Page 28 of Alien Barbarian's Little Human

“I have the advantage up close, don’t I Svarz?”

His eyes flicker for a moment, and I swing the hammer around. It obliterates his head without slowing down. I continue to hammer away at the armature, knocking bits of it off and sending it spinning down to the ground.

“This time, it’s over for real, monster.”

The headless thing doesn’t move. I lower the hammer, and turn to see my beloved. I can see Micah from the shoulders up, as she leans against a buttress.

“Beloved, are you all right?”

Micah staggers out from behind the buttress, her body red from the stomach down. She gets all of two steps and collapses onto the gound.

I’m at her side in an instant, applying the bandages in my kit, and watching them soak through in an instant.

“How? How did this happen?”

Svarz looms behind me. He is not dead. I should have known.He doesn’t attack.

Because he does not need to.

“Micah, my love, don’t die.” I grab her hand and hold tight as the light drifts out of her eyes. “I cannot go on without you.”

“It is too late. She is gone,” Svarz says. “My objective is complete.”

“Kill me,” I say softly. “I do not wish to live without her.”

“That is not my objective. My objective was to stop the birth of the progeny, which would…”

His terrible furnace eyes flare so bright it’s almost blinding.

“Error. Error. The Progeny has been eliminated from this era, but will still be born at a later time. This is unacceptable. I will take corrective action.”

The armature stalks out of the village gates as calm as can be. I cradle my dead soulmate’s body next to me. My heart is gone. I do not want to live. Why did it not kill me?

Why?

Chief Ral waits until dawn before moving in to gently try and pry her body from my grasp. I won’t allow it. He gives in and when the medicine men come to bear her body away on a palanquin, I walk beside it, holding her hand though it has long since grown cold.

I sit with her body, awaiting the formal funeral. I wish it were my funeral. I wish it were me laying there instead of her. Micah was too good for this Galaxy. It’s not fair.

After her funeral, I will venture into Skuyr territory and sell myself dearly. I will cut down many of our enemies and do some good as I flee from this pain.

Someone stirs at the doorway.

“I wish to be alone with my beloved.”

Chief Ral enters, and sits beside me on the floor. I do not look at him.

“I’m sorry, I thought perhaps you might want to know what the wise men think about what Svarz said.”

My jaw sets hard.

“Do not speak the name of that abomination to my ears.”

“I’m sorry. The wound is still fresh, raw. You feel as if the world simply cannot continue without your beloved in it.”

He’s right. That sums up how I feel.

“I know this because I felt much the same when I lost my son. But before you let your grief blind you, heed the words of the Wise Men.”

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