TRP: Gavi and Levi (Levi's Doubt)

**ABBY**

[SETTING: Day 261, after the battle of the sanctuary. Guard
station cell.]

It was over. The dead and the wounded were being taken care
of, clouds of black smoke billowing up from the pyres outside the Sanctuary
walls. When you stood on them, you could even hear the chants.

Gavi couldn't stand to listen. She'd done what she could, to
minimize the casualties. Putting her fellow orcs-- people she'd trained, people
she'd laughed with, people she'd fought with-- down, but not dead. Least that's
what she told herself. Didn't think about some of the bodies, the injuries it'd
take more than a little healing magic to set to rights. Didn't think about how
she was the only one pulling her punches.

Stead she went to see Levi. At least she hadn't lost another
nephew. He'd been settled in the guard station, about the only place that had a
cell. And when Gavi got there.... he was praying. It set rage boiling in the
pit of her gut. "HEY!" she yelled, clanging the bars. "Don't
give that fuck your time," she spat bitterly. "It ain't worth
it."

**COYOTE**

 Gruumsh wouldn’t answer him.

It was probably because he had failed. None of his powers
were working, even when he tried to heal himself. Levi sat angrily and stewed
for a while, then jumped when Gavi approached.

“Just because you’re a race traitor now doesn’t mean I need
to be,” he bit back.

**ABBY**

Traitor. Right, not everyone knew what she knew. They didn't
understand. "I'm no traitor," she protested. It sounded hollow, even
to her. "C'mon Levi you know me. I love you. I wouldn't turn my back on
Gruumsh if I didn't think it was the best for our people."

**COYOTE**

 “Gruumsh is best for our people,” Levi bit out. “Who else
looks after us? Who else protects us?”

**ABBY**

"Who sticks us somewhere full of sufferin' after we
die?" Gavi shook her head and sighed. "Levi. Levi please. I been
there. I saw it. Gruumsh... I don't know why he does it but I know enough. I
know enough to know we need to stop."

**COYOTE**

 Levi stared at her, alarmed. “What d’you mean you’ve... been
there?”

**ABBY**

"I mean I been there. I died. My... friend. She brought
me back. But I was dead long enough to see that I didn't wanna stay
there."

**COYOTE**

 Levi stared at Gavi, narrow-eyed.

“The rot’s spread to your brain,” he finally said.

**ABBY**

"Oh for fuck's sake-- no the rot ain't got to my
brain!" Gavi snapped. "I died and got brought back and I saw what's
waiting for us. And it ain't pretty, Levi."

**COYOTE**

 “Gavi, you... you need to come home,” Levi said, almost
desperate now. “You need to let me out and go home to Dad with me. We’ll take
care of you, okay? Dad probably already knows you helped kill Ezra, but— he’ll
understand. He’ll know it’s a mistake. We’ll take care of you. Something’s gone
wrong in your brain.”

**ABBY**

Gavi gripped the bars of the cell. "Is that what you
think? That I did that? Levi-- I tried to stop them. But I was too shook up
from dying and coming back to do any good. I--" her voice cracked with the
pain of the memory-- "I was praying over him. But Gruumsh quit answerin'.
And just in time for Ezra to go to that hell I'd just come out of."

**COYOTE**

 “Hell? No god rewards their devotees with hell, Gavi. Not
even the bad ones. And Gruumsh is one of the good ones. Your mind’s been
warped. Turned against orcs. You think he’s an evil god now just because— just
because—“

**ABBY**

"Just because I saw our dead locked in endless
bloodshed?" Gavi said coldly. "I ain't against orcs Levi. I want
what's best for our people. And I don't know about you but I always fought so
someday we could have peace. Somewhere our kids could grow up without fear.
Think about that. Think about your kids-- think about Yiska. She'll grow up
someday, and she'll fight. And maybe she'll die in battle, or maybe she'll die
of old age. And then you know what happens? She doesn't get to rest. All that
work she's done for her cause? Now she's trapped in an endless, mindless
battle. There's no victory, or defeat. Just endless, endless fighting. I don't
want that for Timur. What about you?"

**COYOTE**

 Levi paced and snarled while Gavi spoke. Then he rounded on
her. “What else is there?” he spat. “This is our lot, and we’re dealing with
it.”

**ABBY**

"I don't fuckin' know! But I ain't just gonna give up
and resign to it! There's other gods--" Joan asking Have you heard the
good word about our lord and savior, Iomedae? came to mind-- "we don't
have to live like this Levi. We can find something-- someone that will look out
for us. Really look out for us. C'mon. Please. Whatdya say?" She held her
hand out to Levi through the bars. Please don't let her lose another family
member to this. Please, let her manage to do one good thing.

**COYOTE**

 Levi wanted to. He really fucking wanted to.

But he shoved himself away, gritting his teeth.

“I’ll— I’ll fucking think about it,” he ground out. And
turned his back on her.

**ABBY**

Gavi dropped her hand, leaning her head against the bars.
She was losing him. She couldn't lose him. Unless-- her head shot up and she
jolted the bars. "What about for Immanuel?" she demanded. "They
got him too. You could help me convince him. If you'd just be fuckin' convinced
yourself!"

**COYOTE**

 Levi whipped around, eyes wide. He stared at her in horror.
“You fucking—“

They got Immanuel. Then the army was defeated. No chance of
rescue or barter. No clever Immanuel schemes.

“You,” Immanuel snarled. “You traitor!” It was all he could
think of to say. He punched the wall, then regretted it. Then he leapt to stop
her in case she started to go. “No, I’m sorry. Okay. Fuck. Okay. You, you got
Immanuel.”

**ABBY**

Gavi held her hands up and took a step back. Out of range,
but not leaving. "Yeah," she said cautiously. "From what I hear
he uh, he bargained out a trade for you. Cept they had someone that had some
sort of spell-- traded him off instead. So. Yeah. Got both of you."

**COYOTE**

 “Okay.” Fuck. “Okay. But— okay.” Levi wet his lips. He
didn’t have the head for this. “Can I talk to him?”

**ABBY**

Gavi hesitated, glancing around. "Levi-- I wish I could
let ya. But I don't think they want you to-- hell I think that they were trying
to keep the fact they had both of you on the down-low." It hurt, having to
deny him like this. "But tell ya what-- I'll pass him a note for you. All
right?"

**COYOTE**

 Levi thought about this. He ground his teeth, then nodded.
He had no idea was he was gonna say, but... sure.

**ABBY**

Gavi patted her pockets, managing to scrounge up a scrap of
paper and nub of pencil. "Here ya go," she said, offering them to
him. "Sorry I can't do more."

**COYOTE**

 Levi stewed for a while. Then he scribbled, briefly:

What do we do?

And that was all. Then he stared at the paper a moment
longer, realizing this might be the last thing he said to Immanuel. And he
added:

I’m sorry for always dragging you into shit. Don’t die.

He handed the note to Gavi.

**ABBY**

[END]

Title: Levi's Doubt

Summary: Gavi tries to talk Levi into abandoning worshipping
Gruumsh. He comes close but doesn't. Gavi passes a note to Immanuel from Levi.