Hot tears bloomed across Hanabaptiste's shirt as the boy sobbed into her arms. The countless anxieties and fears Hana had herself were pushed aside. Holding Rios shaking body, Hana began to hum, nursery rhymes blending into bits of opera changing into sea shanty morphing back to nursery rhyme. Anything would do, just to keep it up was the goal. Casting around, she saw a stone bench surrounded by blooming flowers. Carefully leading the senseless boy, Hana sat down, pulling him into her lap. Rocking him back and forth, she strained her ears over the crying and humming to hear what was happening elsewhere in the small town. All she had to do was sit there and hold him. Easy. Just hold a sobbing boy who could turn into a wild beast and bite her head off. Easy. 

---

Wheel took the time while he was alone to stretch. The idiot townspeople gawked as he loosened up. He could hear them whisper to one another. Probably asking if they should shoot him while he was distracted. Ha. The thought of him being killed by a bolt from one of those shoddy crossbows almost made him laugh. The curse was flaring wildly around him, and his clothes tugged at him as if in a stiff breeze, even though the square was completely still. The sun had a mean glint to it, like it wanted to punish the men who walked on the earth. Why a god would care about the shit men did to each other was beyond him, but what did he know. Looking up at the church, he idly began to work his way through killing everyone inside. It's likely they had every able bodied man they had up on the roof, ready to shoot him. So he'd break down the front door, kill the women and kids, and then finish off the men. He'd have to be quick, though, to not let the men rain bolts down on him. He was still working out the details when Wheel heard Berlin running towards him. So the witch had been able to find the Cap'n. She wasn't totally worthless. The steam had been something new. The thought that she had more tricks like that excited him. 
The townsfolk were so concentrated on watching Wheel they didn't notice Berlin until he was almost in the square. He was in excellent health, but Wheel could pick out a slight raggedness in his breath. There was a lot happening underneath the jolly smile. Was he scared? Likely. The big man caught his breath, slowly walking towards the church, telegraphing what he was doing, pretending the lion was a lamb. Trying to make friends.

"Just say the word, Cap'n! We'd be able to get out of this dump quicker. All the pretty girls have already been raped and taken by the Barizians. All that's left are cowards and their used up whore-wives."

Before the townspeople could respond, Berlin shouted, "OY!" drawing the furious attention upon himself. Wheel smirked and watched the Captain. 

"Why don't you lower your weapons, come down here and we can just this through, eh? You can tell us more about what happened here. What say you, lads?"

The men retreated from the roof, disappearing from view. A moment later the doors to the church pushed heavily open, the gaunt man stepping out, keeping the crossbow leveled at Wheel. A closer view didn't reveal much else. His wan face was curiously unlined, but the deep bags under his pained eyes made him look old. He could have been an old man who carried the burdens of a young one. It could be a young man aged beyond his years. Either way, he had the collected look of a broken man living until he could die. Men on the roof reappeared, taking aim. 

"We want you to leave. Let us rebuild our village and mourn for those taken from us."