Evune had not given much thought to Karlach’s changes since they reached the city, she had thought it was simply the emotions of being back and being so close to the man that harmed her, being too overwhelming for anything but determination. Oh, but what a fool she was. A fool whose naivety now carried a body count, whose naivety was being snuffed out like the lives of anyone remaining in the factory before it blew.
She was on lying on the ground in some rubble from the still burning explosion, though she had escaped, the force of the blast had knocked her over and sent her flying to the ground. As soon as she had air in her lungs was when she cried out the question in an anguished voice.
She looked up at Karlach, her friend, as she heard her response. If she hadn’t been watching her face and saw her lips move as she spoke Evune couldn’t have believed Karlach had really said it. This wasn’t who she knew, was it? There must be some mistake…
“They- the gondians- they- they did not serve Gortash willingly! They were enslaved!” She shouted back yet there was a tremble in her voice as she got to her feet. She winced as she rose, the fall must have twisted her ankle in some odd direction, but she continued “They were victims, they were used just like you were. How can you not see that?” She was practically pleading for some kind of explanation that would ease her soft heart, some confirmation that this was the Karlach she knew. That it hadn't all been one big lie. She truly was a fool.
“The collars around their necks are proof… were proof…” she trailed off. She could only hope some had fled before the factory was destroyed but the Gondians had said something about their families being held captive somewhere, they wouldn’t have fled if it meant their families would pay the price.
“Oh- oh gods their families,” she trembled. With the workers dead there was no reason to keep their families alive anymore, they had doomed them as well.
“We have doomed them all, haven’t we?”
She let out a sobbing sound and wrapped her arms around herself, fingers digging into the opposite arm. Soon after, her torso collapsed in on itself, she bent forward with her elbows pressed against her stomach as she hung her head.
It took a few more anguished noises before she regained her ability to speak,
“But you are right… I should have done something,” She took a sputtering breath, “I should have… Mielikki forgive me…” She sniffled before rising again, feeling the heat of the flames behind her.
“But I will not allow something like this to happen ever again- do you understand?!”
