本章概述：

????????????伊莎萊發(fā)現(xiàn)她的XP是尼姑。

????????????In which Isarae finds she has a taste for nuns.

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正文：

我不確定為什么要告訴她這個(gè)。

我沒(méi)有任何理由揭示自己在這顆行星上的真實(shí)意圖，不過(guò)我隨后認(rèn)為沒(méi)有理由不這么做。說(shuō)到底，我為什么要隱藏自己的理由呢？她是人類，不是艾達(dá)靈族，如果我把自己從她那腐朽的帝皇承諾給她主權(quán)的銀河中移除的話，她可能對(duì)此不會(huì)有任何意見(jiàn)。

他們會(huì)歡迎這一點(diǎn)的。

至于為什么會(huì)有人想獨(dú)占銀河系的殘骸則超出了我的理解范圍。

不管怎么說(shuō)，她現(xiàn)在都在跟著我。我已經(jīng)將那座尖塔選作戰(zhàn)斗間隙棲息的行動(dòng)基地，出于它的體積和對(duì)裝飾物的相對(duì)缺乏。獸人是簡(jiǎn)單的生物，總是對(duì)最大最閃亮的東西趨之若鶩，而把那些樸素的小玩意——如果有的話——留到最后。這么做的目的是為了保持隱蔽，而盡管我能輕松做到這一點(diǎn)，我卻不覺(jué)得她能有這么安靜。雖然考慮到獸人有很強(qiáng)的嗅覺(jué)，但她渾身沾滿獸人血液這一點(diǎn)可能也會(huì)有幫助，她已經(jīng)將其中大部分從臉上抹去，但一個(gè)人在缺乏必要的輔助的情況下也就能做到這些。

我們以折磨般的慢步行進(jìn)。即便已經(jīng)被那顆破損魂石中的氣息復(fù)蘇，這個(gè)女人依舊脫力，脆弱，且萎靡不振。這并非出于她的種族通常笨拙的天性——我還沒(méi)有就這點(diǎn)責(zé)怪她，她也改變不了這點(diǎn)。

“快點(diǎn)，”我輕柔地重復(fù)道，并將一只手伸到她的胳膊下，撐著她爬過(guò)一處遍布碎石的破損樓梯。

她悶悶不樂(lè)地接受了我的幫助，我能從她的氣息間和內(nèi)心里品味到不信任，可是也有困惑和不確定，這就是我的動(dòng)力。

我不知道為什么自己告訴她真相，但知曉為什么同意她與我同行。她的味道，她的靈魂的味道，是無(wú)可比擬的。

在一個(gè)靈族的上百次生命中，我都沒(méi)品嘗過(guò)與之相似的東西。她在我舞動(dòng)于獸人間時(shí)第一次凝視我那一瞬還尚不知曉我作為靈族的真實(shí)身份，當(dāng)她看我時(shí)，她看到了某種難以形容的美麗，那時(shí)我在她身上嘗到了新的味道。

我不自主地舔了舔嘴唇，想要重溫那種味道卻失敗了。這令我發(fā)狂，那短暫的令人陶醉的洪流……我甚至叫不出它的名字。我曾想象自己已經(jīng)嘗過(guò)了銀河給予的每一種靈能放射的每一種變體，卻在這顆我即將葬身的悲慘的，獸人出沒(méi)的石頭上找到了自己認(rèn)不出來(lái)的東西。

好吧，我覺(jué)得還是不該說(shuō)詭道之主（Changer of Ways）缺乏幽默感了。人們說(shuō)司掌命運(yùn)和瘋狂的混沌之神是無(wú)法理解的，它同等地珍視通向某個(gè)偉大計(jì)劃的失敗和勝利，不過(guò)我好奇它是不是只是裝作如此，而它行事的真正目的只是為了好玩。

如果我是個(gè)無(wú)盡，永恒的混沌女神，能完全感知并隨心所欲地扭曲命運(yùn)，我應(yīng)該會(huì)認(rèn)為這是唯一能讓我忍受這種日子的事物了。

我們登上了十七層樓，來(lái)到了尖塔的中上層之一，到現(xiàn)在，這個(gè)女人正呼吸困難，她的手捂在胸廓上，嘴唇沾滿了血跡。

“你還是有傷，”我平淡地說(shuō)，停在了其中一段沒(méi)有燈光的走廊里，她發(fā)出一聲惱火的咕噥。

“我是帝皇的勇士，”她回敬道，“疼痛是凈化，沒(méi)什么大不了的，靈族?！?/p>

“疼痛是凈化，”我重復(fù)了一遍，隨后輕笑起來(lái)?！拔覀冎g的共同點(diǎn)比我之前想的要多呢，Cre’yth。”

“你最好把你的蛇信子收在嘴里，女巫，”她瞪了我一眼，視我的對(duì)比為冒犯，可這只讓我笑得更開(kāi)心了。

我笑的時(shí)候她的臉頰變得微紅，隨著我逐漸喪失興致，我張開(kāi)下巴，讓血伶人受我要求給延長(zhǎng)到手掌長(zhǎng)度的舌頭整個(gè)伸出來(lái)。當(dāng)我閉上嘴并點(diǎn)頭讓她跟上時(shí)，她臉上的震驚和臉頰上的深紅，并上它激起的復(fù)雜情緒，讓我再次笑出聲來(lái)。我再一次舔了嘴唇，品味著從她身上得到的感覺(jué)。

擔(dān)憂和不確定，乃至恐慌，她還年輕，剛接觸到戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)。對(duì)失去的姐妹感到絕望，對(duì)孤身存活感到憤怒，以及……

羞恥。

深切，持久的羞恥。

我回頭瞥向她，發(fā)覺(jué)她的呼吸很沉重，她正故意看向我之外的地方。

“這里，”我推開(kāi)門走進(jìn)去。屋子里很干凈，被懸著的水晶燈柔和地照亮，蟄伏在角落里的噴氣摩托上覆蓋著一層帆布。

房間寬敞，設(shè)施齊全，可以從陽(yáng)臺(tái)輕松進(jìn)入，我之前也是這樣把摩托帶進(jìn)來(lái)的。大部分家具都完好無(wú)損，一旦我把它們推回原來(lái)的位置并扶起倒下的物件，這里就是一處舒適的生活區(qū)。

我把手搭上她的肩膀，帶她去一張大椅子上，她則反抗起來(lái)。

“拿開(kāi)——”

兩根手指，各自抵在她脖子根部的脊柱兩側(cè)，用一聲悶哼打斷了她的話，并驚得她直不起腰。我對(duì)神經(jīng)施加了最小的壓力，足矣用來(lái)催促但又不造成傷害，并迫使她一路走到椅子前，隨后我把她轉(zhuǎn)過(guò)來(lái)，輕柔地讓她坐上去。

“我只是在試圖幫你，”我解釋道，并跪在她身邊把手指探進(jìn)她盔甲受損的一側(cè)。

“為什么？！”

我在取出卡在左臂肩關(guān)節(jié)驅(qū)動(dòng)件里的獸人斧頭碎片時(shí)嘆了口氣。

“我是‘靈族’，”我微笑著回復(fù)道，“我的行事對(duì)你來(lái)說(shuō)不該是難以捉摸的嗎？那不會(huì)讓解釋變得毫無(wú)意義么？”

我取出來(lái)最后一片金屬碎片，猛推了一下這只胳膊，它沉悶地發(fā)出嘶聲和咔嗒聲。這樣仍不起作用，但我覺(jué)得它至少可以被取下來(lái)了。Mon-Keigh的科技以我族的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)來(lái)講極其簡(jiǎn)陋，不過(guò)我想他們還是個(gè)相當(dāng)年輕的種族。

“你取笑了我，”她試圖起身時(shí)猛地把手從我的抓握中抽回來(lái)。

盡管她一直沒(méi)有提及，她的傷口還是出賣了她，她搖搖晃晃時(shí)疼痛的靈能回響涌出她的身體又涌進(jìn)我的。令我驚訝的是這嘗起來(lái)……不對(duì)勁，我滑到她身下接住她時(shí)產(chǎn)生了這個(gè)奇怪的想法。

“你也侮辱了我，”我漫不經(jīng)心地回答著把她送回椅子。“但我救了你的命?！?/p>

“為什么？！”這個(gè)詞從她嘴里迸發(fā)出來(lái)，那種鬼魅般的疼痛又一次從她身體里回蕩出來(lái)，在我的喉嚨后留下一股焦油似的味道?！盀槭裁词俏遥?！”

我拉開(kāi)距離，看著淚水充盈著她的眼眶。

“為什么只有我？”她的話里充滿了悲傷，我能感受到她靈魂深處的那種傷人的羞恥感?！盀槭裁次业钠渌忝帽粴r(shí)帝皇會(huì)指引一個(gè)異形來(lái)救我？”

“沒(méi)有神明指引我，Cre’yth，”我輕聲回答，舉起雙手解開(kāi)了臂甲的卡扣，讓它們輕響著落在地上?！翱匆?jiàn)了嗎？我的雙手是我自己的，我的理由也是自己的。”

我緩慢，謹(jǐn)慎地伸出手來(lái)，把掌心貼在她的臉頰上。她的眼睛大睜著，但她沒(méi)有躲開(kāi)，這次沒(méi)有。我溫柔地用拇指抹去了她的淚水，在包裹著她的污垢上留下一道溝壑。

“你想知道為什么我救了你嗎，Cre’yth？”我主動(dòng)提到，她的眼睛睜大了一點(diǎn)。“很簡(jiǎn)單……我是個(gè)藝術(shù)家，而你欣賞了我的作品?！?/p>

她盯著我看了幾秒，她終于抬起眼睛與我對(duì)視。她從我的臉上和眼中尋求真相，那雙綠寶石一樣的眼睛在我心底激起了什么我叫不出名字的事物。

我毫無(wú)顧忌地對(duì)上她的目光，畢竟我沒(méi)什么可隱瞞的。

“我是……光耀紫藤修會(huì)（the Order of Radiant Wisteria）的修女，”她強(qiáng)撐著站起來(lái)，這些詞語(yǔ)像禱文里死記硬背的句子一樣從她口中滾出?！拔也豢汕址福抑粚?duì)地上的祂立誓，”皮革在她抽出戰(zhàn)斗刀時(shí)嘎吱作響，一個(gè)念頭出現(xiàn)在我的視線中?！澳闶莻€(gè)異形，是不潔之物，你的存在是對(duì)人類對(duì)銀河和其中萬(wàn)物的合法統(tǒng)治的破壞?！?/p>

她把刀刃壓上我的喉嚨，我任她這么做。我沒(méi)有后退，沒(méi)有阻止。我只是在冰涼的金屬親吻我的脖子時(shí)壓下身去，微笑著。

“你……在對(duì)我說(shuō)謊，”她憤恨地吼道。“你。在。撒謊?！?/p>

“你要?dú)⒘宋覇幔?strong>Cre’yth？”我柔聲問(wèn)道，伸出一只空手搭在她的手上。她的手指熱的像發(fā)燒。“我曾想在慘死其中前把這座城市變成我的最后一座畫廊，可……”我拉近刀刃，直至它割開(kāi)了第一層皮膚，釋放出一股淡淡的鮮血，“這樣或許更好?！?/p>

“你為什么救我？！”她身體前傾，聲音高到刺耳，卻同時(shí)抵抗著我的手的壓力。“告訴我真相！”

“我說(shuō)過(guò)了，”我伸手撥開(kāi)她臉上的幾縷蒼白?！拔揖饶闶且?yàn)槟闵僖?jiàn)地喜愛(ài)我的藝術(shù)，并非因其墮落，而是因其美麗，而通過(guò)它的美你也看到了我的，而且……”我一時(shí)語(yǔ)塞，但考慮到自己將死，我覺(jué)得沒(méi)必要在回避這個(gè)話題，到頭來(lái)這也不重要，“……而我反過(guò)來(lái)也看到了你的美，所以我救了你?！?/p>

即便在凝固的獸人血漿和數(shù)日的污垢覆蓋下，我也能看到她的表情扭曲了。我能品嘗到她心中升起的痛苦的否認(rèn)，這痛苦……啊，這痛苦……燒灼著她的靈魂。這令人沉淪，像被飽受折磨的愛(ài)人所殺，我忍不住笑了。

“你為什么要笑，女巫！？”她扯起我的頭發(fā)，令我顫抖起來(lái)，但她依舊沒(méi)有劃開(kāi)我的喉嚨。“我要把你從這里清除出去，再把你燒到灰都不剩！”

“而你會(huì)以如此的激情這么做，”我贊同道，滿意地閉上眼睛。“對(duì)……多么美妙的死亡，多么完美的死亡?！?/p>

我等待著那一刻，等著我的脖子在她的刀切開(kāi)肌肉直達(dá)氣管，刮著脊椎割開(kāi)兩側(cè)的動(dòng)脈和靜脈時(shí)灼熱地裂開(kāi)。我等待著溫暖的血流灑在身前，等著我的生命從疲憊的身軀中退潮。

我等著。

等著。

“為什么？”她的聲音小了很多，我皺著眉睜開(kāi)眼睛。淚水劃開(kāi)了她臉上的污穢?！盀槭裁础覛⒉涣四?？”

我惱火地嘆了口氣。

“也許是因?yàn)槟愣喑顐邪?，”我抱怨道，從脖子上敲開(kāi)了刀子?！叭绻悴幌霘⑽业脑捘侵辽傧聵乔逑匆幌?，你聞起來(lái)像屠宰場(chǎng)似的?！?/p>

“我……那——那里沒(méi)水”她咕噥著，依舊跪在地上。

“我?guī)滋烨熬屠@開(kāi)了你的城市的粗暴限制，恢復(fù)力這層樓的應(yīng)急設(shè)施?！蔽逸p蔑地?fù)]揮手，“浴室工作正常，Cre’yth?！?/p>

“哦，”她尷尬地起身，像以前一樣盯著刀子，隨后尷尬地?fù)炱饋?lái)，收刀入鞘。

我不是個(gè)擅長(zhǎng)判斷人類容貌的女性，我把這留給了隨便某個(gè)可能會(huì)費(fèi)心去理解它的閑的無(wú)聊的血伶人，但這個(gè)瞬間我還是被她有多么年輕給驚到了。

“你多大了？”我脫口而出，差點(diǎn)咬到自己的舌頭。我為什么……？

她在一瘸一拐地走向浴室時(shí)停了下來(lái)，好奇地回頭看向我。

“我……二十二太陽(yáng)標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，”她輕聲回應(yīng)，“為什么？”

二十二……她只經(jīng)歷了這么多年就即將死在在這座枯萎的世界上。

我死的去的瞬間就會(huì)是她的終結(jié)的開(kāi)端，我知道的。她勇敢而足智多謀……我已經(jīng)在她撞進(jìn)我的陷阱時(shí)與幾乎必死的結(jié)局的戰(zhàn)斗中看出來(lái)這些，但綠皮太多，友軍太少，她也沒(méi)有真正的補(bǔ)給可言。

“我明白了，”我平靜地回答，然后抬頭看向她疑惑的臉龐?！拔业拿质且辽R，你現(xiàn)在安全了，Cre’yth，所以去清理下吧，你也太臟了?！?/p>

“亞——亞歷桑德拉?！?/p>

我抬起眼眸。

“什么？”

“我的名字，”她輕聲說(shuō)明道。“是亞歷桑德拉?！?/p>

?

原文：

I’m not sure why I told her that.

There hadn’t been any real reason for me to reveal my true purpose on this planet, but then again I suppose there isn’t any reason not to. Why should I hide my reasons, after all? She is human, not Aeldarii, and she would likely have no issue with my removing myself from the galaxy her rotting Emperor promised her sovereignty over.

They were welcome to it.

Why anyone would want to own this galactic carcass was beyond my ken.

Either way, she was following me now. I had chosen the spire as my base of operations to rest in between combats because of its size and relative lack of adornment. Orks were simple creatures, always drawn to whatever was largest and shiniest, leaving the plainer baubles for last, if at all.

The purpose was to remain hidden, and while I could do so with ease, I did not think she was so quiet. Although, granting that Orks navigate heavily on smell, perhaps the fact that she was still caked in Ork blood was helping matters. She had wiped much of it from her face but there was only so much one could do without the necessary facilities.

We moved at an achingly slow pace. Even revitalized by the breath inside the fractured Spirit Stone, the woman was still exhausted, weak, and flagging. That was aside from the usual clumsy nature of her species which I did not blame her for, it was not something she could help.

“Quickly,” I repeated softly, slipping a hand beneath her arm as we reached a shattered stairwell and heaved her up the broken rubble.

She accepted my help sullenly, I could taste the distrust in her breath and mind, but also the confusion and uncertainty, and that was what drove me.

I did not know why I told her the truth, but I do know why I have permitted her to come with me.

Her taste, the flavor of her soul, was without equal.

Not in a hundred Aeldari lifetimes have I tasted something quite like that. In the instant when she first gazed upon me as I danced among the Ork brutes, she did not yet ken to my true nature as Aeldari. When she saw me, she saw something indescribably beautiful, and in that moment I tasted something new from her.

I licked my lips instinctively, trying to recapture the taste but failing. It was maddening, that brief intoxicating flood of… of something I cannot even name.

To think I had once imagined that I had tasted every variation of every psychic emanation the galaxy had to offer only to find something I could not recognise on this miserable, Ork-infested rock, where I'd come to die.

Well, let it not be said that the Changer of Ways is without a sense of humor, I suppose.

They say the Chaos God of Fate and Madness is impossible to understand, that it values defeat and victory in equal stead all towards some greater plan, and yet I wonder if perhaps it only pretends to that, and the true reason it does anything is that it finds it amusing.

Was I an endless and eternal Goddess of Chaos with the ability to both fully perceive and twist fate and destiny to my whim, I should think that would be the only thing that would make such an existence bearable.

We ascended seventeen floors to one of the upper-middle levels of the spire, and by the end, the woman was breathing hard, her hand braced against her ribcage as blood speckled her lips.

“You are still hurt,” I said plainly, pausing in one of the unlit hallways, and she let out a grunt of irritation.

“I am a warrior of the Emperor,” she spat back, “and pain is cleansing, it matters not, Eldar.”

“Pain is cleansing,” I repeated the words, then chuckled. “We have more in common than I thought,?Cre’yth.”?

“Your serpent tongue is best kept twixt your lips, witch,” she glared at me, and at the perceived slight of my comparison, but it only made me laugh all the harder.

She cheeks flushed faintly red as I laughed, and as my humor dwindled, I dropped my jaw open to let my tongue hang the full hand-length I’d had my Haemonculus extend it to. The look of shock on her face and deep scarlet reddening of her cheeks, combined with the cocktail of emotions it stirred, made me laugh again as I closed my mouth and nodded for her to follow.

I licked my lips again, savoring the sensations I’d taken in from her.

Fear and uncertainty, panic even, she was young and new to war. Despair for her lost sisters, anger at her lone survival, and…

Shame.

Deep, abiding shame.

I glanced over my shoulder at her, noting that her breathing was heavy, and she was pointedly looking anywhere but at me,?

“Here,” I pushed the door open and stepped inside. Within was clean and softly lit by hanging crystals, and a tarp had been thrown over my jetbike which slumbered in the corner.

The room was spacious and well-appointed, and possessed the easy access of a balcony which was how I’d gotten the bike inside in the first place. The majority of the furniture was intact as well, and once I’d pushed them back into the correct places and righted what had fallen over, it served as a comfortable set of living quarters.

I put a hand on the woman’s shoulder and guided her to a large chair, and she resisted.

“Get off-”

Two fingers, one on either side of her spine at the base of her neck, cut off her words with a strangled yelp as she doubled over in shock. I applied the smallest amount of pressure, enough to urge but not to inflict harm, to the nerves and forced her forward until she was in front of the chair, then I turned her, and gently lowered her to the seat.

“I am only trying to help you,” I explained as I knelt by her side and began working my fingers into the damaged side of her armor.

“Why?!”

I sighed as I worked out fragments of Orkish axe that had been lodged in the actuators of the left arm’s shoulder joint,

“I am ‘Eldar’,” I replied, smiling, “are my ways not supposed to inscrutable to your mind? Would that not render an explanation meaningless?”

I worked the last piece of fragmented metal out, gave the arm a hard shove, and it hissed and clicked sullenly. It still didn’t work, but it could at least be removed now, I thought. Mon-Keigh technology was incredibly simplistic by the standards of my people, but I supposed they were still a very young race.

“You mock me,” she jerked her arm from my grip roughly as she made to stand.

Her wounds betrayed her and even muted as she was, the psychic echo of her pain rippled out of her and into me as she staggered. To my surprise it tasted… wrong, a strange notion as I slipped beneath her and caught her.

“And you insult me,” I replied casually as I levered her back into the chair. “But I preserved your life nonetheless.”

“WHY?!” the word tore from her lips, and that phantom pain echoed out of her again leaving a tarry taste in the back of my throat. “Why me?!”

I pulled away, meeting her eyes as tears filled them.

“Why only me?” her words were wet with sorrow, and I could feel that deep, wounding shame in her soul. “Why would the Emperor guide a xeno’s hand to save me while the rest of my sisters were cut down?”

“No god guides my hand,?Cre’yth,” I said quietly, raising both hands and releasing the catches on the vambraces, shedding them to clatter lightly to the floor. “You see? My hands are my own, and my reasons my own as well.”

I reached out, slowly, carefully, and pressed my palm to her cheek. Her eyes were wide but she didn’t pull away, not this time. Gently, I wiped her tears with my thumb and made a furrow in the grime that remained coating her.

“You wish to know why I saved you,?Cre’yth?” I offered, and her eyes widened a little. “It is simple… I am an artist, and you appreciated my art.”

She stared at me for several seconds, her eyes finally turning up to meet mine. Those emerald eyes stirred something in me, something I could not quite name, as she searched my expression and my eyes for the truth.

I met her gaze without concern, after all I had nothing to hide.

“I am… a Sister of the Order of Radiant Wisteria,” the words tumbled from her lips like the rote words of prayer as she forced herself to her feet. “I am inviolate, and sworn only to Him On Earth,” cracked leather rasped as she drew her combat knife, and a notion occurred to me at the sight. “You are Xeno, you are unclean, and your presence is a blight upon the lawful dominion of mankind over this galaxy and all within it.”

She pressed the blade to my throat, and I let her. I did not retreat, I did not stop her. I simply leaned in as the cool metal edge kissed my neck, and smiled.

“You… are?lying?to me,” She snarled the word bitterly. “You. Are.?Lying.”

“Are you going to kill me,?Cre’yth?” I asked softly, raising a bare hand to rest on hers. Her fingers were feverishly warm. “I had thought to turn this city into a last gallery of my work before dying miserably at its center but this…” I pushed the blade closer until it bit through the first layer of skin, releasing a faint trickle of bright blood, “this might be better.”

“WHY DID YOU SAVE ME?!” Her voice was high and thready as she leaned forward, but she fought against the press of my hand all the same. “TELL ME THE TRUTH!”

“I did,” I reached up and brushed a few strands of errant pale white from her face. “I saved you because you loved my art in a way so few have, not for its depravity, but for its beauty, and through its beauty you saw beauty in me, and…” for once I felt pensive, but given my impending death I felt no need to avoid the subject, it wouldn’t matter in the end, “…and I, in turn, saw beauty in you, and so I saved you.”

Even under the crusted Ork blood and days of grime, I could see her expression crack. I could taste the blistering painful denial welling up through her heart, the pain… oh the pain… as it burned through her soul. It was intoxicating, like being slain by a tormented lover, and I could not keep a smile from my face.

“Why are you smiling, witch!?” She seized me by the hair and rattled me, but still she didn’t cut my throat. “I’m going to purge you from this place, and burn your body so not even ashes remain!”

“And you will do it with such passion,” I agreed, closing my eyes in satisfaction. “Yes… what an excellent death that would be, what an utterly perfect death.”

I waited for the moment, for the searing split of my neck as her knife cut through the muscle down to the windpipe, scraping the spine and severing the vein and artery on either side. I waited for the warm rush of blood to spill down my front and to feel the life finally ebb from my tired body.

I waited.

And waited.

“Why?” Her voice was so much smaller now, and I frowned as I opened my eyes. Tears were cutting tracks through the filth on her face. “Why… can’t I kill you?”

I sighed in annoyance.

“Perhaps because you are sentimental,” I grumbled, knocking the knife away from my neck. “If you’re not going to kill me then at least get up off the floor and clean yourself up, you smell like an abattoir.”

“I… th-there's no water,” she mumbled, still on her knees.

“I bypassed your city’s crude restrictions and restored emergency utility to this floor days ago,” I waved dismissively, “the bath works just fine,?Cre’yth.”

“Oh,” she stood awkwardly, staring down at the knife as she did before awkwardly picking up and sheathing it.

I was no great mistress of judging human physiognomy, I leave that to whatever particularly bored Haemonculi might bother to understand it, but it struck me in that moment how young she must be.

“How old are you?” the question came out unbidden, and I almost bit my tongue. Why had I…?

She looked back at me curiously, pausing in her hobble towards the washroom.

“I’m… twenty-two solar standard,” she replied quietly, “why?”

Twenty-two… a passage of so very few years and she was here already at her death on this blighted world.

The moment I was dead would be the beginning of her end, I knew. She was brave and resourceful… I’d seen that much in her battle against impossible odds when she’d stumbled on my trap, but there were too many Greenskins and too few allies, and she had no real supplies to speak of.

“I see,” I said quietly before looking up to meet her confused expression. “My name is Isarae, and you are safe for now,?Cre’yth, so go clean up, you’re filthy.”

“A-Alessandra.”?

I raised an eyebrow.

“What?”

“My name,” she clarified softly. “It’s Alessandra.”