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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUdWwe2IvxG
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVtlI3kyB5N
“Ya look like a sorry sort. More like a midget than a kid.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgCoYu4bl61
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAhxS41ETRX
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqnPfQLbM3c
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmWGsCiGaT0
Besides, I had a verbal jab I needed to address.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOhPu3h5vER
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZAmv2TcAZM
“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.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFWAMwMO5v3
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa4Upy4md8d
“Y’know, that ain’t a bad idea.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2kikTQyeRk
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaKvF29RRib
He did just as I suggested, laboriously lifting his laden helmet and setting it aside. 425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY0pRhm2UMO
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvkbSKQffB8
“Well?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjRte0L8rT0
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZgl6rqHaqD
“...It’s about what I expected. At least your facial hair looks clean.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgYQcXryZSV
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡstdwqXH3ux
“Really? That thing’s messy all the time.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvz33epRPOc
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡajhP9zLLOR
“Maybe exertion has a reverse effect. I’ve heard of things like that happening.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡafN6G8tVG7
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡus1OSjaFAB
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkDDVLcJNUp
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWEGfrxXDwb
“I’m surprised either of us are still standing here. I didn’t even bleed from that fight.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtjIZSaFVfq
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyAcQu9apIG
“I ain't bleedin’ either. But that bastard scratched my helmet. ‘Least he didn’t dent it.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2hePmidzlf
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaoX03oaU0f
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGO90KYv1cz
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjE5ig4lsvs
“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…”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrPpVRZsskn
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8gz58byHqg
I tried to empathize with him, but my state inclined me to be backhanded.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI4QaOlx2NG
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlmUqopCros
“You only have yourself to blame. You and I could’ve left if we stopped caring about the letter.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAIYCE1WKgD
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBwVX13AFfj
He sighed and shrugged. That gesture indicated that he heard my point, but he still had a retort.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzZAkfw3Zw0
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4xaoBTgrug
“C’mon, kid. We agreed on somethin’ back in that alleyway. ‘Specially in times like these, ya gotta keep yer word.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ45NrdCzkCp
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYk9bd86gWk
“...Yeah.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOwZlARlDKG
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡImelm4I3TN
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–425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtUjDoWjwgw
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEPxyWTpKbo
“It’s so stupid. I don’t like any of it”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡATN2Qs8GZW
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡozAnyHY4j1
“I ain’t liking any of this either.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmDqZ4kvu2K
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡApy3fJo8ys
“I know! I know you aren’t; you’d be a maniac if you did. But still”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzqd16QHp2M
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRo2jJepqBu
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfK3yi1ClpL
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBnX5cs8XVQ
“I’ll tell ya what, though. I wanted no part of fighting for this damn Pillar.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ001nWihoL2
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHWNvT0jj0W
“Y-Yeah. That I agree with.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhOaRGEg2Xt
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg1ormJVzLB
“It ain’t amountin’ to anything either, is it?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxT1FQLW0b7
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJq7C1MlnBz
“...?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw3U6gWzfY5
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAKIJ0UvQpF
At that, I had to tilt my head.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh40q4Vp3lf
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX5CHkIygJE
“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.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP9qHqgO2iH
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡovELLhSVnn
“...I guess yer right. But it doesn’t feel like it.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJmLIkJPK0a
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfiJknCjUMq
He adjusted his posture a little, rolling his shoulders and releasing a lengthy sigh.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwZF9L82cY2
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyhaC1fgHyD
“Dennis still ain’t here.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZRpx6a8zmQ
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYASp0EyiBV
“...”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Flyqo1eaK
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO4WOJZASsB
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAM8AHkygYa
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4IEKEROHsM
“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–”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0v7CJc3Kjm
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ9Nftwch8n
“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.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi8125goR80
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd0sKcjqNSF
He scooched across the floor and sat with his front facing me, holding both his hands out to help himself explain.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTg0cLIumxD
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdDAJgYyMtG
“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’.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdUH5gMmdaO
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRb8R1A3TNj
“--!? W-What!?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa3VKpN1wRF
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxsy96AL7v6
Such an analogy was one thing, but that extreme turn made it seem like a joke.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn23N1L68vM
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBLgYE64gOP
“Hold on, Kenny. Ya gotta think about it more. Why would any sound man kill themselves cuz they didn’t eat an apple?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl4r3ceJVSP
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFiLVWON7gD
“...You aren’t pulling my leg, are you?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡokNfyRDz3U
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7rXNSzb0xS
“Do ya see my hands on ya? Nah, I’m serious, kid.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp0zzGUMc9g
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZIOcAanip
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. 425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJwWEitkW76
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpiQXdzKOqJ
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyJUg4SBZtl
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiON307QaMv
That didn’t really work either, but the idea of a different Kenneth gave me what I was looking for.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5GZ9YPC7K0
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXVrPYfKkSi
“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.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMtmUpRxmG1
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡulXiOwHppF
Juke nodded along, and I took it as an okay to continue.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyxUXVcYr0J
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOIMwVAqM7p
“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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWzzL83lu2K
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkrKmRbSKDS
“...”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUdOZiB7FWu
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvO4hl7Us76
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQaBCcR4TjH
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMprtrONnGd
“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.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHqpLZAYTJK
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡymOX5sPwaA
“I-I see…”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8CYlogv4h6
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ26rTsFCg5N
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfxgFeZPsTx
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeRyz2cimYI
“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.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNnN3AvCrJo
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRnVMEtFTF8
“You don’t, ‘get?’”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMbBGWuceJP
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdrTl5TgJWx
“Y’know, when–”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLF1SCPK69K
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs3HW0t3h91
“No no no, I understand you. I do.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdZhIxoOKY2
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9fAQMK1h0x
My muscles loosened a little. I felt awfully warm about the words I would spit.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjnryYwdWEi
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs1J9MWTjDU
“I just know that feeling a little too well sometimes–”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbfuxRZinKy
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyiYSPsEbdY
**SLAM**425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuxG0KKLsJE
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhxxp2oYa1O
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyVVdVEzFoQ
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBEbPLlySZ5
That is until I saw a head peer from the frame.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvwDjhk5PYP
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaRMm84a8II
“Oh, thank goodness. You two are safe.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdiAWgI7q44
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyfSZ0k1Ikq
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLb4bLLDScB
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd4D5VaFlSq
“Phew. For a moment I thought I came at a bad time.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6OA7bI7msJ
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB4KFohzYW9
“M-Mister Dean.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSl7xvS2YK1
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnLHVblopLs
I decided to speak up, as the present situation was too absurd for silence.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdOWxDfCLom
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRdfopyUvnv
“Yes, child?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡshb5zqFwxj
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVn6RFkaSWA
“Uh– well, first of all, are you alright?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIYF6XCIa1V
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ELum35myw
“Yes, quite alright. My shoulder is still in pain, but the bleeding stopped long ago. And again, I must thank you for releasing me.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoAMynMHmo2
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0eukhuzIxK
“R-Right.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzJz6ScDxEt
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbAAwNWe7cX
I couldn’t think of anything else to say, and looking at Juke revealed he was in a similar boat.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVgmqtX1Ccb
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQgOSgkxKmJ
“But, enough about me. I came here bringing good news, and a friendly face.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWDYLVUYyxj
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtifawJuFrW
“--Please worry not about explaining it, Sir Dean. I wouldn’t want my duty as a leader stolen as such.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMufCXLTXYR
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9rO4fWlyfC
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6sLzAbbYuY
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7b5BI49VxE
“Hello, you two,” said Lola, “by the looks of things, your side was a complete success.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQUIQeHvZgg
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3xFIo5jviQ
–
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBbnXGgElXF
–
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–
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlMrZwIMNSg
With the arrival of Lola came the confirmation I was desperately needing. We had won.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6rInREE2FB
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvrkclIHHqI
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAc8CLMOoMy
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRkIxlZd03h
“I was afraid of something like this,” the Dean explained, “but I couldn’t halt the mechanisms of this city because of premonition…”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7pjhszGjPO
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ32kqgVVLiY
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDalRymSaea
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgKCjpFnHkn
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–425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJqQNWPRZrk
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl5yoQ4Lolu
“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.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwSaIdyemDp
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpILY7Embl6
“Haven’t you explained that already?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqCFkxFtFdi
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgPCJ9iXC1S
“Yes, but… there is a slight problem we’ve run into.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsBB9kechlm
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt5icfd6ZK0
“What’s that?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO0SDMfGh4I
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLU7yXXHiq2
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNM9V72J0Ih
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHT48OgDYRg
“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.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMNocvll7WR
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGxEruzwSlc
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:425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡskttcsIafl
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlF7rJK1ha5
“I know I wasn’t asked, but I think making a signal would be effective.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCkmZd7iWzy
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9xt67HKHTW
“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.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW1UfefiQLC
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzcnqzaCyaT
“...Ah, so that’s where you’re heading. But how will it be done?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5KupaFX641
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcPCluBRIm4
A smirk found itself on his face. He turned around and continued leading me.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoBKNOSXiOn
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM446T9lcxq
“We have our methods. This place has been around too long for it not to.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcT9XGDsCIy
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU85NVvsxwY
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2nNilqn3Gb
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2yhOSceQIy
“Oh, goodness. And I was wondering why the office was so small.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPednHPiCEG
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGIxfeWX9AA
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOfX67LpGjq
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAx2hv7yf75
“Here is your answer, Kenny,” Lola said, standing beside a stall. I peeped inside and–425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKaVauNmRYl
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg8hPPgFOYc
“GAH! W-Why is this here?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlFC3udEy6D
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2CueMGxurB
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSVqLsBGr5t
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPzI8yYRIM1
“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.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZGcaY17d8Q
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2crJ1cNwY9
“I wouldn’t call any curves ‘tight,’ but I guess when you’re as fast as these things, then they can be.” 425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7F54xCOjtV
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTp7FlAgEtr
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ80zCCXtkiS
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRDENPK6R1Y
“I think it likes you, child.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfTANKG1IjG
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM8vbH7sIOc
“Please, call me Kenneth or Kenny, Mister Dean. And, uh, are you sure– certain?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXnNvwZt5Ia
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMTHB1QXEnm
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV62xLqo9tW
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡumB3cSpIoB
And then, it leaned its head down even further and… sniffed my hair.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwXYgPj6MF8
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“Hah?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFMTqnLzr1d
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC7btViKRJo
“I hear these animals love ta smell flowers. Ya do have that kind of aroma, so thats why it likes ya.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVrwI56goID
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0SobCFNhMj
“I… smell like flowers?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtogkBk7XFh
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFtrooXP49S
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRRBKuipBP2
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2XhFKSWtow
“Why am I just figuring this out !? I don’t smell– well, I don’t think I smell like flowers?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXHVAusDy36
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBXDuH7JU0y
I even sniffed my hands and arms to make sure, and nothing of the scent reminded me of flowers.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX5BlON6CCK
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7HmiYcPJRW
“Well, ya get used to the way ya smell to the point ya can’t tell. That’s just how yer nose works.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgkEqWWhvKa
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFrjlWvw8gs
“Really? I didn’t know that…”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWIIXQj7Y4Z
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvbg0RziuSm
“Ahem, moving on–”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk4gveKPyQj
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq8GxejHVdO
Dave interjected with a cough. I turned my attention back to him, anticipating his oncoming words.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbYcuAxL3Sv
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUgAmzC3a2x
“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.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjANaQm8jjp
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGNQ0GaAtgY
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:425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiuOy09yu3D
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlthSbhzNPt
“May I know why I’m being told this?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0eSs5S1BoP
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDOAwwn707J
“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?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsASYZZp069
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQXZ4Yq3FuA
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWQsH9Q34lu
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqcli86rKa0
“But if you need to know why,” she continued, “it’s because we need your help in facilitating it.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4zDbGOIFFt
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7WWguT1L1Z
“My help, you say…”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVwlV3BNJRf
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzk6vxasL2T
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1NxzF68NxR
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8hB9goEL0e
“I’ve heard that you’re a prolific, experienced alchemist. At such a young age too no less–”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgsNDZLOfxb
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKeqKkjP8OX
“Please, don’t mention it. I don’t want my achievements embellished, especially because of something like age.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxD9rdVG8eT
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDpVjIkqj4J
“--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?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEXI2oF4VUn
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz0FbTpUUti
“...Energizing potions?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZYEng6oDRb
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSZYvQssB3E
I knew how to do that, naturally, but Lola was off the mark somewhat.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSY8hVXpQqH
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRIg6D3dXGB
“Wouldn’t endurance be more useful? When you’re running both a marathon and a race, just finishing it is most important.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtL1P5VN4GL
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHiK6mHddiR
Lola had her eyes wide and her head slowly nodding.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6E5WQy49aa
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgJxc23Ohzb
“You’re correct. Do you think you can do it?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxSPpjp75aS
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqZVYkFqrsV
“I definitely can. I can use some of the empty flasks in my bag. That is, if they aren’t broken.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3JZN4QfcXA
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVqD63hwH2E
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3p9xgPZgdM
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN0V6WYPlcp
“T-There’re few good ones. One’s unopen, so ya can juts pour it out if ya hafta.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1VfeI378Jw
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7otvIrusGV
“Phew. That’s good. The potency wouldn’t be right if I was just using random cups.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO7ilwC9u3b
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxXVo9n85pi
I turned around and marched to the exit of the room. I stopped myself before leaving, because I noticed only my footsteps were echoing.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvSAZ4D8ny1
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRquGxRjlDP
“Is something wrong?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ24ed0bo2mC
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHijU1qOH3u
Lola and Dave looked at eachother. For being such well-spoken people, it was strange for them to fail finding the words. 425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJUwGUfskDu
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkwJTSfazEW
“Well, kid–”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ93trfTUFTa
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ21BSro91m1
Then Juke suddenly spoke out, and I diverted my attention to him.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡllkFpN1vVG
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlE5lBOi9BU
“Ya just look a lot more comfortable than I’m used ta.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUJHQsuGfPf
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMrQxBmxARh
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm7rTAkQtxQ
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnjQ1wJ7pZL
“Comfortable? I haven’t heard that one before.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD8wBFyDEGB
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl4xqSHsCVN
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyC5K9JiQQa
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQIbf4Kdxi8
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhCdhn7TJka
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYqy31aF2n1
“...Comfortable.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBBt2tPsiyF
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZXQnhTXq94
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXvEPPVHP1m
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDJEiBQsQC1
Yeah. When it came to alchemy, comfortable was just right.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlR16xeLGLp
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–
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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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMuyC8rHms8
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlSFnUuPS5y
Scratch that, I missed it even as I did it. 425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHWhxbTEujn
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2E8Ejiu9NT
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWyDeSHm0E2
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNX4mJG4P9K
“...A little bit here.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9wNkkVz3nA
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7QKk1CFWNy
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. 425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXeVGwlujzK
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxEdCt5JAca
And it wasn’t until near completion that I realized what it was.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWw5CXAKZwe
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“Of course. Goodness, how could I forget the most important part?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpVbcKE3B0u
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKhgLYjXids
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQE8ziS77Vz
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW6qw2rUu7z
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmAPZcHwzdV
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“No time to waste, though.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ40jg1e5Oaa
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡee7zaLScEH
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw077FuEoIE
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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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBnayRRYKBb
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡheUBHdyx3p
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy4aG4HumWR
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“...Crap.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmEcw0LuQbq
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2RaQy3y8x0
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLHFWlmTcWC
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“Is there something you’re lookin’ for?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXuQo7omnB5
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkTQaCthRpn
Who was essentially the lunch lady noticed my plight.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7WmMjbFmcQ
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDfEuLNySgg
“Yes. Um, do you happen to have anything with fat on it? And I mean raw fat.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6oMYpyHboH
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJBk2nsaSZ1
“Fat? Fat, hmm… well, there might be some in the trash.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8zX08jecOM
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSqiYXHZYrD
“Excuse me? Oh, sorry. Can I ask where the trash is?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO44bBEyMM2
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjkkarsUM3G
“You sure can. It’s in one of those buckets right there.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGlR7UUvf5j
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWMe2gOYh5f
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUTW4807njX
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“M-May I ask, what kind of fat is in those?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWzSO3L0II2
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6oxfDXAA8a
And she responded with confirmation of my immediate fears.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3H8hdc8T5I
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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?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwLfo2DYA3I
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvGfm5ALTc1
“Crazy indeed, ma’am.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvvFU1SMdp2
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIFmnls1fxl
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjHs7tiHTkn
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtRgXvasZdo
“Mind if I ask what you need fat for?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjEyYaaeLgU
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5rR4qAbj2s
“Oh, yes. It’s for a potion I’m making, you see–”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnTdozq4d3m
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmd2H0jgXmQ
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaXVTwyPljp
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzJseAjdZYM
“N-Nigel!?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdcEO9GBNIz
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo1rMMYcEBj
“Correct! I’m honored that you remember me. It’s swell to see you in good health, Kenny.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ17JS6QEMIp
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB580OI3gvz
“Y-You as well. Also, please, don’t sneak up on me like that.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8jh3Ab3X5Y
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOuHlfZTrBt
He lightly shrugged in response. I clicked my tongue at his insouciant attitude but dropped my grudge quickly.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvNMG0KmiXm
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn4Wn4jBjPZ
“It’s good to see you healthy as well, Nigel. How was your time at the battle?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGEea6nbvo0
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSuk39iTc4r
“Ah… well, first, let me offer you a hand.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVcDYxKHV58
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaxvH0RYV5l
“A hand,” I asked, confused as to what he insinuated.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkfrzEf4GRa
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbkKAMqp7AW
“You said you need fat for your potion, and I just so happen to have a knife.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNnJEgM65We
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkrqsOoZFyl
He pulled the knife in question out of its sheath and headed towards the buckets, but not before tossing me something.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡar5o1Pw25w
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNSMX4bMM05
“Is this… a clamper?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPOKx9HgI8g
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdjjaDmfEjq
“It is. I’m sure you know to put it over your nose, right? Anyway, let’s chat while we work.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZRtEbaO5kQ
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–
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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.
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7LqwMF5VCK
“So,” Nigel started as he made his cuts, “what is it that you asked me?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ztmV5gBcD
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlP8rnZghfo
“That I asked you?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg6f3FzEvRH
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I thought about it, and it seemed to have slipped even my mind, but I remembered my earlier inquiry quickly.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqfdp9MxISw
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSIvQdRYG18
“Right. It was about the battle. How was it? I mean, I know it was rough for everyone, but…”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXUmoaTIQqZ
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx4ifQ3XYGd
“Yeah, I know what you mean. I might as well tell you.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ysyVNZ0Dv
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXXCR7DgzVJ
He stopped rotating the meat on his knife and looked down at it.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQpWAdnjp1
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡReW2uMIb9S
“...Was it, did you lose your friend?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaLmSl5mgCy
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxlu0Wm4Khw
He jolted when I asked, raising his head with widened eyes.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP85EoT0BpM
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡasPSciP5Q5
“How did you–”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6BpYzieYbc
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRU5O8LCkJl
“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.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSHZfMwLs4R
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ92xM7PSiBI
“...Hah. You’re a sharp boy with a keen eye.” 425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ52l1w3JqrW
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFODrgfx89Y
He continued cutting as he spoke.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlEITZ6JZi3
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtdYigr7djg
“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.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBPFpLVechO
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtU3gHuO8Su
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlKegqhCg7z
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvzUlnQEs8v
“I’m, so sorry to hear that. He must’ve been a good friend.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8CGQyoQPV4
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDIaUXxll4q
“...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.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnEyiOyD8HD
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqrCQOnTTHl
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcCZ5o7lo0u
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCa5PxSWdev
“You saw me at a bad time, truly. Sorry, I’ll continue helping.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFhtletkUCk
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE4jkmsYtHv
“Don’t… don’t you worry about it.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzWzKGRM0Cz
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH7kyJkdZn2
“Enough about me. Tell me, how was it on your end?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOafg9vdgeF
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrX5jPKRl5A
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:425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ00fsWMwJVK
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ40WUIL3IDd
“Is that really something you want to hear? Are all crowd members like this, just talking about unpleasant fights?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc3QF8wIFUM
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSv8bVEX5Bl
“That’s not fair of you. You asked first, right?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTqdjLbl5G2
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9i694MefQJ
“I… darn it, you got me there.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡokxOnG7SGM
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW78Ic3ORWu
I continued peeling and let my mouth run.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNDmBSltJkq
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa6v1cnMzFZ
“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.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi8VsXBGgeq
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGooEZHTS1S
Though my right hand would be painfully sore in the morning.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyOP4dIMX4x
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9II0nV3CrW
“Excellent to hear. You must be a proficient fighter for it to have gone so well.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrO3cguKaOi
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ95dEaW5Dm8
“Not really. I’m just somewhat competent with magic, and my partner had an incredibly useful endowment. We got lucky, that’s all.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ54vGfjaamw
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf3KzxJ6AU5
“I don’t know about that, Kenny.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbYCkZqYdhu
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWaPhpJnCUt
I looked at him with pursed lips.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6sdhypI4nc
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡirkWyfJA6X
“Why not?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHqUn4xLCil
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmCQYeRgopc
“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.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXmEyw6lCJl
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiQmfhTTbTc
“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.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5dfcHwmEtD
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdP5z0zPbe6
He raised and wagged his finger, going “tsk tsk” with his lips.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIUTHPKnzea
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXRHT5O3tbW
“And who is it that managed to beat that enemy in the first place?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9TKGaFYAmN
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwIhOJgr6Lg
“--!”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXXn7NzvL5P
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUSJIHRThV5
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. 425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8PlIUmQ1oi
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMiB1IV5NgD
“Did anything else happen?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0DttUXwCaM
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDn7orZPYN8
“Anything else? Well… Oh!”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmtOhb0Kat2
I perked up and yelled all a sudden, startling Nigel and making him ask “What?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0gifLu4lwn
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9FHPir67Kz
“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.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeP5LhyolTI
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqoZSFpvOV3
“Some information? Would you like me to relay it while you make the potion?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp1LiXPtiYK
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ10WJW7qQBK
“Uh…”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWZ6nn2HblB
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6kBu03ZjVx
I hesitated, but when I realized how silly that was, I spoke.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB4LBVQxS2y
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG82aAuFWBk
“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.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLf4jDquISa
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0WPTdRovDA
“...That is quite a concern. It means we need to confirm all our kills as well.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwE9oIxYN7I
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAvCJDdbhIz
My face retracted and my eyes widened, shocked by our utter differences in derivatives from the information.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ56uUtte1e0
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV5qNPYBm8j
“Being together with just Juke must’ve been irritating.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMTd7QpNOA8
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrK5YfemYCa
“Hm? Why’s that? We were split into pairs, weren’t we?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGiQYS8xWBA
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs1hq1aubnM
He tilted his head and raised his brow, which made me inclined to do the same.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdzaVl8eONo
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk9IQjDQWqc
“That’s precisely it. It was just you and Juke, meaning that you couldn’t work with your other partner, Rover, right?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxYn2ZkJFD5
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMUVXOwlhoR
“...O-Oh.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMeE3l2vY6p
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkI9NKqmNsc
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2MYfTFMINP
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYyn0QCrLS3
“See, Rover and I– and Juke, I suppose –we had a falling out. She’s been evasivefor the most part, and we’re likewise.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgziOe6C5g6
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEtmPrPhKev
“I see… she’s been avoiding you? That makes a lot of sense.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ltAhuVB46
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaOmm8up55M
I tilted my head at his assessment, as I couldn’t imagine how such a conclusion could be drawn.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKuWEjWYyWj
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAUl72KyNDt
“Make sense? How?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvPmE8xicgi
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLV5ur5jIJN
He adjusted his sitting posture by slacking his muscles and raising his legs, holding his arms over his knees.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuvR5vX0aB2
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1h6YusoLvm
“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–”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡghZuWbUnnC
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3aOzstHeYD
“Ah, so you were her partner? I figured.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOUoBbk8QkF
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhk9FKnq7zb
Nigel looked surprised as I finished his retelling for him. I could tell he needed elaboration, so I handed it.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA9Ak0qYo1i
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLdCj9j7qfd
“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.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJZGNr4ak0O
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYZ1aRtVZsm
“So she still fought alone, eh?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsGYSZR0Dyn
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUTHnmViqw3
“...Yeah. She did. I heard she’s alive, though. I’m relieved.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuBTY6FEThb
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLGjP15zrsE
“Relieved? How come?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgDaP1Febhw
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVUlpi7OkRM
I jumped at his stupid question, contorting my face as if it offended me.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZFZ4hCPxDZ
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxxsXz0o1ac
“You just said you fought. Ah, who am I kidding, I know what it is.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFu2KDbQSPS
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcs6akbY2u2
He pulled his arms closer to his chest and continued peeling.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRRlOs3dWg2
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQttGq8hE5i
“You’re probably good friends with her.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2eZglAuxQX
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5sPhYfWzuQ
“F-Friends? W-Well, I don’t know about–”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7TWgGyew5P
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJFMgKTyjPR
“You’re friends, man. Don’t kid yourself. You wouldn’t have given her that check if you weren’t.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWpkVOKiaW1
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcm5H8FIUiR
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoNZ2u55Gzm
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ0cQaIYKAt
“I hear she’s hurt,” Nigel continued, snapping me out of my trance, “Hurt very badly.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRJKnH4VVfX
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡADWsXOjIUG
“H-Hurt? What happened?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPOycrG80yo
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCNS0lMDeio
“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.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGPuQDufQqh
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt4ImKPhfxU
“That’s– that’s good to hear.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQNB4BYXTXo
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeMgb87GIQW
“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.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhStWFO3Afd
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzTqsVnkbjm
A moment later, he put down his knife and slapped a gelatinous mass of yellow onto the floor before me.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbkZOM2aZBS
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1aaFPnjIv1
“Here’s all the fat I could get. Take this and make your potion, then give her a patch-up.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd03Yx0JPRT
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN7XTNeHIgo
“A patch-up… you mean, a healing potion?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPjZ7d2oPft
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzXHczcKgv8
He shrugged.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsZVBeSf9Qw
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH551ShZvJX
“I’m not the alchemist, am I?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7elWHutPe8
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTCwCllV8bI
“...Yeah. Yeah, you aren’t.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsnWhW0BHQE
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUsAcEZFfPW
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5IOOzAerHx
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0FtC6WRVmi
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0D8psQOIk4
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGaUNABOTgt
“Thank you, Nigel. Your help was invaluable.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtE68EAyyma
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOJQWb0ln7V
“I told you, didn’t I? It’s my pleasure to be a good role model.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwZj2pYJOgT
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGIdiGQXLUd
It was impossible to suppress my smile. His cocky optimism– somehow, it was exactly what I needed to fortify my duct-taped prospects. 425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLEGohsBlb0
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVsj8ZMeD93
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv2r668Z9qK
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8vpGeJ9mB8
–
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRyHRjyLQlj
–
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuRQ7VwlDlR
–
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡouFb1aXup8
“...Role model.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj9s3vZ2qnD
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡONLuXkNxiG
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbin4iXLzlz
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Z347OggEu
“Who am I kidding, of course he noticed.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwr8Y2svkQo
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjVp8QMDPiu
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjtsWaaBXyM
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDM2rVUR77Q
“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.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXw77KyX2NO
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9waLXi6zm7
He put the remaining meat back in the bin and closed the lid, moving his legs to the closest washer he knew.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3kjp7jOiXO
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC3RtCWtMtI
“You would’ve been too much, Damon. I can’t handle all that empty praise. All that talk of being a moral guy.”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRvwoiKzOfy
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCXtycb2UQu
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3LRL2NqT3L
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkVYaksfjU4
“...Not even my hands? Had to go straight for my legs?”425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAvnRyjEL8C
425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR2Xuzev6Ym
He closed his eyes. It was all he could to stop the spill, the salty water that trickled for a mere colleague.
and then Add to home screen.