[b]Luca[/b]

Luca felt like a coward. He’d felt the presence of the shadows like a prickle of cobwebs across his skin as they had stood outside the ruined Inn. It was something he felt often since the creatures were everywhere, but he’d learned to dismiss it and had done so. Still it had prickled at him and when things exploded he’d simply hidden behind the others and watched as everything went to hell. He was paralyzed, so afraid he didn’t even make a sound when Abe toppled and tiny Chavi, not much taller than he had fought her way through the crowd to his side. It was only afterwards, as things were clearing up and Beth’s fierce screams were filling him with further shame that he moved forward. 

Edimér calling to him, giving him a task, something he could do felt like a gift, a small chance at redemption. He wasn’t certain if the older man had seen him hang back like a coward, Luca hoped not, but he vowed to do better. He would not shrink from trouble again. Chin up, eyes wet he grabbed hold of Bess who pounded at him with her little fists hard enough to bruise him. He didn’t let go, not even when she redoubled her efforts.

“You punch like a girl!” he shouted at her and in her shock she froze and glared at him. All her impotent fury at a world she could not change focused onto him and pulled her back into the moment as she glared at him and lifted her fist in front of his face menacingly. 

“I do not! I punched you real good earlier and if you don’t take that back I’ll do it again.” 

Luca felt a shaky smile flickering across his features and he nodded, conceding, “Maybe, but I can spit further.” 

It was too much for Bess,

“Nu-uh!” And she began the noisy process of gathering spit as Luca guided her a little further from the others just as the new man thundered up with the girl who still had the spirit inside her. Luca shivered and watched her pass, he could almost see the thing inside her, pressing against her, against her control. He felt Bess still next to him and looked down at her to see her watching the girl with wide eyes. 

“I see it too…” she whispered and stepped closer to him. 

[b]Chavi[/b]

Chavi watched as Navid whom she’d yelled at so fiercely just the day before, whom Edimér swore was worth trusting poured medicines into her father’s mouth and prayed to the ancestors with all her might that he was worthy. Her father’s bloodless lips moved and underneath his thick beard she saw his throat move as he took the medicine in. Then, slowly like a winter sunrise his color began to return and his labored breathing eased. 

A sob escaped her and she collapsed against Edimér and sobbed, nodding and muttering her thanks to Navid. What would she do if her Father died? What would they all do? It had seemed unthinkable but then so much that had seemed unthinkable had happened in just the past few ways. 
When she could she spoke,

“Thank you Navid, thank you.” She lightly touched his wrist with her pale, cold fingers and then looked to the others, 

“We need to get him somewhere quiet, somewhere safe and then we need to get Drust back.”