(Scars do not appear to be cause of death –shock ... - Bad Request

chased me around the Spire trying to shatter and devour me... luckily, you
were crushed by a passing cart in the street. Another, 'good and lawful,' you
tried to thrust me back into the Pillar, because 'it's where I belonged.'"
Morte smirked. "That's why. Besides, no harm's ever come of you not
knowing..."
"So you've stayed with me all this time?"
"Well, yeah, chief. I said I would. Morte always keeps his promises." He
paused. "Well, most of them. Heh-heh. There was this one chit on Arborea
who --"
Morte's tone had changed - past the joke, I knew he was trying to hide
something. Something about why he was with me.
"Morte, seriously, why are you still traveling with me?"
"Chief, I said it's because I promised, all right?" He looked irritated. "What
else could it be?"
"I don't know. You didn't need to stick around after I freed you."
"Well, of course not, chief, but I-" And suddenly, his tone of voice struck a
chord in me, and I knew why he's remained with me, all this time.
"You feel guilty. Because you led me to my death so long ago, isn't it? And
you've been suffering ever since."
He chuckled, eyes rolling a little even as they looked off to the side. "Aw,
c'mon, chief. Me, feel guilty? I'm Morte."
I shook my head, "No, I think that's it. When I came to free you from the fate
you deserved, you couldn't help but try and help me. And when you could
have left after I freed you, you remained. Because you felt indebted."
Morte was silent for a moment, looking at me. "Maybe. You know what's
funny? At first, I don't know what the feeling was - it kind of slowly eats at
you, y'know? I mean, at first I thought it was a side-effect of some
enchantment that 'bound' me to you... but after a couple hundred years, I
realized it was more than that... something deeper. I just felt drawn,
connected to you, somehow. Maybe it's all your suffering, chief... your
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