It wasn't until the net-carry flight came back that anyone really checked Srric's body. But Elizarraraz came with them, and he was close with her... she used his fighting skills to help her rise. Everyone was sure he was dead... but when she made them check, they found a tiny pulse, and a little breath. By this time I was nearly unconcious from loss of blood, and I really don't remember much of the flight back at all.

It turned out that one evil had gone all the way through my neck. They pulled one out of my shoulder. The third, in my belly, they couldn't get out. I could feel it in there, I was sure, doing it's work, killing me, doing whatever horrible things they do. Srric was unconcious for days, and when he finally started to come around again, he was... different. Not so stupid and simple as he was before. I think the experience changed us both. A lot.

It was more than a week before I could even move. Khasra stayed with me, almost the whole time. Eli visited often... mostly to see Srric, but she talked to me too. It always made me nervous, to have her notice me, but... I could see she wasn't Sharrah. Srric and I actually talked a little, sometimes. It was weird, to hold a conversation with him.

The wound in my belly, where the evil still lived, wouldn't heal. It just kept oozing, and my insides burned. Finally, Khasra brought me a biter for my beak, and dug his claw into my belly until he dragged out the evil. I didn't scream much. Or kill him.

Finally, I had something I hated more than myself.

I hated centaurs.