“Hey, kiddo, you are finally awake.”
Trismit’s eyes flickered open, trying to adjust to the weirdly bright yet dull light that illuminated the concrete bunker he had been sleeping in. To his left was an IV drip, feeding much-needed fluids into his formerly unconscious body. To his right was a familiar face, one that Trismit was glad to see.
“Retvik! You are alive!”
Retvik calmly nodded his head. He was sat on a very small stool, one normally meant for a being half his size. Behind Retvik was a privacy sheet, separating them from the next patient over. Trismit quickly realized he was in a hospital of sorts. Or at least somewhere somewhat medicinal.
“You are alive too. I feared the worst when everything… happened… Lysar told Rethais and I what happened and I was so proud of you.”
Trismit tried to sit up but failed. Doing so would have messed with the IV in his arm. He inspected the room, noting how run down everything looked, before turning back to Retvik.
“I always liked how you see me as someone to protect, even though I have always been your superior. It is somewhat refreshing to hear. You would not happen to know what is going on, would you? Because I was worried we had suffered a zombie apocalypse.”
Retvik shuddered. Trismit knew Retvik quite well, probably better than Retvik realized, but that shudder, that immediately alerted Trismit that something was genuinely wrong.
“You want the short version or the long version?”
“Short, then long.”
Retvik closed his eyes, snorting and leaning forward, lowering his voice. “The deity known as Kenon has taken full control over the Rethavok, usurping Rethais and making himself High General. Anyone not willing to follow Kenon has been cut off from the Secret, and as you may have seen on your way here, those who fail to pledge loyalty or escape his clutches… well, no one knows of their fates quite yet. We have a small town of 300 or so Rethavok who have escaped persecution, and we are reaching out to other free-minded Rethavok to join us, but we are getting almost no responses, especially since it is too dangerous to bring larger groups of Rethavok together. On the plus side, you did save the former High General’s partner and made a lot of vok very happy. Myself included.”
“Oh.” Trismit didn’t have much else to say. “That… that makes a lot of sense based on what I witnessed. Is everyvok else feeling as cold and hearing as much silence as I am?”
“Yes.”
“Are we, well, fucked?”
Retvik sighed. Trismit realized how… exhausted Retvik looked. His eyes were heavy, his breathing was laboured, his armour was tattered and he obviously hadn’t had much recovery from the lost plating on his arms.
“We will survive.”
Trismit stared at Retvik.
“Are you alright?”
“Yes.”
Trismit tutted. “Please do not lie to me.”
Tears began to cloud Retvik’s vision as he put his head in his hands, sobbing gently. “I… I just wanted to be with Gath and this… this stupid universe will not let that happen… everyone else… they were all single or they escaped together or they had a miracle save their loved one… Gath though… I… I do not even know if he is alive… Losing him, on top of everything else, it is too much to deal with. I am falling apart.”
Trismit closed his eyes, trying to remember what Gath looked like.
“I… I am sorry, Retvik.”
Retvik sighed, wiping the tears from his eyes. “It is not your fault. Not anyone’s fault… Do you… do you mind if I stay here for a while, by your side?”
“Why?”
“I need some company. Just for a bit.”
Trismit shrugged, nodding at Retvik. “Sure, if it makes you feel better…”