DOOM SAGA I - I'll be home tomorrow

Two sides of a coin

Argent d'Nur

She changed the torch to her other hand as she stared down the narrow steps that led further into the ground. It smelled wet and of cold stone, and she winced as bits of hot cinders fell onto her naked skin on the feet. The simple gown she was wearing didn't offer much protection, though she didn't feel the chill right now. She brushed it off with her other foot and leaned closer to the wall looking for support as she began the journey down. Her free hand ran along the bricks that bent in a tight curve and she had to look for every step as they were old and sloped. The dirt and dust stuck to her skin, gathered as this path was abandoned for years, yet she was too focused on getting onward to think about it.
Every time she looked ahead she could swear to see something move. She wanted to close her eyes, as this darkness would have been easier to bare, and as the end of the tunnel was visible at last, a tiny shimmer of rays reaching through the cracks, she allowed herself to kneel down for a moment to rest. She wiped her face dry, wondering when she had started to cry, before she sniffled and smothered the torch.
There wasn't much more light in the tombs, only a handful of fresh candles with great distance lead along the inner curved wall. This part looked much older, near ancient, with its hand-chiselled stones and simple metal bars to close the front of the cells. It must be from the middle-ages, she thought, though it might have been very different from what she knew.
"Tobin...", she whispered as she crawled along the opposite side from where the candles were lit. The cells were all empty, and bit by bit she grew more impatient. What if he wasn't here anymore? Or she had taken the wrong path? She bit her lower lip and tried to keep her breath down as her heart raced. She stuck her head around another partition, squinting her eyes.
"You shouldn't be here...", spoke the shadow sitting in front of her making her fall onto her butt. She stammered in fright before she crawled back to the bars.
"T-Tobin... I-I...", she began but stopped as her mind blanked. She reached through and stretched her arm as long as possible but still couldn't get to him.
"You. Shouldn't. Be. Here!", he spat and jumped towards her and grabbed her arm as she fell backwards. His eyes gleamed in the reflection of the flame and even so she could see the blood splattered over his face. His mad expression softened as he saw her unwavering eyes.
"You will be in trouble if they find you here...!", he tried to convince her, but she just looked him up and down patiently.
"Are you okay...?", she asked.
"I mean...", she added as her gaze lowered briefly, "Are you hurt?"
He let go of her arm and leaned back against the corner where the wall and metal met.
"No. Nothing more than I'm used to...", he whispered disappointed.
A heavy silence grew between them. After all that had happened, she couldn't leave him here.
"Tobin?"
He turned his head.
"Will they... kill you?", her voice broke as she sniffled upset.
His hand gently raised to her cheek.
"Yes."
"But--"
"Io...", he stopped her.
"I know what I did. And I knew as I did. I won't break the law. I won't hide, and I will for sure not run away from my punishment."
"But I don't get it?! They get a trial after everything they have done but you don't?! That's not right! Please!", she pleaded.
"I murdered half a dozen men...", he said with a shaking voice.
"There is nothing right about it!"
"NO!", she jumped onto her feet and sped to the cell's door.
"You are not like them!", she spat and pulled on it with all her strength, and as it suddenly swung open she nearly tripped. Baffled she stood with her mouth open.
"Why is it... open?", she mumbled as Tobin got up and walked over.
"Io, I'm in here of my free will. I want this!"
He leaned into the metal frame and covered his hurting ribs as Io caught herself again.
"B-But...", she stammered.
"There is no but... Please go now, I don't want anybody to see you here, little Troublemaker...!"
His fingertip poked her nose gently before he ailing slid down and rested his head against the frame.
"Please, think about your brother! He needs you more than ever and--"
"He never needed me!"
Confused she raised her brows.
"He was always... stronger... faster... smarter... just better than me... I'm worth nothing to the people, even after all I did! So at least I got rid of some trash that was making everybody sicker, day after day...! I failed. I couldn't protect him..."
"But that's not your fault, you idiot...!", a strenuous voice echoed down the hallway.
In fright, both of them turned to see Perrin lurking in the dark. His reddened eyes stayed fixed on his brother as he came slowly closer and stopped halfway. She could see him shaking.
"You were always so damn selfless, always protecting everybody, not caring about wounds, not even caring about what I'm thinking, ever since when we were children.", he sobbed.
"So somebody had to protect you!"
"I'm sorry...", Tobin screeched as he broke down. Perrin closed the gap with a few big steps and embraced him.
"Why-y...", he whined into his brother's arms.
"Because I love you!", he said as if it was obvious.
"I caught them, Tobs... They wanted you not me... but I could not bear never seeing you fucking smile again!"
He grabbed his brother's head with both hands and wiped away the stale blood and his tears.
"Especially since I noticed your newest crush...!", Perrin joked and forced a smile onto his lips.
"Oh... n-no... you know...?!", the younger one squealed embarrassed for a moment before tears bubbled up even stronger.
"I'm going to die!", he wailed loudly.
"I'm sorry! I just wanted-- I-- fuck! I love you too!"
"I know!", Perrin assured him.
"I will always look out for you Tobs! I'm your bigger brother! That's what we do!"
They looked so different right now, and yet the same. Like a mirror that showed another world where things could be different as Tobin stammered.
"It's just four minutes, asshole!"
In his voice, one could hear that it was coming from the heart not hate, and Perrin shook his head.
"That doesn't fucking matter! I can't live without you!"
Perrin held onto his brother tightly for minutes as he turned to the other quietly weeping along. Without much ado, he grabbed Io and pulled her into their arms as well.
"I don't want you to die!", she sniffled upset.
"No.", Perrin said.
"Today is not Yesterday."

The rough carpet felt a hundred times warmer than the stone floor and she felt herself relax even though they were striding down the marvellous arches that lead to the king's throne. Instead, her mind was practising what she wanted to say, the arguments that might save their lives. Perrin was supporting his brother, so Io led the way a couple of feet in front of them. The morning air was still freezing but the golden light made her skin melt in warmth as it came atop the valley. A group of guards rushed by on the crossing before them and as one of them stopped abruptly, his buddy nearly running him over, he pointed in their direction and yelled.
"There he is!"
Their weapons ready they did not hesitate and stormed their way rapidly.
"Detain him!", the one in front of the rest ordered.
Io with her eyes closed, still relishing the sensation of light after all this darkness, felt cinders, like the ones that hat marked her skin, burn in her stomach and ignite.
In a moment that she couldn't grasp herself, the guard running past her, with a heart beating calm and clear mind, she used the leverage of the back of the spear to make him turn and stumble, pulled the legs from under him, and set her knee atop his chest as he lay on his back. In a deep growl, her breath formed steam in the frost as the heat continued to grow.
"Out of my way."
The guard, perplexed by her action, stammered and raised his hands dismissively. She snorted enraged and filled with confidence and disgust strutted onwards and past the rest of the guards, glaring at her unsure what to do.
The brothers followed in silence and as they reached the gate, the high-ranked guard gazed at her knowingly, and let it open without another word needed to be said.
Minutes had passed as the Slayer arrived and with him more guards and others that wanted to see what was going on.
"The king ordered nobody to disturb them!", the guard announced yet again, as the Slayer stopped at the top of the stairs.
"Especially you.", he added respectfully, and he could see in his eyes that it was not King Novik who had specified it.
The Slayer grunted and as many more minutes had passed, the hour near full, the gate opened without notice. In it, Io stepped outside, the brothers nowhere to be seen. Io swayed tiredly as she gazed at the men gathered, and in the awkward silence, a sigh, or rather moan escaped her mouth. He hast up the rest of the steps and arrived just as her eyes rolled back into her head. Her small frame was burning and even in the cold sweat was covering her white skin.
"I need more... antibiotics... I guess...", she mumbled when she felt the warmth of his body embrace her, and winced in pain as he carefully examined her swollen wound.