Grandson. Hast thou truly been bested by a foe of bone and marrow?

I floated through space, bodiless and mindless. I'd been doing something important, and then... I'd helped... somebody. I thought, therefore I was. But was I still, or did I think? Am I, or will I be?

Where hast thou went, grandson? By what method didst thou block my sight? Thru what magicks didst thou compose a spell of soul and psyche? Why dost thou refuse to reply?

I ignored the thunder echoing in my mind. It was a voice I knew all too well, and I didn't have time for a lecture. I needed to get back to... somewhere. I had a body to occupy. At least I was fairly sure I did.

Shall I pull you to true reality? Shouldst I allow thee to wallow in thy mistakes until thy infliction lifts? Wouldst that thy will be changed, Shold'ler. Thou art missed hence.

I would have laughed if I was able to. Sure, Grandpa. I remember how it went the last time you 'missed' someone.

Oh well. It doesn't matter anymore. Now, where's my body!?

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

My eyes snapped open to darkness, which they were just fine with. The only light I could see came from a rich green light coming from somewhere in front of me.

I tried to stand up and my body didn't so much as twitch. I lay ragdolling against a rather large chunk of brown rock, my head slumped sideways and my limbs refusing to react to anything. Looking around awkwardly, I managed to see the hint of some binding circles. I'd been bound to my body and then paralyzed in it.

Well, this wasn't good.

Focusing for a moment, I tried to expand my sphere of perception and was promptly blocked. It also served to inform me of the ache drilling into my head, and I winced. I could remember what happened up to a certain point, and then everything was just blackness after that.

A thought slithered into my mind, invasive and unwanted. I almost resisted before I heard a suspicious tone. You awaken.

I blinked in surprise. Green? Is everything okay?

Why should you care?

Green walked in front of me. That was the first thing that I noticed, that he was walking on his own two feet. He looked a little unsteady if I was being honest, but he still had an ornate sword impaling him through the center of his chest. It looked uncomfortable, but it was better than being strapped to a rock. He crouched in front of me, coldly staring straight into my eyes. I will ask again. Why should you care?

Because... I can?

That is not a reason. He rested his arms on his knees, and I realized just how skinny he was. His clothes, nice as they were, hung on him gauntly. Like an ill-fitted display. I have battled queens and emperors and armies alike, Shold'ler. All of them strove to avoid a fight until necessary, and yet you deemed Dioda's safety a necessity.

I infused my tone with minor annoyance. Should I not have?

No, you should not. He stood up, and my heavy mind finally figured it out. The vines were gone!

You stopped stealing from Dioda!

He glared at me. Why do you still concern yourself with her? I have you bound on a rock. I could sever your soul from your body and send it to whatever afterlife you believe in! I don't understand you at all!

I stared back at him, still unable to even lift a finger. The pressure Green was putting on my mind made it impossible to do anything except talk, and so talk I did. I care about Dioda because I can care about Dioda, and because she's nice. I mean, you came to the same conclusion, right? After all, you stopped.

His eyes narrowed. I ceased absorbing the life energy she produced because whatever you did made our souls communicate on an unheard-of level, and it would have been suicide to continue. I can only assume that was part of your plan, although the more I speak with you, the less confident I am in that assumption.

I put a little embarrassment in my words. Sorry. I just wanted you to talk with her, and I couldn't think of another way to do that with you trying to kick me out of your clearing.

He sat down, folding his legs. He was much taller than I'd initially noticed and would have towered over me had I been standing. You have not yet answered my original question, Shold'ler. Why are you doing any of this? I have known you for less than two days, and by your own admission, you had not known Dioda longer than a day. For what reason did you consider yourself entitled to fight on her behalf?

That was not the question I'd been expecting. Well... I don't know. She's nice. You're nice. So... I thought that you'd want to be friends with her too.

He looked surprised. 'Too'? What do you mean by that?

I mean... aren't we friends?

He stared at me for a long moment and then looked up at the sky in irritation. What part of 'I could sever your soul' did you not understand? I have you bound mind and body! You could not defend yourself if you wanted to! How could you consider me a friend!?

I didn't need to think about it. I trust you not to do that. Besides, you sounded like you really needed some friends. I know the last time you had friends it didn't end well, but hey, I don't have any friends either. You seemed like you genuinely wanted to apologize to Dioda, which I appreciated, but you were beating yourself up too much to go through with it, and then you thought it'd be better if you stayed tied to that rock even if Dioda was taking the hit for it. I don't really understand you either, to be honest. But it's hard to picture you as a bad person.

The words set him back on his heels, and then he leaned forward. A sphere of moss-green fire lit up in his hand, and he moved it close to my face. Does this help at all?

I wasn't worried. Not really. I still know you're not going to go through with it.

HOW!? He shouted into my mind with startling volume, and I winced from the sudden change in tone. I told you of my betrayal of my friends! I once strove to conquer the world in its entirety!

Yeah, but you were trying to save it, right?

That - that is not my point! I struck my friends down once they confronted me! Their deaths are on my hands!

Yeah, and you seem to be pretty upset about that. I pushed the questions, ignoring the blaze building in Green's palm. So do I think you did deserve to be strapped to a rock? Definitely. Death is really inconvenient and I totally understand your friends' perspectives on that. I mean, I don't get why they stopped talking to you, but it's been a while. Surely they've forgiven you by now, right?

He stared at me. When he spoke again, his voice was quiet. Shold'ler, is death temporary where you come from?

I began to get a very ominous feeling. Yes.

The feeling escalated as Green sat down cross-legged, putting his head in his hands. Here, death lasts forever. There is no returning from it, and there are few ways to reverse it. Although I am now a lich, I once was human. The cost to bring myself back was great. Too great for my friends to accept, and they commanded me that if and when they died, it would be a permanent death. That I would not bring them back.

I was beginning to feel light-headed again. B-but... you can still talk to them, right? Just find out where their souls went and go there!

He shook his head. It is not so easy here, Shold'ler. Upon death, the souls of the dead depart from this mortal plane, and there is no contact between this world and theirs.

My eyes widened. So when you said you were going to sever my soul, what you meant was...

Green's own eyes slid to the flame in his hands and slowly widened in horror. He hurled himself backward, the fire extinguishing as he did, and he landed on his rump, staring at the ground. I would have committed the same catastrophe I had done so many years ago. I... I have learned nothing, even after centuries of binding myself to that stone, believing that penance would change me.

I tried to stand up and still made no progress. Green was a master at binding, apparently. So, in other words... you put yourself in time-out for a while and thought that'd do the trick? Did you talk to anybody about you felt? Tried to work through it?

He glared at me. You still attempt to help me! I had called you naive when I first met you. How greatly have I understated that fact!?

I would have rolled my eyes if I hadn't thought it'd make the situation worse. Sometimes it's better to have the appearance of naivete and change that perception over time. Don't get me wrong, I didn't know how... I paused, still trying to come to terms with the most worrying piece of information. ...permanent the loss of one's body was. I've been thinking of mine as a sort of a placeholder for my soul. I didn't think losing it was anywhere near as important as you say it is.

He nodded, absorbing the words. Yes! Exactly! And I killed my friends! Why must I repeat it?

Well, I've heard history repeats itself.

Kneading the space between his eyes with a finger, he told me, Then leave, before I renew my mistakes.

No, I don't think I will.

His head snapped upward, but before he could say anything, I continued, I'm being serious. History can't be changed, but the future is always changing. Why should history have to repeat itself? I'm using the present to stop people from hurting each other. In this case, you and Dioda. And you're wondering why I'd care about that? It's because you're my friend, even if I'm not yours.

He stared at me for a long moment, and then made a gesture. The binds paralyzing me suddenly vanished, and I sat up. Thanks for that!

Green's eyes were cold as he looked into mine. I cannot promise that I will not make the same mistake twice.

I stood up, weird feelings passing through my legs and arms as they moved for the first time in a while, and patted Green on the shoulder. He flinched as though I'd hit him. You don't need to promise! I trust you not to. So are you ready to meet Dioda properly?

He shook his head. No. I have removed myself from the stone. Accept that as progress and leave me for now.

I nodded, appreciating the ability to do so. Of course! Take things at your own pace.

His voice was wry. At my own pace? You fought me until I paralyzed you, spoke until I threatened you, and now you tell me to take things at my own pace?

I cheerfully told him, It's what friends are for!

He shook his head again. You are absolutely mad. It wasn't an insult fueled by hurt this time. I could tell.

Turning around, I started heading for the rather shredded hedge on the border of Green's clearing. I'll take that as a compliment. I'll be over in my valley if you need me. Dioda knows where it is.

I think that all went rather well.