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The world was burning around them. The blood red sky was cast in a tone of hellfire as the Lamb looked down at their defeated ally. He cowered, his now smaller form broken and bloody. Around his wrists were horrible burns, a scar from the Lamb’s sword slashed over his third eye. The Lamb could hear him choking back tears, indiscernible if from distress or the burning air as he coughed violently. Their sword was held close to their side, in a clenched fist, as they stared down at him with mixed pity and anger. They had a single question for the miserable wretch before them.
“Why.”
Narinder looked to the side, fliching slightly as they spoke. Then, he responded between shaky breaths.
“What do you mean, why? Is this not enough for you?” The Lamb dismissed their sword and leaned down, forcing him to make eye contact.
“Why did you try to kill me, bastard? Was it not enough to worship you for years ? To kill your traitor siblings? To free you from this hell? You needed my life too? WHY?” The Lamb lifted him up from the ground, grabbing his arm forcefully and jerking him upright onto weak, mortal legs. Narinder choked out a few words through the pain.
“I did not want your life, Lamb. The ritual-”
“I don’t care about the damned ritual, Narinder! I wanted to help you, I did! I did everything I could and you just…” The Lamb’s fought to maintain their anger, but it quickly faded to exhaustion. “Anything but that would’ve been fine. But you just…” They sighed, and raised their hand. “I’m sorry. I’m bringing you back to the cult. I need time to think.”
“Wait, Lamb, let me explain, I-” Narinder was cut off as he fell through the portal below him, back to the cult’s indoctrination stone. The Lamb sighed, and after a moment of standing in regretful peace amongst the chaos, they slipped through a portal in the floor and back to their home.
---
The Lamb paced in their temple. Narinder was currently in stasis, waiting to be summoned at the indoctrination stone. It was night, and the Lamb knew they’d need to deal with this before the day broke. Their followers could not know what happened at the Gateway. They would come up with a plan, they always did. As for Narinder… they sighed, and left the temple, nearing the entrance where they knew he’d appear. They were angry, but needed to keep a cool head. He must have a reason. He must have an explanation, they… they’d talk, and it’ll all be ok. The Lamb reassured themself as they walked. The cult grounds were still, and if it weren’t for the sonorous humming of devotion in their statue, it’d be utterly silent. They approached the simple teleportation circle on the ground before them, and allowed Narinder to emerge.
He kneeled on the ground below them, not speaking, presumably waiting to see what decision the Lamb had made. In the darkness of night, it was impossible to tell how grievous his wounds were, but if they were as bad as they seemed in the underworld, he needed medical attention now.
“Narinder. I am going to take you to the medical tent. You are injured, and I will not have you dying, understand? I want to talk when we’re there, just… know that I don’t want to hate you. Please consider how to explain yourself as we walk.” Despite Narinder tensing up and clearly resisting the urge to run away, the Lamb grabbed his wrist and started pulling him to the healing tent.
Narinder winced in pain, and violently tried to pull away from the Lamb. Startled by the sudden movement, the Lamb let go and Narinder clutched his wrist, tears welling up in his eyes.
“Don’t… it hurts, Lamb, please… don’t touch my wounds.”
“Oh.. I’m sorry Nari, I just… Do you need my help walking?” Narinder considered for a moment, but then began following alongside the Lamb, limping slightly as he did. The two walked in awkward silence until they reached the tent. The Lamb gestured for Narinder to lay down on one of the cots inside, and lit a lamp as they started preparing their medicine.
The Lamb resisted the urge to wince. His wounds were far more severe than they had initially thought. Several gashes across his chest and arms bled black ichor, as did his third eye which seemed scarred shut. His fur was burned away on his wrists, the flesh almost charred to the bone. His legs seemed weak and frail, perhaps from his imprisonment? Regardless, the Lamb did their best to ignore the feeling of guilt that welled up as they gently wrapped bandages soaked in crushed camellia flowers around his injuries. He seemed to tense up as they did, resisting the urge to yelp in pain.
“Narinder. I know it’s not… comfortable, so you don’t have to talk yet. I want you to explain yourself, but I want you to understand how I feel as well. I don’t want to die, Narinder. I’ve died so many times, but none of them mattered, you know? I always trusted you to bring me back. But if you killed me then, to take the crown back… would you need to bring me back? Would you leave me to stay dead, forever? And as much as I miss my family… I don’t want to see them in the afterlife. I mean, I’ve changed so much, become so… violent. Would they even recognize me?” The Lamb took a deep breath, and tried to remember what they wanted to say.
“I walked towards you, and felt for the first time in centuries the same way I did on the day of my execution. I hated that feeling of knowing I’m about to die, so… I fought. I’m sorry, but please understand why I did what I did, ok?” Narinder looked up at them, expression unreadable as the Lamb finished cleaning and bandaging his wounds. The pain slightly relieved by the medicine and rest, he found himself able to properly speak. And so he did.
“Lamb… please know I did not want to hurt you. I would not have kept you dead, but the ritual required my most loyal follower to die. I also… wanted the crown back.
”
“But you didn’t need to kill me. You broke out just fine after-”
“After you cut down Aym and Baal!? Yes, Lamb, I did! I don’t know why it worked, but I could do nothing until after you killed them in front of me! Did you really think they meant NOTHING to me!? I fought for so long to free them and you would murder them before my eyes without a second thought. Of course I tried to kill you after that! And I knew it didn’t matter, because they were dead and you couldn’t die. Even if I destroyed you, so long as you hated me you’d keep coming back. So… so…” Narinder looked at the ceiling above him, clearly too exhausted to keep yelling. His voice was sore and weak as he spoke.
“Lamb. I do not want to hate you either. You have freed me from my chains and avenged my suffering. But I cannot ignore what you have done to them. I may never find their souls again. Resurrection would not be easy, if possible at all. If you can do it, then… fine. I’ll stay here. Just please, don’t let them stay gone. They have never seen the living world, and I fear that now they never will.”
The Lamb sat on a nearby chair, trying to process their feelings. They felt horrible, of course they felt horrible. If Narinder really was a sort of parental figure, it would explain a lot, and killing them in front of him… they could understand why he was so angry. A part of them wanted to resent him for what he’d done, but they knew him too well to believe it was out of malice. His anger, if too intense for his own good, had always been directed at the deserving, and clearly the Lamb had proven themselves a suitable target. They would save the twins. They would care for Narinder, and save the twins, no matter what it took. They hated seeing Narinder this miserable, and they knew only a small part of it was from the injury.
“I wish I knew how much you cared for them, that I could have done something to stop all of-” The Lamb gestured around vaguely “-this. But I didn’t, so I’ll promise you this, Narinder. I will bring the twins back. I don’t care what it takes, I’ll do it, ok? I know you had reasons not to trust me back then, but can you please trust me now? You will see them again soon, alright?” Narinder nodded weakly, unconvinced but wanting to believe.
“Narinder. I can’t tell the flock what happened, obviously, so… If anyone asks you, I brought you in wounded from an attempted sacrifice in Silk Cradle, ok? I’ll instruct them to give you space, and if anyone gives you trouble, alert me immediately, k?”
“...Ok. Could I have some time alone to think, Lamb, I just… need to process everything.”
“Of course, Nari.” The Lamb left the tent, shutting it behind them and flipping over a ‘do not disturb’ sign on the front curtain. They took a few deep breaths, and left towards the temple. Their flock would soon awaken, and the new arrival would need to be explained. For now, though, they watched the sunset, and considered the potential of mending things between them and him. They cared so much about him, and it hurt to see him suffer like this, but it would all be OK soon.
It had to be.