章節 116: 66
Arraia takes point as you give the squid no quarter, breaking their formations, weakening their flanks. The squid forces quickly learn to avoid your team, but there are too many other teams for the squid to avoid them all.
The squid clearly didn't expect such a reaction, or perhaps they were just prepared for their experimental raid to fail, because all at once, they suddenly disperse and flee in a pattern that makes pursuit difficult. The Everwardens cheer, with Arraia and Estre joining in. You even see Cinza give a smile of relief.
Ichtare flits around congratulating the Everwardens, but comes to dead stop at the sight of Cinza. They move immediately over to your group. "So that really was you fighting for us," they say. "I thought you might have taken the opportunity to escape, or maybe even join up with the attackers. But you didn't. Why?" They look at Cinza sharply. "Did you expect to get something?"
Cinza closes her eyes and pauses a moment. "Kavitha here inspired me," she says. "I was thinking: The only thing I couldn't handle was being an Everwarden. If I can get disqualified, that's all I want. Just give me some other job. Put me in the library, put me anywhere else. I'll help Kavitha with city maintenance. I'll be a crystal-shaper. Just let me never have to fight squid ever again."
Ichtare looks to you in surprise.
"It'd be cruel to keep forcing her to be an Everwarden after all that," you insist. "She's already proved her loyalty. Just give her a reprieve."
"Cinza has proven that she's not interested in causing any more harm to any of us," you say. "She just wants the chance to live her life normally."
"I know," says Ichtare. "I've always known it, but it's not always possible to convince others of that. The whales, especially. But I think I can at least convince the merfolk now, with this battle as proof. I'll pitch the plan to the council, emphasize her turnaround. And we'll make Everwarden rotations better spaced out to give volunteers more chances to rest."
Cinza throws her arms around you. "Thank you," she says. "Thank you so much for all of this. I never thought this was possible." She does the same with Arraia, with Ichtare, and finally with Estre. "I promise, no more desperate measures for me."
You take a moment to look around the battlefield. Everwardens are already starting to clear away the bodies of giant squid, and others are attending to the whales, comforting them against fears that the rout might have been faked. You shake your head. You can see why Cinza wouldn't want to deal with that on a regular basis. And you're glad that she finally won't have to. It finally feel like things are going to be OK.
Ichtare turns to you. "Do you know where Tamru and Flynn are?" they ask. "Do you know if they're safe?"
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