Sleep wasn't brought by my collapse. I was plagued by a lingering restlessness, a prickling bit of caution that blocked my eyes from fully closing. Instead, I used my granted time to keep watch of the door whilst against a desk, an arm slung over my knee.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3zNolrW0X4
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuXTYRlqJqf
“Ya look like a sorry sort. More like a midget than a kid.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNeUxwLAVpL
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgwsbijhxm3
Juke joined me in my resting. The both of us eyed the door, keeping careful watch for any sudden enemies. It probably wasn’t the best course of action, I realized, as that dean was likely to get in trouble. But he was out of sight, and thus, for the time being, out of mind.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYiXUKy4Ep3
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKCn6AW1STR
Besides, I had a verbal jab I needed to address.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwmL35fW2UH
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH9fDUC0gza
“There are thousands of better ways to say I have a sullen or exhausted face. Take your helmet off; I’m certain you aren’t faring any better.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡACLp2y8ggZ
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpJLMa0ciZx
“Y’know, that ain’t a bad idea.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTBwp2RFZTc
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOtezOZskdt
He did just as I suggested, laboriously lifting his laden helmet and setting it aside. 101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU5OOxgA43V
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEUCFnqGrjd
“Well?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGNYmFIxavy
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnomoRTwmr0
“...It’s about what I expected. At least your facial hair looks clean.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGoEVviGDdc
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVShPD4grLr
“Really? That thing’s messy all the time.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡry20fiVw6Q
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLvYJpoUpJ2
“Maybe exertion has a reverse effect. I’ve heard of things like that happening.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVoF7kBfIAT
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUGN2Bh7Ux0
He stroked his lengthy stubble in contemplation. I let him do that and continued glaring at the entrance, waiting but hoping not for something to pop out.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxBpdRX9x2p
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Hk5w29DZC
“I’m surprised either of us are still standing here. I didn’t even bleed from that fight.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw2gdPGsLao
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiUU6gUwpdh
“I ain't bleedin’ either. But that bastard scratched my helmet. ‘Least he didn’t dent it.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvQ6dfa5gTX
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7WLGtBpera
He grabbed it and rotated it to spot the marks left by the Bringer’s blade. They were very obvious once he pointed them out, making me feel dumb for not noticing them.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPeyEHLCDGs
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTIZkP8XFdD
“I’m glad, cuz it means I ain’t gotta get a new one. And if I had ta, I can’t, since I’m stuck in this crazy place. And ta think I still got another tower to fight…”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFi3lvmX93W
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ87gm9jBHlq
I tried to empathize with him, but my state inclined me to be backhanded.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV0k3xqPSTC
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMbc0OLvvcZ
“You only have yourself to blame. You and I could’ve left if we stopped caring about the letter.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ27H7Z77iLg
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmQjjAxYBVp
He sighed and shrugged. That gesture indicated that he heard my point, but he still had a retort.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡntEh2caf7i
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOn58xFwcv3
“C’mon, kid. We agreed on somethin’ back in that alleyway. ‘Specially in times like these, ya gotta keep yer word.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ368ayy0Ft6
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡppBwxtp76n
“...Yeah.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBKOwZGe8Vj
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx2CpN56q0S
Though I had my frustrations, he was right. I was convinced, not just by Juke, but by my own distorted feelings to go back and fight. I was as to blame as he was. Still–101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQByqclddL0
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdcowA0fVHV
“It’s so stupid. I don’t like any of it”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz0OEtiHFfS
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEDMtWatf2N
“I ain’t liking any of this either.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgnEYu3TsHL
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfwROWj3nSx
“I know! I know you aren’t; you’d be a maniac if you did. But still”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmeAkd1K46e
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7U7S2o8hyV
Juke chuckled a little. I rolled my eyes and clicked my tongue. Little gestures like that dulled my festering feelings. He returned to his resting face. But when I looked at it closer, it was more rigid and fierce than the face of a resting man.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOsZtqpUvqj
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2hjRjZEHk7
“I’ll tell ya what, though. I wanted no part of fighting for this damn Pillar.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvdvpcDRCSW
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAuNxpT6VX1
“Y-Yeah. That I agree with.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpooJ6qDFI4
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMvFVGfHX6o
“It ain’t amountin’ to anything either, is it?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZkOpPJuVb7
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNojhqzCA5o
“...?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWOlN9HXg7g
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDgaEDba2u1
At that, I had to tilt my head.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMKchmPNEmi
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“It’s a detour, certainly, but this furthers our goals, doesn’t it? The Retaliation Crowd are going to help us with our goal after this.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtccbKQwQgA
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN8JB41JspT
“...I guess yer right. But it doesn’t feel like it.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsgAonORY7a
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMEeiKLnMvo
He adjusted his posture a little, rolling his shoulders and releasing a lengthy sigh.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl0BsJwFmXY
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuBnk8ZFbKD
“Dennis still ain’t here.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTuOTMnaaK5
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmx7JHOthcg
“...”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQPLmqE0j0B
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTjR30iEYr9
The bubbling fumes within me died down immediately. It was difficult to stay mad when I saw Juke’s forlorn face. But at the same time, I struggled to see it justified.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiTbBN6vaxa
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqpv0bRuKBS
“I don’t really get it. I mean, I understand wanting to help an acquaintance, but you make it out as if he’s a lifelong friend–”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf81TojOZjY
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHRYl2uh2I8
“I get what yer sayin’ kid. Ya ain’t entirely wrong, but it’s more complicated than that. I know ya well enough to make it click. Gimme a second.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc3ihWGVCjz
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaDSoLqrtLU
He scooched across the floor and sat with his front facing me, holding both his hands out to help himself explain.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx48rLRdDfD
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ29ANQnLRY
“Think of it this way, kid: let’s say I got an apple, and that I need to eat it within twenny minutes, and if I don’t eat the apple in twenny minutes then I should jump off a buildin’.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSg68zIdfIp
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoMvhdKaep2
“--!? W-What!?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCYteQJhlIc
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPVynSeHyR8
Such an analogy was one thing, but that extreme turn made it seem like a joke.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmGjeJHYaLU
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Dcolq68st
“Hold on, Kenny. Ya gotta think about it more. Why would any sound man kill themselves cuz they didn’t eat an apple?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUD7IL5AMvc
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoWdISeUuCQ
“...You aren’t pulling my leg, are you?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl3W8Wy0bJG
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeqsI836I8x
“Do ya see my hands on ya? Nah, I’m serious, kid.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2sOoAC6ZFw
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq8NpbvFyS2
Though I still had my eyebrows raised, I did what was told of me. I pinched my chin and stared at the ceiling, wracking my brain and hoping an answer would fall for me to grab. It didn’t come to me very easily, and I looked at Juke with a slight plea in my eyes. He read it immediately and urged me to keep thinking. 101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlpazwFWjmP
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpJjbjoFyV0
I sighed. At the same time though, I figured it was a good use of time, and I knew that playing by his rules would make me understand him better. So I ruminated away. I thought of it from Juke’s perspective at first and realized that wouldn’t lead me anywhere. Then I thought about it regarding recent events– aside from the fighting, that argument we had came up, and a shudder from my shoulders urged me to stop that train of thought. Then, taking how he said it would click for me into account, I thought about it as if I was the Kenneth Juke knew.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnXg1GoQjRe
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtvy5IFHTtA
That didn’t really work either, but the idea of a different Kenneth gave me what I was looking for.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrC7l9pIWO5
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSj00xruxnZ
“If you’d kill yourself over an apple… that must mean it has a lot of sentimental value. But it isn’t just a sentiment that makes it that way.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcj7sc0lJBP
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8DniIiK1vX
Juke nodded along, and I took it as an okay to continue.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqCF27UOakN
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAQGFiYR5b3
“It’s like the shape of a grant. Because you said that the apple meant something, that apple became a symbol. Because you made the terms that this apple’s consumption is correlated with your life, you’re putting stock into it. You’re giving it something greater than sentimental value; you’re making it a wager. Either I’m good enough to eat this apple, or I’m not good enough to live.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfzcgTtKlZ3
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPrcULXPssM
“...”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbqm8P04phF
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeyeTxp1XFc
I looked at Juke for a response, but what I thought would be a satisfied face just looked a little lost. My face must’ve looked really surprised.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl2wZzGvxOy
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk6HH8yEfyq
“Ya ain’t wrong, but I wouldn’t call it a wager. It’s more like a checklist. One that ya just have to fill.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtkQElG7hPS
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpmaoEcThls
“I-I see…”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHPdOhtEYs0
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8IgVUJGROo
My analogy must have gone too off the rails. Or maybe I wasn’t thinking like Juke enough. Either way, the side effect of going on such a thought train made itself prominent. The sparks of my earlier declaration rekindled, and I grew proud– but only slightly –for making it to this top floor.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsuQOQWD2IL
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjOVD3UBk2G
“Seein’ Dennis safe n’ sound is one of those checks. I got a few other ones, but they’re too private to tell ya. And others, I don’t really get.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM1eEh90yQk
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7i19bdoVwC
“You don’t, ‘get?’”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR4o3DMDJks
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ01cH1LjQ13
“Y’know, when–”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxHfim5Nqaw
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlL4KwySsjB
“No no no, I understand you. I do.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1zQ1QxOVEZ
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO8xDm2OgDP
My muscles loosened a little. I felt awfully warm about the words I would spit.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr8BQ7ROYD8
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqCok7i29Tj
“I just know that feeling a little too well sometimes–”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmwbAIGhnGX
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs0PTqTOlNQ
**SLAM**101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ56YkHrEtFF
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSM5uMqhTLJ
A loud, thundering sound rang through the dusty room, startling Juke and me and putting our senses on high alert. Juke put one hand on his handle, and I already called the tendril forth and aimed it at the sound. It came from the door; now it was opened all the way, but the figure responsible wasn’t behind the other side.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl3PFjGE5W6
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbHLikW5DEz
That is until I saw a head peer from the frame.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi1xrF7v5AA
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIe4Di8pDoi
“Oh, thank goodness. You two are safe.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEjtjhringF
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBSb14wxBp4
The head belonged to the dean of the Pillar. He waltzed in haphazardly taking little steps and checking every inch of the room. When his eyes landed on the Bringer, he squeled for a moment, but quieted down once he noticed all the blood.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4fGp1EqXJo
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3y1Nnr4Rpp
“Phew. For a moment I thought I came at a bad time.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFWcY1Fqvox
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsE4tejnAmo
“M-Mister Dean.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnNiqStn5JE
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKMRl3Hc15t
I decided to speak up, as the present situation was too absurd for silence.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqi4cOKRGxc
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVZEAdeFL7q
“Yes, child?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNILhukWixz
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcP6eYbnT3b
“Uh– well, first of all, are you alright?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvf2bPjztgH
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL6o69d8iPo
“Yes, quite alright. My shoulder is still in pain, but the bleeding stopped long ago. And again, I must thank you for releasing me.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgjSJf8eMU7
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvqvaZPT8g5
“R-Right.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD0c7Z2ByCh
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDH4tIH8RkT
I couldn’t think of anything else to say, and looking at Juke revealed he was in a similar boat.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFMcUYezNyD
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9qBV4LziMF
“But, enough about me. I came here bringing good news, and a friendly face.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKkV5jRH3yd
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaCx7GpoBCK
“--Please worry not about explaining it, Sir Dean. I wouldn’t want my duty as a leader stolen as such.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOvBXrfazzx
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS4UuUhLc6C
From behind the Dean came a soft voice. A voice of confidence and care, a voice I’ve grown fond of over the past day. And seeing the holder of that voice cross the threshold made me retract my tendril, and put a hand on my chest in relief.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh61IpbsXAe
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1FjeI5gDHj
“Hello, you two,” said Lola, “by the looks of things, your side was a complete success.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF13O9fm6Di
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCEPrGplGyV
–
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–
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–
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With the arrival of Lola came the confirmation I was desperately needing. We had won.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2vkKvXshra
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXGbbPOUk2V
Though it wasn’t without casualties, the foreign pillar was rid of pesky Bringers. Its control was seized by the Retaliation crowd, and the Dean still being alive was a great relief.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZA2o1CbUhl
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhKGLc3lxny
“I was afraid of something like this,” the Dean explained, “but I couldn’t halt the mechanisms of this city because of premonition…”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR7P0whCdcT
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdORSMx2tXg
Either way, we had what I was assured was an invaluable asset. I didn’t see how in the moment, but as I was taken to the answer, Lola elucidated me about the status.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHZQPNSM23F
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFptAhZgKQf
A majority of the crowd hunkered town at the top. One floor with wide windows served as an excellent watch tower, and ranged specialists were tasked with observing the parameters. The floors above were converted into restrooms or hospital rooms. A few crowd members ventured to the lower floors to gather all the food and water available, of which there was a grand amount. It made sense, as all of those supplies belonged to the Bringers beforehand. Half a dozen of the healthiest and uninjured watched the first floor and the surrounding city, both defending from infiltrators and–101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmwtbRH1sf5
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9XctbvL4zJ
“They’re looking for recruits. If fighters see that we have the most important building under control, they’re more likely to join the effort.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbl2EcB1ol9
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfUIcadygzG
“Haven’t you explained that already?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS2MK0kfroc
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡquGaPG4pJh
“Yes, but… there is a slight problem we’ve run into.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcukW9OOV1E
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3tDvOLKGuJ
“What’s that?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhopj8EYaFc
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxkMVYzy5qF
Lola turned around and crossed her arms. She nudged her head to Dave who was beside her, and with a sigh, he stepped forth and spoke.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1WvOciIVll
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGpsLJvErCg
“Everything is done in two ways here. Either letters or signals. Old man Jackson was always responsible for the latter. We do not have Jackson anymore, so unless we make a lot of noise, we can only commune with letters.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ29J58sqgX2
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡspOuRaFuwl
I realized the implications immediately. Even if fighters were available, everyone was in hiding. Nobody knew the state of the central Pillar, and I doubted that the crowd’s existence was well-known either. But then I remembered the prowling Pars and Dave from yesterday and asked:101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ02btvcH68t
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtenu8vOZo7
“I know I wasn’t asked, but I think making a signal would be effective.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKk9umIJapi
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP73jWVNkj0
“We thought so too. But we don’t want mages to waste their mana on mere fireworks, so we thought of something better. Since Hard-Bringer miraculously hasn’t set the city ablaze, it’s very quiet out.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMitIDRbhrK
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡehpLGtTHPe
“...Ah, so that’s where you’re heading. But how will it be done?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXYsvvLmLmw
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwb6z1uXxtq
A smirk found itself on his face. He turned around and continued leading me.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNQs4mjw4KP
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7QmkJF5M4j
“We have our methods. This place has been around too long for it not to.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNFqfGPbDv7
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX2f7iFLeV3
I followed them further, in a location past the Dean’s office. Hidden by a camouflaging door, the room I entered was lit and energetic but smelled foul.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbET5XKR8PL
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFOlzumtV33
“Oh, goodness. And I was wondering why the office was so small.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2kDqCxpJ91
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJTOarJq1gS
The room itself was decently spacious, but that detail didn’t attract me. Rather, it was the presence of wooden walls and fences, the hallmark infrastructure of a city stable. Only, it was far tidier and metallic than most.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEM9k2Ak5PG
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXdRl7IUv8t
“Here is your answer, Kenny,” Lola said, standing beside a stall. I peeped inside and–101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6bpAP7joDk
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0483rs4bqe
“GAH! W-Why is this here?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡymdXr3XW7O
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrUgTFeEa0S
A creature resided within the stall. One with reins around its beak, and one with a stature I’ve seen deceased more often than alive. The Communication City’s signature raptor.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqHgV30jHsH
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“It’s the Dean’s private delivery bird. It’s specially trained to traverse the city walls, as its tight curves and winding streets are difficult for the average one.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdXmwR3Gafo
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxornpcZx9x
“I wouldn’t call any curves ‘tight,’ but I guess when you’re as fast as these things, then they can be.” 101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQg0wCgVlPy
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFPnZ1haPcy
The raptor leaned its head over the gated fence, staring at me with wide, occasionally blinking eyes. I didn’t know what to do. I was never in close proximity to one, and I never had one look at me like I was some kind of puzzle.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOvnQSKuNAq
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“I think it likes you, child.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI8FK8K7eMj
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0sZjk6S3Xb
“Please, call me Kenneth or Kenny, Mister Dean. And, uh, are you sure– certain?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3S62vChN6j
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ78o9r8rUiA
The Raptor’s gaze grew more intense. It appeared that he was trying to see into my soul, and I felt like an ant under its wide eyes.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCIzjpWB3QW
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAhQvQNNEAJ
And then, it leaned its head down even further and… sniffed my hair.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJjZiymVgT3
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“Hah?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS9bGVvnLSz
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8koUtg7dm2
“I hear these animals love ta smell flowers. Ya do have that kind of aroma, so thats why it likes ya.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJhBcVbehBE
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYomIT7lD32
“I… smell like flowers?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE3YaJo6ars
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMmMHwPWuyM
I looked around the room for an answer, and everybody present nodded simultaneously. I was completely taken aback, more because of the shock than anything else.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAvW0nmPtzR
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxoNJG8ninb
“Why am I just figuring this out !? I don’t smell– well, I don’t think I smell like flowers?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeb1uvdRWF1
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRtaIOKeE8i
I even sniffed my hands and arms to make sure, and nothing of the scent reminded me of flowers.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx8jBNIPZEJ
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTivsZYjZB5
“Well, ya get used to the way ya smell to the point ya can’t tell. That’s just how yer nose works.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡly95RQ10We
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ZvQCMJref
“Really? I didn’t know that…”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZZKCYCI0lr
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“Ahem, moving on–”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG6nBAbgoPv
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3yLB3VveQP
Dave interjected with a cough. I turned my attention back to him, anticipating his oncoming words.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡal8KRg7iia
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4z0HMofPUN
“The plan of action is quite simple. We’ll have someone riding this beast, sprinting around the town, and yelling about our victory. The Raptor’s speed can be easily modulated, so escape from any roaming bringers is easy.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCtDZSdKg7N
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk7yHZTIJ33
I understood what he was saying. I even agreed with it. Though shaky, it was a great and efficient plan with the resources we had. What clogged my throat, however, wasn’t the plan itself, but the subtle insinuation of telling me this plan. So, I had to ask:101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDjSSaIjuJU
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ70yBYzpqE7
“May I know why I’m being told this?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFcQS5o4quL
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“If you think it’s because we’ll make you do that, don’t you even worry. We’re not so cruel to put a child in such danger, are we, Dave?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6xGcYFTmuC
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡouMCvzXwtQ
Lola seized all my worries immediately, causing me to let out a happy sigh. I wasn’t even bothered by her mentioning of me being a child, as I welcomed this discrimination just this once.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrh3wbXtsRu
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwWgNKDGac3
“But if you need to know why,” she continued, “it’s because we need your help in facilitating it.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1C71ltJMvZ
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhScMMkZZCt
“My help, you say…”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhK9tIEDmph
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4cKpicuvir
It wasn’t such a terrible request, though I had no idea how I could. I waited for elaboration, since they looked eager to hand it.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaDatEmHDdV
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC5wJch7DyH
“I’ve heard that you’re a prolific, experienced alchemist. At such a young age too no less–”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ0xIcC5SGy
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2AGOMteOs5
“Please, don’t mention it. I don’t want my achievements embellished, especially because of something like age.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVV5VimMoM4
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkvv4XlRHBW
“--Anyhow, your skills are most needed. A single raptor can’t traverse every corner of this city without some help, so I was wondering: do you happen to know how to make energizing potions?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyw81Gv9HBg
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuupwZaA3YA
“...Energizing potions?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvkn1KarPqR
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I knew how to do that, naturally, but Lola was off the mark somewhat.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUk39xJQqgj
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP4foZ6iJLL
“Wouldn’t endurance be more useful? When you’re running both a marathon and a race, just finishing it is most important.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC5whws8U83
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkZYGmc7Zxm
Lola had her eyes wide and her head slowly nodding.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfFrgdKDkcd
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5z6m074wY9
“You’re correct. Do you think you can do it?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ98BugTfvYe
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbt8ba01bOk
“I definitely can. I can use some of the empty flasks in my bag. That is, if they aren’t broken.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaOfxJZXgvb
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡju4B2BVllL
I turned my head at Juke and stoutly narrowed my eyes. He didn’t notice until a few seconds passed, and he jolted when he saw me.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Av7VyBwiu
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“T-There’re few good ones. One’s unopen, so ya can juts pour it out if ya hafta.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuk6XfzCz6N
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIAeuBTXS9x
“Phew. That’s good. The potency wouldn’t be right if I was just using random cups.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg90bNMfMN2
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMtC5aOCa5b
I turned around and marched to the exit of the room. I stopped myself before leaving, because I noticed only my footsteps were echoing.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRtDtoyLM0N
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHNAcyJdE9y
“Is something wrong?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJerBYCyKNk
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Lola and Dave looked at eachother. For being such well-spoken people, it was strange for them to fail finding the words. 101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHXipPkXHp6
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“Well, kid–”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡegDVO6zGl4
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyYwqZobpNZ
Then Juke suddenly spoke out, and I diverted my attention to him.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHU9pAf5S9y
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMidgszVLxr
“Ya just look a lot more comfortable than I’m used ta.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7CDVUdcbMw
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcXO7bDtSUw
After a moment of droning silence, Lola and Dave looked at me, nodding in agreement with Juke. I didn’t know what to say, but I had complete composure to react. Nothing within me flared up, only a single sentence popped into my mind.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9X62TJafUD
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqrkK9ec0CD
“Comfortable? I haven’t heard that one before.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡto0lZat3O0
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgAIBQ0qJUq
Whether it was good or not, I didn’t care. I had a special duty to perform, and that duty took prescedence. Before leaving the room, I asked Lola where supplies were stored, and once I was told I began moseying through the Dean’s room.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUQj52LhKJo
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Their perplexed looks didn’t slip by me. I had never seen such a face before, but I knew what it was. I knew it because I’ve made it, albeit a much harsher version. It was the face of a witness to the breaking of boundaries, the erasure of an image of the person one knows. I wasn’t bothered by it– If anything, being looked at that in that way was oddly relieving. But I still couldn’t stand it.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5P6dGwpOoR
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“...Comfortable.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIup1tr3QDD
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I mouthed that word a couple of times. Juke always had a fascinating way of phrasing things. Comfortable. I spoke it, I whispered it, I thought it and I chewed it. Comfortable.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTDv2mTipLa
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYYz6bm30TQ
Yeah. When it came to alchemy, comfortable was just right.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7y7dujTdK9
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–
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This process… wasn’t quite nostalgic. I didn’t know what nostalgia even felt like, but I knew that if I was just five years older, I would be sorely missing performing this.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDvLTgH9gMB
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Scratch that, I missed it even as I did it. 101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNl56yLcMaw
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Even with all my experience, I wasn’t afforded time to let my thoughts stray and frolic into useless concepts. All my focus was directedto the task at hand, the busy method of making an endurance potion. Oh, how I missed it.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡycJo6oqsfW
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnVyrcrrftI
“...A little bit here.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ7GA9SbXPJ
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It took a moment for me to shake of my rust, but as it was only a little over a week since I last did this, I felt good as new afterward. I was performing mana suspension with utmost precision. I’ve made this particular potion so many times, I could just let my hands take it away. Still, as I was going through the process and remembering the materials, there was a nagging feeling in the back of my throat that told me something was off. 101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN5rSirZ9D4
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And it wasn’t until near completion that I realized what it was.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9mSUVyEuV9
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“Of course. Goodness, how could I forget the most important part?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZCQY1wR8lj
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZezeELaz5M
As I stood in a little booth, there was one natural ingredient from the heap of materials that I was missing: fat. There wasn’t an ounce of raw fat anywhere.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP7S7MKuzcd
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I sighed and rubbed my head. I knew that I didn’t look hard enough, but having to descend to another floor to pick up something I already should have was a complete hassle.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCm5fsOuqK5
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“No time to waste, though.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Z690YBj5s
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So I stood up and exited. The booth was one of several in a particular room. Every booth was an office space repurposed into whatever the circumstances demanded, and I was lucky enough to get one for myself. There were a couple of crowd members up here chatting, and I made sure to wave and grant small greetings as I passed by.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡegcmAbIDWa
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I reached the stairs shortly after, and while descending them, I thought of how exactly I was going to acquire any fat. I’m sure there was meat as part of the rations, but from the few sparing glances I took, they all seemed dry. The only wild animal in here had a mission to complete, and I didn’t fancy the idea of killing an animal just for a potion. I reached the floor amidst my thinking and figured that I would figure it all out once I got there.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsZHWENDb6d
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I walked through, waved at those who waved at me, waltzed to the mock-up kitchen organized by a couple of members, and inspected. Indeed, I found out that I did not figure it out once I got there.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQIy0UgQ1sA
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“...Crap.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjVrZXgthUE
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My index and thumb were on my chin, and the arm that held them rested on my other. But looking like a philosopher didn’t manifest what I needed, and I eventually dropped the pose and sighed.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWUxwFCP1KP
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“Is there something you’re lookin’ for?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYep3HPyzSN
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Who was essentially the lunch lady noticed my plight.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ziz6TWV9R
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“Yes. Um, do you happen to have anything with fat on it? And I mean raw fat.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYZBoJtdI1X
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD8RbW8dbUy
“Fat? Fat, hmm… well, there might be some in the trash.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv29hTzE3H0
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNWXhDONGJV
“Excuse me? Oh, sorry. Can I ask where the trash is?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGxSyl4eKNl
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0yX9BdKruw
“You sure can. It’s in one of those buckets right there.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyjyJUfT8Dy
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She pointed with a spoon to the corner of the floor. In that corner, small, lidded buckets were clustered together. They looked to be made of wood. But, those details aside, what I noticed was how nobody was within ten meters of them.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyCaJe2jInN
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAocfZ72bkl
“M-May I ask, what kind of fat is in those?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4q9VLg1Och
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhbuoUK6lgR
And she responded with confirmation of my immediate fears.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVUdU77nujw
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“It’s from spoiled meat. We didn’t have salt or ice or nothing to keep it preserved, so it’s already home to the bugs. Crazy how it turns to junk so quick, isn’t it?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaIEylHMC5e
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG0leEOm3ZT
“Crazy indeed, ma’am.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Mdzm5L0cM
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL593LEbDm9
With my back slumped over, I hobbled to the corner with a profound frown. I thought of maybe taking my tendril and producing some kind of flower, but none of their aromas were strong enough to suppress that stench.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡokmo7xK5v6
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG7N1yUoWYO
“Mind if I ask what you need fat for?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVZvq4dPubs
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm9Etj9XeiS
“Oh, yes. It’s for a potion I’m making, you see–”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIHEda8Xyz0
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡesN3u2Z9Zv
I cut my sentence short because, unlike the feminine voice of the lunch lady, the one I heard had the sound of a gentleman. What’s more, I recognized its timbre.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqT4H9rTxHS
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyueCEmj9iC
“N-Nigel!?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW9kdPILrV4
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“Correct! I’m honored that you remember me. It’s swell to see you in good health, Kenny.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqfD6ujyvpX
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5BeQuID21E
“Y-You as well. Also, please, don’t sneak up on me like that.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNdqyDCilnm
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdKn0kBsVIX
He lightly shrugged in response. I clicked my tongue at his insouciant attitude but dropped my grudge quickly.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAgqHlvDyXD
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlsOKyPCHIs
“It’s good to see you healthy as well, Nigel. How was your time at the battle?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoeA9bY3FDL
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjE5Nvw05sY
“Ah… well, first, let me offer you a hand.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6hSIedIaX1
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2glkcYrN1B
“A hand,” I asked, confused as to what he insinuated.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOeHTyKrcNu
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“You said you need fat for your potion, and I just so happen to have a knife.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5U5oNDOpDD
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcYj1YArx61
He pulled the knife in question out of its sheath and headed towards the buckets, but not before tossing me something.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfwAHmQbkPs
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“Is this… a clamper?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMFtAmG57Tm
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ77FUiMR2I
“It is. I’m sure you know to put it over your nose, right? Anyway, let’s chat while we work.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbRfUfxCHyK
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–
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Nigel’s presence was a lucky blessing. Another pair of hands was one thing, the knife was another, and the clamper was nice, but what I was truly thankful for, was having someone to talk to while I groped and tore stale, smelly, stonymeat.
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnMr6mdQFL0
“So,” Nigel started as he made his cuts, “what is it that you asked me?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaGvbivbNpu
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“That I asked you?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKY9xffm40q
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I thought about it, and it seemed to have slipped even my mind, but I remembered my earlier inquiry quickly.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8mZcAIQbuw
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3WrnhL52CP
“Right. It was about the battle. How was it? I mean, I know it was rough for everyone, but…”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXVWqxWk8n2
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeY0datFnLV
“Yeah, I know what you mean. I might as well tell you.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKshL995DcX
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYRJPS3BJ6l
He stopped rotating the meat on his knife and looked down at it.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwVvpZgEzbx
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFk0kiN0FbL
“...Was it, did you lose your friend?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVct2Jb7npd
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN5xnKfY1v2
He jolted when I asked, raising his head with widened eyes.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAYu5y7haPf
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaPDICYNqvh
“How did you–”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB8seAOZzxK
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“I was behind the crowd the whole time. I had everyone’s backs in front of me, so I started keeping track of the members, seeing who was there and who left by the kind of hair or weapons you all had. And, well… at some point, I noticed the head you were with changed at some point.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtwaMjfYE8C
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqr2Om7Scz3
“...Hah. You’re a sharp boy with a keen eye.” 101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoQIFL6Zb2j
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXbQOjdqlle
He continued cutting as he spoke.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhC4ikksnB0
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmyAkx8Tjfn
“Yeah. Damon died during the big ambush. One of the six casualties we suffered. I was left without a partner for the rest of the raid.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW10MBntosw
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCo0neZM5Of
He looked at his hand. I stopped my own cutting, and my limbs twitched, urging me to reach out and do something. But the only thing I could muster was a few consoling words.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPUkdMHGu4S
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIenPo18SoA
“I’m, so sorry to hear that. He must’ve been a good friend.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMqyxp0wsBj
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO0Iucerl4w
“...Do you think so? He and I fought a lot, I wouldn’t call him a good friend. Just a colleague. Besides, things like these happen in the field.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRyOALqTGGo
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGZyZc0F5BT
He said those words. He said those words coolly, without wavering hands or trembling lips. His cutting paused, and his eyes seemed to stare off into nowhere, but I couldn’t read anything from his profile. A part of it relieved me, and another made me want to scamper away.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAqsqSZz3s9
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYHrMk751ZN
“You saw me at a bad time, truly. Sorry, I’ll continue helping.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGa2kCiSIGW
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRyeOEBYsE0
“Don’t… don’t you worry about it.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLdCGPjU3Fr
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbX0nW45Pp2
“Enough about me. Tell me, how was it on your end?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2f7I1KRUAK
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBdjmlcscEA
His switching of the topic was decisive, so I decided to halt my scary thinking. I sighed and paused my motions, reaching for stored memories I preferred to forget. However, the deeper I dug, I had to wonder:101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9IFsoCC3S0
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLuTx86ez8w
“Is that really something you want to hear? Are all crowd members like this, just talking about unpleasant fights?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU5Xwd6tx0W
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNrHllbygOp
“That’s not fair of you. You asked first, right?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡObDtxEBVV2
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn4gy5lruB9
“I… darn it, you got me there.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzlAQKoazf8
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmanB5O9R6F
I continued peeling and let my mouth run.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡluEuQpvw7Y
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ00OiCE4AHi
“It was me and Juke. He and I were partnered, and for the most part, we just whizzed by the rooms. The one we had to tackle was that of the Dean’s, and for what it’s worth, our fight went smoothly. No major injuries, we weren’t too tired, nothing.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnjXkeVVsN7
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpECpcprsOu
Though my right hand would be painfully sore in the morning.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡShLF7plXdg
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdYvBpvXjqB
“Excellent to hear. You must be a proficient fighter for it to have gone so well.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK9gSnDx2qc
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9b0vdIOV2w
“Not really. I’m just somewhat competent with magic, and my partner had an incredibly useful endowment. We got lucky, that’s all.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0PLnn8uddR
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdIJWode7OD
“I don’t know about that, Kenny.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJbeIQLf886
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9GnVcimX87
I looked at him with pursed lips.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNxX1iHRcR0
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkFOfcBGsy6
“Why not?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRJctdgt0UR
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡes8TZwpSxE
“Lady fortunate dictates only half the battle, and it's never the half that’ll be the coup de grace. She is the roof of the house, and man is the foundation; without you, she would simply collapse.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG57BIUh7d3
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsmiz8au7PV
“That’s… an interesting way of looking at it. But I’m not convinced. I mean, we even ran into an opponent we already beat.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUL82ZaOSkF
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRgYL8yhi8B
He raised and wagged his finger, going “tsk tsk” with his lips.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW2ywZXaten
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeUarybKtzR
“And who is it that managed to beat that enemy in the first place?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡefAXdpqZi7
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlfqviwAuUl
“--!”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlh4TM1jrRL
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0QwEALiWHg
Though my gut still told me something was awry, my mind was convinced by his words. I took it with a grain of salt, and taking it with such a sully still loosened my facial muscles. 101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoD6xx4Lw1t
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn3Cokg7t59
“Did anything else happen?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJUYq9iRl97
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZqW62H3aDc
“Anything else? Well… Oh!”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPqQEhhnftZ
I perked up and yelled all a sudden, startling Nigel and making him ask “What?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmgnVCvUAfv
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9bnchvNQs7
“I forgot to tell Lola and Dave about some information we learned. Juke might’ve already said it, but I still want to make sure.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqTMRGxgzoP
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlbWCEyqz0V
“Some information? Would you like me to relay it while you make the potion?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuFj68FI7uc
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGYzPiHDrE7
“Uh…”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZntEIGVC8
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyQwc3nR5T0
I hesitated, but when I realized how silly that was, I spoke.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡplfWDBsUnx
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhmC2xtquwA
“I don’t see why not. The gist of it is that Hard-Bringer has a grade-zero mana spinner, so it’s prodigalto let enemies slip away.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEtDIQ95aHO
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT3GxQ7otN0
“...That is quite a concern. It means we need to confirm all our kills as well.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn2ClVS8Hq6
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL9j5PDyGwg
My face retracted and my eyes widened, shocked by our utter differences in derivatives from the information.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHpFN8IzNoQ
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn9EeVVH6RS
“Being together with just Juke must’ve been irritating.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFDaAfxq1iq
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsguUFA9JB2
“Hm? Why’s that? We were split into pairs, weren’t we?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB77ECdWLUV
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡntF2RxVgqC
He tilted his head and raised his brow, which made me inclined to do the same.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6dfV64anio
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy1cQsW49zq
“That’s precisely it. It was just you and Juke, meaning that you couldn’t work with your other partner, Rover, right?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdqGo5u5A92
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMD22mGruQV
“...O-Oh.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNdrDP6uWWu
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtj98u8SxrM
I realized then that there was a great misunderstanding. I didn’t quite know how to address it, but I decided to take a swing anyway.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtLhESrKNT6
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1beW1WyS7L
“See, Rover and I– and Juke, I suppose –we had a falling out. She’s been evasivefor the most part, and we’re likewise.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtg0x9mlG7j
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP5LkeWhlrn
“I see… she’s been avoiding you? That makes a lot of sense.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8qwktXPnKy
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSacI7niJez
I tilted my head at his assessment, as I couldn’t imagine how such a conclusion could be drawn.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjBMeSUI5ic
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ39Ok1kjOV1
“Make sense? How?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDLFFTZSBXJ
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg1D1AVBqAw
He adjusted his sitting posture by slacking his muscles and raising his legs, holding his arms over his knees.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoMjLWhDBS8
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj5IoqxfuKc
“When Damon died, I had to make a quick adjustment. My intuition told me to stick to our agreed formation, and I was advised by a buddy there to group up with her. I did, and we spoke for a minute, but when–”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOwrrQAEOpB
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRONUte1zHC
“Ah, so you were her partner? I figured.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaTzLs5l5L3
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbyKpGbqKYk
Nigel looked surprised as I finished his retelling for him. I could tell he needed elaboration, so I handed it.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlPZ6OCYxJ1
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW4PK5PQT86
“I was the last to leave the room. You left right before me. I gave her a look, and I think she understood it. I’m very particular with my messaging faces.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7t0fWmXt2O
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKaE1fGooIQ
“So she still fought alone, eh?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpq5IXyR8mt
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKRuaLmlqT2
“...Yeah. She did. I heard she’s alive, though. I’m relieved.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡboLPAtdXbS
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCvpKy1S37c
“Relieved? How come?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAsz6NmB3gI
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYvwjb5qrBF
I jumped at his stupid question, contorting my face as if it offended me.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSm5AXbYeYx
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGPiV9tUstl
“You just said you fought. Ah, who am I kidding, I know what it is.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡovaC4Pkgl5
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7HR9UFM7O7
He pulled his arms closer to his chest and continued peeling.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcUG7aDJjX4
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl212EHSpyU
“You’re probably good friends with her.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuIN8Ap95kg
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL7fymnHhYl
“F-Friends? W-Well, I don’t know about–”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9f2nIh7BDU
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3TghkkAp15
“You’re friends, man. Don’t kid yourself. You wouldn’t have given her that check if you weren’t.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7muIvedXwV
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI4bHApw7Rr
He continued his peeling without care while I sat still, shaking and stupified. An outrageous conclusion, an unbelievable string of words, worming its way into my ears and trapping the nerves that signaled my limbs, the engine that ran my thoughts.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPGN39zf005
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD2u59KIeb6
“I hear she’s hurt,” Nigel continued, snapping me out of my trance, “Hurt very badly.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhOEtgl34tl
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpvQpMngOqC
“H-Hurt? What happened?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw4i1369MJu
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrErNUIBLAx
“I don’t know the details, but she couldn’t walk when I saw her. She was making one hell of an uproar though, so it’s nothing permanent.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0NDgg2LPEn
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGtO6oz3lx3
“That’s– that’s good to hear.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrHJUYzr66a
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFhDQ4WwQQw
“I got a suggestion for you. I know your relationship is shaky with her, but believe me, what I’m about to advise is good for your health.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8YEUAplSws
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuCDpcnBh2h
A moment later, he put down his knife and slapped a gelatinous mass of yellow onto the floor before me.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7kEtLgEM8K
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ97q9tLyKQH
“Here’s all the fat I could get. Take this and make your potion, then give her a patch-up.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ12TIJROAHY
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd9gjLbgFrr
“A patch-up… you mean, a healing potion?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf49VMhazd0
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKnpNfPU3Xm
He shrugged.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3pQtpAsSy1
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIGvrzCtBve
“I’m not the alchemist, am I?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZHAH2Ji2LA
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY31HwgKYbH
“...Yeah. Yeah, you aren’t.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpV9ldixgzf
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlUbqbrW8ZQ
I stared at the blubbering mass. It was small enough to fit into my hand, and though it would feel gross, it would be light as a feather as I carried it back to my mock-up lab. But I couldn’t bring myself to pick it up. Because now that chunk was no longer an ingredient, a box to check for my task’s completion. It was a rope; a rigid line to drop me into the depths.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ7iDLLjulh
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1WzM7Jwwh1
All those thoughts, all those tingles, all that premonition and ominous prospecting. I couldn’t bring myself to pick it up. So I had to.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqJcQZA1AIT
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM69SVxwovP
“Thank you, Nigel. Your help was invaluable.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnCrpXrtjWt
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTSMT2KmhZR
“I told you, didn’t I? It’s my pleasure to be a good role model.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlpuImaEA32
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPo7Vde8OdK
It was impossible to suppress my smile. His cocky optimism– somehow, it was exactly what I needed to fortify my duct-taped prospects. 101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyUULSGWZaX
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXvOAEazX3b
I picked up the fat, momentarily amazed at how he cut so much so quickly, and waved him goodbye, making my way to my lab and steeling every twitching fiber in me.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwKlmlFkxMe
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAikb8iktIx
–
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUMzqhaa3Bf
–
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNRoxBYSqDJ
–
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPqs93kSqjo
“...Role model.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2wiw58LK1u
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPWNs7ORVOZ
Nigel’s hands were a complete mess, covered in gore that assaulted his nostrils. At least as a soldier, the flesh he bled wasn’t rotten. This was a new experience, and in some ways, he was glad about it. He was glad he didn’t run his mouth. He was glad the kid didn’t notice his hands.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZQadzih1tz
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdWRaEZu1Sl
“Who am I kidding, of course he noticed.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeGHDOtyBsu
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡflbHjatbJo
He stood up and brushed his palms against one another, though all that grime would need more oomph to come off. He sighed and tucked his knives away since the kid let the other loiter on the ground.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡurNuzakBuz
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI9CvgochIV
“I’m not cut out to be a role model. But I’m glad that kid’s doing good. I’m glad you’re not here either, man.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJleHCtDvB4
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuMJkdOAztg
He put the remaining meat back in the bin and closed the lid, moving his legs to the closest washer he knew.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiaWw3qowiE
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYQOCo7hdZs
“You would’ve been too much, Damon. I can’t handle all that empty praise. All that talk of being a moral guy.”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOm8aIcyFCI
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl1NadMWtVj
His legs came to a sudden halt. They jerked to and fro, but they didn’t make one nudge of distance. Nigel scoffed and laughed, looking at his disobedient limbs with a hopeless smile.101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkOGSyXELRo
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHgaSD4XI4X
“...Not even my hands? Had to go straight for my legs?”101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8HJN7GAml1
101Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWueKEZ3sm5
He closed his eyes. It was all he could to stop the spill, the salty water that trickled for a mere colleague.
