After a grueling few days, Ruki found himself alone in his room with not much to do. He tidied the clothes that cluttered the floor, tended to his new wounds, and found himself at his desk full of half written missives and letters from others left unread. And by chance, he found a letter, more like a rallying speech, that he had half put together, to say before he and his allies launched their attack against the lady of hedonism.
"We may not live to see our glory. But we have all gladly joined this fight... when our friends and family and our children tell our stories they are going to tell the story of tonight. The night we stood our ground, the night we launched our first strike in this war. Success tonight means we will have a tomorrow....."
After that, the writing trailed off into nonsense as he had tried to figure out the right words that might motivate people. Maybe if he was a little better with his words things would not have gone pear shaped as soon as their boots met the ground. Maybe he wouldn't have died.
Died.
Ruki remembered vividly how it felt to come back through the earth circle. It wasn't like before, it was more painful, more exhausting, like part of him wanted to stay... but he couldn't stay, there was still so much left to do. So many things left unsaid. His spirit was weakening, and the human had no idea how much time he actually had left. The depressing thought gave him an idea of another thing to write and likely leave unfinished.
"If you are reading this note then I, Ruki Lanark of Highport, have unfortunately perished in this war. Consider this my last will and testament, but as well as a list of things I've left unsaid and undone. First and foremost, my biggest regret is not being there at the end when you finally defeat Al'Zoon and give the land of Calandonia a tomorrow that it truly deserves. I hope no more friends were lost in this fight and that no atrocities as horrible as what I have done were committed. As Tengu once said, we cannot become the monster we wish to defeat. Unfortunately, I felt myself moving in that direction... knowing that my time in this world was limited. There was nothing I would not have done if it meant saving this world and all of you. Perhaps that is now why you are reading this. Maybe I committed such a horrible act I needed to be put down. Maybe I bit off more than I could chew. Maybe I gave myself once again to close one of the Reaches and this time I did not come back. Whatever it was... I'm sorry. I'm sorry that you must deal with the loss of a friend and ally, but also sorry that you must also go on and continue the fight which I could not finish. I know you can do this. I wouldn't have stood beside you for as long as I did if I didn't know you could."
He then began jotting down the names of his friends, with plans of writing each of them an individual goodbye. Elwynd, Siegart, Jinn, Briony, Calan, Kumari, Evo, Arylne, Xamot, Kai, Saryn Stig, , Hamish, Morrigan, Cato, Phal, Tengu, Sol, Baibh, Thistle were the first names he had written down.... feeling guilty that he knew there was more that he was forgetting. He got frustrated trying to remember, crumpled up the paper and threw it on the now somewhat clean floor. He grumbled for a few moments about not being dead yet, before picking the parchment back up and smoothing it out the best he could. War was hard... but he didn't want to die with words left unsaid.
"We may not live to see our glory. But we have all gladly joined this fight... when our friends and family and our children tell our stories they are going to tell the story of tonight. The night we stood our ground, the night we launched our first strike in this war. Success tonight means we will have a tomorrow....."
After that, the writing trailed off into nonsense as he had tried to figure out the right words that might motivate people. Maybe if he was a little better with his words things would not have gone pear shaped as soon as their boots met the ground. Maybe he wouldn't have died.
Died.
Ruki remembered vividly how it felt to come back through the earth circle. It wasn't like before, it was more painful, more exhausting, like part of him wanted to stay... but he couldn't stay, there was still so much left to do. So many things left unsaid. His spirit was weakening, and the human had no idea how much time he actually had left. The depressing thought gave him an idea of another thing to write and likely leave unfinished.
"If you are reading this note then I, Ruki Lanark of Highport, have unfortunately perished in this war. Consider this my last will and testament, but as well as a list of things I've left unsaid and undone. First and foremost, my biggest regret is not being there at the end when you finally defeat Al'Zoon and give the land of Calandonia a tomorrow that it truly deserves. I hope no more friends were lost in this fight and that no atrocities as horrible as what I have done were committed. As Tengu once said, we cannot become the monster we wish to defeat. Unfortunately, I felt myself moving in that direction... knowing that my time in this world was limited. There was nothing I would not have done if it meant saving this world and all of you. Perhaps that is now why you are reading this. Maybe I committed such a horrible act I needed to be put down. Maybe I bit off more than I could chew. Maybe I gave myself once again to close one of the Reaches and this time I did not come back. Whatever it was... I'm sorry. I'm sorry that you must deal with the loss of a friend and ally, but also sorry that you must also go on and continue the fight which I could not finish. I know you can do this. I wouldn't have stood beside you for as long as I did if I didn't know you could."
He then began jotting down the names of his friends, with plans of writing each of them an individual goodbye. Elwynd, Siegart, Jinn, Briony, Calan, Kumari, Evo, Arylne, Xamot, Kai, Saryn Stig, , Hamish, Morrigan, Cato, Phal, Tengu, Sol, Baibh, Thistle were the first names he had written down.... feeling guilty that he knew there was more that he was forgetting. He got frustrated trying to remember, crumpled up the paper and threw it on the now somewhat clean floor. He grumbled for a few moments about not being dead yet, before picking the parchment back up and smoothing it out the best he could. War was hard... but he didn't want to die with words left unsaid.