“You know.... it made a great smuggler and as an engine of terror it had no equal; but I think it works best as a brazier.”

“Agreed.”

The fight was like something from an ancient epic. Skull had been right of course; our magic was doing something to the Crawler and as we poured in more and more the automata slowed and weakened. Fighting side by side we drove it back to the edge of the warehouse, bound it in ropes and vines, shattered its carapace and threw a fireball into its heart. The explosion was the talk of the dock spur for a month and it lit up the night for miles shattering windows; scaring cats and generally causing utter bedlam. As the glow faded the Crawler finally lay still and never moved again[113].

And that brings us back to the present with the four of us arranged gasping and groaning around the machine's burning carcass.

As usual Blood had come out of the fight the worst. She was lying crumpled on the floor only lifting her head up weakly to make sarcastic comments at intervals; and most of those were delivered with odd punctuation thanks to coughs or pain filled moans. I desperately wanted to help her but mages just know how much magic we have left and I didn't have anywhere near enough to heal the oddly resistant Blood. I remember just praying to any god that would listen that her unusual resilience would keep her alive until I got my magic back.

I wasn't the only one worrying about her though. Skull was sitting on the floor next to Blood cradling her head in her lap and engaging in a bit of very gentle back and forth with her whilst Ara just stood transfixed off to one side. Every few seconds she turned to stare alternatively at the burning golem or at us her rope bandana swinging each time she turned her head.

After a minute or two during which we just stood or sat nearly mute with exhaustion I sighed and hauled myself to my feet.

“Right as pleasant as it sounds, we can't just stay here for the rest of our lives. Let's grab the Physician and get out of here before the Crawlers come back... oh and we should tell that watch....”

“You think they’re gonna come back?” cut in Blood in a husky wheeze. “Their boss ordered the giant golem to kill them!”

“Maybe some of them are idiots?” I shrugged as Blood muttered something I couldn't hear[114]. “Regardless, I don't want to spend any longer here than I absolutely have to.”

“Seconded.” Skull grunted sliding gracefully to her feet and then slowly hoisting the exhausted Blood up after her. Blood looked like death not just like “oh she's a bit worn down” but more like “oh thank god she's wearing a mask.” She couldn't even stand up unaided and yet she’d twice had to crawl to the edge of the pier to be sick, I remember feeling like a total monster for making her get up.

“Oh Blood you should stay here I'm sure Skull or I could stay with you and then Ara and the others could go grab...”

“I'm fine!” she muttered; as weak as a kitten and as faint as a breeze. “I'm perfect after all... let’s just get this over with before I faint... again.”

“Blood.” Murmured Skull sadly, Blood ignored her and began to stagger towards the collapsed warehouse. The three of us looked at one another then followed her, Skull stuck to her like a shadow obviously ready to catch her if she fell.

This proved more than necessary as she collapsed the second she tried to pry open the warehouse's ruined door. Skull grabbed her with a sigh as I jammed my maces into the blackened door jam and levered it apart revealing the half burned, half crushed, mostly blood soaked interior... Seriously, it looked like an abattoir that had been caught in a forest fire then stamped on by a giant. We spent a moment retching at the combined stink of smoke and blood before we pushed our way inside; kicking drifts of crumbling crate aside and stepping over the huge puncture/craters of the Crawlers footsteps.

It took us a few equal parts boring and terrifying minutes to cross the ruined warehouse and make it to the half collapsed isle we had teleported to and in the end we might never have found it if it wasn't for the fact that we could still see the gleaming upper edge of the huge copper gong protruding from the drifts of ash.

Ara pulled ahead of us as we neared the isle, sprinting around the huge stack of shelves and then gasping in relief. We rounded it seconds later to see her pulling the Physician upright. The old man was wild eyed and stared at her; and us, like we were monsters from his darkest nightmare.

“Are you ok?” I asked him slowly, keeping my voice level. The Physician just shook, I think he was trying to shake his head but his whole body trembled; like a man made of jelly on the back of a wild horse.

“We’ve got you Phys,” said Ara, sound almost back to her old self as she pulled her mask down. “Let me just...” The man darted back from her outstretched hand and let out a hoarse whining sound.

“Is he concussed?” Skull asked, looking over Ara’s shoulder.

“I can't see in this light.” Replied Ara distractedly and just like that the area around us lit up with a dark red glow.

Skull was the first to act and her action was to smack Blood hard on the top of her head. “YOU ARE NEARLY DEAD FROM BLOOD LOSS!” She bellowed causing Blood to stagger back and the glowing fireball in her hand to flicker.

“Ok Ok I'm dying not deaf...” she shook her head hard. “...Besides, it's worth it.”

“How could it be worth it? You’re...”

“De...”

We cut off the brewing argument and turned to see the Physician trying to shape words.

“Phys,” murmured Ara, looking at him with wide eyes. “Phys... I...”

“DEMONS!” He bellowed and tried to drag himself away from us. “MAGES! DON'T COME ANY CLOSER! LEAVE ME ALONE!” He slammed into the wall and made a small animal whimper, leaping to his feet he ran away from us into the choking smoke.

“Phys!” Ara sounded heartbroken and I found my arm instinctively wrapping around her grey shoulders.

“Well that surprises absolutely no one.” Muttered Blood behind us. I was about to retort when the light went out and I heard Skull curse and catch something so instead I just sighed.

“Ara...” I couldn’t think of anything to say, “look there's a door back there the one Blood blew open earlier.” and that was a question for another time I remember thinking, “he’ll get out safe let’s get you home.”

“What home?” she said looking at her feet. “Phys.... No way he’ll keep the fact I’m a mage quiet the gang will kill me; or hand me over to the Inquisition.”

“We can make it back quicker than him right?” asked Skull behind me. “If Bright heals Blood we could get back first and... maybe we could accuse him of being a mage and get him kicked out instead? Or at least make him an unreliable witness.”

Ara shook her head sharply. “I won’t do that to him, the gang's all he's got.”

“And you?” I asked quietly.

Ara didn't reply for a moment then she thumped a fist into the wall, “slet!” she yelled. “I’ve been with them for eons... EONS! I was so careful never to stand out to be... normal.”

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Ara turned to me and I realised she was a lot older than she looked, I could see it in her eyes now that all traces of her normal levity were gone, “all I did was help them, all I did was keep them safe,” she snarled and kicked a piece of rubble away. “I'm the reason no one’s ever successfully invaded our base! No one even questioned why I asked for all the rooms to be re-floored with rope.”

“Oh that's how you found us,” murmured Blood behind me, it sounded like she was talking through a rag and the weak voice was coming from floor level. “I thought I hadn’t made any sound, knew I was perfect.”

“Not the time Blood.” Replied Skull affectionately.

“Always time for me!” Blood wheezed cheerfully.

Ara smiled at that and shook her head. “Right we need to get moving if we’re fast we can get back to base before Phys then we grab Brights friend and leg it. She’ll need to take it easy for a few cycles at home but Phys knows his medicine.”

“Oh thank Koth,” I mumbled, feeling my shoulders lift. “She's ok?”

“She was still asleep when I left but Phys said she’d be safe to wake soon and she’ll be safer with you than in a district that's going to be purged.” Ara trailed off and sighed.

“Maybe we can show them the Crawler?” asked Skull hopefully. “Would that stop them?”

“They don't even know the Crawler exists,” said Ara morosely. “We’d need their boss for that who’s probably sat pretty in a safe house by now with his gang...”

Ara sighed again louder and looked around her gaze downcast, “they were... they were my whole life.” She whispered.

The three of us clustered around her. Well me and Skull clustered, Blood just came along because Skull was holding her princess style in her arms.

The tall grey skinned girl looked up at us with a strange vulnerability in her face, “I... I don't suppose... You have room for one more member... Do you?”

The three of us looked at one another.

“Yes.” “Yes.” “Yes.”

Our voices harmonised perfectly.

Aras' wide eyes swam with black tears and she leapt towards us, catching us in her arms and hugging us as hard as she could. I felt the tension draining out of her as I hugged her back and as she realised it would all be ok.

*Cough*

I looked down and swore, I kicked the pile of ash we were standing around and it coughed again the cinders falling away from his face.

“Is that Red Razor?”

“Yup.”

“Bugger.”

I will insert a short... well intermission here from a certain women’s diary that I found both insightful and hilarious; in both cases far too much to deny you the pleasure of reading it as well.

Enjoy.

What follows is an excerpt from the diary of Lydia Melton[115].

The 40th of Wilt in 11301.

Dear Diary,

You remember when I said that I was scared of my new walk home? Well my brother was wrong about it being paranoia.

I got attacked; it was terrifying... I’ve never been that scared before. I had just gotten into the north dock spur in a little offloading district called Trade Winds when... when[116]... a load of horrific gangsters burst out of an alley.... they chased after me and started howling like animals.... I ran as fast as I could and tried to get away... I lost my precious new scarf in all the confusion then... then they cornered me in an alley and.... one of them stabbed me.

Big brother won’t leave me alone but it’s barely noticeable just a few little scars on my belly; nothing worse. After that I passed out and I don't know what would have happened if I wasn't rescued by those amazing heroes!

I woke up in this weird little stuffy room in a harbour building. It was falling apart covered in mould and its floor was like these big old looking ropes; all in all it was horrible.

I was in a bed and someone had taken my dress and skirts off... in fact all I had on were my small clothes![117] I was terrified, I was obviously in some horrific gang hideout where they planned to do Koth knows what to me but then my heroes arrived!

The entire wall just went *Bam* and collapsed and these four strange people walked in. They were all women and seemed about my age, three of them were dressed in these strange outfits a bit like the clothing the arrogant nobles wear to those wasteful masques but these were much less ostentatious and looked more like armour (and my grandpa was a soldier so I know what I'm talking about) whilst the fourth was covered nearly entirely in a big leather traveller’s cloak with ropes wound around her arms and hands.

At the front of the group was a girl dressed all in red that was covered in plaster dust, she patted it off herself and then looked at me and said. “Come with us if you want to live.”

So of course I tried to get out of bed as fast as I could but I pulled something in my chest and barely managed to sit up. One of the others dressed all in black turned to the red dressed one and said “Look what you did Brood.” I think it was brood? Anyway the black dressed girl walked over to me and helped me up; she was really tall and really kind.

“Sorry Skulk.” Said Brood and she helped me out of the hole in the wall. She was incredibly strong, even stronger than my brother. I could lean my whole weight on her and she didn't even seem to notice, by the end she was just carrying me over the rubble and out into the night.

They moved really fast and with Brood carrying me I could keep up easily but after a few minutes and a dozen or so streets I asked her to put me back down so I could get my balance and stretch my legs out.

The lady in ropes (who seemed older than the others but that might have just been because of how tall and big she was, skulk was tall as well but thin whereas this lady was strong looking) walked over to me and handed me a sweet; a tiny little sugar twist in a white wrapper. “Here you go cutie.”

I was very happy to have something to eat as my stomach was rumbling in a distinctly unladylike fashion but I hesitated even so. I'm not in the habit of accepting food from strangers after all but as I stood there weighing the risks the woman handed another sweet to the one called Brood and said. “Don't think I don't see that look”

Brood seemed happy as well and turned away from me for a moment to press the sweet up and under her mask saying. “Thanks Swings[118].”

After a moment, Swings turned back to look at me and I decided that if they were going to harm me they would have done so by now so I popped the sweet in my mouth. It was delicious, like some of those little dainties I swipe from the noble scum occasionally, but this tasted even better possibly because I wasn't standing near any of them. I smiled at Swings who nodded back at me.

“You deserve something nice after all you’ve been through.” She said by way of explanation.

I wanted to ask about what I had been through exactly when the white dressed one interrupted us. She had been hanging around at the very back of the group and came running forwards waving and pointing back towards the building they had saved me from. I thought it was strange that she wasn't saying anything but Brood apparently found this hilarious. She nearly fell over with laughter as the white girl stood there glaring at her with her arms crossed. After a moment Brood straightened back up and waved at me, “sorry about that Night is just hilarious is all,” the girl said breathlessly. “She's a real hoot at parties.”

Night waved a hand at me frantically then went back to glaring at Brood who actually did fall over this time. I was beginning to feel a bit more relieved already, these heroes seemed to be treating this so... well lightly.

Eventually Night got fed up with Brood laughing and went and kicked her in the ribs until she stopped and got up again. After a moment Skulk (who had been skulking around the street I guess that's why they called her that) gestured at the other three and they all set off. Brood and Swings kept close to me and Night lagged behind a bit, I think she was shy.

As we walked through the nighttime streets I found myself feeling very much reassured and comforted by the presence of these strange people. Usually I felt so scared in the dark alleys even before being chased by criminals but they seemed so strong.

I asked them where we were going and they just replied. “We’re taking you home.” I was nearly overcome; these kind strange heroes had rescued me from some vile gang’s lair and were now leading me safely back home through this dark night. They obviously knew the way and when I asked they confirmed that they had asked my brother for my route home, Brood said that Skulk had gone and asked him and Night had found out about me being missing to begin with! I smiled at Night who seemed like she was very shy because she just waved at me and didn't speak, quite friendly but very shy.

It only took an hour before we were at my door, the sun wasn't even up yet but I could hear my brother pacing and worrying inside our house. I gasped out thank you to all four of my rescuers and threw my arms around Brood and Swings (Skulk seemed a bit too cold for that and I didn't want to startle Night) who both seemed happy. After a moment we parted and they gestured for me to go into my home as they slunk backwards into the shadows of the night and effortlessly scaled the wall opposite my house.

It was only then that I realised I had failed to ask the most important question.

I called after the four strange heroes and asked who they were and why they’d bothered to protect me; rescue me even. Maids don’t tend to get bodyguards and those spoiled brats I cared for certainly wouldn't have paid for my rescue... I suppose Delilah might have tried but her father would never let her waste their money like that.

In the end Brood was the one who replied with a flourish and a bow.

“We are the Blade Brigade; Lydia and we’re here to protect Prasus.”

And just like that they vanished into the dark tangled mess of tiles and pipes on the rooftops but I felt different... I felt changed. The pain and fear was gone and I felt like doing; something! I'm not sure what yet but I'm going to be like them! I'm going to help Prasus![119]