Mari had trekked all the way by foot to the west end of the island. Her feet were bruised and bleeding, her dress now soaking wet in the rain as she sat atop a cliff, staring down towards the rocks below.

A memory floated into her mind as she sat there despondent. It was of the time her father had still been alive, he often brought her to this spot and told her stories of all kinds of wonderful things. He used to be so joyful then, she thought, only now realizing that he was trying his hardest to protect her innocence from the atrocities that actually took place. Mari's lips had unknowingly shaped into a smile, and tears rolled down her eyes.

She stood from her sitting position and wiped her tears. At least now I'll get to be closer to him.

*

"Look."

Gabriel turned to where Rakkah was pointing, and fear filled his heart as he looked upon the adjacent cliff in the distance.

"This is what your people make them do. Poor soul, she looks so young," Rakkah said sorrowfully.

But Gabriel did not speak a word. He felt paralyzed, just as he did the night before. He could not know who it was from this far a distance, but he recognized the translucent white dress, and his heart told him that it was her. Yet he could do nothing once again. Raphael's words echoed in his mind, his duty was to rid this island of these people, so why did it hurt him so that one of them seeked to end their life? Why did he feel so helpless, if it were not his place to help?

*

"Mari!" was the voice that the girl heard as she stepped off the cliff. Tears gushed out of her as she looked towards Gabriel and Rakkah as she fell. In less than a second, her body hit the rocks.

*

Gabriel fell to his knees as he witnessed this. He had taken countless lives, and seen innumerable friends die, but nothing hurt him as much as what had just taken place. He sunk his nails into the skin of his palms as he prayed and wept deeply. Rakkah felt pity for Gabriel as he witnessed his sorrow, for he now began to see him in a different light.

They remained there for a while, the rain had now crescendoed into a storm.

"We should leave, sir," Rakkah advised.

"Go down the hill and dry yourself in one of the tents," blurted Gabriel.

Rakkah wanted to ask, 'and you?', but he kept it to himself. He walked down the hill alone.

"Father," Gabriel muttered, "why do you wish for me to kill these sorrowful people, why must you not take them under your divine blessing and forgive the sins of their ancestors and the blood that they have inherited?"

Gabriel stared at the lifeless body that lay on the rocks. I wish I could at least give her a proper burial, he thought. He stood up wearily and dusted himself off; but just as he turned around, an extremely echoed cough caught his attention.

He immediately turned back towards the body on the rock and it was now looking right at him. He stumbled backwards and fell to the ground. Am I hallucinating? he thought to himself, it is impossible for her to survive such a fall.

He stood back up and slowly walked to get a better view of the body, and saw that the girl was now trying to smash her head on the rock. The situation felt bizarre to him, but his instincts kicked in and he dove head first into the water. He swam as quickly as he could and arrived at the boulder atop which the girl was trying to end her life.

"--die. Please let me die!!" Gabriel could hear these words echo as he got closer. She repeated them as she continued to smash her head against the rocks.

Gabriel climbed up with great difficulty and immediately restrained the girl.

"No!! No, please!! Don't take me back there! Don't take me back to that hell!"

Her words struck Gabriel, but he remained strong and embraced Mari as she stood there bleeding and weeping in agony.

God may not love your kind.... He held her close and whispered under his breath, "...but I shall protect you. I promise you."

Tears rolled down her face and she slowly stopped resisting.

The storm continued to roar, and so Gabriel carried her to a rock a short distance further that stood underneath the cliff, providing shelter from the incessant rain.

Mari had now fallen asleep, or perhaps she had lost consciousness, Gabriel didn't know. But he knew she was alive, as she was still breathing.

He held her close to give her warmth, all she wore was the silk dress which had now been soaked with blood. He tore off a piece of his cloak and covered the wound, but to his surprise there seemed to be none. She was drenched from head to toe, and so he took off her bloody dress and gave her a layer of his clothes which had kept him warm throughout the treacherous journey to this island.

*

It took a few hours, but the storm subsided. Rakkah and the captain were now searching all over for Gabriel, but could find him nowhere.

"I swear un the Father up above, boy, if ye had a hand in his disappearance..."

"He told me to walk down the hill and nothing else," said Rakkah.

They stood atop the cliff but could see no one. Rakkah could read the situation well enough to realize that he should not bring up the death of the Gehennite woman and how Gabriel reacted, for it might only put Gabriel in further danger, if he was even still alive.