Responsibility vs Guilt

JP with Winteroak and Cindy

The flames flickering into the darkness of the ancient forest casting long and flickering shadows across the clearing, that seemed to make the stone pulsate.

The old woman raised her hands to the fire as if trying to get some warmth into her bones. "How much is one life worth? Would you sacrifice one life to save ten?" Came the questions.

The Penitent contemplated that question. Any response was probably not going to be a hundred percent correct. After a moment of deliberation, Islana spoke up.

"It is not always equal costs. If one life is meant for things that can't be foreseen, things that could shape a world for the better, than the greater good might be served by sacrificing the ten. If the greater good is served by the ten than the answer is clearly yes." Her green turned to look at the reds and orange flames.

Most would automatically say they would sacrifice the one but what if the ten were evil. What if the one was destined to be the bringer of great things? Would it have been good for a child to have been sacrificed that night so the Creed would have continued? Islana can't imagine the answer being yes but it would have been one life for many.

"You ask a question with no real solution as no one can know every possible outcome. Most of the time one for ten seems like the better option but it might not always be."

The crone scoffed at the answer waving her hands over the flames. Islana saw images of men and women in pain flickering with each leap of the flames.

The growling and grunting around the clearing grow louder as
"Since the night of the Full Moon, where your life was saved, most of your friends have died." She said and the flames took on the shape of Blackwolf being killed by Wim under the ruins of an ancient fort, before jumping to an emaciated Hunter chained in the Fang village.

"And they are not the only ones to have met their end since your life was spared are they?" Looking into the flames she saw Wim being killed at his own wedding.

"Was the price worth it for them you think?" The crone asked.

The images cast in the fire were disturbing, very disturbing. Islana listened as the woman spoke, her shock apparent, her heart breaking at the words.

Boyce was dead? It never had occurred to her, that was why her vision didn't show the scholar. Boyce - killed by Wim. The scenario that played out in front of her was something from a nightmare.

Hunter the guilt over leaving him in that village had eaten away at the young woman for a long time.

Then Wim, also now laying dead. Wim who had just begun to figure himself out.

It was awful, gut twisting and a few tears fell for the loss of her friends. Islana closed her eyes, wanting to stop the images even if just for a moment, but they were already etched into her mind.

It explained why she saw none of them but it clearly wasn't the answer the redhead had wanted.

A moment to pull herself together, to decide on her words. Those pangs of guilt leading to something else.

Islana had grown tired of the misplaced guilt she had levied on herself, like a fine for a crime the young woman had never committed.

"Their deaths are not on me. I never wanted their lives ended but I also did nothing to cause their demise. If I had been meant to die that night, due to some greater purpose, then the Gods would have seen to it that I wasn't rescued.

They certainly had plenty of chances to kill me and yet I'm still here.

Who's to say that those deaths wouldn't have occurred even if I had been sacrificed?

I did everything in my power to save Hunter. If there had been any other choice, any other options to getting him cured, I would have never gone into that village.

You say I should take responsibility for my actions but none of those deaths are because of me."

At least the older woman hadn't proved they were.

"Leaders, those in power, must outweigh the good with the bad. If my actual actions cause more suffering than good, I will have to deal with that when and if that occurs. These deaths, the suffering of these people are the result of actions I had no control over."