What did they even do at this point? Normally Ethan had the answers, he'd suggest they go and make things right and to try and own up to their mistakes. But how did they fix this? People were dying back at the manor and they were powerless to stop it with their innocence now hanging purely on Bernadette's word. Could she actually clear them of their supposed crimes? He didn't know anymore, and lightheaded as he was from today's events it was tiring to even think. Sitting down against a wall he let out a long sigh and laid his head back, looking up to the sky as clouds silently drifted by. Just like those clouds they would have to come and go without a word if they hoped to avoid further trouble, though that may be easier said than done. They were in the middle of East Orosi and the guards would no doubt be alerted soon, getting out would be a nightmare. 

"I don't know Amuné, I really don't..." It was the only answer Ethan could muster for the child's flow of questions, he wouldn't lie and said he knew anything. He liked to think Zander was innocent and hadn't done anything wrong, yet the situation in the office pointed to him and him alone. Yet they had fought together on the boat, they were comrades weren't they? Nothing about the situation they were in made a lick of sense no matter how you looked at it. The mistake in trying to find sanity in chaos, one supposed. Glancing at Amuné when she suggested ousting Zander he could only shake his head in response, smiling as he reached out and brushed a bit of dirt from her gown. "And if he's innocent? Then we've condemned an innocent man," he offered in return, "Just like we're innocent and being charged, he could be too. Until we know for sure we can't go turning anyone in." Maintain order in chaos, it was what guards were meant to do. It was what Ethan was trying so desperately to do. Yet so far today he'd done an awful job of that.

The idea of fleeing from a battle in such a way struck Nymira as peculiar; fleeing from the enemy only meant they would return later, or you'd suffer a loss and humiliation. Yes they were exhausted from today's events but they could still fight, they would have found a way to. While she was annoyed that they hadn't even tried to deal with the Machina she also understood there was little reason to broil about it now, what was done was done. As they stopped in an alleyway some blocks away her head swiveled hearing metal scraping against brick, frowning as she watched Cecil go down on his hands and knees. Of everyone in their group he had it the worst, and for reasons she couldn't even understand. It wasn't uncommon for warriors to have episodes after or during a battle, some people just couldn't handle it. But for them she knew the causes, and yet Cecil was a mystery.

Cecil really was having a hard time of things, barely keeping it together as he panicked. Again Ethan found himself unable to answer Amuné as he watched their friend break down, not wanting to lie and say everything would be fine. Clearly what had happened today had a deeper impact on the Machina then they thought, he was struggling with quite a lot now. Moving to go and comfort their friend he paused when Amuné voiced her concerns again, wanting to clear the air and try and help in her own way. "I'll let him know, don't worry," he answered gently, smiling as he gave her hair a small ruffle, pushing himself then to his feet with the wall as support. He was far from the type of person you usually came to for advice, and he knew his way of thinking didn't work well with everyone. Yet he had to try and say something, anything to help their friend.

"We're not abandoning you, or anyone, not while you're like this," Ethan began as he approached Cecil, making sure to keep a friendly smile all the while. When the Machina snapped at him to stop he did, though he maintained the smile as he listened to what was being said. The expression wavered slightly when Cecil collapsed again but he did his best to remain upbeat, figuring if he began to worry then it'd only make Amuné worry, and Cecil in turn worry even more. He had to keep it together here or panic was only going to get worse. "You're not dead Cecil, you're alive just like all of us," Ethan said as he knelt down, reaching out and placing a hand on the Machina's shoulder, "Well... You know what I mean. What happened today was an accident... Accidents happen. It doesn't make you a bad person if you make a mistake now and again." It might be a big mistake, killing people, but he had only been trying to protect them right? It was good intentioned, not like Cecil had done it purely out of cold blood. 

The Varuna couldn't care less about this game they were playing, or the calculated moves to try and spread dissent. All he wanted to do was destroy and kill, his magic was suited for such and it was all he knew. Today had been hardly a cheap thrill as there was no challenge in his prey, just a handful of men with swords. Sneaking in through the aqueducts had its benefits though he'd been spotted quickly on the dry road; four guards stood little chance against his pets, they served only as lunch and nothing more. "Ssstill... That is three timesss those children have escaped. I wish to sssseee them dead," he hissed with disdain, getting to his feet and looking to the broken window, "Please... Allow me to sssseek them out, I wish to finish my job."

"No, let them go. It's more fun to watch the prey scurry, don't you agree?" the woman asked, laughing as the creature belched and spit out a corroded bone on the floor. Such a vile thing, these monsters, yet oddly adorable. "We'll let them have their fun for now, they're hardly a threat. Twice they've survived on pure luck and nothing more, it won't happen a third time. Until we see them again we'll focus on causing as much dissidence as we can, why bother chasing a few rats when you can smoke out the entire nest?" It was far more effective to kill the entire population than to chase down group by group, hoping you got them all. Besides, this way the populace did most of the work for them, it spared them the trouble of running to and fro chasing every lead. "It will be such a spectacular show, I cannot wait to watch."

It was safe to say not everyone was enjoying the "show" quite as much. Hunting down Magi was one thing, but involving the innocent commoners was another matter. The guards had no part in this war the Church was waging and yet nearly two dozen lay dead from today's events, and for what? A laugh? It was sickening that anyone would be so callous with lives this way, it was not something the Church should condone. Wrinkling his nose in disgust as he sifted through the remains of a few guards, Remus pulled free a patch from one of their shirts, shaking mucus from it and examining it closely. If he brought this forward to the guard captain he could potentially damn that Varuna, albeit doing so would completely contradict the Church's plans. If he wanted things to end in his favor he had to abide by their desires, however deplorable they might be.

"To cause deaths of innocent men and women... Is this worth it?" Remus sighed and got to his feet, taking the patch and pocketing it for later, a reminder of the real evils he was facing. Those children, the two parents he'd slain, they were not criminals, simply Magi trying to get by. Nor was the old man he'd taken to the Central Church a criminal yet he'd been prosecuted as one, and simply for having the ability to perform magic. By that logic he too was a criminal and yet his actions were condoned by the powers that be. Hearing the water bubbling up behind him Remus frowned and reached back, sending a spout of water skyward with one of the Varuna's creatures skewered by it. Turning as it fell to the ground along the canal he walked over, ignoring its shrieking as it tried to attack. Even now that fish was trying to attack him, though his was his most halfhearted attempt yet. Hard to operate when she was here, he supposed. Placing a foot on the creature's skull he began applying pressure, again ignoring its wails of protests before the bone beneath his boot shattered, the liquid surrounding the skeleton falling away as a result. This lot of people, they were the true criminals.