The Epic Tale of Cregan

Chapter 15: Waging a War

Cree is once again standing on the edge of the cliff. The sky is white once again, and the fog is still lingering on the ground below. The only wind he feels is a gentle breeze, but it in no way brings him comfort.

As he turns around, he sees him again.

Tyrell.

He stares down his other half, his fists tightening at his sides. The real one and the golden-bronze metal of his right hand.

Tyrell slowly approaches, but Cree refuses to be afraid this time.

He's stronger now. He has to be.

When Tyrell reaches him, standing mere inches away, he pushes him again with an apathetic glare, watching as Cree starts to fall.

But he catches the edge of the cliff with his left hand.

When he looks back up, Tyrell is gone.

And Regan is standing in his place.

Cree smiles as Regan reaches down to take his hand, extending his reach to help pull him up before he can fall again.

Cree reaches up with his metal hand to take Regan's.

But instead of pulling him up, Regan struggles to hold on.

And he falls too.

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Cree lets out a small gasp as he wakes up. The orange glow outside the inn window tells him it's just the break of dawn. He doesn't remember exactly when he fell asleep, but he feels refreshed. Relaxed. Alive. A feeling of warmth and comfort fills his heart, despite the doubts clouding his mind. He shoves them aside in the moment and just focuses on this feeling.

He had forgotten how nice it was to not sleep alone.

He turns his head to see Regan peacefully asleep beside him.

Especially when they're still there to prove that his trust wasn't misplaced.

A smile spreads across Cree's face, not quite sure how he got here; to this moment. His mind runs through how he has treated Regan over the years, and guilt plagues his heart. But despite everything, he's still here. And Cree promises to both himself and Regan that he will never hurt him again.

Then he gets a flash image of how Edith would react to this. He can't tell if she would be happy or more likely to kill him. Either way, it makes him chuckle softly.

He looks over at Regan's face again and his eyes hover over the healed scar over his cheek. The guilt resurfaces. With a heavy heart, he reaches over and brushes his metal thumb over the scar. He slightly shakes his head.

"...Why do you love me...?" he whispers as he stares at his face.

Regan begins to stir, his eyes squinting against the morning light as he blinks them open, his gaze instantly falling to Cree beside him. A warm smile melts onto his face, suddenly realizing that last night wasn't a dream. It wouldn't be the first time.

"Good morning, Ty," he says quietly.

Cree scoffs playfully. "Really? You're still not gonna call me 'Cree'? Damn, what more do I have to do to prove myself?" he rolls his eyes and shakes his head with a smile.

Regan chuckles. "I'll know it when I see it."

Cree sighs and sits up, stretching his arms above his head and rotating his new Dwarven arm, still getting used to the new feeling. He still can't believe that Regan was so, um, distracted last night that he didn't even stop to ogle the new technology.