“You don’t…” Faira’s brow furrowed, then she quickly pulled her hand from Conna’Cel as he finished speaking.

[i]Is he [u]actually[/u] a robot?[/i] Before she could ponder the possibility further, her attention turned toward the sound of crying. [i]What [u]now[/u]?[/i] she groaned inwardly, glancing to Conna’Cel as he stepped toward the young girl who seemed to have simply appeared in the hallway ahead of them.

As the child turned and ran toward them, Faira took a couple steps back, though whether from whatever had frightened the girl or the girl herself, Faira could not say for certain.

Regardless, she instinctively tried to catch the girl before she fell, but missed. Faira took in the girl’s disheveled appearance before her eyes locked with the child’s.

“What—” Before she could finish, the child hurried to her feet. Faira inhaled and stumbled back slightly as the young girl begged for help and clung to her leg, Faira’s free foot moving behind her to steady herself and arms awkwardly spread apart.

“I-It’ll be okay,” she stuttered, hesitantly placing a hand on the child’s shoulder as she continued quickly, just as wary of the girl as of the hall. “What’s wrong? Who’re you running from?”