As we headed back to the main group, and walked past the geisterung graveyard, Casey came running towards me.
"Is it over?" she asked, and I nodded, as I took a look around.
"We'll need to collect these cores," I said, and Casey nodded in agreement. "How's Nolan?"
"Healed, but resting. Accelerated healing like that really does a number on your core."
Come to think of it, Raul did pass out after we'd healed him...
And Casey slept a lot while she was recovering from her stabbing.
The Kobalt were up in numbers now, and gathering up their dead, but as we got to the camp, I spotted the little Kobalt girl.
She was sitting in front of a small plant, seemingly a fresh sprouting, and as I studied the earth around it, I noted that it seemed to have been freshly dug.
Was it where her father had been buried?
I wondered if perhaps the Kobalt custom was to plant a tree where a fallen comrade was lain to rest.
As I walked over to her, I noted an empty, forlorn expression on her face, and even as she spotted me approaching, she didn't react.
Not to be deterred, however, I grabbed the child by the back of her shirt and picked her up, and as she flailed about a bit, I spotted Gisela and walked over to her.
"This child," I began, "can I have it?"
Gisela blinked twice, her confusion evident, and she cast a questioning glance at Casey as she tried to process my request.
"Have?" she asked.
"Yeah. What did you plan to do with her, anyway?"
"If no guardian would accept her, we would try to find one at the nearest cluster," she replied, and I nodded.
"Good. Then I can be her guardian."
"If you desire it, none would dissent," she continued, before shaking her head. "But surely the burden of this sapling is one for which you need not worry..."
I waved a hand dismissively, as I turned to the child.
Her hands were folded, and a glum expression on her face.
"Being a brat, are we? What's your name?"
"Do you really expect her to understand you all the time-?"
"Lucia," she replied, cutting Casey off, and she rolled her eyes as I shot her a wry smile, before turning my attention back to the girl.
"Lucia, huh? I like it. So, do you want to stay with me, or do you want to go live with your people?"
Her eyes studied me, tinged with confusion, so I held her up to Gisela.
"Your people? Or me," I said, turning her back to me. "Choose who you want to stay with."
"Ich will Rache!" she replied, and I tilted my head at her.
"You want revenge? On what?"
Her eyes flicked to the little grave, and I furrowed my brow.
"The one who killed him got away?" I asked, and she nodded.
This was interesting...
So, she'd been marking the creature, huh?
Now that I think about it, we had killed, what, five of the things?
If there were seven that I'd seen, and two more that were apparently hiding further off, then that meant that four of these things were technically still out there; the one who'd retreated from our fight, plus the other three who had left to track me earlier on.
Maybe we weren't out of the woods just yet.
"So, you want to kill the thing that murdered your father?" I asked.
She nodded again.
"You still have to choose, though. Me? Or them?" I said, turning her to Gisela.
The girl frowned, then after a moment, she punched my armor, and let her hand stay where it had landed, keeping her gaze firm, and fierce.
She remained like that for a bit, before letting her hand fall, and softening her expression a little, and I nodded.
"Good," I said, but as I set her down, she took a little step, then stumbled, and I caught her, and steadied her a bit as I studied her.
I focused my gaze intently, as I had done before, and I noted that the little blue thread seemed to be moving a bit more slowly, labored, almost, and that the faint blue light that it emitted seemed a little duller than usual.
Her core must be almost depleted,
I thought.
I picked her up again, holding her like I would a child this time, and as I moved over to the sleeping area, I set her down next to Bianca.
"Rest," I said, and she shot me a defiant look, before letting out another yawn, and I snickered a little, as I saw her resilience fast fading.
"What is your plan with her?" Casey asked, moving to my side, and I let out a tired stretch, as I plopped down beside the girl.
"She has a useful ability, and I find her determination endearing," I said.
"I know I told you that the Kobalt can eventually develop their cores to our kind of level, but I really didn't expect you to just up and adopt the first orphan you could find," Casey replied, and I snickered a little in response.
"What better way to find out what they're capable of, though? She's determined enough, and she basically killed an aufhöcker last night. If that doesn't scream 'give me a chance' then I don't know what will."
As I let out a tired yawn, Casey shot me a quick look.
"You probably exhausted your core," she said. "Get some rest. I'll handle things here."
"Will I be able to wake up if there's trouble?" I asked, and Casey shook her head.
"You might wake up, but until your core's power regenerates you wouldn't be able to fight or use any kind of abilities," she answered.
I lay back, then let out a sigh, but as Casey headed off, I noted that Lucia was sitting, with her knees into her chest, and wearing a frustrated expression on her face.
"If you want your revenge, you need to get stronger," I said, "and that won't happen unless you sleep."
She frowned, then scooted a little bit away from Bianca, before lying down on her side, her back to me.
I studied her for a bit, but my own mind was quickly accelerating towards unconsciousness, and as I drifted off, that image of her form, crumpled, and alone, stayed with me.
***
Joanna stepped into the office expecting an execution, and instead she was greeted with champagne, and Beluga caviar.
"What's the occasion," she began, a confused expression on her face.
"We're celebrating a promotion of sorts," the man explained.
"Yours?"
