First and Last

Quil stood at the center of the pandemonium, gripping with each hand two shortswords--Kail's Twins. Sweat tickled down her brow, joining the blood that set there. With each labored breath, she struggled to keep her strength. She had been killing for the last... how many hours has it been? This battle felt like eternity.

The Ghouls keep appearing from the Rifts, one that managed to appear where they thought they were safest. It was inevitable, Quil thought, this was bound to happen. Nowhere is safe, not even at the Sentry.

Then a shadow, a flicker of movement. A stone turned behind Quil as if being stepped on. A low growl, one filled with anger and bloodlust, came afterwards. Before Quil had managed to grasp what was happening, it was already too late. A Ghoul stabbed her back.

Pain... so much pain.

Quil, with shaking hands, gripped the bloodied spear that pierced through her chest. Please make it stop. Her vision was starting to fail her as the world around her seemed to spin and dim. She dropped both Kail's Twins to the ground, and fell on her knees.

Had she become too weak? Why hadn't she noticed the Ghoul sneak up behind her?

"Quil!" she heard his voice. Orin.

Then the spear that protuded from her chest shattered into a million tiny pieces, leaving behind a ghastly wound.

Strong arms held her shoulders as she felt her strength leave her and suddenly she felt herself lying against someone's chest. "Orin?" she croaked.

Then his face was all she could see. His saphire eyes, and his tousled silver hair. Blood caked at the side of his face, and the side of his lips were marred, but he was still celestial.

"Shhh..." Orin replied. "It's over."

He ripped a part of his fabric and wrapped it around Quil's wound, making sure it was applying enough pressure to hopefully make the bleeding stop. Quil let out a pained cry.

"The Ghouls are gone. They're no match for the Aegis," Orin said as he wiped a tear away from Quil's eye. "I've called for the Healers. Stay strong for me, Quil."

Around her, she felt that it had calmed down a little. The attack was over. It seemed impossible but the Ghouls had indeed penetrated the Sentry.

But Quil had lost too much blood. She could feel the cold creeping to her slowly, and the darkness.

"Kail, don't give up on her please," Orin was now pleading to Quil's Lua, but Quil knew it was hopeless. She could feel Kail's energy weaken more and more by each passing second. The life, after all, of a Lua rests upon its host.

"Orin..." she struggled to whisper.

Orin held her hand tightly. "Don't speak. It's alright."

But there was no more time for unspoked words. Quil shook her head, and she opened her mouth to speak the words she longed to speak for so long.

"Forgive me."

Then everything went black for Quil as she lay limply on Orin's arms.