The passing of time was slow, everyone was swept away by the grief that overtook their emotions. Grusha crouched on the side silently, keeping a few paces behind Aput. Remaining men of the village emerged from the forest just minutes after the end of what had transpired, Nukilik limped over towards Aput from the forest.

“No.” Nukilik started. “No, no, no, no.” He repeated in incremental anger mixed with grief.

He dropped to his knees and scooped what remained of his son in his arms, a portion of the boy's torso was burned off. The boy’s expression his final moments were full of determination, he probably could not understand what was going on, but his instincts compelled him to take action and save Aput’s life.

All of the men who had just arrived dropped onto their knees, mimicking their foolish leader. Tearing hair off their crown in grief, pummeling knees in anguish. Many muttered their deep regret for ever leaving their family behind.

Nukilik wiped the tears clean off of his face, a newfound resolve painted his face. Resting his dead son on the ground, he stood up and peeled his brother Aput away from his son. Hurling him to the edge of the remains of their humble village, rolling him through ashen remains of their cindered huts.

The older brother approached his brother with fists clenched, ready to pummel the life out of his younger brother. Grusha sprinted in between them both, she bared teeth at Nukilik, daring him to take another step. Nukilik did not care, he poured out his anger on her instead, punching her in the face.

Her hair quilled up, sending messages in her head to kill him, but she fought against those thoughts. Instead, she stood her ground and took his punch, not even hardening her skin. Her head whipped sideways from the impact, she spat out blood from biting her tongue.

Nukilik braced to punch her again and swung another blow, this time Lady Hammer stepped in between them two. She grabbed him by the fist, crushing his hand to the point where his joints popped.

“Stop.” Grusha ordered.

“If you wish it, so be it.” Lady Hammer said.

Hammer released his hand, not before shoving him backwards. Everyone paused from the wailing, gathering behind Nukilik. Down from the youngest to the oldest, hate glowed in their eyes. The same appearance as those from the mainlands gave to the demis.

Nukilik gripped at his fist. “You brought her here, Aput!” He yelled.

Villagers murmured over the meaning of what he said, they could not understand what was going on. Nukilik addressed his fellow relatives, villagers that resided with him.

Pointing at Grusha. “That animal is a demi. The creatures that the Foundation had warned us about, monsters in the form of humans that are anything but human.”

One of the villagers stepped forward. “You were there that day, I saw you fly over the ocean and slay the whale with a single blow.”

Another came forward. “I heard you wail in the forest earlier, you resemble Amaguq. No, you are worse.”

Before long, they clamored and spouted accusations at Grusha, blaming her for all that had happened. Nukilik raised his palm to silence the crowd, to get the attention again.

“That is not the worst of it, one of our own betrayed us by not letting us know sooner before this calamity had befallen us.” Without wasting another breath. “Aput! My brother is the traitor.”

Everyone’s anger was uniformly directed towards both of them. Aput pressed down against his knees, standing back up. Grusha looked at him, there was an air about him that was breathtaking. The moonlight glowed a low halo that crowned his head, making him have something that others did not, dignity.

“I am sorry for everything that has happened.” Aput said. Genuine remorse and pain croaked from his throat, he too was a victim along with them.

“I’ve brought this upon us, this was my fault and I should have done things differently.” He continued. Aput bowed his head apologetically.

Nukilik butted in his own thoughts. “Have you finally come to your senses then? Make up for your sins and force the beast to take her own life, then we can offer her corpse as a peace offering back to those who seek for her.”

Aput raised his head, brows crunched from determination. “I should have done things differently, but I do not regret what happened.”

“Skorto.” Grusha coughed in her breath.

Everyone’s attention was drawn to her, they knew her to be the silent one. Only a few actually knew that she spoke.

“What was that?” Aput asked.

Grusha raised her chin up at Aput angrily, he was surprised by her unwarranted anger towards him. It was not clear to herself for why she was angry at him either, but she expressed herself for the first time verbally at him in front of others.

“I called you a skorto.” She repeated herself.

“For what reason, all I’ve ever done was defend you.”

Lady Hammer pitched in. “For what reason? You’ve claimed a life-debt of a monster for no reason, she is indebted to you because you’ve done everything for her. Yet, your intentions, albeit noble, are beyond comprehension. Why do you defend the likes of I and her alike?”

Aput was surprised from being attacked from all sides, all he did was clench his fists.

“I had no idea that she felt forced to be tied here, or me I guess. I thought I was witnessing entirely else, but if it truly was something superficial such as a life-debt, that means everything I witnessed was polarized.” Taking a deep breath, he looked at Grusha straight in the eyes. “If the life-debt is that important, you can consider it fulfilled.”

Grusha was hurt by words for the second time this evening, she stumbled a couple steps backwards. Unable to understand what was going on, but Wildebeest told her that she was free and that it was time to go.

“Go.” Aput told her.

She stood still, eyeing between the sweet freedom of the forest and Aput. Looking at Hammer for some sort of direction, hoping that she could intervene in this conflict she was experiencing.

“Do not rely on me, Beast. I shadow your lead, your word is my command.” Hammer said.

Grusha looked at Aput again. “I have nowhere else to go.”

“Do you consider this to be home?” He gestured all around him, the destruction of the village she inferred to what he meant.

“Yes.” She answered plainly.

“Then there is truly nothing I can offer.”

A long pause.

“GO!” Aput startled her, suddenly increasing his aggression.

Her hair bristled in surprise, and teeth bared angrily. She took a few tentative steps back, pausing for a few moments. Until she finally decided to listen to Wildebeest and leave, running into the forest with Hammer following behind her with Pegasus in hand.

When they were at a decent distance away, Grusha skidded to a stop. For the first time, she cried. Tears rolled down her check, dripping on the cold frozen ground. She pummeled her fists onto the ground, angered from the lack of control of her body.

“Why? Why can’t I make it stop?” She sobbed.

Lady Hammer rested her hand on Grusha’s shoulder.

“It is because it hurts.”

“Bah. I know not the word.” She chuckled weakly in between her sobbing.

“Laugh it off, if you will. The fact remains that you felt something that you were invested in, and you gave it up.”

She paused. Thinking through what was on her mind, about what she had gone through for Aput. Was it really all just for a life-debt? Or was there more to it? She realized now that his company felt warm, even though it was distant. The more she thought about it, the closer she wanted to be.

“What have I done? I do not want to be alone, not again. Is this all there is left for me, me at the top alone?”

Lady Hammer stood up, grabbing hold of her warhammer again.

“That is a choice you have to make.” She said.

“I have a choice?” She echoed.

“Aye. Just as the moment when you spared my life, you had a choice. I was surprised, and I yearned for death at that moment. That was what you and I both wanted, and yet, Aput did something unthinkable. He gave you a choice. And now here you and I stand together.”

Grusha stared blankly at the ground, thinking deeply about what Lady Hammer had said.

Grusha sighed.

“I-I-I’m sorry.” She said.

Hammer raised a brow. “Aye? For what?”

“Your arm.” She explained. “I never properly apologized for what I did to you.”

Lady Hammer glanced at her stubbed shoulder. “Oh, this? I have no qualms with you over this little thing, if anything, this is my trophy for having such a splendid battle with my lifelong rival.”

Hammer pummeled her chestplate with her one arm, proudly holding her head high. Grusha chuckled, her spirits elevated now that she had a better understanding of what she needed to do.

A prickly sensation alerted her senses, a powerful force was building. Her pores opened, sensitive by some powerful charge that was building up in the sky. Hammer’s battlesense were piqued as well, causing them both eyeing their entire surroundings. Until both of them looked up into the starry sky, an unusual star glimmered brightly.

“Run Hammer!” Grusha ordered, sprinting back towards the direction of the village.

Hammer took off for the opposite direction, getting as far away as possible. Both of them broke the sound barrier, travelling rapidly over the tricky terrain. Grusha raced back towards where she was moments ago, within the same instant, night became day even though it was nearly midnight.