Lena will probably go whether you do or not so you might as well go with her to keep her safer. You can also continue training her which can only help in her survival. You also enjoy Lena's company too and your spirits haven't been remotely this high for a long time.

"Slow down girl, we'll get to them eventually. They aren't going anywhere. Right now we should take a break before planning our next attack."

Lena nods and says that maybe you're right and that you should take a break. The pair of you takes your leave of Sinkhole and head back home as the peasants start to slowly fill the streets again.

When you get back home, Lena is definitely in a much better mood.

"It felt so good killing all those bastards! I think I'm only just realizing just exactly how good though!" she says followed by a triumphant yell of victory.
"Well you should be proud of what you managed to accomplish. It was a great victory and I'm proud of you too."

Lena smiles at your remark and hugs you again.

"Oh I would've never done it without your help! You've been so good and helpful to me! We'll go on to more victories against those eternal bastards, I just know it!"

Lena's body against yours so good to you right now. You feel closer to her than ever and not just in a physical way. During your embrace both of your eyes meet and it doesn't take long before your lips follow along with other parts of your body.

Later while she's asleep beside you, you walk into the garden feeling somewhat guilty for your actions.

"I…uh…I'm home. I meant to tell you sooner, but I…(sigh)…" you begin to say to Talia's grave.

It takes you a while to even muster up courage to speak again.

"Talia, I'm sorry…but as much as I tried to fight them I have feelings for Lena. She's a brave girl. She has that same fighting spirit. You know, like you did…"

You take the silence that follows as accusatory.

"No! I'm not replacing you! I just…NO! She won't die like you did! I'll make sure she's safe! That's why I'm going to look out and be with her! Look I can't morn you forever! Why won't you just let me move on? I have to move on right?! Wouldn't you want me to do that?!"

The further silence just makes you run out of the garden and into one of the other rooms. You begin to curse and sob at your situation. You know it's completely irrational, but you don't understand why you can't move on.

After you compose yourself, you head back to your room where Lena is still happily sleeping. Fortunately despite your rather loud outbursts, she hasn't stirred at all. When you get back into bed she instinctively cuddles next to you.

"Where'd you go?" she asks sleepily.
"Uh…just thought I heard a weird noise. It was nothing." You remark.
"Oh." She replies and drifts back to sleep.

You on the other hand are practically up for the rest of the night trying to put a ghost to rest once and for all. You manage to succeed, but you still don't feel good about it. Hopefully in time, you'll be able to live with it, but in order to do that, you're going to have to leave this place and not come back. There are just too many memories here.

Year 50

Lena wanted to take the fight to the eternals, and she's really been sticking to that promise.

In the beginning you were mainly targeting eternal soldiers and such. This naturally drew the ire of whatever local warlord that had established dominance there. This wasn't a problem since you mostly just moved on to another location in Quala.

The problem was you weren't just fighting eternals now, you were fighting the multitudes of human followers said eternal warlords have under their command. Given that you were only two people, you were more than a little outnumbered. Also while Lena may be better skilled than she was, but she still does not have the capability to assassinate a battle hardened eternal warlord commanding said armies. You probably might have had better luck, if you were younger and still had access to your shadow magic, as it stands though, you've lost that ability completely now. It would seem that Dendrin's link to you has practically been broken at this point, though he has still spoken to you from time to time. Mostly to tell you that your actions are a pathetic attempt to live in the past and you're just following around Lena like a glorified bodyguard. This has lead to the usual predictable arguments. Dendrin must've gotten tired of arguing with you though since he hasn't been speaking with you in quite some time, which suits you just fine.

Eventually, Lena once again attempted to stir up the local populations in the hopes of getting some more help, she was a little more successful this time, but nobody has ever lasted very long. They either they quit for various reasons after the first few missions, or they get themselves killed. The ones that do stick around are mostly criminal types who enjoy the violence along with the looting on the side.

All of this pretty much means Lena's the leader of a group of bandits masquerading around as "freedom fighters." You and Lena are now wanted in several territories in Quala. Even a few eternal rulers have declared temporary truce just so they can send joint forces against you. Svelk mercs have also been hired to hunt you down. While you've been generally supportive of Lena's misguided quest for vengeance, you haven't always thought its necessarily the wisest thing to pursue. Your last raid on a small encampment got half of the gang killed and Lena wounded to the point where she's going to be in no condition to go on another until she heals.

Right now you're siting beside her bandaged body while she rests. You wonder if you shouldn't at least try to talk a little sense into her. Its getting to the point where you believe your luck is going to run out eventually and while you're enjoying fighting side by side with her, part of you would like to pull back a bit. If only to ensure your survival so you can actually enjoy her company a lot longer.

Just as you've completed pondering this situation, Lena starts stirring from her sleep.

"Did we win?" she asks.
"Yes, but it was at a high cost. I told you we should've prepared longer. And you shouldn't have charged into battle like that."
"Doesn't matter, as long as we got that bastard."
"You do realize that the sergeant was the only eternal in the platoon right? The rest were just regular humans."
"So? If they take orders from an eternal and do their bidding, they're just as bad. You know that better than anyone."

There it is again. Her blind need for vengeance as usual. You're beginning to think she cares more about that, than she does you.

You continue to stand by her

You've been a fool over one woman in the past, why not another one? At least you can identify with Lena's obsession a bit better than Talia's worship of Dendrin. It may be true that one day your luck will run out, but you've been running on borrowed time for decades. What better way to die in battle beside one you care about?

Just like you should've years ago…

"What's wrong?" Lena asks due to your silence to her previous statement.
"Nothing. Nothing at all." You say and give her a kiss on the lips.

"I'd just prefer if you listened to my ideas a little more in the future. I'm only looking out for your safety."
"I know. You're probably right. I'd like to stay alive long enough to kill every eternal after all." Lena says with a small chuckle and then holds on to her side when it causes a bit of pain.

Lena spends the rest of the week healing up. It's the longest amount of "downtime" you've had in quite a while. You'd actually enjoy it a bit more, if Dendrin didn't visit you and continue to impart his views on your situation.

"She's going to lead you to ruin. I'm telling you Eternal." Dendrin remarks.
"Yes, yes, yes. You've been telling me that for years now. You should know at this point I don't give a shit if it does. It's better than living like I was. At least now I feel alive again. Besides you were always bitching at me for living like a hermit anyway."
"Yes, but I didn't know you were exchange one self destructive lifestyle for another."
"Dendrin, my whole fucking life has been self-destructive, long before I even had the misfortune of meeting you. My first major choice I can remember was either to beg for my life or die when I was five. I chose to die. Pretty much tells you all you need to know about me. So how about you leave me alone once and for all and let me get back to it okay? You'll get no more entertainment from this mortal."
"Apparently not. Very well then Eternal, go forth and die."

And that's the last time you ever hear from Dendrin.

Year 54

Here you are hold up in some abandoned cabin with svelk mercenaries shouting obscenities from outside. Lena lies on a dirty bed bleeding out and attempting to stay conscious. You're not doing too good yourself. You knew it would end like this and you still don't regret your decision in what is probably going to be your last moments on this world.

It's only a matter of time before the svelk just decide to burn you out. Somehow you can't help but laugh at the fact that the first person who nearly killed you was a svelk. Everything has come full circle it seems.

"Is..it…(cough) time?" Lena weakly asks.
"Can you stand up?"
"I don't think so…I hurt all over and just want to sleep."
"Its okay, you'll be able to sleep soon. We both will. Here I'll help, just grab your dagger."

You pick up Lena in an attempt to stand her up and while she's practically dead weight, you manage to do it.

"Do…you ever regret saving me?" Lena asks.
"Never." You tell her and kiss her one more time before exiting the cabin with her.

You and Lena make it five steps before the svelk open fire on you with their crossbows.