I caught my breath around the other side of Vaizel's remains.

I couldn't stay there, not while they were regrouping. One Sin I could take barehanded, probably two at the same time if I had a sword. But I didn't have a sword and they had a freaking giant.

Didn't know how I could have forgotten about Diane. Jeez. I straightened, cracked my back, and looked in all directions. There was no traces of Guila, Jericho and Helbram. Either they'd been killed in the attack – which might be likely – or they ditched me.

I blew a raspberry and continued along what remained of the path, careful to keep an eye out should the Sins hunt me. My legs quivered with fatigue but the whole body ache I'd harboured had disappeared. My arm too was healing – tingling and twitching. The bruising wasn't as dark. I dropped Kitsune; swamped by faintness, I paused in the middle of the road.

"Hey, you okay?" I looked up from my hands on knees. A farmer stood in front of me. He held a flask in his hands and the other held the small hand of a boy.

"What are you doing here? You guys should be far away," I said, standing tall and pushing away the weariness that ate at my muscles. "You should have evacuated with the others."

"We did. Everyone's over there." The farmer's eyes scoured my body then he pushed the flask out to me. "Here. Looks like you need it."

I wrinkled my nose at the sickly bitter smell as I uncapped it and took two deep gulps. "Thanks." I repressed the shudder from the taste – obviously not Vanya ale. The little kid peered at me with dark blue eyes, vacant in the stare. Shock? Probably.

"Who was in charge of the evacuation?"

"We had some Holy Knights helping out but they've left now. Taizo's running it, keeping everyone calm."

"Take me to him," I commanded and the farmer cocked an eyebrow at me.

While I might sound like a Holy Knight, I probably did not look it. I had no armour, my sword was a splint on my arm, my hair was most likely a tousled mess I'd never be able to tame in time, and I was pretty sure I was caked in blood and mud – some of which was not mine.

"I'm a Holy Knight of Liones. I'll assist where I can."

"You look ready to fall over," he stated but still turned on his heel and led the way. The child kept looking back at me with those vacant eyes. It was unnerving to say the least.

We went over a rise and down below in the valley was a large farmstead with a herd of cattle rounded up and an even larger crowd of displaced citizens milling about.

The farmstead had not escaped the attack either. The land was pocked-marked with craters and scorched earth. Projectiles from Diane's Mother Catastrophe had speared the ground in haphazard patterns, splinters of Earth that could crush you in half before you had the chance to wonder what was going on. There was a pool of blood near one of them; my stomach flipped flopped over the fear that my assumption was right.

The citizens were crying and yelling but they kept to themselves. Shaking, sobbing, shocked. They parted like skitterish sheep as we entered the ring of people. Our destination seemed to be a large barn that looked to be recently touched by fire. It groaned and swayed in the gentle breeze wafting around.

My eyes widened. I dragged my feet as far as I could before they froze to the ground. My shoulders trembled. This. This destruction.

This hadn't just been the Sins. It had been us too. Holy Knights sworn to protect those in the jurisdiction of Liones.

And we had destroyed it as easily as the Sins had. Guilt ate at me. The sounds of the people faded away. I wanted to cry but the tears wouldn't come. Not sad tears though. Angry tears. I clenched my fists and raised my head. The sounds returned and I let them morph into my anger.

We did this! Hendrickson's stupid plan. I'd been so caught up in my own revenge I didn't even think for a second to challenge him, to insist we keep the safety of the citizens at the forefront of our mission.

"Help!"

The barn gave a groan as the breeze blew heavier. The support beams cracked as the weight shifted to one side. Taizo was in the shadows, swearing and struggling to hold up the roof as it sagged.

I heard thin, childlike wails coming from inside.

"Thief!" I screamed as I darted forward. Untargeted, my powers zapped through the citizens like wayward arrows. Grunts and muffled thuds followed in my wake; my muscles grew, my feet skimmed the ground as I sprinted faster.

I got in under the roof beside Taizo, channelling all that strength into my right arm and legs to hold it upright. "Get them out!" I shouted at him then gritted my teeth as another ashen beam disintegrated.

Taizo gave me the full weight of the roof and I gritted my teeth, sharp eyes facing the citizens. "Thief." More people fell down and it was only by their strength was I able to keep the roof balanced.

Taizo rushed back and forth moving children. "That's the last one!" he shouted with the final child.

"Everyone, get back!" I shouted over and over. People scuttled back and away, dragging the children and immobile citizens with them.

I wouldn't be able to get out from underneath before the roof flattened me. I had to add to the destruction once more.

"Enflame!" Flames raced from shoulder to fingertips. On my third breath, I pulled my arm down, curled the hand into a fist and crouched. As the roof fell down on me, I surged upwards and punched the roof.

A torrent of fire belched out of a cloud of dust and smoke. I cut the attack short and dropped Thief as quickly as I could. The bent over people came back to the land of the living, coughing and spluttering, as weak as newborn calves.

I wiped soot from my face and only proceeded to smear more all over me. Taizo made his way cautiously over the mountain of rumble and helped me out. I took his hand gratefully and let him drag me to a clear patch of grass. Everyone stayed far away from me.

"Never seen magic like that before," he muttered, patting me down. Plumes of ash puffed off me.

I smiled wearily then asked, "Does anyone have a horse I could borrow?"

~

After promising to send relief and supplies from the capital, I rode hard through the night. The pitfall darkness matched my mood as the horse drove on for miles on miles. If only I knew how to summon those winged mantarays then I'd have no issues arriving home in time.

The tears flowed now. Freely, unbidden and unable to stop. It made it hard to see the darker than black obstacles in the road. The lantern bouncing on the side of the saddle was completely useless and made me seasick more than it granted me the ability to see.

My thoughts churned like wild seas, giving me a headache that could rival the itching pain radiating from my left arm. The bruising had dappled and these dapples now swayed and squirmed as muscle restitched itself and pushed the bones back into place.

Staying upright in the saddle was its own nightmare.

Faint lights rose into the sky in the distance. I gave a cry of relief and slowed the horse. It frothed at the bit and plodded along. I patted its slick neck, murmuring promises of hay, cool water, carrots and sugar sweets.

Liones was a blot on the horizon and as we drew nearer, the city's and wall's lanterns lit up the countryside until it was feebly sunlight leading the way back home. I came to the gates. Someone was leaning against them.

"Hello?" I called out, voice hoarse.

They pushed off the wall and darted towards me. Leraj.

I dropped from the saddle on unstable legs and hobbled towards him. He gathered me into a tight hug. My right hand gripped the back of his neck and I buried my head into the neck, breathing in his soft woodsmoke scent.

"It's okay. You're home," he said, patting my head and smoothing down my hair.

"I'm just so tired," I sobbed. "I'm just so tired of it all."

"Come on, let's get you inside. I'll draw you a bath."

Meekly, I nodded and let him half drag, half walk me inside the gates. I gave the horse to a lingering guard with instructions to take care of him. To the other guard, I told him to relay a message to Grand Master Dreyfus to send aid to Vaizel. I didn't bother telling him to tell Hendrickson. There really was no point in doing that.

We trudged back to the barracks in silence. I didn't want to speak and Leraj was kind enough not to ask. He let me into my room and sat me on the bed. He crouched in front of me and cupped my cheeks. He ran his eyes over my face and I blinked at him.

He kissed my forehead and disappeared into the side room. I heard rushing water. My body sagged backwards onto the bed and my comforter cushioned me, moulding around me. I was out before the bath had even finished filling.