Her eyes went wide as she realized what she had nearly done. She looked at him and then back at the blubbery, hairy horror lying still before them. She had lost her mittens in the fight, revealing digits that were thin and bony, the knuckles dotted with ritualistic ink that had long since faded.

“Where is he?” she croaked. Dis looked back at the creature, its huge sac of a body at the center of the tangled web of tentacles, sagging like a deflated dirigible. Its eyes stared lifelessly from beneath its coarse mane of thick, twisted hair. Dis found himself searching for the orb Ro had ruptured and felt a ludicrous sense of respect when he found the wound, still dripping gore even in death.

But of Ro himself there was no sign. Had the creature devoured him, or did the Eye lie crushed beneath the body? If so, what had killed the monster? Surely not Kufa’s poor excuse for a weapon?

The cobonica bucked, its body jerking. Kufa scuttled back like a rock-weaver; Dis dropped instinctively into a defensive stance as they prepared for round two. The monster wasn’t dead.

Was it?

A long golden blade burst from the creature’s body like a rocket, hacking at the monster from within. Skin and blubber fell away as Marchion Ro burst from the belly of the beast, lightsaber in hand and helmet streaked with gore.

“Thank the Path,” Kufa cackled, throwing the stalagmite aside. “I knew you’d survive.”

Dis, on the other hand, could only breathe in awe. “You are … incredible.”

“I’m a damn fool,” Ro replied, killing the blade. “I should never have let us be ambushed, not this close to the prize.”

“The prize?” Kufa asked, her old eyes narrowing.

“The Leveler,” he said, meeting her gaze before looking back at the alien corpse. “That thing …”

“The cobonica.”

“Yes. Do they hunt alone?”

She chuckled. “Have you seen the size of it?”

He grunted, pulling off his mask to clean the filters. “Closer than I liked.”

“By the Paths,” Kufa breathed, staring at Ro’s gray face. “That tattoo …”

Ro’s face softened, the gray skin darkening around the silver markings that were etched into his skin, looking for all the worlds like part of a star map.

“It is nothing.”

“We both know that is not true.”

“Kufa … the creature.”

She shook her head. “They are highly territorial. We won’t see another for kilometers.”

“Then we should continue.” He wiped his visor with the corner of his cloak. “How much farther?”

“To the Shrine? Twenty minutes at most. Can’t you feel it?”

Ro didn’t answer, looking instead to Dis, his dark eyes flicking down to the Talortai’s wrist.

“You are injured.”

“It is nothing.”

“Are you sure about that?”

Dis showed him by flexing the arm that was broken. “The bones are already mending.”

“Incredible.”

“Not for the Talortai. We heal quick.”