Ke'ri watched in horror as the treacherous leader of the Devil Mountain Bandits crept closer to Lon'qu. It was almost as though the entire group had forgotten about her – they were all solely focused on the one-sided battle between Lon'qu and their fellow bandit.
Lon'qu was engrossed in combat, eyes flickering contemptuously from his blade to the bandit's. She had to warn him – but would he be able to simultaneously fight off two attackers? What could she do? The leader of the bandits was almost within striking range.
"Watch your back!" Ke'ri cried, impulsively hurling herself at the leader of the bandits. Taken by surprise, he staggered back a few steps, loosening his grip on his axe. Snarling with rage, he tossed her to the ground and firmly kicked her in the side. Ke'ri's head spun with pain and she winced as she heard a cracking sound.
A few feet away, she saw that Lon'qu had ended the farce of a battle with the bandit, impaling him neatly through the chest. He whirled around to face their leader, scoring a laceration on the latter's arm with the same movement. Ke'ri struggled to stand, breathing shallowly. It seemed as though the kick had cracked one or more of her ribs.
The circle of bandits was beginning to close on them, and she experienced a dizzying sense of déjà vu – at least, that's what the Ylisseans called it. Grasping the fallen bandit's sword, she dragged herself closer to Lon'qu, trying desperately to recall the swordplay she had learned as a child. She heard the leader scream in pain, and could only assume that Lon'qu had successfully bested him. But they could only be lucky for so long. A blade whistled through the air, coming from behind the rows of bandits, and struck her squarely in the chest. No doubt it had been meant for Lon'qu, she thought hazily as she slid down to the grass, her shaky legs finally forsaking the task of keeping her upright.
With terrifying clarity, Ke'ri realized that she would die here. Her only hope was that Lon'qu would be able to survive the onslaught of bandits on his own.
The moment he defeated the leader of the Devil Mountain Bandits, Lon'qu turned around towards Ke'ri, eyes widening at the sight of the dagger embedded in her chest.
For Lon'qu, time stops.
He watches the world shatter into millions of tiny pieces, each one stabbing him over and over again for his carelessness, his carelessness.
How could he have let this happen?
If he hadn't gone to Shuo'li's mansion…
If he hadn't decided to leave…
If he hadn't decided to go to Heron Hill…
If he hadn't asked her to come with him…
If he hadn't instigated the battle…
All around him, the bandits have been thrown into chaos by the death of their leader, but Lon'qu pays them no attention.
"She's dead! And so is Dorian! We need to leave, now!" one of them cries, and once again Lon'qu reins back the urge to strangle him with his silly green armband on his silly little arm. He takes a step towards Ke'ri, then another. Nobody is speaking, but the words echo in his ear, resonating throughout his entire being. All your fault…
She's still breathing, but only just. The blade has missed the most crucial organs for her survival, and against all odds, Lon'qu feels a glimmer of hope. She smiles at him, eyes clouded with pain.
"Lon'qu," she says, and his entire world is contained in that single word. "Lon'qu, I'm dying."
He refuses to believe it. "Wait! Ke'ri, just hold on, please, just hold on, please, I think there's a shepherd who lives in the cabin by the stream, just let me go find him, he might have something, an elixir, anything –"
Already she is shaking her head. "Lon'qu, just stay with me. I won't be here much longer."
"Ke'ri, stop, no, no –" he's begging her now, pleading for the opportunity to try and save her life.
She weakly traces his jawline with a finger. She is whispering now, and he knows that soon she will fall silent. "With Naga's holy blessing and Tiki's divine grace…"
"Stop it now, Ke'ri. Save it for later. For when you're healed and when we'll have a priest and when I've properly asked your father for permission. Not now," he whispered brokenly. "Not now."
Ke'ri smiles, but continues onward. "Beyond the edges of the earth and the reaches of heaven, until the moon swallows the sun and the stars fall from the sky…"
Lon'qu shakes his head violently, almost as though he is trying to rid himself of reality. "Ke'ri, no. This isn't funny."
"Lon'qu, I promise to love you always," Ke'ri finishes. Her voice has gotten so soft that Lon'qu has to lean closer to catch the last few precious words. Her eyes flutter shut, and Lon'qu feels panic setting in. Her chest still rises and falls, though, so he knows that at least – for the moment – she is still alive. He runs down Heron Hill to the cabin by the trees, bangs on the door, hoping,hoping, that someone will answer.
A minute passes, then two. He briefly contemplates breaking down the door, then shakes his head. It's not worth it. Besides, he has a sinking feeling that Ke'ri was right. Though the blade had missed her heart, it had mostly caused irreparable damage. She would die here, tonight, and it was his fault, all his fault…
The sound of a dozen horses shakes him out of his stupor. Lon'qu raises his head to see Shuo'li riding over the hill, eyes blazing with fury.
"I trusted you with my daughter," he says, voice low and quiet. "And you know that bandits have been ravaging this hill for the past few months. Yet you thought it wise to bring her here? And even worse, you ran from the bandits like a coward to seek shelter at this cabin, leaving her to die alone."
The thought of explaining the truth does not even cross Lon'qu's mind. He does not defend himself, because in the end, Shuo'li is right. Ke'ri died because of his own cowardly actions.
"Sweet Naga, I have half a mind to kill you right now," Shuo'li swears. Lon'qu waits blankly, wondering if his life will also end during this night of farewells. But Shuo'li turns his horse away. "You are a shame and a disappointment to your family. I am glad that your father did not live to see this day. Go. Leave Wufen, and return to your miserable life in Linnan. I wish not to see your face again."
Go. The command rings in his ears, and Lon'qu obeys. Turning blindly, he flees once more.