Skyrim: Fall of the Dawn

12. Dust of the Past

"How are your fingers?"

Blaise asked Alesan. They were having a supper in Alesan's room. Almost five days passed since the first testing. Alesan was on top. Helval was the second. One competitor died and two who were the worst were sent back to prison to work in mine or from wherever they came.

Alesan looked at his bandaged fingers. They were still in bad state, but he was recovering.

"Like crap."

Blaise laughed. They were eating some ordinarly meal. Alesan wasn't eating, really. He had no apetite. It seemed more and more that nothing could soothe his hunger.

"I've done everything in my power, but seems they aren't going to disqualify him. I am sorry."

"Who told you to even try that?!"

Alesan asked. He felt insulted. Sometimes he truly couldn't understand Blaise's acts.

"It's the right thing to do."

"Right thing? Are you talking about justice?"

"Yes. Justice."

Alesan rolled his eyes and shook his head. Blaise just continued eating.

"Justice is dead, Blaise. It never really existed. Justice is like an aborted child, born dead."

Alesan said and got up. He walked over to the window. The Sun was already down and thousands of stars filled the sky. There wasn't Aurora Borealis in the sky. Shameful.

"If you believe in it, it can be resurrected. This world isn't as black as it seems."

"You are right. It's just very, very, very, very dark grey."

"At least it's grey."

"You know, Blaise, I always found your optimism so confusing and futile. But I amdire it. Even though I would never wanted to live that way. No offense."

"No, I understand. You are not that type of person. But you do seperate good from evil. And that's all that matters."

Blaise drank the last drop of alto wine and burped loudly. Alesan smirked.

"Pig."

"Good night to you too."

He said and left the room. Some servants then enetered the room and collected the dishes.

Alesan spent an hour staring at the stars and thinking how he never seperated good from evil. He always thought one does not exist without another.

♢♢♢

Lucrezia was looking at Alesan's fingers. She wore a disapproving expression on her face.

"That wretch should be punished."

She finally said in cold tone. Alesan sighed and ordered her to hold sword correctly.

"Don't bother yourself with that."

"But it's just not fair."

"I know, but it also isn't important. The point is to win. And not to say that I still haven't found out who is the noble that had chosen me."

"Still? Maybe no one chose you."

"If that's the truth, I would have been already dead by now."

"Maybe you wouldn't. It's not like you remember what were you doing those last five years. Who knows how much of a naughty boy you were."