The door swung open to reveal Hamond.

  Edeline stared in confusion. When she had heard the door handle turn, she had thought it had to be Floire rejoining them. Even if it wasn't...she had thought she latched the door after she last peered outside. How...how had he opened it? What was he doing here?

  "Edeline!" Slamming the door behind him, Hamond sprinted over to where she and Myronel were sitting. "What happened?"

  "A fight." Edeline's voice sounded hoarse to her own ears. "I am fine, mostly. Only a minor injury. Myronel, though..."

  Her brother had gotten the worst of it, having taken the full charge of that creature directly, one horn piercing his shoulder. Aether, it had been so fast. Even with her enchantment spell, Edeline had just barely been able to keep ahead of most of the thing's attacks. Even so, she had not escaped unwounded, as another painful twinge in her leg reminded her.

  "Who...Hamond?" Myronel had been dozing off, but woke up on hearing their voices. "What's going on?"

  "Why didn't you bring him back to get healed?" Hamond asked, a slight rebuke in his words.

  Edeline desperately wished she could have. "The gigant showed up right after I slew the creature. It may have heard the sounds of our fight, or it could just be poor fortune. Either way...with him wounded, I couldn't fight or retreat while protecting him, and Nela would kill me herself if I didn't." She shuddered at the thought of returning alone to face the healer.

  "I'd...be fine..." Myronel protested, not fooling Edeline one bit. And judging from his face, it did not fool Hamond either.

  "You need to heal him," Edeline stated. It was the only option. Certainly, Hamond was not as skilled at it as Nela. But he had saved her life before with what he did know, and it should be sufficient enough to get Myronel back on his feet. If Nela had complaints, Edeline would take the time to remind her of the alternative outcome.

  "I don't...." Hamond started to say.

  "You have to," Edeline insisted.

  Hamond paused, then looked over at Myronel. "Will you be alright with it?" he asked.

  Myronel let out a shaky breath, then looked up. "Do it," he told Hamond.

  Hamond nodded, then knelt down. Edeline watched as he pulled her brother's torn and bloodied sleeve up and away. "Hydropidax," he spoke, spraying the wound with water. Myronel flinched in response, but said nothing.

  It took Edeline a second to realize what Hamond was doing. Right, cleaning the wound as best he could. The stress and exhaustion of the past day's events - not helping her at all. All the more reason to get back to safety, so that they could both rest and recover their strength.

  "Panakeia logos." The flare of light briefly illuminated the room, signaling the healing magic had taken effect. Myronel immediately relaxed, slumping back with a look of relief.

  "That's...better," he said, closing his eyes.

  "Don't sleep just yet," Edeline warned. They ought to get back, and soon.

  "Let him rest a bit," Hamond said, "I have something else I need to do first."

  Edeline was not sure what he meant, but she supposed Myronel deserved a brief respite. "Very well." She decided to turn the topic to the question that first on her mind. "How did you find us?"

  "I was...led to you," Hamond said. Edeline knew that look. Hamond was weighing how much to say, and what he could hide.

  "So...Floire made it back." That was the only conclusion. At least the older woman had not fallen in battle after all. Them being separated by the sudden attack of the creatures was worrisome at the least. That Floire had made no attempt to rejoin them only made the worries worse. At least now there was relief in that regard...

  Hamond shook his head, shattering those hopes of relief. "I haven't seen her since you all left. Where did she go?"

  "There were a pair of these creatures. The ones with the taur heads...She broke away to deal with one, and left us to deal with the other. I was able to kill the one, but...you know the rest." Edeline gestured at Myronel, who was now...well, he looked asleep, at the least.

  Better than him being dead.

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  "So...was that her plan then?" Hamond rubbed his chin. "You know she could have easily won that fight with a single spell. She lured it away so she could slip away, and abandon you two."

  Edeline wanted to argue, but she knew better. Floire could claim she had honored the truce, since the older thaumaturge had not harmed them in any way. Leave them to the creatures of Lasfont, and Takhat and the others would be no wiser.

  Still, they could not know for certain, and would not know until they found her again. Either Floire would seek them out, or they would have to deal with the Witch of Wrath later. The matter of the Sluice was of greater importance.

  But this raised another question. "If it wasn't her...then who led you here?"

  "You'll learn soon enough." Hamond's gaze wandered over to the doorway to the next room. "The way to the upper floor is in there, right?"

  "I...think so." She had not searched the full house, preferring to remain by Myronel's side. Even now, she was not certain it was a good idea to leave him alone.

  Hamond noticed her hesitation. "We'll be out on the roof, and we can see any danger coming. He'll be fine."

  On the roof? Was there a door leading out up there? But why would...oh.

  "The bird woman led you here?" Edeline thought back to their earlier encounters. If it had been her each time, then...was she trying to help them, looking for an opportunity to attack, or something else? Edeline did not know.

  "Indeed," Hamond said, "And if I don't hurry, she might leave." It was unusual to see Hamond this impatient, but if he felt the matter was this important...it likely was.

  "Then we go," Edeline took a step, then remembered. Right, the door. She turned and walked over, setting the pin in place to latch it shut. Now, Myronel should be as safe as was possible.

  Hamond did not wait for her, already moving into the other room. Edeline, even more surprised at his rapid pace, hurried after him. Up the dimly lit stairs, through an empty bedroom, she burst out into the sunlight, squinting at the light.

  A few buildings down, Edeline saw her. The bird woman was walking awkwardly along the way back turned to them. On it were the same markings that had been visible when they first arrived at Lasfont. If this was not the same one from then...it was quite the coincidence.

  Hamond had sprinted ahead. "Wait!" he called out, quickly closing the gap. The creature shot a glance over her shoulder, a fearful look on her face. Edeline moved as fast as she could to catch up, but her leg still ached from where the taur man's horn had grazed it.

  "We don't...mean you any...harm." Even from a whole building over, Edeline could see Hamond was trying to catch his breath. She quickly made her way closer, several curious questions floating in her head.

  The woman...actually, no, younger than that. Edeline wondered how she had failed to notice it before, even at a distance. Had Hamond realized it as well? Regardless, it did put matters in perspective. This girl, whoever she was, had survived where many others had not. Being able to fly away from danger helped, although...it was odd there was no attempt to do so to get away from them. Or did she want them to catch up?

  "Can you understand me?" Hamond asked.

  The girl hesitated, then spoke in a rough and surprisingly deep voice. "Sorry. Too long. Haven't spoken. No one...to talk to."

  Edeline shuddered at the thought of going countless days alone. It did indicate that if there were other creatures who kept enough of themselves to talk and think, they were few and rare. For all any of them knew, this girl could be the only one in all of Lasfont. Or they could be more common, and most of them had died in the days that had followed. Edeline had no way of knowing which.

  "I'm Hamond. What's your name?"

  "Sedat."

  "My name is Edeline." The oddity of them exchanging introductions in the middle of a town on the edge of collapse struck her. Even so, she trusted that Hamond had a reason.

  "You were the one we saw when we first entered Lasfont, right?" Hamond asked, "And was that also you watching them leave the safe area yesterday?"

  "Yes," Sedat said, "I think so."

  "You...think so?" Hamond echoed, confusion in his voice.

  "When I get hungry...start thinking like a beast. Hard to remember. " The girl's voice wavered as she shifted back and forth, the feathers on her wings waving slightly with the movement. "I'm so hungry..."

  Edeline looked over at Hamond. "I'm guessing you didn't bring any food." She and Myronel had brought a couple pieces of dried bread just in case, but they had eaten those last night. Still, they were likely better off than Sedat was.

  "Unfortunately, no." Hamond grimaced. "If I had known, I would've grabbed some."

  "All the more reason to get back quickly. You can question her further later." Edeline paused as she realized a problem with bringing back Sedat as she was. "We will want to find her some clothing first though."

  The bird girl looked down at the ragged straps that were all that were left. They covered very little. "Not much point. Can't put them on. Can't take them off."

  Edeline had not considered the problems that having no hands would create for someone. Not being able to pick up any tool or weapon, not being able to even so much as open a door. The fact that Sedat had held on despite that was remarkable determination. Aether's blood, Edeline did not think even she could have managed in a similar situation.

  "We'll think of something," Hamond said, "Let's go get Myronel, and then-"

  "Wait," Edeline said, hearing the familiar heavy footsteps. Where was it...over there, further down the street, making its way back along the path, was the gigant. It showed no signs of noticing them, at least yet, but it would if they remained out in the open.

  Edeline crouched down. "Do you think we should attempt to slip by it, or do we have to fight?"

  Hamond shook his head. "I don't think we can sneak by with her." He gestured at Sedat, frown deepening. "Probably not with Myronel hurt, either."

  She had hoped the answer would be otherwise - she would have preferred to be fully rested for this - but Edeline supposed that there was no delaying this battle. "You will need to protect Myronel," she told Hamond, keeping her gaze fixed on the gigant.

  "Can't fight it. It's too big." Glancing over, Edeline saw Sedat staring at her with widened eyes.

  Tell that to the one I destroyed before, Edeline thought to herself, but held her tongue. There was no time to correct Sedat's underestimation of her abilities. The girl would learn soon just what Edeline was capable of.

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