Sleep wasn't brought by my collapse. I was plagued by a lingering restlessness, a prickling bit of caution that blocked my eyes from fully closing. Instead, I used my granted time to keep watch of the door whilst against a desk, an arm slung over my knee.265Please respect copyright.PENANAaha6p21z5u
265Please respect copyright.PENANAub0e95VPSM
“Ya look like a sorry sort. More like a midget than a kid.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAwgWUHO1L5l
265Please respect copyright.PENANAU9eUmvkNp5
Juke joined me in my resting. The both of us eyed the door, keeping careful watch for any sudden enemies. It probably wasn’t the best course of action, I realized, as that dean was likely to get in trouble. But he was out of sight, and thus, for the time being, out of mind.265Please respect copyright.PENANAnFjkXUpB2v
265Please respect copyright.PENANAV2GwkKYCWn
Besides, I had a verbal jab I needed to address.265Please respect copyright.PENANAuc2xW8NjWG
265Please respect copyright.PENANATZUowbxptA
“There are thousands of better ways to say I have a sullen or exhausted face. Take your helmet off; I’m certain you aren’t faring any better.”265Please respect copyright.PENANACvMWRXawjE
265Please respect copyright.PENANAGhMakBvchd
“Y’know, that ain’t a bad idea.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAAnIOYqgWqx
265Please respect copyright.PENANA7MLtecXmBJ
He did just as I suggested, laboriously lifting his laden helmet and setting it aside. 265Please respect copyright.PENANAeMi3lC6bgb
265Please respect copyright.PENANA8bzXThi0d8
“Well?”265Please respect copyright.PENANASdHOoU2YpI
265Please respect copyright.PENANAVtwmZYZCcA
“...It’s about what I expected. At least your facial hair looks clean.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAn74CFVa7SB
265Please respect copyright.PENANAgmXsKVJEWb
“Really? That thing’s messy all the time.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAlGzlC3vrt8
265Please respect copyright.PENANAW2DADmnqaE
“Maybe exertion has a reverse effect. I’ve heard of things like that happening.”265Please respect copyright.PENANA3hOCn9lT3r
265Please respect copyright.PENANAJ6hi4bLnEI
He stroked his lengthy stubble in contemplation. I let him do that and continued glaring at the entrance, waiting but hoping not for something to pop out.265Please respect copyright.PENANAm3GzOeLhrl
265Please respect copyright.PENANAF8Fv7ohwqS
“I’m surprised either of us are still standing here. I didn’t even bleed from that fight.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAhdJTvmO46L
265Please respect copyright.PENANAY6WVLlR6CA
“I ain't bleedin’ either. But that bastard scratched my helmet. ‘Least he didn’t dent it.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAIKfw2j5Jqc
265Please respect copyright.PENANA0afju8oPrc
He grabbed it and rotated it to spot the marks left by the Bringer’s blade. They were very obvious once he pointed them out, making me feel dumb for not noticing them.265Please respect copyright.PENANAhmvfRCQuEu
265Please respect copyright.PENANAMpuvDwXwhW
“I’m glad, cuz it means I ain’t gotta get a new one. And if I had ta, I can’t, since I’m stuck in this crazy place. And ta think I still got another tower to fight…”265Please respect copyright.PENANAmBJ0fu8a5o
265Please respect copyright.PENANAKOwfwIQeuD
I tried to empathize with him, but my state inclined me to be backhanded.265Please respect copyright.PENANARdsW80hcPX
265Please respect copyright.PENANAuEfe2sDAyc
“You only have yourself to blame. You and I could’ve left if we stopped caring about the letter.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAngmJqhFUfT
265Please respect copyright.PENANAQ5SrHhDtqr
He sighed and shrugged. That gesture indicated that he heard my point, but he still had a retort.265Please respect copyright.PENANAcPQqPafPnm
265Please respect copyright.PENANAHkBi6rt3tm
“C’mon, kid. We agreed on somethin’ back in that alleyway. ‘Specially in times like these, ya gotta keep yer word.”265Please respect copyright.PENANALPwFQwJRoV
265Please respect copyright.PENANAFRNZoCFoXH
“...Yeah.”265Please respect copyright.PENANA8BVFZIiQXk
265Please respect copyright.PENANA7DgVDAydZA
Though I had my frustrations, he was right. I was convinced, not just by Juke, but by my own distorted feelings to go back and fight. I was as to blame as he was. Still–265Please respect copyright.PENANAjpALzkhdXm
265Please respect copyright.PENANAUqr2AQSjYH
“It’s so stupid. I don’t like any of it”265Please respect copyright.PENANAPEaCLH4YI1
265Please respect copyright.PENANAW8WIPQ1dCB
“I ain’t liking any of this either.”265Please respect copyright.PENANACdf4nzQmxY
265Please respect copyright.PENANAht4PGAR7B7
“I know! I know you aren’t; you’d be a maniac if you did. But still”265Please respect copyright.PENANAJcyqF8Aohf
265Please respect copyright.PENANAEoVhgYZXTT
Juke chuckled a little. I rolled my eyes and clicked my tongue. Little gestures like that dulled my festering feelings. He returned to his resting face. But when I looked at it closer, it was more rigid and fierce than the face of a resting man.265Please respect copyright.PENANAI5iSuufNA0
265Please respect copyright.PENANA0vOyy7Lrfe
“I’ll tell ya what, though. I wanted no part of fighting for this damn Pillar.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAbh9Y1NdFeY
265Please respect copyright.PENANAfZJLSJTZiq
“Y-Yeah. That I agree with.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAR2LgUVmH1a
265Please respect copyright.PENANAKz0gpHojAd
“It ain’t amountin’ to anything either, is it?”265Please respect copyright.PENANAXaTndUWfpa
265Please respect copyright.PENANA65Rs6sEBdu
“...?”265Please respect copyright.PENANA2AC1GDPBgo
265Please respect copyright.PENANAa1cZBbIBlX
At that, I had to tilt my head.265Please respect copyright.PENANAjxG9UfSkV6
265Please respect copyright.PENANAbvrOig9qH2
“It’s a detour, certainly, but this furthers our goals, doesn’t it? The Retaliation Crowd are going to help us with our goal after this.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAsDVkjgDMDi
265Please respect copyright.PENANANDtC9AXY0w
“...I guess yer right. But it doesn’t feel like it.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAE8i3mRX0GQ
265Please respect copyright.PENANAvYvE6L0djO
He adjusted his posture a little, rolling his shoulders and releasing a lengthy sigh.265Please respect copyright.PENANAtqlobzEkh2
265Please respect copyright.PENANAG9GbHXSJV3
“Dennis still ain’t here.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAcTe04F8ZOl
265Please respect copyright.PENANAZgm1Ta4CPU
“...”265Please respect copyright.PENANA1IOZiUV3lw
265Please respect copyright.PENANAgcR5pTaLvQ
The bubbling fumes within me died down immediately. It was difficult to stay mad when I saw Juke’s forlorn face. But at the same time, I struggled to see it justified.265Please respect copyright.PENANAGQNGAvln9K
265Please respect copyright.PENANA1abBlwi7ns
“I don’t really get it. I mean, I understand wanting to help an acquaintance, but you make it out as if he’s a lifelong friend–”265Please respect copyright.PENANAkWPq30O9Nz
265Please respect copyright.PENANAaCY0USi3lX
“I get what yer sayin’ kid. Ya ain’t entirely wrong, but it’s more complicated than that. I know ya well enough to make it click. Gimme a second.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAv449Kfxcmi
265Please respect copyright.PENANAw0RUYzOqdI
He scooched across the floor and sat with his front facing me, holding both his hands out to help himself explain.265Please respect copyright.PENANAoaKDAns2WU
265Please respect copyright.PENANATwCSHKQPWN
“Think of it this way, kid: let’s say I got an apple, and that I need to eat it within twenny minutes, and if I don’t eat the apple in twenny minutes then I should jump off a buildin’.”265Please respect copyright.PENANA3iZRXJFtIZ
265Please respect copyright.PENANAIWPEWaUuA5
“--!? W-What!?”265Please respect copyright.PENANAZe7VXgImBU
265Please respect copyright.PENANAbgvcfVMjEw
Such an analogy was one thing, but that extreme turn made it seem like a joke.265Please respect copyright.PENANAhtrvZoOGdJ
265Please respect copyright.PENANAX97GkDGPRx
“Hold on, Kenny. Ya gotta think about it more. Why would any sound man kill themselves cuz they didn’t eat an apple?”265Please respect copyright.PENANAxwOIk28Wav
265Please respect copyright.PENANAspkmIBq7K6
“...You aren’t pulling my leg, are you?”265Please respect copyright.PENANA1Ggq7ONuHW
265Please respect copyright.PENANAyvnSLBDxJt
“Do ya see my hands on ya? Nah, I’m serious, kid.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAd4Yu0zOCgn
265Please respect copyright.PENANAaRIZ1wprtR
Though I still had my eyebrows raised, I did what was told of me. I pinched my chin and stared at the ceiling, wracking my brain and hoping an answer would fall for me to grab. It didn’t come to me very easily, and I looked at Juke with a slight plea in my eyes. He read it immediately and urged me to keep thinking. 265Please respect copyright.PENANA4xIJGvH31D
265Please respect copyright.PENANA1FnJBYZ9ID
I sighed. At the same time though, I figured it was a good use of time, and I knew that playing by his rules would make me understand him better. So I ruminated away. I thought of it from Juke’s perspective at first and realized that wouldn’t lead me anywhere. Then I thought about it regarding recent events– aside from the fighting, that argument we had came up, and a shudder from my shoulders urged me to stop that train of thought. Then, taking how he said it would click for me into account, I thought about it as if I was the Kenneth Juke knew.265Please respect copyright.PENANA7Awf4AIqEA
265Please respect copyright.PENANAus9NCHJBET
That didn’t really work either, but the idea of a different Kenneth gave me what I was looking for.265Please respect copyright.PENANAcXOO0dL0o4
265Please respect copyright.PENANANjwJKRBbvu
“If you’d kill yourself over an apple… that must mean it has a lot of sentimental value. But it isn’t just a sentiment that makes it that way.”265Please respect copyright.PENANA7xBA8W340l
265Please respect copyright.PENANA8Q1KfgckOk
Juke nodded along, and I took it as an okay to continue.265Please respect copyright.PENANAEPLWkGI7S0
265Please respect copyright.PENANAq7SYIBdeJ7
“It’s like the shape of a grant. Because you said that the apple meant something, that apple became a symbol. Because you made the terms that this apple’s consumption is correlated with your life, you’re putting stock into it. You’re giving it something greater than sentimental value; you’re making it a wager. Either I’m good enough to eat this apple, or I’m not good enough to live.265Please respect copyright.PENANADC9HgY5YaG
265Please respect copyright.PENANADdCRJquQ2E
“...”265Please respect copyright.PENANAfxsmYtUah2
265Please respect copyright.PENANAVwyNKsDv7t
I looked at Juke for a response, but what I thought would be a satisfied face just looked a little lost. My face must’ve looked really surprised.265Please respect copyright.PENANA2e8HHXA5ZQ
265Please respect copyright.PENANApJq0XT2x90
“Ya ain’t wrong, but I wouldn’t call it a wager. It’s more like a checklist. One that ya just have to fill.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAYfQU9CyeAi
265Please respect copyright.PENANAEnxigPRdBa
“I-I see…”265Please respect copyright.PENANAxsZIDZmjfH
265Please respect copyright.PENANAF5E9FcAtjj
My analogy must have gone too off the rails. Or maybe I wasn’t thinking like Juke enough. Either way, the side effect of going on such a thought train made itself prominent. The sparks of my earlier declaration rekindled, and I grew proud– but only slightly –for making it to this top floor.265Please respect copyright.PENANASvIeHIG5gY
265Please respect copyright.PENANA1yi2p37lU3
“Seein’ Dennis safe n’ sound is one of those checks. I got a few other ones, but they’re too private to tell ya. And others, I don’t really get.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAgqncuIl5rb
265Please respect copyright.PENANAomMaW655xy
“You don’t, ‘get?’”265Please respect copyright.PENANAGHZOKlEkjd
265Please respect copyright.PENANAKQYcIjci6Y
“Y’know, when–”265Please respect copyright.PENANAyu5jx4KQJZ
265Please respect copyright.PENANA4lBsM9GFij
“No no no, I understand you. I do.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAy6TJvbrEAe
265Please respect copyright.PENANAEyv9XCYqNx
My muscles loosened a little. I felt awfully warm about the words I would spit.265Please respect copyright.PENANAmxj2cAdFa2
265Please respect copyright.PENANACK91Gh81pr
“I just know that feeling a little too well sometimes–”265Please respect copyright.PENANAB2F21C7SdX
265Please respect copyright.PENANAXNeUCG1EhK
**SLAM**265Please respect copyright.PENANAt2D9QmGA1t
265Please respect copyright.PENANAnM7633Ak94
A loud, thundering sound rang through the dusty room, startling Juke and me and putting our senses on high alert. Juke put one hand on his handle, and I already called the tendril forth and aimed it at the sound. It came from the door; now it was opened all the way, but the figure responsible wasn’t behind the other side.265Please respect copyright.PENANAC6yV6mmTah
265Please respect copyright.PENANA6wIu3JZu6J
That is until I saw a head peer from the frame.265Please respect copyright.PENANA8oHrdVbIwH
265Please respect copyright.PENANAfFdB9b8dxJ
“Oh, thank goodness. You two are safe.”265Please respect copyright.PENANA8MVQsKv9Qn
265Please respect copyright.PENANAEE5GMobpgo
The head belonged to the dean of the Pillar. He waltzed in haphazardly taking little steps and checking every inch of the room. When his eyes landed on the Bringer, he squeled for a moment, but quieted down once he noticed all the blood.265Please respect copyright.PENANAtQXl0JxVU2
265Please respect copyright.PENANA2ga8oxSb73
“Phew. For a moment I thought I came at a bad time.”265Please respect copyright.PENANATmHnlvr3JY
265Please respect copyright.PENANA5bFj5Vl27V
“M-Mister Dean.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAReV5GCTnkL
265Please respect copyright.PENANAtjbdq1T3br
I decided to speak up, as the present situation was too absurd for silence.265Please respect copyright.PENANAG7X8plr7zR
265Please respect copyright.PENANAzVN5J5ziH7
“Yes, child?”265Please respect copyright.PENANAKaYKWvo64f
265Please respect copyright.PENANA9JMmJIM7R6
“Uh– well, first of all, are you alright?”265Please respect copyright.PENANA3afmbH3sXW
265Please respect copyright.PENANAmblrr8f8LX
“Yes, quite alright. My shoulder is still in pain, but the bleeding stopped long ago. And again, I must thank you for releasing me.”265Please respect copyright.PENANANm9HDRC7JY
265Please respect copyright.PENANAtdHHwAFnN9
“R-Right.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAy9mvjK7Mxj
265Please respect copyright.PENANAyQ2R9j0Kha
I couldn’t think of anything else to say, and looking at Juke revealed he was in a similar boat.265Please respect copyright.PENANAhs7daUg5eB
265Please respect copyright.PENANAAPVLQVX69V
“But, enough about me. I came here bringing good news, and a friendly face.”265Please respect copyright.PENANA2zqrw1jsgT
265Please respect copyright.PENANAYWe5Uq77S9
“--Please worry not about explaining it, Sir Dean. I wouldn’t want my duty as a leader stolen as such.”265Please respect copyright.PENANA8N4h8aIAq6
265Please respect copyright.PENANAi4RVjiQfW7
From behind the Dean came a soft voice. A voice of confidence and care, a voice I’ve grown fond of over the past day. And seeing the holder of that voice cross the threshold made me retract my tendril, and put a hand on my chest in relief.265Please respect copyright.PENANAHXZliPMwJb
265Please respect copyright.PENANAysr5mMNVge
“Hello, you two,” said Lola, “by the looks of things, your side was a complete success.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAQMQoD341g0
265Please respect copyright.PENANAnDdJpbx7gU
–
265Please respect copyright.PENANACIM80Zvzzr
–
265Please respect copyright.PENANA7IXIFP171U
–
265Please respect copyright.PENANA7m5oiNtVPR
With the arrival of Lola came the confirmation I was desperately needing. We had won.265Please respect copyright.PENANATqsbeRjN1b
265Please respect copyright.PENANAp42mLg5KhR
Though it wasn’t without casualties, the foreign pillar was rid of pesky Bringers. Its control was seized by the Retaliation crowd, and the Dean still being alive was a great relief.265Please respect copyright.PENANArBHiOqKIxI
265Please respect copyright.PENANAkBD2lQd5dZ
“I was afraid of something like this,” the Dean explained, “but I couldn’t halt the mechanisms of this city because of premonition…”265Please respect copyright.PENANAXt9f5drzT3
265Please respect copyright.PENANAOOiXbAzkyI
Either way, we had what I was assured was an invaluable asset. I didn’t see how in the moment, but as I was taken to the answer, Lola elucidated me about the status.265Please respect copyright.PENANAgxarX6PtdW
265Please respect copyright.PENANAPYq3bqZr0g
A majority of the crowd hunkered town at the top. One floor with wide windows served as an excellent watch tower, and ranged specialists were tasked with observing the parameters. The floors above were converted into restrooms or hospital rooms. A few crowd members ventured to the lower floors to gather all the food and water available, of which there was a grand amount. It made sense, as all of those supplies belonged to the Bringers beforehand. Half a dozen of the healthiest and uninjured watched the first floor and the surrounding city, both defending from infiltrators and–265Please respect copyright.PENANAbf5iMPN4e2
265Please respect copyright.PENANAPxwDXTcCXy
“They’re looking for recruits. If fighters see that we have the most important building under control, they’re more likely to join the effort.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAfEq55TqZRW
265Please respect copyright.PENANAxypSfiDNgk
“Haven’t you explained that already?”265Please respect copyright.PENANAzFcno8c1hZ
265Please respect copyright.PENANAav1QOAoR6G
“Yes, but… there is a slight problem we’ve run into.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAtUIvRWMYIU
265Please respect copyright.PENANAFnXOu5aMrL
“What’s that?”265Please respect copyright.PENANAicixUwA4UA
265Please respect copyright.PENANA0DsWrQd6cc
Lola turned around and crossed her arms. She nudged her head to Dave who was beside her, and with a sigh, he stepped forth and spoke.265Please respect copyright.PENANAJ2lGe9LXuH
265Please respect copyright.PENANAJ7dRVDka3Z
“Everything is done in two ways here. Either letters or signals. Old man Jackson was always responsible for the latter. We do not have Jackson anymore, so unless we make a lot of noise, we can only commune with letters.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAzMWsaeJDw4
265Please respect copyright.PENANABbxCDHQNzG
I realized the implications immediately. Even if fighters were available, everyone was in hiding. Nobody knew the state of the central Pillar, and I doubted that the crowd’s existence was well-known either. But then I remembered the prowling Pars and Dave from yesterday and asked:265Please respect copyright.PENANAnNgmGIj1V2
265Please respect copyright.PENANAzkGejogwAn
“I know I wasn’t asked, but I think making a signal would be effective.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAcHLEBFvG9Y
265Please respect copyright.PENANA4UatigSra9
“We thought so too. But we don’t want mages to waste their mana on mere fireworks, so we thought of something better. Since Hard-Bringer miraculously hasn’t set the city ablaze, it’s very quiet out.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAxPk1AE3b4K
265Please respect copyright.PENANA8VTvAJRuwF
“...Ah, so that’s where you’re heading. But how will it be done?”265Please respect copyright.PENANALfz9jWpcJx
265Please respect copyright.PENANAsvD0mBG1oc
A smirk found itself on his face. He turned around and continued leading me.265Please respect copyright.PENANAKGOmxrF8HR
265Please respect copyright.PENANAbuBBnoDE1r
“We have our methods. This place has been around too long for it not to.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAOF6fbUWaWn
265Please respect copyright.PENANAtDK4rdUqbA
I followed them further, in a location past the Dean’s office. Hidden by a camouflaging door, the room I entered was lit and energetic but smelled foul.265Please respect copyright.PENANANaDoJj31So
265Please respect copyright.PENANAIhIzC8GN1K
“Oh, goodness. And I was wondering why the office was so small.”265Please respect copyright.PENANALtoUOVPOQ0
265Please respect copyright.PENANAXkS9sAEn8p
The room itself was decently spacious, but that detail didn’t attract me. Rather, it was the presence of wooden walls and fences, the hallmark infrastructure of a city stable. Only, it was far tidier and metallic than most.265Please respect copyright.PENANAVa8DvDAZID
265Please respect copyright.PENANAD30M2ZGE52
“Here is your answer, Kenny,” Lola said, standing beside a stall. I peeped inside and–265Please respect copyright.PENANAqLltVrGy94
265Please respect copyright.PENANA8hTkXeN1tG
“GAH! W-Why is this here?”265Please respect copyright.PENANAfco5DLn8e9
265Please respect copyright.PENANAj8w0QyyD61
A creature resided within the stall. One with reins around its beak, and one with a stature I’ve seen deceased more often than alive. The Communication City’s signature raptor.265Please respect copyright.PENANAyCfAjitif7
265Please respect copyright.PENANAaAEO7brYrQ
“It’s the Dean’s private delivery bird. It’s specially trained to traverse the city walls, as its tight curves and winding streets are difficult for the average one.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAdsdlq9RvUW
265Please respect copyright.PENANAumTMoeoMsT
“I wouldn’t call any curves ‘tight,’ but I guess when you’re as fast as these things, then they can be.” 265Please respect copyright.PENANA0k9lMSguZW
265Please respect copyright.PENANAIYCZXDBMxf
The raptor leaned its head over the gated fence, staring at me with wide, occasionally blinking eyes. I didn’t know what to do. I was never in close proximity to one, and I never had one look at me like I was some kind of puzzle.265Please respect copyright.PENANAfuVCSSHO35
265Please respect copyright.PENANAZWRNYnJgZ3
“I think it likes you, child.”265Please respect copyright.PENANALQji99z3VZ
265Please respect copyright.PENANAyRPS5cPOCT
“Please, call me Kenneth or Kenny, Mister Dean. And, uh, are you sure– certain?”265Please respect copyright.PENANADysSeMTmQB
265Please respect copyright.PENANABobjOUgNPQ
The Raptor’s gaze grew more intense. It appeared that he was trying to see into my soul, and I felt like an ant under its wide eyes.265Please respect copyright.PENANA8YJELtai5P
265Please respect copyright.PENANAHdDazKcevC
And then, it leaned its head down even further and… sniffed my hair.265Please respect copyright.PENANA0StAxnjqZf
265Please respect copyright.PENANAdf8RFk9PkV
“Hah?”265Please respect copyright.PENANA4Zo0yTGNRa
265Please respect copyright.PENANA0RHTSgyVl3
“I hear these animals love ta smell flowers. Ya do have that kind of aroma, so thats why it likes ya.”265Please respect copyright.PENANARxw3pQAUBT
265Please respect copyright.PENANAxRwoQ0uTpI
“I… smell like flowers?”265Please respect copyright.PENANAQup3sZ83Gz
265Please respect copyright.PENANAv4Jwvm4kkR
I looked around the room for an answer, and everybody present nodded simultaneously. I was completely taken aback, more because of the shock than anything else.265Please respect copyright.PENANAN8m4WjRw1x
265Please respect copyright.PENANANPM3vHLvFC
“Why am I just figuring this out !? I don’t smell– well, I don’t think I smell like flowers?”265Please respect copyright.PENANAIfBecsVeU0
265Please respect copyright.PENANArvdbf1wOab
I even sniffed my hands and arms to make sure, and nothing of the scent reminded me of flowers.265Please respect copyright.PENANANCdKWObWUb
265Please respect copyright.PENANAjoLJlaydwl
“Well, ya get used to the way ya smell to the point ya can’t tell. That’s just how yer nose works.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAFtQh9K7Dy1
265Please respect copyright.PENANAvaxmFfsT6j
“Really? I didn’t know that…”265Please respect copyright.PENANAaJuCuk0DwO
265Please respect copyright.PENANARWPzTFP7AG
“Ahem, moving on–”265Please respect copyright.PENANA1MMNSWyh8L
265Please respect copyright.PENANAhbKTyWt7R7
Dave interjected with a cough. I turned my attention back to him, anticipating his oncoming words.265Please respect copyright.PENANAXdQdvPOFEF
265Please respect copyright.PENANAuvIrUSiZDj
“The plan of action is quite simple. We’ll have someone riding this beast, sprinting around the town, and yelling about our victory. The Raptor’s speed can be easily modulated, so escape from any roaming bringers is easy.”265Please respect copyright.PENANApVNXJkjmlW
265Please respect copyright.PENANApfKpRai0GB
I understood what he was saying. I even agreed with it. Though shaky, it was a great and efficient plan with the resources we had. What clogged my throat, however, wasn’t the plan itself, but the subtle insinuation of telling me this plan. So, I had to ask:265Please respect copyright.PENANAzCPYP1DLFW
265Please respect copyright.PENANAVRPqBycpLP
“May I know why I’m being told this?”265Please respect copyright.PENANA5vY2VRmWzT
265Please respect copyright.PENANAsigkuWUZwA
“If you think it’s because we’ll make you do that, don’t you even worry. We’re not so cruel to put a child in such danger, are we, Dave?”265Please respect copyright.PENANAJSS5heNg6F
265Please respect copyright.PENANAWDlH2qug0y
Lola seized all my worries immediately, causing me to let out a happy sigh. I wasn’t even bothered by her mentioning of me being a child, as I welcomed this discrimination just this once.265Please respect copyright.PENANALE6568L9jA
265Please respect copyright.PENANAYRvVPnDe99
“But if you need to know why,” she continued, “it’s because we need your help in facilitating it.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAS9D7El6A9e
265Please respect copyright.PENANAOy97fLmfQC
“My help, you say…”265Please respect copyright.PENANAiDRaRcPx0S
265Please respect copyright.PENANAE1SCBrGuka
It wasn’t such a terrible request, though I had no idea how I could. I waited for elaboration, since they looked eager to hand it.265Please respect copyright.PENANAAlBuQPSxPG
265Please respect copyright.PENANA3uycUexf83
“I’ve heard that you’re a prolific, experienced alchemist. At such a young age too no less–”265Please respect copyright.PENANAZssKnsK09E
265Please respect copyright.PENANAks8i7KbRR1
“Please, don’t mention it. I don’t want my achievements embellished, especially because of something like age.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAKKdFeltzXX
265Please respect copyright.PENANAeMuDKlJWxl
“--Anyhow, your skills are most needed. A single raptor can’t traverse every corner of this city without some help, so I was wondering: do you happen to know how to make energizing potions?”265Please respect copyright.PENANA2yX27OtDcF
265Please respect copyright.PENANAGn8CPk4zJK
“...Energizing potions?”265Please respect copyright.PENANAavWhHO3niB
265Please respect copyright.PENANAaRWOFZ9ONl
I knew how to do that, naturally, but Lola was off the mark somewhat.265Please respect copyright.PENANAHiyBepqgTN
265Please respect copyright.PENANAzC2caeuV1b
“Wouldn’t endurance be more useful? When you’re running both a marathon and a race, just finishing it is most important.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAhlAQ10NlnH
265Please respect copyright.PENANAizglQPlox3
Lola had her eyes wide and her head slowly nodding.265Please respect copyright.PENANAZ09jsecuw7
265Please respect copyright.PENANAlOh8DTzonN
“You’re correct. Do you think you can do it?”265Please respect copyright.PENANArD6CcxLFLj
265Please respect copyright.PENANAg2s5uNXCeK
“I definitely can. I can use some of the empty flasks in my bag. That is, if they aren’t broken.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAKdopA0f4KU
265Please respect copyright.PENANAeV0LGBezo3
I turned my head at Juke and stoutly narrowed my eyes. He didn’t notice until a few seconds passed, and he jolted when he saw me.265Please respect copyright.PENANAyKy45uvfB6
265Please respect copyright.PENANARzVJzId3ds
“T-There’re few good ones. One’s unopen, so ya can juts pour it out if ya hafta.”265Please respect copyright.PENANA78Kv7i98Um
265Please respect copyright.PENANASqttLVJpGC
“Phew. That’s good. The potency wouldn’t be right if I was just using random cups.”265Please respect copyright.PENANADuiLbXhCwp
265Please respect copyright.PENANARkJhyMQxGE
I turned around and marched to the exit of the room. I stopped myself before leaving, because I noticed only my footsteps were echoing.265Please respect copyright.PENANA8I0VUuVjM4
265Please respect copyright.PENANAc4RCQ9cwuY
“Is something wrong?”265Please respect copyright.PENANAz8sETYjiAH
265Please respect copyright.PENANAtLVDR2JngZ
Lola and Dave looked at eachother. For being such well-spoken people, it was strange for them to fail finding the words. 265Please respect copyright.PENANA5eEwxqmmS4
265Please respect copyright.PENANAyRjqbuLlol
“Well, kid–”265Please respect copyright.PENANA5q5hgEdnDH
265Please respect copyright.PENANAV3zSEPnsbw
Then Juke suddenly spoke out, and I diverted my attention to him.265Please respect copyright.PENANAP0aAmKSVJC
265Please respect copyright.PENANAw18ol6Re5f
“Ya just look a lot more comfortable than I’m used ta.”265Please respect copyright.PENANACUz2p05ybO
265Please respect copyright.PENANAmLPAzhmEIK
After a moment of droning silence, Lola and Dave looked at me, nodding in agreement with Juke. I didn’t know what to say, but I had complete composure to react. Nothing within me flared up, only a single sentence popped into my mind.265Please respect copyright.PENANAIVTOAv3igf
265Please respect copyright.PENANAxEjw58UYWe
“Comfortable? I haven’t heard that one before.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAr1PK8JRwiX
265Please respect copyright.PENANA6KoinSAHcf
Whether it was good or not, I didn’t care. I had a special duty to perform, and that duty took prescedence. Before leaving the room, I asked Lola where supplies were stored, and once I was told I began moseying through the Dean’s room.265Please respect copyright.PENANAQYG1XNwIvp
265Please respect copyright.PENANAjACtaZhflx
Their perplexed looks didn’t slip by me. I had never seen such a face before, but I knew what it was. I knew it because I’ve made it, albeit a much harsher version. It was the face of a witness to the breaking of boundaries, the erasure of an image of the person one knows. I wasn’t bothered by it– If anything, being looked at that in that way was oddly relieving. But I still couldn’t stand it.265Please respect copyright.PENANAzA9YVGA9vS
265Please respect copyright.PENANA5fk2tT6X2O
“...Comfortable.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAFGcJ9zbUdA
265Please respect copyright.PENANAwvcsj3svlu
I mouthed that word a couple of times. Juke always had a fascinating way of phrasing things. Comfortable. I spoke it, I whispered it, I thought it and I chewed it. Comfortable.265Please respect copyright.PENANA9ZLC5OXeKa
265Please respect copyright.PENANAPwnyN8vyHH
Yeah. When it came to alchemy, comfortable was just right.265Please respect copyright.PENANAaQ2Qhr83Mo
265Please respect copyright.PENANA8Ft9BCob1g
–
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–
265Please respect copyright.PENANAIdinBQgdDA
–
265Please respect copyright.PENANApX6GX9IqCq
This process… wasn’t quite nostalgic. I didn’t know what nostalgia even felt like, but I knew that if I was just five years older, I would be sorely missing performing this.265Please respect copyright.PENANAozmHbV1QVR
265Please respect copyright.PENANA5paLZO4o85
Scratch that, I missed it even as I did it. 265Please respect copyright.PENANAB88j2ZBOXH
265Please respect copyright.PENANAHGNkJmjHQW
Even with all my experience, I wasn’t afforded time to let my thoughts stray and frolic into useless concepts. All my focus was directedto the task at hand, the busy method of making an endurance potion. Oh, how I missed it.265Please respect copyright.PENANAFQAkkERxvU
265Please respect copyright.PENANAKe9Dtv8myy
“...A little bit here.”265Please respect copyright.PENANA72H450bs1x
265Please respect copyright.PENANAyZBmY3AeJb
It took a moment for me to shake of my rust, but as it was only a little over a week since I last did this, I felt good as new afterward. I was performing mana suspension with utmost precision. I’ve made this particular potion so many times, I could just let my hands take it away. Still, as I was going through the process and remembering the materials, there was a nagging feeling in the back of my throat that told me something was off. 265Please respect copyright.PENANAhuDFGivBnr
265Please respect copyright.PENANA382rXeAB1V
And it wasn’t until near completion that I realized what it was.265Please respect copyright.PENANALYjcTSGdTx
265Please respect copyright.PENANAgTPPd8fmhL
“Of course. Goodness, how could I forget the most important part?”265Please respect copyright.PENANAmJw1hivXOd
265Please respect copyright.PENANA61h1UfjmxX
As I stood in a little booth, there was one natural ingredient from the heap of materials that I was missing: fat. There wasn’t an ounce of raw fat anywhere.265Please respect copyright.PENANAalefntldOe
265Please respect copyright.PENANA3ku4nLuFWG
I sighed and rubbed my head. I knew that I didn’t look hard enough, but having to descend to another floor to pick up something I already should have was a complete hassle.265Please respect copyright.PENANAu0TvhlxmaB
265Please respect copyright.PENANA7qUfrnHjBH
“No time to waste, though.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAgmL2jemqZR
265Please respect copyright.PENANAahc1G6F9Y2
So I stood up and exited. The booth was one of several in a particular room. Every booth was an office space repurposed into whatever the circumstances demanded, and I was lucky enough to get one for myself. There were a couple of crowd members up here chatting, and I made sure to wave and grant small greetings as I passed by.265Please respect copyright.PENANAOpvjhsZ9K7
265Please respect copyright.PENANA2wvYkTepXr
I reached the stairs shortly after, and while descending them, I thought of how exactly I was going to acquire any fat. I’m sure there was meat as part of the rations, but from the few sparing glances I took, they all seemed dry. The only wild animal in here had a mission to complete, and I didn’t fancy the idea of killing an animal just for a potion. I reached the floor amidst my thinking and figured that I would figure it all out once I got there.265Please respect copyright.PENANAyVZf6ef3Id
265Please respect copyright.PENANAeUgCmL15JK
I walked through, waved at those who waved at me, waltzed to the mock-up kitchen organized by a couple of members, and inspected. Indeed, I found out that I did not figure it out once I got there.265Please respect copyright.PENANAYKh3eDhIrt
265Please respect copyright.PENANAfY1w17vZAF
“...Crap.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAJi7Pdqcjmh
265Please respect copyright.PENANAmH8B15le2c
My index and thumb were on my chin, and the arm that held them rested on my other. But looking like a philosopher didn’t manifest what I needed, and I eventually dropped the pose and sighed.265Please respect copyright.PENANAQXFWmSNajR
265Please respect copyright.PENANAsYpfteCtWy
“Is there something you’re lookin’ for?”265Please respect copyright.PENANAKDaZJLS4JM
265Please respect copyright.PENANATFyn3Qcv59
Who was essentially the lunch lady noticed my plight.265Please respect copyright.PENANAQevXMPswTP
265Please respect copyright.PENANAgc8mEELTxN
“Yes. Um, do you happen to have anything with fat on it? And I mean raw fat.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAMBmpbsWPZw
265Please respect copyright.PENANAVR0RMyFkGa
“Fat? Fat, hmm… well, there might be some in the trash.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAKQXKMJOv3w
265Please respect copyright.PENANAiJkamjdlz1
“Excuse me? Oh, sorry. Can I ask where the trash is?”265Please respect copyright.PENANAja1t69KFE2
265Please respect copyright.PENANAjOzIhhFlXi
“You sure can. It’s in one of those buckets right there.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAHycKZZRlk2
265Please respect copyright.PENANAx6HyGwFaX0
She pointed with a spoon to the corner of the floor. In that corner, small, lidded buckets were clustered together. They looked to be made of wood. But, those details aside, what I noticed was how nobody was within ten meters of them.265Please respect copyright.PENANAuAKWBAR7yI
265Please respect copyright.PENANAUKNXxn0e8W
“M-May I ask, what kind of fat is in those?”265Please respect copyright.PENANALLI20EOI7I
265Please respect copyright.PENANAoNQe6tuuk8
And she responded with confirmation of my immediate fears.265Please respect copyright.PENANASRedflExFl
265Please respect copyright.PENANAQKRPlhBmaQ
“It’s from spoiled meat. We didn’t have salt or ice or nothing to keep it preserved, so it’s already home to the bugs. Crazy how it turns to junk so quick, isn’t it?”265Please respect copyright.PENANAILUy3T1HeL
265Please respect copyright.PENANAG1Vgl02XRm
“Crazy indeed, ma’am.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAYKAwLytaIy
265Please respect copyright.PENANAdkUKsctibW
With my back slumped over, I hobbled to the corner with a profound frown. I thought of maybe taking my tendril and producing some kind of flower, but none of their aromas were strong enough to suppress that stench.265Please respect copyright.PENANACzv3vnXJag
265Please respect copyright.PENANAYqKQU8zgKb
“Mind if I ask what you need fat for?”265Please respect copyright.PENANAfYp4SYNk3I
265Please respect copyright.PENANA4VIHE0JVUB
“Oh, yes. It’s for a potion I’m making, you see–”265Please respect copyright.PENANAkRLeWDDA8A
265Please respect copyright.PENANAApxut15yyy
I cut my sentence short because, unlike the feminine voice of the lunch lady, the one I heard had the sound of a gentleman. What’s more, I recognized its timbre.265Please respect copyright.PENANA2bfyPBI9Vq
265Please respect copyright.PENANAHkGTCqdMlE
“N-Nigel!?”265Please respect copyright.PENANAmbKV3WBR2L
265Please respect copyright.PENANAi20zC8KhyE
“Correct! I’m honored that you remember me. It’s swell to see you in good health, Kenny.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAu6OJMuqF2L
265Please respect copyright.PENANAPh3LEGclPr
“Y-You as well. Also, please, don’t sneak up on me like that.”265Please respect copyright.PENANA8K5RDk7qtW
265Please respect copyright.PENANA5QjbakHSF6
He lightly shrugged in response. I clicked my tongue at his insouciant attitude but dropped my grudge quickly.265Please respect copyright.PENANATgFNsfkjfL
265Please respect copyright.PENANAbAcTIKpj86
“It’s good to see you healthy as well, Nigel. How was your time at the battle?”265Please respect copyright.PENANAwrEKd6jyKi
265Please respect copyright.PENANAcefPArk7Dk
“Ah… well, first, let me offer you a hand.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAipBZCeQvdU
265Please respect copyright.PENANAsWH2FbmeU1
“A hand,” I asked, confused as to what he insinuated.265Please respect copyright.PENANApm4cAxOLkC
265Please respect copyright.PENANARvvzuZBcJ7
“You said you need fat for your potion, and I just so happen to have a knife.”265Please respect copyright.PENANA06rgOiAs3b
265Please respect copyright.PENANAH8OPdjMWZf
He pulled the knife in question out of its sheath and headed towards the buckets, but not before tossing me something.265Please respect copyright.PENANAqZ8smp4bsr
265Please respect copyright.PENANAuvzROEsiJQ
“Is this… a clamper?”265Please respect copyright.PENANAzJZoICK7Nv
265Please respect copyright.PENANAptctkWzGzE
“It is. I’m sure you know to put it over your nose, right? Anyway, let’s chat while we work.”265Please respect copyright.PENANATZAocty6SR
265Please respect copyright.PENANAcwH8dWZcBQ
–
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265Please respect copyright.PENANAss4vjmUJ1C
Nigel’s presence was a lucky blessing. Another pair of hands was one thing, the knife was another, and the clamper was nice, but what I was truly thankful for, was having someone to talk to while I groped and tore stale, smelly, stonymeat.
265Please respect copyright.PENANAvw8HVEmdmI
“So,” Nigel started as he made his cuts, “what is it that you asked me?”265Please respect copyright.PENANABonlxzKN2t
265Please respect copyright.PENANAR4czKXel7U
“That I asked you?”265Please respect copyright.PENANAu64cj3qmbS
265Please respect copyright.PENANAxqBhT1Ck6Z
I thought about it, and it seemed to have slipped even my mind, but I remembered my earlier inquiry quickly.265Please respect copyright.PENANAFLxsLDEiMX
265Please respect copyright.PENANAbZO72yiZUA
“Right. It was about the battle. How was it? I mean, I know it was rough for everyone, but…”265Please respect copyright.PENANAoIrpbVQAeE
265Please respect copyright.PENANAEBpEroBn9r
“Yeah, I know what you mean. I might as well tell you.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAb4masB7wYx
265Please respect copyright.PENANAD424CaEDgP
He stopped rotating the meat on his knife and looked down at it.265Please respect copyright.PENANAmfbtLb5Vbj
265Please respect copyright.PENANAwD6juJ3zBx
“...Was it, did you lose your friend?”265Please respect copyright.PENANA1bAgRazYyp
265Please respect copyright.PENANApF84hDus4f
He jolted when I asked, raising his head with widened eyes.265Please respect copyright.PENANAKe4Kmfwew1
265Please respect copyright.PENANAgzLYY7190H
“How did you–”265Please respect copyright.PENANA6vQ4fJH7Bg
265Please respect copyright.PENANAD0sDszurI4
“I was behind the crowd the whole time. I had everyone’s backs in front of me, so I started keeping track of the members, seeing who was there and who left by the kind of hair or weapons you all had. And, well… at some point, I noticed the head you were with changed at some point.”265Please respect copyright.PENANARdtVpIKhc3
265Please respect copyright.PENANATUZBhRoMxl
“...Hah. You’re a sharp boy with a keen eye.” 265Please respect copyright.PENANA7OXqp82K0Y
265Please respect copyright.PENANA68hHhdDnb3
He continued cutting as he spoke.265Please respect copyright.PENANAtys1HZIoct
265Please respect copyright.PENANAURb7tkbHip
“Yeah. Damon died during the big ambush. One of the six casualties we suffered. I was left without a partner for the rest of the raid.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAqZS5DEvwYr
265Please respect copyright.PENANA1fhO1fCtLP
He looked at his hand. I stopped my own cutting, and my limbs twitched, urging me to reach out and do something. But the only thing I could muster was a few consoling words.265Please respect copyright.PENANAvUweGjSgMo
265Please respect copyright.PENANAqgXWWJW9EZ
“I’m, so sorry to hear that. He must’ve been a good friend.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAGx9jkMkvU7
265Please respect copyright.PENANADkwqY7WuOF
“...Do you think so? He and I fought a lot, I wouldn’t call him a good friend. Just a colleague. Besides, things like these happen in the field.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAwO5vZDbwA3
265Please respect copyright.PENANAx7XsMyOjwZ
He said those words. He said those words coolly, without wavering hands or trembling lips. His cutting paused, and his eyes seemed to stare off into nowhere, but I couldn’t read anything from his profile. A part of it relieved me, and another made me want to scamper away.265Please respect copyright.PENANAlwbTKZyxLM
265Please respect copyright.PENANASwuGO9w5cB
“You saw me at a bad time, truly. Sorry, I’ll continue helping.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAJyXS4QVhga
265Please respect copyright.PENANAQM3UG2kWOe
“Don’t… don’t you worry about it.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAaJ4t761EM8
265Please respect copyright.PENANAY1yaZCkfia
“Enough about me. Tell me, how was it on your end?”265Please respect copyright.PENANARZHUUzVJvN
265Please respect copyright.PENANAf8G3Bm79Bf
His switching of the topic was decisive, so I decided to halt my scary thinking. I sighed and paused my motions, reaching for stored memories I preferred to forget. However, the deeper I dug, I had to wonder:265Please respect copyright.PENANAZeNf7rjW5x
265Please respect copyright.PENANAgFtPSzpLaJ
“Is that really something you want to hear? Are all crowd members like this, just talking about unpleasant fights?”265Please respect copyright.PENANAunCcroFpUf
265Please respect copyright.PENANAFIpfa064dh
“That’s not fair of you. You asked first, right?”265Please respect copyright.PENANAobO1SoAOC5
265Please respect copyright.PENANAYxt6cC0BUv
“I… darn it, you got me there.”265Please respect copyright.PENANA3ZcXi68vJa
265Please respect copyright.PENANAff2h1IqLOK
I continued peeling and let my mouth run.265Please respect copyright.PENANAEhkxwNLx19
265Please respect copyright.PENANAw4f0a38s1k
“It was me and Juke. He and I were partnered, and for the most part, we just whizzed by the rooms. The one we had to tackle was that of the Dean’s, and for what it’s worth, our fight went smoothly. No major injuries, we weren’t too tired, nothing.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAYCZ0KzSsmb
265Please respect copyright.PENANAnjjLuCv8Gr
Though my right hand would be painfully sore in the morning.265Please respect copyright.PENANAA6wyoTYDtB
265Please respect copyright.PENANACmrHoqiOtk
“Excellent to hear. You must be a proficient fighter for it to have gone so well.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAwByCo0unRF
265Please respect copyright.PENANA3aKIuu6XOu
“Not really. I’m just somewhat competent with magic, and my partner had an incredibly useful endowment. We got lucky, that’s all.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAY6cE3TtSCi
265Please respect copyright.PENANAFYlLB2hmKm
“I don’t know about that, Kenny.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAGfioL3qfvX
265Please respect copyright.PENANACnN2EzzmlW
I looked at him with pursed lips.265Please respect copyright.PENANAHnvV1Hekl0
265Please respect copyright.PENANAuwYRiV7YZe
“Why not?”265Please respect copyright.PENANAUf7JMqtuUA
265Please respect copyright.PENANAkEaQ0j40u1
“Lady fortunate dictates only half the battle, and it's never the half that’ll be the coup de grace. She is the roof of the house, and man is the foundation; without you, she would simply collapse.”265Please respect copyright.PENANA3MXHipUSnE
265Please respect copyright.PENANAH7W40nk1wN
“That’s… an interesting way of looking at it. But I’m not convinced. I mean, we even ran into an opponent we already beat.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAoG7rtTixT4
265Please respect copyright.PENANA2FWuvRIVNj
He raised and wagged his finger, going “tsk tsk” with his lips.265Please respect copyright.PENANA6nv1RSIYTp
265Please respect copyright.PENANAXXoD722WHl
“And who is it that managed to beat that enemy in the first place?”265Please respect copyright.PENANAPmBgEetL9q
265Please respect copyright.PENANAUCTlfBh4Is
“--!”265Please respect copyright.PENANAoj9kTbTcst
265Please respect copyright.PENANAizUtfPwul3
Though my gut still told me something was awry, my mind was convinced by his words. I took it with a grain of salt, and taking it with such a sully still loosened my facial muscles. 265Please respect copyright.PENANAbmRJ8alatM
265Please respect copyright.PENANAWz7tl3jxU5
“Did anything else happen?”265Please respect copyright.PENANAn5p68UVWa1
265Please respect copyright.PENANAkHZIXRlUPZ
“Anything else? Well… Oh!”265Please respect copyright.PENANA0W3lcWXZU3
I perked up and yelled all a sudden, startling Nigel and making him ask “What?”265Please respect copyright.PENANANKJMlKEpHe
265Please respect copyright.PENANADdhLQwj0sO
“I forgot to tell Lola and Dave about some information we learned. Juke might’ve already said it, but I still want to make sure.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAuod6fN0m9c
265Please respect copyright.PENANAVPFUznP9iY
“Some information? Would you like me to relay it while you make the potion?”265Please respect copyright.PENANATqMFWS4Tes
265Please respect copyright.PENANAmSG5iX2BDP
“Uh…”265Please respect copyright.PENANABgTKwaLu4q
265Please respect copyright.PENANAWs8Zv09wDo
I hesitated, but when I realized how silly that was, I spoke.265Please respect copyright.PENANAtEqROcXTaz
265Please respect copyright.PENANAzpOxXFNeVE
“I don’t see why not. The gist of it is that Hard-Bringer has a grade-zero mana spinner, so it’s prodigalto let enemies slip away.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAMQD8QlWVxi
265Please respect copyright.PENANA37QsL0myHI
“...That is quite a concern. It means we need to confirm all our kills as well.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAPexAzm9Ffv
265Please respect copyright.PENANAJPEACh0rJe
My face retracted and my eyes widened, shocked by our utter differences in derivatives from the information.265Please respect copyright.PENANAPBWZ6ifWAa
265Please respect copyright.PENANAuOjnKIKmLq
“Being together with just Juke must’ve been irritating.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAXEnfkLUuoT
265Please respect copyright.PENANAc1jzLIRPWQ
“Hm? Why’s that? We were split into pairs, weren’t we?”265Please respect copyright.PENANAVk0GhUAcwd
265Please respect copyright.PENANA0d8QDgph8Z
He tilted his head and raised his brow, which made me inclined to do the same.265Please respect copyright.PENANADpse4n0Imh
265Please respect copyright.PENANAZEFcMEiGau
“That’s precisely it. It was just you and Juke, meaning that you couldn’t work with your other partner, Rover, right?”265Please respect copyright.PENANAsLL49kYx56
265Please respect copyright.PENANA9HBxBR81i9
“...O-Oh.”265Please respect copyright.PENANA2WoDExLhOa
265Please respect copyright.PENANA0F1B138UiA
I realized then that there was a great misunderstanding. I didn’t quite know how to address it, but I decided to take a swing anyway.265Please respect copyright.PENANAsygCoN3zP5
265Please respect copyright.PENANAt2wlpkilFW
“See, Rover and I– and Juke, I suppose –we had a falling out. She’s been evasivefor the most part, and we’re likewise.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAoCHdcodrpw
265Please respect copyright.PENANAOPnUAMXZp7
“I see… she’s been avoiding you? That makes a lot of sense.”265Please respect copyright.PENANA0u1RGRYSZ6
265Please respect copyright.PENANAAGiYgUuAWp
I tilted my head at his assessment, as I couldn’t imagine how such a conclusion could be drawn.265Please respect copyright.PENANAuUXPlRDcn9
265Please respect copyright.PENANALkHxeOEvGu
“Make sense? How?”265Please respect copyright.PENANAeBxW96CrgB
265Please respect copyright.PENANAcq61xCMWti
He adjusted his sitting posture by slacking his muscles and raising his legs, holding his arms over his knees.265Please respect copyright.PENANAPXt5pvT313
265Please respect copyright.PENANAwnfEhzlONh
“When Damon died, I had to make a quick adjustment. My intuition told me to stick to our agreed formation, and I was advised by a buddy there to group up with her. I did, and we spoke for a minute, but when–”265Please respect copyright.PENANADfU6P6Trvw
265Please respect copyright.PENANAv1kcXWLRZM
“Ah, so you were her partner? I figured.”265Please respect copyright.PENANA0S8aaQZlYV
265Please respect copyright.PENANALt5BnQaHrW
Nigel looked surprised as I finished his retelling for him. I could tell he needed elaboration, so I handed it.265Please respect copyright.PENANADtpVHiyEGb
265Please respect copyright.PENANAqF8QNkBnAc
“I was the last to leave the room. You left right before me. I gave her a look, and I think she understood it. I’m very particular with my messaging faces.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAOtgbvO4aGN
265Please respect copyright.PENANA6j9hZTIETf
“So she still fought alone, eh?”265Please respect copyright.PENANAQxXV6FePO4
265Please respect copyright.PENANAUqbxsolEP8
“...Yeah. She did. I heard she’s alive, though. I’m relieved.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAKhIL4wahXS
265Please respect copyright.PENANAPxnnYwu5bo
“Relieved? How come?”265Please respect copyright.PENANAVtFQiZer0B
265Please respect copyright.PENANAsCOrfDLxGm
I jumped at his stupid question, contorting my face as if it offended me.265Please respect copyright.PENANAEijOysiZox
265Please respect copyright.PENANAcgMk0TUXUB
“You just said you fought. Ah, who am I kidding, I know what it is.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAdOzxbawboG
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He pulled his arms closer to his chest and continued peeling.265Please respect copyright.PENANA2um2brt3on
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“You’re probably good friends with her.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAqKlsQswbnc
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“F-Friends? W-Well, I don’t know about–”265Please respect copyright.PENANAsr4KLwq5zn
265Please respect copyright.PENANAmOJ0jX6Kpp
“You’re friends, man. Don’t kid yourself. You wouldn’t have given her that check if you weren’t.”265Please respect copyright.PENANArcbYBtbPDf
265Please respect copyright.PENANAGDrOwKQUb7
He continued his peeling without care while I sat still, shaking and stupified. An outrageous conclusion, an unbelievable string of words, worming its way into my ears and trapping the nerves that signaled my limbs, the engine that ran my thoughts.265Please respect copyright.PENANAVlmB0Pvzg8
265Please respect copyright.PENANAsQsG5XdyOj
“I hear she’s hurt,” Nigel continued, snapping me out of my trance, “Hurt very badly.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAvguDSHk8jt
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“H-Hurt? What happened?”265Please respect copyright.PENANARfUyJ1BQ0G
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“I don’t know the details, but she couldn’t walk when I saw her. She was making one hell of an uproar though, so it’s nothing permanent.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAtMnagABHbp
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“That’s– that’s good to hear.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAJ1IpPJwNGX
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“I got a suggestion for you. I know your relationship is shaky with her, but believe me, what I’m about to advise is good for your health.”265Please respect copyright.PENANADhudr38qGI
265Please respect copyright.PENANALMeX4npCc5
A moment later, he put down his knife and slapped a gelatinous mass of yellow onto the floor before me.265Please respect copyright.PENANA2QVLc5MIf4
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“Here’s all the fat I could get. Take this and make your potion, then give her a patch-up.”265Please respect copyright.PENANArjOM4XVjpm
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“A patch-up… you mean, a healing potion?”265Please respect copyright.PENANAxyfFYv8nLe
265Please respect copyright.PENANAiEB5UQmmKJ
He shrugged.265Please respect copyright.PENANAnQiXjoStTt
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“I’m not the alchemist, am I?”265Please respect copyright.PENANA2OHEiIzYM3
265Please respect copyright.PENANAcrOV2gQKBr
“...Yeah. Yeah, you aren’t.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAaVRXVCXjkw
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I stared at the blubbering mass. It was small enough to fit into my hand, and though it would feel gross, it would be light as a feather as I carried it back to my mock-up lab. But I couldn’t bring myself to pick it up. Because now that chunk was no longer an ingredient, a box to check for my task’s completion. It was a rope; a rigid line to drop me into the depths.265Please respect copyright.PENANAMnTIZuF4n6
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All those thoughts, all those tingles, all that premonition and ominous prospecting. I couldn’t bring myself to pick it up. So I had to.265Please respect copyright.PENANAFs8xCh7Wnn
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“Thank you, Nigel. Your help was invaluable.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAMzD87dmuRi
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“I told you, didn’t I? It’s my pleasure to be a good role model.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAjFWO8cXeKi
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It was impossible to suppress my smile. His cocky optimism– somehow, it was exactly what I needed to fortify my duct-taped prospects. 265Please respect copyright.PENANANBOsE7ER9w
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I picked up the fat, momentarily amazed at how he cut so much so quickly, and waved him goodbye, making my way to my lab and steeling every twitching fiber in me.265Please respect copyright.PENANAxDUI6qZu28
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–
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–
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“...Role model.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAYWM7dab3Zx
265Please respect copyright.PENANAbdpwgsDcq2
Nigel’s hands were a complete mess, covered in gore that assaulted his nostrils. At least as a soldier, the flesh he bled wasn’t rotten. This was a new experience, and in some ways, he was glad about it. He was glad he didn’t run his mouth. He was glad the kid didn’t notice his hands.265Please respect copyright.PENANA7LbzKZtUwZ
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“Who am I kidding, of course he noticed.”265Please respect copyright.PENANARE92YZiA0u
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He stood up and brushed his palms against one another, though all that grime would need more oomph to come off. He sighed and tucked his knives away since the kid let the other loiter on the ground.265Please respect copyright.PENANAOKDY8SCWco
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“I’m not cut out to be a role model. But I’m glad that kid’s doing good. I’m glad you’re not here either, man.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAI6rEZHSrtl
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He put the remaining meat back in the bin and closed the lid, moving his legs to the closest washer he knew.265Please respect copyright.PENANAiwZcYKD4dV
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“You would’ve been too much, Damon. I can’t handle all that empty praise. All that talk of being a moral guy.”265Please respect copyright.PENANAb6hSxZf7jE
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His legs came to a sudden halt. They jerked to and fro, but they didn’t make one nudge of distance. Nigel scoffed and laughed, looking at his disobedient limbs with a hopeless smile.265Please respect copyright.PENANAs2wvVYBfsC
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“...Not even my hands? Had to go straight for my legs?”265Please respect copyright.PENANAHG2HdouVk1
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He closed his eyes. It was all he could to stop the spill, the salty water that trickled for a mere colleague.