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I run to Ragnar’s aid

"Reaper!" One of the Golds lets his helhty face of a Peerless e In his place His face is all joy Then it contorts as he sees Ragnar’s razor

"You give the blade of your ancestors to a dog?" He glares hate at Ragnar Then down at the razor, furious, confused "Have you no honor?"

I choose not to answer

"Knoho you face, Androens Carthii We built the Coluaps between the Inner and Outer rinar, kill this fool We need his gravBoots"

The Gold spits "You send a dog to do your fighting?"

"I aines of a passing ship Spittle flying, face ragged with rage Veins rise in his neck He howls, rushing forward before I can even raise my blade He picks up the corpse of the fallen Obsidian and uses it to deflect their razors He punches Gaius No weapon Just his fist He hits him so hard in the pulseShield that the h his defenses with mad fury till he cuts him in half He kicks the top of the corpse aside and batters down Gaius, who sinks into the darkfro touched the pulseShield, holds the razor to Golden nar rumbles

Gaius spits

"Yield to me as a man yields to another man"

"Never" Gaius’s lips curl sourly He speaks his last words clear and loud, with spite and courage All that is good and all that is wicked in these extraordinary people "I aate Gaius au Carthus I am the sum of hu"

"Then becoar pushes the blade home

We ferry ourstolen gravBoots, but not fast enough Sevro is not dead, but he’s close I find hi when I peel him out with the help of Clown and Pebble

"The dead?" he asks quietly "My Howlers?"

"Too h?"

They all look at me

"I think so," I say "But I can’t hail her on any coms We have to hurry either way If she is alive and she blows the generators so our reinforcen has ato escape Right now, she’s bottled up"