“When I was young, people always told me I would be a heartbreaker. I don’t think this is what they meant.”

“Yeah, probably not,” Lillie answered, looking down at the mess the two had made. Fourteen bodies lay at the pair’s feet, some in possession of more of their body parts than others. “It’s certainly a more exciting take on it, though.”

“Yeah. Exciting . . .”

“Oh, come on!” She knelt, digging through the muck for someone’s pockets. “You aren’t still hung up on the ‘every life is valuable and should not be thrown away’ thing, are you? That’s ridiculous! You’re a deadly superpowered being trapped in a war for the existence of all life in this universe. A pacifist’s philosophy is going to get you nowhere but dead, and fast. Aha! There you are,” she held the thing aloft. It glinted in the weak light, a large gold coin stamped with the visage of a raven.

It also had blood along one edge.

Rhys wiped their hands on their thighs just looking at it. “But I _am_ a pacifist.”

“Gods, Rhys! ‘Only death awaits those who hesitate in battle.’ Your pacifism needs to die here and now, before it gets you killed.” She hopped lightly out of the circle of carnage, glancing back to make sure Rhys was following. They were, gingerly stepping around the bodies.

Lillie rolled her eyes. “Could you stop looking so revolted? It’s not so bad.”

“Let’s just get out of here before I throw up.”

“You are ridiculous.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t raised in a den of heartless killers, trained to murder from before I could walk. Some of us had normal childhoods, and have normal issues with death as a result.”

As the two walked away, something twitched amid the tangle of limbs and blood. Something small, yet important.

It sat up on its haunches, sniffing the air. It seemed to lock in on the retreating pair.

The tiny creature bounded after them.