and the others again; but for now, I must continue my journey in solitude."
But why?
Andre had to bite his tongue to keep the question from leaving his mouth. He knew that, even if he was given an explanation, Siegmeyer would not change his mind.
The manner in which he had spoken, his choice of words, it all reeked of the solemn determination of a knight that was eager to prove himself.
You have nothing to prove.
The memory of the crestfallen knight flashed before Andre's mind. He remembered the first time he had seen him, on a day Andre was returning to the old church after a long expedition for raw materials at the Undead burg.
He had seen the defeated knight kneeling in front of the bonfire. The raven was looking at the man as well from the distance, with its black feathers dancing across the shrine's dusty wind.
The crestfallen knight was crying, openly and without shame, like a child who had lost sight of his parents. It was the only display of emotion Andre had ever seen from the knight before he sank into a deep apathy he had never emerged from.
Andre had said nothing. In silence, and acting as if the crestfallen didn't exist, he had walked away.
Back then, even amidst his indifference, Andre had felt for the crestfallen the same thing he was feeling for Siegmeyer, Oscar and Solaire.
But, just like in those distant times, he was too much of a coward to express it out loud.
Your existence matters. Even if you did not fulfill your purposes, even if you feel you failed your codes and your own expectations, the fact you are alive is proof enough of your worth.
Had he said this to the crestfallen, would he still be alive?
If he were strong enough to say this to Siegmeyer, would he be able to stop him?
What about Oscar and Solaire?
So please, you stupid knights, stop throwing your lives away as if they meant nothing. Stop linking your own sense of worth to impossible and reckless quests.
Andre took a step towards the stairs, but Siegemeyer was already out of his reach.
He was gone.
Once again, Andre was alone.
Slowly, he sat down next to the eggs and covered them with a blanket, the same Oscar had used during his recovery from his time inside the serpent's mouth.
"Come back soon." Andre whispered, staring into the dancing flames of the bonfire. "I'll be here, waiting for you all."
Amidst the loud tumbling of the boulders that slid across the slope outside the chamber, Griggs' voice became audible.
"This is a truly fascinating place. Were it not so full of deathly traps and vicious enemies, I'd quite like to explore it."
Oscar looked over his shoulder. Griggs had his back turned on him and Solaire. The sorcerer admired the tall and ancient walls of the chamber while standing on an upper platform.
Oscar hesitated, unsure of whether Griggs was talking to himself or he was trying to ignite a conversation.
"Yes," Oscar ventured, carefully examining his surroundings in search of something of interest he could point out, but unlike Griggs, his mind was not so easily impressed or so incessantly curious, "its design is peculiar… and it looks very old as well."
What an interesting insight. No wonder I am a knight and not a scholar.
Luckily for Oscar, his brand new helmet concealed his blush, but his embarrassment was further accentuated when Griggs looked at him and said, "I'm sorry, did you say something?"
"Nothing of importance." Oscar fidgeted with his belts, wishing he had said nothing at all.
Before the situation could turn more awkward, Oscar walked away as casually as possible and returned to Solaire's side.
His friend was sitting down on the floor. He rested his back against the wall, just like the serpent-like monster had done before Griggs killed it with the strike of a dozen magical arrows.
They had remained in that chamber since then, waiting for Oswald's return.
The pardoner had been gone for a long while. Oscar had played with the idea of leaving him behind, but Solaire had refused.
It hurt Oscar to see Solaire so indoctrinated by Oswald's reproaches and accusations, but deep down, he knew that running away from the pardoner would not only be useless, it could also engander them both.
Oswald was relentless; he would chase them to the end of the world if he had to, and though their wounds were mostly healed, Oscar was not blind to the fact both he and Solaire were not in optimal condition.
After some thought, Oscar realized Solaire was right. To anger Oswald by trying to escape from him was a risk too big to take.
"How are you holding up?" Oscar asked as he sat in front of Solaire. It wasn't until Solaire jumped and gasped that Oscar noticed his friend had been sleeping. Oscar was unable to prevent a good-natured chuckle from escaping his chest. "Woah, easy there. We didn't outwit that slim bridge and those damn swinging blades just for me to kill you of a heart attack."
Though he knew Solaire couldn't see his face, hidden behind his helmet as he was, Oscar smiled.
Solaire's own new helmet, an exact replica of his old heamue, concealed his expression as well, except for his eyes.
It was a glance that lasted only a second, but it was more than enough for Oscar to become aware of the severity of Solaire's exhaustion.
"It seems my body is starting to remember how much I used to love sleeping back when I was alive." Solaire answered, doing his best to sound relaxed. "Do not worry, this drowsiness will pass soon. I promise it won't be a burden when it comes to evading any more traps or confronting more enemies, Oscar. I'm not that negligent!"
Solaire laughed. It came out so forced, so unnatural, that Oscar couldn't find the strength to pretend everything was fine.
Without making much sound so Griggs wouldn't hear them, Oscar approached Solaire and put a hand on his shoulder.
There was no need for him to say anything, for Solaire's laughter immediately faded and became a sigh.
"Am I really so easy to read?" Solaired asked him without enthusiasm.
"I'm afraid so, but honestly, I'm not one to talk. I have been told, most recently by Andre, that I'm so expressive that my thoughts can almost be heard just by looking at my face. Maybe that explains why I always lose when playing cards."
Solaire laughed at the comment. It was faint, almost inaudible, but it was real.
"What's wrong?" Oscar asked under his breath, without letting his voice reveal the true magnitude of his concern, "are you injured?"
"No." Solaire replied. "I'm all right, Oscar. One of the attacks of the serpents hit me in the leg, but Estus already took care of it."
Oscar, who was already holding his Estus flask towards Solaire, slowly retreated it and put it away in one of his bags.
"I feel strange." Solaire said almost against his will. He looked down in embarrassment. "I have felt like this since Oswald healed my curses. Though maybe healing is not the most accurate term to describe it."
Oscar nodded in silence, his mind instantly forging possible solutions for Solaire's ailment. He was disappointed when most of them pointed at Oswald.
Though grateful to the pardoner for saving Solaire's life, Oscar had yet to forgive him for how horribly he had treated Solaire after his recovery.
His accusations, his derision, his mockery, his threats… they were all too toxic, too reminiscent of Lautrec for Oscar to think of the pardoner as anything more than a cruel man.
Yet, if the pardoner was again the answer to help Solaire with his pain, Oscar was willing to swallow his pride and ask for his help once more.
"There is something else bothering me." Solaire said, wrapping his fingers around Oscar's wrist.
Understanding that what Solaire wanted to talk about was important, Oscar relaxed his posture and waited patiently for his friend to be ready to talk again.
Solaire removed Oscar's hand from his shoulder and held it with both his hands. "I'm sorry, Oscar."
Oscar didn't understand at first, but it didn't take long for him to realize what Solaire meant. As if sensing his realization and the sorrow it caused him, Solaire removed his helmet and exposed his face to Oscar.
The scars the parasite had left on him made it difficult to read his expression, but Solaire's eyes revealed what his face couldn't.
"When you died, when I thought I had lost you for good, I allowed my grief to consume me, and in my weakness, I thought many horrible things. Stupid and cruel things. But Oscar, I could never regret meeting you. Having you here by my side as my friend, as my brother, gives meaning to this Undead life I cursed myself with. I'm sorry for telling you otherwise. I was wrong, so very wrong, and I'm sorry. For taking your memory and shaping it into my excuse for revenge and violence, I'm—"
Solaire choked on his words and closed his eyes. Oscar, also unable to speak, answered only by resting his other hand on top of Solaire's.
They spent a long moment in silence. Solaire pulled Oscar's hands closer to his chest, until his knuckles touched the white silk of his new tunic, this one devoid of a painted sun.
"Thank you." Solaire remained calm, but his grip on Oscar's hand was strong.
Oscar noticed Solaire had more to say, as did he.
Perhaps it was selfish of him, but Oscar longed to talk to Solaire about what had happened with him and the Chosen Undead in the abyss of his death. To share his experience with the person he trusted the most would be the soothing comfort he desperately longed for.
But not here, not now. At this moment, you've got enough on your mind, your heart is still bleeding.
At that moment, Solaire needed Oscar's support and strength, and he would give them to him proudly and with honor.
"Yes, very intriguing. I don't think I have seen this sort of architecture before. Master Logan would find it most fascinating." Griggs said, though he had never stopped talking to himself. In his aimless wandering around the chamber, he eventually looked at Oscar and Solaire again. "Oh, I had forgotten you two were here! My apologies, I tend to lose sense of my surroundings every time something catches my interest."
Griggs jumped down from the platform and approached them.
Solaire gave Oscar's hand a squeeze. Understanding that Solaire did not wish for the sorcerer to notice how exhausted he felt, Oscar stood up and helped Solaire do the same.
Solaire hid his ailment and pain from Griggs so convincingly that Oscar started to believe that Solaire had deceived him too.
He worried, and against his better judgement, he wished Oswald would return soon.
"I don't intend to sound morbid," Griggs said once his brief conversation with Solaire came to an end, "but I do not think that pardoner is coming back. We might as well continue without him. It isn't wise to stay put for long in a place like this."
There was no emotion in Griggs' voice. Though it shocked Oscar to see how easily he dismissed Oswald's potential demise, he didn't judge Griggs because of it, not when the pardoner's death would be a comfort in many ways for him too.
"No." Solaire replied firmly, "we have to give him more time. He'll return, I'm sure of it."
Griggs frowned and looked at Solaire with bafflement and pity. "Strange. I would have thought that you would be the most glad about it. You are too kind of heart, Solaire, and I do not say this as a compliment at all."
"That's enough, Griggs." Oscar intervened. He wasn't angry at Griggs, but neither would he allow him to speak of Solaire in that manner.
"Oscar, please, surely you cannot think the same as Solaire. I know he means well, but to stay here any longer waiting for Oswald, especially after how he's treated you, is nonsensical. I almost dare to say it is idiotical."
Oscar felt the sting Griggs' words caused to Solaire. This time, though he knew it had never been the sorcerer's intention to hurt Solaire, Oscar allowed his temper to show.
"We already made our choice." His voice resonated like thunder across the empty chamber. Griggs took a step away from him, looking genuinely scared. "You are free to continue on your own if you like, but we'll stay here."
"Oscar." Solaire's hand on his arm snapped Oscar from his anger. He looked at him, and his shame was great when he noticed Solaire had not approved of his reaction.
Truth was that Oscar wasn't proud of it either.
Ashamed, he looked at Griggs, whose own temper was beginning to flare.
"Forgive me." Oscar said humbly.
It was a relief when Griggs' expression relaxed.
"Perhaps… no, not perhaps." The sorcerer dedicated a respectful glance to Solaire. "I did not word my thoughts correctly. Forgive me, Solaire. I never intended to downplay your reasons, I just feel lost, and I'm not used to feeling lost. I don't understand why you choose to remain here, waiting for the man who so much mistreated you."
"No, it's alright." Solaire replied, resting his hand on Oscar's shoulder and shaking it gently. "I am aware of how ridiculous this all sounds. I don't know if this will make sense, probably not… but if I want to wait for Oswald to return, it is not because I'm fond of him. I hate him for how he threatened Oscar, and I hate him too for how he treated you, Griggs."
Griggs put a hand on his chin and stared at Solaire as if he was witnessing an erudite giving a lecture.
Oscar steadied himself and got closer to Solaire in case he needed support to stay on his feet.
He was more tired than Oscar had imagined.
Were his curses not rightly healed?
Oscar wished he wasn't so ignorant about the nature of curses and purging stones. All he knew was that a curse was never truly healed, but he'd thought the purging stones would have been enough to keep Solaire healthy and free of symptoms.
Either the purging stones were a defective cure, or Solaire's curses were graver than he and Oswald had believed.
Another giant boulder slid across the slope outside the chamber. Its scratching murmur sent a shiver down Oscar's spine.
Oswald, where the hell are you?
If he didn't return soon, then Oscar would take Solaire to him, even if that meant he had to look for Oswald in every corner of that deathly fortress.
And if the pardoner was truly gone, then Oscar would search for another way to heal Solaire.
The serpent.
Before Oscar could process the dread that option caused him, Solaire spoke again.
"Yet, as much as I resent him, Oswald is not wrong about me. I am a sinner, and if I run away from him at the first chance I get, I'll be a murderous coward." Solaire put a hand on his white and empty tunic, right on the spot where once had been a painted sun. "I've failed others and myself in so many ways already. I cannot let it happen again; this is not for my sake, but for that of the fire keepers I hurt."
"As far as I know, that knight of Carim is responsible for those crimes, not you." Griggs pointed out, "I am ignorant of the whole story, but judging from what I know, it seems you are blowing your own actions out of proportion, Solaire. Yes, at times our actions have strong consequences, but it is impossible for us to foresee their impact, especially if we have no ill intent to begin with. If I hadn't been there, if I had done that, if I hadn't said this, if I had been that … this line of thought will lead you to only one conclusion: that the world would be better if you hadn't been born at all."
Oscar looked at Solaire from the corner of his eye. Even with his helmet on, Oscar could see the impact Griggs' words had had on Solaire.
He understood it, for he was feeling the same.
Those thoughts are as familiar to me as the beating of my heart.
"A rather pointless way of thinking. Do not worry about banalities like how your actions will resonate across the 'fabric of the universe', as some call it , or how others will react to what you do. None of it is your responsibility and it's out of your control. Assume the consequences of your acts alone and no one else's. Penance, punishment… Those concepts sound good in theory, but they are weakening in practice. Do you really think that punishing yourself will set things right, or will it only cause old wounds to fester in your soul, Solaire?"
When Solaire's answer never came, Griggs' expression mellowed.
"Do not worry. It wasn't a riddle, it was an exercise. A reflection, you may say. A definite answer is not needed or possible." Griggs said to Solaire and Oscar alike. "Think about it and come to your own conclusions. I would be more than happy to discuss them with both of you. Something tells me there's much we could learn from each other! Besides, it could be a good way to kill time while we wait for that cranky pardoner to return."
Oscar nodded in agreement. He felt a twinge of honest gratitude for Griggs. The sorcerer was cold and aloof, a reputation common to most Vinheimers, but he wasn't cruel, and he had proven to be a good friend to Solaire.
That was enough for Oscar to start thinking of him as a true companion.
"Let's keep in mind all possible outcomes, however." Griggs added, somewhat ruining the peace he had established, "We must consider what happens next if Oswald doesn't return."
It was a truth Oscar accepted without complaint, and much to his surprise, so did Solaire.
"Let's give him a few more minutes." Solaire said, resting more of his weight on Oscar's shoulder. "If he hasn't come back by then, we'll go looking for him and—"
A horrible and deafening rumbling echoed across the chamber.
Griggs, Oscar and Solaire fell silent, with their bodies paralzyed as the realization hit them all at the same time.
To further confirm their fears, the ground beneath their feet began to shake.
Another giant boulder came rolling down, but unlike the others, this one came from the slope that divided the wall in front of them in half, not from the slope outside.
Oscar's mind became disconnected from his body, and before either of his friends could react, he held Griggs and Solaire and lunged himself forward. The pull made his shoulders and elbows burn with effort, but it was strong enough to get them all out of the way just before the rolling boulder squashed them flat on the floor.
The three of them fell on their chests. Solaire's head hit the ground violently, but his helmet kept him safe from harm. Griggs let out a small scream and clenched his eyes shut. Oscal held them on the floor, decided to not let go of them until he was sure the danger had passed.
The boulder continued its relentless journey until it crashed against the wall, right in the same spot where Solaire had taken a small nap.
The old wall didn't resist the impact and collapsed, revealing a hidden corridor that was invisible for a moment behind a large cloud of dirt and dust.
Even when the danger was gone, none of the three men moved. They lay on the ground, catching their breaths and processing what had happened.
Oscar and Solaire looked at each other, their new helmets touching the fortress' old and dirty floor.
"Are you all right?" they asked at the same time.
They sighed in relief, again in unison, when they made sure the other was not injured.
"Lords." Griggs pulled himself up slowly and dusted off his clothes. "I should have foreseen something like this would happen. My interest in exploring this fortress has gone down considerably."
He coughed and wiped away with his thumb the blood flowing from his nose
Oscar and Solaire remained on the ground for a little longer.
Well…
Oscar thought as Griggs helped him back on his feet. Together, they helped Solaire stand up too.
Peace was nice while it lasted.
There was much on his mind.
So much, in fact, that one of those serpent monsters had managed to land a slash on his tunic, right on his chest. The cut was superficial, and it cut only the silk without reaching the flesh underneath.
Yet, that small injury made Oswald realize he couldn't drop his guard or underestimate the traps and the inhabitants of the fortress.
With no other choice, he was forced to turn his back on the many doubts that fluttered inside his mind and focus on the enemies he encountered along the way.
The rolling giant boulders were also no trivial matter. It required every ounce of his agility and skill to evade them as he made his way through the fortress.
Leaving the Astorans and the Vinheimer behind had been a wise decision. A large group traveling together in such a dangerous and unpredictable place had not been a good idea from the start. Three were already a crowd, and the sorcerer only made things more complicated with his presence.
When Oswald had announced he would explore the place further on his own and return to them once he had cleared the path as much as possible, he had feared his traveling companions would take the chance to try to escape him.
Solaire struck him as a man of honor to a fault, but if influenced by the more clever and cunning Oscar, Oswald knew the sinner could very well turn against him.
They are feckless. In the end, they are Astorans at heart.
Oswald flinched at his own thoughts. He took a moment to catch his breath after outrunning a boulder on his way up to an upper chamber. In there he found the mechanism that so much grief had caused him.
The giant structure was supplied by an unknown source by boulders that fell on a flat platform. Then, the mechanism launched them down the same slope Oswald had emerged from.
He saw a lever under the platform. It could, perhaps, be used to move the mechanism and change the boulder's direction.
Oswald approached it carefully, with his mind once again set on his latest reflection.
His prejudices were as childish as they were irrelevant, even more so in Lordran, but it was hard to not take them into account when they held so much truth in them.
For weren't Oscar, Solaire and Andre the living proof that Astorans were sentimental to a fault?
Or wasn't the sorcerer the living representation of the infamous Vinheimer curiosity and detachment?
Or do I not act like a ruthless and sinister Carim-born? Where, then, is the lie in these notions?
As a pardoner, he had learned that all people were capable of wicked and selfish deeds. Birth, age, status… none of it defined the moral compass of a person.
Yet, it was also true that all nations and kingdoms had different notions and concepts of goodness, honor and civility. Astora, Carim, Vinheim, Zena, Thorolund, Catarina, the Great Swamp, none saw the world the same way.
It was because of this, Oswald knew, that preconceived expectations based on someone's homeland was not a completely inaccurate way to judge a person's character.
In the end, all individuals were shaped by their homeland.
And I'm no exception.
Oswald finally got the lever to move. He had to hurry and change the mechanism's direction before the next boulder appeared. Oswald looked around, and discovered he could set the platform in a position where the boulder would be launched outside the fortress instead.
"Come on." Oswald huffed as he did his best to get the mechanism in the desired position, but despite his efforts, he failed to do it in time.
Another giant boulder fell on the platform, abruptly halting Oswald's progress with its weight.
Knowing what would follow, Oswald swiftly got out of the way before the boulder was launched.
"Curses!" Oswald exclaimed as he watched how close he had been in getting the mechanism in the position he'd wanted. A second later, the boulder was propelled down another slope.
It matters not.
Oswald thought as he took a look at the slope as the boulder rolled down across it.
I just have to get it to move one more time and then —
His stomach and heart dropped to his feet when he recognized the chamber that lay at the end of the slope and the silhouettes of three fools.
"No." Oswald's voice was only a whisper at first, but it turned into a scream in an instant, "Get out of the way!"
He exclaimed with all the power of his lungs, but his voice was nothing compared to the deafening tumbling of the boulder.
For the first time in a long time, Oswald felt close to panicking. His racing mind felt tempted to slide down the slope and save the Astorans and the Vinheimer himself, but his better judgmenet returned to him before he did something stupid.
Without wasting a second, Oswald rushed towards the lever and pushed it again before another boulder came.
I killed them.
No, there was no time for that. What was done was done. All Oswald could do now was prevent the same mistake from happening again.
With his arms trembling and his jaw clenched, Oswald managed to change the mechanism's direction just before a boulder fell again on top of the platform. Just as the boulder was launched outside the fortress, Oswald was already sliding down the slope that took him back to the chamber.
After a rough landing, Oswald hurried to check on the Astorans and the Vinheimer. His heart stopped when he saw only rubble amidst the cloud of dust the boulder had left behind, but when it vanished, he discovered the three fools were still alive.
Their clothes were dirty and they were still horrified by the incident, but they were alive.
Lordran is a strange place.
Oswald thought, erasing all shock from his face and replacing it with an unapologetic smirk.
For I see no other reason for why I would be relieved about a sinner and his companions' survival.
It was Solaire who saw him first.
"Oswald!"
The pardoner was taken aback by how genuinely relieved the Astoran was to see he had returned.
Is he stupid?
Oswald felt how his indifferent facade faltered. There was no amusement to be found at all in that question.
"So, you kept your word and you actually waited for my return." Oswald said, completely uncaring of the derisive glances Grigss and Oscar directed at him. "Good, because if you hadn't, I would have finished that boulder's work and killed all you myself."
He laughed, and he was not surprised when none of them laughed with him.
"You treacherous bastard!" Griggs confronted him. Oswald saw how Oscar tried to hold the sorcerer back, to no avail. "It was your fault, wasn't it? You caused that boulder to drop on us!"
"It was because of me, yes." Oswald shrugged, " But don't start coming up with conspirative theories, sorcerer. It was an accident; you could call it a mistake, if you are feeling like placing the blame on me. Well, I'm glad we cleared this misunderstanding, gentlemen. Shall we continue, then? And rest assured, those boulders won't be a problem anymore, I made sure of that."
Oswald wished the subject would be put to rest, but the sorcerer was unwilling to let go of it.
"For someone who so much enjoys reminding others of their mistakes, you are very eager to forget about your own."
"Thanks for the insight, sorcerer." Oswald replied with pretended humbleness. Then, he cocked his head towards the chamber's exit. "Shall we?"
"Perhaps we shan't." Griggs stood firm before Oswald.
"Griggs, that's enough." Solaire intervened. "We'll gain nothing if we start fighting among each other—"
The Astoran collapsed before he could get too close. As expected, Oscar was by his side in an instant. He reacted so quickly that he managed to catch Solaire before he hit the floor.
"Solaire!" Oscar exclaimed, removing his friend's heaume to help him breathe better.
Much to Oswald's surprise, Griggs turned his back on him and rushed to the Astoran's side too.
Oswald rolled his eyes.
"Seriously? You spent a few hours in the company of Astorans and their ridiculous sentimentality already rubbed off on…"
The rest of his quip remained unfinished when Oswald looked at Solaire's semblance and realized that Oscar and Griggs were not overreacting, and he too found himself kneeling next to Solaire in the blink of an eye.
His curses.
Oswald thought he had fully healed Solaire from them.
Another mistake on his end.
"Oswald!" Oscar exclaimed as he held a convulsing Solaire in his arms. "Do something!"
This time, when Oswald stared at Oscar and Griggs, he didn't hide behind a mask of derision.
In their eyes, he saw desperation and hatred.
Neither was unearned or unfair. Whether because of his actions or his miscalculations, Oswald knew he had earned them both for himself.
His rude and violent awakening caused by the rolling boulder had left him shaken, but other than his curiosity, he wasn't a man of lasting emotions, and soon he found himself falling peacefully asleep again.
There was little else he could do, really, trapped in that hanging cell as he was.
It was a shame his peace was again being broken by the endless bickering of some nearby strangers.
Logan tried to ignore them at first, but among that chaos, he recognized a voice.
"Griggs?" He lifted his head. The rim of his giant hat concealed his surroundings to his eyes, but his ears informed him that the strangers had heard his voice. Thinking he had made a mistake, but knowing it was too late to take it back, Logan made one more attempt. "Is that you?"
The echo of steps running right at his direction was his only answer. Whether it was the trotting of his pupil or that of an enemy was something Logan would discover soon.
And, deep down, he was rather curious and eager to see how his situation would turn out.