"I think she's got bigger problems than worrying about a few cultists. If they didn't want to go to the Abyss maybe they should've thought of that before they kidnapped her."

"They should have, but this does not affect the most Good outcome that could be achieved for them."

Locusts guy rolls his eyes and walks away.

"He's hurting very badly from what they did to his friend, and he thinks if he hurts the people who did it he'll stop hurting, but he's wrong."

"Hate to break it to you, kid, but most people want to hurt people who hurt their friends."

"I know! Some of them are even right that they'll feel better afterwards, but not him. ...and you think you'd feel better if I hurt you for the games you used to play, but really you'd just be hurting in a different way."

Tail-twitch.

...

"Do I need to know the history there?"

She's going to say yes and make him explain and it's going to be terrible—

She studies Blai's face for a moment. "I don't think so. It was a long time ago."

Oh thank... uh... Ember, he guesses. "Thank you. - also, do you need solid sleep for your spells to come in properly in the morning? I don't know how much longer we'll be based here but so long as we are we have a room and I'm prioritizing it for anyone whose sleep is important in that way."

"I'm used to sleeping on the streets! I do need to sleep for a lot of my spells, but I don't need a room."

"...it is frankly astonishing that doing this over the last several days has not gotten you eaten. Will you be able to sleep in the main room down here? It is louder than the streets."

"Soot helped me find a little corner where no one else would see me!" She pats her bird. "I think it will be okay if other people are making noise. There are lots of noises outside, if you're trying to listen to them."

...why would she be trying to listen to them while attempting to sleep.

Not important. "Then I suppose the wizards and the Count can have the room as they did last night, if you're sure."

"As much as I appreciate your generosity, Lord Kaske has graciously offered to host me now that the immediate crisis has passed."

"Oh, how fortunate. Perhaps you will even be able to get your own home repaired soon. Should we find you there if anything else comes up, or...?"

"I suppose so. Though I must warn you, my life has been rather lacking in enjoyment over the past few days, and I have no desire to spend any longer facing down abrikandilus."

"Understandable. If they only showed up when someone wanted them I think we would see fewer."

"Well, the cultists want them."

 "Do they really? If I were a cultist I'd be pretty annoyed about having to take orders from a dretch."

"...........Are you?"

 "No! I'm just saying."

"I suspect even the cultists do not reliably want every individual demon that shows up."

"Perhaps if they decide to show up at Lord Kaske's residence I will bestir myself to remove them."

"Well, if you aren't going to lift a finger to help regular folk, don't expect us to go out of our way to stop the abrikandilus from smashing up all your fancy art!"

"...Lann, most people are and should be civilians. The Count has sworn no oaths and made no promises. He just helped us for a few days."

"If a man can hunt, and rather than provide for his tribe or protect them from monsters he spends all his time listening to music and watching naked women dance, he's not very much of a man."