A Fateful Encounter (Original Short Fiction)
"Myopius, I must again protest to this excursion, viz-a-viz the warning you received from the oracle. Do you not fear for your safety?"
"My dear Orpheus, we are travelling by the same way. Neither you nor I have the time to travel by another, and it would be foolish for one to stop and let the other go on alone."
"But of course, Myopius, I am abreast of the matter, yet you were told that you would meet your end whilst in my company. Should not we make more effort to dissever ourselves?"
"Indeed, I was told that I would die in the company of my dearest friend, and there is none so close to me as you, Orpheus. Yet to intentionally separate ourselves would be folly, and this for four reasons: first, if we intend never to meet again, our friendship shall wither until one besides you is my dearest friend, and then I shall find myself in the same situation as now; second, if we should manage to remain close in spirit while distant in body, I will invariably find my way into your company by sheer happenstance, and the prophecy will be fulfilled regardless; third, should the prophecy be false, I will but regret the plenitude of wasted time that we could have spent together; and fourth, even ignoring everything preceding, I cannot live forever; if I should die, as all men do, I can only hope that it should be in so good of company as you afford me."
"Forsooth, Myopius, your argument is sound, and I concede it. However, there is something you seem to have overlooked."
"What is that, dear Orpheus?"
"While you were speaking, we were surrounded by a group of bandits. I do not believe they mean to let either of us live."
"To be sure, I was so concerned with myself, I never imagined that my own death may be yours as well."
"Truly, this is the folly of man."