Smells of hot fumes and wet grass. The soft feel of something under her back, the warm blankets on her chest.

Sely feels heavy and struggles to reopen her eyes. She still has those foul jaws, those legs, and that twisted and colossal body in front of her.

Did I defeat him?

What happened after?

She remembers Filo running towards her. She remembers the spiders cheering and her strength abandoning her.

Where am I now?

There is so much silence…

Studying the room with her eyes, Sely realizes that she is in a field tent. There is a saucepan on an electric stove from which odors and vapors come out.

Sunlight enters through the zip, opened to allow the solar battery cable to hang out. The stove works like the charger of her magic notepad, the one on which she writes down her journey.

I have to update it with the latest happenings.

When I get back my mom will be proud to read it.

Where's my stuff?

Continuing her search while lying down, Sely doesn't see her backpack. There are only her clothes around. They are hanging on some sort of coat rack and look clean.

Someone must have washed them.

Oh, oh, what a headache…

By moving her antennae and closing her eyes, Sely tries to detect some movement in the surrounding area.

She doesn't want to get up and she wants to understand if she is safe or not. In general, the situation appears calm, but you never know.

“Yes, yes, I hope he wakes up soon. It doesn't seem serious but she has a bit of a fever.”

Filo's voice!

Sely immediately knows he's talking about her. She feels her cheeks turning red and feels slightly embarrassed.

She thinks back to those moments when he rushed to shield her. Protect her until she is ready to strike.

Oh, Filo…

So I have a fever? How long will I have slept?

Who is he talking to then?

Stolen story; please report.

Trying to get back into focus, Sely listens again.

“I hope you are well this evening, the king wants to thank you personally.”

This is the captain's voice, I remember it. Who knows if Wylco was saved too?

“I think she will recover, she has already been sleeping for eight hours and is not injured. It was probably the climate and the battle, anyway thanks again. Your equipment…”

“Ninth. You saved us. And to think that we wanted to eat you, there's no excuse.”

“Well, in any case, I'll go back inside and see. By now the decoction should be ready and maybe she has woken up.”

Ah, he's coming back!

What do I do?

She isn't sure why she feels embarrassed, as her mother has found herself ill several times throughout her life. Not only that but thinking about it, Sely realizes that she has often found herself in danger during hunting trips and excursions...

However…

When in doubt, she curls up in the blanket with her back to the entrance.

The water in the saucepan boils and Filo's shadow obscures the entrance for a moment.

“Sely, are you awake?”

“AH! I mean, how do you know?”

“Come on, turn around and I'll give you some decoction. How do you feel?”

“Hmm, a little headache and heavy.”

Sely turns to look at Filo. He has his hair tied back and his clothes clean. He has clean skin.

“Have you washed?”

Filo smiles. “Yes, they don't have Vanoge's superstitions here. They have others.”

“What happened after the battle?”

“Right to the heart of the matter? Don't you want to get some rest?”

Sely says no with her head on the pillow. "I heard you. I slept eight hours, I rested enough.”

While he pours the decoction into two tin cups, Filo nods.

“Eight hours is normal sleep. You have a fever, don't push yourself too hard.”

The boy hands Sely a steaming cup.

She pulls herself up leaving the blanket down. She is in her underwear and Filo turns red and looks away.

“Well? What's up?”

He shakes his head and shakes the cup slightly. Sely takes it and blows on the smoke.

“Nothing, nothing… it's just that you're very pretty.”

“?” Sely's embarrassment takes over, she doesn't have the faintest idea what to reply. “AH, you too y-you're very cute…?”

…

…

“Er-erm… The spider king wants to see you tonight.”

Sely turns serious again at those words. “The king of spiders?”

“Yes. Today was the epilogue of several days of battle. Ganivre claims Creraga and Vanoge.”

Have they seen The Flying City?

Yet, if they are several days... days... it means that they must have telescopes more powerful than mine...

“Sely, are you thinking about the city?”

“Yes, they must have seen it before me.”

“In reality, it is not said. The spiders don't know what prompted the Marquise to act. There have always been skirmishes, but it's been a long time since we've seen a large-scale battle. In some places, there is still fighting, but the scolopendras are mostly in retreat.”

“Hmm, do you know anything about Wylco?”

Filo raises an eyebrow and then takes a sip of the decoction.

“Wylco?”

Ah, right. It is Endya who met Wylco.

Endya who escaped.

Endya the liar.

Endya.

“Sely, is something wrong?”

“Ah, no-no, sorry. It's just that I met Endya.”

“Huh? Really?"

“Really.”

Sely tells Filo what happened, between one sip of the decoction and another.

“However this decoction is very bitter.”

“Do you feel better though?”

“Hm-hmm.”

“Anyway… so Endya ran away…”

Yep, he ran away after teasing me…

“When we return to Vanoge, Sely, we will speak to the mayor.”

“Hm, okay.” Sely isn't very comforted by those words, she would prefer to leave immediately in search of Endya and the two assassins. But she realizes that now is not the time.

“I'll come get you later,” Filo continues, “rest until the time of the meeting.”

Sely nods and starts thinking. Since her stuff isn't there, she can't update the Chronicle.

She can't even read...

She can rest.

Ah, but there is one thing. Something she has had to do for a few days: the ritual.