(Third Person POV)
Shortly after the incident in Brightdawn IV, the Orcish Stronghold held the burial for their Chief, Vakmu. Everyone was shocked by the sudden turn of events, their Tribal Chief suddenly being murdered by Duskrend Spies in the Ruins.
There was an outrage among the Orcs, but they were quickly quelled by the presence of Vaezhrya, who was simply there to pay her respects to the Fallen Warrior. The body of the Orcish Chief was too mangled to the point of being barely recognizable. Oneth and Desiree tried their best to restore it as close to its former state.
Now, the entire stronghold was gathered around the burial of Vakmu, his grave having a large stone to honor him. All of the Orcs were present, along with Samuel and the others.
Nobody expected the Heroine of Abaddon to be there, but Vaezhrya would not leave without showing respect to someone who gave his life for the sake of the Kingdom. Her mere presence told the other Orcs that the situation down at the ruins was worse than they imagined, especially with the grim look on Sharn's face.
Sharn was on the far side of the Stronghold's premises, sitting on a log while trying to keep her tears in. Everything felt surreal to her, she couldn't believe that her father was gone. One minute, she was having supper with him, laughing and telling each other hunting stories. The other minute, Akmu was leaving in a hurry, telling Sharn that he had a bad feeling about the ruins. And now, she had buried her father, with no chance to tell him goodbye.
Sharn hung her head down, closing her eyes and clenching her fists, "Tch....!" She said, a single tear running down her cheek, "Why...?"
"You doing alright?" She looked back to see Samuel standing behind her
Sharn wiped a tear away, "I-I'm fine...." She said, "What did you need?"
Samuel looked at her for a couple of seconds, "I didn't need to ask that question." He said, "I know you're not okay."
He walked over to the log and sat next to her, causing Sharn to clear her throat and wipe the coming tears.
"I...." She said softly, "I don't know what to feel or think."
"Hm." Samuel said, "I get it."
"You do?" Sharn looked at him
Samuel looked at her, "Losing a father." He said, "I get it. When I lost mine, I was but a little squirt who didn't understand much at the time."
Sharn stared at him, "You lost your father at a young age?"
"I did." Samuel nodded, "He died in a War, fighting for what he believed in. He served his country and died. When the news reached our home, I spent days asking for him. I didn't know the truth.....well, I did.....but I was young. I didn't understand what had happened. He wasn't there much due to the war, but I knew he was out there. But when he died, it took me a bit to fully understand what was happening."
"I see." She said, "I'm sorry about that."
"No, don't be." Samuel said, "It is I who should be sorry for your loss."
"Right..." Sharn looked down
"If it's any consolation." Samuel started, looking ahead, "Your Father probably stalled them long enough to prevent them from taking the Artifact. In the long run, he prevented a major incident that could've affected the Kingdom. He died protecting his home."
Sharn looked at him, "Is that how you feel about this?"
Samuel closed his eyes, "I don't know what to feel about any of this." He said, "Do you know how long I've been in this place?"
"Not really." She said
"Not even a week." He said, looking at her, "I have been in this world for only a few days. And within those days, I've been through quite some shit. I don't know a lot of things, but I do know this: a Daughter lost her Father. And I have to pay my respects in any way that I can."
Sharn stared at him, not knowing what to say. She merely clutched the fur on her pants and frowned, her eyes staring right at Samuel's.
"I...." She started
"I'll say this once; I'm terribly sorry for your loss." Samuel said, "That is all I can say at a time like this. I don't know anything about anything here. I'm a foreigner, I'm a complete stranger. But I'm also human, one who can empathize. It's going to be tough, Sharn, losing a parent. At the very least, I can relate to that pain. If you want to talk about, don't hesitate in giving me a call."
Samuel stood up and was about to walk away when Sharn reached for his hand, stopping him.
"Wait." She said softly
Samuel looked at her, "What is it?"
"Y-You....." Sharn said, her voice was shaky, "Aren't you the Promised Warrior?"
Samuel blinked, "So they say. The Promised Warrior of Prophecy, the one who will aid in the war against the Duskrend Kingdom. That is what the Queen of Abaddon told me. Queen Asothia said I am to be her weapon." He said, "But at the end of the day, I was just a guy who was ripped away from his home."
"But...." Sharn said, looking down, "Y-You can be the one...that....."
"Whatever the role of the Promised Warrior is....." Samuel said, "I'll do my best in trying to fulfill it."
Sharn slowly pulled away, "Right..." She said softly, "I see..."
Samuel slowly tipped his hat, "I'll leave you to your mourning." He said, "As I said, if you need to talk about anything, I am there. For now, you need time and space to process all of this."
As Samuel began to walk away, Sharn called out for him again.
"Samuel." She said, prompting him to stop and glance at her, "Will I see you again soon? If you are going back to the Capital, can I.....see you again?"
Samuel nodded, "Sure." He said,
"I don't see why not."