"Star? Honey? Could you please wake up?"
"Nrrgh... just... five more minutes... nrrgh."
"No Star, this is important. Come one, now. Rise and shine, little warrior."
"Nrr... h-huh? Daddy?"
"Yes, it's me. Happy tenth birthday, Star!"
"Dad, it's... it's like two in the morning. What is it? Why're you lugging around this huge bag?"
"Yes well, sorry I'm late. You have no idea how difficult it is to procure such a gift this late at night."
"Ooh, a present! What is it, what is it?"
"Patience, my little corncob. Allow me to provide some context first."
"Hmm... okay, then. Take it away, daddy!"
"Right then. Alright, so as you already know, you have been trained in the ways of combat by our Royal Guard Captain ever since you were old enough to hold a sword. So around... five years old, if I recall correctly."
"Uh-huh?"
"And it was at my behest that he provided you with such education. You may live within the safety of our castle, its guards, and your parents now, but you must be absolutely prepared should you find yourself without any of the above."
"Ooh, it is a magic sword made out of rainbows? Or one of those Dragonslayer weapons I've heard stories about? Ohh, I can't wait to find out! Tell me, dad! Tell me!"
"Please let me finish my dear, this is of vital importance to your growth not only as a queen but as a warrior of Johansen blood."
"Okay, okay. Sorry."
"Anyways... considering how much you've advanced over the years, it is my duty as your father to bestow upon you the most valuable lesson you will ever learn in your life. It is a cruel world out there with a multitude of people that wish you harm. Therefore, you must prepare yourself for every single one of them."
"What... what is it?"
"In a moment, my dear. I assure you this will not be easy, but you must go through with this at some point in your life. Alright... here it is."
…
…
…
"Daddy. Is that... a monster?"
"... Indeed it is."
…
"... Is he dead...?"
"No... not yet anyways."
"W-what do you-"
"Hmm? hmmmph!? Hm hmhmmph hmph?... Hm hmm hmph?"
"Daddy, why-"
"Here. Take this dagger."
"What!?"
"Hm Hmph? Hmph phmmphmm? Hmph-"
"It is a dangerous world out there, my dear. You must be quick. Precise. Decisive. And above all, you must be strong. You must learn to take another's life at a moment's notice. Grow accustomed to the taste of the blood you spill."
"Daddy... this is-"
"Star, you are aware that monsters are our enemy, right?"
"Yeah, but-"
"And you consider them as such, correct?"
"... Well... y-yeah..."
"Therefore, as your enemy, he must be slain. Such is war, Star. No daughter of mine will bear weakness on the battlefield."
"Hmmph Hmhmm hm hmph hmphmph!"
"Take this dagger. And drive it into his throat."
"Hmmph! Hmmh! Hm hmhmmph!"
"Twist the blade as far as you can."
"Hmm-hm-hhmmm... hm hm hmmmph..."
"Wrest it from his flesh."
"Hm-"
…
…
"Oft times you'll find yourself without the opportunity for a precise killing blow. In that case, you must fight with savagery rather than sense. The harder or more continuous you strike, the more likely your opponent will fall. But I'm sure you're well aware."
…
"All things considered, you've done well for your first kill. Not only did you follow my instructions to the letter, but you did so with such detachment that is required of such an admittedly sordid task. Goodness, you even refrained from vomiting much like I did when I claimed my first kill. I'm proud of you, my little natural born killer!"
"Thanks..."
"Now then, I must dispose of this body posthaste. Pleasant dreams, my little corncob. And happy birthday."
"G'night, daddy..."
"Oh, one more thing... Next time, it won't be restrained."
A panting, bloodied mess, the reverted Mina stood in front of a kneeling, weakened Marco. Her blade was kept firmly in front of her, but it quivered beneath her gradually loosening grip. Zodd still stood tall, the thought of collapsing not once reaching his mind despite the clear, severe damage he was also inflicted with, both inside and out. Though the beast visibly panted and teetered on the edge of fatigue himself.
"Ha... Impressive. I do not remember the last time I found myself approaching exhaustion. But so long as I have not had my fill, I will go on until the end of time. I cannot say the same for either of you, however."
A resounding cry erupted from Mina's throat as she ran forward and took a swing at the behemoth's calf only for her blade to get caught in his massive grasp. A moment after, she was flung towards the forest and crashed into a tree. She didn't move any more after that.
The next thing Marco knew, he was laying on his back, once again at the mercy of his colossal foe. Every part of his body save for his right arm was buried beneath the mass of flesh and fur that bore his form deeper into the earth.
Zodd's other hand wrapped around the entire length of Marco's arm.
"Now then." Zodd began as he bared his sharp, beastly teeth. "You are aware of what happens if I remove this, right?"
Marco didn't answer. The scenario brought waves of dreadful familiarity throughout his body and he began convulsing. He wanted to get out. He needed to get out. The futility of his actions never quite reached his rational mind and his senses were overwritten by his zealous need to free himself of his binds. Loud grunts and shouts were choked out of his lungs, a possible cry for help that no one seemed to be answering.
"I suppose you do not. In short, once I removed this appendage, all the pain that you've endured that have been suppressed by the Hand thus far will come flooding into your body at once and your heart will instantly cease from the subsequent shock. I figured this would be a quicker and less painless death than what I intended initially. And I detest posthumous dismemberment, so this is much more convenient."
Marco continued to resist and squirm, the words of his adversary failing to reach him.
"I'm not so merciless as to not provide you another chance at stating your last words, but it would seem as though you are not in the right mind to do so. No matter. Regardless, I will reiterate: Goodbye, human. I shall-"
It all happened so fast, the singular moment became a blank to Marco. He found himself with his mouth agape staring into the blue sky with his body completely free.
Though in a flash, his mind managed to catch up to what was happening. His body shot upright and he sharply gasped as he sat there wallowing in disbelief.
A being who couldn't be any taller than he was stood at the edge of the shore with Zodd's tail in their hands. It was an individual covered head-to-toe in jet black metal armor and enshrouded in a black, flame-like haze.
They lifted Zodd high into the air and drove him straight into the ground. They then tossed him into the air again and slammed him down once again. They repeated this savage motion for several more moments, smacking and tossing him around like one of those sticky hand toys.
Seemingly bored with the repetitive act, the being sent Zodd's body flying to a far side of the shore, causing him to bounce a few times, followed by a brief slide that scarred the earth with a long, deep imprint of his massive form.
Immediately following his landing, the armored individual sped across the shore, running on all fours towards their prey like some deranged beast brought to the brink of starvation.
Using his broad wings, Zodd jumped to his cloven feet, but was knocked down not even a second after when the armored stranger pounced his chest and proceeded to wail on his face with their clawed fists. Zodd tried throwing the being off of him, but their sheer ferocity and physical prowess prevented them from maintaining any sort of distance before they instantly narrowed it and continued their assault.
Marco tried to reign in his scattered senses and used what little wits he had about him in order to properly process the events unfolding before his very eyes. The first question that rose above the towering mountain of others regarded the identity of this being who so graciously lent their overwhelming strength in saving him as well as Mina.
The armored stranger's form blurred as Marco tried to direct his focus on them. They moved way too fast. Unnaturally so, one might even say. It was hard to keep up with how erratic their movements were.
After a few moments, Marco noticed that the armor's helmet was the defining aspect that gave him all the information he needed. It was a reptilian shape that possessed an elongated maw, with a pair of small horns that crowned its scalp. Between its black, extended jaws were white, shining teeth that concealed the face of the wearer. Shining green gleamed through each of its eye sockets.
Despite the fact that he quickly figured out who bore the sinister armor, the two beasts that were currently fighting were nigh indistinguishable from one another.
"Star...?"
She felt nothing. Purely and absolutely nothing.
Actually, that wasn't completely true. She could distinctly feel the actions that she was witnessing herself committing. She could feel every barb and thorn piercing her flesh as they hastily and sloppily attempted to unite every shard of her shattered bones. She could feel different sets of thorns and barbs injecting something into her veins and organs that fed her the vigor that gave movement to her desires in the first place. She could feel the blood moistening her flesh as the tight fit of the Berserker Carapace kept all of it adhered to her skin.
Yet at the same time, she was void of any sort of sensation. She was aware that varying parts of her body behaved in such a way where she should be feeling varying degrees of pain all over. She could feel a sharp, high-tempo throbbing in her head and eardrums. Her heart was practically slamming itself against her chest and getting pricked by the scattered remains of her ribcage. Her stomach and intestines were tying itself into a huge ball of knots that could never be unraveled. Limbs and muscles ebbed and flowed smoothly and swiftly despite the fact that her joints and ligaments were forcefully being snapped back into place.
And yet her actions in the outside world continued undeterred.
Every barrier she put in place for herself was utterly demolished as she finally set free what she's been caging for the longest time and allowed it to work in tandem with her. However, one could not claim control over the other. Every step they took, every idea they had, every little movement of muscle was a result of mutual desire and benefit of both parties. Truly, Star and the Serpent of Corruption, thought and moved as one.
So you finally embraced who you really are, huh?
Shut up, I'm only doing this to-
Yeah yeah, save your friends right as you're backed into a corner. Why do you remain to be tsundere towards your true nature? You're practically joined at the hip with it.
I never asked for this. Any of this. I wouldn't have let this happen if I could.
Ah, but it was never a matter of "if" but "when". And that "when" seems to be now. Couldn't have found a better time to decide.
I had no other choice.
Yeah, but you needed to fall off that edge sooner or later. Dangle yourself over the Abyss long enough and you're bound to dive right in. Question is, when will you come up for air?
As soon as I pulverize this son of a bitch.
You say that, but neither of us really know if that's true.
Just shut up and help me beat this damn monster into a bloody pile.
Heh, I'm beginning to question who the monster really is.
Marco could only sit frozen in awe as this monster was seemingly dominating the significantly larger Apostle. It reminded him of those Kaiju movies he and Star marathoned during one sleepless night as they speculated and wagered on who would emerge the victor among the various matchups. Except that he was witnessing such a fight happening in front of him and there wasn't a Star sitting next to him to discuss the potential winner.
In fact, Star herself was the one participating and there was no rationale needed to determine said winner.
Fast as Zodd might be in his retaliation attempts, Star managed to surpass his inhuman speed and landed more strikes than he could attempt to deliver. Whenever he tried to grab her, she would quickly slip through his grasp and continue her onslaught.
"No... not again..." Marco heard Mina utter beneath hushed tones as she slowly sidled next to him.
"What? Whaddya-"
Marco's impending questioning was abruptly cut off when a large black stallion burst from the shadows and landed right in front of him then immediately took off towards the two combating monsters. The hooded teen recognized the hulking horseman as described by Star and Mina as the one who rescued him and Star and brought them to this Sanctuary in the first place. The one called Skull Knight.
Right as Zodd and Star parted from one another for the umpteenth time, their distance provided the Skull Knight a wide-enough opening for him to get between them and allow his horse to buck the armored mewman square in the face with its powerful hooves, sending her flying even farther from her foe.
Rattled by this strange turn of events, the beastly Apostle shot a rather perplexed look at the skeletal swordsman as he staggered to his hooves.
"How many more will tread your path, Skull Knight? How many will you let drown in their own bloodlust?" Zodd hoarsely asked as he coughed up a few quarts of blood. "And more importantly, how did she even manage to procure the Berserker Armor in the first place? The Black Swordsman is supposed to be its current wearer."
"That is none of your concern." The Skull Knight coldly replied. "What you should be more concerned with, however, is returning to your master. This fight is over."
The Apostle looked to the Berserker past the Skull Knight with intrigue. Though he strongly desired to continue their heated exchange, he forced himself to concede to his rival's words.
"Perhaps you are right. This is not the fight I should be having at this moment, though I eagerly long for it to continue. I must return to my own tale that is continually unraveling while they must resolve the conflicts in theirs."
The knight shifted his hollow, glowing gaze to Star, who merely stood there with her posture slouched and her arms hanging as if preparing to pounce her foe once again.
Zodd turned his back and flared his wings to depart. He turned to Marco, pointing a declarative claw his way.
"You. Boy. The one you cherish has taken a step into dangerous territory not meant to be tread by mortals. If you value your own life and the lives of those around you, take heed as to not draw any closer to her than you already are. And should she lose any more than she already has, well... when one is stripped of everything they value in life, what they do afterwards reflects their true nature."
And with that prophetic remark, the Apostle took to the skies and vanished into the horizon within mere minutes, leaving everyone within proximity to deal with one last beast.
"Star!" Marco made a break for her before tripping on his injuries and subsequently eating the dirt.
Seeing the boy getting hurt caused the armored beast to immediately bolt on all fours to his aid before having her path blocked by the Skull Knight, his blade brandished in her direction.
Feeling threatened, Star proceeded to growl and slightly raise her claws at the horseman, failing to recognize him as the one who saved her life some weeks ago. Syrupy, black saliva seeped through her armor's teeth and dripped off its metallic lips.
Without warning, Star leapt for the rider and swung for his skull. The Knight proved significantly faster as he parried the bare-handed attack with a defensive swing of his own.
As soon as Star landed back on her feet, she leapt at the horseman again, this time unleashing a flurry of slashes that aimed to rip the Skull Knight and his steed into ribbons. Once more, the horseman flaunted his superior reflexes and blocked every single one of them despite the unpredictable attack pattern accentuated by her motion-blurring speed.
Finding the right opening, the Skull Knight took a swing at the armored beast, striking her directly beneath the jaw of her helmet and launching her back several feet. She slid back further right after she landed and merely stood there, scanning the two beings next to Marco rather than taking any further action.
"Bearer of the Right Hand," Skull Knight calmly addressed, not taking his eyes off of the altered girl."I highly advise against going anywhere near her at this moment."
"Wh-what's happened to her?" Marco worriedly asked as he staggered back to his feet.
"So long as she is under the malevolent effects of the Berserker Armor, her ability to distinguish friend from foe becomes severely limited. At this point, it is rather difficult to attempt to reason with her. While I understand your close bonds with one another, it is nonetheless a risk we shan't take."
"You... you should really listen to him." Mina softly agreed, averting her gaze and nervously rubbing her arm.
Ignoring their warnings, he ran right past the Skull Knight faster than the horseman could react and foolishly went within arm's length of his affected friend. He dropped his hands on the armor's grooved, broad shoulders.
"Star! Star!" He yelled her name to the heavens as he violently shook her body. He attempted to evoke some semblance of mewmanity by gazing into the helmet's shining green eyes with a saddened expression. "You're Star Butterfly! Do you hear me!? Star Butterfly! You're the pri- the Queen of Mewni and my best friend in the universe! Please Star! Snap out of it!"
"Mm... Maaahh...cooo..." He could barely recognize her voice beneath the dense distortion and severe pitch shift. But he knew in the depths of his soul that Star was buried deep beneath the ghastly figure he stared face-to-face with.
"Yeah, yeah! It's me! Marco! Remember? Your best friend? Your crush? Trauma twin? Please Star... I know you're in there... the coolest girl I know would never hurt anyone she cared about. Please..."
As if his words managed to reach her, Star started to grunt and groan in clear agony as she slowly backed away from Marco, gripping the crown of her helmet.
She dropped to her knees, her guttural cries growing louder as the moments lapsed by. Her clawed gauntlets desperately scraped at her helmet as if seeking some sort of release from whatever pain she was undergoing.
"St-Sta-"
The armor arched its back as she howled into the skies above, her cries echoing into the horizon and bringing every other sound in the area to a dead silence.
As the seemingly endless cry continued, the voice grew less and less distorted and approached the full breadths of its wearer's normal voice. Simultaneously, the armor itself appeared to be peeling away, gradually unveiling the distinct, yet heavily bloodied form of Star Butterfly.
Though as the surface of the blackened carapace peeled away, it also appeared to be liquefying and draining into Star's flesh, taking the blood that coated her form along with it and leaving behind a few congealed, crusted spots of darkened red.
Her fully revealed figure laid on her knees and faced the sky for a few more moments before slumping over and falling towards the dirt. Marco managed to be quick on the draw and allowed her to fall face down into his arms. Immediately, he took to checking for a pulse and a wave of relief washed over him when he found one.
Marco took to gently laying her on her back to examine the damage. He noticed that, all over Star's body, save for her head, there were tiny closed marks that was evident of a rather harsh acupuncture session. He her face remained relatively untouched, but it didn't take away from the fact that it bore a few noticeable differences regardless. The hearts on her cheeks that were once a vibrant pastel pink were now black as coal. The left bang on her blonde hair was bleached white as if she had attempted to replicate Jackie Lynn Thomas's signature hair style.
But none of that stood out as much as her new left arm, which was more akin to the gauntlets of her withdrawn armor. Red and dark purple veins sewed the line between her flesh and the new monstrous-looking appendage.
The Skull Knight and Mina sauntered over to the two teens after all seemed clear. The latter couldn't contain her pained grimace upon peering at her queen while she was in such a state. It was as if the sight reminded her of something she wished she had long forgotten.
"Skull Knight was it?" Marco asked as he stared pensively into the Knight's glowing eye sockets. He was a tad unnerved by his appearance at first but was quickly quelled by his calm and approachable disposition. "What's... happened to Star?"
The skeletal swordsman took a moment to wistfully gaze into the distance. "The result of that Celena girl's fixation on the armor." It sounded as if he was thinking out loud rather than answering Marco's question.
"Uh, what?"
"One of Star's great grandmas." Mina clarified. "Uh, you wanna go off from there, Skully?"
The Knight affirmed with a nod. "What your friend underwent was, presumably, a spell based on an armor imbued with a powerful enchantment, that was once safeguarded by a dear friend of mine, a witch named Flora."
"That Zodd guy said it was called the... Berserker Armor? And that it's currently held by someone named the Black Swordsman."
Skull Knight raised a dismissive hand. "That is besides the point."
"Ok... so what was that about one of Star's grandmas making a spell based off of it?"
"She, the one referred to as Celena the Shy, was once a former student of Flora's. Oft times I would find her in her teacher's treasure room analyzing and studying the Armor fervently into the wee hours of the night. Her continuous studies on the item bordered on obsession and, as a former user of the armor, it greatly concerned me."
Marco briefly considered asking him if that was how he became a skeleton, but he figured it was too rude to bring up. A different inquiry within a similar vein arose in its place, however.
"So you used to wear it, huh?" He pointed to the still unconscious Star. "Went through something like this?"
The Knight gravely nodded. "I could not bear its malevolent nature any longer and left it in Flora's care in the hopes that it would find a much more capable wielder. Though as I stand here, I ponder whether such a choice was wise to begin with. But I ultimately relent, for this must be within the confines of Causality."
Marco took another long look Star, his heart ached towards the prospect of possibly losing her to such a dangerous power.
"Is there any way to break the spell or something?"
"Not easily." Mina tersely answered. And said nothing more than that, allowing Skull Knight to take over from there.
"The original Berserker Armor is a removable piece of equipment, but for some reason not even Glossaryck could ascertain, Celena created this perverse duplication that prevented anyone augmented to completely dispel it. With ease, that is."
"But do you know how, at least?"
Mina and Skull Knight exchanged blank glances before turning back to Marco.
"The only feasible way to break the spell would be to completely extinguish the inner beast that lies within. One must dispel their inner darkness with a sheer force of will that rivals those of godlike proportions. All things considered, I do not believe your friend is capable of such a feat at this moment."
Marco hefted a resigned sigh. "So, what's gonna happen now that she's... like this?"
Skull Knight paused for a few moments. "Every inhibition, physical and mental, shall be sacrificed for a many-fold escalation in her physical prowess, as you've likely surmised by this point. However, to do so, the armor must summon forth her inner darkness. The desire for power the armor tempts may encourage more frequent use, which will propagate the deterioration of the mind and result in numerous severe mental deficiencies. She would no longer be recognized by who she is, but rather, what she's given in to."
Marco exasperatedly ran a hand through his hair. As if there wasn't already much to worry about Star, causality somehow finds a way to add more to the steadily growing pile.
He hefted another sigh before deftly cradling his sleeping friend in his arms and making his slow, steady way back into the Sanctuary. He stopped just short of the first stepping stone.
"Oh yeah... thanks for everything, by the way. Getting me and Star out of that..." Marco swallowed a lump in his throat before continuing. "...place. And for helping us just now."
The Skull Knight responded with a single nod, silently expressing "You're welcome."
"And uh, you too, Mina. When we first met, I thought you were no different from the hobos hanging around the alleys of Echo Creek. But now I see why Star admired you so much. You really are a great hero."
Mina simply scoffed and flitted her pupils off to the side with a combination of modesty and self-doubt.
"Anyways, I better get inside and take care of Star. Remember that we're gonna set out first thing in the morning."
"Gotcha." Mina raised a thumb in agreement.
With that, Marco resumed his path back to the safety of the floating, circular building. He somewhat struggled with his own injuries as he put in much effort not to trip and fall into the water below with his friend in tow.
When he knocked on the door with his feet to request for Janna or Glossaryck to answer, he was initially taken aback but was not surprised when a skeleton came in their place and parted the doors to allow him entry. The hinged slabs of stone shut with a loud thud.
A lingering, palpable silence formed a layer that surrounded the two remaining on the beach. Their eyes remained fixed on the Sanctuary as it stood in moderate disrepair beneath the slowly setting sun and the gradually darkening violet skies. The vibrantly orange horizon nearly shared its same color with the shimmering sea below.
"Humor me for a bit, Skully." Mina softly spoke after what felt like a while. "You think they're gonna make the same mistakes we made?"
The Skull Knight gave pause to his actions before giving voice to his rationale. "I cannot say. After all that has occurred, their place in the flow of Causality is constantly in flux, rendering it murky at best, incomprehensible at worse. This is a phenomenon that is unusual even to me. I cannot tell whether this should be cause for alarm or optimism."
Mina arched her eyebrow briefly before shaking her head and smiling.
"Ok well, what am I supposed to do with that information?"
He shrugged. "Whatever you deem appropriate. However, it leads me to believe there are other forces at play besides the ones you and I are familiar with."
"I kinda figured. Whaddya think they want?"
He shrugged once more. "Their motives and ambitions escape me. Regardless, they're not the ones I'm most concerned with."
Mina left her mind blank for a moment, giving it a reprieve from all that transpired thus far. An errant question made its way to the forefront of her empty thoughts.
"Say Skull Knight, do you have an idea on why Glossaryck sent me to Star and Marco's aid even though he most likely knew you were on your way there anyways?"
The two exchanged another long, inquisitive look. Mina could never tell what he was thinking whenever he looked like that. But then again, he always looked that way. Guess that was one of the perks of being a skeleton. No subtle facial expressions to read.
"Would you resent me if I said that I would have slain your queen had you not intervened?"
Mina couldn't contain her shock as she stared bug-eyed and slack-jawed at her friend.
"You wouldn't." The strongly spoken statement was more for her sake than anything.
Skull Knight only gravely nodded, belying nothing.
"Wha..." She fumbled in her words, her mind racing with disbelief. "Why would you do that?"
"Her sinister aura was not dissimilar to that of Eclipsa's. Though, compared to the elder Butterfly's, the younger's was merely in its infancy. It will only continue to grow and fester now that she has summoned forth the power of the Berserker Armor."
"Geez, it never ends, does it?" Mina stated with an exhausted sigh.
"Unfortunately not, but you should find solace in knowing that you at least have the means to combat such seemingly insurmountable odds."
"Heh, amen to that. Glad I finally have a purpose again after living without one for so long."
"And I am happy for you." The Skull Knight swayed his reigns to the side, prompting his steed to prepare to depart. "Well, I must be off. May Causality bring you triumph over every obstacle in your righteous path."
"You too, 'Your Majesty'" Mina casually remarked with a mischievous smile.
The Skull Knight turned his head to the side for a few moments before silently resuming his leave.
"WAAAAIIIT!" Cried out Janna who was hopping across the stepping stones. The Skull Knight immediately halted.
"Whaddya need, Janna? Something goin' on with Star and Marco?"
"Uh no, I uh..." The beanie-bearing teen panted tiredly as she propped herself up with her hands laying her knees. She then turned to Skull Knight with a look that didn't seem like anything good could come of it.
"So uh, Skull Knight, right?" She began nervously curling her hair in her finger as she spoke. "You're not, um, seeing anybody are you?"
While Skull Knight stared on as blankly as he always has, his thoughts left to interpretation, Mina couldn't help but look completely flabbergasted by such a question, her entire visage widened beyond what her facial muscles were capable of.
"Janna, what the heck!?" Mina nearly shouted, her face flushed. "You do realize he's a skeleton, right?"
The wily weirdo shrugged. "Eh. Wouldn't be the first time."
"Wha-" As if Mina couldn't get any more taken aback, Janna somehow found a way. "You know he's also over a thousand years old?"
"Do age of consent laws really apply across dimensions?"
"What the f-" Mina spared herself from stating an expletive and opted to pinch the bridge of her nose instead. "Oh my goodness Skull Knight, I'm so sorry you-"
Her approaching apology died on her lips as it was on the verge of being aimed at no one. The horseman was long gone well before anyone realized it and seemingly without a trace as well.
Mina and Janna exchanged a glance. While the former's was wrought with awkwardness, the latter could only look somewhat resigned and aloof.
"Guess it's back to the Marcobowl, then."
