The fat Nigel and I amassed was substantial for the potion. I didn’t know what to do with the leftovers, but I didn’t dare to throw the fruits of our hard work away. It wasn’t as if another endurance potion wouldn’t be needed.
6Please respect copyright.PENANAlS8UVeWGnR
“Now all I need to do is to finalize it.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAIHbQVziwJN
6Please respect copyright.PENANA1vjy4OgGo2
A few minutes of careful mana suspension was the remaining requirement for a job well done. I did so easily, channeling my shaky focus to form it with haste. The liquid turned deep blue, the color of the distant sea, meaning that–6Please respect copyright.PENANAE1QDr243dn
6Please respect copyright.PENANAXYJ31pijuL
“It’s a resounding success. Awesome.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAB7iJzB8Tmk
6Please respect copyright.PENANAWSw9pSVgfs
I wiped my brow with my forearm and patted my face with my collar. I wasn’t sweaty or anything, but my head felt undeniably hot, likely from all the blood that rushed to fuel my attention. That aside, I now had a finished product to deliver, but as I tasked myself I came at a small crossroads.6Please respect copyright.PENANAYJPp3Y6ZiX
6Please respect copyright.PENANAQVFRTLOsse
Should I go and deliver this now, or make a healing potion, and deliver this later?6Please respect copyright.PENANAeFzSMTyAIL
6Please respect copyright.PENANAXmF3lBSCaz
“...”6Please respect copyright.PENANAnB5klkcqgi
6Please respect copyright.PENANAqxa2B7jaoP
It seemed obvious to me what the answer was. Pragmaticism dictated the practice of the former, as the recipients of this potion were operating under borrowed time. But my left mind dictated otherwise; it told me that it would be a slight– no, a flagrant offense if I didn’t brew that medicine.6Please respect copyright.PENANAw7a20pRS6M
6Please respect copyright.PENANAeRzOvAnqa9
“...That’s new. Where did you come from?”6Please respect copyright.PENANAkQZiZSgaX8
6Please respect copyright.PENANAnDqgIqBiMh
Thoughts like that– I didn’t recall having them. I was hit from left field by this warping, contorting, sapping feeling in my chest. It didn’t disturb me, however. Rather, I was confused. I was uncomfortable, but I could bear this panging, especially with a distracting duty.6Please respect copyright.PENANAsNgtYZgn1k
6Please respect copyright.PENANAFd0CxmRjhw
“I know better. I don’t have the time for that. No, I don’t.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAml59q7HAry
6Please respect copyright.PENANAcOLPaR5TOf
Indeed, I was creating with urgency. I spent enough excess time finding ingredients as it was, so any further stalling would jeopardize the whole city. I had to get out, and get out now–6Please respect copyright.PENANA32OMgHH5KV
6Please respect copyright.PENANAnUvcmulQwZ
“...”6Please respect copyright.PENANAwXxTxuTLnH
6Please respect copyright.PENANAfXBFoojMW5
But when I jerked my legs to do so, they didn’t. They stood in place, locked to the ground by that warping sensation. I clicked my tongue, because now I realized what was happening, and my irritated frown turned into a worried grimace.6Please respect copyright.PENANA9FBvcC2hoY
6Please respect copyright.PENANA1tuVNiGKK5
Even though I had a duty, to leave Rover to hang with a broken leg longer than she had to, left me with a pit in my stomach. It’s Especially so, because I had the power and the will to relieve her.6Please respect copyright.PENANAS5zEuOwlE8
6Please respect copyright.PENANAZJRrhaozb3
Fortunately, I had a compromise. I found that compromise in my bag, slouched against the wall. I sifted through it and found what I needed, then made a quick exit from the booth.6Please respect copyright.PENANAQchmQPO2JG
6Please respect copyright.PENANAa12etCnCSk
–
6Please respect copyright.PENANA532bkaWY2p
–
6Please respect copyright.PENANAa4CLpNvjMO
–
6Please respect copyright.PENANAxwijQrngmR
Knock, knock, knock. The strength of my banging knuckles surprised even me. I stocked hardly half the force in my flicks to produce such noise. But I summed up the cause immediately. I was nervous.6Please respect copyright.PENANA0vvTKrHpVF
6Please respect copyright.PENANAIMwRCWDMn5
“Yes?”6Please respect copyright.PENANA9uTJmhOjU8
6Please respect copyright.PENANACJhiJ4QxwM
The door opened quickly, revealing a Lola who was peekingher head through the opening. Her countenance lost its vigilance once she saw me, and it likewise calmed me down.6Please respect copyright.PENANA1jYo8L2zVe
6Please respect copyright.PENANAzQTfU5oXCB
“You’re here what I think you’re for, aren’t you?”6Please respect copyright.PENANAmGayqD64Cv
6Please respect copyright.PENANAf3Wa8sloBI
“Y-Yes, Lola. Here, this is the potion I made.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAbcqWh9J58T
6Please respect copyright.PENANATUj9A2ozPc
I stretchedmy arm out as she widened the door. She grabbed it with her free hand and inspected it on all planes. At some point, she stopped twirling and nudging it and blankly stared at the blue. I noticed now how fluidly the streams swirled.6Please respect copyright.PENANA6bi9MCgtQG
6Please respect copyright.PENANA6HgCZDBF22
“You made this in eighty minutes?”6Please respect copyright.PENANAqSjIpkI6fY
6Please respect copyright.PENANAEPIKrwW9R7
“Did I take too long? I’m sorry, I had to grab some ingredients from a lower floor–”6Please respect copyright.PENANA6st1yswa7s
6Please respect copyright.PENANACu9zmADt0L
“No, not at all. I was expecting you to take longer. Thank you, Kenny, I’ll make sure you’re rewarded handsomely.”6Please respect copyright.PENANA9q0vbehBPZ
6Please respect copyright.PENANAFmMn5JTtuB
I raised my hands bashfully and rapidly waved them at her.6Please respect copyright.PENANAM8bGFNEaT2
6Please respect copyright.PENANAgEqGxAHYAs
“No no no, please don’t! You’re helping us enough as is.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAViiMP6MuGv
6Please respect copyright.PENANAvexeEhTedc
“If you insist.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAlM1PtiVYMS
6Please respect copyright.PENANAObcthiAMBg
She said so with an upscaling cadence, poorly singing the last syllable. I blinked a few times, and my eyes reopened to blaring blurs. Only my mother ever did that.6Please respect copyright.PENANAsaV2tKaCqQ
6Please respect copyright.PENANAa0hQNHii55
“Kenny?”6Please respect copyright.PENANAb4Pw3MV43d
6Please respect copyright.PENANA5AGpNVhLo6
“O-Oh, right. Do you need me for anything else?”6Please respect copyright.PENANAogFXAxKawu
6Please respect copyright.PENANABHVh6MGf8N
“Hmm,” she hummed, clasping her chin, “if we do, I’ll bug you. For now, make yourself at home, and get plenty of rest. You’ll need it for what comes next.”6Please respect copyright.PENANA0J91HVxeRR
6Please respect copyright.PENANAnjIpez4d1u
I let out a chuckled sigh and slapped a hand on my chest, muttering a breathy “thank you.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAtOwA46jL8t
6Please respect copyright.PENANAgcTiDBcvuB
“There is something I’d like to ask you, however, just before you go.”6Please respect copyright.PENANA6fAhkU8L8b
6Please respect copyright.PENANAfvljIBw2Tb
She said so right as I turned to leave. I twisted my head and looked at her, gesturing for her to shoot.6Please respect copyright.PENANAOzqaSn8ypb
6Please respect copyright.PENANA8aNSdcaQiI
“The concoction in your other hand; that bright green tint can only mean one thing, yes? A healing potion.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAaIdQoQROm2
6Please respect copyright.PENANAEHDGYr2z3d
I nodded at her assessment. I realized the speed at which this could turn dangerous.6Please respect copyright.PENANA2mGuEG1pdB
6Please respect copyright.PENANAkG82t4PI4V
“I see. I see, I see…”6Please respect copyright.PENANA0tZvxVInwr
6Please respect copyright.PENANA5dF3Xovhtk
“A-Are you going to make me make one for each soldier?”6Please respect copyright.PENANAJ1ywLIiQhN
6Please respect copyright.PENANAbzVJjrnnyE
“No, I won’t ask that of an outsider, let alone a child– oh, sorry, you don’t like being called that, do you?”6Please respect copyright.PENANA3M6C7wktGl
6Please respect copyright.PENANAXcVNXezhlE
“...Don’t worry about it. I appreciate you being considerate, Lola. Is there anything else?”6Please respect copyright.PENANAeC7pDLWKlW
6Please respect copyright.PENANACaUmu99Icx
“I-If you don’t mind my prying, could you answer a few questions for me?”6Please respect copyright.PENANAjHBKhaZfpH
6Please respect copyright.PENANAn1WjLiO3E9
She stepped over the threshold and closed the door, but stopped just short of shutting it. As much as I wanted to chat with her, though, I had somewhere else to be.6Please respect copyright.PENANAiFbouCjKaI
6Please respect copyright.PENANAIFWXsanE8k
“Please?”6Please respect copyright.PENANAeFfXXPkYjg
6Please respect copyright.PENANACz14Oiqkdh
Though it was difficult to draw a line while she was making such a face.6Please respect copyright.PENANAxZtC0FQYVf
6Please respect copyright.PENANABD4HpR7uVH
“F-Fine, but please make them short. I have somewhere I need to be.”6Please respect copyright.PENANA7oztSBkW8J
6Please respect copyright.PENANAYnQmVZgzIo
“Thank you, I will. It’s just two quick questions. First–”6Please respect copyright.PENANAtKGNYt8fPr
6Please respect copyright.PENANAzwbKxBESEs
She paused right before asking, as if a crucial memory struck her from the woodwork. 6Please respect copyright.PENANABrztkVx1Fa
6Please respect copyright.PENANAkgKHuYAL0Y
“–How long have you been an alchemist?”6Please respect copyright.PENANAQQKN5U4MLu
6Please respect copyright.PENANANOlaIL8bf7
“I’d say… hold on, that question has two answers. Commercially, it’s been about three years(1). Personally, it’s been for… seven?”6Please respect copyright.PENANASuGxYK7Bun
6Please respect copyright.PENANA7pi6B01Yl4
“Seven years? That’s over half your life, isn’t it?”6Please respect copyright.PENANAx0SbCvNAp3
6Please respect copyright.PENANApPPsoEP2ZU
I gave a simple shrug with sandwiched lips.6Please respect copyright.PENANApgCuh5rDSr
6Please respect copyright.PENANA6lT997ywT9
“I started young. That’s all.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAHKnVPxaoDv
6Please respect copyright.PENANAX7v5EuFYRk
“I see. Being trained at such a young age, no wonder why you’re so skilled.”6Please respect copyright.PENANArsgldtcwz1
6Please respect copyright.PENANAbtf7OsdmcW
“P-Please, don’t flatter me. I appreciate the remarks, but they just…”6Please respect copyright.PENANALAH5MCFbE4
6Please respect copyright.PENANAlGbIecRKrS
They don’t sit right with me, I wanted to say, but Lola gave a predictive, discerning nod, so I stopped speaking.6Please respect copyright.PENANA8GDBHF7XCr
6Please respect copyright.PENANA9F930RVcZa
“Only seven years… then, maybe–”6Please respect copyright.PENANAUQ8bHG3G03
6Please respect copyright.PENANAUASSx1yxqn
“Sorry, can you repeat that? I didn’t catch it.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAgZqhm6Wyly
6Please respect copyright.PENANAq2H6BATZim
She jumped and then waved her hand.6Please respect copyright.PENANAOPUTJz7vEA
6Please respect copyright.PENANATr78veG7aG
“Don’t worry, I was just thinking out loud. Anyhow, for my next question…”6Please respect copyright.PENANAHBwHTQYCwr
6Please respect copyright.PENANAk6VbPXnalc
“Right.”6Please respect copyright.PENANArhkzT3tILz
6Please respect copyright.PENANAbk2IHMFC2z
“...I apologize if this may seem extreme, but I have to ask.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAvZwrAEq5hi
6Please respect copyright.PENANAU6tTAbtxED
She straightened herself and turned her head left and right, seemingly afraid of anyone hearing in. That assumption was validated by her leaning her head in.6Please respect copyright.PENANAVIYq4tHymz
6Please respect copyright.PENANAeeEdxzwM7e
“Did you kill anyone in the last operation?”6Please respect copyright.PENANAjzelg4gO93
6Please respect copyright.PENANAJJUuutU8MZ
“I– Wha!?”6Please respect copyright.PENANAMyLkID3LoH
6Please respect copyright.PENANASDYp4PyArh
I couldn’t keep my voice down, much to her dismay. But, goodness, could she blame me? She put a hand on my shoulder and told me to calm down, which I quickly did, but I still had a storm thrashing in my skull.6Please respect copyright.PENANAY0QTeFqtfp
6Please respect copyright.PENANA1PGVMzvdxs
“Who asks something like that to a child!?”6Please respect copyright.PENANAJM9W4Y7zuf
6Please respect copyright.PENANApt9Ej2bkr8
“Shh! I know it’s selfish, but it’s for my own peace of mind! I have to know, please, did you?”6Please respect copyright.PENANArGNr8yRzIb
6Please respect copyright.PENANAlGbvGEWF8Y
“Your own… peace of mind?”6Please respect copyright.PENANAe9lqMc4r2J
6Please respect copyright.PENANAj7hndZe3gV
When it was twisted that way, suddenly, I wasn’t so apprehensive. I was still bewildered, but answering that question didn’t feel like falling into a trap anymore. And so, reluctantly, my lips spoke the answer.6Please respect copyright.PENANAsEAKq4aLo6
6Please respect copyright.PENANAI2jQVSrB8y
“I didn’t. I hurt some people, but I never landed a killing blow.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAqNQHukINZ2
6Please respect copyright.PENANA0nPNvqXSAE
“I-I see. That’s a relief. Oh my goodness, that’s a relief.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAF3WHgnR54x
6Please respect copyright.PENANAnitACGas6w
She leaned against the door, closed it, and putting her hand on her brow, she closed her eyes and began to… pant? I wondered how she could be so worried. I was beginning to think she might have a screw loose.6Please respect copyright.PENANAEjyUNGaRsS
6Please respect copyright.PENANAY9VgliyL4N
“Thank you for humoring me. You have no idea how much it calms me, to know there’s no blood on such a young man’s hands. 6Please respect copyright.PENANAW9yvLVUeQZ
6Please respect copyright.PENANA8lZDddoUPF
“You… for some reason, I feel like you regard me much more highly than you should.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAwHj0wRqxhB
6Please respect copyright.PENANAYXwyY4COAd
She shrugged at my comment.6Please respect copyright.PENANAeGWw4QptfV
6Please respect copyright.PENANAGYxVUVz14N
“Maybe I do, maybe I don’t. I think I’ll keep you guessing. Now, shoo! You have somewhere to be, don’t you?”6Please respect copyright.PENANApi7iTdP85Y
6Please respect copyright.PENANAozDQETXgPR
Brushing me off with perfect logic before I could respond to her outrageous statement, I clicked my tongue inward and turned on my foot.6Please respect copyright.PENANA3qacPGYrBx
6Please respect copyright.PENANABKtKcSbEaB
“Goodbye Lola,” I shouted. She opened the door and slid right through, waving at me right before closing it.6Please respect copyright.PENANAunlP3sWHbJ
6Please respect copyright.PENANAjoS5TewLHd
–
6Please respect copyright.PENANA4VtpmrEGnh
–
6Please respect copyright.PENANAzeXkAKxH6L
–
6Please respect copyright.PENANAJQsotovo23
As I inched closer to the infirmary, my body had an expected reaction. I coped with it accordingly, though that didn’t make it easy to move.6Please respect copyright.PENANA0ztC7NZ2rW
6Please respect copyright.PENANALabddsqD4A
With every progressing movement of my foot came a wave of resistance double the magnitude. I had to dig my soles into the floor to wade through the spasms, closing my eyes and gritting my teeth just to keep my limbs moving.6Please respect copyright.PENANAD0tKomxEtb
6Please respect copyright.PENANAp5QURcuPZy
Of course, I was exaggerating. But goodness, did that swelling weight pound against my chest. My limbs did shake as I reached for the knob, but I managed to grasp it and keep my hand there.6Please respect copyright.PENANAxHMbcqxO06
6Please respect copyright.PENANArfdKvVY4SQ
“...This is ridiculous.”6Please respect copyright.PENANANaFhVfrWDR
6Please respect copyright.PENANANUFjUNZFqv
I sighed. I looked at the healing potion and gave it a few light shakes, watching the agent crash like small waves against the flask. If push came to shove, I could drop this off by the bed or table and turn the other way. In fact, if I had to convince myself that was all I had to do just to open this damned door, then I would do so. So I kept saying so, a lunatic hustling his mantra.6Please respect copyright.PENANAocSzNLDZiA
6Please respect copyright.PENANAlihIGx77mj
“Just go in, drop it off, go out. Go in, drop it off, go out. Go in, drop it– off!”6Please respect copyright.PENANATipfrIwnYw
6Please respect copyright.PENANAw9TFQcLFbl
In the midst of my chanting, I bit the arrow and slammed it open. It looked far removed from how I imagined it.6Please respect copyright.PENANAylf51KHglS
6Please respect copyright.PENANAI2xxHofy5R
Instead of a small room with curtain-covered beds lined up with uniform spacing, it was a small room lined with dingy, almost make-shift mattresses. About eight people were in the room, and one was slouched on a chair opposite of me, his head hung and his arms crossed.6Please respect copyright.PENANATDJ3DteBsd
6Please respect copyright.PENANA7hPB2UDOuK
And seeing how his groggy face raised to meet mine, I realized how noisy my entrance was.6Please respect copyright.PENANAschUgtmLVr
6Please respect copyright.PENANA4aQfRqicAO
“S-Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb anyone. I’m just here to deliver something.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAjsyiwAj4PX
6Please respect copyright.PENANAdSaCsQSQdM
“...Hmm.”6Please respect copyright.PENANA3uJXyzFuw4
6Please respect copyright.PENANAVcaurU5w0W
The man stood up and haggardly walked to me. From his gait alone, I could tell he’d been drinking, though I wondered how exactly he got his hands on alcohol. He stopped a few paces before me, took one long look with narrowed eyes, and casually shrugged.6Please respect copyright.PENANA4GtbV6yzbb
6Please respect copyright.PENANAcwx3OE0THe
“Do whatever.”6Please respect copyright.PENANANDhLLoanYY
6Please respect copyright.PENANAT8ouroppaK
“R-Right. Thank you, sir.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAx9qo06ZIye
6Please respect copyright.PENANAB7NLaQLSkR
He gave me a thumbs-up and plodded back to his chair. I looked around the room, feeling blessed from my lucky break, and eyed all the patients.6Please respect copyright.PENANAyCOm2OHFSr
6Please respect copyright.PENANA56gThkLP0a
While most were in their mock-up beds, either sleeping, eating, or chatting away, one mattress was empty. By process of elimination, it belonged to the person I was looking for.6Please respect copyright.PENANAMbVXTXKgK3
6Please respect copyright.PENANAbz49dkGAdh
“D-Darn it.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAUScCZ8HpB4
6Please respect copyright.PENANAqSBieimFhB
Gnawing on my fingers, I did one more sweep before releasing a sigh. Rover was nowhere to be seen– not in the beds, not on the window sill, not in the corners, nothing–6Please respect copyright.PENANAZwZKpdueoc
6Please respect copyright.PENANACO0qawXfMN
“What are you doing here?”6Please respect copyright.PENANAYkjfvfpVDx
6Please respect copyright.PENANA2dnvdR8ujg
And then I heard a voice call from me. I jolted, nearly dropping my flask, and turned to face its timbre. Only as I saw its bearer’s face, did its course tone ring a bell in me.6Please respect copyright.PENANAU6KCniistf
6Please respect copyright.PENANA6yOCYJzMlO
There was Rover, sitting in the one corner out of my sight, eyeing me with a lion’s eyes.6Please respect copyright.PENANA0u3R8VuGLz
6Please respect copyright.PENANAH4pUAASoyQ
“...U-Uh.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAmgrL1Jhxs3
6Please respect copyright.PENANAbFhJPE51SI
All my systems shut down at that moment. It was one thing to imagine meeting her, but seeing her face-to-face instead of a mere effigy I controlled the responses of was a completely different beast.6Please respect copyright.PENANA8cpJtDvDrL
6Please respect copyright.PENANAthfRiVdjv7
“Well? Come on, spit it out.”6Please respect copyright.PENANANgAXwbumgv
6Please respect copyright.PENANAbXs4wXiEpE
“I… I-I.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAmyFr2vAy62
6Please respect copyright.PENANA7qSSf25lOK
My body didn’t shake. My eyes didn’t blink, my lips didn’t part, and only the functions of my lungs and stiff throat continued normally. I was completely and utterly frozen.6Please respect copyright.PENANANbEUPnhXnO
6Please respect copyright.PENANADa0uvQZ10W
Suddenly, I felt my face fire up. It was a familiar feeling, but I was vulnerable during its assassination. In front of another person, of whom I had their undivided attention, witnessing my pale cheeks light like fireflies.6Please respect copyright.PENANAHl7fkcVFmy
6Please respect copyright.PENANAjaasX3pV8s
That shame was too much to bear. I stuck my hand out, darting my eyes between her and the potion, and even orbiting my other hand around the flask to emphasize it. Despite me putting it on a pedestal, Rover tilted her head with an eyebrow that raised to the ceiling.6Please respect copyright.PENANAXMVkR3w0h5
6Please respect copyright.PENANAO4PC7b4hxB
“I don’t have time for this, just spit it out!”6Please respect copyright.PENANANOqEbVpfuX
6Please respect copyright.PENANAOyFQsLgIiM
“I-I’m here.”6Please respect copyright.PENANACUMGemVYWq
6Please respect copyright.PENANA4ksgiKj11y
By some miracle, her urging words kicked my chords into action, and I was beginning to form words again. Only, they didn’t have a present pilot.6Please respect copyright.PENANAe8HAajtKmO
6Please respect copyright.PENANAZ5Tw4b1i55
“I’m– I made— I– Rover, I’m here–”6Please respect copyright.PENANAkncwSwi2JB
6Please respect copyright.PENANAcVEwxrd1NI
As I kept stumbling over myself, Rover rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. She looked at me, tapping her finger on herself as if she was waiting for me to stop.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAALYkLfgSmi
6Please respect copyright.PENANAZb6ScBUaXZ
“I…”6Please respect copyright.PENANAHbXtzXUpSG
6Please respect copyright.PENANA0O0Mo0PRc2
I sighed and pinched my nose, shook my head, and slapped my left cheek. I looked at the corner between the wall and ceiling, whispered something akin to a prayer, and finally looked that woman in the eyes.6Please respect copyright.PENANAjucORq0vIM
6Please respect copyright.PENANAqkUkfOpUy0
“Hello, Rover.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAIr1hTmOcfh
6Please respect copyright.PENANAQSixLyDLIv
“Hey, Kenny.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAPP0puQXrUn
6Please respect copyright.PENANAusKh5Vdkuy
I retracted my stretched arm, then extended it yet again.6Please respect copyright.PENANAJ3MYE0lpP9
6Please respect copyright.PENANAncjuU5zCGH
“I made you this. It’s something I made, in light of the news I heard. Well, it’s just leftovers, but I did want to make one for you–”6Please respect copyright.PENANA3y6XHt2W25
6Please respect copyright.PENANA5icRlwrT7I
“Cut to the chase!”6Please respect copyright.PENANAvmwa5cHDDn
6Please respect copyright.PENANAvA4lddIGdw
“R-Right. It’s a healing potion. I heard that your leg sustained a major injury, and so, I’d like to give this to you. For some relief, and quicker healing.”6Please respect copyright.PENANA8okqfeWFF1
6Please respect copyright.PENANAMjvioNeVUB
Her eyes widened. Her crossed arms slackened, and I took it as a signal to move forward. I took it incorrectly.6Please respect copyright.PENANAUwX7JULeY1
6Please respect copyright.PENANADdgY6w7sJo
“Hold on, you brought me a potion?”6Please respect copyright.PENANAQNnA8XLwek
6Please respect copyright.PENANAROpL1XkY51
“Y-Yes.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAUJw6d4kFe4
6Please respect copyright.PENANAZKC6bsvH3L
“Now who told you to do that?”6Please respect copyright.PENANA8OLNNP9ESk
6Please respect copyright.PENANAUaM6fEJuZo
“W-Well–”6Please respect copyright.PENANA0bhb94Wa2m
6Please respect copyright.PENANA466bDujLCM
Nigel suggested it, but he didn’t tell me. No, mulling over that was wasteful spending. There was only one truth in this situation:6Please respect copyright.PENANAflPIKjUa4c
6Please respect copyright.PENANAfHlwTGfePj
“I wanted to do it. I wasn’t told.”6Please respect copyright.PENANA75KPVj8cSm
6Please respect copyright.PENANAy9YvMgeel8
“...You? That wimpy Kenny?”6Please respect copyright.PENANAACR3KEcurx
6Please respect copyright.PENANA9lWQsq8jO8
I wasn’t mad at her insult. It was all too accurate.6Please respect copyright.PENANAsqYF5MdiEP
6Please respect copyright.PENANAkJy227mxX7
“Yes, the wimpy Kenny.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAyZjgmrSAkp
6Please respect copyright.PENANAF6qYG9MIOw
“Ha! You’ve surprised me before, but this really blew my expectations out of the water!”6Please respect copyright.PENANAYZjqRAhxCQ
6Please respect copyright.PENANAFjqqVIMN4B
She rubbed under her nose and hummed to herself with a satisfied tune. As I couldn’t read her mind, I stood in place and didn’t budge.6Please respect copyright.PENANAN47XLRJezr
6Please respect copyright.PENANAXOBxN8enZp
“I refuse your treatment!”6Please respect copyright.PENANAb4VP8VOuuk
6Please respect copyright.PENANArHaLuc6D4R
“H-Huh!?”6Please respect copyright.PENANAdoZQdhYzmM
6Please respect copyright.PENANAAjdtwCIzHc
In a single moment, all my apprehension had been voided. All anxiety and dread, crumpled into a ball and thrown out a window, replaced by a slate of terrible vexation.6Please respect copyright.PENANA6Wz6iQIF2f
6Please respect copyright.PENANAKCA2slg4a6
“Why not? Don’t you want to recover faster?”6Please respect copyright.PENANA9ciHfIECiM
6Please respect copyright.PENANAOuZOY7bmSJ
“Of course I do, but I can’t accept it. Not when you’re looking at me like I’m some kind of monster.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAlkEBBGo750
6Please respect copyright.PENANAarK6OBu1Su
“I– Wha?”6Please respect copyright.PENANAjkClfT4Llv
6Please respect copyright.PENANA4KROL4D71v
I stopped pointing my finger and used it to feel around my face. There was no mirror, so it was the best I could do. Something was off with it, and if I didn’t figure out what, then I couldn’t give Rover this potion, and I couldn’t confront–6Please respect copyright.PENANA6CH5MAi4jf
6Please respect copyright.PENANA1htlGxN2P1
“No, stupid! It’s the face you’re making! It’s weird!”6Please respect copyright.PENANA0819E0Xfha
6Please respect copyright.PENANA2FBamCxP6p
“Stupid? Weird!?”6Please respect copyright.PENANAtovXrYpMZM
6Please respect copyright.PENANAa7XKofmHL3
“Do you need the whole room to hear it!? You’re looking at me like a weirdo!”6Please respect copyright.PENANA3qtAzXjV8E
6Please respect copyright.PENANA77Bw9fgZyG
“...”6Please respect copyright.PENANAAbkx1jGjWR
6Please respect copyright.PENANATNYCqo2r8K
The energy to argue was sapped. I understood what she said, and could do nothing but stare with mouth agape. Rover leaned further against the wall and looked at me with her chin raised.6Please respect copyright.PENANA2p1Qtznnt5
6Please respect copyright.PENANA9C067sgM9s
“Why are you looking at me like that? Hmph.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAYGmxu7k8IO
6Please respect copyright.PENANAXTS0JwqAK5
As I had no other mode of operating at this moment, I blurted my immediate response.6Please respect copyright.PENANAtsaP0G4D9L
6Please respect copyright.PENANAi2TX1ROyRk
“It’s because I upset you.”6Please respect copyright.PENANA1BuDEsYpxA
6Please respect copyright.PENANAax114IS12l
And then I realized that something like this required thoughtful phrasing.6Please respect copyright.PENANAP9yA3NYt0a
6Please respect copyright.PENANAyZEJvxxDvn
“I don’t– well, I don’t want to make you any more uncomfortable than you–”6Please respect copyright.PENANAKe3UM2TdDj
6Please respect copyright.PENANALzdJJpi5O8
“That’s bullshit! Man, forget answering that, I don’t need your whole, your spiel you know!? Come here!”6Please respect copyright.PENANA1RDf88aTB6
6Please respect copyright.PENANAjsMsuEd5ak
“Come, there,” I asked, pointing to myself.6Please respect copyright.PENANAwdtEoYlji0
6Please respect copyright.PENANA9VDglJ0LHd
“Yes. Sit by me, I can’t stand looking at your working legs.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAnt1ephW6QW
6Please respect copyright.PENANADgdduHnjK1
“S-Sheesh.” 6Please respect copyright.PENANAYszid8351E
6Please respect copyright.PENANA431lgvT7Yl
I didn’t even begin thinking of a way to respond to that. I just did as I was asked and walked to her side, sitting against the wall beside her. She snatched the potion right out of my hand and eyed it like an appraiser. Only, if said appraiser was terrible at imitating one.
6Please respect copyright.PENANAIDO5SoK6ZR
“How do I use this thing?”6Please respect copyright.PENANAtFGgBGUsHn
6Please respect copyright.PENANAGcHdoR4XE0
“You, uhm, you have to drink it. If you have a needle, you can inject it right into your leg, that’ll make it work faster, but not better.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAAOa9JaFcgr
6Please respect copyright.PENANAjly6oFLlAY
“Drinking works for me.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAHwAyemSXYT
6Please respect copyright.PENANAeaDW0LeILj
She popped the cork and chugged it to its last drop. She shook every drop out, set the flask on the ground, and entered a fierce coughing fit.6Please respect copyright.PENANAxvLovxc3tu
6Please respect copyright.PENANAlXYJ9gNgGE
“Cah! What the hell, is in this thing?”6Please respect copyright.PENANAu9Wg0K66p2
6Please respect copyright.PENANAvdHf1RbKDT
“That’s not the problem! You drank it too fast, you dingus!”6Please respect copyright.PENANAjW8bIBfL4d
6Please respect copyright.PENANAyOZhSBRqav
She looked at me with sharp eyes but couldn’t do anything in the midst of her coughing. I slapped her back a few times to help it pass her throat, and after a moment, she calmed down.6Please respect copyright.PENANANn917u3Wr2
6Please respect copyright.PENANANarnxAia1t
“If you drink like that, it’s likely to go down the wrong pipe.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAlISENCStmj
6Please respect copyright.PENANA30mkY6DivG
“Whatever.”6Please respect copyright.PENANA09Yc5Un6kB
6Please respect copyright.PENANAjlcEFrJ4uk
With her dismissive reply, she turned her head to the side with what I could only imagine was a pout. I silently sighed, because for all the gritting teeth and flexing fingers her behavior should’ve invoked, it was within my whetted expectations. I tolerated her usual brashness rather well– in fact, my body was as relaxed as a koala. But I didn’t come here to watch her pout, and I no doubt must’ve warranted that face somehow. 6Please respect copyright.PENANA7T2E2DHZOD
6Please respect copyright.PENANASzgFZ2HnYj
She discarded my earlier words, but they were genuine. I didn’t want to make her stressed. Not any more than a person with such a leg should have.6Please respect copyright.PENANAv1WYNfEJG3
6Please respect copyright.PENANARcwLN2O07l
And so, I got up from my improvised seat and brushed the little bits of dust that landed on my pants. I turned to Rover, who already had her eyes meeting mine. It was with such swiftness, that I almost staggered before my goodbye. Almost, but I fixed myself before it.6Please respect copyright.PENANAjje5CbjDHe
6Please respect copyright.PENANAVpMwM5BJ0u
But before I could even take anpreludebreath, she spoke, reading my intentions.6Please respect copyright.PENANASF3aqeWYye
6Please respect copyright.PENANAebrA1bbAId
“Leaving already?”6Please respect copyright.PENANAXEbLNbo2Z6
6Please respect copyright.PENANAjYyTcy6p2N
“I-I am, yes. I think it would be best. It isn’t as if I don’t have–”6Please respect copyright.PENANAIGVGA6StwF
6Please respect copyright.PENANAJLTU7ddy1G
“Hold on, not yet. I still have something to say to you.”6Please respect copyright.PENANADJGFqrhB9S
6Please respect copyright.PENANAkMoEnfHEqm
She didn’t reach a hand. No, not one inch of her body nudged my way. But her crossed arms and crunched eyes enacted a greater force than her limbs ever could, as if a fortress wall materialized on my head. My butt returned to the floor soon after, but what I tried my hardest not to reveal, was that it was self-assisted.6Please respect copyright.PENANAhMJ8XsFKGK
6Please respect copyright.PENANAUI6NYb9gfc
“That’s funny. I do too. Do you mind if I start first?”6Please respect copyright.PENANABZZxyWq4e2
6Please respect copyright.PENANAxBUhjC2gc9
She shook her head back and forth, keeping that iron countenance but giving me the go-ahead. It made spitting out my words difficult, but I was lucky to have rehearsed them. Only a little, of course.6Please respect copyright.PENANAdS0y9TVi0F
6Please respect copyright.PENANAzOIXkFyDrm
“I wanted to tell you, that I’m sorry for what happened earlier. My conduct, of course. I was just– you remember what I’m talking about, right? Back in our little rented room?”6Please respect copyright.PENANAIUfimjMovI
6Please respect copyright.PENANAAnOor9vGgM
“Yeah, I do. I remembered how much of a wuss you were.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAe79prPGcSG
6Please respect copyright.PENANAyqcpScPt0V
I almost chuckled. Blunt as a bat, but it hit a bullseye.6Please respect copyright.PENANAO19NwL3Q01
6Please respect copyright.PENANADOXXN06WRM
“I was being conducted by fright. I couldn’t fathom, putting myself out there, and making myself a part of this mess. Risking my life, your life, Juke’s. But, honestly, those reasons took a backseat.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAavVFlIdLwK
6Please respect copyright.PENANA6ci2M3UfGb
I noticed the subtlest rise of her right brow.6Please respect copyright.PENANA64JfyCUtkn
6Please respect copyright.PENANAv3izi4C8Q9
“I thought that, the lower the engagement, the better it would be. Screw the job, screw the people. The less involved I was, the better. The less it was up to me, the better. I don’t fully get it– not yet I do –but with the words I have, I can tell you this much: that’s how I felt.”6Please respect copyright.PENANApGyTdfY5SS
6Please respect copyright.PENANAzIDtGSkrG7
She nodded along to my apology. It looked like she was expecting more, but I was finished. So she’d understand, I concluded with–6Please respect copyright.PENANAeEAl2eYHAD
6Please respect copyright.PENANAF1clPIofm7
“So yeah, I’m sorry for being such a wuss.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAZxnq03CesR
6Please respect copyright.PENANAIc7IMlin6o
“...Hmm. Ha, I guess kids really do grow so fast.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAryAPEEXmdN
6Please respect copyright.PENANAo1uYAO3g8a
“H-Huh?”6Please respect copyright.PENANAHKHGFOyGVq
6Please respect copyright.PENANAMk5pFJE8fh
She rubbed her nose a little and continued talking.6Please respect copyright.PENANAtGZF8BN2Ow
6Please respect copyright.PENANAEbUSL8VQeE
“Just look at you. You’re nothing like the Kenny I knew.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAmicXMDAJpi
6Please respect copyright.PENANAYhPE6ubHQt
“I-I, well, I don’t know if I agree–”6Please respect copyright.PENANAYcX6SgTOD8
6Please respect copyright.PENANAQ6XIDmNIfn
“Nah, on second thought, I take that back. But that doesn’t matter anyway. Seriously, just look at you.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAObpx0hyaZn
6Please respect copyright.PENANAQnAN4d1JW0
“I’m n-nothing so special.”6Please respect copyright.PENANA0LttiUHC3p
6Please respect copyright.PENANArf9ZMLnBZr
“Sure you ain’t. But here you are, in a room with a bunch of battle casualties. You’re in the same mess I’m in, and you’re finally working to get that letter back!”6Please respect copyright.PENANAyKl6lbXvYN
6Please respect copyright.PENANAw2UKeClJQu
“The letter certainly isn’t a priority.”6Please respect copyright.PENANASUYAXHpD32
6Please respect copyright.PENANAwjM6PR7O3b
She casually clicked her tongue, tilted her head sideways, and waved her hand downward.6Please respect copyright.PENANAGjdyQoypJy
6Please respect copyright.PENANAAe4MnHKWWo
“Don’t sweat the details. That’s not the point. The point is that you’re in the same room as me again, and that means you finally grew a pair.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAhIQwPS6CWF
6Please respect copyright.PENANAqujxw7jpJk
Whether it was he boorish phrasing or encouraging insistence, something about her made me sit on those words. I raised a hand to my chin and looked up at nothing, entrenched in thought. 6Please respect copyright.PENANAS7lJlekCLI
6Please respect copyright.PENANA6aTrdmHA3I
It took me only a few 6Please respect copyright.PENANAxdcRIVXDjG
6Please respect copyright.PENANAwmpvomJCMe
“I don’t think so. I don’t think I grew anything.”6Please respect copyright.PENANA7GoPyVVUZg
6Please respect copyright.PENANAESxlRH7JUH
“‘Course you did! Stop giving me such crap–”6Please respect copyright.PENANAvODJw6bPaD
6Please respect copyright.PENANAwNXUQIQG69
“No, really, Rover.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAQVXFDmXbTp
6Please respect copyright.PENANAEqyOEW5MVD
I slouched my posture and leaned back, lifting myself with my hands behind me. 6Please respect copyright.PENANAG7dqolkyZa
6Please respect copyright.PENANAxldiWzhJkh
“I think I’m just lucky.”6Please respect copyright.PENANA5E5GHNRUpD
6Please respect copyright.PENANAKyZ3D6IR7s
I veered my eyes away from the ceiling, looking into Rover’s, and was taken aback by her utter dejection. Or was it disgust?6Please respect copyright.PENANA4cO3z3gHx8
6Please respect copyright.PENANAvZqYaHho0o
“I-I mean, it’s not as if I haven’t been trying, it’s just–”6Please respect copyright.PENANAs7vBGnMdkw
6Please respect copyright.PENANAaulBStsPbv
“Nevermind all that, Kenny. You’re starting to give me a headache.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAz1ctqbJN18
6Please respect copyright.PENANA44ZMG3OucX
I stopped my frantic hand-waving and began to scratch my head.6Please respect copyright.PENANAHuUvcL9lBD
6Please respect copyright.PENANAubseeaBzNl
“You’re doing something right. You said it yourself, so you know. But enough about you; I have something to say, and your weird drug is already making me drowsy.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAjpjEkk0BrR
6Please respect copyright.PENANAoUOTtzqX6B
“It isn’t a drug! I wouldn’t stoop to such barbaric substances!”6Please respect copyright.PENANAeAeYVLUsgw
6Please respect copyright.PENANAQjiB02bnI1
“Uh-huh, whatever. Hear me out before you can’t anymore.”
6Please respect copyright.PENANAgoAKmvk4Tr
I rolled my eyes but kept my mouth shut, squishing my cheek by resting it on my face. Though Rover looked ready to speak with her gaze matching mine, she quickly jerked her head the other way and appeared to look off into nowhere. I was confused, but I didn’t voice it. It would be unfair of me to interrupt her as she gathered her words, as I hadn’t been so many times.6Please respect copyright.PENANAONjAGNvvHi
6Please respect copyright.PENANAwpZfztOtzO
Eventually, Rover’s face flared and became ruddy. I didn’t think much of it initially, but as I continued to remember that it was Rover who I was talking to, this meant that whatever she said had immense gravity. I perked my ears and sharpened their hearing– as best as I could with the poor funnel my hands formed, anyhow. 6Please respect copyright.PENANAHP2xwfCWr4
6Please respect copyright.PENANAyhAyzci3H9
“D-Don’t rush me!”6Please respect copyright.PENANA31gfFAld1M
6Please respect copyright.PENANANyd7fcSzu6
“I’m not rushing you! I mean, I wouldn’t mind if you just spat it out, but–”6Please respect copyright.PENANATkrbcuq3b3
6Please respect copyright.PENANA4DiWHBqvGS
“Shut up, Kenny! You told me yourself once that I’m too crass with words. Just let me think; you already know I’m bad at this…”6Please respect copyright.PENANAIMGB9H3afg
6Please respect copyright.PENANAtXmTafiuNo
I had no recollection of doing such a thing, but as the clearest memory I had of her was of the incident that night, I chose to believe her. She spent the time fiddling with her fingers, biting then nibbling her lips, darting her eyes this way and that with such ferocity her head jiggled with each motion. I could see my reflection on her sweat, and she was so engrossed in thought that air stopped entering her system.6Please respect copyright.PENANArXyM29AsdH
6Please respect copyright.PENANAElCk4OwVdk
I was exaggerating, but I couldn’t deny that it was making me uncomfortable. I wondered then for a moment, as admonishable as a thought that it was, if this is how people felt around me at times.6Please respect copyright.PENANAz3Rz608Ac5
6Please respect copyright.PENANAIKH4Nyyboy
“Gahh, forget it! You convinced me, I’ll just say it!”6Please respect copyright.PENANANd7K2RbKWh
6Please respect copyright.PENANAvsqHH0pbo0
“I didn’t say anything.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAEk7dF3avLb
6Please respect copyright.PENANAKkqB6AabNu
She straightened her back and puffed out her chest. Her guise of bravery was there to convince herself. The instance her lips would part, she’d cross a fine line, one whose threshold would shut and lock with her passing legs. I knew that gesture all too well. And since I did, I gave her nothing but my most diligent attention.6Please respect copyright.PENANAdDc27rNaZW
6Please respect copyright.PENANA2KJ0aAd9o3
“I’m sorry for being such a priss.”6Please respect copyright.PENANArvuRDVOD8z
6Please respect copyright.PENANAb6NXBvPVav
And I was returned an equal blow. Rover stuck her tongue out after saying that, ready to clean off the ‘mawkish verbiage’ she just spewed. That’s what it seemed to me anyway, but she refrained, as she had only her body to convince me of her sincerity.6Please respect copyright.PENANAAuRyu8UZLp
6Please respect copyright.PENANAqJzbTwHrIV
But whether she was or not, mattered not to me.6Please respect copyright.PENANAXc7ieQDxry
6Please respect copyright.PENANA2iJbGLE6l5
“I don’t regret chewing you out, don’t get me wrong. But I shouldn’t have abandoned you two. Not after how we’ve, b-became friends, and not after how you told me all you did.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAwmvWe6VEyw
6Please respect copyright.PENANA59trV26tUj
“Told you all I did? What?”6Please respect copyright.PENANAPTWnwvDxkq
6Please respect copyright.PENANAxOJ3eI5l3k
She was caught by a wind of fury.6Please respect copyright.PENANAASxCqxqjYT
6Please respect copyright.PENANAR7xuYahkfq
“You don’t remember!? Are you kidding me!? I really should–! Gah, you’re making this so much harder than it should be!”6Please respect copyright.PENANAE1nSiqBaTS
6Please respect copyright.PENANABJ1VnGxzuy
I couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. She stopped her rage immediately, donning a look of perplexion. 6Please respect copyright.PENANA1qQaGtGOah
6Please respect copyright.PENANAL2LRx4dJkg
“What’s so funny?”6Please respect copyright.PENANANSFRvEP5bu
6Please respect copyright.PENANAmNSd4ZMuPn
“N-Nothing in particular. I appreciate the apology, I suppose? I don’t think I’m all that deserving of it, though.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAKgoQnKBr2O
6Please respect copyright.PENANA7DYn2kzSkq
“Hold on, I’m not done yet!”6Please respect copyright.PENANA4gzz01ue1A
6Please respect copyright.PENANA3BNAnNLTq1
I nodded in understanding, and so she continued.6Please respect copyright.PENANAaxq31stqSW
6Please respect copyright.PENANAQw2ccJOY0l
“As I was saying… I was so mad, but I was never that mad. And I get why now. Because when it comes to anything Hard-Bringer, I get a little crazy.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAZQ3AAGLHJ0
6Please respect copyright.PENANALxmn64P3Cs
“A little crazy?”6Please respect copyright.PENANAkb8EgPpVG2
6Please respect copyright.PENANAiw0eH9JuDk
“Yes, idiot, I just said that. They piss me off like you wouldn’t believe. Screw that, I don’t get a little crazy, I grow mad, mad!”6Please respect copyright.PENANApKpznsl6Th
6Please respect copyright.PENANA8xVg5lOC2t
Her hands balled themselves to compliment her offshoot tangent. Her escalating tone made me concerned, but she relaxed soon after.6Please respect copyright.PENANAbwB8tGXWNm
6Please respect copyright.PENANA2h4IbYN9Pv
“So yeah. Sorry for messing up. And, sorry for thinking you were such a wimp. I thought you were totally hopeless, but I was off the mark.”6Please respect copyright.PENANA2glPHgERXs
6Please respect copyright.PENANAw3hwnHAFG3
“Well–”6Please respect copyright.PENANAHp1Um2aphK
6Please respect copyright.PENANAwOhoZHHysW
“Shut up! Shut up! Do you know how annoying it is to hear someone undersell themselves all the time?”6Please respect copyright.PENANAiD8MNyuVn3
6Please respect copyright.PENANAdRjoczYHLo
“I–”6Please respect copyright.PENANAx5cfAU63Qz
6Please respect copyright.PENANA98kPo4MLdX
It was that precise phrasing, that specific selection of words and syntax, and her usual, but energized voice that spelled it out for me, that allowed a candle to ignite in my mind. A quick image flashed in my mind, one of a man of close acquaintanceship, and then my throat spoke on its own.6Please respect copyright.PENANA4JjAS7qGA0
6Please respect copyright.PENANAX05wBDW2Lf
“Yeah. I do. It sucks.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAzJWR496HEB
6Please respect copyright.PENANAig7gqtzTvo
“See! I– huh? You do?”6Please respect copyright.PENANAjJQkqJGDTX
6Please respect copyright.PENANA6bgyiEAaLs
I slowly nodded along. Rover looked with pleasant surprise. She was more than eager to take my word for it, and in fact looked delighted after I spoke.6Please respect copyright.PENANAVSG7KDotwY
6Please respect copyright.PENANAvTkequcnlo
“Still,” I began, “as grating as it may be for your ears, I really have to stress that I think you’re wrong about me. I’m still a wimp.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAdlL7FylRD4
6Please respect copyright.PENANATcAMiX9R3H
“Whatever. Think what you want, but don’t speak it out loud anymore.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAoMIQqryg0H
6Please respect copyright.PENANAOajmpLLvHB
“I… haha, sure thing, Rover. I’ll do just that.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAHG8763ldoq
6Please respect copyright.PENANAk7NVBuxIcF
Her candid words were the perfect closer. There was wisdom in that harsh language– a funny thing to call it, as she was only a few years older than me –but wisdom nevertheless. No speech of mine could be a better finale, so I gathered myself and stood up from the floor.6Please respect copyright.PENANAXP2IyQ4kxI
6Please respect copyright.PENANACXXgyIAGbS
“Perfect. I was just about to tell you to leave.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAgLKschj6oy
6Please respect copyright.PENANAuGvqEbX9eG
“I’m starting to think you hate me.”6Please respect copyright.PENANApu0boCmR9V
6Please respect copyright.PENANAFAxB8E31Ex
Her hands twitched upwards defensively.6Please respect copyright.PENANAAhUmlAIRZW
6Please respect copyright.PENANAoZqElw65az
“I-I don’t. I’m just getting sleepy. Any second now, I’ll doze off.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAsdz6fJY9Y8
6Please respect copyright.PENANAZgPq89SfpR
“Ah, right.”6Please respect copyright.PENANARuNjNLC7yk
6Please respect copyright.PENANA0s5xtBPEZU
She mentioned it just a few minutes ago, but it didn’t compute with me until now. Recovery would always be an exhausting thing, especially with assistance from potions. I wondered for a moment if there was a way to mitigate that.6Please respect copyright.PENANAPuhj89NKCu
6Please respect copyright.PENANArJuLksfntw
“That one Bringer was invigorated even with a restored limb, after all…”6Please respect copyright.PENANAMxIW4EBAK2
6Please respect copyright.PENANAgPbTNRljvO
“What are you mumbling about, eh? Scram! Scram, I tell you!”6Please respect copyright.PENANAxF3wYxkbMD
6Please respect copyright.PENANA3BXDOxcHH6
“Alright alright, jeez. With how grouchy you’re being, you really do need that rest.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAB0jVkY12KS
6Please respect copyright.PENANANYBju75V5B
She stuck her tongue out at me this time. I took it with a light heart, waltzing to the door and stretching as I made my way. I placed my hand on it but stopped short of opening, taking one last look at Rover. Her eyes were taking turns closing. I could tell she was exerting herself when she waved me off.6Please respect copyright.PENANAkaU9m2YjaR
6Please respect copyright.PENANA87kcXRfnoN
“Wait, one last thing!”6Please respect copyright.PENANANX9WosTVbx
6Please respect copyright.PENANAyJlHur6MsL
Then, she shouted unexpectedly. I looked at her with a blank expression to signify my okay, and she continued shortly.6Please respect copyright.PENANAYiHMCPYzEk
6Please respect copyright.PENANAQNkQlXAL85
“Tell that old bucket-wearing fart to visit me sometime.”6Please respect copyright.PENANAVgr78cdlen
6Please respect copyright.PENANAVs9cQfmA1U
“...”6Please respect copyright.PENANA6miE5Vbx0T
6Please respect copyright.PENANAj49I4IGncU
I smiled.6Please respect copyright.PENANAi3eIP2JW9m
6Please respect copyright.PENANARk9f7VmEVK
“I will.”6Please respect copyright.PENANACwXw2QBkUs
6Please respect copyright.PENANATAhN8wKA8Y
I returned her wave and exited the room. The moment the door shut behind me, I let out a quick breath and–6Please respect copyright.PENANAMDDHJvyUyO
6Please respect copyright.PENANAsmerjOUYQv
“Yes!”6Please respect copyright.PENANAWsUKaf5fmI
6Please respect copyright.PENANA2iUTokNIiZ
A jump with jubilation. I had to. I never experienced such success before.6Please respect copyright.PENANAdo9CTnZRwx