merrick was with evien, far below the earth. the medic's skull sat silently upon its plinth of stone.
merrick's single eye glittered out from the darkness where he sat rigid and hateful, scarcely breathing, every thought reliving the taste of nyra's blood.
his own face had received a buff of new lacerations from her teeth, but they would only scar over those already present.
apophis was gone. asperas was gone. avicus was gone. astara was gone.
aventus was what remained now.
and so merrick could not yet surrender, take what was left of the blackbird in his arms, and fade until their bones were entwined.
the bearwolf stared at evien. the healer said nothing. merrick let out his breath in a tattered annoyance. 
"do you want me to run forever? is that it?"
the skull's teeth did not clack in response.
"when will it be enough?"
merrick suddenly leapt to his feet; his roar was terrible. "say something!"
he did not know his son and arielle were outside the caves; it was only merrick, fully insane as he gnashed his teeth toward the remains that did not answer.