All that is left now is to figure out how to deal with the rest of the villagers. None had spoken a word, most of the men were on the ground. I'd count roughly fifteen men disabled in some way, so my original estimation of there being fifteen people was wrong, considering eleven were left standing. Trying to estimate the size of a group is pretty difficult in the night, huh.

 But first thing's is first, and family always comes first. "Damhnait!" I yelled over towards the direction of our temporary housing.

 "I'm alright!" Most likely guessing why I had called her, she responded while waving her hands in the air. Looks like she was fine, then. Nodding, decided what I will do next. Outside of trying to kill me, I had no ill will against these people. Having them recuperate their losses would be fine. So I walked away, towards Damhnait, not bothering to interact with any of them. There wasn't a reason for me to interact, I wanted nothing else from them for now. When morning comes I'll figure out something to discuss.

 Arriving to the side of Damhnait, I checked her for any signs of injuries. Of course, she had none, and judging by the way she had been closing her nose, I'd think I stank of death and blood. Careful not to touch her too much with my blood stained hands, as that might upset her come morning when she realizes how much blood is actually on me. Looks like I do have a use for the villagers after all. "Come with me, I'm going to wash myself and I'd prefer having you nearby." Damhnait nodded and began to walk with back to the villagers.

 "Where's the nearest river?" I asked no one, but everyone at the same time. Men began to shove and whisper to each other, before someone was pushed towards my direction. He was on the shorter side of things, if it was a he, and was shivering from head to toe in front of me. I recognized him as the coward he couldn't stop his quaking. I waited for him to say something.

 "F-Follow me, Sir, Sir Elgin, Miss Damhnait." The boy said, his voice masculine but still boyish. I nodded, although he probably couldn't see it because of the dark, and the boy started to walk. Five minutes passed as we walked, the boy never stopping his shaking, and never stopping the occasional glance he'd throw at the both of us. I almost felt bad for him.

 We arrived at the river, a short five minute walk, and I immediately began to wipe the blood off of my fingers. It was an annoying sensation and if it got into a crease of the skin, like an armpit, it could cause me painful irritation. I washed as much blood as I could get with my limited vision, I really should've had the boy bring a torch or something to help me with this. And my clothes, already ruined from the travel, were now unusable for anything but rags for the poor.

 Once I had cleaned myself to the best of my ability, and Damhnait idly standing by waiting for me, a fair distance away from the boy, we headed back towards the village and I asked the only other question I knew I should ask, and to the only one that had spoken to us. "Where will we be sleeping?" The boy jumped at the sound of my voice. Come on, lad.

 "W-w-what's wrong with y-your own r-r-roundhouse, Sir Elgin!?" His voice was too loud, and it was cracking all over the place. The stuttering was starting to get on my nerves, but I ignored all that.

 "Corpses." On Damhnait's part she absentmindedly nodded. I was asking this for her sake more than mine, I couldn't be tired now. Not after what had just happened. But perhaps she was, and having a place to rest in regardless of whether we'll be sleeping isn't a bad idea. I don't know how long we will be staying in within this village for, perhaps days. Hopefully not weeks, now that I know which village I should head towards next.

 The quaking boy seemed to understand the cause of our discomfort, as he began to walk towards some other building. He welcomed me inside once we reached the building, and after nodding to the boy in thanks we headed inside. Finally being able to see each other's faces with actual light, since he fireplace was still burning. Damhnait didn't look much different than any other time I've looked at her. Save for the surprised expression on her face. She reached to my cheek and started to try to wipe something off of it, and looking at her fingers I noticed it was dried blood. That makes sense.

 Before all that, I'd also like to discuss with Damhnait what the hell just happened. And either before or after, figure out what had caused it. Was I suddenly blessed by the divine into having these powers? What had changed? Why had it changed, and why now? Was it truly now? Interacting with people as I am now doesn't cause me to feel as if they're painfully slow, so it's very likely that it has been something that happened before. Or not, I don't know.

 The only change I could notice was the fact that the webs of light emanating from within my heart stopped growing. Or, they no longer had room to grow. My entire body was a single mass of the structure, and if that was in fact related, then it was purely beneficial rather than detrimental to me. A similar development had been happening to Damhnait, but I haven't gotten a closer look into her spiritual structure to figure that out. A lot of things I'll have to figure out, isn't there.

 "Want to sleep?" A simple question. There wasn't a blanket, but there was a small pile of hay towards the back. We could sleep on there well enough.

 "Right after watching my brother massacre a village's men? Absolutely." Damhnait nodded, a sarcastic look on her face. Fair point, now wasn't a good time to sleep for either of us. So we spent the night questioning and answering each other about what could've caused this recent development, and how we could use it to its full affect. Being blessed with what might as well be invulnerability wasn't cause to forget about the blood we needed to spill in repayment over our losses.

 After hours, and morning had started to envelop the world in the sun's essence, we had managed to figure out the basics and plausible explanations for the development. The obvious conclusion was that the divines had favored us, but relying on that purely isn't beneficial for our plans. If they favored us, then they could also grow to disfavor us. So we must learn to rely on something else for the basics of our operation.

 The leading idea was that it had something to do with the webs within myself. Damhnait couldn't see spiritually, but she still had webs growing within her as well. If our theory is correct then once it stops growing, a similar development to what I had gone through would occur with her. And that would be a valuable new ability for an essential ally, regardless of her sex if she had even half of what I had been gifted, she would be invaluable.

 But that was the boring part, there wasn't many explanations besides the divines or the webs. The hard part was figuring out what to do with it, and what to do if I suddenly lost this power as well. If I lost it, then my plans would have to go by what I had already planned out. If I kept it, then my life becomes easier. Much, much easier. It's absolutely certain I'll be able to get revenge on Féinmharú village and their allies.

 Let's enact the plan. It'll require money, a lot of money. And the best way to get money, the best way to take advantage of my powers as well, would be either to join a mercenary band or start my own. I'd prefer to make one my own, but I certainly wouldn't be able to develop anything with the people that are here. To begin with, all the villagers here probably hate me from the bottom of their hearts.

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 But that's fine. They had tried to take my life, and I took many of theirs in compensation. It wouldn't surprise me to hear news of this village becoming desolate after what I had done to the men. More likely some other Chief will try to fill in the vacuum, and then life will become as normal. Save for the loss of loved ones.

 I had tried not to think about that. And it was the single topic I hadn't brought up with Damhnait. Was I in the right here? Shouldn't we have just ran? It's one thing to kill someone in self defense, and the initial three certainly were. But it's an entirely different thing to destroy a small militia in self defense. Did I only feel this way because of how strong I was in comparison to the men? I don't know. But I'll have to continue facing these questions for the rest of my journey.

 And now was the time to face these same people. I didn't want forgiveness, so I'll continue to act distant. I will leave soon, and they should consider me as a plague that has come to reap the lives of their men. They will feed us, house us, give us clothes, and if they can manage to do it without trying to kill us, we'll give them the sword in exchange. Or perhaps some other service, whatever they wanted out of me that wasn't my or my sister's death. There I had some standards after all, I wasn't an outlaw. Not purely one in action, at least.

 I walked outside with Damhnait next to me, looking around for any signs of life. There was of course some, but they quickly fled from the our sight. I sighed. Where was that quaking boy? I'd prefer to talk to him at this point.

 We walked around the village, taking in the sight of the scenery. The sight of my battlefield was still present, bloodstains still on the ground, but the bodies weren't found there. They must've begun the burying process, then. Should I help with that? No. I'd rather not get attached to anyone here, and to not have the villagers here to think I had regretted my actions. I will not show weakness, I will not give them an opportunity to sink their own fangs into me.

 I hold no regret, and I hold no fear. I'm incapable of either of these things, they will not touch me, and woe befall any who claim they can, or have.

 Frustration, however, was an emotion that I could feel. No matter where I walked, or who I would meet, from man to woman, boy to child, even the squirrels would run from my presence. That wasn't new, I guess. I let out a sigh and looked over at my sister for any suggestions for what we should do. I don't think she realized the point of our morning stroll, she was absent mindlessly taking in the sight of the village on her own.

 I guess I could shout. Or walk into a random house, but they might interpret that as me deciding this will be my new residence. How annoying. So I stood in an area that could pass as the village center, inhaled breath, and then spotted the figure of the quaking boy off in the distance. I couldn't actually tell who it was, but it looked like him. I exhaled and looked over to Damhnait.

 "Be back in a bit."

 She nodded, a bit confused over the sudden change.

 And then I sprinted. This would work as a good test for how fast I could sprint, given that he was on the outskirts of the village, through the harvested fields and near the treeline. Each step was more of a leap, and I didn't feel the taxation I'd call familiar for sprinting. I couldn't move any faster, so it wasn't that I was holding back. I wasn't getting tired.

 In less than half a minute I had arrived near him, the quaking boy noticing my presence through the sound of my feet. I was too close to be ran away from, and I doubt he had the courage to do that anyway.

 "Lord Elgin!" He shrieked, his voice cracking in the way I know him to. Yeah, this is the quaking boy. And he upgraded me from Sir to Lord. What even is a Lord?

 "Good morning, boy. I'm in need of your presence, follow me."   

 Without any other words he nodded his head frantically. I turned back and walked back towards Damhnait, not bothering to check if he was going to follow. He would if he knew what was good for him.

 Damhnait hadn't moved far from where I had left her. She was checking the inside of a well, seeing that it was just water I didn't get the point. After telling her of my coming back, and her nodding in affirmation to my words, I turned to the quaking boy.

 "Gather up the villagers for me."

 "Yes, Lord!"

  "And stop shrieking."

 "Y-yes, lord."

 Perfect. No questions, no complaining, he was making for a good servant. I watched as he timidly left my presence, checking each roundhouse for any residency. When there were, he would begin his talking, gesturing strangely as if his gestures would mean or convey anything. When no one was home, he'd just leave.

 After some waiting he'd managed to gather up as many villagers as he could. The men, some obviously in pain, others looking at me with anger, but most of them were women and children. Makes sense, considering the adjustment in population demographics I had committed myself to yesterday. I nodded at the servant boy and to speak to the villagers. Most of it was menial things I would expect of them, assuring them first that I wasn't planning on being the new Chief of the village. I had no legal authority to claim that, and any who'd hear of my claim would be stupid not to contest it themselves. That's not something I wanted.

 Food, housing, clothes, these were the things I wanted. Gold and copper would be fine as well, but I didn't want to gain the reputation of a common outlaw. And word about my actions will spread. I don't think anyone would blame me for, at most, stealing food and clothes. Like I had said before, if they managed to not try to kill either of us at night, I'll consider some compensation in return.

 I had expected that to be the end of it. That was the deal. I didn't plan for this originally, and if it were under more friendly circumstances none of this would've had to happen. But now this is how things had progressed, and the regret was squarely on their, and not mine, shoulder. But despite this, a woman had the gall to contest my righteousness.

 Just as I was about to dismiss everyone, a woman came up to me. She had from the beginning looked at me with anger, unhidden and bare for me to see. I ignored it, impotent anger didn't matter to me. But she began to speak, her fangs almost bared, "You bastard, contractor of demons, your blood dyed hands won't get away with what you've done to Marú! What power has given you the right to take his life in such vulgar carnage?"

 I stopped. I looked at the woman squarely in the face, unblinking. Tears had begun to well up in her eyes, and her quivering fists had knuckles whitened with the strength of her grip. As much as I wanted to ignore her words as that of a loser, I couldn't. So I responded. "Whoever that is, he had tried to kill me. Do you consider it an injustice to fight back?"

 "I saw what you did, I saw how you jumped headfirst into our men. What you wanted was blood, and what you got was our fathers, our husbands, our sons lives in order to satiate your cruel bloodlust. Don't speak to me your honeyed words."

 This was becoming difficult. I turned my head to face the rest of the crowd, but I saw the faces of both the women and some of the men nod, many of their gazes turned away from me. Some held their eyes on me, none of the men's but many of the women's. I turned to Damhnait, but she held a complicated expression on her face. Looks like I needed to answer this on my own.

 "Regardless of what you conceive to be my intentions, my actions were purely in order to defend both my own life and my sister's. You would not weep for our death, if it happened, and your motivation was plain and clear. Greed, simple greed, had made you decide that our lives were worth taking in exchange for wealth. In comparison, the things I've done were innocent and obvious."

 But I knew her words held a truth deeper than what I had just spoken. The same evils were on my hands, I had comitted these acts not purely for self defense, but for the prospect of gaining from these people's wealth. I don't think myself wrong for this.

 The woman's face contorted into a deeper state of anger, her head casting itself down. "You have no one to blame but yourselves." These were my finishing words. She didn't speak, but instead went back into the crowd. She looked old enough to be married, and her hair was braided as well. It must've been her husband I had killed. Still, I do not regret my actions. I couldn't, not so soon. I did nothing wrong here.