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Alun, who had been sitting in the distance, overlooking the beach, notices Alice at the beach. He briskly walks over to her and stands beside her, simply saying, "welcome back" with a warm smile.

Cain walks calmly into the tavern. As he does, he notices Luthien sitting there. Quietly, he walks up to her and takes a seat beside her. After a moment of silence, he speaks.

"I am sorry for abandoning you all during the trip. I.." he pauses. Cain seems to be sorting out words in his head. "I just couldn't stand to see the captain ill. After we landed ashore and entered the port town, I separated from everyone and took a short trip, just to get away from the world and later I returned to the island. I'm sorry if I inconvenienced you and everyone else in any way..." Cain looks around. "By the way, where is Malinne?"

Konstantin flies into the tavern's door like a wind through the window.

"Any news of Malinne? Did she return?"

Paul walks along the beach, enjoying the sunset. He stops to hit some stray hair our of his eyes when he notices alice.

Hello. I remember you. Your name is... oh, it starts with an A. At least I remember that much.

Paul smiles sadly.

Weren't you Malinne's friend? Where is she?

Paul looks around nervously.

((ack!))

Alice seems to ignore Alun and the others trying to speak to her. She begins to pout and sits on the ground letting the tears roll from her eyes.

"She's gone... Malinne is gone. She never got to find her family either..." Her voice fades away and her mind begins to drift.

After a brief moment of silence, she stands suddenly and walks briskly towards the library to find a way to get her mind off her troubles.

Malinne... gone?

Paul looks confused before comprehending the words. Tears well up in Paul's eyes. He sighs as another sense of loss engulfs him, already on his way toward the mainland.

The night is unusually cold for the weather. Cool winds are traveling among the buildings of Troll’s Bane in the darkness. No stars in the sky above.

Some roof. Pitch black. Konstantin removes his overcoat and stays dressed in all black – a tight jacket and black pants. His black shadow is barely visible, and only his eyes are still gleaming gray, just as they usually gleam under his hood. He is on his knees. He hides the medallion that is on his neck under his shirt, and reaches for his chest holsters for two gemmed daggers made of silver in an unfamiliar style. He folds his sleeves up to his elbows, and reveals a scar all over his right arm. He cuts his arms with daggers from the palms to the inner sides of elbows, where the veins are. He places bloody daggers before him. He removes a blossom from his pocket, a special blossom. She gave it to him along with some other things when she first met him. He squeezes the blossom in such way that some moist drops on his bloody cuts. He whispers:

I do not have any Gods to swear or pray to since I do not have trust in them, so I swear to You and to myself. I will find out what happened and who did this. Whatever it takes from me.

Alun sighs as he hears what Alice says, but when he is about to speak, he finds Alice is already gone.

"Now where did she go...?" He asks himself. Quickly, he picks himself up and begins searching for Alice.