For Julia Simon: Tears   

Last evening, as I walked the streets of PaxLair, I came across Anna, Nighstorm, and Julia Simon. As readers here know, Julia is the one for whom Drake Marsten (her cousin) is searching for the Tears of the Oracle. I had heard nothing more since Adara's plea concerning this; I had hoped that was because the Tears which cure had been found, and Julia had been saved. Unfortunately, it appears that is not the case.

I could not help but be struck by the finality of everything Julia said. Indeed, her illness was such that she found it hard to concentrate upon things. It seemed difficult for her to recall having served me at the Survival Shop. I could do little more than sit beside her, wrap my arm around her, and be there.

Anna and Nightstorm filled me in on things that I did not know, and despite all of our attempts to be courageous and impart that to Julia, I could see the drain upon their souls from having been with Julia and her obvious illness longer than I had last evening.

At last, she became sorely tired, and the three of us offerred to escort her home, to the shop. We put her on Spirit, my house, and lead the two of them across town. It was good that Spirit is a gentle horse.

As we passed the torch just outside the Chaos tower and the Quest center, Julia pulled spirit's reins from me, and stopped the horse, to stare for a moment, in thought.

"There, the torch. Beware!", she said.

"Is something wrong with the torch?", I wondered out loud, worried that her illness had tossed her to delirium.

"That is where he will come", was her reply; and she looked too frightened for me to think it just induced by her condition. "You MUST remember... after I am gone. warn them.. the torch..."

At this point, I was becoming frightened. Too much, so, to even ask her what she meant. Who she meant. I simply took Spirit's reins back from her, and lead her off to the Shop.

Again, the three of us attempted to cheer her, assuring her that Drake would return soon with the aid she needed. But she, convinced of her fate, asked one last favor, of Nightstorm. I thought it important enough to report here, as well.

"Will you do someting for me? If he fails.. do not let him take his own life. He is my cousin and must find his sons.. he thinks them dead. Let him know they live."

With that, we watched in silence, afraid to say much until she had disappeared behind the door, to rest. It was hard to not imagine it was a final rest. We remain hopeful.

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