Uncertain whether he was there to aid us or bring about our demise, I cried out instinctively. As he ascended to his full height, my legs trembled against the flow of the cold water. When our eyes locked, I sensed Cattail's feathers puffing out against my skin in horror. He glowered at us, and I felt compelled to plead for my life. His mouth hung open in response, and we braced ourselves, clinging to each other. However, what emanated from his mouth was not another head-splitting roar; in fact, he let out a booming laugh.

Cattail slipped from my grasp and toppled stiffly into the gently rolling shallow water. He had fainted! As I scrambled to pick him up, Warhammer inquired about us. He sneered, coldly dismissing the false king as an annoyance. Noticing our scattered gear, he asked in a low voice if we were from inner-society.