You sit a good five or so metres away from Cassandra. It's unfortunate that you can't really get closer without risking your life. You don't know why things break around her, but they do… and you'd rather not give her anything more to feel guilty about. You can't imagine how… lonely it must be, sitting out here every day. The service she does for the city is amazing, preventing any monster that might be around from entering inside, not that there are any around…
She asks you about the goings on within the city and you tell her. About the new government (though she probably knows about that one), about Rennyn patching things up with Min Min, about how the Hunters are trying to figure out how to farm in the new Sanctuary. You tell her about everything, so that she can feel involved, so that her role as guardian doesn't exclude her from society. But it still does. You can see it in her distant gaze. However much you tell her, however many stories you share, she still would be excluded… because none of those stories would involve her. Soon you run out of words to say and once again the both of you lapse into silence.
The moon shines bright up in the sky. The desert lies still and empty. You can see the hundreds of footprints from the various workers and merchants moving in and out of the city… yet you know that none of them would have come to visit Cassandra. Everyone, even most of your friends who knew Cassandra, have moved on with their lives. They sorted out their families, found new jobs and got busy with living. At first they would visit every week, then every month, then every year, then you ended up being one of the few who visits her at all… Because you didn't move on. There are no monsters around here, no need for protection, no need for you.
“Hey, Fig… Thank you… It gets lonely out here.” - you hear Cassandra say. At least here you are needed. It's nice… to be needed. Perhaps you need this just as much as she does, perhaps it's half the reason why you keep visiting her…
The both of you spend a few more hours together in silence, before you finally get up and leave.
The Hunters never have a leader again. You'd hoped that Hen might take up the mantle once he recovered, that was the reason why you left the Tom's necklace, the symbol representing the duty of a leader, with him. But that never happened. He spent his days either silent or crying. Then, one day, he just disappeared. He took the necklace and his weapons with him and disappeared from the new Sanctuary. You could… imagine what his plans were and you know that you are to blame for this. If only you hadn't delayed Cassandra, perhaps Fen would still be here… perhaps Hen would still have the will to go on. Now, you can only hope that he gets to avenge his sibling.
The Hunters were at first distraught and confused without a leader. Neither you nor Tom believed yourselves worthy of leading, and the disappearance of the necklace made it more difficult for anyone to be recognised as a leader. But it wasn't long before everyone realised that they didn't need a chief. Times had changed. The Hunters no longer hunted, for there were no monsters out there to endanger this city, and any outside forces that might wish to do so would have to go through Cassandra. Instead, the Hunters returned back to their roots, became what they once were back at the very origin of the Sanctuary one hundred years ago - providers. While the military, mafia and other factions figured out how the new Sanctuary would be governed, the Hunters provided for the people. They found water sources, began planting and harvesting crops, distributed food and medicine. In time, the hunters no longer really existed as a group, remaining as no more than a shared ideal between farmers and gatherers. The necklace and what it represented became archaic, unneeded. And so were you.
You spent your life in battle. Every shred of your body, of your existence was given to protecting the old Sanctuary and dealing with the monsters that would seek to harm it. You knew nothing of agriculture or medicine. Soon you find yourself excluded, discarded from the Hunters - a relic of the past that had already served its purpose. And perhaps it was best this way. Maybe it was finally letting your body rest, maybe it was the recent physical duress you had to go through, but your body started letting you know about all that you made it suffer through you. Wounds ached, bones creaked and your muscles no longer listened to you as they had before. You were old, older than a Hunter should really be in service. Even if the Hunters did return to their former task this very day, you might not be able to join them without being a hindrance.
The days passed you by slowly.
You got up early in the morning and strolled around the city, a habit you never could shake off, even if there was no longer a perimeter to patrol or a reason to keep watch. A few of the Hunters you pass by greet you and call out your name - Tom. You may no longer be leader, but there are still some who have no forgotten what you have contributed to the Hunters. Still, you can't help but feel out of place. The Hunters are far from what they were before, the duty that you spent all your life fulfilling is no longer needed. What reason now is there for you to stay? You feel like Fig has had the same experience. You've seen her stare blankly at the Hunters doing their work, you've watched her spend more and more time with Cassandra. But after the chaos of the Midsummer Apocalypse much changed. Remus had appeared, the last of the missing Hunters back… you know already that neither Fen or Hen will be coming back. Your memories returned. Chaos was raised by various people beginning to use magic again. You remember how on that penultimate day Cassandra walked through the streets for the first time in three years. All the chaos and dissidence ended then, though the price for the peace gained was steep. A large part of the city remains destroyed to this day - the streets cracked as earthquakes struck, buildings fell apart and… many civilians were caught up in it as well. Whatever injuries people had were aggravated, whatever weaknesses they had became deadly. Nobody blames her, many more would have died if she didn't come, but… she is likely more alone than ever now.
You stroll over to Fig's home and knock on her door. You hear no answer. That's a little strange. You come inside to find Fig packing a large bag. There are things that you haven't seen in years - a spear, arrows, a few knives, a survival kit. All of them are clearly old, worn out, perhaps even left over from the evacuation of the old Sanctuary.
“Fig, what are you doing?” - you ask her. She stops packing for a second and turns to you. Her face is tired, yet determined. Time has not done her any favours, but you still see that spirit that drove her to defend the Sanctuary six times against the insurmountable odds you faced back then.
“I'm leaving Tom. I'm no longer needed here. We've found Remus, Cassandra is busy taking care of the security of the Sanctuary and the Hunters… are no more.”
“Where exactly are you going to go?”
“…I don't know. Somewhere else. Somewhere where I can put to use the only skills I've ever learnt… I… I don't want to die here, just waiting and ageing. I don't want to die as an old woman who was no longer needed by the world. I want to die a Hunter, Tom.” - the words she speaks ring true. You've felt it too. The world seems so far away from you now. You'd hoped that perhaps you could guide the next leader, but…
“I see… I want to go with you.” - as you voice your request, she stops packing for a second to look at you. She sees in your eyes the very same thing you see in hers. A longing for times long gone, a desire to help and the loneliness of someone left behind. She gives you a curt nod in understanding and agreement. And so you set off. You leave behind familiar roads and buildings for the sprawling wilds. Time has not left you unmarred, yet still within you burns the very same determination that was there years ago.
You set off to go there where you are needed.
You set off to once again go back to those days.
You set off to die a Hunter's death.