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.141Please respect copyright.PENANAJ9goXAT0MG
141Please respect copyright.PENANAeAmPFtHqtl
“Ya look like a sorry sort. More like a midget than a kid.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAueJwTHK3NE
141Please respect copyright.PENANAGKuSIcTAxw
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANA0qb9nT8b6I
141Please respect copyright.PENANAwwxLP1Oli7
Besides, I had a verbal jab I needed to address.141Please respect copyright.PENANAO4HMmULA3c
141Please respect copyright.PENANAfSJzQ2rSvG
“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.”141Please respect copyright.PENANApNCyouV8Q4
141Please respect copyright.PENANAke7h4Sw9PF
“Y’know, that ain’t a bad idea.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAvEJffDrAV2
141Please respect copyright.PENANA1DWW5SHYpj
He did just as I suggested, laboriously lifting his laden helmet and setting it aside. 141Please respect copyright.PENANAsKgMVopt9e
141Please respect copyright.PENANAC9kSCTbu9i
“Well?”141Please respect copyright.PENANAgs20l3W0EU
141Please respect copyright.PENANA2jTFUpJPya
“...It’s about what I expected. At least your facial hair looks clean.”141Please respect copyright.PENANABa6hdLGpV0
141Please respect copyright.PENANACP7BgtxUqB
“Really? That thing’s messy all the time.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAu1W8w2woit
141Please respect copyright.PENANANuThJFjyw0
“Maybe exertion has a reverse effect. I’ve heard of things like that happening.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAoo5aXQN2gp
141Please respect copyright.PENANAOgWPuSvLyw
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANACBclJjtJx1
141Please respect copyright.PENANAmHQTsUmoeh
“I’m surprised either of us are still standing here. I didn’t even bleed from that fight.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAKuLg6fhqcf
141Please respect copyright.PENANAdw5igmxvBA
“I ain't bleedin’ either. But that bastard scratched my helmet. ‘Least he didn’t dent it.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAnJjbdG44Fk
141Please respect copyright.PENANAaLSLSXElse
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANA6Ke3YvZufk
141Please respect copyright.PENANABSD0n8Lgot
“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…”141Please respect copyright.PENANAtwFp1xdLOu
141Please respect copyright.PENANAir7hN5Hb7t
I tried to empathize with him, but my state inclined me to be backhanded.141Please respect copyright.PENANAO0RW7HjmFg
141Please respect copyright.PENANAYRukHfyTZb
“You only have yourself to blame. You and I could’ve left if we stopped caring about the letter.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAc5Vkr4XFjp
141Please respect copyright.PENANAhtiK6y70nL
He sighed and shrugged. That gesture indicated that he heard my point, but he still had a retort.141Please respect copyright.PENANAAlr02t8yxK
141Please respect copyright.PENANAlhk3By7GvB
“C’mon, kid. We agreed on somethin’ back in that alleyway. ‘Specially in times like these, ya gotta keep yer word.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAoWgMKD22zI
141Please respect copyright.PENANADkAwt0u3wq
“...Yeah.”141Please respect copyright.PENANALVIHsw1Sm1
141Please respect copyright.PENANAlZ8ZfuS4NH
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–141Please respect copyright.PENANAgkoW3Yr7If
141Please respect copyright.PENANAxJiS4242g0
“It’s so stupid. I don’t like any of it”141Please respect copyright.PENANAnYMw1aarKV
141Please respect copyright.PENANAyLikkgRU5c
“I ain’t liking any of this either.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAPyjp04Pdom
141Please respect copyright.PENANA0NmMwvqI3o
“I know! I know you aren’t; you’d be a maniac if you did. But still”141Please respect copyright.PENANA4xrftbB0DN
141Please respect copyright.PENANAK2sgnc3gxg
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANAkWi0dU6ISe
141Please respect copyright.PENANAPApKeofNBL
“I’ll tell ya what, though. I wanted no part of fighting for this damn Pillar.”141Please respect copyright.PENANA1dUX469PKH
141Please respect copyright.PENANAtacl45rm05
“Y-Yeah. That I agree with.”141Please respect copyright.PENANA3es1S1fQFQ
141Please respect copyright.PENANAgTBXmLc3Yw
“It ain’t amountin’ to anything either, is it?”141Please respect copyright.PENANADbsU1Ln1DG
141Please respect copyright.PENANAAU7nDOhoYc
“...?”141Please respect copyright.PENANAUvV8G8Br90
141Please respect copyright.PENANA5ih74jObiI
At that, I had to tilt my head.141Please respect copyright.PENANASQg7Z0veOq
141Please respect copyright.PENANA2tbWnLS7OT
“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.”141Please respect copyright.PENANALDTlIqwXmc
141Please respect copyright.PENANANlgRQmRBpk
“...I guess yer right. But it doesn’t feel like it.”141Please respect copyright.PENANA5RQGFpgiwX
141Please respect copyright.PENANA4dsGdMjqOW
He adjusted his posture a little, rolling his shoulders and releasing a lengthy sigh.141Please respect copyright.PENANAiPIXFrOZXd
141Please respect copyright.PENANAY2mjieqETJ
“Dennis still ain’t here.”141Please respect copyright.PENANADni64DCEgg
141Please respect copyright.PENANAUz2n7m0YQK
“...”141Please respect copyright.PENANA0oKAEieg64
141Please respect copyright.PENANA5YeyQCyxuJ
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANAqpLTUmKRe7
141Please respect copyright.PENANAWF6asrHtkC
“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–”141Please respect copyright.PENANAUl0CEU6xCz
141Please respect copyright.PENANAEhppQIPlPD
“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.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAlPzs7Dacmb
141Please respect copyright.PENANADiZtbcqKgT
He scooched across the floor and sat with his front facing me, holding both his hands out to help himself explain.141Please respect copyright.PENANAmGVdFmrB6p
141Please respect copyright.PENANAiKhURjgP2s
“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’.”141Please respect copyright.PENANA3udENcW5UF
141Please respect copyright.PENANAocIN3j6LB4
“--!? W-What!?”141Please respect copyright.PENANAsZpvhCaGLc
141Please respect copyright.PENANAYPbRDVNIfE
Such an analogy was one thing, but that extreme turn made it seem like a joke.141Please respect copyright.PENANAuXPAojNBQR
141Please respect copyright.PENANAGiH60oGaAW
“Hold on, Kenny. Ya gotta think about it more. Why would any sound man kill themselves cuz they didn’t eat an apple?”141Please respect copyright.PENANAalAQiqGDoo
141Please respect copyright.PENANAXMiOHDQNxC
“...You aren’t pulling my leg, are you?”141Please respect copyright.PENANACdvDl5vRUc
141Please respect copyright.PENANAokJbBXlsTS
“Do ya see my hands on ya? Nah, I’m serious, kid.”141Please respect copyright.PENANANSLwtrBGt9
141Please respect copyright.PENANAGwi5g9Daxz
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. 141Please respect copyright.PENANALYgDHBVNs3
141Please respect copyright.PENANAxqgPRyQ2F4
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANAPjKRhGYL5W
141Please respect copyright.PENANACwYJRQeY99
That didn’t really work either, but the idea of a different Kenneth gave me what I was looking for.141Please respect copyright.PENANAsHVNgBiwBT
141Please respect copyright.PENANAHLkUwqx4as
“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.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAkCUhrIwjuG
141Please respect copyright.PENANAsEA2SDP6bx
Juke nodded along, and I took it as an okay to continue.141Please respect copyright.PENANATUSw6pXD8T
141Please respect copyright.PENANAD3NrZKE8Yh
“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.141Please respect copyright.PENANA6CE0wuHDiB
141Please respect copyright.PENANAv50QEYt3Re
“...”141Please respect copyright.PENANAXFUNs87hcw
141Please respect copyright.PENANAw9YjmL0MPP
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANAKpYvMbp8qN
141Please respect copyright.PENANAqtvtVZWfvT
“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.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAPAAR8mhyr5
141Please respect copyright.PENANAdKw9IeuAb1
“I-I see…”141Please respect copyright.PENANAP5P2wEcduX
141Please respect copyright.PENANAwA2FgyKvi3
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANAHGmUIBP3b2
141Please respect copyright.PENANAtvajYEYmQx
“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.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAyKMl02PbnC
141Please respect copyright.PENANARQIaOb59cG
“You don’t, ‘get?’”141Please respect copyright.PENANAcq5rC8E9H8
141Please respect copyright.PENANAeFzxSsTyea
“Y’know, when–”141Please respect copyright.PENANAkxt2uqUFFj
141Please respect copyright.PENANAN1agkekRDB
“No no no, I understand you. I do.”141Please respect copyright.PENANArq7FDPjslb
141Please respect copyright.PENANAGlm33PHYgs
My muscles loosened a little. I felt awfully warm about the words I would spit.141Please respect copyright.PENANA7gvjZOS3Gz
141Please respect copyright.PENANAS5NPrcsEBh
“I just know that feeling a little too well sometimes–”141Please respect copyright.PENANA7GdTUQnvZ7
141Please respect copyright.PENANAjtN0LuLbLD
**SLAM**141Please respect copyright.PENANANnvGZaZhGC
141Please respect copyright.PENANAIxvcBDKhuR
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANAL6AAvIaIf1
141Please respect copyright.PENANAhKa3nMiXAJ
That is until I saw a head peer from the frame.141Please respect copyright.PENANA6tqG34YtS7
141Please respect copyright.PENANAoYqUOpgmAo
“Oh, thank goodness. You two are safe.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAp8KuqCoPDJ
141Please respect copyright.PENANAoTK3Fn8OU5
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANA12hbA3zHQO
141Please respect copyright.PENANAHBTL8Ak9N7
“Phew. For a moment I thought I came at a bad time.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAh4zQU6aWeY
141Please respect copyright.PENANA16j5Hy9Zby
“M-Mister Dean.”141Please respect copyright.PENANA3bEt4CNrgY
141Please respect copyright.PENANA4dXRxvEcqc
I decided to speak up, as the present situation was too absurd for silence.141Please respect copyright.PENANA7qU3FEfFvP
141Please respect copyright.PENANAYcB68B3lY7
“Yes, child?”141Please respect copyright.PENANAL9iIp6gK3y
141Please respect copyright.PENANAz0aXE8v4cs
“Uh– well, first of all, are you alright?”141Please respect copyright.PENANAG6q5PL3W6l
141Please respect copyright.PENANAERJk4GXDFs
“Yes, quite alright. My shoulder is still in pain, but the bleeding stopped long ago. And again, I must thank you for releasing me.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAp0vvG5i0tj
141Please respect copyright.PENANAETuDhglrp7
“R-Right.”141Please respect copyright.PENANACe5GFqTkyK
141Please respect copyright.PENANAX1yUvBinaB
I couldn’t think of anything else to say, and looking at Juke revealed he was in a similar boat.141Please respect copyright.PENANAA4fiV1SqxM
141Please respect copyright.PENANAPR8gnfdMbZ
“But, enough about me. I came here bringing good news, and a friendly face.”141Please respect copyright.PENANA66MbP5TnVI
141Please respect copyright.PENANAhWIE71TA3g
“--Please worry not about explaining it, Sir Dean. I wouldn’t want my duty as a leader stolen as such.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAuCaL2i4lmu
141Please respect copyright.PENANA8aqNpS7tte
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANAm2FI08uTuT
141Please respect copyright.PENANA14j2hPx1Zu
“Hello, you two,” said Lola, “by the looks of things, your side was a complete success.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAMjTPz1Wy2t
141Please respect copyright.PENANAqjtMczEjyK
–
141Please respect copyright.PENANAJbej0GiDxn
–
141Please respect copyright.PENANAkdvB1ikzSX
–
141Please respect copyright.PENANAZWJmJdgsg0
With the arrival of Lola came the confirmation I was desperately needing. We had won.141Please respect copyright.PENANATKcrlZ8bpG
141Please respect copyright.PENANA0gxRUupzbr
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANAj9L1Pw8VW7
141Please respect copyright.PENANAiu3kMcqm6R
“I was afraid of something like this,” the Dean explained, “but I couldn’t halt the mechanisms of this city because of premonition…”141Please respect copyright.PENANAeHBu6lQVcf
141Please respect copyright.PENANAnTPgXeCdWv
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANAcK8UEK7FQn
141Please respect copyright.PENANA7UIOhtd5mk
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–141Please respect copyright.PENANAB2syFgQcAY
141Please respect copyright.PENANAoKbWwkOgFC
“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.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAheWXDmVfVp
141Please respect copyright.PENANApvQwhUH0uW
“Haven’t you explained that already?”141Please respect copyright.PENANAzazt1XNO2c
141Please respect copyright.PENANAu5yIZlslpL
“Yes, but… there is a slight problem we’ve run into.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAgzT5foSYFE
141Please respect copyright.PENANASS2U93vIcD
“What’s that?”141Please respect copyright.PENANAh25TZXh39t
141Please respect copyright.PENANAP5VQAVVO1r
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANAKa06SPFC2B
141Please respect copyright.PENANAaFLY7Z74q0
“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.”141Please respect copyright.PENANA253OtGB5g7
141Please respect copyright.PENANAAEKn9ohCIE
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:141Please respect copyright.PENANAXK8fzKHfCx
141Please respect copyright.PENANAbzrlVDfEjj
“I know I wasn’t asked, but I think making a signal would be effective.”141Please respect copyright.PENANA95ellePMGc
141Please respect copyright.PENANA35kjAN0O6f
“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.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAHL1h2SYsql
141Please respect copyright.PENANA0w8mYIzUM0
“...Ah, so that’s where you’re heading. But how will it be done?”141Please respect copyright.PENANASC2bTg89bT
141Please respect copyright.PENANA69ZYv7IgQX
A smirk found itself on his face. He turned around and continued leading me.141Please respect copyright.PENANAxJoHfysTfJ
141Please respect copyright.PENANApwRmXVCkco
“We have our methods. This place has been around too long for it not to.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAqvX3b6qzXO
141Please respect copyright.PENANAtb89CgkMoq
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANAdsIO3PYK5N
141Please respect copyright.PENANAedDyhr9MFl
“Oh, goodness. And I was wondering why the office was so small.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAT7PJhr4RJT
141Please respect copyright.PENANAObviS7uYbp
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANAlI0fZwwOoN
141Please respect copyright.PENANAYyUxEBUbQE
“Here is your answer, Kenny,” Lola said, standing beside a stall. I peeped inside and–141Please respect copyright.PENANAwlfMwc3GUn
141Please respect copyright.PENANA3k2Qndb0AO
“GAH! W-Why is this here?”141Please respect copyright.PENANA0iDZIthNDO
141Please respect copyright.PENANALUoKGx62u1
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANAMngAPRUvMX
141Please respect copyright.PENANA3OHKPKWxOA
“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.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAbkahTPLSxQ
141Please respect copyright.PENANAVry22akrEX
“I wouldn’t call any curves ‘tight,’ but I guess when you’re as fast as these things, then they can be.” 141Please respect copyright.PENANAwBNx4OEoIj
141Please respect copyright.PENANAeeyTnALn2q
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANACWkSW3iLm3
141Please respect copyright.PENANA37yEHqF65y
“I think it likes you, child.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAjZGkbjBH5u
141Please respect copyright.PENANA4S76MkAhwO
“Please, call me Kenneth or Kenny, Mister Dean. And, uh, are you sure– certain?”141Please respect copyright.PENANAep86oOR2u3
141Please respect copyright.PENANAJVmfgEkxQK
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANA8XESdkHbx1
141Please respect copyright.PENANAYvdNo5HsEC
And then, it leaned its head down even further and… sniffed my hair.141Please respect copyright.PENANA9CQ86dWXFR
141Please respect copyright.PENANANOwk4ZRpNo
“Hah?”141Please respect copyright.PENANAoM6PpobC8M
141Please respect copyright.PENANAtBidcNyoqa
“I hear these animals love ta smell flowers. Ya do have that kind of aroma, so thats why it likes ya.”141Please respect copyright.PENANA6QShgF7WF0
141Please respect copyright.PENANA4dFSO12xA8
“I… smell like flowers?”141Please respect copyright.PENANAsKNxzIFVKy
141Please respect copyright.PENANAI6ZbDqR5Fh
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANAgKHZHuUSWh
141Please respect copyright.PENANADQrtxXcGYR
“Why am I just figuring this out !? I don’t smell– well, I don’t think I smell like flowers?”141Please respect copyright.PENANAfziQJmoJ1K
141Please respect copyright.PENANA17ekJUQr7b
I even sniffed my hands and arms to make sure, and nothing of the scent reminded me of flowers.141Please respect copyright.PENANApmemSLgCuD
141Please respect copyright.PENANAEbmIUASvlI
“Well, ya get used to the way ya smell to the point ya can’t tell. That’s just how yer nose works.”141Please respect copyright.PENANANZ0vARRFD6
141Please respect copyright.PENANArM2WVNoMyg
“Really? I didn’t know that…”141Please respect copyright.PENANAyVWwx1Y0Im
141Please respect copyright.PENANAbFHvzbGZrr
“Ahem, moving on–”141Please respect copyright.PENANALXvt9H1nmX
141Please respect copyright.PENANAqfqViAPig0
Dave interjected with a cough. I turned my attention back to him, anticipating his oncoming words.141Please respect copyright.PENANAN2Y9TyovAi
141Please respect copyright.PENANA2Et0fbJq90
“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.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAngMqOyF5ja
141Please respect copyright.PENANAd2rULBoG12
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:141Please respect copyright.PENANAkfVYSQzZKG
141Please respect copyright.PENANAIKP5RCPV1P
“May I know why I’m being told this?”141Please respect copyright.PENANA93OKvytfUY
141Please respect copyright.PENANATy0BnwMo3H
“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?”141Please respect copyright.PENANATlV6dpI7wV
141Please respect copyright.PENANA7YVxD1fp2D
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANAhikCef6Ccl
141Please respect copyright.PENANAhpp2psHnXY
“But if you need to know why,” she continued, “it’s because we need your help in facilitating it.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAkPElhUvALm
141Please respect copyright.PENANAmOhXG9Wvsi
“My help, you say…”141Please respect copyright.PENANA7pkTeZnRrb
141Please respect copyright.PENANAv31VEyVTzv
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANA5O5WND7cON
141Please respect copyright.PENANATRKUvQ0xJH
“I’ve heard that you’re a prolific, experienced alchemist. At such a young age too no less–”141Please respect copyright.PENANAqWirRuGF7u
141Please respect copyright.PENANAKAPMyv7ZBY
“Please, don’t mention it. I don’t want my achievements embellished, especially because of something like age.”141Please respect copyright.PENANANhY80hWQqD
141Please respect copyright.PENANAA9B206BY0C
“--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?”141Please respect copyright.PENANAuPdaQ3FCVD
141Please respect copyright.PENANAEty81GokK3
“...Energizing potions?”141Please respect copyright.PENANApQO5j3Fasg
141Please respect copyright.PENANAhpF0CNnDnQ
I knew how to do that, naturally, but Lola was off the mark somewhat.141Please respect copyright.PENANAoaqQaVQ2pf
141Please respect copyright.PENANALTLZOd5S7g
“Wouldn’t endurance be more useful? When you’re running both a marathon and a race, just finishing it is most important.”141Please respect copyright.PENANATvF1iaOtfm
141Please respect copyright.PENANA5rjmNIPADJ
Lola had her eyes wide and her head slowly nodding.141Please respect copyright.PENANAg8reI1joG8
141Please respect copyright.PENANAWruZdJv7Sj
“You’re correct. Do you think you can do it?”141Please respect copyright.PENANAWlDEumdqtj
141Please respect copyright.PENANAXH5KuPMhey
“I definitely can. I can use some of the empty flasks in my bag. That is, if they aren’t broken.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAEFDgsO3j1F
141Please respect copyright.PENANAZHFeSnKsKG
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANACbKhoGeF0t
141Please respect copyright.PENANAVunAVItFeI
“T-There’re few good ones. One’s unopen, so ya can juts pour it out if ya hafta.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAnfIke7vbGY
141Please respect copyright.PENANAg3bGq7C3am
“Phew. That’s good. The potency wouldn’t be right if I was just using random cups.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAFJuwSgrMkK
141Please respect copyright.PENANA786a0PjVte
I turned around and marched to the exit of the room. I stopped myself before leaving, because I noticed only my footsteps were echoing.141Please respect copyright.PENANAE2YsU27UIi
141Please respect copyright.PENANAMxKzeWvi66
“Is something wrong?”141Please respect copyright.PENANAovqMEtQuud
141Please respect copyright.PENANAaIQB7uM1MV
Lola and Dave looked at eachother. For being such well-spoken people, it was strange for them to fail finding the words. 141Please respect copyright.PENANAAESTo5p6J9
141Please respect copyright.PENANAKMCZMYoa5Z
“Well, kid–”141Please respect copyright.PENANAXOr2s1MG9X
141Please respect copyright.PENANAcd8Cj0cTvr
Then Juke suddenly spoke out, and I diverted my attention to him.141Please respect copyright.PENANAIFRrwDHPQW
141Please respect copyright.PENANAbVGbF4WeEC
“Ya just look a lot more comfortable than I’m used ta.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAineGUbWSRg
141Please respect copyright.PENANAlNM7viHEI9
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANApjtVa8FqGR
141Please respect copyright.PENANAftpLb8Tqf9
“Comfortable? I haven’t heard that one before.”141Please respect copyright.PENANApfciVk49Mc
141Please respect copyright.PENANAnStNSnXoe9
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANAct5bzY3TpA
141Please respect copyright.PENANAnytPMYxRN6
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANAjRXXDaxZnd
141Please respect copyright.PENANA0uHyPLA6IA
“...Comfortable.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAD96J6LkWIU
141Please respect copyright.PENANA9PRX4hthyG
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANAyfMyuyTZLO
141Please respect copyright.PENANAJnmgvoAWN4
Yeah. When it came to alchemy, comfortable was just right.141Please respect copyright.PENANA0hR28BBo5U
141Please respect copyright.PENANARFheW1XYOq
–
141Please respect copyright.PENANAww8GpeGcCr
–
141Please respect copyright.PENANAZzD9P5AW7X
–
141Please respect copyright.PENANAtzKN8eLrzF
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANAwI5ReYPbjj
141Please respect copyright.PENANAFQkibIrfuM
Scratch that, I missed it even as I did it. 141Please respect copyright.PENANAibwMSGc9LL
141Please respect copyright.PENANARnNCECjser
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANAOV3jouHnij
141Please respect copyright.PENANAe27SKhcqkk
“...A little bit here.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAicz8j79ZBO
141Please respect copyright.PENANA3MOCQFHehn
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. 141Please respect copyright.PENANAZSXGuYasv9
141Please respect copyright.PENANAj7MatQyHsD
And it wasn’t until near completion that I realized what it was.141Please respect copyright.PENANAOovGLeM6oy
141Please respect copyright.PENANABwIf6pHEMT
“Of course. Goodness, how could I forget the most important part?”141Please respect copyright.PENANAz7MbiFbj1D
141Please respect copyright.PENANAwl6aptzXml
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANAxZvoCPRSYE
141Please respect copyright.PENANAlrSQWdHxHJ
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANAuNCf8VObsy
141Please respect copyright.PENANA0CKP1RkOTL
“No time to waste, though.”141Please respect copyright.PENANA0gtF9eNCKe
141Please respect copyright.PENANAsQs4YwsR4M
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANALuhFOVf1E4
141Please respect copyright.PENANAAd7Cdbg53O
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANAOuwC2UpwSG
141Please respect copyright.PENANA8xRa92xMqd
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANAoAQMd4KJjq
141Please respect copyright.PENANAYsm2UpeGiO
“...Crap.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAwukSYPLRi2
141Please respect copyright.PENANA0b0X3Ugvhv
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANA20nJBIRhjT
141Please respect copyright.PENANATL7HAYsehu
“Is there something you’re lookin’ for?”141Please respect copyright.PENANAzJVdrYTJ8s
141Please respect copyright.PENANAWOB7e5Oxz5
Who was essentially the lunch lady noticed my plight.141Please respect copyright.PENANAn0YaYglymE
141Please respect copyright.PENANA7nnvsEpn8O
“Yes. Um, do you happen to have anything with fat on it? And I mean raw fat.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAkGdOfNeqqI
141Please respect copyright.PENANAoLvdFMC2gG
“Fat? Fat, hmm… well, there might be some in the trash.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAPS59cRdVaH
141Please respect copyright.PENANAL06w4Stz9a
“Excuse me? Oh, sorry. Can I ask where the trash is?”141Please respect copyright.PENANAur0KDiPrYb
141Please respect copyright.PENANAhAOFlnYw9E
“You sure can. It’s in one of those buckets right there.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAxXbAHBqCur
141Please respect copyright.PENANAuoRVMg2lq2
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANA1b9zVB8i4i
141Please respect copyright.PENANAPByy35nWII
“M-May I ask, what kind of fat is in those?”141Please respect copyright.PENANABqb2wm7zJi
141Please respect copyright.PENANAcbkaDXKrdJ
And she responded with confirmation of my immediate fears.141Please respect copyright.PENANAbT2aB8tap7
141Please respect copyright.PENANA1MvTaOYFpk
“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?”141Please respect copyright.PENANAzZ61yjHXqM
141Please respect copyright.PENANAOXUROXPjjm
“Crazy indeed, ma’am.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAs42svmUQuv
141Please respect copyright.PENANAirnEpGSYpU
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANA3sUOFhR59C
141Please respect copyright.PENANAN1gc78Edtc
“Mind if I ask what you need fat for?”141Please respect copyright.PENANA0uoFBnM1pu
141Please respect copyright.PENANAtzQVSGwqJK
“Oh, yes. It’s for a potion I’m making, you see–”141Please respect copyright.PENANAuZdQQvDZ3a
141Please respect copyright.PENANAUYsX0y8hr3
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANAvdkl5QfG1h
141Please respect copyright.PENANAuAJ62HNQA8
“N-Nigel!?”141Please respect copyright.PENANAQtI4uLwtBj
141Please respect copyright.PENANAyjQVul0Fex
“Correct! I’m honored that you remember me. It’s swell to see you in good health, Kenny.”141Please respect copyright.PENANA03Bzp0KFT9
141Please respect copyright.PENANAcucxFWhsd2
“Y-You as well. Also, please, don’t sneak up on me like that.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAebCsIzyBCH
141Please respect copyright.PENANAMZrJwLqJ40
He lightly shrugged in response. I clicked my tongue at his insouciant attitude but dropped my grudge quickly.141Please respect copyright.PENANAVi3rhMNANi
141Please respect copyright.PENANAEUDv0qZNcG
“It’s good to see you healthy as well, Nigel. How was your time at the battle?”141Please respect copyright.PENANAhVD2msssYQ
141Please respect copyright.PENANAHwKVVd3i4Q
“Ah… well, first, let me offer you a hand.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAEyJB6BXUYM
141Please respect copyright.PENANABLyEvcrOVX
“A hand,” I asked, confused as to what he insinuated.141Please respect copyright.PENANAJ9e4vI52N7
141Please respect copyright.PENANAydMvTHBL0Y
“You said you need fat for your potion, and I just so happen to have a knife.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAakSHX4mCMF
141Please respect copyright.PENANA5kcfZOZulg
He pulled the knife in question out of its sheath and headed towards the buckets, but not before tossing me something.141Please respect copyright.PENANA5SdUOBXVsm
141Please respect copyright.PENANAcWRYKX2ToP
“Is this… a clamper?”141Please respect copyright.PENANAF9NO26xHQj
141Please respect copyright.PENANAKiSllBA2Fw
“It is. I’m sure you know to put it over your nose, right? Anyway, let’s chat while we work.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAF4gS8thpas
141Please respect copyright.PENANAQooUkFCtBj
–
141Please respect copyright.PENANAyrax1OqjJm
–
141Please respect copyright.PENANAtEnHsY6tKC
–
141Please respect copyright.PENANAXX1PRypx3L
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.
141Please respect copyright.PENANAEeuYnDV7Ed
“So,” Nigel started as he made his cuts, “what is it that you asked me?”141Please respect copyright.PENANATU64uojBYO
141Please respect copyright.PENANAVeMphfUoQ4
“That I asked you?”141Please respect copyright.PENANAGg7brOeNqu
141Please respect copyright.PENANACmNxAw4Edy
I thought about it, and it seemed to have slipped even my mind, but I remembered my earlier inquiry quickly.141Please respect copyright.PENANAGjB87sROYS
141Please respect copyright.PENANA3moUqj831y
“Right. It was about the battle. How was it? I mean, I know it was rough for everyone, but…”141Please respect copyright.PENANAtYJMoTX77V
141Please respect copyright.PENANA5ajKr0122Y
“Yeah, I know what you mean. I might as well tell you.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAv0FMeEt5cX
141Please respect copyright.PENANAUlUtBZAdfS
He stopped rotating the meat on his knife and looked down at it.141Please respect copyright.PENANAMplubcpmSV
141Please respect copyright.PENANAL3nVtcfBLN
“...Was it, did you lose your friend?”141Please respect copyright.PENANAU1JyBuLbOD
141Please respect copyright.PENANA9yyqBCXdw2
He jolted when I asked, raising his head with widened eyes.141Please respect copyright.PENANAaF4Sss3Wb4
141Please respect copyright.PENANAyCmcbOqunj
“How did you–”141Please respect copyright.PENANAy5ArKUvS2J
141Please respect copyright.PENANAIjxlGJ1OIS
“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.”141Please respect copyright.PENANARNNajmsMSS
141Please respect copyright.PENANAyXBm0wOahs
“...Hah. You’re a sharp boy with a keen eye.” 141Please respect copyright.PENANAfu476XKXp6
141Please respect copyright.PENANA0H2W8t4GAQ
He continued cutting as he spoke.141Please respect copyright.PENANA8lMMEvKnUz
141Please respect copyright.PENANAZy96zSn6BQ
“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.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAor7hWnX97c
141Please respect copyright.PENANA7pQxGJQodJ
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANAvNLm6kPVOK
141Please respect copyright.PENANAxvadiRel41
“I’m, so sorry to hear that. He must’ve been a good friend.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAHNoqMbS3b3
141Please respect copyright.PENANAHxx5Wo0MCN
“...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.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAnBjbCDm0ft
141Please respect copyright.PENANA8iB1m1pdY1
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANAjqoBoF9iEb
141Please respect copyright.PENANA5kUT70WNgE
“You saw me at a bad time, truly. Sorry, I’ll continue helping.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAmXtsnEdnQ3
141Please respect copyright.PENANAXybRaWnG5d
“Don’t… don’t you worry about it.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAJKqswyW8M1
141Please respect copyright.PENANAN5iIGK4pCT
“Enough about me. Tell me, how was it on your end?”141Please respect copyright.PENANAUEcyQcujQw
141Please respect copyright.PENANAtvVZbX3TyV
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:141Please respect copyright.PENANACGdO20OMtS
141Please respect copyright.PENANACEgszqNhFZ
“Is that really something you want to hear? Are all crowd members like this, just talking about unpleasant fights?”141Please respect copyright.PENANAnMmuksJ4U7
141Please respect copyright.PENANAwz4VAUGVi1
“That’s not fair of you. You asked first, right?”141Please respect copyright.PENANAPZ0Rm0o2M7
141Please respect copyright.PENANAzCFLVqMqyP
“I… darn it, you got me there.”141Please respect copyright.PENANA9MU7bfmP9N
141Please respect copyright.PENANA3GUNBKEAcb
I continued peeling and let my mouth run.141Please respect copyright.PENANALil0eMaTlw
141Please respect copyright.PENANAsBti9Slsgf
“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.”141Please respect copyright.PENANArvKhxIrfzv
141Please respect copyright.PENANAiP5PvtzgG6
Though my right hand would be painfully sore in the morning.141Please respect copyright.PENANAjtUnD5RSzC
141Please respect copyright.PENANAp7O7yB72pe
“Excellent to hear. You must be a proficient fighter for it to have gone so well.”141Please respect copyright.PENANApq2ZuE6Fzw
141Please respect copyright.PENANAJvOwSjON38
“Not really. I’m just somewhat competent with magic, and my partner had an incredibly useful endowment. We got lucky, that’s all.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAShqBMYF4B5
141Please respect copyright.PENANAM8KELTpMR4
“I don’t know about that, Kenny.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAuNtatyyXOP
141Please respect copyright.PENANAmch0I8PMYB
I looked at him with pursed lips.141Please respect copyright.PENANAqwes7KtBnV
141Please respect copyright.PENANAUGoCQdGElv
“Why not?”141Please respect copyright.PENANA67ZBB48ary
141Please respect copyright.PENANA17Z416Oj5Z
“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.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAtw7EZwNmpp
141Please respect copyright.PENANAxDoYUuR17I
“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.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAeU8gQC4Qpj
141Please respect copyright.PENANA0MYVEhoNiP
He raised and wagged his finger, going “tsk tsk” with his lips.141Please respect copyright.PENANAKr17nu9pmc
141Please respect copyright.PENANADIPl7QYCoB
“And who is it that managed to beat that enemy in the first place?”141Please respect copyright.PENANALU75IMuUNq
141Please respect copyright.PENANAMOuafqbRkg
“--!”141Please respect copyright.PENANAWS42LPiRjM
141Please respect copyright.PENANATsomMwK573
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. 141Please respect copyright.PENANADPUHWsq6m1
141Please respect copyright.PENANA7uurJEFhWL
“Did anything else happen?”141Please respect copyright.PENANAPHd3U7Cp9K
141Please respect copyright.PENANAQLq2qi71op
“Anything else? Well… Oh!”141Please respect copyright.PENANA9oLhy7aKSs
I perked up and yelled all a sudden, startling Nigel and making him ask “What?”141Please respect copyright.PENANA0ur7qOeOqg
141Please respect copyright.PENANAIgO0tiYZxx
“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.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAWNaKb1CGiY
141Please respect copyright.PENANAEY49rTbLx5
“Some information? Would you like me to relay it while you make the potion?”141Please respect copyright.PENANAXQmpYFLUYY
141Please respect copyright.PENANAtloimiRofu
“Uh…”141Please respect copyright.PENANArLeDkCHYjE
141Please respect copyright.PENANAJ7bjFOys2p
I hesitated, but when I realized how silly that was, I spoke.141Please respect copyright.PENANAxb4l01jO2d
141Please respect copyright.PENANApqHvMr5MYJ
“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.”141Please respect copyright.PENANA1DUX26gtAZ
141Please respect copyright.PENANA3NOR5kCKnP
“...That is quite a concern. It means we need to confirm all our kills as well.”141Please respect copyright.PENANABXUVmE3ADi
141Please respect copyright.PENANAaPkkoK9x90
My face retracted and my eyes widened, shocked by our utter differences in derivatives from the information.141Please respect copyright.PENANAbiAVIwxFXJ
141Please respect copyright.PENANAPnzWLgo2kk
“Being together with just Juke must’ve been irritating.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAaS316yT4Db
141Please respect copyright.PENANAhuqW9QQEpF
“Hm? Why’s that? We were split into pairs, weren’t we?”141Please respect copyright.PENANAQUwrcO0n8l
141Please respect copyright.PENANA3Ij8mEG0MA
He tilted his head and raised his brow, which made me inclined to do the same.141Please respect copyright.PENANAFAzJaRyMfg
141Please respect copyright.PENANApZM9Vr2ilL
“That’s precisely it. It was just you and Juke, meaning that you couldn’t work with your other partner, Rover, right?”141Please respect copyright.PENANA2IQavCte6X
141Please respect copyright.PENANALIzIxQDnN0
“...O-Oh.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAsXmzZh6Mp5
141Please respect copyright.PENANAWvaImx8mcW
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANAummfBfYU6Q
141Please respect copyright.PENANAVLZUHK0NTu
“See, Rover and I– and Juke, I suppose –we had a falling out. She’s been evasivefor the most part, and we’re likewise.”141Please respect copyright.PENANADhtfOwEPMG
141Please respect copyright.PENANApf7sspMpGC
“I see… she’s been avoiding you? That makes a lot of sense.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAyEvNy19OKD
141Please respect copyright.PENANAq3WdYniOiz
I tilted my head at his assessment, as I couldn’t imagine how such a conclusion could be drawn.141Please respect copyright.PENANALuyOtYtV93
141Please respect copyright.PENANAnlbnZfEbe0
“Make sense? How?”141Please respect copyright.PENANAxDyjEN4dh5
141Please respect copyright.PENANAvAQFRgZ91G
He adjusted his sitting posture by slacking his muscles and raising his legs, holding his arms over his knees.141Please respect copyright.PENANALZBwGqxec3
141Please respect copyright.PENANA0KyFb6RB4U
“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–”141Please respect copyright.PENANAzUduxm2x29
141Please respect copyright.PENANAajX1NCiR6z
“Ah, so you were her partner? I figured.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAqcmKo6wjxN
141Please respect copyright.PENANAhzalAnqXw5
Nigel looked surprised as I finished his retelling for him. I could tell he needed elaboration, so I handed it.141Please respect copyright.PENANAZS2BjLXcrl
141Please respect copyright.PENANAiA2sTabgnA
“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.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAHqz7HsM8yK
141Please respect copyright.PENANAqk6RrklO1O
“So she still fought alone, eh?”141Please respect copyright.PENANAFYtzV2ucxY
141Please respect copyright.PENANALRxNqCaiC4
“...Yeah. She did. I heard she’s alive, though. I’m relieved.”141Please respect copyright.PENANA4Oprd88vO5
141Please respect copyright.PENANA8iG1JgBUQE
“Relieved? How come?”141Please respect copyright.PENANADpLtvt7U8F
141Please respect copyright.PENANAHRdyaYOcP8
I jumped at his stupid question, contorting my face as if it offended me.141Please respect copyright.PENANAa5daWYQ5L8
141Please respect copyright.PENANAPDXnn28aHm
“You just said you fought. Ah, who am I kidding, I know what it is.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAD7I98JaGcx
141Please respect copyright.PENANAHmTHDFBsex
He pulled his arms closer to his chest and continued peeling.141Please respect copyright.PENANAQwfSJtlIFM
141Please respect copyright.PENANAIWBNEAnL5t
“You’re probably good friends with her.”141Please respect copyright.PENANA5ZkXdhHSnz
141Please respect copyright.PENANAbCJIsxS5gf
“F-Friends? W-Well, I don’t know about–”141Please respect copyright.PENANAAUSVaWZpbT
141Please respect copyright.PENANACMExc2t9WL
“You’re friends, man. Don’t kid yourself. You wouldn’t have given her that check if you weren’t.”141Please respect copyright.PENANA4yJDWSSWVC
141Please respect copyright.PENANAVKbzep1WCl
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANAq4YL2BFFvZ
141Please respect copyright.PENANA15EhSZsupL
“I hear she’s hurt,” Nigel continued, snapping me out of my trance, “Hurt very badly.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAjYHE1TqZ4x
141Please respect copyright.PENANAvNFMILJGxt
“H-Hurt? What happened?”141Please respect copyright.PENANA5dKCWQWUOA
141Please respect copyright.PENANARoS9fWJm7q
“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.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAfg9RMzeaLW
141Please respect copyright.PENANA0AIzjqXO1s
“That’s– that’s good to hear.”141Please respect copyright.PENANASQmRz4sBkz
141Please respect copyright.PENANAkzXrtkO7l9
“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.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAsPMqxdPyxC
141Please respect copyright.PENANAqrHTr5S7vU
A moment later, he put down his knife and slapped a gelatinous mass of yellow onto the floor before me.141Please respect copyright.PENANAxSiasgdtud
141Please respect copyright.PENANALmCgftjPlz
“Here’s all the fat I could get. Take this and make your potion, then give her a patch-up.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAv0B0AGSf1m
141Please respect copyright.PENANAwsb0ZfvaYS
“A patch-up… you mean, a healing potion?”141Please respect copyright.PENANAd9WEIXNDHX
141Please respect copyright.PENANAnGCwgL4U49
He shrugged.141Please respect copyright.PENANAyUonO2oR6V
141Please respect copyright.PENANAQjRDkRN8iL
“I’m not the alchemist, am I?”141Please respect copyright.PENANA565tXOjwXq
141Please respect copyright.PENANAUKdnWHW3kq
“...Yeah. Yeah, you aren’t.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAdsmJsn5oxU
141Please respect copyright.PENANA9WQy4kNi1K
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANA84Rlj9eQ0G
141Please respect copyright.PENANAL8xuqqGdfT
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANAh9oc9XYz0z
141Please respect copyright.PENANA4WWrZu7Mna
“Thank you, Nigel. Your help was invaluable.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAxUIfSsEisf
141Please respect copyright.PENANA7vrdTUVGsr
“I told you, didn’t I? It’s my pleasure to be a good role model.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAe67RgvbQ1L
141Please respect copyright.PENANAUIvdSNLASi
It was impossible to suppress my smile. His cocky optimism– somehow, it was exactly what I needed to fortify my duct-taped prospects. 141Please respect copyright.PENANA6r06rOx8R4
141Please respect copyright.PENANAQzLlm3dqLS
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANAuK0WVwtoNP
141Please respect copyright.PENANAv0tdAbRq7Y
–
141Please respect copyright.PENANAE7IiVzx3ik
–
141Please respect copyright.PENANAHxFaxcxG1e
–
141Please respect copyright.PENANAZgp9Pfwe03
“...Role model.”141Please respect copyright.PENANA90PShxmHdB
141Please respect copyright.PENANAr7GIAyTcW6
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANAADrluuU360
141Please respect copyright.PENANAJgHtIq4l57
“Who am I kidding, of course he noticed.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAgZWf4bQs14
141Please respect copyright.PENANAJXZnIBUmrJ
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANAIJClvxIQgI
141Please respect copyright.PENANAJMwwrZ4y4E
“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.”141Please respect copyright.PENANAs0dteinRc2
141Please respect copyright.PENANAHQbUpmQRcU
He put the remaining meat back in the bin and closed the lid, moving his legs to the closest washer he knew.141Please respect copyright.PENANA8rMet7REdB
141Please respect copyright.PENANA4tiFgdETTU
“You would’ve been too much, Damon. I can’t handle all that empty praise. All that talk of being a moral guy.”141Please respect copyright.PENANALvNmQy8sXs
141Please respect copyright.PENANA6KQg4jic4A
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.141Please respect copyright.PENANAHgKB3HQfH7
141Please respect copyright.PENANA7VX9atWjpL
“...Not even my hands? Had to go straight for my legs?”141Please respect copyright.PENANAYfKDoaM9Q6
141Please respect copyright.PENANAgFAmIClmKZ
He closed his eyes. It was all he could to stop the spill, the salty water that trickled for a mere colleague.