All four stood at the top of the slope leading down to the cave where the Insectus Queen hid. Like ants marching off with crumbs, the remaining Ghenkans formed a single line down the winding path of the cliff and onto the beach as they marched into the docked boat. Alson's body still lay face up in the sand, undisturbed by the barbarians as they made off with their haul.

"What's the plan?" Aurrie asked as she leaned forward over the cliff to get a better view of the scene below. "Are we just gonna go down and start swingin'?"

"I'm not against the idea," Narrita said. 

"We do not know how many of them are left," Miwah said. "Perhaps a stealthy approach would be the best option."

"Wait for them to get onboard the ship, lass?" Tamma asked the seamstress. "Then we sink the thing?"

"That is not a bad idea," Miwah said as she tapped her chin with her finger. 

"Any of you have somethin' that can take down an entire ship?" Aurrie asked the group before giving Narrita a cold glare. "What can you do? Got super grubby fingers or somethin'?"

"An old friend comes back," Narrita said smugly. "And I'm sure when you become a Purifier, you get an iron mop to wipe up all the blood once we finish all of the hard work."

"Oh, you're right about me havin' to clean up some blood!" Aurrie cracked a knuckle and took a step towards the bandit with her fist ready for a punch. Tamma stopped the seamstress with her arm before she could land a blow.

"Stop it, Aurrie! What did Gertrude say?"

"She started it!"

"I did not!" Narrita shot back. 

Miwah rolled her eyes as she joined Tamma in making sure that Aurrie and Narrita didn't get closer to each other. "If you two do not stop bickering, Tamma and I will deal with the Ghenkans and Insectus ourselves! And how do you think Gertrude will act when you two come back without us while the Ghenkans flee and the queen feasts on the remains of Farrowport?"

"You both have seen the magic she's capable of, right?" Tamma said. Aurrie and Narrita gave each other one last scowl before turning in opposite directions. 

"Fine!" both girls said simultaneously. 

"Let's see how long their truce lasts," Tamma whispered to Miwah.

"You know, now that I think about it... there is something on that boat that could sink it," Narrita said.

The other three turned around and looked at the bandit with bewilderment. "What is it?" Miwah asked.

"They have a Xiwaoan cannon. That's what they used to fire at the queen. Eijnar said something about the cannonballs being prone to exploding."

"They stole my village's sole method of defense?" Miwah shouted with disdain. "I should have figured."

"Is what Narrita said right?" Tamma asked. 

The seamstress nodded. "Yes. It is an intricate piece of engineering. And the cannons are small but deadly. They are destructive in their own right, even when not shot out of a cannon. A strong heat source or a blunt impact would be enough to set one off. That is why we stored them in multiple chests in an underground container."

"Good news is that the Ghenkans keep them in crate at the top of the deck."

"That is quite foolish," Miwah said. "Uneven waves are the sole reason why they are not used in Xiwaoan fleets. A rough tide could be enough to blow one up if not stored properly."

"Their foolishness is our secret weapon!" Tamma exclaimed. "We just wait for them to get on the boat and then we sink it!" The hunter pulled back an imaginary arrow while holding an equally imaginary Solstice. "And I could blast them from a safe distance!"

"Sounds like a plan to me," Aurrie said. "But that still leaves us with the Insectus Queen to deal with. I remember the tales Chaston told us. Normal weapons didn’t do too much to it from what I remember."

"They don't," Yalch said. "But you have special weapons. Magical weapons!"

"I don't want to risk it," Tamma said. "Going down without knowing for certain that our weapons will be able to even hurt that thing is a big gamble."

"But you saw that the cannon was able to break so of its armor," Miwah said. "Now the underside of the creature is exposed. Maybe we could deal some damage to it now."

"Or we could use that cannon to blast it to bits!" Aurrie said with eagerness. "If it can break it's armor, I'm sure it could finish the job too!" 

"That means we'll have to split up," Tamma said. "Two of us are going to have to lure the queen out of its hive. The other two will have to infiltrate the ship. Is that something we all can agree on."

"I think so," Miwah said.

"I'm fine with it," Aurrie replied with a nod.

"Whatever gets the job done sooner," the bandit said. 

"That means we'll have to decide on pairings." The hunter looked among the others while scratching her head. "And I already know who not to put together."

"I think Narrita and I should go after the Insectus Queen," Miwah said. "We both have experience with it, albeit limited. And I do not think Aurrie's defense would be enough to counter the creature's massive size and strength."

"And I'm sure Pierce could distract that oversized fly. If he's get eaten, he'll just come back the next time I transform. Not as much of a risk involved."

Tamma bobbed her head. "All right. I think that's a good idea." She then looked at the housekeeper. "That means me and you are going to go onboard the ship."

"I'm all for it!" Aurrie said with a wide grin. "I get to bash some Ghenkan skulls! Sounds like a winnin' scenario to me."

"That was easier than expected," a delighted Tamma said. "With our teams divided up, I guess all that's left to do is the hard part."

"You mean actually killing the Insectus queen and getting rid of the last Ghenkans?" Narrita asked.

"Exactly." The hunter pointed further along the edge of the cliff. "You two can make it to the mouth of the cave that way. There should be another path you can follow. Me and Aurrie will have to sneak onboard the ship. Somehow."

"Can ya swim?" the housekeeper said.

"Of course I can swim! How can some live in Farrowport and not know how to swim?" 

"Seems like that's the only way we'll be getting on that boat without gettin' noticed. Hopefully I won't need to transform before then, because there's no way I'd be able to stay afloat holdin' that sword and shield!"

"Where should I go?" Yalch said. "I can only stay with one team."

"Are you two all right with Yalch sticking with us?" Tamma said. "Stealth is a bit more pertinent to our mission. He could give us a heads up when Ghenkans start coming up the boat."

"I am fine with that," Miwah said. "What about you, Narrita."

"Makes no difference to me."

"Seems like we've got everything planned out," Tamma said with a shrug. "I think it's time we set out. Once we get control of the cannon, we can send Yalch to let you two know."

"If we're not devoured first," Narrita said with disgust.

Tamma patted Aurrie on the shoulder and pointed to the far side of the cliff, opposite to the mouth of the cave. "Let's get going, lass. We've got a lot of swimming to do." The housekeeper followed the hunter, both soon disappearing beneath the edge of the dirt cliff as they started to climb down. 

Narrita looked at the mouth of the cave and then at Miwah. "When did you plan on transforming?" she asked. 

"At the very last moment possible," Miwah said as she started to walk closer to the hive's entrance. "We need to be in our Purifier forms for most of the battle. Especially you. Pierce is very effective at taking out swathes of Ghenkans."

Narrita chuckled as she followed Miwah along the path. "Yeah. He is, isn't he?"

"A very impressive creature, indeed."

As Narrita trailed behind the seamstress, she picked up the necklace and looked at the jewel as it sparkled in the night sky and reflected some of the orange flames. "Thanks. You know, I never even knew that Pierce would have grown to the size that he got to. He looked like every other baby snake when I first found him."

"Is that so?" Miwah asked. "I... never knew that you knew Pierce for his entire life."

"Raised him since he popped out of his egg," Narrita said with a smile. "I guess that makes me like his mother. Never thought of it that way. But when I lost him..." The bandit let her necklace rest against her chest again. "It hurt. Just as bad as losing a family member." 

"I see," Miwah replied softly. She looked at the ground, making sure to take careful steps as to not fall off the cliff and into the procession of Ghenkans below. "Perhaps there are amendments to be made."

"What?" Narrita said with surprise.

"If we do not make it out of this ordeal alive, there is something I want you to know," Miwah said while keeping her attention focused on the trail ahead. The natural path to the cave's entrance was a short walk away. "I... apologize for slaying Pierce."

Narrita laughed but was unable to mask the sorrow. "Oh, you don't have to do that. Even I'll admit that it was justified. Granted, I didn't plan on letting Pierce actually kill you and Tamma. But there was no way that you two could have known that."

"I know. But still. After all that we have gone through. And knowing that Pierce is like family to you..." Miwah paused. They were directly above the cave's entrance. Both looked at the winding trail along the rocks and then at the darkness of the hive's entrance. 

"Don't worry about it too much, Miwah," Narrita said. "I've got Pierce back. For the most part. In a way, he's more powerful than he's ever been."

Miwah put a hand on Narrita's shoulder. The bandit turned around at looked into the seamstress' eyes. The flames of the burning city showed off the redness in the bandit's face. "I am sorry, Narrita," Miwah said eloquently. 

Narrita grinned and closed her eyes. "That means a lot, Miwah. It really does. And... I've got a lot of apologizing to do, too." She sighed and started down the path. "And I think the best way to start is by putting an end to the Ghenkans and Insectus. Once and for all."