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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLcjroC9sVn
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcUpuyAJ5jQ
“Ya look like a sorry sort. More like a midget than a kid.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx8IUhInhGQ
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbGcAQrviSt
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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVAw7LGzUBI
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0DXQiOEpZM
Besides, I had a verbal jab I needed to address.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8L2BtSZ86n
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbl7tRYPIHW
“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.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX6PF0CCcqq
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaDR7cG8q94
“Y’know, that ain’t a bad idea.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpSHo6YVwZ7
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv89Gy3OwL8
He did just as I suggested, laboriously lifting his laden helmet and setting it aside. 453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLpJKnjhban
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlaN0b4DEoE
“Well?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLIHAKrExbc
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqRYdCwkYZR
“...It’s about what I expected. At least your facial hair looks clean.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIoPmmPtKXP
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfthU62oPZS
“Really? That thing’s messy all the time.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ZquxKVCyz
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfvRKzbEbxf
“Maybe exertion has a reverse effect. I’ve heard of things like that happening.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqKqx1UpE1d
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoNMPq3DtBy
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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ471uKWzuom
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1gGfwyH4Xn
“I’m surprised either of us are still standing here. I didn’t even bleed from that fight.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVKUtXE0Ed0
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuN9pwiju65
“I ain't bleedin’ either. But that bastard scratched my helmet. ‘Least he didn’t dent it.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvzqmwq0xd7
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCcZLfPpUzu
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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeqjmHYMDRb
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3R8ldO8a8K
“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…”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqKDgYNgpA0
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡshK4p9Ohu2
I tried to empathize with him, but my state inclined me to be backhanded.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW2IpgE2Puu
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaCUVAFZtTa
“You only have yourself to blame. You and I could’ve left if we stopped caring about the letter.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwMlcvHrJdD
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYpPwjBh5LC
He sighed and shrugged. That gesture indicated that he heard my point, but he still had a retort.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqemrY5ToXf
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnrrpyp3vb3
“C’mon, kid. We agreed on somethin’ back in that alleyway. ‘Specially in times like these, ya gotta keep yer word.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuWTAE0H2RW
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8w0p53jKA7
“...Yeah.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwWQmGZgLyX
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmBOijdpAVY
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–453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtfGGzJa1p1
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlR1XSWoDNt
“It’s so stupid. I don’t like any of it”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhRmj7jKrJR
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgfFFavCzbX
“I ain’t liking any of this either.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ42AZsFDP0Q
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVYKExalwTg
“I know! I know you aren’t; you’d be a maniac if you did. But still”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr9Qzokai3T
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgHWBarQzaN
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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzEhrENVh6R
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa4PRtBWOjw
“I’ll tell ya what, though. I wanted no part of fighting for this damn Pillar.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhxZEbQTmvI
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvFDnmPQdWE
“Y-Yeah. That I agree with.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdumswUmPNw
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF2mr84run3
“It ain’t amountin’ to anything either, is it?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWRrbkKl6SF
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiXxigPW8Mv
“...?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0R0Dp9AXmQ
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkk5ynJdWrF
At that, I had to tilt my head.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJHzdrf83T1
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“It’s a detour, certainly, but this furthers our goals, doesn’t it? The Retaliation Crowd are going to help us with our goal after this.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMExg84YsIi
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFF9xrv99AP
“...I guess yer right. But it doesn’t feel like it.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7TijkBJj4C
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw3dbjXhfXs
He adjusted his posture a little, rolling his shoulders and releasing a lengthy sigh.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3vqu8RXMgc
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnAggPxIAEE
“Dennis still ain’t here.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTji0Q4hTgv
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQEkpOO6shY
“...”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrjTRc9cH26
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3EEcaCHbg6
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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHKA3hlZhXG
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB9JP2LQJwV
“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–”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAv2XnZmna6
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHUramKITVc
“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.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJZTzepa6sl
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvupTECjxgf
He scooched across the floor and sat with his front facing me, holding both his hands out to help himself explain.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCfNjnJ1bcD
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKBTRzQwkEE
“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’.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNZz83e8GFC
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqqbSdqaORX
“--!? W-What!?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG1DqXpxC0r
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKqGa1lkiRg
Such an analogy was one thing, but that extreme turn made it seem like a joke.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWtCv7GPbzj
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeldR2MdbTs
“Hold on, Kenny. Ya gotta think about it more. Why would any sound man kill themselves cuz they didn’t eat an apple?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz0c2teS5Ok
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPTGmVUM8l5
“...You aren’t pulling my leg, are you?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqCfg7lx203
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1QmH50AaUk
“Do ya see my hands on ya? Nah, I’m serious, kid.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡctCtYjZRhf
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc8RmfwPK46
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. 453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB4c5VRAEm5
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLZs20lZMhX
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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDx8ShwONhi
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3mF0T0i2Oo
That didn’t really work either, but the idea of a different Kenneth gave me what I was looking for.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEiMDmiVGDA
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT1DkSybu6Q
“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.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPTm3sZmuoo
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx8T1nM1muN
Juke nodded along, and I took it as an okay to continue.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8arSA0uezy
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbJCW24ruFJ
“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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOsgFyKjpei
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRujujuhIGu
“...”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyznnLQoErc
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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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtvTuDt1gyS
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2MXYYwUqtj
“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.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0QuurQ8BDc
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbM8ydImfZw
“I-I see…”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYrzdk4JNos
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7VmXCoMKUM
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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYdVcpXmiN8
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsfHIdyvfTX
“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.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSul2jyvsas
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHj0rcTK1Zc
“You don’t, ‘get?’”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxDqORCAvjM
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq5gcXLMGkp
“Y’know, when–”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpi7CVnL0WY
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsUcR99U0kB
“No no no, I understand you. I do.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn0pUvWvsXb
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW6AcFs6nfq
My muscles loosened a little. I felt awfully warm about the words I would spit.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9FWspt71q1
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLqBY2noVpb
“I just know that feeling a little too well sometimes–”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK8d9twZJWj
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVoNCP3y6yl
**SLAM**453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXXtzQVZWAl
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSNOsj0G7ml
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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOWzn2xoj5I
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVKqiEHuOq9
That is until I saw a head peer from the frame.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVbWYlY0Nxs
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ7tam4CKw8
“Oh, thank goodness. You two are safe.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL1G8cqFTvL
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA9IAOZRA2h
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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV1FESo5wLf
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Zzt7lS1n4
“Phew. For a moment I thought I came at a bad time.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd2dCOf9nC1
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhxVartPAOk
“M-Mister Dean.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQpWFzTeQk0
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv09hmwriw0
I decided to speak up, as the present situation was too absurd for silence.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUhdfdQUVno
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“Yes, child?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ83zHE4jBD
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRtzo3q0uj7
“Uh– well, first of all, are you alright?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKhWJpzjHYM
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEf6G4UXBZZ
“Yes, quite alright. My shoulder is still in pain, but the bleeding stopped long ago. And again, I must thank you for releasing me.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnEo47kowUW
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqqqaDIlQsW
“R-Right.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbmmxLFl6I0
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPhiz3M6esA
I couldn’t think of anything else to say, and looking at Juke revealed he was in a similar boat.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTfYgpg14eG
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡniqE63O83x
“But, enough about me. I came here bringing good news, and a friendly face.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzcLj6zpv9r
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdGRDDPQmYQ
“--Please worry not about explaining it, Sir Dean. I wouldn’t want my duty as a leader stolen as such.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBq29To8ecs
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn2dYjirZNr
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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyk6txx9NNf
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOeovL4lR2j
“Hello, you two,” said Lola, “by the looks of things, your side was a complete success.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjOD0DYLImD
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5kGzAZ4rdC
–
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–
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With the arrival of Lola came the confirmation I was desperately needing. We had won.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpzQtsY5MOq
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGqx6liTDhM
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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz98aVjmsp1
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOpeKEAVUC0
“I was afraid of something like this,” the Dean explained, “but I couldn’t halt the mechanisms of this city because of premonition…”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgCPJ62xaOQ
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxHSeoLrJY4
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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHKewaf2AzO
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLqrumEDJj6
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–453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9UtXL9qGhA
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2IcBI2XjAw
“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.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdsL61z9Scx
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsCwtm6byMB
“Haven’t you explained that already?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEmxZXADAeP
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwZjut5x8OU
“Yes, but… there is a slight problem we’ve run into.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI4R9iXfPFK
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNkqXMJeXrD
“What’s that?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5zAiess5yr
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡejHdyLOHLh
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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfrYVhFlFMF
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD8rXYnRzQz
“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.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ7Cc3MYOGb
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0uJnlq0DJj
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:453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl5ec1hAX87
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvThG7EHf4C
“I know I wasn’t asked, but I think making a signal would be effective.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz1G5CB1sqv
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqddSmoK1cf
“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.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOqSYIXSXOv
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjPRXVhrMh0
“...Ah, so that’s where you’re heading. But how will it be done?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3nGcExodff
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOLVnryEyC9
A smirk found itself on his face. He turned around and continued leading me.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9qYGgKkbfh
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHjGagTsjlL
“We have our methods. This place has been around too long for it not to.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoxCQYpNtUL
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8NLPFGTsQM
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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsbjHOlotrF
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhjIVeGK2hx
“Oh, goodness. And I was wondering why the office was so small.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj4t69xBnpj
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlaaPN9dk0V
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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrRSzZxr0Ab
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYjvGU8KyVo
“Here is your answer, Kenny,” Lola said, standing beside a stall. I peeped inside and–453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeHinRbLMj2
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4amhFNEDzs
“GAH! W-Why is this here?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUUNtMs2zwt
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNBB5Y91rCJ
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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9jRJeTjsPH
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFpI7et7tpG
“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.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡauzmwXJkSy
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡndFCWCNEIV
“I wouldn’t call any curves ‘tight,’ but I guess when you’re as fast as these things, then they can be.” 453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ38WaVsgvTQ
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLBrwh5MYDx
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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡERb4OgEAFe
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr04nTLB2ZN
“I think it likes you, child.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmy3gHqfysq
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfHdmCUctRK
“Please, call me Kenneth or Kenny, Mister Dean. And, uh, are you sure– certain?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdPrl7nl4Gs
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXpTEojQ4UB
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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWbXXzGr4ad
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡumgx2Rw86M
And then, it leaned its head down even further and… sniffed my hair.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS11p9VTEUm
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“Hah?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqangWFobwA
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“I hear these animals love ta smell flowers. Ya do have that kind of aroma, so thats why it likes ya.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw0h4ikuVLI
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWkXiZ5A12w
“I… smell like flowers?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg71xEyRuC9
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUNAoAs9Yxy
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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnwREDOIbRV
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt6cwTYc76q
“Why am I just figuring this out !? I don’t smell– well, I don’t think I smell like flowers?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRnek1nIcJH
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSMfO079eZM
I even sniffed my hands and arms to make sure, and nothing of the scent reminded me of flowers.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3DqKnepg8H
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8n8reMUC83
“Well, ya get used to the way ya smell to the point ya can’t tell. That’s just how yer nose works.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8p3RTPxOd7
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtZ7Bq5Loz9
“Really? I didn’t know that…”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYYPcpqiHU5
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“Ahem, moving on–”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrf1vUUN45x
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ84RvkvhnVp
Dave interjected with a cough. I turned my attention back to him, anticipating his oncoming words.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAKmRw5Vb7A
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWUIxNOAmYr
“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.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ65ZRy0KolG
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs5SH57OE5B
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:453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtz7gQ2Dhco
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ677WF7BAk6
“May I know why I’m being told this?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcNnS0YDTby
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“If you think it’s because we’ll make you do that, don’t you even worry. We’re not so cruel to put a child in such danger, are we, Dave?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKpmSh2o1MS
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYeyovXLG5a
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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwxUlUMocx4
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ptiSwRoLJ
“But if you need to know why,” she continued, “it’s because we need your help in facilitating it.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2QsCSOUINT
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“My help, you say…”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSB7YIqhbsX
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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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUy3HuLf38O
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWaSbpPGUfG
“I’ve heard that you’re a prolific, experienced alchemist. At such a young age too no less–”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTbE2ztf8mr
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkv9iwdY7Ui
“Please, don’t mention it. I don’t want my achievements embellished, especially because of something like age.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh9GTgAoZlX
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTP76ufVd5q
“--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?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkUg5B9SIKV
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVfa2UInVZD
“...Energizing potions?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMeaZm2VDfs
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I knew how to do that, naturally, but Lola was off the mark somewhat.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGgvwxDqZTh
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe7TXzExH0e
“Wouldn’t endurance be more useful? When you’re running both a marathon and a race, just finishing it is most important.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjcqeskixYL
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1o00jIaRpK
Lola had her eyes wide and her head slowly nodding.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMPYRjmb5pV
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“You’re correct. Do you think you can do it?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo7aMqVc7ck
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“I definitely can. I can use some of the empty flasks in my bag. That is, if they aren’t broken.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy2Q0EUtWgB
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoB62LbQBgg
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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJsdevnxN3B
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4iEhsOiTOt
“T-There’re few good ones. One’s unopen, so ya can juts pour it out if ya hafta.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJBLOvrMLh5
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhDkSJXsYvh
“Phew. That’s good. The potency wouldn’t be right if I was just using random cups.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdBqoZC2T68
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I turned around and marched to the exit of the room. I stopped myself before leaving, because I noticed only my footsteps were echoing.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG5yuTDeB32
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“Is something wrong?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvrGFRhJahv
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Lola and Dave looked at eachother. For being such well-spoken people, it was strange for them to fail finding the words. 453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡulG9SYuM99
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“Well, kid–”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaCWZzVI955
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdnO1wqwvCd
Then Juke suddenly spoke out, and I diverted my attention to him.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa1PVP3FEeK
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRG7N23C1pz
“Ya just look a lot more comfortable than I’m used ta.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuzfz2XnUIV
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmBDCjpzsMv
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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRAdA3b8fff
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaNgT2nh3Tq
“Comfortable? I haven’t heard that one before.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgpfNZVILDD
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrsFRyIcWAA
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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcIbSpnQY5m
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWFkZGQnubz
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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK3HzE3HV1E
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“...Comfortable.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh1EBZKKucB
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I mouthed that word a couple of times. Juke always had a fascinating way of phrasing things. Comfortable. I spoke it, I whispered it, I thought it and I chewed it. Comfortable.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuAgFUurFjW
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUic6FgxDMe
Yeah. When it came to alchemy, comfortable was just right.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6HyegdFbkB
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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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc6oAVsAkXp
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5CAWlBNksD
Scratch that, I missed it even as I did it. 453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQH6jxK6nLz
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Even with all my experience, I wasn’t afforded time to let my thoughts stray and frolic into useless concepts. All my focus was directedto the task at hand, the busy method of making an endurance potion. Oh, how I missed it.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRMy6XfBpYj
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK0ZYFAkuw6
“...A little bit here.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0bV39JjIVd
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It took a moment for me to shake of my rust, but as it was only a little over a week since I last did this, I felt good as new afterward. I was performing mana suspension with utmost precision. I’ve made this particular potion so many times, I could just let my hands take it away. Still, as I was going through the process and remembering the materials, there was a nagging feeling in the back of my throat that told me something was off. 453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOngXlOSiAc
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1uzJlXedDE
And it wasn’t until near completion that I realized what it was.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM2XXgHoeNB
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“Of course. Goodness, how could I forget the most important part?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7GrDdlalsQ
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡONKZUJZJ10
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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY0yl4AMbCb
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ22qilmoiTc
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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNJSKymGSEF
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“No time to waste, though.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ2XIk4K7Qe
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So I stood up and exited. The booth was one of several in a particular room. Every booth was an office space repurposed into whatever the circumstances demanded, and I was lucky enough to get one for myself. There were a couple of crowd members up here chatting, and I made sure to wave and grant small greetings as I passed by.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzTmpw7wYq2
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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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOfoG76w51L
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I walked through, waved at those who waved at me, waltzed to the mock-up kitchen organized by a couple of members, and inspected. Indeed, I found out that I did not figure it out once I got there.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDyrZxDxkAI
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“...Crap.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgo4UhzQDxe
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My index and thumb were on my chin, and the arm that held them rested on my other. But looking like a philosopher didn’t manifest what I needed, and I eventually dropped the pose and sighed.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB3MsYEFkKv
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMC5HC7YHAD
“Is there something you’re lookin’ for?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPW52lRqk2Q
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Who was essentially the lunch lady noticed my plight.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnGO7txIjUx
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“Yes. Um, do you happen to have anything with fat on it? And I mean raw fat.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDWuIVvKTE2
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGTbKe6QrA4
“Fat? Fat, hmm… well, there might be some in the trash.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8t82t9UDhG
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtCLELUiSXC
“Excuse me? Oh, sorry. Can I ask where the trash is?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRH7mftflda
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW9awGLqwoO
“You sure can. It’s in one of those buckets right there.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMaLezVGOa3
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm66aZsZUvX
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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡddR8rcMUCs
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjoJVlz0CSc
“M-May I ask, what kind of fat is in those?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBctONq4ja5
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And she responded with confirmation of my immediate fears.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1MDIYp4DLH
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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?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡafRF150VCv
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhiIDU1TcPy
“Crazy indeed, ma’am.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmaaWQjwUDQ
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGrmgqbA4Aa
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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp0nDqDLMUy
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt9jg6DoyCw
“Mind if I ask what you need fat for?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkr3SeQoWCe
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ28H9PRgDq
“Oh, yes. It’s for a potion I’m making, you see–”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiqhIzT5wVd
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTxcslKSEHp
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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvtu18IWTZW
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIeOXm0pNvs
“N-Nigel!?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOzMZHzNxvd
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTBXOWkfJeR
“Correct! I’m honored that you remember me. It’s swell to see you in good health, Kenny.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBN1Qz8Bc8K
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDh9fQWdsKS
“Y-You as well. Also, please, don’t sneak up on me like that.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5MEbRtenC7
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH0JR1gXkVt
He lightly shrugged in response. I clicked my tongue at his insouciant attitude but dropped my grudge quickly.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZfbMYUcanO
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIIeQsJjKNT
“It’s good to see you healthy as well, Nigel. How was your time at the battle?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj6xU0BflKj
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM9XDGegnR4
“Ah… well, first, let me offer you a hand.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj6KRh9PUfF
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8feeNZ03WD
“A hand,” I asked, confused as to what he insinuated.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ix23dGPna
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgA0SUdmKSb
“You said you need fat for your potion, and I just so happen to have a knife.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMJHhdemFEu
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXH59nUKjOi
He pulled the knife in question out of its sheath and headed towards the buckets, but not before tossing me something.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXwV0boxnwi
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“Is this… a clamper?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYRdYDNKgtx
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“It is. I’m sure you know to put it over your nose, right? Anyway, let’s chat while we work.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡehRLc5fMuW
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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.
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8P2NV26cAH
“So,” Nigel started as he made his cuts, “what is it that you asked me?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx78QfaqcCF
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“That I asked you?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSh9NGfJGSF
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I thought about it, and it seemed to have slipped even my mind, but I remembered my earlier inquiry quickly.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9y7Vg9f1Vt
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA3mtjseeEZ
“Right. It was about the battle. How was it? I mean, I know it was rough for everyone, but…”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlPReQMtnED
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSZnNTfViUI
“Yeah, I know what you mean. I might as well tell you.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡieFF6vaOq1
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvT4Hv6EQkn
He stopped rotating the meat on his knife and looked down at it.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBxxiuHDIfj
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnFPSwKxyZW
“...Was it, did you lose your friend?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxEIpM2DvU5
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA7soeZqBUe
He jolted when I asked, raising his head with widened eyes.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSpp2e6XlIz
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA6fNnSkECn
“How did you–”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCjXTjY9aYP
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDNdmcx00V4
“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.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOiFXWuDzDY
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu1n4ddxhvH
“...Hah. You’re a sharp boy with a keen eye.” 453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkSWkJINwSG
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJRAGy9IgI0
He continued cutting as he spoke.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUUk4TnSbRv
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqZvC2zX3MB
“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.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqiPQgFwLTA
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgE9qbpTU6p
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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3oTEsLXBYk
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM9kT8whblR
“I’m, so sorry to hear that. He must’ve been a good friend.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Dr1PsNSl6
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3VLP0HquD2
“...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.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhJmIpO31cf
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnWZF3PuEZc
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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5XShEamfnW
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGVkiCZyk9X
“You saw me at a bad time, truly. Sorry, I’ll continue helping.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcjSlJvnnne
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO3V0QC5nuB
“Don’t… don’t you worry about it.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcLDFI97Poi
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtxZykIGcN8
“Enough about me. Tell me, how was it on your end?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqfWRqo1fzh
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDD3jUODply
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:453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡABnzHbcv5W
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtjdKO1bj2n
“Is that really something you want to hear? Are all crowd members like this, just talking about unpleasant fights?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7nTCzDSdnn
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmNoqSTJad3
“That’s not fair of you. You asked first, right?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSvB79LGUz8
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ZxbT57YHT
“I… darn it, you got me there.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPX4yD6B5mQ
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXYkwvYXIsy
I continued peeling and let my mouth run.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwscGqZlgtd
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0rz3XlrbBJ
“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.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzU3QSI2fqK
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdtNqYVcAVb
Though my right hand would be painfully sore in the morning.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCaHLu4qB5l
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZRJFWbnPoF
“Excellent to hear. You must be a proficient fighter for it to have gone so well.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjQ8w3xWrlL
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLJS4LHULqU
“Not really. I’m just somewhat competent with magic, and my partner had an incredibly useful endowment. We got lucky, that’s all.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoPskeMmhEx
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmOc6iwBApO
“I don’t know about that, Kenny.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxTDjlKkQAv
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzZ39bGAkhU
I looked at him with pursed lips.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDPIUaHYARk
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLKwSAyZwx5
“Why not?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9jGo7dZBAY
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQOELImCP8p
“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.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvFbm9XDDfD
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8zfF0OkjuM
“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.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKn6bJ1oLFl
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvcN7Ln9lU2
He raised and wagged his finger, going “tsk tsk” with his lips.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi5U8Vc0m71
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJswIo9ElG4
“And who is it that managed to beat that enemy in the first place?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5O4EOZiFJF
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrdKvVHRGgr
“--!”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAIm6B5pmHC
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsQOhbN6KiH
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. 453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ2FaM3wN5Y
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL5mAf7H4Wg
“Did anything else happen?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrFQUaAwiGq
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIzDjP6deYu
“Anything else? Well… Oh!”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡztShK4OqTv
I perked up and yelled all a sudden, startling Nigel and making him ask “What?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCvRu1MJSK8
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOnHGoh9uBV
“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.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGOZJ306tYI
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz4uogIKK9j
“Some information? Would you like me to relay it while you make the potion?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6WZ7hRC2zm
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAZCWTUusdr
“Uh…”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRqKhns8R7R
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFZMTu1YYgM
I hesitated, but when I realized how silly that was, I spoke.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9iYOL4BMu1
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0NpU4kbrSB
“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.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnymfKPwX9g
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3SXLJQnhau
“...That is quite a concern. It means we need to confirm all our kills as well.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBSu0A9Okx7
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSC57182DLf
My face retracted and my eyes widened, shocked by our utter differences in derivatives from the information.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr6IzfqRHQo
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBNGIZGp8v6
“Being together with just Juke must’ve been irritating.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR8HJhJeDPQ
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9au0DVVAmJ
“Hm? Why’s that? We were split into pairs, weren’t we?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ261eiVmtsn
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEQ0e9erb1f
He tilted his head and raised his brow, which made me inclined to do the same.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX3ub6IiMdK
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0WuaPGZe8
“That’s precisely it. It was just you and Juke, meaning that you couldn’t work with your other partner, Rover, right?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxDkbZIuqBW
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3eetHKZCvh
“...O-Oh.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjzRLnLmtEJ
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMYeruhCvkv
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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNLdQKVVCws
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPoB7Lmr0iN
“See, Rover and I– and Juke, I suppose –we had a falling out. She’s been evasivefor the most part, and we’re likewise.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsZ6CbqQPCD
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSPLLZHYLV0
“I see… she’s been avoiding you? That makes a lot of sense.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVbiuEUzpD5
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7gJZVpY2wx
I tilted my head at his assessment, as I couldn’t imagine how such a conclusion could be drawn.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBJ2B3PIEG3
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1jUVD9UJwu
“Make sense? How?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJNEQuPNKEO
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe8iZ7qcFvA
He adjusted his sitting posture by slacking his muscles and raising his legs, holding his arms over his knees.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRCClLmxX7C
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsx7gHWcrAI
“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–”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyPmhIJ1eJx
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo6tJ4a4yz9
“Ah, so you were her partner? I figured.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0GDHN7Guta
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGFTySauaBw
Nigel looked surprised as I finished his retelling for him. I could tell he needed elaboration, so I handed it.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJeYXJ3EUd1
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZdO3koFxmT
“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.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaibCqprRRb
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5H5pGYqiY7
“So she still fought alone, eh?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA0upDTfFsd
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXZaad45hQs
“...Yeah. She did. I heard she’s alive, though. I’m relieved.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVN9lfDJuMG
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHOY18FtIXt
“Relieved? How come?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzJAnZfdFIB
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAoMelSEAKk
I jumped at his stupid question, contorting my face as if it offended me.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQwtcfyGxiJ
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtdt4EWKkod
“You just said you fought. Ah, who am I kidding, I know what it is.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb2HZMDwFFy
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg8MFb9h5zl
He pulled his arms closer to his chest and continued peeling.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjVxO02OU8M
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTZ0dx8cgMZ
“You’re probably good friends with her.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt7sLW5xeWz
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSSBWgzIeNB
“F-Friends? W-Well, I don’t know about–”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ZrTg4g2q1
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrIbXY4uJkf
“You’re friends, man. Don’t kid yourself. You wouldn’t have given her that check if you weren’t.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZDodmYram4
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKdn4G2soxY
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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoHxg6XNTih
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkmkt1la7V7
“I hear she’s hurt,” Nigel continued, snapping me out of my trance, “Hurt very badly.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7jzMEQpSjF
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQV4M1IeC04
“H-Hurt? What happened?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuUpHom1jgD
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfCuZzf6H6n
“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.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa9I5a7PFEm
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnLXe5IuS09
“That’s– that’s good to hear.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDVYhuXRaTv
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJVs7lrL80V
“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.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxeDwZIKFSa
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTbcSdjtKeG
A moment later, he put down his knife and slapped a gelatinous mass of yellow onto the floor before me.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiuMqqPeiyC
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkaar1WZA2o
“Here’s all the fat I could get. Take this and make your potion, then give her a patch-up.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuahbgFIUrI
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHjm0teifMA
“A patch-up… you mean, a healing potion?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2BincnODeY
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSHjUjJteI4
He shrugged.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ23K3ErjcXK
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJzJtx6Iiqw
“I’m not the alchemist, am I?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCd6yqJIcnS
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5zRwiQDFla
“...Yeah. Yeah, you aren’t.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgkMuTlQ3aI
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRtDiAGTqfo
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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡELeUJN0ZgC
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ149vP8MfP
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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUXSSbXwCRs
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJD4Sxn2fTa
“Thank you, Nigel. Your help was invaluable.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMhOfMoQnUz
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRmzThBIGe6
“I told you, didn’t I? It’s my pleasure to be a good role model.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdEgL9NGTg6
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBxFC7mcBD5
It was impossible to suppress my smile. His cocky optimism– somehow, it was exactly what I needed to fortify my duct-taped prospects. 453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9FB2YC4pV5
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrDhQkwSIju
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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo2dtb27evy
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4G6JsQ6iDc
–
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–
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3h0Iv7ds7j
–
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXMhICyODfy
“...Role model.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj2Jq9XqyTH
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRQuKGFoLlp
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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMO6gikZR0f
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqPWGizV7bF
“Who am I kidding, of course he noticed.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYrGuPTShSz
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbqIZJBPTkB
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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpw0lvA4p6I
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSFcJNz7cLL
“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.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnge0BIDDVD
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeUJh6Kpqp5
He put the remaining meat back in the bin and closed the lid, moving his legs to the closest washer he knew.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaQs612NXYs
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLYlSu8fUaQ
“You would’ve been too much, Damon. I can’t handle all that empty praise. All that talk of being a moral guy.”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA5aEkQ1ofj
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNQEIDjAapr
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.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbHvhw3ETAb
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtd2crN0tnU
“...Not even my hands? Had to go straight for my legs?”453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEpuXbYuVvF
453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJAQsQ57wyP
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.