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.
130Please respect copyright.PENANAmBj6LSQXyo
“Now all I need to do is to finalize it.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAHXynqPljyf
130Please respect copyright.PENANAUPEtK3V9CQ
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–130Please respect copyright.PENANAgo2t5LLX6v
130Please respect copyright.PENANA8iSBoDTcs6
“It’s a resounding success. Awesome.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAM5IPJL7uGI
130Please respect copyright.PENANA5gkGjBRD8q
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANAGTmvDiXSwv
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Should I go and deliver this now, or make a healing potion, and deliver this later?130Please respect copyright.PENANA1JSOwvrr2v
130Please respect copyright.PENANA0Twbp4zfeJ
“...”130Please respect copyright.PENANA8v7903ynmf
130Please respect copyright.PENANAaFK2hqieBo
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANAHYGptIzJ4J
130Please respect copyright.PENANAUTJpDNUuvX
“...That’s new. Where did you come from?”130Please respect copyright.PENANAuNGbgxZgqP
130Please respect copyright.PENANAEeEWt3EWBI
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANAh0lZpGKOno
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“I know better. I don’t have the time for that. No, I don’t.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAUfUnKRGfSr
130Please respect copyright.PENANAb8tBUkHe8n
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–130Please respect copyright.PENANAtIkiqBQRjf
130Please respect copyright.PENANAbQok2QH4Gk
“...”130Please respect copyright.PENANAbftt9V7U84
130Please respect copyright.PENANAFiQztEPTL3
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANAu1NxlnuNwT
130Please respect copyright.PENANAIvrYmDBKA6
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANA5II5n5peEa
130Please respect copyright.PENANAQDIKZyxX6k
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANAQWhLqcXwE6
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–
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–
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–
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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.130Please respect copyright.PENANAoWkZDp896K
130Please respect copyright.PENANAivDu8vpnkI
“Yes?”130Please respect copyright.PENANAIIXd162dAk
130Please respect copyright.PENANAKUNwy6W1Os
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANArIWPAjf4ag
130Please respect copyright.PENANA6VB4CeKw62
“You’re here what I think you’re for, aren’t you?”130Please respect copyright.PENANAj10ZzCRNVM
130Please respect copyright.PENANA4jvtxDP4vx
“Y-Yes, Lola. Here, this is the potion I made.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAyJsJoMcJg7
130Please respect copyright.PENANAcAhD1Kg1SJ
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANAZP4yG2cdjR
130Please respect copyright.PENANAjQ3NoWOyPQ
“You made this in eighty minutes?”130Please respect copyright.PENANAg3rLhe6X0e
130Please respect copyright.PENANA68V3bKNyU6
“Did I take too long? I’m sorry, I had to grab some ingredients from a lower floor–”130Please respect copyright.PENANAf1J3BU0aIh
130Please respect copyright.PENANAFyJsUJ59iC
“No, not at all. I was expecting you to take longer. Thank you, Kenny, I’ll make sure you’re rewarded handsomely.”130Please respect copyright.PENANALGcnU1I26R
130Please respect copyright.PENANAQEegOQDzxA
I raised my hands bashfully and rapidly waved them at her.130Please respect copyright.PENANANXPjA6gJDZ
130Please respect copyright.PENANA3qnQhusCFT
“No no no, please don’t! You’re helping us enough as is.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAaYNTcfIhvW
130Please respect copyright.PENANAAKqW649pVM
“If you insist.”130Please respect copyright.PENANADPvp5Lp7Bd
130Please respect copyright.PENANAQisfdhmykL
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANAQ69JXRV6W3
130Please respect copyright.PENANA1VRH3Z1Duc
“Kenny?”130Please respect copyright.PENANA7AZGYEZimo
130Please respect copyright.PENANAWs1p3ed7C2
“O-Oh, right. Do you need me for anything else?”130Please respect copyright.PENANA2ER2mpM6gy
130Please respect copyright.PENANAXRzdhike6a
“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.”130Please respect copyright.PENANA380kgn39pS
130Please respect copyright.PENANA3bFgPLIuDq
I let out a chuckled sigh and slapped a hand on my chest, muttering a breathy “thank you.”130Please respect copyright.PENANASAedveOrfA
130Please respect copyright.PENANAEGGXz0sO7y
“There is something I’d like to ask you, however, just before you go.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAy5caQG6uyB
130Please respect copyright.PENANAe4JyM33dGw
She said so right as I turned to leave. I twisted my head and looked at her, gesturing for her to shoot.130Please respect copyright.PENANAkT8WOF510o
130Please respect copyright.PENANAueCweMFcQF
“The concoction in your other hand; that bright green tint can only mean one thing, yes? A healing potion.”130Please respect copyright.PENANA6LoylcMEtQ
130Please respect copyright.PENANAvq33AKAHSI
I nodded at her assessment. I realized the speed at which this could turn dangerous.130Please respect copyright.PENANAGJMEWSkR2f
130Please respect copyright.PENANAy2vwbsRUvy
“I see. I see, I see…”130Please respect copyright.PENANASFRqViL3lr
130Please respect copyright.PENANA1PYQQv9Jkr
“A-Are you going to make me make one for each soldier?”130Please respect copyright.PENANAaZ33aZFNQ7
130Please respect copyright.PENANAV6X37YiaRK
“No, I won’t ask that of an outsider, let alone a child– oh, sorry, you don’t like being called that, do you?”130Please respect copyright.PENANA2V0YnDk4Wk
130Please respect copyright.PENANA6PfVNdWOpN
“...Don’t worry about it. I appreciate you being considerate, Lola. Is there anything else?”130Please respect copyright.PENANAKFMdiOLcXG
130Please respect copyright.PENANAZH1UpLRT3a
“I-If you don’t mind my prying, could you answer a few questions for me?”130Please respect copyright.PENANA8dNkAZN8on
130Please respect copyright.PENANAzfz2ocDD7h
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANApXCZVRtF91
130Please respect copyright.PENANACR4nPxgrzb
“Please?”130Please respect copyright.PENANA11LejXoXyj
130Please respect copyright.PENANAnJARTHORXr
Though it was difficult to draw a line while she was making such a face.130Please respect copyright.PENANAMvs04Lp3cZ
130Please respect copyright.PENANA5fzsvmmhBQ
“F-Fine, but please make them short. I have somewhere I need to be.”130Please respect copyright.PENANADlZ88QbNCa
130Please respect copyright.PENANAv3hoMLhdOf
“Thank you, I will. It’s just two quick questions. First–”130Please respect copyright.PENANA5eSNonKgLc
130Please respect copyright.PENANAH0wIjLAQnY
She paused right before asking, as if a crucial memory struck her from the woodwork. 130Please respect copyright.PENANAhnSE9I0LEf
130Please respect copyright.PENANA5CSLuaFImB
“–How long have you been an alchemist?”130Please respect copyright.PENANA3ZgeePhFr3
130Please respect copyright.PENANA92w7Ub9FwN
“I’d say… hold on, that question has two answers. Commercially, it’s been about three years(1). Personally, it’s been for… seven?”130Please respect copyright.PENANAnEYtFl6v9X
130Please respect copyright.PENANA7GiOi3f9vb
“Seven years? That’s over half your life, isn’t it?”130Please respect copyright.PENANAorGWZTaHFB
130Please respect copyright.PENANAhYv0wD3BAn
I gave a simple shrug with sandwiched lips.130Please respect copyright.PENANAAuCuagfS7n
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“I started young. That’s all.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAXUDeWsiNvW
130Please respect copyright.PENANAxWJ7e5ebZO
“I see. Being trained at such a young age, no wonder why you’re so skilled.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAes6mTiYjtl
130Please respect copyright.PENANAt0IDvyV1rC
“P-Please, don’t flatter me. I appreciate the remarks, but they just…”130Please respect copyright.PENANAo7NcGMVGkF
130Please respect copyright.PENANARGK4VhyaIf
They don’t sit right with me, I wanted to say, but Lola gave a predictive, discerning nod, so I stopped speaking.130Please respect copyright.PENANAVg7EhfxON4
130Please respect copyright.PENANANMena9srlR
“Only seven years… then, maybe–”130Please respect copyright.PENANAqfOCR9VQf1
130Please respect copyright.PENANAvfGoISn4bT
“Sorry, can you repeat that? I didn’t catch it.”130Please respect copyright.PENANASboyE4bPFb
130Please respect copyright.PENANAsh9jQK8qwA
She jumped and then waved her hand.130Please respect copyright.PENANAA4Yd0TZykn
130Please respect copyright.PENANAklz9leNesY
“Don’t worry, I was just thinking out loud. Anyhow, for my next question…”130Please respect copyright.PENANAdG1RU7J573
130Please respect copyright.PENANAQedN29gHXX
“Right.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAE6fDkVNOnU
130Please respect copyright.PENANAqpiP1ET26T
“...I apologize if this may seem extreme, but I have to ask.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAzgq9ypiB9j
130Please respect copyright.PENANA4lyNxyttrr
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANAl4FeINYymc
130Please respect copyright.PENANA8UsScBFzDa
“Did you kill anyone in the last operation?”130Please respect copyright.PENANA3nG5orj1VS
130Please respect copyright.PENANAk0b8y1bMqT
“I– Wha!?”130Please respect copyright.PENANA90osgkuHFE
130Please respect copyright.PENANAOBzc60Sisc
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANAawxvsPDEkL
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“Who asks something like that to a child!?”130Please respect copyright.PENANAlRcps04Opk
130Please respect copyright.PENANAyyrkrP9J6T
“Shh! I know it’s selfish, but it’s for my own peace of mind! I have to know, please, did you?”130Please respect copyright.PENANA1Xr3tM2bA8
130Please respect copyright.PENANAiXXo9vqlBZ
“Your own… peace of mind?”130Please respect copyright.PENANAqGfPMr8mrM
130Please respect copyright.PENANAVNfi4TtM1L
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANA8ip1DfqwEC
130Please respect copyright.PENANAbwjN7xWWyc
“I didn’t. I hurt some people, but I never landed a killing blow.”130Please respect copyright.PENANABDuP9ZMUM5
130Please respect copyright.PENANApHiT76MmzB
“I-I see. That’s a relief. Oh my goodness, that’s a relief.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAiqj4B88S6I
130Please respect copyright.PENANAmOVgJNg4o4
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANA8q5VB2b97r
130Please respect copyright.PENANAWdL90ljn1i
“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. 130Please respect copyright.PENANA9xAxOW2ovT
130Please respect copyright.PENANAOJ2HWSgBYM
“You… for some reason, I feel like you regard me much more highly than you should.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAt1McbgWw3D
130Please respect copyright.PENANAl4PpZBnJCQ
She shrugged at my comment.130Please respect copyright.PENANAganA2PiJCX
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“Maybe I do, maybe I don’t. I think I’ll keep you guessing. Now, shoo! You have somewhere to be, don’t you?”130Please respect copyright.PENANAWBS2cTwAcq
130Please respect copyright.PENANA4Ky8u7Nds0
Brushing me off with perfect logic before I could respond to her outrageous statement, I clicked my tongue inward and turned on my foot.130Please respect copyright.PENANAXTjfvvsH2J
130Please respect copyright.PENANAqvQHF9hIMm
“Goodbye Lola,” I shouted. She opened the door and slid right through, waving at me right before closing it.130Please respect copyright.PENANAs7RnYjCoWy
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–
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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.130Please respect copyright.PENANANPip16APA3
130Please respect copyright.PENANASyGu997Oxp
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANAIr851ioNjX
130Please respect copyright.PENANA76N7qk7xx6
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANAQmoo8fyhiz
130Please respect copyright.PENANAoSkvSjSYVe
“...This is ridiculous.”130Please respect copyright.PENANA95PqYG7yIa
130Please respect copyright.PENANAH8Tc2Qhvbc
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANA4FbJQOhrhf
130Please respect copyright.PENANAwQPejPNt9u
“Just go in, drop it off, go out. Go in, drop it off, go out. Go in, drop it– off!”130Please respect copyright.PENANAtdUwHvxjtl
130Please respect copyright.PENANAfadUkC7Yes
In the midst of my chanting, I bit the arrow and slammed it open. It looked far removed from how I imagined it.130Please respect copyright.PENANAA8q9f2PGAZ
130Please respect copyright.PENANAgQ22SyJDKF
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANAHAIb5MXoin
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And seeing how his groggy face raised to meet mine, I realized how noisy my entrance was.130Please respect copyright.PENANAARMg2nBzSr
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“S-Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb anyone. I’m just here to deliver something.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAfj4353dCrA
130Please respect copyright.PENANAonxsHRneVP
“...Hmm.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAjvUTxDgPqL
130Please respect copyright.PENANAmRgrTDtTDZ
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANApPSdMYabTX
130Please respect copyright.PENANADPWq2fb4uS
“Do whatever.”130Please respect copyright.PENANALIjzZuPPVI
130Please respect copyright.PENANA6C7gw2jbBG
“R-Right. Thank you, sir.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAFCANezwOdy
130Please respect copyright.PENANAnqX1CuR5X0
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANAT74VIFAckN
130Please respect copyright.PENANABStDXqCAX5
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANAZtxfokNx5Z
130Please respect copyright.PENANA1fXdp0HNg8
“D-Darn it.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAdtxZPWssEO
130Please respect copyright.PENANAXScP6cu7EM
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–130Please respect copyright.PENANAoD9pxHTWZs
130Please respect copyright.PENANA3iC6iRlfnp
“What are you doing here?”130Please respect copyright.PENANAUSQBDufdp8
130Please respect copyright.PENANAVHzxcyg83o
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANAUnyRH4udR9
130Please respect copyright.PENANA2xFCmi5XZv
There was Rover, sitting in the one corner out of my sight, eyeing me with a lion’s eyes.130Please respect copyright.PENANAZyM2SfkENS
130Please respect copyright.PENANAgy1PGYd1FR
“...U-Uh.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAyiRnhoEjDI
130Please respect copyright.PENANAcxThTRT2NE
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANA88VgWm8gPb
130Please respect copyright.PENANAHG3WYhT9ki
“Well? Come on, spit it out.”130Please respect copyright.PENANA9EV3aVWRqI
130Please respect copyright.PENANARSVtCWgYFV
“I… I-I.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAxTpvAuy9QT
130Please respect copyright.PENANA7tcjfFBA5p
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANAs0wxj9OQWE
130Please respect copyright.PENANAHRmauTKpIj
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANAgGWgutBl5k
130Please respect copyright.PENANAT1RBvZ5sqz
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANAuSUhTAO7ER
130Please respect copyright.PENANABj6uar7o6O
“I don’t have time for this, just spit it out!”130Please respect copyright.PENANAkjxBIkQpqA
130Please respect copyright.PENANAr3PuX9dB14
“I-I’m here.”130Please respect copyright.PENANANzdziLBBCZ
130Please respect copyright.PENANA3hrcEuK5eo
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANALxszMimgl3
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“I’m– I made— I– Rover, I’m here–”130Please respect copyright.PENANAz7M2SagkK3
130Please respect copyright.PENANAqYOJ301HzZ
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.”130Please respect copyright.PENANA9u6SAJrL7K
130Please respect copyright.PENANAKuCnwoLcQC
“I…”130Please respect copyright.PENANAhvwFvnJMxu
130Please respect copyright.PENANAAZQkMUzfoq
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANA0rdHMnvgce
130Please respect copyright.PENANAGAzoxnx8Ps
“Hello, Rover.”130Please respect copyright.PENANA4aQS2KFKxs
130Please respect copyright.PENANA6gwokbTFUL
“Hey, Kenny.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAEV8fnjQvw0
130Please respect copyright.PENANASi96fNQGar
I retracted my stretched arm, then extended it yet again.130Please respect copyright.PENANAGXzKIQMJWu
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“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–”130Please respect copyright.PENANATz2dfOsntQ
130Please respect copyright.PENANA9V3PoJp4kx
“Cut to the chase!”130Please respect copyright.PENANAHVucUEISOt
130Please respect copyright.PENANAepsBWVIuqX
“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.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAXZ1SBB2UC1
130Please respect copyright.PENANACMT5lNerOY
Her eyes widened. Her crossed arms slackened, and I took it as a signal to move forward. I took it incorrectly.130Please respect copyright.PENANAkNd4tTWsZM
130Please respect copyright.PENANAZQU5cthCI8
“Hold on, you brought me a potion?”130Please respect copyright.PENANAzUkiHlSWO6
130Please respect copyright.PENANA4RcUTwVXE7
“Y-Yes.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAwt1OzCvgqF
130Please respect copyright.PENANA1jLjEq89EW
“Now who told you to do that?”130Please respect copyright.PENANAfn9flkQ23w
130Please respect copyright.PENANAzA6VfUVm4s
“W-Well–”130Please respect copyright.PENANAMTMavjwNd8
130Please respect copyright.PENANA1Wa3uIGIRM
Nigel suggested it, but he didn’t tell me. No, mulling over that was wasteful spending. There was only one truth in this situation:130Please respect copyright.PENANAgM5eTzddo3
130Please respect copyright.PENANAKSFjVuYk9m
“I wanted to do it. I wasn’t told.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAAELmoTsy6O
130Please respect copyright.PENANA2XfuSZiUOh
“...You? That wimpy Kenny?”130Please respect copyright.PENANA6osAFUuQ1d
130Please respect copyright.PENANALVtumd48N0
I wasn’t mad at her insult. It was all too accurate.130Please respect copyright.PENANATdEcJZLU9x
130Please respect copyright.PENANARbWj7KCSux
“Yes, the wimpy Kenny.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAbQSHXfpVbc
130Please respect copyright.PENANAY5QqdSNK2k
“Ha! You’ve surprised me before, but this really blew my expectations out of the water!”130Please respect copyright.PENANAQvaHDZ5gtv
130Please respect copyright.PENANA8rSVHc29G7
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANAFvxnwL8FJ1
130Please respect copyright.PENANAxlBZ3M8NPf
“I refuse your treatment!”130Please respect copyright.PENANA0jrTVb4kcr
130Please respect copyright.PENANAhzuLFscKJd
“H-Huh!?”130Please respect copyright.PENANAjjV7UaatOi
130Please respect copyright.PENANAkoLoWCv5cU
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANANwsdD2WW8M
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“Why not? Don’t you want to recover faster?”130Please respect copyright.PENANAMb1HdnRPkv
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“Of course I do, but I can’t accept it. Not when you’re looking at me like I’m some kind of monster.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAbJULOTkavE
130Please respect copyright.PENANAP4Et5u5X9U
“I– Wha?”130Please respect copyright.PENANAEYCj2uH1tI
130Please respect copyright.PENANANiqTRMyEZ5
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–130Please respect copyright.PENANAj7kroIniZi
130Please respect copyright.PENANADSsSOSi6D7
“No, stupid! It’s the face you’re making! It’s weird!”130Please respect copyright.PENANASmXS1PDSDr
130Please respect copyright.PENANAU7aQY3J1jl
“Stupid? Weird!?”130Please respect copyright.PENANAmmZdLcMHhN
130Please respect copyright.PENANAYZXR6roycs
“Do you need the whole room to hear it!? You’re looking at me like a weirdo!”130Please respect copyright.PENANAmChHoaaBlP
130Please respect copyright.PENANAXYzzgtqbdX
“...”130Please respect copyright.PENANAm9NoSxMviK
130Please respect copyright.PENANAuLwnun8Ahg
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANAsifiwaXPVq
130Please respect copyright.PENANARoUXQltCU9
“Why are you looking at me like that? Hmph.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAob14j8KKhJ
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As I had no other mode of operating at this moment, I blurted my immediate response.130Please respect copyright.PENANAbmXNEUN1bV
130Please respect copyright.PENANADVtMSoarVC
“It’s because I upset you.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAPqr71cebua
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And then I realized that something like this required thoughtful phrasing.130Please respect copyright.PENANAa2Oik6p5SG
130Please respect copyright.PENANAYcIBkLAHO2
“I don’t– well, I don’t want to make you any more uncomfortable than you–”130Please respect copyright.PENANAOfaSFAWYUI
130Please respect copyright.PENANAetCZ2Ghzth
“That’s bullshit! Man, forget answering that, I don’t need your whole, your spiel you know!? Come here!”130Please respect copyright.PENANAJ3FJMxp5Qa
130Please respect copyright.PENANAUHY170xlbM
“Come, there,” I asked, pointing to myself.130Please respect copyright.PENANAXTRwow2K44
130Please respect copyright.PENANA6i3koFjfnb
“Yes. Sit by me, I can’t stand looking at your working legs.”130Please respect copyright.PENANARIJYmWqI2v
130Please respect copyright.PENANABxV8zubgaA
“S-Sheesh.” 130Please respect copyright.PENANA69tvZVRv9t
130Please respect copyright.PENANA2i8hlcm8ov
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.
130Please respect copyright.PENANAGao66Jy6RG
“How do I use this thing?”130Please respect copyright.PENANAIu6jXu0Kem
130Please respect copyright.PENANAY7so3uI7QU
“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.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAB43ygg9kPH
130Please respect copyright.PENANAWTFJysqINz
“Drinking works for me.”130Please respect copyright.PENANA93h1tVQUQ0
130Please respect copyright.PENANAvRjIxmjLpI
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANAM9P92Eg9Aq
130Please respect copyright.PENANAYCfbgs4gkm
“Cah! What the hell, is in this thing?”130Please respect copyright.PENANAJJFNBKzxUU
130Please respect copyright.PENANA0fFuyV82JO
“That’s not the problem! You drank it too fast, you dingus!”130Please respect copyright.PENANAlwxc0EvzD6
130Please respect copyright.PENANAywwLL1DnpB
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANA8dhB0ZVpmK
130Please respect copyright.PENANA7EaJLxP75m
“If you drink like that, it’s likely to go down the wrong pipe.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAThq6i7xtAM
130Please respect copyright.PENANApjdqApBZj7
“Whatever.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAPxjl9M4EfQ
130Please respect copyright.PENANA5Kvakjqnjs
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. 130Please respect copyright.PENANATO0c50jGVK
130Please respect copyright.PENANApzYh42ft91
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANAotrImE4zLh
130Please respect copyright.PENANAOxG6R2cN44
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANAMCwtyUlIcB
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But before I could even take anpreludebreath, she spoke, reading my intentions.130Please respect copyright.PENANA9JIK906jrM
130Please respect copyright.PENANAnGeRpkRceB
“Leaving already?”130Please respect copyright.PENANAOiR9vmuG7D
130Please respect copyright.PENANARGUOYD6ks7
“I-I am, yes. I think it would be best. It isn’t as if I don’t have–”130Please respect copyright.PENANAXFRIRvVYhW
130Please respect copyright.PENANAEyFNopy1qE
“Hold on, not yet. I still have something to say to you.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAjplERQuiOE
130Please respect copyright.PENANAtUjGxWqxjP
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANAzKBsVixBXP
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“That’s funny. I do too. Do you mind if I start first?”130Please respect copyright.PENANAPPS7XvPNZ0
130Please respect copyright.PENANA50porESaqw
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANAl6vv6BS39f
130Please respect copyright.PENANAYs3qRzjgox
“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?”130Please respect copyright.PENANAZJI1BW9b3N
130Please respect copyright.PENANADqWEqkimlt
“Yeah, I do. I remembered how much of a wuss you were.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAQuSCvaWthQ
130Please respect copyright.PENANAiYaxH9qMJa
I almost chuckled. Blunt as a bat, but it hit a bullseye.130Please respect copyright.PENANA0TaEFMxFOu
130Please respect copyright.PENANAAca2Iy31RT
“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.”130Please respect copyright.PENANALH7QMELo4F
130Please respect copyright.PENANAKoDsR0O3OE
I noticed the subtlest rise of her right brow.130Please respect copyright.PENANAY5El9kSSU7
130Please respect copyright.PENANAuVn8RirIl7
“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.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAZ2CmRrGBOB
130Please respect copyright.PENANAhOrGj40ub9
She nodded along to my apology. It looked like she was expecting more, but I was finished. So she’d understand, I concluded with–130Please respect copyright.PENANAd0A2vy1C5v
130Please respect copyright.PENANAf31ey1tAh5
“So yeah, I’m sorry for being such a wuss.”130Please respect copyright.PENANApiESPmgvOp
130Please respect copyright.PENANAnkVgqRpjRT
“...Hmm. Ha, I guess kids really do grow so fast.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAMMQBKNu34l
130Please respect copyright.PENANATGqz196wDs
“H-Huh?”130Please respect copyright.PENANAG4J9ksXqoI
130Please respect copyright.PENANAmiBnZwUSI3
She rubbed her nose a little and continued talking.130Please respect copyright.PENANAlCUKKhWXiq
130Please respect copyright.PENANAN67Xu0SPBC
“Just look at you. You’re nothing like the Kenny I knew.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAYSx3KhGhG5
130Please respect copyright.PENANAmKwvnBskEn
“I-I, well, I don’t know if I agree–”130Please respect copyright.PENANA43VnuhX4q8
130Please respect copyright.PENANARHpauL3RAc
“Nah, on second thought, I take that back. But that doesn’t matter anyway. Seriously, just look at you.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAfQ3ShY010b
130Please respect copyright.PENANATzstOjMtcd
“I’m n-nothing so special.”130Please respect copyright.PENANA4uIGlAY9R6
130Please respect copyright.PENANA9y1EATLanG
“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!”130Please respect copyright.PENANA4X9HNHtR1q
130Please respect copyright.PENANAeSvM1Pnfvt
“The letter certainly isn’t a priority.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAo4WVUgCrXy
130Please respect copyright.PENANAghGvjdwHqz
She casually clicked her tongue, tilted her head sideways, and waved her hand downward.130Please respect copyright.PENANAYDR5FbDTcF
130Please respect copyright.PENANAth5FUKhk2y
“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.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAr373gdw3iM
130Please respect copyright.PENANAM98kLlvWlG
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. 130Please respect copyright.PENANAOIR7X5f956
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It took me only a few 130Please respect copyright.PENANAAUOt4cu5gY
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“I don’t think so. I don’t think I grew anything.”130Please respect copyright.PENANA88KmLgDtoY
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“‘Course you did! Stop giving me such crap–”130Please respect copyright.PENANAaHEMcLjg6G
130Please respect copyright.PENANAkqd2gGdIB3
“No, really, Rover.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAGJS1LvTmt3
130Please respect copyright.PENANAWKzV5GH4do
I slouched my posture and leaned back, lifting myself with my hands behind me. 130Please respect copyright.PENANA7ObcSN8Foi
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“I think I’m just lucky.”130Please respect copyright.PENANA0IupkGi6Pa
130Please respect copyright.PENANAQavY1OD2Fj
I veered my eyes away from the ceiling, looking into Rover’s, and was taken aback by her utter dejection. Or was it disgust?130Please respect copyright.PENANAOGRqbZvfd1
130Please respect copyright.PENANAKkztY9xzGQ
“I-I mean, it’s not as if I haven’t been trying, it’s just–”130Please respect copyright.PENANAl0BlVUWJFr
130Please respect copyright.PENANAzN7JgKFAuD
“Nevermind all that, Kenny. You’re starting to give me a headache.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAOicaJ7gntY
130Please respect copyright.PENANACV8QkFHYdj
I stopped my frantic hand-waving and began to scratch my head.130Please respect copyright.PENANAVds2m6ephn
130Please respect copyright.PENANANzr9Io0tRI
“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.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAEJYFHweDCO
130Please respect copyright.PENANAuH3DqZEsi7
“It isn’t a drug! I wouldn’t stoop to such barbaric substances!”130Please respect copyright.PENANA8X5B1IPTQK
130Please respect copyright.PENANAqADPRzxHPS
“Uh-huh, whatever. Hear me out before you can’t anymore.”
130Please respect copyright.PENANApTP6OaKtMU
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANAkCYdjjoDxh
130Please respect copyright.PENANAwNhdgC3I2x
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. 130Please respect copyright.PENANAxM7LPX7oT0
130Please respect copyright.PENANAOEXOZnREnA
“D-Don’t rush me!”130Please respect copyright.PENANAXQPYTKM2yt
130Please respect copyright.PENANAngyJMcDVSq
“I’m not rushing you! I mean, I wouldn’t mind if you just spat it out, but–”130Please respect copyright.PENANARUmbBXOPPA
130Please respect copyright.PENANABuoXxERHEB
“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…”130Please respect copyright.PENANAnLoy2WKxJ1
130Please respect copyright.PENANARCFG2O9Y3Y
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANAZldPOrIHct
130Please respect copyright.PENANAvdhsXjSlG8
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANAv5OKazbDbv
130Please respect copyright.PENANADumC2giPx1
“Gahh, forget it! You convinced me, I’ll just say it!”130Please respect copyright.PENANAT9j176q17A
130Please respect copyright.PENANAHWog09PH5L
“I didn’t say anything.”130Please respect copyright.PENANA1Xbv4UNJoI
130Please respect copyright.PENANAtl2WVZKpQE
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANAtq6MO0FQWK
130Please respect copyright.PENANA0XTdlDGnzl
“I’m sorry for being such a priss.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAKYyMScmjnf
130Please respect copyright.PENANAu1vkl3eK9H
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANAS8HLM3taKN
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But whether she was or not, mattered not to me.130Please respect copyright.PENANA91GdnvGx3X
130Please respect copyright.PENANAaKIgXqgWpr
“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.”130Please respect copyright.PENANABW00ZrX7I6
130Please respect copyright.PENANAH6ZqH7qDJT
“Told you all I did? What?”130Please respect copyright.PENANAVEZ2BIYt6z
130Please respect copyright.PENANAhKSNm5FS8m
She was caught by a wind of fury.130Please respect copyright.PENANAtQVXVgQZvh
130Please respect copyright.PENANA9PBinMJ0sL
“You don’t remember!? Are you kidding me!? I really should–! Gah, you’re making this so much harder than it should be!”130Please respect copyright.PENANAbhDslIt9gI
130Please respect copyright.PENANA4U68LvnjUc
I couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. She stopped her rage immediately, donning a look of perplexion. 130Please respect copyright.PENANA5sOH2Eljli
130Please respect copyright.PENANAyln8Jbo99P
“What’s so funny?”130Please respect copyright.PENANA1uBQ2biaSB
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“N-Nothing in particular. I appreciate the apology, I suppose? I don’t think I’m all that deserving of it, though.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAwiz3jD56mq
130Please respect copyright.PENANAzxl00Om4z6
“Hold on, I’m not done yet!”130Please respect copyright.PENANAr096lYtI9x
130Please respect copyright.PENANAAYMbRHEHwI
I nodded in understanding, and so she continued.130Please respect copyright.PENANAya0GYvnkEl
130Please respect copyright.PENANAcM9orwWObX
“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.”130Please respect copyright.PENANA0fyjqPXWGD
130Please respect copyright.PENANAEybDyFmwbD
“A little crazy?”130Please respect copyright.PENANAAyztnQNgHK
130Please respect copyright.PENANAOxUHWbohNH
“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!”130Please respect copyright.PENANAzaGeUYACEz
130Please respect copyright.PENANAMkh88BhDrc
Her hands balled themselves to compliment her offshoot tangent. Her escalating tone made me concerned, but she relaxed soon after.130Please respect copyright.PENANAc17XwDoThi
130Please respect copyright.PENANAHxbqcgg4lv
“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.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAMCy6dq8kVv
130Please respect copyright.PENANAGvJSzPjtjG
“Well–”130Please respect copyright.PENANArFJUa2RlyQ
130Please respect copyright.PENANAlKvsV8bUnJ
“Shut up! Shut up! Do you know how annoying it is to hear someone undersell themselves all the time?”130Please respect copyright.PENANAjnzzMFi2Je
130Please respect copyright.PENANAwXr9Cmmots
“I–”130Please respect copyright.PENANAVzvNqiW1NA
130Please respect copyright.PENANAqGMLJSOtNA
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANAC7TWFI0YUB
130Please respect copyright.PENANAn8wxt5GDRa
“Yeah. I do. It sucks.”130Please respect copyright.PENANA8i1mmWX431
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“See! I– huh? You do?”130Please respect copyright.PENANAPrn8Q7opDD
130Please respect copyright.PENANALxihAM0quF
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANAejoNinkHrd
130Please respect copyright.PENANA6u3bF7QDcj
“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.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAw8M2rVndN8
130Please respect copyright.PENANA5iUQPEHgwy
“Whatever. Think what you want, but don’t speak it out loud anymore.”130Please respect copyright.PENANArjdjFhcWLb
130Please respect copyright.PENANArw1LcNoxLt
“I… haha, sure thing, Rover. I’ll do just that.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAaLq8HUJARU
130Please respect copyright.PENANAqQzUJFnQNP
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANATy7Z3VZ7zA
130Please respect copyright.PENANAEtmPiDZNyt
“Perfect. I was just about to tell you to leave.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAIFwBtHj6lV
130Please respect copyright.PENANAds2pQpHxvU
“I’m starting to think you hate me.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAVY40shnhjP
130Please respect copyright.PENANAXDCbKBTfAZ
Her hands twitched upwards defensively.130Please respect copyright.PENANAo3cda9ukEC
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“I-I don’t. I’m just getting sleepy. Any second now, I’ll doze off.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAERX7UqhDbG
130Please respect copyright.PENANAv4ycJ9l2Oo
“Ah, right.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAsYsaezZGMj
130Please respect copyright.PENANAnHZc8CKEU7
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANA3IPFMbYfnV
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“That one Bringer was invigorated even with a restored limb, after all…”130Please respect copyright.PENANARzlfcNH1Ct
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“What are you mumbling about, eh? Scram! Scram, I tell you!”130Please respect copyright.PENANAqB9MV3cdVH
130Please respect copyright.PENANAodGLMcMwWj
“Alright alright, jeez. With how grouchy you’re being, you really do need that rest.”130Please respect copyright.PENANASO0dMUof8N
130Please respect copyright.PENANAfSrDRmZz3x
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.130Please respect copyright.PENANAiWlHQEKBRW
130Please respect copyright.PENANAh8jTU7U06z
“Wait, one last thing!”130Please respect copyright.PENANASL1YeBkVqg
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Then, she shouted unexpectedly. I looked at her with a blank expression to signify my okay, and she continued shortly.130Please respect copyright.PENANAvm9TXdfvrd
130Please respect copyright.PENANAOG0koDAPCC
“Tell that old bucket-wearing fart to visit me sometime.”130Please respect copyright.PENANA3uHF84Qfnm
130Please respect copyright.PENANAGUkMiG11yt
“...”130Please respect copyright.PENANAOCoZCoBUqy
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I smiled.130Please respect copyright.PENANAjAf212Y8O2
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“I will.”130Please respect copyright.PENANAYoxt3r7YXP
130Please respect copyright.PENANAFEkjqtsuHi
I returned her wave and exited the room. The moment the door shut behind me, I let out a quick breath and–130Please respect copyright.PENANAQ8zGd9bFaC
130Please respect copyright.PENANAr6pYABv6aJ
“Yes!”130Please respect copyright.PENANAH8Fojhf5gL
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A jump with jubilation. I had to. I never experienced such success before.130Please respect copyright.PENANAjM093rNaVb