Reassurance

The man moved Liam-31 back towards the campfire, which continued to burn fiercely in front of their eyes. Sitting down on one of the stumps, the man gestured for Liam-31 to sit down as well.

"Listen, Liam. You two have been the only real sense of protection we've known for since, well.." The man was thinking of the word he wanted to say. "...Since humanity left for space."

"I was only about six years old when those creatures began to surface, by then my parents weren't able to safely board the ships to travel to the stations, we were left to fend for ourselves against living demons." The man continued to speak, as Liam-31 listened to him without expression.

"It's been about 60 years since then, and to be honest, I don't know how many more people are still living on this cursed earth anymore, struggling each and every day just to live and hide from monsters."

The man's voice began to break, Liam-31 could notice tears form in the man's eyes.

"Some people decide that living like this, like mice scurrying away from predators, fearing that they would become the next prey, was just too much. A-and, I'll find their dead bodies, rotting, as they walked into the woods, their body torn apart and scattered across the grass. The stench of blood and iron filling the air, it was enough to make me vomit. They committed suicide by openly letting themselves being massacred by these creatures."

At this point the man's tears had been dripping from his face, his eyes red from crying, and his body visibly shaking. But he continued to speak.

"I... I don't blame them. Every day I wonder why I continue to live like this. If it weren't for protecting these innocent mothers and children, I would've let myself been killed before I even reached thirties. Hell, it's a miracle we haven't been massacred already by those creatures yet. There's no fight, there's no chance of survival. We are all dead when those demons decide to come and kill us, and we won't have any way of stopping them. We never did."

The man stopped talking for a short while, Liam-31 continued to stare at him, the fire warming his body as he continued to watch the man silently cry, sniffling and taking deep breaths to calm himself. 

"...But once you two came along, I forgot about those struggles, those demons for some time. In my 66 years of living, you two are the only bastions we had ever come across while we survived. You two are practically angels sent from heaven to protect us, at least, that's what the folks are saying..." The man chuckled softly.

"But, I really just wanted to thank you. Thank you for saving my people, my innocent people. Even if you aren't angels, you are to us. Even if you have to leave, we won't beg you to stay. As long as you two are here, I know we'll survive for however long you plan to rest."

"Our duty is to protect the people, and to stop the source of creatures that continues to assault Earth. I promise to you, and your people, you will be safe. There is no need to worry. There is no need to fear. Your men, your women, and your children will not die, we will protect you." Liam-31 said without breaking his expression, his words clear and his voice heard. 

Without another word, Liam-31 rose up from the stump, and limped towards the medical tent to rest, leaving the man to continue sitting at the campfire, his skin covered in his dried tears staring up into the night sky, filled with the millions of twinkling stars, and for once in his life, his life that he spent in constant terror and dread, the fear of death and anguish for his people, and himself,

He found hope.