The street still bore the recent marks of the confrontation when Scarlett and Tiamat emerged, walking side by side among broken stones, fallen awnings, and merchants slowly catching their breath. The two were laughing without any shame, as if they had just witnessed a particularly amusing performance, rather than the public humiliation of a Monarch. Scarlett kept one hand on her abdomen, trying to control her breath between laughs, while Tiamat wiped tears from the corner of her eyes, unable to hide the wild enthusiasm that radiated from every gesture. The contrast between the surrounding destruction and the lightness with which they approached made the scene even more absurd to any ordinary observer.
"Did you see her face after the second kick?" Tiamat asked, pausing to laugh again. Her voice echoed through the street like satisfied thunder. "She still thought she could win after the first blow. After the second, she seemed to be trying to remember her own name."
