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“Oh.”

The man looked petrified for a moment.

“I’m actually not quite sure.  I came from back there somewhere, but to be honest I’m not sure how I ended up in this cave to begin with.”  His smiled faltered.

Right. Got it. Qatar coughed.

“What about you?  Where’d you come from?”  Misu smiled hopefully.  “You don’t happen to know the way out of here, do you?”

He coughed again. Who do you think I am, anyway?

“I’m from the Vegada Circle, Ferdina Island, close to the coast.”

I don’t know how I got here, either, but I can do a  better job at telling where I came from than you can.

From somewhere that seemed neither close or far away, few pebbles suddenly skidded down the small cliffs ahead.  Misu whipped around as though he was skittish, and Qatar grunted.  not gonna bite you.

Something large and heavy crashed over an edge, following the stones into the darkness below it to the cavern floor.

“That was a person!” he gasped.  He leaned back and patted Qatar’s shoulder with a sickly smile.  “I’m going to go check on them.  I’ll be right back!”  Misu pushed himself up and sprinted away.

Great. Fine. Go away.

The man called Misu disappeared into the darkness and Qatar sat up and had a good cough. His lungs burned, and his arms and legs were still numb from the iron grip of that creature. He shivered, and pulled Misu’s coat closer around his shoulders.

It’s colder than it used to be. He looked around. Everything was dark and damp, and he couldn’t see very far. Misu’s head appeared, then the rest of him.

Qatar squinted at him. What’s he got? Misu was carrying something that looked almost as big as he was, limp and heavy and…

A knot fell into his stomach. No. It can’t be. He tried to sit up further, tried to see the face of the man Misu was carrying, but he knew without looking. Every curve of the hands, every line of the limp body; the hair that was lighter than his own, the small foot, slightly curved in, the one empty pantleg.

No, little brother! I need you still.

He sprang up, then fell back with a groan. It hurt too much to stand, but he didn’t pause to ask what was wrong, and started crawling toward Quin and Misu.

Misu set Quin down next Qatar–gently enough, but Quin stirred and groaned, and Qatar’s eyes shot daggers at Misu. If you’ve hurt him more than he is already, I’ll kill you with my bare hands.

“Idiot! ” he grunted at his unconscious brother. “What were you doing up here?” He felt for his pulse. It was weak. When isn’t it?

“Qatar, are you two related by any chance?”  Misu hovered above them, biting his lip and staring nervously down.

“Of course we’re related,” he snapped. “He’s my brother. Quin Leiland Miller–the biggest idiot in the Circle.”

That wasn’t called for. He’s probably just trying to help…

He turned his attention back to Quin. His cheek was covered in blood.

and broken bones? we’ll have to get him back to the others.