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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVA3WZkkUYR
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4KGqmUYlLZ
“Ya look like a sorry sort. More like a midget than a kid.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaGhTezq12f
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLwdLtUf7vK
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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtPhCHDiCio
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9BdoMRfNPG
Besides, I had a verbal jab I needed to address.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9LfrdsPmEy
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBCFI09LWwd
“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.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIAgetJyDLa
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3WuSxlffpC
“Y’know, that ain’t a bad idea.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsGSLChIfhP
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiAChnwC4yD
He did just as I suggested, laboriously lifting his laden helmet and setting it aside. 179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNN9VPgc1G7
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzgvFTrUcmc
“Well?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOGuaAGSrIp
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuF28a61z1J
“...It’s about what I expected. At least your facial hair looks clean.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAGuRUwxRwr
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9HjexSHRjS
“Really? That thing’s messy all the time.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXD3ULYwtzE
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlGQ8ocfgWp
“Maybe exertion has a reverse effect. I’ve heard of things like that happening.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAzHfu4mrIV
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfl04BnA5Zw
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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC24daYZeuT
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNxHZMW5NMa
“I’m surprised either of us are still standing here. I didn’t even bleed from that fight.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUqvDlGlIl7
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD4oApalxwT
“I ain't bleedin’ either. But that bastard scratched my helmet. ‘Least he didn’t dent it.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ZckmIS60T
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ78zihvhwc9
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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe8ML6prCfy
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDgw4yT6U3S
“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…”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡURtS0l6AO5
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcuz79KFZwo
I tried to empathize with him, but my state inclined me to be backhanded.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0keKK7WgaS
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn8d31IGRlo
“You only have yourself to blame. You and I could’ve left if we stopped caring about the letter.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5nKbwIRDsp
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnODLPBrTFZ
He sighed and shrugged. That gesture indicated that he heard my point, but he still had a retort.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHdqyAV7iVl
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwC5PFnUKY3
“C’mon, kid. We agreed on somethin’ back in that alleyway. ‘Specially in times like these, ya gotta keep yer word.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmsydkthInM
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡglDxVNR5Hn
“...Yeah.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqkSiA8BDLN
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmtjkiIA7il
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–179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMATJZnPgLv
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTQ397fcg4k
“It’s so stupid. I don’t like any of it”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYB1fGighwI
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB3sNI8KajL
“I ain’t liking any of this either.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhEClAdk9EL
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ00zQQ9bb2v
“I know! I know you aren’t; you’d be a maniac if you did. But still”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT5OvKy11yg
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcfitefqRgV
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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzNGnZRhNDW
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVEKjs069pu
“I’ll tell ya what, though. I wanted no part of fighting for this damn Pillar.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡki1XHRIdVd
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoE0Bipe4Jo
“Y-Yeah. That I agree with.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLDgW1w59M4
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrq0grStS8u
“It ain’t amountin’ to anything either, is it?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkXN2Ht9SVx
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh8SBnlbfYv
“...?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPNhLGyDz65
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZykya5FL7E
At that, I had to tilt my head.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2UUINWkdkg
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLKSLKgBzKM
“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.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZkmIqLguuJ
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcC6TQj6C79
“...I guess yer right. But it doesn’t feel like it.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYnXZH2DHnw
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkk047XNXBt
He adjusted his posture a little, rolling his shoulders and releasing a lengthy sigh.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSvApFTMQS1
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFsl7X8aEOQ
“Dennis still ain’t here.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu1IwNq22Ov
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE5ry71KApW
“...”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcqAnuylBX1
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVI7x7PGWii
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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFArzV2s10K
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvMGspsMnsX
“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–”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUre0iKrX9B
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡChKU0izj9w
“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.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIweMXy1dMZ
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV0T4xkAYuB
He scooched across the floor and sat with his front facing me, holding both his hands out to help himself explain.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3zSn709Hhh
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHIS6Vf82LX
“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’.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmQ68HcKTQa
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdGjexgWb2d
“--!? W-What!?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKlHBsClFa7
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwY6VrlZFfZ
Such an analogy was one thing, but that extreme turn made it seem like a joke.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmx98ykvc3T
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrxtykaDEU3
“Hold on, Kenny. Ya gotta think about it more. Why would any sound man kill themselves cuz they didn’t eat an apple?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIc8vRDmZUp
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWrnwjfESEn
“...You aren’t pulling my leg, are you?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpmlTjDv8xB
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeliapSmOKo
“Do ya see my hands on ya? Nah, I’m serious, kid.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCo1ixm9Cq5
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3qou4aGiHp
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. 179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKMrJ4j9nyQ
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhIquQFEM6y
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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo4uRm7TqoJ
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfEoLMC6I52
That didn’t really work either, but the idea of a different Kenneth gave me what I was looking for.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBZnh4krKon
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡanhaLuZ25m
“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.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡASoJPE8Xqs
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzIX5qw748F
Juke nodded along, and I took it as an okay to continue.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkjF7DCGwg9
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXNv8Rf3DVa
“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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnKsqZIitl6
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOE99EyfUv4
“...”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnmsRUEitFv
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa9avgMgPrD
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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡosXkRSkVjl
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8xpEdazybu
“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.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD0LGx1JIGs
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7m1qsHu1Qn
“I-I see…”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1kKRwAQHel
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJKkz94Jwc7
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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjUiBLepfRR
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUlszOnFwmn
“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.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCtopZKIUZ0
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6brmdum400
“You don’t, ‘get?’”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvGpBOpJ0rw
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw1kNZsDwyV
“Y’know, when–”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDrokpZE25j
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOgfrgFdjNP
“No no no, I understand you. I do.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4XbsSQhnvu
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQXw28pfSDR
My muscles loosened a little. I felt awfully warm about the words I would spit.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmTR44yCOKY
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFWtGP9m0VN
“I just know that feeling a little too well sometimes–”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF718pQyMe5
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK86dRxXXXY
**SLAM**179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRLPkSrSw2k
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡri2wLVFQpx
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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡozcmIASgiN
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9krqkoPBBZ
That is until I saw a head peer from the frame.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDraHReares
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrtHC26hTYi
“Oh, thank goodness. You two are safe.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNwPZFxQwbb
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡunRUbcIKOE
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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxLoKHcu0Yw
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr2N80jnOG6
“Phew. For a moment I thought I came at a bad time.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCTyvvmcBx4
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdhehV3NHmb
“M-Mister Dean.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI0nVGWFfhK
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡToL5ftHAdC
I decided to speak up, as the present situation was too absurd for silence.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9HbX3L1rz6
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡon4rd9fJt3
“Yes, child?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0gzoKHVDzB
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkYHxstZXol
“Uh– well, first of all, are you alright?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1UfmktdnQZ
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzCS7ldgEew
“Yes, quite alright. My shoulder is still in pain, but the bleeding stopped long ago. And again, I must thank you for releasing me.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUTG8E2U7iy
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRqYikRrHW3
“R-Right.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwjhETfYALz
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkylGGPwlv3
I couldn’t think of anything else to say, and looking at Juke revealed he was in a similar boat.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvzo1HR7Uet
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlNhht5G18m
“But, enough about me. I came here bringing good news, and a friendly face.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgsU7bVnlhr
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv5ACAxg8Yf
“--Please worry not about explaining it, Sir Dean. I wouldn’t want my duty as a leader stolen as such.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1DSxg5WP3J
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbsVs4oVGZB
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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ22lK2lAyoQ
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ46DmnIHE8q
“Hello, you two,” said Lola, “by the looks of things, your side was a complete success.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhQRcgTxlIZ
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtKrfEzhewq
–
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–
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–
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFYxp17e5rw
With the arrival of Lola came the confirmation I was desperately needing. We had won.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS9rvgEKGlG
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsuFsLY58zX
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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4j0A2DZRFL
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjiISnWurRC
“I was afraid of something like this,” the Dean explained, “but I couldn’t halt the mechanisms of this city because of premonition…”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2sv4gaVTnF
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJyRCBYkbT3
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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTuDUoU5r5R
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡybiJcwUisw
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–179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7h5MTDAWUH
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1hIE33w4gM
“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.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo9cLJFbmGd
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgm5SdHUOXP
“Haven’t you explained that already?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0mc9qvpOYg
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ8fgxjBOSR
“Yes, but… there is a slight problem we’ve run into.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoa9bcReDLN
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHYAwV6XDcU
“What’s that?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhAR30vDGx8
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7kL48K8dUm
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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg52VAlwfnQ
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsFX8es4i28
“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.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMyNUAAO3Xk
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡENciGeQTNX
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:179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOyvYutcYgS
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuLfuJPjMbm
“I know I wasn’t asked, but I think making a signal would be effective.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBpY2TsLU1R
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAHhcWQg9Sn
“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.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMZnlWafTx4
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ9VXlXGMb4
“...Ah, so that’s where you’re heading. But how will it be done?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlar1Aq9v2K
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZUxPs3RJl0
A smirk found itself on his face. He turned around and continued leading me.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHsmJfPlohQ
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp7cy7RLwgZ
“We have our methods. This place has been around too long for it not to.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ57nsXpeQJ0
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Eg3ombpKP
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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVD4uLEiLNT
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN6UupmGzxx
“Oh, goodness. And I was wondering why the office was so small.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ27hMzGhkKM
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4c0gjyOgsq
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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUP4ICfFskk
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡklgHPwHDaw
“Here is your answer, Kenny,” Lola said, standing beside a stall. I peeped inside and–179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxImx0MVQ5Y
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSXgqICwoRR
“GAH! W-Why is this here?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVgpKtwUk2z
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl1fzYHswWb
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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbxHofALumQ
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWZggD6l7TA
“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.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡblG2IIl1Mh
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOElp0UQhOD
“I wouldn’t call any curves ‘tight,’ but I guess when you’re as fast as these things, then they can be.” 179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvu9JdpG4PF
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3rv2nGGkRP
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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY0PAMQ3sYL
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCS5qXjalNT
“I think it likes you, child.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzqJgsMA6Wy
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ29f6RI7kM6
“Please, call me Kenneth or Kenny, Mister Dean. And, uh, are you sure– certain?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAxAA63ZzrV
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgeSsDurK9P
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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjDxN7kPtGs
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And then, it leaned its head down even further and… sniffed my hair.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC6CswtHPbu
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnhavJljVns
“Hah?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgi4hJ9qXy0
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxqtckNm34w
“I hear these animals love ta smell flowers. Ya do have that kind of aroma, so thats why it likes ya.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgMwO6StobV
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4qtPpNj8bM
“I… smell like flowers?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4IYRm6rOEc
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjt0s3LqGI7
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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ15nPpxCjj8
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeiPfEbI7N9
“Why am I just figuring this out !? I don’t smell– well, I don’t think I smell like flowers?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKaMkpkiFyv
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡurJZ0ZFBjP
I even sniffed my hands and arms to make sure, and nothing of the scent reminded me of flowers.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVmN6ohfZUT
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzkHOWPPCiT
“Well, ya get used to the way ya smell to the point ya can’t tell. That’s just how yer nose works.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaPCg2ZEHUe
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx8eqemRlMB
“Really? I didn’t know that…”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDQUlMpBHvQ
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“Ahem, moving on–”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsxt1Oh7H74
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ140eIaPY0
Dave interjected with a cough. I turned my attention back to him, anticipating his oncoming words.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Z6sWekJCr
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“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.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaNw8UO4XSO
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgou3zArwY8
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:179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4KMhAAj2G1
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJoUhNzsg8j
“May I know why I’m being told this?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡweXyCQVZb3
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU0GjWH5X0X
“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?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSshiKDnXPG
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRmTtiLbMbe
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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMNxnp6SYNt
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvspepeO87r
“But if you need to know why,” she continued, “it’s because we need your help in facilitating it.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ4dQiyybqT
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“My help, you say…”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC7WoxwIzP6
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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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiP2BXSRo3C
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5eP1htDccE
“I’ve heard that you’re a prolific, experienced alchemist. At such a young age too no less–”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr78gh2yoiT
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJHRkSNUC7a
“Please, don’t mention it. I don’t want my achievements embellished, especially because of something like age.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHmmCJNURTE
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTI7AQmaJv2
“--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?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJmIdxG0qr6
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0WLGmz4jg2
“...Energizing potions?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdfHv7XXj4b
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I knew how to do that, naturally, but Lola was off the mark somewhat.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE3Pb9eXERD
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7yqY1EY56P
“Wouldn’t endurance be more useful? When you’re running both a marathon and a race, just finishing it is most important.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4mT0vQB62j
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj73eARB15a
Lola had her eyes wide and her head slowly nodding.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYx7TFYKntJ
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMxtInKSBk2
“You’re correct. Do you think you can do it?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq3pm1CI0Jl
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmYbEnjAuzE
“I definitely can. I can use some of the empty flasks in my bag. That is, if they aren’t broken.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7tpkBT7OLV
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZrCbEEyJUE
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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmA9miXWg9Z
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH7iGUVDQTl
“T-There’re few good ones. One’s unopen, so ya can juts pour it out if ya hafta.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuALDUWFCtR
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKjzKeT62rb
“Phew. That’s good. The potency wouldn’t be right if I was just using random cups.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK2Piv55f0R
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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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡipLa3R52eG
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“Is something wrong?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxO3GNVszPs
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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. 179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdBcUJIadkZ
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmLawaMq9Mk
“Well, kid–”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU8uF8PtQhQ
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXJRs3q4g0l
Then Juke suddenly spoke out, and I diverted my attention to him.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT9SyDrsrWV
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoRlhZPjGnD
“Ya just look a lot more comfortable than I’m used ta.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4PMKVtXadS
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpwoy7WE3Pj
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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPtz8nd3IX2
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR10rZopIhs
“Comfortable? I haven’t heard that one before.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe7Uy1XZu8y
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvyEXN659vi
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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡom6YH0C2tZ
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm0ItscbZuB
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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLpzNcK5mNk
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjPtjczr84n
“...Comfortable.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoEgYytpWz0
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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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH9OXAJRX5A
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Yeah. When it came to alchemy, comfortable was just right.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8zprPTgoS2
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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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJjKxIPBDn6
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Scratch that, I missed it even as I did it. 179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhkeMjOrWoL
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2vRakL2ViQ
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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ77gAqK9Msu
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAdN9m8Hosk
“...A little bit here.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqdgobM5e4h
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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. 179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlg1k0Kdndg
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj6ZaZx39Ud
And it wasn’t until near completion that I realized what it was.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXXlqk6Ulls
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“Of course. Goodness, how could I forget the most important part?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRyEm0CRglB
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5SMv2hfFu6
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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiHZKvDEter
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡStSXDPxXO1
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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaXpirsYYOQ
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“No time to waste, though.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSUlQKq1LX8
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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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtNqjQzcyW2
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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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrh6P7K7NEc
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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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTUU83wLZbd
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“...Crap.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtTR6EAHO1l
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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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6C2TM4vMUu
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“Is there something you’re lookin’ for?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbGKtcQsAyl
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Who was essentially the lunch lady noticed my plight.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtYGUP5FIAU
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfDaL6xDirg
“Yes. Um, do you happen to have anything with fat on it? And I mean raw fat.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTiBZLyUtxT
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRGhcF2IouM
“Fat? Fat, hmm… well, there might be some in the trash.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzUBIpTsJ9n
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSxFOiXEiHE
“Excuse me? Oh, sorry. Can I ask where the trash is?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj72tyuxUaV
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkFlJyi7Oru
“You sure can. It’s in one of those buckets right there.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAYRGfrNYp3
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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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4m8E9oDpIM
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“M-May I ask, what kind of fat is in those?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWhLpgMBpJl
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWbzOVRQvJs
And she responded with confirmation of my immediate fears.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtFhzkcgaWz
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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?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYyeWo9wvCV
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJFMJrhFAnL
“Crazy indeed, ma’am.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8o9TfzsOOn
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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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKE0MKxh4YZ
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3rCgZtwDpZ
“Mind if I ask what you need fat for?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK4jswUHyMw
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ49YgSjGhMP
“Oh, yes. It’s for a potion I’m making, you see–”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHLHWAjd94n
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4rl85REevW
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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTWOq14D4Jo
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrcFR5LLxmg
“N-Nigel!?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSJMRWyJ3m2
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“Correct! I’m honored that you remember me. It’s swell to see you in good health, Kenny.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ34WrMgUl4a
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYZ6iHtDRNF
“Y-You as well. Also, please, don’t sneak up on me like that.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAcV3z2itOx
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBxfNCSBBeV
He lightly shrugged in response. I clicked my tongue at his insouciant attitude but dropped my grudge quickly.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpLwWvB7dZX
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD3BN3b13SW
“It’s good to see you healthy as well, Nigel. How was your time at the battle?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7uviv6rGX8
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO5sxfwXZnf
“Ah… well, first, let me offer you a hand.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL56yLXeAu4
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxk714J4D4a
“A hand,” I asked, confused as to what he insinuated.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF6n3oAegeR
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX7ca8oPosv
“You said you need fat for your potion, and I just so happen to have a knife.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3hKUqR8Ml8
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaBKF9xSS2R
He pulled the knife in question out of its sheath and headed towards the buckets, but not before tossing me something.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjlMyg320lT
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“Is this… a clamper?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7X7fSz9Qy8
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGNDTJbYStV
“It is. I’m sure you know to put it over your nose, right? Anyway, let’s chat while we work.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3bJRDkaqlh
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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.
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSuFneAU60L
“So,” Nigel started as he made his cuts, “what is it that you asked me?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMbing4IL3b
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“That I asked you?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5v6FtQC6zL
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW7I0JZL9rG
I thought about it, and it seemed to have slipped even my mind, but I remembered my earlier inquiry quickly.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbnqv0CTP2P
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTR3JFIR8Kn
“Right. It was about the battle. How was it? I mean, I know it was rough for everyone, but…”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGMQ0WIQdem
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE5qDyQYaHD
“Yeah, I know what you mean. I might as well tell you.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg4dOZajuv1
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhgn0vdrfIa
He stopped rotating the meat on his knife and looked down at it.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUwwxJxnbEZ
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Vuek8hcsq
“...Was it, did you lose your friend?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdUIRv1ArbT
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUn73PaveWA
He jolted when I asked, raising his head with widened eyes.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcwZAk86oK3
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiGJySFV4a0
“How did you–”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLi1dWfc7qp
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc47w54ih9H
“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.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbyLwT2rqnI
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZ1jzMqluG
“...Hah. You’re a sharp boy with a keen eye.” 179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDXAFdbncVt
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaKWIvotDUF
He continued cutting as he spoke.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6uogqBHT2f
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVWyBlQgtD2
“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.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxUa4VF2Tzd
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUbmBktwn8p
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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZAmHQAqTrT
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8NfD6y1WbS
“I’m, so sorry to hear that. He must’ve been a good friend.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLMpoyV3MME
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbC2aAveSTL
“...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.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI7p1SBF7Lp
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjAiREVoFUD
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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Ho1Wfc6Zb
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcqvp0ShJaz
“You saw me at a bad time, truly. Sorry, I’ll continue helping.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQXC6vXOI0D
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeja7fYzqVv
“Don’t… don’t you worry about it.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjVuS3x7t6X
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoaa9tFX1fz
“Enough about me. Tell me, how was it on your end?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyHLMpRF5JW
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxuRFMdty76
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:179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ50MlJL5KI3
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡarGJfvj0uG
“Is that really something you want to hear? Are all crowd members like this, just talking about unpleasant fights?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡweTa9rnF4W
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVFm7GTNw4F
“That’s not fair of you. You asked first, right?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9RgNxlMCfo
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0bkH5U4Q2p
“I… darn it, you got me there.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1obDxIOCqX
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRa4NdTn81j
I continued peeling and let my mouth run.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBXjPnWJ9o8
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQYBkp2F6up
“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.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtDtzc0lJjX
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnY11PaPHBw
Though my right hand would be painfully sore in the morning.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZfH5qgBeVH
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmwsptGB5TX
“Excellent to hear. You must be a proficient fighter for it to have gone so well.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcCRw3YhJ20
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBsmqOmxoR0
“Not really. I’m just somewhat competent with magic, and my partner had an incredibly useful endowment. We got lucky, that’s all.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfL9qJX3RxJ
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5J7rzWGHmQ
“I don’t know about that, Kenny.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPNXst6Raay
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTl9OElvFN0
I looked at him with pursed lips.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡthY1RffN0a
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhCGWSjoIaO
“Why not?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYzwCetso3p
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ25ZndK0JQ8
“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.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn7cKR3croC
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk86Tkl60Ii
“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.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnVCcy6cItq
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ130OQFLzC8
He raised and wagged his finger, going “tsk tsk” with his lips.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCe6gyjwFgU
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpUcukW8gOY
“And who is it that managed to beat that enemy in the first place?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfLPVkVzBtJ
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVBXPJmpeKg
“--!”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfYuigiMohF
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgOIDDDkAlp
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. 179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWjUqZW02a1
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6V0oQDN8un
“Did anything else happen?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9mrafvYAWH
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm06v6IaKXn
“Anything else? Well… Oh!”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJBov7E8y2g
I perked up and yelled all a sudden, startling Nigel and making him ask “What?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCKfFO2QB98
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF3RB6IdeAF
“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.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOmm8zLaFvI
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxp5r4B4DFc
“Some information? Would you like me to relay it while you make the potion?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLfxQLbW3v0
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡogG3jtkCWB
“Uh…”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4znq4WOwtq
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7e3JoYNBEN
I hesitated, but when I realized how silly that was, I spoke.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsjhtMuoFWD
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4rzlG8Zyvd
“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.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp24I7iZfrl
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdnhyTSxULr
“...That is quite a concern. It means we need to confirm all our kills as well.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKPlIrTx8o4
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaAnTc6c3Nj
My face retracted and my eyes widened, shocked by our utter differences in derivatives from the information.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAqyOeb3ox4
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRLLY04iUrj
“Being together with just Juke must’ve been irritating.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG6PQWKSlUM
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyQbLVKknCn
“Hm? Why’s that? We were split into pairs, weren’t we?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGvublUHptK
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRiOTZyMgEx
He tilted his head and raised his brow, which made me inclined to do the same.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ52aPjP3N8a
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqAfTPVzeEl
“That’s precisely it. It was just you and Juke, meaning that you couldn’t work with your other partner, Rover, right?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4HxzC87fwf
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh5aBn37WTZ
“...O-Oh.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9cKOI3QIee
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYIUi021SQk
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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsRx9NAkUrT
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ02oA9WKRSc
“See, Rover and I– and Juke, I suppose –we had a falling out. She’s been evasivefor the most part, and we’re likewise.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNUtbu8gMN5
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX1lZt0iYHB
“I see… she’s been avoiding you? That makes a lot of sense.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmLXIr6gyO2
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcNlzxw33yE
I tilted my head at his assessment, as I couldn’t imagine how such a conclusion could be drawn.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzi2HYy2m61
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtlEz5S2bzy
“Make sense? How?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZWfab2qgY
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjsAthQJGMm
He adjusted his sitting posture by slacking his muscles and raising his legs, holding his arms over his knees.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdkxQj326Fx
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIsKO4cEiev
“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–”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtIMHK0d1AT
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPd77Qh4a4o
“Ah, so you were her partner? I figured.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeq7Ex0BYR3
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW7u0Ur0b0N
Nigel looked surprised as I finished his retelling for him. I could tell he needed elaboration, so I handed it.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVlD6xSZmj3
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3AiGYc9mqd
“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.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW9hTJRW3wL
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfMv357BKAd
“So she still fought alone, eh?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIEgoe3bvxG
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡarBtGVk2mO
“...Yeah. She did. I heard she’s alive, though. I’m relieved.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdnURmfKfUS
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt86lxxuGwT
“Relieved? How come?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ypua2fupU
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHRRroFNfXE
I jumped at his stupid question, contorting my face as if it offended me.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmxOEbQgFaD
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3dTMjJKmH3
“You just said you fought. Ah, who am I kidding, I know what it is.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFBvDKCp1Jo
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDpzt1scgZD
He pulled his arms closer to his chest and continued peeling.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZa94nckL9z
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0P15jqjA9M
“You’re probably good friends with her.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm5glU0BZDE
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ66dHaeUiyM
“F-Friends? W-Well, I don’t know about–”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcBjyZe6g0I
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkkjfg86T56
“You’re friends, man. Don’t kid yourself. You wouldn’t have given her that check if you weren’t.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI7MHV0qTjF
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnBGrDRdM63
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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIzpUBQVPnQ
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO9BbeP7fu4
“I hear she’s hurt,” Nigel continued, snapping me out of my trance, “Hurt very badly.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEjSUkWtSHb
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsBOIyQ5oiO
“H-Hurt? What happened?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4MoeUpowfc
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp5RKCS8QP5
“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.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsikPXSp1VE
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKNd6bgjDGR
“That’s– that’s good to hear.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCGxVKqofRJ
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHjOISxVOd2
“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.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnU9q547nvF
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWPslsve0Hq
A moment later, he put down his knife and slapped a gelatinous mass of yellow onto the floor before me.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsq0mbM2OTJ
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWJ6RJ1EkFK
“Here’s all the fat I could get. Take this and make your potion, then give her a patch-up.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBol0z9IqDb
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy3Yq0ad8FC
“A patch-up… you mean, a healing potion?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd8dEX5zSoP
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh1mqBWeIIw
He shrugged.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtY2v1iRnkF
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQa0ji2V3MK
“I’m not the alchemist, am I?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEaE1lPdPi9
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXiPXvWlcHM
“...Yeah. Yeah, you aren’t.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuZ0UA0DDn7
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv1dwHG9Obo
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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ86hUYi6ISd
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXxv7DV4n3D
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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnp8k2TAWE6
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC2VHV9wIqq
“Thank you, Nigel. Your help was invaluable.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXk66wqnFaY
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeLGDj7Itcj
“I told you, didn’t I? It’s my pleasure to be a good role model.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUH9hs4kDUC
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡozMvkWB3eF
It was impossible to suppress my smile. His cocky optimism– somehow, it was exactly what I needed to fortify my duct-taped prospects. 179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMB8HDaBKKK
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC3cc5sdNVg
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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1jOwsF563P
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwmKMiCO3py
–
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtXLB8wIjyT
–
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDPrXGn2KNg
–
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpYkWPmmdI4
“...Role model.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaQN6eNB7s2
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8UEEiiCmOK
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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKOs1AkZF32
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIsazyUCnVB
“Who am I kidding, of course he noticed.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡosm89EDQ4n
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM9Jy7Sa5uZ
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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlm5XMcnIaJ
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDPhzihNGut
“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.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVCNCkPQB7E
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8lm7DcSFyT
He put the remaining meat back in the bin and closed the lid, moving his legs to the closest washer he knew.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZXiQ61K42A
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBMszlxNlZm
“You would’ve been too much, Damon. I can’t handle all that empty praise. All that talk of being a moral guy.”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEhaSkkZAG8
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOM7DOzeV46
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.179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi5Io4WuGc3
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPNOdLebBfO
“...Not even my hands? Had to go straight for my legs?”179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡivgxzjIzxm
179Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEQOCC0evPi
He closed his eyes. It was all he could to stop the spill, the salty water that trickled for a mere colleague.
