Leaving a blazing room behind him, Bill found the door leading from the hallway back to the cellar ajar. He opened it and walked back into the cellar to find all of the remaining undead lying motionless on the floor.

“Looks like they fell apart when their master died,” Bill said.

“No,” Mim replied. “I cut them.” She kicked at one of the fallen cat corpses and its head tumbled away.

“All of them? Seems like it would’ve taken a while to do this much damage,” Bill said, carefully stepping over all of the corpses.

“It did,” Mim said.

“But I didn’t think we were in there that long.”

“You were.”

“I was?”

“You were.”

“How long?”

“You’ll see,” she finished, then walked up the stairs leading out of the cellar and swung open the door. They sky was already beginning to lighten as the sun crept up from behind the city walls. Bill stepped up and out and looked around slowly.

“Wh…what?” he said. “I don’t get it.”

“You blanked,” Mim said, tapping the side of her head. She pointed at his spear. “Kuru took you,” she said.

“Wait, how do you know its-” Bill started, only to be interrupted by a clanking sound behind him. He turned to see two large shadows step from an alleyway.

“We were beginning to think that you would not step forth successfully but would require assistance in your deeds,” one of them said.

“Pity y’didn’t as I a woulda liked ta step in for some crunch,” the other said, swaying as he spoke. “Got yerself a new cutter see, see he’s nossa bright o’gun.”

“What?” Bill said. He turned as Mim walked past him toward the two. “Friends of yours?” Bill asked.