It got colder into the dark, as night settled around them. Still they walked, onwards through the empty streets that had never been filled, in the wake after the Corpse War. Some areas of the city of course were alive, such as the centre and the residential area, but those they seemed to try to avoid.

Or were going to. Around the early hours of the morning Vitruvion seemed to realise that she might be hungry, or thirsty. He headed into an area with a few shops, that were all closed, but also a pub, with a large area of window to give a view of the interior. As they got there, he gave it a once over, then paused and looked back to her, questioningly. Slightly, she nodded, drawing her cloak around herself.

Straightening, the god became tall and keen and sauntered into the pub, head held high. Stare was left by herself in the street, with the laughter of those who were still enjoying life into these small hours. She saw a flicker from a shadow, and a great hulking figure detached himself from it. Brer stepped into the light of the lanterns that brightened this small lively street, and then stopped beneath, lurking and downlit so his features were exaggerated to look drawn and horrifying.

It made Stare internally laugh, though, when one considered the giant's gentle nature. He was there to make her know there she knew someone was watching, a sort of attempt at comfort.

This, she took in, but she also knew it was partly so that because Vitruvion was gone presently, someone was able to directly watch her. Watch what the world was like around her. Rolling her eyes slightly she looked back to the pub, counting the frames in her head of the individual panels that were in a patchwork style. There were twenty of the small squares that made up the whole, with some of them warped with circular or bumpier patterns. Through them, however, a rough view of the interior could be seen, and the tall, white haired man who waited at the bar in a manner he never usually would do. Normally someone else, like her, would be standing for him. Slowly she took some places forwards as she took in the quite ordinary scene and wished her life were that normal.

There was a sudden shout. She saw various people twist around towards the door. Then there was a louder yell, and someone crashed through the door at the same time a sudden dark shape came towards the window The tiny wooden barriers holding the glass panels in could not stand for the sudden dwarf that was being thrown through, and suddenly -

She was shoved over by the same man who was running from the door. Cursing, Stare slammed into the ground backwards. The thrown dwarf landed near her head, rolling for a couple of moments before he stopped. Stare looked from him, and up, to see the one who had pushed her over standing and staring into the pub. Hissing darkly she began to stand, letting a string of kenku annoyances coming to her beak before -

Thwunk. The sound of a crossbow bolt being released. Now Stare was the one pushing the man to the side, aiming to knock him out of the way as she lifted her eyes to see where the bolt was darting -

A split second was all she got. A thick line heading right for her skull. Quickly, she sucked in breath, knowing it was still impossible for Brer to get to her, or for her to duck already, even with her speed. It was so few microseconds until it hit her breast and she began to twist, as the shoulder would be better, when -

Nothing happened. Stare blinked, confused, as no pain exploded in her upper arm, her collar or anywhere similar. Instead there was now a second figure looming over her, this one pale and gaunt-looking, holding the bolt in two fingers, like he had just plucked it straight from the air.

Like he of course had actually done.

She sighed, as he stared daggers at her - a meaningful 'I told you so,’ look in his eyes. There was a secondary series of small thunks, and both of them looked over to see a man reloading the crossbow. Stare didn't pause. Immediately she summoned up an image of horror - the realisation that her brother had just killed her, this time - and shoved those emotions through her eyes at the man's wrist. He let out a vivid scream, and she used her current fury to drive her to look to his eyes. Dropping the unloaded crossbow he used his good hand to begin clutching at his face, crying, “I can't see! I can't … see!”

Vitruvion paused before he extended a free hand to start pushing apart the feathers at her shoulder. Stare leant out of the way.

“I’m fine,” she muttered. An eyebrow rose at her. “Honestly,” she stared at him flatly.

Vitruvion curled his lip as he snapped the bolt into two. There was a hissing sound as it disintegrated from the bottom up, falling to dust in his hand.

There was a stunned silence. From all within and outwith the pub. Aside from a single whimper coming from beneath them - the man the crossbow had been aimed at. “I'm sorry,” he mumbled, “please don't.”

Stare huffed, then took a step back and began to stalk away, back in the direction of Brer. She did not pause or look back to see if Vitruvion exacted any vengeance on those who had enacted the violence - in all honesty she did not care. It was his personality, his way. Dutifully, she had done her part, told him she was well, and that was all there was to it, as far as she was concerned. Still fuming, she began to walk right away, the half-giant in her shadow.

It was several minutes before Vitruvion caught up with her. This time he walked beside her, though still a full person's width away. Silence fell between them, the guards merged back into the darkness and all was as it was before.