Abaddon's Loss

Dimxe catches up to Abaddon, walking on his right side.

Abaddon coughs mildly for a moment, trying to balance himself. “W-what do you need.”

Dimxe looks at him and scrubs her face with her sleeve determinedly. "Nothing."

Abaddon looks at her as he breathes heavily. “Are you here to mock me..?”

She glares at him. "No." Her face softens. "I... nothing."

He looks at his stump. “I’m a joke. I realized that’s all I am. Everything is just out to make me miserable.”

Dimxe just keeps walking next to him.

Abaddon stops and looks at her. “Dimxe. Why are you still here? You should leave.”

She stops and looks up at him. "I'm not going anywhere. I won't leave."

“I don’t offer anything to you. I don’t know if I can use magic anymore. I don’t know if I can play instruments or cut gems.”

She grits her teeth. "I don't care. You're here."

“I wish I wasn’t... I sound so fucking pathetic, but I don’t know what else to do.”

She reaches out for his hand.

He looks at her with extreme worry. “Wh-what do you want?”

"I just want... I just want you to know I'm not leaving. Rielle said you... don't do hugs. But I remember you shook my hand... and I just want..." She takes a breath. "I just want you to know that you're still loved, and you're still important, and the things that make you important have nothing to do with what you do."

Abaddon looks down at the ground. “I’m sorry... I have a bad history with touching. I’m just not useful like I was before, I’m so numb and lost.”

Dimxe lowers her hand. She clasps it in her other hand, wringing them. "Being a friend isn't about being useful. This is a loss, but it's not everything you are."

Abaddon, overcome with thoughts and emotions, falls down onto his knees and starts crying.

Dimxe sits next to him, just a few inches away.

“I don’t have anywhere to go Dimxe.” “Here, the guards and higher ups see me as a criminal. And back home everyone sees me as a demon.”

"You have friends. You can go to us. We're not leaving. I'm not leaving," she repeats.

“Last time I had friends....” Abaddon pulls up his pants to reveal his legs. Both have many scars, bruises and burn marks

Dimxe gasps despite herself.

“Last time I had friends, this happened.”

"Abaddon..."

Abaddon just looks at her with the tears in his eyes

Dimxe looks back at him. "That's... abhorrent. I can't believe anyone who could do this would ever try to call themself someone's friend..." She puts a hand to her face.

Abaddon wipes some tears away. “I just want to see my wife again...”

Her shoulders sag. "Is she..."

He just nods

"I'm... so sorry."

“I just want diamonds. That’s all I ever wanted. But I can’t afford to lose more of my body.” Abaddon desperately pushes himself up again.

Dimxe stands with him, carefully reaching out to balance him if necessary.

Abaddon wipes away the rest of tears “I’m sorry. You should join your friends again. I’ll be fine to walk the rest of the way.”

Dimxe shakes her head. "I need to at least walk you to your door." "I said I would."

Abaddon shakes his head. “Please. I insist you go back. I need to walk on my own.”

Dimxe's face takes a stubborn set. "I won't say anything."

Abaddon rolls his eyes as he turns and continues walking

Dimxe follows, now just behind his shoulder.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to teach you for a while.”

Dimxe shakes her head.

“I do appreciate you coming, I didn’t expect you to,” he says.

"You're my friend," she says simply.

Abaddon sighs, as he reaches the tavern door that is in reality only 100 feet away from the campfire. “I don’t know what I’m going to do this month. I might just take a ship and go back.”

Dimxe pauses for a second at that, then walks to stand next to him. "I know I said I wouldn't ask you for anything, but... Abaddon, can you just... If you're going to leave, can you tell me?It doesn't have to be in person. You can send a letter. That's okay. But just... please don't disappear." She scuffs the ground with her boot. "I'm sorry. Never... never mind. I don't... Never mind. Just... I don't know. Please..." She's trying and failing to gather a thought. "Please just know that I care about you. And I hope... I hope I'll see you tomorrow."

Abaddon looks at her as she speaks, and then stares at the ground with conflicting thoughts. He places his only hand on her head and pats it slightly “I’ll let you know kid. I have to think on it.”

Dimxe takes a breath. "I will see you tomorrow." She says this under her breath. It's... more for herself than Abaddon. She stands there, unsure of herself, and then... backs away, headed in the direction of the campfire.

Abaddon slowly opens the door and barely manages to push himself inside, closing the door behind himself.