Chapter Text
"Would you like to continue fighting as comrades?"
Behold stood in front of the massive Goliath, the silence that rang after their question felt louder with each passing second. They began to lose hope that they would have another powerful warrior on their side, but willed themselves not to break eye contact. "...that is, if you have not any prior obligations." they continued, soft accent lilting.
Cain looked down at the tiefling knight that had fought alongside him for the past day. They were strong; agreeable even, he decided. He was in fact not previously occupied, his ritual killings having no selective process, as long as he stated Tempus' blood thirst. Cain opened his mouth to speak.
"Yeah."
A few more seconds passed without either of them speaking. Behold was honestly a bit surprised they even got a response, let alone one in agreement. They nodded and turned to collect their gear. They only stopped to bid the rest of their impromptu group goodbye with a few respectful nods before turning away. They started to walk towards the opposite end of the cleaning they had come out of, where Cain hadn't bothered to wait up. Thankfully not catching the strange looks aimed at their back, darting between them and the imposing Goliath.
----------------
Behold learned very quickly that Cain likely wouldn't be a conversation candidate, which didn't bother them very much. They themselves didn't talk all that often, and assumed the same for Cain. Honestly they were grateful for the silence, hearing nothing but your own footsteps and the heavier tread of another over rustling leaves was very serene.
After an hour or so of walking, they came upon a trail that seemed to be leading out of the mysterious wood. It wasn't terribly well tread, and the forest remained thick around them; a likely sign that they might not be out for another day.
Cain was used to travelling alone, his stature was usually imposing enough to ward off anyone who would potentially want to talk to him about 'adventuring'. He was surprised the tiefling had stepped forward and asked not only him, but ONLY him. Especially since he sensed the same fighting spirit in them, the spirit of a warrior. They both fought and killed for a reason, and there wasn't any sign of either of them stopping.
Behold also found that keeping up with Cain at a walking pace was nearly impossible with his gargantuan stride, easily matching double their own. They walked only a few paces behind him now, and broke the silence for the first time since they left the battle site some hours ago,
"What is it you are fighting for?"
A lengthy silence stretched between them once more. And after some thought, Cain decided there wasn’t any reason he shouldn’t tell his new companion. After all, they might be travelling for some time together. Then again, no one had been able to hold out for very long with him. A shadow of a grimace passed over his stone face as he recalled the incidents that set him on the road in the first place.
“I am sworn to Tempus, god of War.” he glanced over his shoulder to the smaller being behind him. “I fight, and kill whoever challenges me in his name.”
Behold met his eyes for a moment, noting they were a deep amber color before turning their head away uncharacteristically, clearing their throat politely.
“That’s quite honorable, friend Goliath.” they start, before adding, “You seem quite formidable, if you’ll allow me to say. Pray I do not cross your bad side.”
This comment was not made in jest, though Cain couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride from the tiefling’s words. Cain stood at a towering 8 feet of raw strength. Behold themself was no halfling, the albino tiefling standing around 6’5”. But they had the feeling the goliath would need little more than his bare hands to cause serious injury before they could blink.
As they continued, the sudden cracking of a branch underfoot could be heard in the thick forest, just to the right of the overgrown path they had been following. Behold nearly ran into the brick wall that was a goliath in full plate armor, realizing now that he had stopped.
He had raised a hand to sign ‘stop, and be quiet’, an unmistakable military signal Behold noted. Cain put a hand to the handle of his weapon, readying the greataxe at his back, and looked down at the tiefling barely reaching his chest.
“I pray that for your sake as well.”