Board Thread:What Would You Do?/@comment-34263048-20190629182618/@comment-36855838-20190704134557

I'm seated at my desk, my head in my hands.

This is the end, I've caused all of these awful things, and now I'm doomed.

The kobold strolls over to my heavily cushioned desk chair, and climbs into my lap.

I let her sit there a while, gently scratching behind her ear.

Soon, the door bursts open, and Lazarus enters the room.

"Hey, boss! There's no mor-"

He stares at my hand, scratching the Kobold behind the ear, at the kobold, practically giving me a lapdance.

We pause, and I snap my fingers, conjuring a fireball.

Lazarus freezes.

"Come in here, and close the door, Lazarus, you have a mother, don't disappoint her."

Confusion, fear, and hope fill his eyes, and he obeys, kneeling before me.

"No, no, a chair will suffice."

I fumble with my mental storage, and eventually a chair settles itself behind him.

"My mother, she's dead, a werewol-"

"No, I saved her, Laz, and I saved yous sister, too."

Tears well in his eyes.

"How could you, now those things are cavorting around wearing their skin, why couldn't we just put them to rest!"

"Could you really deal with having killed your mother?"

He looks at the carpet.

"I. . ."

"How does it feel, Laz, to not have as much blood on your hands?"

He stares at those hands, rough, cracked, red, and raw, I know from their look he's been washing, like so many others, wanting to be free of their guilt, but unable.

"I feel. . .better, if only a bit."

I nod, kissing the kobold's neck, and stashing away my bed and writing desk.

"I'm exiling myself, Lazarus. I saved many others, too, and I'm leaving to join them, or maybe heading elsewhere."

I begin to scratch behind her ears again.

"I know I'm not welcome as long as I'm with this darling girl, not because of my decision, but because of what my presence implies about others."

I walk out with the kobold to my wagon and soon, we're off.