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.
207Please respect copyright.PENANAOwZSk3kxfz
“Now all I need to do is to finalize it.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAx4k9kntclU
207Please respect copyright.PENANA1igQacuvfV
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–207Please respect copyright.PENANA5Jl02exedO
207Please respect copyright.PENANAxcN0kapK2L
“It’s a resounding success. Awesome.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAwZew5f2PHX
207Please respect copyright.PENANA8VxSE16BlV
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANA006cL2L443
207Please respect copyright.PENANAM5UEWuo0fP
Should I go and deliver this now, or make a healing potion, and deliver this later?207Please respect copyright.PENANAezgCYhHV0E
207Please respect copyright.PENANA6pqdZA2CDZ
“...”207Please respect copyright.PENANA6yn5UCb88j
207Please respect copyright.PENANAvwkgO1n7bC
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANAtC3Rk8A5B3
207Please respect copyright.PENANAgqd1MiaBK1
“...That’s new. Where did you come from?”207Please respect copyright.PENANANJhcGxRMus
207Please respect copyright.PENANAPnJpsG7eWm
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANAnkTR8LcCoL
207Please respect copyright.PENANA6tc75JQXPL
“I know better. I don’t have the time for that. No, I don’t.”207Please respect copyright.PENANA9YNnsahSNf
207Please respect copyright.PENANAoJtlaSfkm4
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–207Please respect copyright.PENANA6XUvcaqYVI
207Please respect copyright.PENANAi25cuW0F7O
“...”207Please respect copyright.PENANAfIACxvA1mF
207Please respect copyright.PENANAA8L0LWbcrV
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANAjYR0ShNbj5
207Please respect copyright.PENANA8wfWqUNvOv
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANAkRHnMPtftt
207Please respect copyright.PENANA3riu9ysslu
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANABbn7qyimXW
207Please respect copyright.PENANAqtFRIvmDey
–
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–
207Please respect copyright.PENANABiON63bKeM
–
207Please respect copyright.PENANAFXp8yfOGIv
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANArCkqLj2StN
207Please respect copyright.PENANAM0OELgcg37
“Yes?”207Please respect copyright.PENANAzlQfuz9kDY
207Please respect copyright.PENANALwh2DDkKvP
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANAjZ48mpHg7R
207Please respect copyright.PENANAW4LC9DmXfb
“You’re here what I think you’re for, aren’t you?”207Please respect copyright.PENANAFCGFXMwSCG
207Please respect copyright.PENANAlQzESAiS7A
“Y-Yes, Lola. Here, this is the potion I made.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAXvUSzcQ9Uu
207Please respect copyright.PENANAA8oolJiDpf
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANAzkGpRW8IFZ
207Please respect copyright.PENANA6iAd3vQS0u
“You made this in eighty minutes?”207Please respect copyright.PENANAt08zg0UGPb
207Please respect copyright.PENANAhT1ZYlWUWW
“Did I take too long? I’m sorry, I had to grab some ingredients from a lower floor–”207Please respect copyright.PENANATef5W4nUtM
207Please respect copyright.PENANATlcBa5AwlA
“No, not at all. I was expecting you to take longer. Thank you, Kenny, I’ll make sure you’re rewarded handsomely.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAcKEm6lrpAs
207Please respect copyright.PENANAA2TI9TZ3hc
I raised my hands bashfully and rapidly waved them at her.207Please respect copyright.PENANABXbbCRH9UO
207Please respect copyright.PENANAIgngmrceGY
“No no no, please don’t! You’re helping us enough as is.”207Please respect copyright.PENANA4YHeMoMKk3
207Please respect copyright.PENANAXzFdruQVoP
“If you insist.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAz3HoBRBrnd
207Please respect copyright.PENANAli5QxDsP7G
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANAPhGJLb5og8
207Please respect copyright.PENANAKxSD3Xfcpy
“Kenny?”207Please respect copyright.PENANAuKVpfj17bs
207Please respect copyright.PENANATFR8HYxchE
“O-Oh, right. Do you need me for anything else?”207Please respect copyright.PENANAyeW9Vyp3V7
207Please respect copyright.PENANAS9CBboldS3
“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.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAr2nhXqFhBl
207Please respect copyright.PENANA6KD63mj9lT
I let out a chuckled sigh and slapped a hand on my chest, muttering a breathy “thank you.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAtuMll4E5Ri
207Please respect copyright.PENANAO2LOn9Ahhu
“There is something I’d like to ask you, however, just before you go.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAiqNcH8bozx
207Please respect copyright.PENANAKvleQaOB5U
She said so right as I turned to leave. I twisted my head and looked at her, gesturing for her to shoot.207Please respect copyright.PENANAlXGz2zQ8Ul
207Please respect copyright.PENANAis86wGFFzp
“The concoction in your other hand; that bright green tint can only mean one thing, yes? A healing potion.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAAQ0R14PZze
207Please respect copyright.PENANA0PF7o5kydp
I nodded at her assessment. I realized the speed at which this could turn dangerous.207Please respect copyright.PENANAKZBL5HcUdX
207Please respect copyright.PENANA3cEXvVV0ac
“I see. I see, I see…”207Please respect copyright.PENANAPJRmsfhvzj
207Please respect copyright.PENANAWPEEspS0Qz
“A-Are you going to make me make one for each soldier?”207Please respect copyright.PENANAZ6VdvJzG3U
207Please respect copyright.PENANAVglW58WPeF
“No, I won’t ask that of an outsider, let alone a child– oh, sorry, you don’t like being called that, do you?”207Please respect copyright.PENANAI9GG0GXxnH
207Please respect copyright.PENANAqKGRHA3VEz
“...Don’t worry about it. I appreciate you being considerate, Lola. Is there anything else?”207Please respect copyright.PENANAsF7lNrQDUW
207Please respect copyright.PENANASOE3rgRDRh
“I-If you don’t mind my prying, could you answer a few questions for me?”207Please respect copyright.PENANA9JFYZ4V9jO
207Please respect copyright.PENANAOBMIuB354d
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANAfE5INg1Y2m
207Please respect copyright.PENANARI4lOJNXUS
“Please?”207Please respect copyright.PENANA2A01stOGDn
207Please respect copyright.PENANAJUYSUYkov9
Though it was difficult to draw a line while she was making such a face.207Please respect copyright.PENANA9zftMbsVmx
207Please respect copyright.PENANA8dbicokzSG
“F-Fine, but please make them short. I have somewhere I need to be.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAIE6pAvGtgv
207Please respect copyright.PENANAo2Qq4qajgD
“Thank you, I will. It’s just two quick questions. First–”207Please respect copyright.PENANAZPWN552aBm
207Please respect copyright.PENANA7TAUxqTyf5
She paused right before asking, as if a crucial memory struck her from the woodwork. 207Please respect copyright.PENANAZhnoG5ZYof
207Please respect copyright.PENANAmSdGojIMiO
“–How long have you been an alchemist?”207Please respect copyright.PENANA3Y7IlyGl41
207Please respect copyright.PENANAFW80RD8IcN
“I’d say… hold on, that question has two answers. Commercially, it’s been about three years(1). Personally, it’s been for… seven?”207Please respect copyright.PENANAdxVHicyxxS
207Please respect copyright.PENANAIf0ozVMKBN
“Seven years? That’s over half your life, isn’t it?”207Please respect copyright.PENANAEHmgfGXWhX
207Please respect copyright.PENANAvz2F4t47wF
I gave a simple shrug with sandwiched lips.207Please respect copyright.PENANAubHqjInd09
207Please respect copyright.PENANAXppKVhyYdi
“I started young. That’s all.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAA1UpbJ1qun
207Please respect copyright.PENANAoRn1tXUJ9E
“I see. Being trained at such a young age, no wonder why you’re so skilled.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAKeIRK9FUOX
207Please respect copyright.PENANAk844aeZEVg
“P-Please, don’t flatter me. I appreciate the remarks, but they just…”207Please respect copyright.PENANANYSkv0uuCl
207Please respect copyright.PENANALUAHM1CzXJ
They don’t sit right with me, I wanted to say, but Lola gave a predictive, discerning nod, so I stopped speaking.207Please respect copyright.PENANAXdWbbLzQR4
207Please respect copyright.PENANAmV9cGTVpD9
“Only seven years… then, maybe–”207Please respect copyright.PENANAAVLNdgUxgq
207Please respect copyright.PENANAhLodTSctYV
“Sorry, can you repeat that? I didn’t catch it.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAMpqXA5SLSF
207Please respect copyright.PENANAgFBifSfI89
She jumped and then waved her hand.207Please respect copyright.PENANAMxiPIG4Bh6
207Please respect copyright.PENANAuRdauodNYT
“Don’t worry, I was just thinking out loud. Anyhow, for my next question…”207Please respect copyright.PENANAR2pP1YJbb7
207Please respect copyright.PENANAl2cnRyoAfR
“Right.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAYMq7PBsD46
207Please respect copyright.PENANAlG94pTxa4f
“...I apologize if this may seem extreme, but I have to ask.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAMiu65PlxH5
207Please respect copyright.PENANA6nGzYfjYWV
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANAnP96Ymt7HY
207Please respect copyright.PENANAr4UllZBawj
“Did you kill anyone in the last operation?”207Please respect copyright.PENANAWhsPTKAHip
207Please respect copyright.PENANA26RNWWcvEj
“I– Wha!?”207Please respect copyright.PENANA9UjOmL6WCx
207Please respect copyright.PENANASvAESp1QTJ
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANA6U17lp54jX
207Please respect copyright.PENANA28ZwlkYSwB
“Who asks something like that to a child!?”207Please respect copyright.PENANAUnuYRpML9o
207Please respect copyright.PENANAp3y537xTk2
“Shh! I know it’s selfish, but it’s for my own peace of mind! I have to know, please, did you?”207Please respect copyright.PENANAVQQSpM1MQV
207Please respect copyright.PENANAhnyxSr02Bd
“Your own… peace of mind?”207Please respect copyright.PENANA8H3HRRCYNP
207Please respect copyright.PENANALLAxwTiFrg
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANARZnRrD5x67
207Please respect copyright.PENANAajPMJyEMcX
“I didn’t. I hurt some people, but I never landed a killing blow.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAjbKhDItzDC
207Please respect copyright.PENANAxY0e9y0jAq
“I-I see. That’s a relief. Oh my goodness, that’s a relief.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAjeUcc8Mis9
207Please respect copyright.PENANAOOvOZcbqGq
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANAElP938AokL
207Please respect copyright.PENANA9csDgNZPx3
“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. 207Please respect copyright.PENANArSGUmZnFUB
207Please respect copyright.PENANAXBi7a0jS0O
“You… for some reason, I feel like you regard me much more highly than you should.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAR7YzPMaFRc
207Please respect copyright.PENANA1xnAkVc60c
She shrugged at my comment.207Please respect copyright.PENANA83rkFEkZwu
207Please respect copyright.PENANARm5ExAdJCh
“Maybe I do, maybe I don’t. I think I’ll keep you guessing. Now, shoo! You have somewhere to be, don’t you?”207Please respect copyright.PENANAbn8PfXA8dz
207Please respect copyright.PENANAeAamw2mzN6
Brushing me off with perfect logic before I could respond to her outrageous statement, I clicked my tongue inward and turned on my foot.207Please respect copyright.PENANAqWOTqoKfJi
207Please respect copyright.PENANAkdyXZM00YS
“Goodbye Lola,” I shouted. She opened the door and slid right through, waving at me right before closing it.207Please respect copyright.PENANARRVQVd1Pzg
207Please respect copyright.PENANALnTVr9HYiK
–
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–
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–
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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.207Please respect copyright.PENANAQ0DmvmxnmV
207Please respect copyright.PENANAX3MQ1DAbyt
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANA6Q9k6lpWok
207Please respect copyright.PENANAIJfiLWO6lv
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANAoYDhzOAGni
207Please respect copyright.PENANAl9goWOpIjt
“...This is ridiculous.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAJesusA4Oek
207Please respect copyright.PENANAzWtZARyPoD
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANA84qabNrDLJ
207Please respect copyright.PENANAMS52hy6blf
“Just go in, drop it off, go out. Go in, drop it off, go out. Go in, drop it– off!”207Please respect copyright.PENANACvOUT6CtfU
207Please respect copyright.PENANAHIVjds8A5s
In the midst of my chanting, I bit the arrow and slammed it open. It looked far removed from how I imagined it.207Please respect copyright.PENANA9DG21GeWnz
207Please respect copyright.PENANAINoCTN4sTz
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANAC97Mm4yIhQ
207Please respect copyright.PENANAv6FZa3vJCU
And seeing how his groggy face raised to meet mine, I realized how noisy my entrance was.207Please respect copyright.PENANAf2jgYyEs3T
207Please respect copyright.PENANABqhmQdVofL
“S-Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb anyone. I’m just here to deliver something.”207Please respect copyright.PENANALzruCPAR81
207Please respect copyright.PENANABnRny0UnFf
“...Hmm.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAmrNVf83Jai
207Please respect copyright.PENANAOLeB0LTArB
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANAnYyVMNSeMD
207Please respect copyright.PENANAT1ciDZRA9N
“Do whatever.”207Please respect copyright.PENANANTRVXnTBeb
207Please respect copyright.PENANA1Rwthk3BGb
“R-Right. Thank you, sir.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAiIwSqTiADB
207Please respect copyright.PENANAINJKQbJYP6
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANA2inVB9YrNz
207Please respect copyright.PENANA7WfElqjeow
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANATj70TIUx8N
207Please respect copyright.PENANAuY1ubIxEfZ
“D-Darn it.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAzkrkdj0eQJ
207Please respect copyright.PENANAtJDqAaoYP4
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–207Please respect copyright.PENANADSPW2wE0Fl
207Please respect copyright.PENANAhxAxkzhWwU
“What are you doing here?”207Please respect copyright.PENANAnsawEJVkIQ
207Please respect copyright.PENANAOyKWe3iguk
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANAhhrOhh34vN
207Please respect copyright.PENANA1SRHeSWQxl
There was Rover, sitting in the one corner out of my sight, eyeing me with a lion’s eyes.207Please respect copyright.PENANAnVJjAizOAt
207Please respect copyright.PENANArEdFRyvBdF
“...U-Uh.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAcsMMOFA2yV
207Please respect copyright.PENANA2x8pu60WWP
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANAAvtJOXavSM
207Please respect copyright.PENANATQNYTNxiQs
“Well? Come on, spit it out.”207Please respect copyright.PENANA2bxxHRXAJq
207Please respect copyright.PENANAtBmCYFfBy6
“I… I-I.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAj4a2byvLKF
207Please respect copyright.PENANA68BBeLRXUx
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANAXCCfSfb9uM
207Please respect copyright.PENANA9I5kmPeIQL
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANAOMOaQjSi4q
207Please respect copyright.PENANAHFWOOT3qQw
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANAsgxEoHHQon
207Please respect copyright.PENANA6NYES54juN
“I don’t have time for this, just spit it out!”207Please respect copyright.PENANAwIRulj5JCU
207Please respect copyright.PENANAtAKRe9t7jC
“I-I’m here.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAoAV5OJBYbl
207Please respect copyright.PENANAgimpgWV3f4
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANALTESK4XDue
207Please respect copyright.PENANAVmdC06cwMh
“I’m– I made— I– Rover, I’m here–”207Please respect copyright.PENANAuysRfZZD4o
207Please respect copyright.PENANAkEPHBabSH7
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.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAnPCugbS6jA
207Please respect copyright.PENANAcCW51tKrmh
“I…”207Please respect copyright.PENANAsSkDFjD9Mo
207Please respect copyright.PENANA36M5C0AnS6
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANAJKJbbDvfY1
207Please respect copyright.PENANAaucS0jOBLp
“Hello, Rover.”207Please respect copyright.PENANApiyHWhOFZ5
207Please respect copyright.PENANA27eHyraIZj
“Hey, Kenny.”207Please respect copyright.PENANALtSN8lAoI4
207Please respect copyright.PENANA2QAZi6ldEM
I retracted my stretched arm, then extended it yet again.207Please respect copyright.PENANA7U8806awMB
207Please respect copyright.PENANA8Ibc8RulmF
“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–”207Please respect copyright.PENANAwChaImC4j6
207Please respect copyright.PENANAu3eRmzsu2k
“Cut to the chase!”207Please respect copyright.PENANA1K3XOewPqT
207Please respect copyright.PENANAfnuWDtdwV2
“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.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAcQfTPZyMaD
207Please respect copyright.PENANAcVGDI50Nwf
Her eyes widened. Her crossed arms slackened, and I took it as a signal to move forward. I took it incorrectly.207Please respect copyright.PENANAu9450T5W0E
207Please respect copyright.PENANAhOfFyf7KrS
“Hold on, you brought me a potion?”207Please respect copyright.PENANAi0Ybe4oV3v
207Please respect copyright.PENANAbfLZF0t7T1
“Y-Yes.”207Please respect copyright.PENANA5N4DLvdHvn
207Please respect copyright.PENANArNMuRlER6K
“Now who told you to do that?”207Please respect copyright.PENANALCpfUBPQ0D
207Please respect copyright.PENANAnwg6Lx4P27
“W-Well–”207Please respect copyright.PENANAHenWjouDlI
207Please respect copyright.PENANAk64KYbrShM
Nigel suggested it, but he didn’t tell me. No, mulling over that was wasteful spending. There was only one truth in this situation:207Please respect copyright.PENANA3Ifrh906pD
207Please respect copyright.PENANASoyHSMZCJS
“I wanted to do it. I wasn’t told.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAl4B5HKZrxY
207Please respect copyright.PENANA5xk06dPufx
“...You? That wimpy Kenny?”207Please respect copyright.PENANAxCASjQzCY8
207Please respect copyright.PENANArajCRaQKVZ
I wasn’t mad at her insult. It was all too accurate.207Please respect copyright.PENANAOAgpxGd9dI
207Please respect copyright.PENANAa7ZsUaIZNS
“Yes, the wimpy Kenny.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAMwkcbCkd3N
207Please respect copyright.PENANAM8K0R1a6wd
“Ha! You’ve surprised me before, but this really blew my expectations out of the water!”207Please respect copyright.PENANAF7x7NbLKGt
207Please respect copyright.PENANAaaVvT1Tgob
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANAKfU4FDi2Ek
207Please respect copyright.PENANA2KOKNMBAAH
“I refuse your treatment!”207Please respect copyright.PENANA3qx2ac59n6
207Please respect copyright.PENANAZ39fSoWApn
“H-Huh!?”207Please respect copyright.PENANAUixhLuJ8dL
207Please respect copyright.PENANAkG7sdMqQVv
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANA4jttd8wUg2
207Please respect copyright.PENANAouXsVmsAyf
“Why not? Don’t you want to recover faster?”207Please respect copyright.PENANAqK74bRRGEm
207Please respect copyright.PENANAtaoyEvnuZM
“Of course I do, but I can’t accept it. Not when you’re looking at me like I’m some kind of monster.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAsTqEj14UvR
207Please respect copyright.PENANAdkSX0xDKS5
“I– Wha?”207Please respect copyright.PENANAAZWnuVUy7h
207Please respect copyright.PENANAYCBGpmAmwm
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–207Please respect copyright.PENANAKF69YeWoUP
207Please respect copyright.PENANAmZ8Hy5BZgk
“No, stupid! It’s the face you’re making! It’s weird!”207Please respect copyright.PENANApxx5cPbKgB
207Please respect copyright.PENANA989vuTSeyt
“Stupid? Weird!?”207Please respect copyright.PENANAS6jz3Ypbtx
207Please respect copyright.PENANAGDw8tBW9oj
“Do you need the whole room to hear it!? You’re looking at me like a weirdo!”207Please respect copyright.PENANASX9FNaxZnM
207Please respect copyright.PENANAoERI2p8j4n
“...”207Please respect copyright.PENANAoNHfyion6p
207Please respect copyright.PENANAWnqxZCq0Zh
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANA526n84KcWc
207Please respect copyright.PENANA3nuhZPCKMy
“Why are you looking at me like that? Hmph.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAiMdgJLzmTZ
207Please respect copyright.PENANA4PUbQc7Xrg
As I had no other mode of operating at this moment, I blurted my immediate response.207Please respect copyright.PENANAjUpg5zikQJ
207Please respect copyright.PENANARmgdxGMWvp
“It’s because I upset you.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAGexu4gBLkA
207Please respect copyright.PENANAXDoRxpI1yd
And then I realized that something like this required thoughtful phrasing.207Please respect copyright.PENANAV7PNXNbj1V
207Please respect copyright.PENANA8eYVEKeGeV
“I don’t– well, I don’t want to make you any more uncomfortable than you–”207Please respect copyright.PENANAsfxlBcPsWF
207Please respect copyright.PENANAEREdEWH4Ig
“That’s bullshit! Man, forget answering that, I don’t need your whole, your spiel you know!? Come here!”207Please respect copyright.PENANAfPeV0uvJ96
207Please respect copyright.PENANAJWShvfdIyw
“Come, there,” I asked, pointing to myself.207Please respect copyright.PENANAvYhxYRM2e6
207Please respect copyright.PENANAAPr8SEhss5
“Yes. Sit by me, I can’t stand looking at your working legs.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAufqBAG0rc6
207Please respect copyright.PENANAsRPj1l9bdb
“S-Sheesh.” 207Please respect copyright.PENANAK54ox7z3S4
207Please respect copyright.PENANAupWi9plDgu
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.
207Please respect copyright.PENANAHafb4tla1t
“How do I use this thing?”207Please respect copyright.PENANABglMx2DovB
207Please respect copyright.PENANAg5MqJIv72h
“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.”207Please respect copyright.PENANA4XYhpqHL25
207Please respect copyright.PENANAaFZ8L6oArH
“Drinking works for me.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAuwDGtXlDTE
207Please respect copyright.PENANAQyESu8EPxK
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANABYNapMSKuX
207Please respect copyright.PENANAXv1u6KMgTD
“Cah! What the hell, is in this thing?”207Please respect copyright.PENANAMwo0eiM4ti
207Please respect copyright.PENANAraLw4XqshI
“That’s not the problem! You drank it too fast, you dingus!”207Please respect copyright.PENANAxQZOR5lBN2
207Please respect copyright.PENANAnfHlAJ2vW4
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANAJxMpYRLgGz
207Please respect copyright.PENANAkLfnrI8Whb
“If you drink like that, it’s likely to go down the wrong pipe.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAwKd9gPKKjG
207Please respect copyright.PENANA5piCrIQjw6
“Whatever.”207Please respect copyright.PENANA76aHyOiQAH
207Please respect copyright.PENANA1H6yaV3JAH
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. 207Please respect copyright.PENANAUkK3Auuden
207Please respect copyright.PENANAfZ7nq9blfo
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANAtdyFwNUqJc
207Please respect copyright.PENANAVXL3p8FDvG
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANAawPaWQ2bu7
207Please respect copyright.PENANA3r8lkqFFOO
But before I could even take anpreludebreath, she spoke, reading my intentions.207Please respect copyright.PENANAhIoMirXIG9
207Please respect copyright.PENANAK075pu45Td
“Leaving already?”207Please respect copyright.PENANAuN6grBUGYu
207Please respect copyright.PENANAHyJ6cK5I5F
“I-I am, yes. I think it would be best. It isn’t as if I don’t have–”207Please respect copyright.PENANAR2iCmMj76l
207Please respect copyright.PENANACCCVXcIXNX
“Hold on, not yet. I still have something to say to you.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAK0s7ZnzgFR
207Please respect copyright.PENANAZdPBpetbj5
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANAle8mz0kB7U
207Please respect copyright.PENANA8tZMvy62t7
“That’s funny. I do too. Do you mind if I start first?”207Please respect copyright.PENANATWbq4Arnzk
207Please respect copyright.PENANA0X2NosuIE9
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANAo6o7NrQ0tT
207Please respect copyright.PENANApoVTeTkpSd
“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?”207Please respect copyright.PENANAdo7ENmzle9
207Please respect copyright.PENANATpp3Q6O1dp
“Yeah, I do. I remembered how much of a wuss you were.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAjGrRkRfvJC
207Please respect copyright.PENANACfWyFuFE4D
I almost chuckled. Blunt as a bat, but it hit a bullseye.207Please respect copyright.PENANA0pibhdendb
207Please respect copyright.PENANAUJGUoY5cg6
“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.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAJToMwDOPbs
207Please respect copyright.PENANAqibgp8wkMf
I noticed the subtlest rise of her right brow.207Please respect copyright.PENANAigTqOyf1DT
207Please respect copyright.PENANAPXU9HPw8SI
“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.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAa35NLYz6Fa
207Please respect copyright.PENANAXKtETAJfPB
She nodded along to my apology. It looked like she was expecting more, but I was finished. So she’d understand, I concluded with–207Please respect copyright.PENANAuhnFrSE7Mj
207Please respect copyright.PENANAHvrq9zpQgO
“So yeah, I’m sorry for being such a wuss.”207Please respect copyright.PENANASozWEhtAxw
207Please respect copyright.PENANAHjHwiGHU1A
“...Hmm. Ha, I guess kids really do grow so fast.”207Please respect copyright.PENANA9FQPul52tj
207Please respect copyright.PENANAmZZ0t7QVHU
“H-Huh?”207Please respect copyright.PENANAfmz7nuD9hq
207Please respect copyright.PENANAY8IfApi49z
She rubbed her nose a little and continued talking.207Please respect copyright.PENANAIWYeFkNd4t
207Please respect copyright.PENANA6O0e56TCUg
“Just look at you. You’re nothing like the Kenny I knew.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAnWtqZzk1vh
207Please respect copyright.PENANAnelOT7i9Qx
“I-I, well, I don’t know if I agree–”207Please respect copyright.PENANABHpKrs990J
207Please respect copyright.PENANAsjtYBoXcqY
“Nah, on second thought, I take that back. But that doesn’t matter anyway. Seriously, just look at you.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAH8MhsH6mje
207Please respect copyright.PENANAG46s7UsR1Q
“I’m n-nothing so special.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAbaiqB8tA2a
207Please respect copyright.PENANAfxIpvor95S
“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!”207Please respect copyright.PENANAgqb6oB1tMm
207Please respect copyright.PENANAC3zfDB61xf
“The letter certainly isn’t a priority.”207Please respect copyright.PENANArP7In4LdbT
207Please respect copyright.PENANApPtAjiPNNv
She casually clicked her tongue, tilted her head sideways, and waved her hand downward.207Please respect copyright.PENANAMRR8WrpZJR
207Please respect copyright.PENANA4FF240YLPh
“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.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAn0LtaAXvQl
207Please respect copyright.PENANA1a3ttrbz7Q
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. 207Please respect copyright.PENANAWJvg1u5bk1
207Please respect copyright.PENANAi0n4sVOC9e
It took me only a few 207Please respect copyright.PENANAK4SYb6peAp
207Please respect copyright.PENANANtEaNoUa6j
“I don’t think so. I don’t think I grew anything.”207Please respect copyright.PENANA7h0sHIic5Y
207Please respect copyright.PENANAKwJCHpO07G
“‘Course you did! Stop giving me such crap–”207Please respect copyright.PENANANjhK0TUVh6
207Please respect copyright.PENANAzNJjN9dcQC
“No, really, Rover.”207Please respect copyright.PENANA0qTcZ1Clxi
207Please respect copyright.PENANARwFp7GEOw9
I slouched my posture and leaned back, lifting myself with my hands behind me. 207Please respect copyright.PENANAPiIQsg9RS1
207Please respect copyright.PENANAWMPh57gz6x
“I think I’m just lucky.”207Please respect copyright.PENANApN5PsnGCmC
207Please respect copyright.PENANAOaQAnnROGe
I veered my eyes away from the ceiling, looking into Rover’s, and was taken aback by her utter dejection. Or was it disgust?207Please respect copyright.PENANAOwjinVWCzF
207Please respect copyright.PENANAMN9T9kCSBj
“I-I mean, it’s not as if I haven’t been trying, it’s just–”207Please respect copyright.PENANAFiJAlHhSEb
207Please respect copyright.PENANAlrfu7ovvMs
“Nevermind all that, Kenny. You’re starting to give me a headache.”207Please respect copyright.PENANA36aJKfjox2
207Please respect copyright.PENANABDeErReuXP
I stopped my frantic hand-waving and began to scratch my head.207Please respect copyright.PENANAadTAJyoqC8
207Please respect copyright.PENANAW4UyRjhekD
“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.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAAU865f22SZ
207Please respect copyright.PENANAqpsumGaFgr
“It isn’t a drug! I wouldn’t stoop to such barbaric substances!”207Please respect copyright.PENANAHUQHfKx72n
207Please respect copyright.PENANA5IKuhDMr8F
“Uh-huh, whatever. Hear me out before you can’t anymore.”
207Please respect copyright.PENANAL28FOpfM25
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANAwoYx3w0xTk
207Please respect copyright.PENANA1d2BR0PJMm
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. 207Please respect copyright.PENANAKdnrgvaD3p
207Please respect copyright.PENANAfF52fJYjSA
“D-Don’t rush me!”207Please respect copyright.PENANAAG9sUlhVdf
207Please respect copyright.PENANABBGMCCxKzE
“I’m not rushing you! I mean, I wouldn’t mind if you just spat it out, but–”207Please respect copyright.PENANA9LDTp1addY
207Please respect copyright.PENANA8arNHPIjp7
“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…”207Please respect copyright.PENANAhPV2XkWW2R
207Please respect copyright.PENANAAYKci8dr2O
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANAOYJRHX3HyU
207Please respect copyright.PENANA5oHHMfEY3f
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANAMydoTD3NsU
207Please respect copyright.PENANAxzpCbqY1Tu
“Gahh, forget it! You convinced me, I’ll just say it!”207Please respect copyright.PENANAb59LkO1uZh
207Please respect copyright.PENANAHjE06er0sY
“I didn’t say anything.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAFq1KUf0Whu
207Please respect copyright.PENANAIeZlQUCs1J
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANARQJ0hWq2ju
207Please respect copyright.PENANA16qnSWnlTv
“I’m sorry for being such a priss.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAvHdqrF5C33
207Please respect copyright.PENANAMNzF3il8fH
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANA3tCjkFpCns
207Please respect copyright.PENANArcKGBif79Y
But whether she was or not, mattered not to me.207Please respect copyright.PENANACxc6DasKo3
207Please respect copyright.PENANAzdySo6jNFz
“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.”207Please respect copyright.PENANARLYYolNBHi
207Please respect copyright.PENANAkjW99ZE4La
“Told you all I did? What?”207Please respect copyright.PENANAWexxZiDk8Y
207Please respect copyright.PENANABwLOYY4E8a
She was caught by a wind of fury.207Please respect copyright.PENANAIBTNxhiz9t
207Please respect copyright.PENANAdyIKsB3QFj
“You don’t remember!? Are you kidding me!? I really should–! Gah, you’re making this so much harder than it should be!”207Please respect copyright.PENANAZURX29HV9e
207Please respect copyright.PENANAPRLlagNWns
I couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. She stopped her rage immediately, donning a look of perplexion. 207Please respect copyright.PENANAXBrG4FOjHQ
207Please respect copyright.PENANALN2ET0BhO2
“What’s so funny?”207Please respect copyright.PENANAw6Ho8iELsk
207Please respect copyright.PENANAl7JcaVGGZV
“N-Nothing in particular. I appreciate the apology, I suppose? I don’t think I’m all that deserving of it, though.”207Please respect copyright.PENANArBQV7VebVU
207Please respect copyright.PENANA21LjsOis16
“Hold on, I’m not done yet!”207Please respect copyright.PENANA2hoIay03W2
207Please respect copyright.PENANAeXbPPl7oFe
I nodded in understanding, and so she continued.207Please respect copyright.PENANApqqEz2nvQw
207Please respect copyright.PENANAFgDIyrE6Em
“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.”207Please respect copyright.PENANARmEBQnyyFU
207Please respect copyright.PENANABcxoLgHQE0
“A little crazy?”207Please respect copyright.PENANA5ovJnNv9qI
207Please respect copyright.PENANAsYDukKAoWf
“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!”207Please respect copyright.PENANANQA5XZaYHA
207Please respect copyright.PENANAcjEdBShQT9
Her hands balled themselves to compliment her offshoot tangent. Her escalating tone made me concerned, but she relaxed soon after.207Please respect copyright.PENANAWOum9rata9
207Please respect copyright.PENANALlGeh67T1v
“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.”207Please respect copyright.PENANASi45W2E8z1
207Please respect copyright.PENANAbrzCisdE5T
“Well–”207Please respect copyright.PENANADt3IJtOauV
207Please respect copyright.PENANAnQebgbFnxp
“Shut up! Shut up! Do you know how annoying it is to hear someone undersell themselves all the time?”207Please respect copyright.PENANAg5THg8sCzn
207Please respect copyright.PENANA1prb264TfB
“I–”207Please respect copyright.PENANA2qhPgZtLwk
207Please respect copyright.PENANAKZeeRuizT3
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANAmFuMzjzJVW
207Please respect copyright.PENANAXVTDmgLdEK
“Yeah. I do. It sucks.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAncJwVrgNMk
207Please respect copyright.PENANAMpcYoJiTXt
“See! I– huh? You do?”207Please respect copyright.PENANArgvC7JP3f5
207Please respect copyright.PENANANio1Sc0dMW
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANAiBmERnRTMq
207Please respect copyright.PENANA449l5M340J
“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.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAndHbvO3Srt
207Please respect copyright.PENANAEveAKzzn5Y
“Whatever. Think what you want, but don’t speak it out loud anymore.”207Please respect copyright.PENANArvsh5Jwhpm
207Please respect copyright.PENANAJJkVEC1mfM
“I… haha, sure thing, Rover. I’ll do just that.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAObErGZ4iKU
207Please respect copyright.PENANAPjiGT3C4Ux
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANAP2A4CGGNd3
207Please respect copyright.PENANABlN8O1McyT
“Perfect. I was just about to tell you to leave.”207Please respect copyright.PENANABDYjzX8vD3
207Please respect copyright.PENANAG7JY4bMmLr
“I’m starting to think you hate me.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAxXDO5EyTns
207Please respect copyright.PENANAdJFlhUhFgF
Her hands twitched upwards defensively.207Please respect copyright.PENANA1M3FBowy9b
207Please respect copyright.PENANAehXo29CyZ4
“I-I don’t. I’m just getting sleepy. Any second now, I’ll doze off.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAOhpakkVsk6
207Please respect copyright.PENANAV29oQEDceQ
“Ah, right.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAqL94MGSEe3
207Please respect copyright.PENANA9foZ5wWkXb
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANAvgq4t3Smdw
207Please respect copyright.PENANAIBNBieEmYP
“That one Bringer was invigorated even with a restored limb, after all…”207Please respect copyright.PENANANXmipgPWMJ
207Please respect copyright.PENANAXdFUCNbLfC
“What are you mumbling about, eh? Scram! Scram, I tell you!”207Please respect copyright.PENANALz0V4rhksS
207Please respect copyright.PENANAvdR5T1AgXp
“Alright alright, jeez. With how grouchy you’re being, you really do need that rest.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAWpYmRy8RhF
207Please respect copyright.PENANA6apDa8SNFz
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.207Please respect copyright.PENANAhVeOAc91Jb
207Please respect copyright.PENANADE5he3AlNx
“Wait, one last thing!”207Please respect copyright.PENANAFXLNpETCfn
207Please respect copyright.PENANAk8X6M7AwKP
Then, she shouted unexpectedly. I looked at her with a blank expression to signify my okay, and she continued shortly.207Please respect copyright.PENANAEDNYs9E7mW
207Please respect copyright.PENANAN7GKsl2FqT
“Tell that old bucket-wearing fart to visit me sometime.”207Please respect copyright.PENANAutTcRd9px0
207Please respect copyright.PENANAsmNVEY6EBm
“...”207Please respect copyright.PENANAnQQoV279i2
207Please respect copyright.PENANAqjj6IKycIE
I smiled.207Please respect copyright.PENANAbB7i2FgyT9
207Please respect copyright.PENANAW0qujYllOH
“I will.”207Please respect copyright.PENANASqpumvDIa7
207Please respect copyright.PENANAeRQYC8kySv
I returned her wave and exited the room. The moment the door shut behind me, I let out a quick breath and–207Please respect copyright.PENANAaV6Mx7YaUk
207Please respect copyright.PENANAgKiGZ4NLIj
“Yes!”207Please respect copyright.PENANAC0CJMjrm4m
207Please respect copyright.PENANAMmYSnewzrE
A jump with jubilation. I had to. I never experienced such success before.207Please respect copyright.PENANA4bOszPoR5P