My Nihilism Got Me Laid?!

Wincing, Riven clenches her hand over her eyes. "Next... year?"

I finally step forward. "What about the rabies? She needs to be treated, otherwise she won't even live to the end of the month."

"If death has decided to nestle itself between the chinks of her moral armor, then death is inevitable."

How can he say that?

How can he just let his daughter die?

Clenching my teeth and fist, I stomp forward.

"Graves! Dont!" Crying out through her pained screams, she reaches out.

"I assume I don't have to warn you, but you know what will happen if you are to share your experience with the outside world."

"If that's the case, why did you show us any of this?"

"It's as I said; my wife was a fan of yours, I though perhaps having you watch, having you interfere would feel as though a part of her would still be a live, a part of her to scold me for my actions."

The old man hesitates only for a moment, sharing a deathly glance with me before continuing on.

Mercury bows before following along beside his wretched master.

Rushing over to Riven I hold her. "Why? Why do you defend him?"

"It's not him that I'm defending. I don't want to spend my last moments next to a cold coffin; I'd rather have your warm smiling face be the last thing I see."

Despite having the stark pain she is in, she gives me a close eyed smile, while I- who has no wounds -winces at her dismal words.

Choking on my sentence, I begin to cough through my tears. "Dont say that."

Whipping my head around, I turn to Noctiva and Dissiri with pleading eyes. "Can we get her treatment? What if we get a doctor to come here?"

Dissiri shakes her head with a look of dismal depression.

With bloodied hands, Riven struggles to hold on to my face. "Please... its awfully selfish of me to ask; I know you have already done more than I could ever ask of someone, but... please, would you stay with me... at least for tonight? There are no more buses today, so you can catch the first one tomorrow morning."

Something changes within me; I no longer feel any pity or sadness, only... disdain.

My eyes narrow as I glare down at her. "Do you want me to save you?"

Her strained smile begins to crumble as her lip trembles. "Please don't do that Graves... don't give me hope... I know you're just trying to make me feel better; but I would rather die knowing the truth."

My comforting expression fades as I look beyond Riven. "That's not what I asked."

Her expression shifts to one of concern. "Graves..."

"Answer... me... Do you wish for me to save you? No matter the cost?" I command.

Biting her lip, her remaining eye begins to well up in a glistening teary stream, while the other gushes with blood. "PLEASE!"

Finally meeting her gaze, I give a warm smile. "You still haven't told me what color bathing suit you're going to wear to our day at the water park."

Wincing, she attempts to smile through the pain, yet only tears emerge from her pained eye.

Picking her up, I begin to walk towards the medical building of their camp. Tilting my head back, I have lost any patience. "Dissiri, come with me, Noctiva... you're playing messenger. They likely have a firewall setup around the village, but I need you to find me a doctor that will be able to treat her."

She looks like she wants to boss me around, yet, after seeing my expression, she fails to come up with something witty to say.

Crossing her arms, she looks away. "Fine, but you owe me more than a massage once this is over." Her words are playful, yet her expression is understanding.

*****

Arriving to the medical wing of the village, an older woman sits in a squeaking rocking chair.

She eventually notices us, her eyes barely open despite the sheer amount of blood spilling from Riven. Dragging herself from her chair, she hops onto the floor, waddling over to me. "She's the first one that's still alive today."

"Can you help her?" I question sternly.

Waddling towards a nearby bed, she vehemently pats it.

Carefully placing her down on the bed, Riven holds onto my clothes, despite her tired expression, her desperate grip betrays her strained smile.

"She was scratched. Do you have anything to treat rabies?" I question.

The old woman shakes her head. "The shogun came in and destroyed our stockpile, I cant even treat a simple cut."

"The best I can do is use a clothing needle and some rags and pray that the gods support for your survival."

Dissiri walks in, she hesitates for a moment, but eventually reaches into her belt pocket. She pulls out a green pack. Unzipping the orange zipper, various medical supplies seep out. "She can use these."

The older womans eyes brighten as she gives a close eyed smile. Without a moment of hesitation, she takes the pocket first aid kit and gets to work.

"Can you handle this?" I question coldly as I turn towards the exit.

The older woman nods.

"Dissiri, you're coming with me." I demand.

"Graves..." Riven reaches out as the old woman begins preparing her tools. "You said you would stay for the night..." Her face conveys utter betrayal. "I- I dont want to die alone."

"And you won't, you've still got a world to see."

Stepping outside, I turn my back on her. Dissiri follows along behind me with a uncertainty to her steps.

"What?" I finally question bluntly, annoyed with her, with everything.

"I think you should spend the last of her days with her. There's no guarantee she will survive even the surgery, with the lack of tools, it would be a miracle if she survives."

"She'll live, but she can't leave. The world seen through a telescope depends on the glass. So I want to break the telescope."

"What?"

"I'm going to have to kill him, so I need your help."

Her eyes widen as she looks down at me. "Him?! You can't seriously mean the shogun?!"

"He has forced his village into a suicide pact, that likely includes us now that we have seen what's behind the veil."

"Well-" She hesitates, likely realizing that escaping from a group of trained assassins would just prolonge our death.

"Do you have a plan?" She finally questions hesitantly.

"More of a shot at the dark."

*****

It's late, I wonder how Riven's surgery went, no, I cant think like that... I know she'll be okay, she has to be.

Walking into the large room, the colossal shogun sits on a small cushion. His eyes are closed, but he is certainly not sleeping, as I can still feel his deathly presence directed at me.

"The white knight came to save a bird that fell from her nest... how pointless."

"If you allow us to leave, I promise you will never have to see or hear from us. What do you say? I take your daughter away from here, from the looks of it, you don't even care for her."

"I just killed a countless number of my own people after they objected me. Do you really think I would do something as sloppy as allowing you to leave?"

I shrug. ┐('～`;)┌ "Hmm, it was worth a shot."

"You seem to be obsessed with the lump of flesh my wife sacrificed her life for, so how about we make a deal? I am not so old and stubborn as to turn away from opportunity. So what do you say, we make a deal?"

"A deal?" I question skeptically.

"You can keep- you can own my daughter, do whatever you wish..."

My eyes widen. Maybe I won't have to fight this nightmare fuel after all. "But, if you lose, you have to show me how you've gained immortality."

My eyes narrow. "If I lose? You make it sound like a bet rather than a deal."

"I suppose that is what you'd call it. So? What do you say? Three minutes on the clock, all you have to do is kill me, and I just have to fight off an immortal roach."

"That... is actually a good analogy, because I'm difficult to kill and so I'm a roach-"

"Do we have a deal?" He asks tiredly.

"I don't really see how this changes anything, but I suppose some form of rule might do us both well."

With a mutual nod, he proceeds to bow before me. Awkwardly, I reach out my hand but realize that bow was supposed to be the handshake...

He reaches for the sheathed Katana yet hesitates. Walking over to the wall of the vast room he grabs a wooden training sword from the mantle.

This motherfucker is looking down on me?!

Yet he tosses me one as well.

Awkwardly picking up the wooden sword I ready up.

I did read that book by Miyamoto Musashi, but as Phalinx stands before me, knowing to lead with your right foot when you strike and the philosophy of kill your enemy without fail, isn't going to help...