I saw this guy at the inn the other night. Adventurer looking type. Earrings, necklace, rings and daggers. Looked like he was hanging around some gypsy, a hag, and a gang of creepy constructs. Poor guy looked miserable; from the back of his head to his boots.

I saw a red looking bruise on his neck and tried starting some conversation with the bloke.

"So, did you get lucky?" I asked. Good for him, you know? Doing good there. But then he turned around. I could see the horrific scarring around his neck now. The line, that ripped right through it- red and sore and rotting. He was paler than a dead man.

His eyes. God, the look in his eyes will haunt me for the rest of my bloody days. Eye sockets sunk in insomnia, madness, tears and strife. His gaunt features were that of a ghost's.

He'd seen things. Horrific things. The kind of shit that made war hero's stomach's turn. Death. So much death. I wonder how much of that was his own doing. How many people were taken from him? How many had he taken with him?

But the worst part, oh the worst part: he was a fucking kid. He couldn't have been over twenty. The boy could barely grow stubble- how the hell has the world come to that? Children living as slaves to war and failure. I looked across the bloke's friends. It just hurt more. A similar line fell across the other man's neck, heavy with decay. Pain hid behind his drunken stupor. A gold ring hung next to another, one of intricate inscriptions. That first ring- the same as the one on the boy. He was holding the hand of a little bot in jester's clothes.

The girl. Upon closer inspection, tall horns peaked from underneath her dark and ragged robes. They were of an aged Tiefling, which surprised me. She looked so young. Her hand shook as they clutches around her knees, she rocked back and forth. Her eyes were a blinded white, swollen and sore from tears. The robot girl smiled, she just smiled. I don't think she could do much else. She was like an angel, hovering above us all. One day, this angel would take these unfortunate souls in her arms and bring them into the light. Perhaps then they could find peace. I thought about my wife. My gorgeous, beautiful wife- our daughter Anice. I thought of how beautiful they are, how very lucky I am. So I shook his hand. I took the boy's hand and I thanked him. I went home and I kissed my wife, I hugged my Anice and I promised myself I would never leave them, I would never let any harm come to them. I love them so much. Thank you.