Mercy

Artist's Description:
" The river roared as Phyn stood in its midst. The water felt colder than before. He looked down into his hands at Sisi. Tears in his eyes, all he could do was but look at Sisi as his hands trembled. His legs felt like they would give at any moment as they shook like twigs in the wind.

- You must end it, Phyn.
"His eyes didn't shift away from the snake in his hands. He felt like he was petrified in place, unable to do anything, not even say a word, as each time he tried to, his mouth only quivered and he found it impossible to gain the composure for words.

- Phyn, you have to end it, look at it.
"Sisi was convulsing in his hands didn't look back up at him as he used to, he seemed as if he was in pain."

- You are doing it a favor, it would not want to live like this. It is in pain, take your knife and cast it in the river.

"Phyn glanced back at his mother, and shook his head."

- I...I can't.

- Phyn, I can not do this for you. You have to learn this yourself. Please, Phyn, you have to end it, it is in pain and is suffering.

- But I..."Phyn swallowed back his tears", I love Sisi, I can't kill him.

- Phyn...Such suffering is not worth living. It is going to die of its illness, and granting it death now would only make it happy. Even if you yourself are unable to see it yourself, it will be happier in the afterlife with Kalma than here, suffering, even if it loves you and would dearly wish to be with you, it now yearns to die more than anything else.

"The knife swayed on Phyn's hip as the wind threw it around. Phyn looked at his friend as it tried to squirm out of his hands as it continued to violently trash about. Phyn let out a gasp amidst his sobbing as a small spatter of blood fell on Phyn's robes from Sisi's mouth. Fumbling for his knife he pulled the sheath up and scraped the knife outside of it. It felt heavy in his trembling hands. With his knife in the other hand and Sisi in the other he closed his eyes and wept. He lowered himself to his knees and placed Sisi on the ground"
- Sisi, please be happy for me in the afterlife and forgive me... I-I just wish you'd be happy again...

"Phyn's hand froze for a moment as Sisi looked at the knife in his raised hand. With sorrow, he ended Sisi and finally laid still, his other eye staring up at Phyn. The river ran red for a moment as Phyn collapsed onto the wet stones before the motionless snake, Phyn's mother came by him and picked Sisi up from the ground, cradling Phyn into her robes as she hummed a sorrowful hymn. Then Sisi was released into the river, to become one with Kalma. They remained there until the clouds darkened as Phyn wept into his mothers embrace. "