Azren and Dezork left the area after returning the bag to the old lady.
The air felt heavier as they moved. Only the faint crunch of their footsteps rang between the houses. Dezork picked up his belongings from a corner, an enormous white sack stuffed full of herbs and powders which Azren could smell clearly even in his weak state, the sack was tied tightly at the top. He hauled it onto his shoulder with a grunt. The sack was so big that it almost dragged on the ground behind him.
Azren trailed behind him with slow steps, his head tilting forward every few seconds. His breathing sounded thin and uneven.
'…I'm so tired… I wanna sleep…'
The ground was pitch black. The soil swallowed the little starlight and moonlight from above, turning the path into a blurry mess of shadows. The houses around them had no lamps lit inside, only their steel sheets glimmered faintly in the dark.
'…It's so dark… I can't even see the road…'
Dezork glanced back mid stride. Even in the dimness, he could see Azren's eyes drooping and his body swaying slightly.
"Are you alright, Azren? You look like you can pass out at any moment… Are you that tired?"
Azren forced a smile despite the exhaustion dragging his voice.
"Ah… yes… I'm a little tired… but it's ok, I can walk."
Dezork stopped for a moment, studying him carefully.
"…I can carry you if you're not feeling well."
Azren quickly shook his head, too quickly. Dust scattered from his messy hair.
"No, no… it's fine. You're already carrying that big sack."
Dezork stared for a second, then sighed lightly.
"…Alright. If you say so."
He adjusted the sack on his shoulder and began walking again, but this time, he slowed down. Enough for Azren to walk right beside him.
Azren looked up at him with a small, tired smile.
"You're kind, Mr. Dezork…"
Dezork blinked in confusion.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Azren spoke softly, voice drifting like he was half asleep.
"You helped me… and the old lady… even when no one asked you to. You're strong… and you use your strength to help people… You're an amazing person… like a hero."
Dezork's steps faltered.
A faint blush crept up on his face which was not noticeable in the darkness, but he felt it.
Azren kept talking, unaware.
"I've met many kind people… and very few bad ones..and i don't really know how to react… when someone like you helps me this much."
Images flashed in his mind, Old Man Moltur's gentle scolding, and his mother's warm smile.
"You remind me of people who were… very precious to me…"
Dezork slowed even more, his voice becoming softer.
"Then… you should really learn to fight back, Azren. Because this world is filled with more bad people than good. The shadow of evil has covered whatever little light good people have left."
Azren looked at him from the corner of his half lidded eyes.
"The place I came from… It isn't that..great but still that's where i live and i care about it..I care about the people who live their too...they work hard to earn and survive...But the place I belong to… doesn't exist anymore."
Dezork turned fully toward him, his brows lifting.
"What do you mean?" he asked, confusion and curiosity mixing.
Azren walked a few more steps before answering. His voice trembled.
"…I'm weak."
He clenched the strap of his bag tightly.
"I couldn't help anyone. People like you… people who stand tall and protect others… I'm not like that."
His throat tightened.
He swallowed.
"There was someone… who loved me more than anyone ever could. Someone who gave me everything… even when she had nothing."
A small breath escaped him, shaky and painful.
"But I couldn't save her."
His feet dragged slower.
"…Because I was too weak."
Dezork walked beside him in silence for a while, the night air thick around them. The only sound was their footsteps sinking into the soft, dark soil. He glanced at Azren again, seeing the dim shine in the boy's tired eyes.
Finally, in a low and serious voice, he asked.
"…Why are you telling me all this?"
Azren blinked slowly. The exhaustion in his eyes didn't hide the honesty behind them.
He lifted his head and spoke, voice soft but steady.
"I already told you… you're kind. You didn't know me but you helped me. You didn't hesitate even once."
He lowered his gaze for a moment, brushing dust off his sleeve as he walked.
"I don't know anyone here… and I don't feel scared around you. I think… I can trust you. I don't know why… but you feel like someone who won't lie to me."
Dezork looked at him, before a small, brief smile curved on his face.
"…You're right. And you're wrong."
Azren blinked in surprise.
Dezork continued, his voice calm and strangely gentle.
"You're right about being weak… because you weren't trained. You're young. You're not supposed to be strong enough to protect anyone at that age."
He shifted the heavy sack on his shoulder and kept walking slowly, eyes forward.
"But you're also wrong."
Azren tilted his head slightly, confused.
Dezork's steps softened, and he spoke in a quiet voice that carried more warmth than the cold air around them.
"You're strong, Azren. Strong enough to live with something that painful. Strong enough to still smile like this… even if you pretend it. Strong enough to walk forward alone in a world like this."
He paused, glancing sideways at him.
"And I'm pretty sure… you've already saved many people. Maybe without realizing it. Maybe without remembering it. People like you… usually do."
Azren's eyes widened a little, breath catching for a moment. No one had ever said something like that to him, not like this, not with such firmness.
He stared at Dezork quietly.
Dezork looked forward again, the faint smile fading back into his usual calm expression.
"…I'm only strong because I was trained. Or… forced to be."
His voice dipped lower.
"I was supposed to be saving people on the battlefield. Going to war. Fighting for the kingdom… or whatever lies they used to say."
He breathed out softly, almost like a tired laugh.
"But nobody accepted me. Nobody wanted me. So now I'm here… living in this place… doing work for Lady Fateli, delivering herbs and drugs, helping people with heavy stuff or building, I do anything just to get enough money to eat and survive."
Azren opened his mouth, wanting to say something but Dezork suddenly stopped walking.
He looked ahead, his expression returning to its usual sharp calm.
"We're here."