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.
8Please respect copyright.PENANARIEZAFyy8f
“Now all I need to do is to finalize it.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAORJa4fJTAx
8Please respect copyright.PENANAkChJ9smjux
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–8Please respect copyright.PENANAwsOGGTZEwg
8Please respect copyright.PENANAMSOKaytfVt
“It’s a resounding success. Awesome.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAgFtjTGpejd
8Please respect copyright.PENANAQo5234ofTi
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANALAqijLJpBv
8Please respect copyright.PENANAO9y1WVCZfG
Should I go and deliver this now, or make a healing potion, and deliver this later?8Please respect copyright.PENANAewi4ueLYNj
8Please respect copyright.PENANA8QuVaZ8Qig
“...”8Please respect copyright.PENANAY4qCtJuckg
8Please respect copyright.PENANAD6IbYW7y8R
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANAuvdprOmRHS
8Please respect copyright.PENANAdevDC2Sr0q
“...That’s new. Where did you come from?”8Please respect copyright.PENANAefdnCW3qVf
8Please respect copyright.PENANALopWExT3Ch
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANAzwcpO0LTCI
8Please respect copyright.PENANAMO2avbnwKb
“I know better. I don’t have the time for that. No, I don’t.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAsXf4OyExuA
8Please respect copyright.PENANAEytPkhHbaa
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–8Please respect copyright.PENANAnPYg0kMk3K
8Please respect copyright.PENANAHI8x2LJnmU
“...”8Please respect copyright.PENANAdwi0vFEu76
8Please respect copyright.PENANAAjaIljCFdl
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANAmX1tfZP0g1
8Please respect copyright.PENANA7MxFVLEiRk
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANAGRZ1ypqRtO
8Please respect copyright.PENANAKpeEAI0q8U
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANAfYL80ZYZA3
8Please respect copyright.PENANA4d3yx34wvz
–
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–
8Please respect copyright.PENANAHPLXAPZ8NZ
–
8Please respect copyright.PENANAV5ewogznES
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANAyYvFU3JmHv
8Please respect copyright.PENANA86gNewCH4D
“Yes?”8Please respect copyright.PENANAbovx9Dy581
8Please respect copyright.PENANAQPAioD8mlA
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANA4InHBwWVFf
8Please respect copyright.PENANA0tXuIMyjQA
“You’re here what I think you’re for, aren’t you?”8Please respect copyright.PENANAoNoHLepy5l
8Please respect copyright.PENANAbN1c9q6ANz
“Y-Yes, Lola. Here, this is the potion I made.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAW3VLwrl8e9
8Please respect copyright.PENANAlPDcbScvrv
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANAmmXHnJFNkE
8Please respect copyright.PENANA2uaqO4MRdp
“You made this in eighty minutes?”8Please respect copyright.PENANA1RvlqZ8JPI
8Please respect copyright.PENANAM0iq0aLaKT
“Did I take too long? I’m sorry, I had to grab some ingredients from a lower floor–”8Please respect copyright.PENANAzWbhj4IJ9I
8Please respect copyright.PENANAvPEusAXDOF
“No, not at all. I was expecting you to take longer. Thank you, Kenny, I’ll make sure you’re rewarded handsomely.”8Please respect copyright.PENANABfYxOunzue
8Please respect copyright.PENANAA8NrCZL5fH
I raised my hands bashfully and rapidly waved them at her.8Please respect copyright.PENANA4KutYIaqQ6
8Please respect copyright.PENANAANLKA1zEcA
“No no no, please don’t! You’re helping us enough as is.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAG0cWhAjhuA
8Please respect copyright.PENANACPE0bhyiRz
“If you insist.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAk8gSFDUYc5
8Please respect copyright.PENANAEeP6nJTKA0
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANApMENLNRm2e
8Please respect copyright.PENANAjRbl674Rnp
“Kenny?”8Please respect copyright.PENANA1Mzpa5rNdh
8Please respect copyright.PENANA7fAPkacuRU
“O-Oh, right. Do you need me for anything else?”8Please respect copyright.PENANANKKO6QCw8T
8Please respect copyright.PENANAnm7DzWcJo0
“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.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAZHipRtbzCF
8Please respect copyright.PENANAKMa39uwzeP
I let out a chuckled sigh and slapped a hand on my chest, muttering a breathy “thank you.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAwoJdyMJymM
8Please respect copyright.PENANAnXlxJVfWNV
“There is something I’d like to ask you, however, just before you go.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAvLqmdB22IM
8Please respect copyright.PENANAGnfIjzuvZD
She said so right as I turned to leave. I twisted my head and looked at her, gesturing for her to shoot.8Please respect copyright.PENANAikhvHBzyq1
8Please respect copyright.PENANAQuXlE4WCkC
“The concoction in your other hand; that bright green tint can only mean one thing, yes? A healing potion.”8Please respect copyright.PENANA8JzC6ltMEy
8Please respect copyright.PENANAEMu5eFBrmz
I nodded at her assessment. I realized the speed at which this could turn dangerous.8Please respect copyright.PENANARZvVs4kBdn
8Please respect copyright.PENANAQtOrAHWY0k
“I see. I see, I see…”8Please respect copyright.PENANAXMpZnucNpl
8Please respect copyright.PENANAvvUcaZhGyw
“A-Are you going to make me make one for each soldier?”8Please respect copyright.PENANAnJRyHD4zAI
8Please respect copyright.PENANAbNMTfMhkvQ
“No, I won’t ask that of an outsider, let alone a child– oh, sorry, you don’t like being called that, do you?”8Please respect copyright.PENANAuukmmaChEr
8Please respect copyright.PENANAgfHQ626Omp
“...Don’t worry about it. I appreciate you being considerate, Lola. Is there anything else?”8Please respect copyright.PENANAy7hmZc6PQc
8Please respect copyright.PENANAECJ3r5ax8L
“I-If you don’t mind my prying, could you answer a few questions for me?”8Please respect copyright.PENANAKr9ECrZnz1
8Please respect copyright.PENANAXRf2AvmJTA
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANAwpdfAhUEh4
8Please respect copyright.PENANAyxUNgpmHmJ
“Please?”8Please respect copyright.PENANAKiTWpWou8F
8Please respect copyright.PENANAjfJOxI5aeG
Though it was difficult to draw a line while she was making such a face.8Please respect copyright.PENANAEcPfAxEpWE
8Please respect copyright.PENANAgNLW1fF6Hq
“F-Fine, but please make them short. I have somewhere I need to be.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAEox28KBlEr
8Please respect copyright.PENANAkKItXcDrWx
“Thank you, I will. It’s just two quick questions. First–”8Please respect copyright.PENANADMeCV9OmXj
8Please respect copyright.PENANAcj8gTRxhYl
She paused right before asking, as if a crucial memory struck her from the woodwork. 8Please respect copyright.PENANAFOUmLEvbrj
8Please respect copyright.PENANAj5yp7NoIqJ
“–How long have you been an alchemist?”8Please respect copyright.PENANA4b690uZZcz
8Please respect copyright.PENANAxDR2G4Buyo
“I’d say… hold on, that question has two answers. Commercially, it’s been about three years(1). Personally, it’s been for… seven?”8Please respect copyright.PENANAoZ0uqRUrq2
8Please respect copyright.PENANA4CPrH7YDOs
“Seven years? That’s over half your life, isn’t it?”8Please respect copyright.PENANAK8EjVvJkyS
8Please respect copyright.PENANAcgJSRGx50Z
I gave a simple shrug with sandwiched lips.8Please respect copyright.PENANAREylyI9MqI
8Please respect copyright.PENANAxCYnFWEyyV
“I started young. That’s all.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAK8LGDtl0b9
8Please respect copyright.PENANAns5xuugVBP
“I see. Being trained at such a young age, no wonder why you’re so skilled.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAVRYN0kYaQN
8Please respect copyright.PENANA7ghsG9ewKD
“P-Please, don’t flatter me. I appreciate the remarks, but they just…”8Please respect copyright.PENANAOLzKhVPSgp
8Please respect copyright.PENANA7meePzbvUk
They don’t sit right with me, I wanted to say, but Lola gave a predictive, discerning nod, so I stopped speaking.8Please respect copyright.PENANA9OJmyigbih
8Please respect copyright.PENANAyqkFzUi42w
“Only seven years… then, maybe–”8Please respect copyright.PENANAggu4Antf5A
8Please respect copyright.PENANAKD63jUMdHR
“Sorry, can you repeat that? I didn’t catch it.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAG4iKmhR4ig
8Please respect copyright.PENANA0vGUriG8gy
She jumped and then waved her hand.8Please respect copyright.PENANAliCLdqAVjA
8Please respect copyright.PENANA6kwFlu0Rgu
“Don’t worry, I was just thinking out loud. Anyhow, for my next question…”8Please respect copyright.PENANA7llfSqXVP1
8Please respect copyright.PENANAaT8qerQCCe
“Right.”8Please respect copyright.PENANA5BkIXmPmUA
8Please respect copyright.PENANAVqQozekNUT
“...I apologize if this may seem extreme, but I have to ask.”8Please respect copyright.PENANACnXLSWZ7Br
8Please respect copyright.PENANAAndhsM3nL5
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANArsp9iTxMfP
8Please respect copyright.PENANAgABKgBRWjc
“Did you kill anyone in the last operation?”8Please respect copyright.PENANA2IgiH9jiy9
8Please respect copyright.PENANAZuB2UuwHHs
“I– Wha!?”8Please respect copyright.PENANACDXQhSfS7z
8Please respect copyright.PENANAbV78NrRFRQ
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANASNoUuVtyK7
8Please respect copyright.PENANAaarWFdFKvO
“Who asks something like that to a child!?”8Please respect copyright.PENANAnuJUqTKJOY
8Please respect copyright.PENANA3nIWScOQki
“Shh! I know it’s selfish, but it’s for my own peace of mind! I have to know, please, did you?”8Please respect copyright.PENANA5yoE1dHr4Y
8Please respect copyright.PENANAWvRmPGkZ2O
“Your own… peace of mind?”8Please respect copyright.PENANAFWzTWVxojJ
8Please respect copyright.PENANAo0qKijshln
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANAHXWmYiQtdV
8Please respect copyright.PENANAfPPG3MmhfT
“I didn’t. I hurt some people, but I never landed a killing blow.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAc1QbzDF91j
8Please respect copyright.PENANAht6D8JNE3c
“I-I see. That’s a relief. Oh my goodness, that’s a relief.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAOfuQrAPjKO
8Please respect copyright.PENANApCjmE8ybyv
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANAUggeWhStcI
8Please respect copyright.PENANAn6W9ontBnU
“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. 8Please respect copyright.PENANA1Xiz8Lf0e1
8Please respect copyright.PENANAxuMZJhArto
“You… for some reason, I feel like you regard me much more highly than you should.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAKMHsnykGkS
8Please respect copyright.PENANASSEqdyMAei
She shrugged at my comment.8Please respect copyright.PENANAj6CjvrlArD
8Please respect copyright.PENANAxNGUsMAkPx
“Maybe I do, maybe I don’t. I think I’ll keep you guessing. Now, shoo! You have somewhere to be, don’t you?”8Please respect copyright.PENANAPkoP5B8IOn
8Please respect copyright.PENANA6CSecrjMi3
Brushing me off with perfect logic before I could respond to her outrageous statement, I clicked my tongue inward and turned on my foot.8Please respect copyright.PENANAcMGDJjyfhH
8Please respect copyright.PENANAAX0YjSDeQ9
“Goodbye Lola,” I shouted. She opened the door and slid right through, waving at me right before closing it.8Please respect copyright.PENANAd1pYxP56Q0
8Please respect copyright.PENANAqwSiJjYcOQ
–
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–
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–
8Please respect copyright.PENANAGWQddShzEI
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANAVX3x5QPJ4f
8Please respect copyright.PENANAkSu4lKcHHU
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANAZZYbtdKmoB
8Please respect copyright.PENANArp90wzHPJu
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANAzUJCovynhH
8Please respect copyright.PENANAFWpPGbaC4N
“...This is ridiculous.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAMshJSpp0HN
8Please respect copyright.PENANAiI5zhQSBMv
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANAsfAcwU90uX
8Please respect copyright.PENANAxv9ybisNMP
“Just go in, drop it off, go out. Go in, drop it off, go out. Go in, drop it– off!”8Please respect copyright.PENANAXMgLFsWQwv
8Please respect copyright.PENANA2TQGlANqLu
In the midst of my chanting, I bit the arrow and slammed it open. It looked far removed from how I imagined it.8Please respect copyright.PENANADU9xSuCsUa
8Please respect copyright.PENANApBIOKmPO6w
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANAapLz7D7bOv
8Please respect copyright.PENANAk5JVA7bymK
And seeing how his groggy face raised to meet mine, I realized how noisy my entrance was.8Please respect copyright.PENANAMKLdF6C5kK
8Please respect copyright.PENANARjWKVUa39d
“S-Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb anyone. I’m just here to deliver something.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAUr4upuFiDZ
8Please respect copyright.PENANAHjLlityH6h
“...Hmm.”8Please respect copyright.PENANABojlwOpdSH
8Please respect copyright.PENANAsLhCELkUNr
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANAxHwBlj8Yjv
8Please respect copyright.PENANAD5wcNPcwwe
“Do whatever.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAj2YRODZhnW
8Please respect copyright.PENANAlOO6xFKqsl
“R-Right. Thank you, sir.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAPWlJbm0S24
8Please respect copyright.PENANAkb88o4r6L5
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANAPsWa9BxYPN
8Please respect copyright.PENANAuU5p7P0AHB
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANAubvAXC1sAG
8Please respect copyright.PENANAwaTtjJOWYx
“D-Darn it.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAJFlNBbqG9s
8Please respect copyright.PENANAN9O7ozvKwx
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–8Please respect copyright.PENANAmvngmGP8sg
8Please respect copyright.PENANANs8pFD4Tpv
“What are you doing here?”8Please respect copyright.PENANApLlyfVL4Pz
8Please respect copyright.PENANAVNKsYjJm1R
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANAfdbS4WtInW
8Please respect copyright.PENANAlR6aURD0pf
There was Rover, sitting in the one corner out of my sight, eyeing me with a lion’s eyes.8Please respect copyright.PENANADL3R8NQnVz
8Please respect copyright.PENANAlowgIuMWUA
“...U-Uh.”8Please respect copyright.PENANA253URYvA8K
8Please respect copyright.PENANA0DRcIy36Wq
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANA3WDySHjWar
8Please respect copyright.PENANAiWMnOMqYVK
“Well? Come on, spit it out.”8Please respect copyright.PENANA5adNuQESke
8Please respect copyright.PENANACQ6Nwr8xCU
“I… I-I.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAX8c1uKYdRK
8Please respect copyright.PENANAw8FFfdfHdO
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANAY6S1U3oBac
8Please respect copyright.PENANAXYLdphQfdl
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANASvpX4X18r9
8Please respect copyright.PENANAtbNfGisCud
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANAYFKLhP2CR8
8Please respect copyright.PENANATE6WH5dAN3
“I don’t have time for this, just spit it out!”8Please respect copyright.PENANAd7CSmSYOwS
8Please respect copyright.PENANA4vaZd10MMe
“I-I’m here.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAHo9J0rOFe5
8Please respect copyright.PENANA4PGZ2uiVV8
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANARdZR9rV2Wi
8Please respect copyright.PENANAyANQE92reH
“I’m– I made— I– Rover, I’m here–”8Please respect copyright.PENANARynHlANQWM
8Please respect copyright.PENANA5qyL1kwGOd
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.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAGjLKTya4Wx
8Please respect copyright.PENANAkOvQBlV9EY
“I…”8Please respect copyright.PENANALr1kAxnQ1e
8Please respect copyright.PENANAzsfHXjmXSi
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANADRtUIUsJCb
8Please respect copyright.PENANA4x0SfT0dX7
“Hello, Rover.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAiWO4M2dE81
8Please respect copyright.PENANAhlBQ9rvhyY
“Hey, Kenny.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAqZ5tBKbUKB
8Please respect copyright.PENANAvQ5xWwGaah
I retracted my stretched arm, then extended it yet again.8Please respect copyright.PENANApOLDJnZS54
8Please respect copyright.PENANAy7hqXFw7zO
“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–”8Please respect copyright.PENANAoAUZQ8sfSh
8Please respect copyright.PENANACEzqCVQ7Us
“Cut to the chase!”8Please respect copyright.PENANAsm8NSYH9zn
8Please respect copyright.PENANA4HA7wqS6kg
“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.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAdraHN2D66l
8Please respect copyright.PENANAl2hD8xtMeA
Her eyes widened. Her crossed arms slackened, and I took it as a signal to move forward. I took it incorrectly.8Please respect copyright.PENANAigeT8Yza4R
8Please respect copyright.PENANAtVFgqbmUeI
“Hold on, you brought me a potion?”8Please respect copyright.PENANAtl6pIYQRt0
8Please respect copyright.PENANAjwmi6cC7mI
“Y-Yes.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAgGGGJwQTnj
8Please respect copyright.PENANAv28f1nadN9
“Now who told you to do that?”8Please respect copyright.PENANAsE5VwQACez
8Please respect copyright.PENANA8VHWSgZlAY
“W-Well–”8Please respect copyright.PENANAebCugcoye0
8Please respect copyright.PENANAR82bItc3wM
Nigel suggested it, but he didn’t tell me. No, mulling over that was wasteful spending. There was only one truth in this situation:8Please respect copyright.PENANALr0X67rTt5
8Please respect copyright.PENANAj67eY5ZpAC
“I wanted to do it. I wasn’t told.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAS0d7l6wig2
8Please respect copyright.PENANAQTwISXVj4i
“...You? That wimpy Kenny?”8Please respect copyright.PENANA92O7mBI4vq
8Please respect copyright.PENANArJDOutLXWf
I wasn’t mad at her insult. It was all too accurate.8Please respect copyright.PENANAFG92BYw6Lx
8Please respect copyright.PENANA23Gv0oAZVu
“Yes, the wimpy Kenny.”8Please respect copyright.PENANA5V8STkDOXU
8Please respect copyright.PENANA5BjI8tSMqb
“Ha! You’ve surprised me before, but this really blew my expectations out of the water!”8Please respect copyright.PENANAEsQkY2FyMg
8Please respect copyright.PENANAnMyWND6vtb
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANAmxmUIdIT1N
8Please respect copyright.PENANAfeeZ0pPW3U
“I refuse your treatment!”8Please respect copyright.PENANAqHtLKvxB3F
8Please respect copyright.PENANAVaWD5C1G7b
“H-Huh!?”8Please respect copyright.PENANAFPKe0TUQpJ
8Please respect copyright.PENANAhUWjXcug1k
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANArrulKmpA6M
8Please respect copyright.PENANAwKUJnc67S8
“Why not? Don’t you want to recover faster?”8Please respect copyright.PENANA5p2AOKAWBo
8Please respect copyright.PENANAya8bven5Rw
“Of course I do, but I can’t accept it. Not when you’re looking at me like I’m some kind of monster.”8Please respect copyright.PENANA9s0hONkcJP
8Please respect copyright.PENANAGwj4Yh6Qv4
“I– Wha?”8Please respect copyright.PENANAuaQ20iHbP0
8Please respect copyright.PENANA4rQV01KPiS
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–8Please respect copyright.PENANA9Uq5FpD8yy
8Please respect copyright.PENANAqQ47BivZWF
“No, stupid! It’s the face you’re making! It’s weird!”8Please respect copyright.PENANA6zHVeZ9Ovf
8Please respect copyright.PENANAOBdeGuVMXQ
“Stupid? Weird!?”8Please respect copyright.PENANAQGyWbmicV3
8Please respect copyright.PENANAkgMf0rer6i
“Do you need the whole room to hear it!? You’re looking at me like a weirdo!”8Please respect copyright.PENANAlWPKTuPGl5
8Please respect copyright.PENANAtM2KQoZh4J
“...”8Please respect copyright.PENANAcCqSe66DHA
8Please respect copyright.PENANAIaBFhyXsyA
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANA9Np8Chnh7m
8Please respect copyright.PENANA8zIl6uLo3R
“Why are you looking at me like that? Hmph.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAGBOAwn07On
8Please respect copyright.PENANAydvSH7P9Rh
As I had no other mode of operating at this moment, I blurted my immediate response.8Please respect copyright.PENANAVcGvkFYjDF
8Please respect copyright.PENANAV65DRBcKvt
“It’s because I upset you.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAUMALxTzf2q
8Please respect copyright.PENANALuJpitt0HZ
And then I realized that something like this required thoughtful phrasing.8Please respect copyright.PENANAvxnANfeIuj
8Please respect copyright.PENANA6cwxafnNqJ
“I don’t– well, I don’t want to make you any more uncomfortable than you–”8Please respect copyright.PENANAZbIcbLfd4m
8Please respect copyright.PENANA2poFyW34As
“That’s bullshit! Man, forget answering that, I don’t need your whole, your spiel you know!? Come here!”8Please respect copyright.PENANAJjBdpqbI5g
8Please respect copyright.PENANAtWCwZlpiCN
“Come, there,” I asked, pointing to myself.8Please respect copyright.PENANAV3o4GBFoMn
8Please respect copyright.PENANAdIP64cRdk8
“Yes. Sit by me, I can’t stand looking at your working legs.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAkKEAbfkAzu
8Please respect copyright.PENANAxu3lhxE68Z
“S-Sheesh.” 8Please respect copyright.PENANAW4BXgAgAZj
8Please respect copyright.PENANAd1qfvo1rxt
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.
8Please respect copyright.PENANAwm5GWBtkS7
“How do I use this thing?”8Please respect copyright.PENANAG7JZukdttz
8Please respect copyright.PENANAW2dhWtHAuw
“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.”8Please respect copyright.PENANA1hkmb3Viwi
8Please respect copyright.PENANAtkRJ7c3Mkc
“Drinking works for me.”8Please respect copyright.PENANASh7YcgliGa
8Please respect copyright.PENANAOg4fQvda4P
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANAW0k5ZkMjUp
8Please respect copyright.PENANA2VSbYX6eFT
“Cah! What the hell, is in this thing?”8Please respect copyright.PENANAgcW9isZSRz
8Please respect copyright.PENANADTJeZ88BAE
“That’s not the problem! You drank it too fast, you dingus!”8Please respect copyright.PENANAtZNgDsGEXM
8Please respect copyright.PENANAy6aiqAy25n
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANAY7bIKX9cWC
8Please respect copyright.PENANA0OBfoiqepr
“If you drink like that, it’s likely to go down the wrong pipe.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAcNPVQrTQri
8Please respect copyright.PENANArn2z02vLDD
“Whatever.”8Please respect copyright.PENANA9KO5cD1KcX
8Please respect copyright.PENANAZlmNeHiQtI
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. 8Please respect copyright.PENANAuRLmsBY2vc
8Please respect copyright.PENANAOJQl4nKbh4
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANAFsAz1i6dH3
8Please respect copyright.PENANAk59eb13QvL
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANAjhq6m7zipp
8Please respect copyright.PENANATbHYU5bMEA
But before I could even take anpreludebreath, she spoke, reading my intentions.8Please respect copyright.PENANA2crLuQVFc7
8Please respect copyright.PENANALRyYqJANua
“Leaving already?”8Please respect copyright.PENANARJ3UgEAqBV
8Please respect copyright.PENANA3C0iWqSQeG
“I-I am, yes. I think it would be best. It isn’t as if I don’t have–”8Please respect copyright.PENANAAoIjlQZGYY
8Please respect copyright.PENANAyqUWg7pVOq
“Hold on, not yet. I still have something to say to you.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAlo7jq5Takk
8Please respect copyright.PENANAcuFhQVfkNC
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANAHfNkAspsKx
8Please respect copyright.PENANABX2aKaqDKr
“That’s funny. I do too. Do you mind if I start first?”8Please respect copyright.PENANA2w6hnpEWQr
8Please respect copyright.PENANAxwg9rIpFVk
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANApylOM4c8UX
8Please respect copyright.PENANAxOjF5Sa5uv
“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?”8Please respect copyright.PENANAJ9NTJWG0hj
8Please respect copyright.PENANA1KsLzGOk21
“Yeah, I do. I remembered how much of a wuss you were.”8Please respect copyright.PENANA9IGsEjFDDO
8Please respect copyright.PENANAgWf5fIsAFC
I almost chuckled. Blunt as a bat, but it hit a bullseye.8Please respect copyright.PENANARJyj1rC53O
8Please respect copyright.PENANAdbqzLSyNpm
“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.”8Please respect copyright.PENANACL9iKKmrhE
8Please respect copyright.PENANASxAEJaRREs
I noticed the subtlest rise of her right brow.8Please respect copyright.PENANAv2XC2i8QQg
8Please respect copyright.PENANAPisaKAyrsf
“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.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAIptGRR5Qdr
8Please respect copyright.PENANA5Rs7TsUilw
She nodded along to my apology. It looked like she was expecting more, but I was finished. So she’d understand, I concluded with–8Please respect copyright.PENANAA1YpUlU0EM
8Please respect copyright.PENANAH8XIdqjcDW
“So yeah, I’m sorry for being such a wuss.”8Please respect copyright.PENANA3iu5KIt0jK
8Please respect copyright.PENANAhRbW9xqGfq
“...Hmm. Ha, I guess kids really do grow so fast.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAfsn0ZkTUgr
8Please respect copyright.PENANALupWhdCEDY
“H-Huh?”8Please respect copyright.PENANArVBKkbkGcg
8Please respect copyright.PENANATgVAlKG8FG
She rubbed her nose a little and continued talking.8Please respect copyright.PENANALHUC5Dn10O
8Please respect copyright.PENANA6JI4kXffbm
“Just look at you. You’re nothing like the Kenny I knew.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAhXReMQAxOR
8Please respect copyright.PENANAntZKC6PKdJ
“I-I, well, I don’t know if I agree–”8Please respect copyright.PENANAjtT0EhvZP2
8Please respect copyright.PENANAgeChQ1RLCc
“Nah, on second thought, I take that back. But that doesn’t matter anyway. Seriously, just look at you.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAHWs9XQbslj
8Please respect copyright.PENANAWwWxyH6dSN
“I’m n-nothing so special.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAdnecNQVHrO
8Please respect copyright.PENANA4iOqHNp39T
“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!”8Please respect copyright.PENANAbGIT27Qrtq
8Please respect copyright.PENANA3qc1NDn6fW
“The letter certainly isn’t a priority.”8Please respect copyright.PENANA5EXSzeXv7y
8Please respect copyright.PENANAJMunTM6eYg
She casually clicked her tongue, tilted her head sideways, and waved her hand downward.8Please respect copyright.PENANAsLklVb9DjC
8Please respect copyright.PENANASFuZGW9OGu
“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.”8Please respect copyright.PENANA691vh989hX
8Please respect copyright.PENANAY4UZKHm6L9
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. 8Please respect copyright.PENANA0vZszYl6Gn
8Please respect copyright.PENANA58mTCfuKfG
It took me only a few 8Please respect copyright.PENANABu4FCnwDQL
8Please respect copyright.PENANAXQbKlDKh98
“I don’t think so. I don’t think I grew anything.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAiAnj42Komt
8Please respect copyright.PENANAZngv0Ncvl8
“‘Course you did! Stop giving me such crap–”8Please respect copyright.PENANAzE5SWQQhyV
8Please respect copyright.PENANAE9Wf89lLK2
“No, really, Rover.”8Please respect copyright.PENANALvGaRl0R4t
8Please respect copyright.PENANAvicT2IE1Ew
I slouched my posture and leaned back, lifting myself with my hands behind me. 8Please respect copyright.PENANAIg3QErhbEN
8Please respect copyright.PENANAP1N4D9MjZe
“I think I’m just lucky.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAeNKZSMUG7O
8Please respect copyright.PENANAGWXbULtoUP
I veered my eyes away from the ceiling, looking into Rover’s, and was taken aback by her utter dejection. Or was it disgust?8Please respect copyright.PENANAb4gCapN0RU
8Please respect copyright.PENANAKDNqpNSsg9
“I-I mean, it’s not as if I haven’t been trying, it’s just–”8Please respect copyright.PENANAR7GKlovLIT
8Please respect copyright.PENANAfGG9eUodgL
“Nevermind all that, Kenny. You’re starting to give me a headache.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAhyJFPPHSBh
8Please respect copyright.PENANAjxJQbEIuoq
I stopped my frantic hand-waving and began to scratch my head.8Please respect copyright.PENANABORB59TPXj
8Please respect copyright.PENANAJCXeURIE4q
“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.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAfDSJjuEmLZ
8Please respect copyright.PENANAsLzTuTnBHG
“It isn’t a drug! I wouldn’t stoop to such barbaric substances!”8Please respect copyright.PENANAKmL4LpLlJC
8Please respect copyright.PENANAb117TeR4jV
“Uh-huh, whatever. Hear me out before you can’t anymore.”
8Please respect copyright.PENANAwASZZjV1kc
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANAdPDBkDTZHu
8Please respect copyright.PENANAwyP6XrCqqz
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. 8Please respect copyright.PENANAT1HCh1Jw9d
8Please respect copyright.PENANAwpSMkedagy
“D-Don’t rush me!”8Please respect copyright.PENANAVWNB2hJNQH
8Please respect copyright.PENANAYJ6VScQU54
“I’m not rushing you! I mean, I wouldn’t mind if you just spat it out, but–”8Please respect copyright.PENANAm01zGOqvmr
8Please respect copyright.PENANAj7ecb84DTZ
“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…”8Please respect copyright.PENANACFmBb1uoSX
8Please respect copyright.PENANAkmj2WRThGJ
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANA6XU9n5z8mj
8Please respect copyright.PENANAPz26mxBtv6
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANAb3rupIWKy2
8Please respect copyright.PENANAXrCHKBkZFR
“Gahh, forget it! You convinced me, I’ll just say it!”8Please respect copyright.PENANAQpngilqAh0
8Please respect copyright.PENANAGmlFRUr9Lc
“I didn’t say anything.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAC5W9qhsIUz
8Please respect copyright.PENANAhPAz2kww9i
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANApNNq4YnI2Z
8Please respect copyright.PENANAcvHqIxPlYw
“I’m sorry for being such a priss.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAJjwToYFhuH
8Please respect copyright.PENANAVL840psXo9
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANAMTaE26ICgx
8Please respect copyright.PENANAixmJC1CXI3
But whether she was or not, mattered not to me.8Please respect copyright.PENANA5TpHMRl4pq
8Please respect copyright.PENANAEjQbLHPIRz
“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.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAe9cu6Y7F3i
8Please respect copyright.PENANAm8El8vA6ux
“Told you all I did? What?”8Please respect copyright.PENANAeHS19fOC7Y
8Please respect copyright.PENANA1BjswmuYUQ
She was caught by a wind of fury.8Please respect copyright.PENANA1psbdTIlHR
8Please respect copyright.PENANASqBIJgGG9I
“You don’t remember!? Are you kidding me!? I really should–! Gah, you’re making this so much harder than it should be!”8Please respect copyright.PENANA5T7XP4MFjX
8Please respect copyright.PENANA71DTGDJ2Pd
I couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. She stopped her rage immediately, donning a look of perplexion. 8Please respect copyright.PENANAxiHQk4gidx
8Please respect copyright.PENANAxn3vW8BkY1
“What’s so funny?”8Please respect copyright.PENANAMubrI4tOSJ
8Please respect copyright.PENANA3VO3Nm4BHg
“N-Nothing in particular. I appreciate the apology, I suppose? I don’t think I’m all that deserving of it, though.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAme55qmZk8R
8Please respect copyright.PENANAt3b9ddxXLS
“Hold on, I’m not done yet!”8Please respect copyright.PENANAGuzYoo2KC3
8Please respect copyright.PENANAjvv0wGLZe6
I nodded in understanding, and so she continued.8Please respect copyright.PENANAtaEbCFhjei
8Please respect copyright.PENANAk81UOiGFPz
“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.”8Please respect copyright.PENANA5oYqF7q9aQ
8Please respect copyright.PENANATlC74yhdeu
“A little crazy?”8Please respect copyright.PENANADwjELyOwEu
8Please respect copyright.PENANAgTaKSVu3Yp
“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!”8Please respect copyright.PENANANCAy64VM07
8Please respect copyright.PENANA9QMHW33DHF
Her hands balled themselves to compliment her offshoot tangent. Her escalating tone made me concerned, but she relaxed soon after.8Please respect copyright.PENANAjpo606AuBM
8Please respect copyright.PENANAmVeF8rjOKy
“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.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAoh6bC0CbeM
8Please respect copyright.PENANANedCbZEOXG
“Well–”8Please respect copyright.PENANAJlie9sklEt
8Please respect copyright.PENANA2rkpPyxwDd
“Shut up! Shut up! Do you know how annoying it is to hear someone undersell themselves all the time?”8Please respect copyright.PENANAw0D6thX4L3
8Please respect copyright.PENANAvffJB2al3i
“I–”8Please respect copyright.PENANAMlud7mtfkz
8Please respect copyright.PENANAwcMz8mKZPY
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANAU7eIV4MZYA
8Please respect copyright.PENANArV3rmSudmX
“Yeah. I do. It sucks.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAuKQ8k2INa0
8Please respect copyright.PENANArYWF79ChQG
“See! I– huh? You do?”8Please respect copyright.PENANA1RALjXsW4p
8Please respect copyright.PENANAApww0fbOK5
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANAIY3w1cXFRi
8Please respect copyright.PENANA0f1WlvRfpB
“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.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAA0xhMJYYTo
8Please respect copyright.PENANApKKaW6UUe6
“Whatever. Think what you want, but don’t speak it out loud anymore.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAPuBhHkc04M
8Please respect copyright.PENANAuZpIENm8bo
“I… haha, sure thing, Rover. I’ll do just that.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAokCdSEvJT3
8Please respect copyright.PENANA3jWbqlAJMG
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANA7t1cdldlGL
8Please respect copyright.PENANA1ORAKJqkSt
“Perfect. I was just about to tell you to leave.”8Please respect copyright.PENANATHZXVUCRj1
8Please respect copyright.PENANAb5c5oyfgvU
“I’m starting to think you hate me.”8Please respect copyright.PENANApfGs3iwP2a
8Please respect copyright.PENANAehBscevzuI
Her hands twitched upwards defensively.8Please respect copyright.PENANAepNDTk51qi
8Please respect copyright.PENANAM7xAsn3Qds
“I-I don’t. I’m just getting sleepy. Any second now, I’ll doze off.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAC5pLoaiRj6
8Please respect copyright.PENANAoz9654f6Kg
“Ah, right.”8Please respect copyright.PENANApFG9W6SZwy
8Please respect copyright.PENANAfW8PdZAZRZ
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANAdcNl4uiebf
8Please respect copyright.PENANAXBOgaYOenl
“That one Bringer was invigorated even with a restored limb, after all…”8Please respect copyright.PENANAhMAIFN96iD
8Please respect copyright.PENANAdpvJawAWOU
“What are you mumbling about, eh? Scram! Scram, I tell you!”8Please respect copyright.PENANAAcXlMQEwy3
8Please respect copyright.PENANA1BHq5eQUfY
“Alright alright, jeez. With how grouchy you’re being, you really do need that rest.”8Please respect copyright.PENANAktm014wsIq
8Please respect copyright.PENANAbuJfBDIPTW
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.8Please respect copyright.PENANAjxPcfQ4cAz
8Please respect copyright.PENANAyPHjk0rD6z
“Wait, one last thing!”8Please respect copyright.PENANAbnkLzkJBGr
8Please respect copyright.PENANApMzyrQrD1X
Then, she shouted unexpectedly. I looked at her with a blank expression to signify my okay, and she continued shortly.8Please respect copyright.PENANA566cyKOnAM
8Please respect copyright.PENANArdYTSUsbGd
“Tell that old bucket-wearing fart to visit me sometime.”8Please respect copyright.PENANADsyHrEM3P6
8Please respect copyright.PENANA5HyjXx7OPW
“...”8Please respect copyright.PENANAk4sAFjUEvA
8Please respect copyright.PENANAsTyy03e3Th
I smiled.8Please respect copyright.PENANAs1g3nRZWKz
8Please respect copyright.PENANA6B0WBxTgGQ
“I will.”8Please respect copyright.PENANA9ZhDFjuMgi
8Please respect copyright.PENANAhGL45CMd1L
I returned her wave and exited the room. The moment the door shut behind me, I let out a quick breath and–8Please respect copyright.PENANAwnFVJK5yrN
8Please respect copyright.PENANAG3K8ZerPPS
“Yes!”8Please respect copyright.PENANAmus2U0rdve
8Please respect copyright.PENANAA0AESKiF5l
A jump with jubilation. I had to. I never experienced such success before.8Please respect copyright.PENANAFeOJ5BEpGs