The tide had turned. The Empire was losing. Except for the
obsidian monstrosity, its minions were being pushed back by the
Returners and Thamasians. Most of them were trying desperately to
return to their ships; many were dying in the attempt.

     And then, the sky fell. As the Imperial airships retreated,
they rained fiery death on the town, causing more damage than the
end of the world itself had.

     Kiri was knocked out by the blast. When she awoke, she
found that she had lost the vision in her right eye. It was obcured by
blood, which seemed to be coming from her forehead. Gingerly, she
raised her hand to evaluate her condition, and hissed with pain as
her fingers touched the wound. It seemed to be about 4 inches long,
slashed straight across her forehead. 'Wonerful,' she thought, 'Now
I'm even _more_ beautiful...' Wiping the blood from her eye, she
looked around for something to stem its flow. Noticing the body of
an Imperial soldier nearby, she ripped a strip from his uniform and
tied it around her head like a bandanna. Then, she turned to survey
the carnage around her.

     Thamasa... was toast. Few buildings were left standing, and
those that were were hardly prime real estate anymore.

     The huge gargoyle lay dead in what had been the centre of
town. Presumably, it had been defeated by the Returner
reinforcements. Kiri wished she had been able to help, but was
nonetheless pleased by its demise.

     But the monster's body was not the only one lying in the
rubble of Thamasa. Returners and Thamasans alike were poking
through the smoking ruins, looking for whatever remained of their
family and friends. Kiriani gritted her teeth, trying to hold back the
tears that were forming in her eyes. How could any human being
inflict such pain and suffering, and feel nothing? How black was
the heart that could spawn such evil? 'You should know _that_
better than anyone,' a small voice inside her whispered. A single
tear rolled down her cheek, tracing a clean line along her soot-
streaked face. She suddenly felt very tired...

     She heard footsteps, and turned around, wiping away the
evidence of her emotions. Staggering into what was left of Thamasa
was Gungho. His pink robe was now tattered, and more of a sooty
mauve. His eyebrows had been completely singed off.

     "My boat... my boat... the bombs... my boat!..." He kept
repeating this, as if in a trance.

     "Hey!" exclaimed Kiri as a realization struck her. Gungho
wasn't carrying the baby. She grabbed him by the shoulders.
"Where's... Oh, Goddess." The child was in a sort of sling on the old
man's back, fast asleep. She loosened her grip on the elderly man's
arms. "I'm sorry about your boat," she began again, "but look
around you. These people have lost far more..." Gungho peered
around, looking even more shaken than before.

     "Oh my..." he murmured in horror, "perhaps we could help...
somehow..."

     Kiri nodded in affirmation "An excellent suggestion. Here.
Pass me the child." She took Gungho's sling device, and adjusted it
so that the sleeping infant rested on her stomach. "Just like old
times," she remarked wryly.

     "Where do you suppose we should start, Miss Miral?"

     "Probably the... centre of town..." She hesitated slightly as
she noticed something, or rather someONE odd walking around the
edge of the town. It was a man, clad in dull red armor, and carrying
two red knives. He was looking all around him, and seemed
somewhat dazed. "You go on ahead," she told the older man, "I'll be
along..." He nodded, and trotted off to help the citizens. Kiriani
strode towards the stranger. It was his strange armor that had
attracted her attention; he was no mere adventurer. But if so, what
was he doing wandering around here as though he'd misplaced his
brain? Shellshocked, maybe?....

     "Hey you!" she called, "are you alright?" The stranger
looked up at her as she drew closer.

     "Yes...I think..."