Both women looked at each other for a long time, tense. Feeling the seat trailing down their necks, their breathing hectic and uncomfortable. Esperanza very slowly lowered her hand, calming down when seeing that the furious Gabrielle could be reasoned with after all. But the redhead wasn’t exactly happy, she kept her sword unsheathed as a way of saying she could kill that man at any time she wanted, all it took was a provocation.

“Why did you stop me?”

It wasn’t out of mercy or a moral problem, to be honest. If Esperanza had been the one arriving first, she most definitely would have slaughtered these people without an ounce of consideration for them, but she needed at least one alive to make sure Ignatius didn’t get in trouble.

“He must be punished.” Said the Saint, looking down on the unconscious man for a moment and then back at the redheaded girl. “I… I know you’re angry. I am too, I promise. But please, we have to take him to the Dungeons, so he can tell us more of who he works with and why!”

Gabrielle didn’t feel especially inclined to believe this woman, but her words did make sense! And killing the man could make the Church’s work even harder when it came to investigating. She quickly reached the conclusion that her constant “scorched earth” policies may have given the people of the Church, or more specifically the Genesis, a big headache.

“I am sorry…” Gabi finally sheathed her sword. She didn’t have the best of opinions of the Genesis, but if they were after the Demiurges as well, then maybe they were on the same side? 

“You are fine. You were doing what you thought was right…” Esperanza really wanted to say ‘remember that killing is wrong though’, but she didn’t exactly feel like she could say that without hypocrisy escaping her every pore. “They hurt you too, right? I… wanted to ask you before, but there wasn’t time.”

The redhead nodded, showing her left arm and the scars of electricity left in it. The rune of Lightning was still there as well, branded in ugly scar tissue. Esperanza covered her mouth for a moment. She wished she could tear her armour apart for a moment to show the marks on her back, but the time and the situation simply didn’t allow for it. 

“It’s fine… they can’t hurt you anymore.” The Saint offered a calm smile. “What is your name?”

“Gabrielle…”

“Well Gabrielle, I am Esperanza. It is nice to finally meet you properly.”

With some effort on her part, Gabi managed to smile back. It was forced, but not completely devoid of all emotion. She could feel it too, after all: that strange kinship with the saint, a feeling of being truly understood for once. But why? What did she see in this girl’s eyes? What had she gone through exactly…

“They hurt you too.” She said out loud, while the Dame nodded slowly. “That’s why you hunt them, too? Because they hurt you.”

“I hunt them because it is the right thing to do, Gabrielle. They are dangerous heretics, rogue mages that endanger everyone around them. What they did to me doesn’t matter in the slightest.”

Neither of them believed that at all, but Gabrielle knew better than to contradict someone from the church. She let out a deep, shaking breath, her knees bending slightly from both pain and exhaustion; with the rush of the situation gone, so was her ability to ignore her body’s needs, and now it demanded a rest right then and there. The redhead looked at Esperanza for a moment, trying to muster the strength to speak a few more words.

“What now?”

“Now? We will take that man to the Church and extract as much as we can from him. How many did you kill?”

“Three…”

“Ugh. I am going to get into so much trouble…”

Both women sighed, the Saint slowly shook her head as she turned around. There were echoes approaching. Soon, the whole place would be swarmed with soldiers looking for proof and hints for further investigation, eager to justify their presence in Caen. Not that they really need any justification, now that they were the saviors of the town, but it was still protocol…

“Gabrielle, you have to run. If they find you here, there will be trouble! And—” There was a sudden splash. When Esperanza turned back around, she saw the redheaded girl floating on the shallow waters of the sewer just like the body behind her. “Oh poppycock…”

The sounds were approaching faster, and faster; Esperanza reached for Gabrielle, thinking of maybe carrying her to a safer spot or something… but a hallberd flew straight between her hand and the girl. The Saint was quick enough to react, jumping away and reaching for her own spear while another woman arrived at the scene. A blonde woman with a single eye, wearing a feathered hat.

“Do not touch her!” The woman barked, standing in front of Gabrielle and pointing her weapon right at the black haired girl’s neck. “Back off!”

“Calm down, lady. There is nothing to fear.” Esperanza blinked slowly, keeping her standing and looking at the new arrival with confusion in her eyes. “What is the meaning of this?”

“Don’t think for a second that I don’t know who you are, you little wretch…” Lucrece clung tightly to her weapon. She knew that in terms of skill, she was probably outmatched here, but she needed to at least play it off somehow. “Lady Esperanza of Aragon, Saint of the Church and Great Inquisitor of the Saints…”

“You speak as if all that was a bad thing. Are you a servant of the Demiurges, woman?”

“I have no place in your demented war!” Luci shook her head. “But I know enough of your dislike for the common folk, Hound of the Church.”

“Please, you have it all wrong! Where did you get these ideas…?” Esperanza’s heart pumped loudly, she didn’t know if to feel insulted or sad.

“Where did I get them!? From living in your realms, of course! Where else…!?”