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Krill sits on his rock, it was warm and humid in the little piece of wilderness near waterdeep, an estate owned by the dragonborn and his devoted husband Gale. The black scaled reptile had taken off the majority of his clothing, far away from the overbearing sights and sounds of the city, Krill could be natural.
“Sunbathing I see?” Krill sat slowly, looking with half closed eyes to see the source of the unfamiliar voice. He focused in on the hazy silver figure in front of him, and instantly his eyes went large. “Quil?” He spoke, a quiver in his smooth, yet deep voice. The figure looked at him, as if looking through him, he scattered into a sitting position on his rock.
“Criss-cross” He stated plainly as he crossed his large legs over each other, sitting as such while he looked at Quil with a smile. “Yes it is my good friend Quil, I knew the voices lied.. Krill would.. I would never harm my friend Quil." He spoke with an earnest edge to his voice, as if he were willing his words to be true, trying to force his addled mind to believe them.
“You are Quil, yes? Not another one of my sister's tricks?” He looks with a smile, having already decided in his mind that this must be Quil, the dragonborn who had died in his company months ago. The silver dragon shook her head, coming over to touch Krill’s face with a cold look.
“No tricks, not for you, my killer.” She looked at him, a hatred in her eyes. “How many times did you stab me kin? How many?” She demanded an answer, and Krill gave it to the trees, the birds, and the rock. He spoke to nature around him, where no living thing could hear. “63” He felt wetness slide down his scales, his eyes leaking once again, just as they had done so much before. Quil was gone, had never been there, only the cruel tricks of Krill’s guilt-ridden mind.
The next day at breakfast he decided to share with his husband Gale, to allow him a share of his burden. “So you saw her again, that girl that came to camp so long ago?” Gale asked, writing notes on a pad of paper, pausing to dip his quill in ink now and then.
Krill nods, his eyes scanning the window, keeping an eye out for any movement. Gale moves his head trying to meet Krill’s gaze. “Um, hello? Krill?” He keeps moving his head as Krill tries to maintain a view outside. “I need to see if she comes back, I’ll give her food.” Krill states, smiling slightly, as if this idea would surely solve his problems.
“Well, big guy, you still seem to be missing the problem.. Do you not get it?” Gale asks, trying to be gentle with his husband’s feelings. “Krill, she’s been dead for a while now.” Krill just keeps looking out the window, unbothered. “Cookies, she’ll like cookies, and then we can be friends again.” Krill shook, his small cup of orange juice being slowly crushed in his grip.
“She’ll like them Gale.. won’t she?” Krill finally looks at his husband, his large sad eyes seeking validation, some truth to his fantasy. “Um, sure she will, big guy, I.. I think I have an idea.” Gale stands, and goes to prepare some cookies with one of his many cooking scrolls.
“Chocolate chip or something else?” Gale asks as Krill sits criss-cross in the small chair, his legs barely being contained by it. “Peanut butter.” He mumbles, taking a small sip of juice. He smiles slightly as he smells the peanut butter cookies being prepared. Gale approaches him. “It’ll be a few minutes, until then I’m gonna step out for a few minutes, okay?” Gale states, kissing Krill on the top of his scaled head.
Krill sits and waits, even as Quil watches him from the window, her eyes accusing him. Krill slowly sinks down, hiding under the kitchen table. He peeks out again, only to find Quil inches from his face, on top of the table.
“Wh.. what do you want!” He yelps, his eyes wet with tears. Quil just stares at him. “I want to live.”
She vanishes, as Krill begins to cry, big dragon tears hit the wooden floorboards, years of denial and pent up feelings coming out like a flood, he barely notices the hand on his back. “Come here love.” Gale kneels down and wraps his arms around Krill, his hands meeting around the dragonborn’s chest. “Shh, it’s okay, isn’t it? We’re both here, me and you, you and me, and nothing’s gonna harm you, not while I’m around.” Gale comforts his husband, his words soothing the large purple and black scaled dragonborn.
“Let’s get some fresh air, I have something to show you, and bring the cookies!” Gale smiles as he materializes a basket for the cookies. The pair exit their home and head out into the small wooded yard, where a makeshift effigy had been created. “It’s for your friend.. to say goodbye, if you want?”
Krill stares at the candles, in a semicircle with a small drawing of a silver dragonborn in the middle. “Friend Quil?” He smiles, kneeling at the effigy. Krill’s hand shakes as he grips a cookie in his claws, placing the peanut butter treat next to the drawing.
He tries to speak, but his words devolve into big, gasping sobs. He finally manages to focus, “I’m.. I’m sorry Quil.. for all of it, if.. if I could take your place, Krill instead of Quil.. I would.. a hundred times over.. I would.” He looks up and sees her again, her eyes looking right at him, no longer through him. He sees her pick up the cookie, and smile. “I know you would.”
She vanishes, as Krill grasps for her in the air, seeking a hug with an apparition. Gale replaces her, accepting the hug, and holding his husband tight. “It’s okay.. I’ve got you.” The pair held each other for a while longer, and then ate some cookies. It was a fine day, one of Krill’s favorites. He swore, everytime he would eat his husband’s cookies from then on out, he could smell a silver dragonborn beside him, holding his hand, and telling him, “It’s okay Krill.”