Poison

Hagar patiently walked beside Cole, who was clearly having trouble moving. He probably needed to be carried, but she was not strong enough, and no one else was around at this early hour to help. So she allowed him to hobble along at his own pace.

About halfway across the compound, Cole stopped under an avocado tree and plucked a fruit from its branches. "These are still your favorite fruit, right?"

"Cole!" Hagar gasped. "Do not do that. You will be punished!"

He weighed the small, soft avocado in his hand. "It doesn't matter anymore," he said, pressing the fruit into her palm. His skin was warm. "I'll...probably be executed in a few hours, anyway."

Silence was Hagar's answer to his blunt statement as she accepted his gift. She had known deep down in her heart that her lover's punishment would not end with a simple flogging. But hearing it from his lips...

"I'm sorry," he said. "I should have just...followed my orders and brought the noblemen straight to Overlord instead of escaping. If I had, then none of this would have-"

Hagar pressed a finger to his lips, stopping his words. Stars reflected in her moist eyes. "You did the right thing," her voice wavered. "If...you were to die, we would all see you as a martyr. Perhaps it would encourage the others to stand up and fight back."

Cole grabbed her hand and shoved it away. "Fight against what?" He asked. "Invincible men of stone and an immortal spirit?" He turned away. "No, Hagar. My death will not be an incentive, but a threat. Overlord will hang my body in the trees and use me as an example. A tool to make his noose a little tighter around the necks of the people."

"Why do you speak as if you are already dead?" Hagar asked. "As long as you have life, you have hope."

"Hope," Cole spat. "An apparition of the broken, deranged prisoner."

"Hope," Hagar began, "is a desire. It is the thread that holds everything together." She threw her arm out, gesturing to the path before them. "Right now, you walk because you have a desire to reach the healers. You hope to get there so that you can rest peacefully."

"What is the point of this conversation?" Cole asked as he started down the road.

"The point?" Hagar stood still, forehead scrunched; she struggled to keep her emotions from becoming harsh words. "Cole...why do you not just go and shove a dagger through your chest?"

"Because that would be stupid," Cole answered.

"Exactly!" Hagar ran to catch up. "You do not kill yourself because you have hope. You think that there is a chance that Overlord will not kill you." She growled frustratedly. "Oh, how do you not understand?"

"You did not let me finish," Cole said. Sweat beaded at his brow, accompanied by shivers. "I have no hope. I will die today. But if I committed suicide, it would leave an ugly scar in your memories. You would spend months- years, even- wondering, worrying. What did you do wrong? Was it your fault? Could you have stopped it?" He gripped his stick so hard that it splintered. Left without support, he stumbled backward until he hit a tree.

Hagar's mouth fell open. "I..."

Silent tears fell to the dirt. "Just...trust me on this one, Hagar." He sniffed, back against the hard bark of the tree. "Knowing that someone you love chose to die...there is no worse pain." He swayed unsteadily. "Like...my father..."

Hagar was alarmed as he turned his gaunt face towards her. He was shivering so badly that it seemed as though he was consumed by seizures.

"I'm sorry, Sage..."

Cole pitched forward. His eyes were glazed, yellow, and unfocused.

"Cole!" Hagar dropped the avocado and leapt forward, trying to catch him. She was a moment too late. His body hit the soft ground with a soft thump.

"No..." Hagar rolled him face-up and felt for a pulse in his hot wrist. His heart was palpitating rapidly, and he was burning with a sudden fever.

She pulled away, terrified. "No!" she screamed. "Do not leave me here, Cole! Please!"

She peered around in the darkness. "Da'aal!" She cried out, unable to see past the tears. "Da'aal! Help him, please!" She stood up and tried to drag him by the arm to the distant medical building, but he was too heavy. She gave up and took a step backward, tripping over the avocado. She fell squarely on her backside, and Chedva began to whine in her sling, aggravated by her mother's stumble.

Hagar got right back up again, not bothering to brush the soil from her skirt. Blinking tears from her eyes, she ran through the trees and entered Building Four. Not caring if she awakened any patients, she shouted again as she ran down the hall. "Da'aal! Da-"

A hand went over her mouth.

"What is your dilemma, Hagar, that you should disturb all of the patients?"

The Overlord's voice. She felt chills go down her spine. She lifted her arms to hug Chedva closer, sending a clear message that the baby was not to be touched by this wicked man. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Nothing important," Overlord replied cooly. "One of my slaves just gave birth. I came here to name the child."

Overlord grabbed her shoulders and turned her to face him. "But that doesn't matter." He lifted her chin, looking into her eyes. "Must I repeat myself? Why are you running around, screaming like a senseless imbecile?"

Hagar swallowed a lump in her throat. "It's...Cole," she said.

Overlord nodded knowingly. "Let me guess," he said, letting go of her face. "He lost too much blood from his punishment, and he exerted himself tried to visit you. Hmm?"

Hagar nodded.

"And then, he started getting pale. Anemic. Now, he's unconscious with a dangerously high fever, yellow eyes, and a rapid heartbeat?"

"Can you help him?" Hagar asked.

Overlord shook his head. "No," he said. "No one can help him."

Panic and grief swept over Hagar like a wave. She wavered, clutching the wall for support. "I caused this," she said. "I should have sent him back to the healers immediately."

Tsk tsk tsk, Overlord shook his head, as if in pity. "Hagar," he said, "there is nothing you could have done to save him. He was going to die from that fever, anyway. Exerting himself just helped the process along."

"What..." Hagar stepped back. "What do you mean?"

"Poison," the Overlord explained. "An overdose of an antidepressant drug from Borg's laboratories runs through his veins, shutting down his organs."

What could Hagar say? What could she do? Should she stand up to Overlord, and tell him what a monster he was, poisoning his mercenary and killing him in such an inhumane way?

No. She could not do that. Resisting would only get her baby killed.

"I will send someone to retrieve the Dark Knight, so he can die in comfort," Overlord said, continuing down the hall nonchalantly. "You are to forget that you ever knew that miserable coward. Continue raising Achim, and know that my justice- my revenge- is absolute."

Too stunned to answer, Hagar fell to her knees, buried her head in her hands, and sobbed.