Ran slipped out of bed as quietly as she could. Outrider's hold of her made it somewhat difficult. To say he'd insisted on crying into her chest before falling asleep on it was somewhat inaccurate - she was only too happy to have let him. But still, the grip he had on her made it clear that even at the top of Crag they had not yet done enough to rid him of his amnesia. To rid him of the questions plaguing him.

Which, of course, gave rise to a new question: what was enough?

Ran slipped out of the room and down the quiet hallways of the Elder Chambers, thinking of the skylight in Octavian's office. Her thoughts skipped to the time she spent on the roof in Nomad and how Outrider had come to find her. She smiled at the memory.

And that was how she found herself inside Octavian's office and leaping up to catch the lip of the skylight and pull herself up onto the roof of the Elder Chambers. She stood up and let the cool early morning air of Crag wash over her.

"Can't sleep either?" said a familiar voice. Ran nearly fell back down into the office below and turned to see Stone sitting several feet away. Her legs dangled off the side of the roof. Beyond her, a view of the top of the walls that ringed Crag and the endless heavens, dotted with stars. Forests ran out in every direction around the city, sweeping up and down as the hills beneath them crested and waned.

The weavile sat herself down beside the lycanroc and said, "Yeah, a little. I wanted some time alone after-" She paused and shook her head. "After everything was done." It was better to leave Outrider's breakdown private.

"Same here," said Stone. She leaned back on her oversized paws and sighed. Ran noticed she was still wearing her belts and sword.

"You're leaving," said Ran, pointing at the gear.

Stone looked at her and grinned. "Nope." Her grin faltered and she sat up straight and added, "No, I'm fuckin' not." She partially unsheathed her sword to look down at the blade, gleaming in the moonlight and then sheathed it once more. "But I wanted to. Told myself I just had to step out that front door. No one would stop me. Who would even think to, you know?"

"You don't sound happy about staying," said Ran.

"Are you?" asked Stone.

"I'm with Outrider. In more ways than one now, I guess. I'm not happy about staying, but I'm happy being with him. With all of you."

The lycanroc smirked and shook her head. "Yep. Figured as much." She leaned back on her paws again and hummed a tune.

"So…"

"So what? I'm staying. In the same boat as you. Rather see this place burn. But not with my friends still in it." She continued to hum and then stopped and looked over at Ran. "Say, since we're already up here. You mind telling me who Karan is?"

Images of the alley filled Ran's head. The colors and shapes ran together like smeared paints. They transformed into a bed and a figure beneath her. Another bed. Another bed. Another bed.

Another night. Another night. Another night.

Another soul. Another soul. Another soul.

She pushed the memories from her head, and filled her thoughts with images of an endless blue sky and white stone tiles. "I can tell you who she was."

O blessed whore of the festering regent,

Art thy head not heavy with the crown of cruel fate?

O lost child of calamity's empathy,

Will thee be dress'd in robes of silken lies?

O unwitting wanderer,

What are the colors of thy soul?

O unwilling empress,

Will ye keep the walls strong?

Echo of a Demon will continue in part two:

The Unwilling Empress

Afterword:

Special thanks to ee4ee, Mimiga, Invictus, and Saikou for their feedback, patience, and honesty. Without them, Echo probably wouldn't exist.

I realize there are a lot of questions left to answer, and perhaps unsatisfactory answers already given. I intend to answer them, and hopefully transform those answers into something satisfactory as books two and three unfold. If you feel I've failed you regardless, you have my sincerest apologies.