"There was a demon. It broke things. I killed it."

"Succinct." She comments dryly. "Your name? And where are you from?"

The assistant is already with a notebook and turns to Ari to take notes.

"Ari. Itinerant, lately from New Tristram, in the country of Khanduras, in the world of Sanctuary, which I imagine is also where that demon was from, unless it was from the Burning Hells, which would be something of a problem because it would imply your world was connected to the Burning Hells now."

"I told you that he was from a newly annexed world. We contacted the High Library and your town's sorcerer must have been told the details-"

She cuts him off. "Our town's sorcerer was one of the first to die."

Thomas winces. "You can contact the High Library. We probably should figure out if there were more attacks like this."

"I see." She looks around at the most complete search and rescue efforts. "Stay put where I check for your name." She pauses and turns back to Ari. "I must ask, why were you naked?"

"This was not a planned trip. I was kind of in the middle of something."

"You could even say that we were in a hurry to get here."

"I could say that at least seven people died and twenty more were critically injured. And that you're claiming a new world is to blame. And that - while excusable - this young man is claiming to have killed what sounds like a person."

"Uh, yeah, that's why it was only seven people who died. Or eight, I guess, if we're going to count the overlord. Demons don't like humans. They kill them habitually. Fortunately most of them aren't as powerful as that one was, if a carver or a fetish or something gets into someone's backyard you're probably not going to have casualties."

She gives an impatient look.

"As you said yourself, it was excusable. Self-defense. What are you planning?"

"Well, I want your lot to stay put while I check your story and see what to do with you."

"Cool. That sounds like a great way to handle the people who just saved your ass."

She smiles a forced smile. "Yes, it's important to actually check when half a dozen young man have a fight in the middle of your town. With causalities." And she turns followed by her assistant.

"Okay," Thomas whispers. "I thought I got her point of view. But no reason to be rude at us."

Sudden Felix. "You're the first person to be rude when you get in a bad mood. Also, odds are that she doesn't believe us and some of the victims are people she knows."

Ari shrugs. "I'm gonna see how Gabe and Henry are doing."

There is sufficiently less to do that Henry is reeling a bit. He is trying to fill out some sort of report, but not focusing very well.

Gabe is trying to comfort him.

Ari will hug them.

"That went less poorly than it could have!"

Hug. "Yeah, I was trying to tell him that. But I think I didn't make a good job of it. I might have mentioned that stuff like that happens all the time and it didn't help the mood."

"It's not only that... I just, I've never seen death before." Hug. "What the lady wanted with you?"

"Oh, she thinks... something, I wasn't clear on her bullshit. Apparently she thinks we're all very suspicious and she's detaining us for a while. So I decided to spend the time with hugs."

Henry hugs him tighter. "Did she threaten to do anything to you?"

"Nah, though she did get kind of snippy about me killing the demon. Hilariously enough."

"Seriously?"

Uncomfortably shifting.

"You alright, Henry?"

"It's just... you're literally from a different world and I don't know how to help you navigate this one."

Gabe pulls his head back to look Henry from a different angle. "Huh, I think he sort of... adopted you as a new me?"