Covet stood before the charred remains of Taliesin. She had heard the story of what happened from the tavern owner of the Diamond. Slowly, her eyes dropped down to the pendant she held in her hand, the repaired chain dripping loosely between her fingers.

She should have listened to Matty. She shouldn't have run away. She would gladly take the pain of a broken heart over the feeling of utter emptiness she felt right now.

It wasn't until a few days after she had received the pendant that things started to fall into place in her mind. The way he had taken her in and given her a home, had tried to understand her no matter how hard he resisted, had protected her and looked out for her, had shown her what it was to feel, and had done everything in his power to make her happy.

And now it was all gone.

What little warmth she had managed to find in him had been burned up in the fire and all that remained was a cold trail leading towards the airships.

She felt like she should cry, but no tears came. No anger, no hurt... nothing. She was utterly empty.

Looking back up at the skeleton of the shop that had very nearly become her home, she took the pendant and reached up to place it around her neck. She would wear it as a rememberance of better days. Days she had so selfishly squandered and had been too blind in her mourning of a loss that had never been hers to lose to see what should have been obvious. Running her finger down along the chain to the dark pendant, she could already feel the emptiness being filled with ice.

Staring into the black ashes, she could make out a few things. The stone slab that she had prepared meals on. That lump was the chair that he had been sitting in when she first arrived. Just next to it was the remains of the workbench that they had both sat at, poring over books together. A slight glisten caught her eye. Stepping forward carefully, she approached where the workbench had once stood and bent down to pick up the small soot covered object. Pulling out a handkerchief, she brushed the black soot away, though she already knew what it was that she held. Staring down at the small statue, she ran a finger along its features. Slipping it into her pocket she glanced around the destroyed room, her nose assaulted with the acrid smell of ash and smoke. Stepping back out into the alley, she faced his home... their home... one last time.

Turning away from the ruins of Taliesin, she made her way down the dingy, stale alleys until she was able to emerge out into the bright, warm sunshine, though its rays felt like ice against her skin. She didn't know if she would ever see the crimson skinned shu with hair red as blood again, but somehow she knew it would make no difference. If they ever crossed paths again, it would be as total strangers and there was nothing she could do that would change that now.

Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly and made her way to the docks. She had not come out of this untouched. Things would never be the same again.