A moment passes after the troll, yelling mightily, impales himself on his spear. Then the air shimmers, and a man steps down from the pile of rubble, releasing the invisibility spell that had concealed him. He's dressed in what looks, charitably, to be a rough parody of old clerical robes--lots of white cloth, gold embroidery, and a long staff. Glancing at the troll's body, he raises his staff and cries out, "Behold, my brothers. The demon has been destroyed."
From the window directly overhead, a voice calls, "Father, what does this mean? You said we needed..."
Glaring in irritation, the pseudo-priest snaps up at the window, "Do not remind me of what I said, Brother Jonah. Did I not tell you that you were to remain still this evening, trusting in the powers the lord has entrusted to me? Was it not you whose faith failed? Were you not weak? Your penance will be severe, oh most lowly worm." Then he calls to the other windows, "Come, brethren. We must seek the lord's counsel." With that, he turns; striding away, he fades back into invisibility.
Wrapped in pain, Armless's vision swims, then fades to black.
As the gunshots fade, Devon hears a loud, pain-filled bellow which could only come from the lungs of a troll. He realizes that he must be close--maybe a block or two away, at most.
Faster, the ravens' voice pulses through Siegfried. Clearing a final alleyway, he sprints across a rooftop and finds himself looking down into a square courtyard. All is silent. Then he sees the ravens flutter down and perch on something near one side. Looking closer, he realizes that it is a troll's body, apparently impaled on a narrow tree, blood slowly trickling down its trunk.
