Pretty Well

Stradi glared at the mage at his feet, then at his companions. He raised his axe, and Sagus closed his eyes. He opened them when void didn't overtake him. He found Stradi leaving.

"Wait!" Sagus yelled after him. He stopped but didn't turn.

"What?"

"Arakarin....what is he to you?"

"I don't owe you an explanation and i won't volunteer one. I spared your life; you should count yourself lucky and let it go at that. And pray we don't meet again." He closed his eyes, but opened them again. "By the way, stop telling people you are me. It's embarrassing." With that, Stradi whispered a spell and melted into his own shadow.

Marianne rushed to Sagus' side, near crying.

"Sagus!! I thought he was going to kill you!" She threw herself down onto the ground and held him tight. Normally, he would've enjoyed this, but there was something about the look in Stradi's eyes as he decided not to kill him. Pity? No, it wasn't that. What was it? Sagus stood and started back to where the camp had been.

"Come on. We might be able to salvage some things from the campsite." He walked without a word all the way back.

'What's wrong with him,' Marianne thought. 'He faced Stradi and lived. He should be overjoyed. I'm overjoyed he survived, why isn't he?'

It was a surprisingly long walk. Distances always seem shorter when being chased by stone giants. Finally, they returned to the campsite, finding only trash where their tents had been. Everyone was obviously discouraged, none more than Sophie. If her catalysts were destroyed, she was basically a normal woman, not to mention she couldn't know what would happen if they all mixed together.

"Come on. Try to find whatever you can, and something to haul it in. We're leaving in an hour."