Blood and stars

Chapter 10

A younger version of Agatha dressed in ragged clothing is seen digging through corpses with a body covered in blood, dirt and sweat. She searches through a battlefield of fallen lizarthraxians and broken pieces of technology. She cuts open a dead lizarthraxians chest and sees an orb that glows with a dim red light.

Agatha/mind: 'Why must I do this? Why must I tear out the hearts of my own kind all so they can be sold for credits?'

A metal whip hits Agatha on the back causing her to cry out in pain when an old lizarthraxian grabs her by the face and hisses angrily.

???: "Pick up the pace you worthless brat otherwise your not eating tonight!"

The old lizarthraxian smashes Agatha's head into the muddy dirt and blood of the battlefield floor and then walks away. She sobs quietly and continues to cut open the chests of the fallen warriors while cutting out their hearts and putting them in a container. A look of deep guilt and self loathing is in her tear filled eyes as she forces herself to do the brutal task.

Agatha/mind: 'Make it stop! Make it stop! Make it stop! Someone please end me!'

With a frightened gasp Agatha wakes up in her bedroom and hears a loud scream coming from the living room. She rushes out in her nightgown and sees Duncan shivering in cold sweat while screaming in his sleep. She grits her teeth with an angry growl and slaps him hard across the face startling him awake with a gasp.

Agatha: "Why are you screaming like this you worthless pig?!"

Agatha asks in a tone of anger and annoyance but her face changes to one of surprise when she sees something unexpected. Tears of blood are pouring out of Duncan's eyes and streaming down his face. He holds his hands up as the blood droplets hit his palm shocking him.

Agatha: "W-What...what is going on?"

Agatha asks seeming both surprised and slightly concerned at the sight of Duncan's bloody tears.

Duncan: "I...don't know all I remember is rage, anger, hate and...and–"

Duncan takes a deep shuddering breath and wipes the bloody tears away with his hands and after a moment he recomposes himself allowing his monotone demeanor to return. Agatha eyes him curiously for a few moments and then sighs and pours herself a glass of wine she sips it while looking down at Duncan.

Agatha: "I've done my fair share of research on humans and...you don't cry blood. Humans only cry salty water formed by glands in the head so why did you cry blood all of a sudden?"

Agatha asks Duncan in a tone of reserved annoyance while sipping her wine. He shakes his head in response.

Duncan: "I do not know I've never experienced something like this."

Duncan says to Agatha in response to her question and she growls and smacks him across the head with her wine glass breaking it and splashing wine and shards of glass on Duncan. Despite the vicious attack he remains emotionless and unfazed by it while keeping his eyes downcast.

Agatha: "Pathetic! You wake me up from my sleep and you don't even know why!"

Agatha kicks Duncan in the face making him hit the ground and she repeatedly kicks him in the stomach. But despite the pain his face remains expressionless and unbothered. When she is finally done she turns away with a growl and walks away.

Duncan: "Wait."

Duncan says to Agatha in a blunt tone of voice and she turns to him with an expression of annoyance.

Agatha: "What?"

Agatha asks Duncan making no effort to hide her disdain he then hesitates for a moment and speaks.