Frantic, she stumbled to her knees and stretched for her coins, but whoever had run into her was faster. Like lightening, they scooped up her money and jumped to their feet.653Please respect copyright.PENANA9O9drmhh1f
"H-hey! Thief!" she scrambled toward the young boy who must have been no more than six or seven years old. She grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him around to face her, pulling at his clenched hands and trying to pry her gils from him. "Let go of my money!" she whined desperately. 653Please respect copyright.PENANAEZamcQ4EdA
The boy pulled back in protest, his fingers intertwined. It was like trying to break apart rocks. 653Please respect copyright.PENANAKgV1X58NKS
The crowd circled around the pair, watching wearily as they fought. They didn't try to help, but whispered to one another and kept out of their way until the purple armored soldiers broke through. They were all older men with the same expression of displeasure. 653Please respect copyright.PENANA0deMn1dqD1
At the same time the soldiers arrived, a wiry haired chunky woman wormed her way through the crowd, throwing herself onto the boy. 653Please respect copyright.PENANAIV2EUd0WGw
"Oh Almos, my son! Where have you been? I've been looking everywhere for you!" The woman professed in an overdramatic, rehearsed manner, clinging to the young boy and looking him over as if had definitely been hurt. "Oh thank goodness you haven’t been harmed! That animan could be crawling with diseases!" She shot an accusing look at the confused girl, her heavy mascara running down her cheeks. But the chunky woman didn't stare for long. Soon her eyes were back at her boy, and they wouldn't look at the animan girl again. 653Please respect copyright.PENANAe0dcKSRgFP
The girl shook her head. "Excuse me! Your son was stealing from me!" She gave another tough yank at his hands, anxious to get her money back before any more trouble could come running toward her. Without this money she would starve, or die of thirst. This money was all she had left. 653Please respect copyright.PENANA0lqK2JoILx
By this time, the crowd had frozen around the scene to watch and the guards stayed as they were. They were only guards; Virgion blood is incapable of following a vocation.653Please respect copyright.PENANA9L95duAAlC
The blubber mother dug her nails into the young girl’s skin, forcing her to let the boy go with a yelp. "Ha, childish animen such as yourself with this many gils? Who are you trying to fool?" The mother pulled her son away, baring her teeth. 653Please respect copyright.PENANAqJETmYwehj
"Who am I trying to fool?" the girl muttered under her breath, offended. "I am fooling no one. Just ask the vender over there!" she pointed to the scaly bread baker. "He surely saw the whole thing; we even spoke moments before your son attempted to rob me!" 653Please respect copyright.PENANAUTpnhc2zRB
"All accusations, animan brat!" 653Please respect copyright.PENANA746JVtq3wv
"Please, madam," a soldier finally cut off the vile mother. "Let the animan girl speak." 653Please respect copyright.PENANAjOqa4ArlGb
The girl sucked in a breath and stated as sincerely as she could. "He is a witness, sir. He could vouch for me, I know it." She locked eyes with the vendor, telling him in their animan language: "Please, help me. It's all I have."653Please respect copyright.PENANAGqMmn8MtZN
They all quieted and turned toward the baker. He slithered at them in return, a sly smile spreading across his lips as he gave the girl a slinky nod. She shut her eyes, relief finally calming her racing heart. He would tell everyone the truth and she would finally get her gils back, then everything would return to peace. The soldiers would do what they please with the boy and his wretched mother. All the baker had to do was clear up this misunderstanding. 653Please respect copyright.PENANA0HXPRXUM7Z
"That girl didn't even have enough money to purchase a loaf of bread."653Please respect copyright.PENANAWP5ms0RJs0
She gasped in disbelief at what everyone had just heard. 653Please respect copyright.PENANAYgdyDYByNG
The crowd burst into raging whispers as the mother cackled, snatching the money from the hands of the boy and tucking it underneath her protruding breasts. "She obviously attempted to steal from my son! Carry her off then guards, that's all the proof you need! Put the Animan brat behind bars for thievery!"653Please respect copyright.PENANAKlcA3F2W1A
As a guard gruffly took the young girl’s arms, she continued to stare at the vendor who betrayed her. 653Please respect copyright.PENANACbWTlzsymm
Having caught her glare, he smiled wider and waved goodbye. In his eyes was victory. He only did it to spite her for not buying his bread. 653Please respect copyright.PENANAHyc7M5NV19
She grimaced as the guard pulled her away, hoping to never see the man again. His fleeting victory, his pride in having been able to take revenge for such a small dispute, was a feeling she never hoped to personally experience.
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