A soft hand caressed her cheek, keeping her from looking at what was behind her. 719Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡesYRZtPFn0
"Please, look at me." The person of the soft hand asked in a kindly manner. The bruised and bleeding girl turned to lock eyes with large dark gems. 719Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi6dbOJDOvj
A boy smiled gently at her, warmth simply radiating from his fair skin. 719Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdq06cIJhmX
She shook, unused to his steady gaze. Most other humans would shriek and turn away after looking her in the eyes. 719Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUYnHJ95IJq
He nodded once, reassuring the girl that he was ok before raising a hand to her face. "Heal," he demanded.719Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlqyonYkAFS
As feathery warmth enveloped her nose it all suddenly clicked. This boy was a Priest in training, one of the most difficult vocations to follow. She gasped in honor, muttering out a thank you, the words were caught in her throat. 719Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkJ7qLooAEv
The pain quickly dissipated, the warm ooze that was dripping from her nostrils disappeared, and the swelling subsided. Her nose was fixed. 719Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQbWXUKdtzf
She touched it in disbelief. The pain was gone in seconds.719Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbocn1ZYlCa
He gave her a generous smile before getting to his feet. "Alora, we agreed on 'not violent' today, didn't we?" 719Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN3g3wC5Y1x
The stunned girl turned to see who he was scolding. 719Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJK2NTLI7Vu
Behind her, where the man use to be, stood a girl with tattered leather armor too big for her tiny frame, and thick hair in a high pigtail. The man towered over her, but his arms were raised and he held a nervous smile across his cheeks. 719Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBqTMT0n7R4
The girl murmured something meant only for the priest boy before barking angrily at the man. Her voice sounded like it held pure venom. 719Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMx44WU5JKs
The priest boy sighed before shaking his head, turning back to the crowd. "I couldn't help but notice how well kept your village's tribute to Regulus is, even after that massive earthquake ravaged most of your land and disabled many of your people. It means you are all followers of the Almighty and his Celestials, I'm sure."719Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuF18VJhOLS
The villagers stayed quiet, not daring to back talk a priest, even one as young as he. 719Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3xoSd2PQFz
"Now, I've healed most of your sick and wounded and had the pleasure of getting to know many of you humble citizens," he went on, "and I had made up in my mind that you were all kind and gracious people of faith. But now, now I cannot put into words how betrayed I feel at the sight of all this. Beating, humiliating, and violating an innocent girl simply due to her species is not in the teachings of the Almighty. The Almighty taught forgiveness and acceptance above all. I know the Almighty will forgive you for your mistakes, but you have to acknowledge and ask for His forgiveness first. And not only from the Almighty, but also from this girl because she," he turned back to her and smiled, "she is no different than any of us. And the Almighty makes no mistakes in his creations." 719Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKSfaksyPj6
The crowd, their heads held low, stayed quiet. 719Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvj6MpzRZLI
"And a special apology from you, child predator. I saw the way you looked at her and it's sickening," hissed the girl with the pigtail. She raised something up to the man's throat. 719Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFXDc5kAixA
The animan girl squealed in terror. It was a sharp dagger. 719Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGzcPBq1dym
"Alora, hurting that man would gain you nothing," the boy advised. 719Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtw4dVwiSgM
Alora held her stance anyway, thoughtful. Giving into her companion's advice, she swiftly swept her foot across the man's ankles and he fell to the floor like timber. The girl spat at him afterwards, muttering "You aren't worth the calories." Then she turned to the young animan, her eyes as sharp as her dagger. 719Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbGnzkGINCk
A shiver ran down the animan girl’s spine at her cutting glare. 719Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc49EDUvy1T
She grimaced before turning on her heels and disappearing into the crowd. 719Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrXLqUGMr4u
Turned back to the boy to see what he would do, he too watched his friend strut off. 719Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhHOmcg1IWr
He smiled at the young girl one last time, as if they were old friends, before helping her up. He swiftly removed his wiry cardigan and swept it across her shoulders. "A lovely young girl shouldn't be left so exposed," he explained before she could deny his generosity. His hands lingered on her shoulders. "I wish you the best of luck." He then walked off in his companion's direction, smiling politely to the man who was still on the dirt floor. 719Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuc2z1qoiEt
She watched them disappear, two of the kindest souls she had ever met...
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