Amelia nodded back at Gene as he waved, her own means of acknowledgement. The boy was clearly learned in some form of combat, and his capability while garbed in such a set of armor showed a familiarity with it. She would have to ask him about it later, and why he chose to keep this secret.

"No. No, it really isn't fair of him," she responded as Temeraire dove, a bit distractedly. After Gene's fall, she found herself somewhat more concerned with the state of her own harness. Unlike the boy, Amelia possessed no recourse in the event that her own ties failed her. She scored another hit as the strafing run began, careful to avoid Gene as he waded through the beasts.

There were fewer of the monsters now. "Once we've cleaned up this lot, we should move on to another collection. And think of ways to stop these things from emerging as we lance the boils."