Octavius
As Octavius kneels before Vi's altar, feeling only marginally comforted after finishing his prayer, he senses someone's presence approaching. He moves to sit instead of kneel and, assuming it to be someone with a prayer for Vi of their own, provide the newcomer with some privacy. The utter bewilderment on his face at the sight of Captain Rao is clear in the way his eyebrows lift and his mouth opens slightly. Octavius quickly composes himself, however, resuming his knelt position and giving his captain a nod of respectful greeting.
At her words, he feels a flash of bitterness, then shame as he realizes he was overheard. He breaks eye contact with her to look ahead and into nothing, mulling over what he will say. He supposes there is nothing to say besides the truth.
"We were doing a routine patrol on the outskirts of the city and came across a man with a broken cart. There was nothing more urgent to do, so we helped him repair it. While we were doing it, however, the person I was on patrol with, they declared they must do a search of the cart. I questioned them for what, but they didn't answer and went ahead with it anyway. As it turned out, there was a symbol of the New Gods amongst his possessions." Octavius paused here and had to take a deep breath before continuing.
"My...fellow Dragoon was irate upon finding it, as was I, but they immediately accused the man of heresy and betrayal of the Old Gods. They...they...began beating the man. I tried to stop them, calm them down, but they fought me away. They said I had to be a heretic myself if I was defending him." As he told the story, he became even more ashamed because he realized exactly why he did nothing. "I was so afraid of that label...heretic, that I convinced myself it would be better to stand by. But now, now I feel so ashamed at this. I'm disgusted at myself. And I'm confused as to how I should feel. Because while no innocent person deserves what that man went through, he may well have been secretly worshiping the New Gods. What then?"
At her words, he feels a flash of bitterness, then shame as he realizes he was overheard. He breaks eye contact with her to look ahead and into nothing, mulling over what he will say. He supposes there is nothing to say besides the truth.
"We were doing a routine patrol on the outskirts of the city and came across a man with a broken cart. There was nothing more urgent to do, so we helped him repair it. While we were doing it, however, the person I was on patrol with, they declared they must do a search of the cart. I questioned them for what, but they didn't answer and went ahead with it anyway. As it turned out, there was a symbol of the New Gods amongst his possessions." Octavius paused here and had to take a deep breath before continuing.
"My...fellow Dragoon was irate upon finding it, as was I, but they immediately accused the man of heresy and betrayal of the Old Gods. They...they...began beating the man. I tried to stop them, calm them down, but they fought me away. They said I had to be a heretic myself if I was defending him." As he told the story, he became even more ashamed because he realized exactly why he did nothing. "I was so afraid of that label...heretic, that I convinced myself it would be better to stand by. But now, now I feel so ashamed at this. I'm disgusted at myself. And I'm confused as to how I should feel. Because while no innocent person deserves what that man went through, he may well have been secretly worshiping the New Gods. What then?"
i wake up alone, with only daytime between us
