"So you agree it was some type of humans who attacked the god?" I ask. "Made the ichor trail, witches?"

"Mhm," says Camellia.

"Soooo, you were wrong."

"Rub it in more, why don't you."

"And who was right again? Ferrus, Haema, and who else, Argen?"

"I was being sarcastic, don't rub it in."

"Didn't mean to."

"Oh." A pause. He laughs a tiny bit. "How are you accidentally sarcastic?"

"It's a mystery."

"Sure is. Anyway, you also thought it was witches, right?"

"Not entirely, I thought it probably was witches but it could've been something else–"

"Like what?"

"Extremely strange weather?"

"You're not serious."

"I'm not. But you are." I point at his hands. "Still trembling."

"That usually doesn't happen."

"Exactly, and you usually don't just… mutter near-nonsense at me either. What were you saying about that other Eldest?"

"I mean– that was a different god, senile. She was barely ever awake. Always spoke about patterns. And how someday the power of the gods would be toppled."

"Toppled."

"Yes. By the witches. Which…" He sighs and shakes his head. "The drugs are probably somehow related to all this, but I guess it makes sense that they wouldn't injure a god that bad for that."

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"'Wouldn't'? They couldn't, Periwinkle pelted me with rocks for being mildly annoying– don't laugh!"

"No, I think I will."

"I hate you."

"No you don't." No I don't.

"Point is," I continue, "Ichor for drug-making? Certainly it would be purer taken from the main body directly, but most gods would just kill you."

"True. They're better off getting ichor from the god gut tunnels at that point."

I gag and go still. I can't help it, even a mention of the god gut tunnels is enough for that. "Sorry," he says. I shake my head, hoping he understands it as, "don't worry about it".

I pet Loaf a bit and then put her in the second largest pocket of the bag. She just looks a bit sad now. I make sure to give her a treat and a kiss on the head, barely managing to avoid the ichor and god-flesh on her. It's okay, she's trying to groom herself to get it off. Which, clearly, seems to be… she was compelled to communicate with a god because she licked it so I don't think it's alright for her to consume ichor, but she won't die from it directly and whatever that was just now just seemed to be… I don't know!

"All three of us have had a stressful day," I say.

"Sure have," Camellia says, also petting Loaf. "I didn't ask him why he was talking to the cat."

"Neither did I."

"Yes you did."

"Not well enough."

"They're all like that. All the gods. They avoid your questions and you have to keep repeating before they stop talking."

"Still would've been better if I was actually good at my job." And before he can reply to that, I say, "But we don't have time for my pity party. Someone must've notice the Eldest Brother wake up just now. Felt it in the ground."

"Great point, and we're both supposed to be home."

"Yes. And as far as anyone is concerned, we were definitely home the entire time."

"Unless we get caught."

"Or unless any of our information is important to the rest of the Guild. If it helps with what they want to do."

Camellia does not respond to that.

"You will tell them information if it's important, yes?" I ask.

He hesitates, but says, "Sure. I will."

We head down the hill and I wish I could prod more (what's his problem with the Guild?), but he's closed off now. I know him, he's not going to answer any questions like this. So I just glance at his chiselled little face, intensely burrowing holes ahead of him, and I save up my questions for later.

"Camellia! Hello," says a loud and chipper voice. "And you're Lavan, yeah?"

Camellia's soul pours out of his body right in front of me. Because right in front of us, before we've even reached the foot of the hill, we've already encountered Ferrus.