Alcander: On the Path back to Point of Origin

Heracles give me patience.

Transporting the body of a fallen comrade is a noble duty. I can only hope that he is laid to his proper rest, but he ought to be laid to his proper rest with his family, where he belongs.

Kenneth volunteered, but he couldn't be trusted with it. From what I've seen, if some carrion beast came to devour the body he'd just wait and see what happened. Never mind that what was happening was that his comrade's corpse was being devoured. Hell, he'd probably sit by and watch the damn body rise up as some kind of god forsake undead beast, if something spooked him, first.

And Marion. Why, in the name of the gods, do I have to transport the invalids? Someone obviously thinks the clerics can heal her. They won't be able to. I've seen this before. Her spirit will just be trapped in her body, chained there by well meaning imbeciles, when what she needs is to be released from her mortal form, to allow her spirit to heal in the only place it can.

But no, I had to swear to deliver her, physically at least, alive. So that she could be dropped on her husband. Her husband, the noble paladin, who will be unable to help her. But of course he'll be so blinded that he'll feel that he has to stay beside her, to help her "heal" instead of performing the valorous deeds that should be his lifeblood. Until there's nothing left of him, either, and we have three bastards who might as well be corpses instead of two.

At least there might be hope for Kenneth, however slim.

A corpse, a coward, and a crazy woman. Is this what my noble tasks have become?

Gods, I wish I was home. At least there it is clear who I can slay in glorious battle and who I can't. Here, I am forced to deal with imbeciles who call cowardice "wisdom" and wouldn't know how to behave in a noble, valiant fashion if they had a Hera-damned manual. I'll wager those barely-civilized bastards don't even truly know how to read.

I would wager that we won't even be attacked on this trek. It would be too much to ask. Instead I'll just have to deal with Kenneth prattling on endlessly.

At least the corpse is silent.

Heracles, help me keep my oath. I promised they would all reach Point of Origin as alive as they began. It would be dishonorable of me to send them all on their way to godhood.

Perhaps it would not be ignoble of me to send myself.

I shall have to ponder this carefully.