10 | If Not For Those With Warm Hearts

...

"I'm not a killer," you say. Even though it was not that long ago that you found it in yourself the urge to summon that spike of ice magic next to Linia's head. Back then you saw it, visions of a bloody death brought on by your hands, but now you realize.

That's not who you are.

Your hands are illuminated by a soft green light. This energy makes its way into Linia, who can do nothing more but watch and await the judgment of her fate. You heal her, not because you like who she is or accept what she's done to you, but because you don't want to be known as the student who killed one of their own.

At the very same time, you'd be lying if you said you didn't have... alternative methods to taking care of this feline.

"Why?" Linia whispers. "You... seriously just..."

"Shut up," you say and finish healing her wounds, a few scrapes and bruises here and there on her legs. They all close up and the magic wipes away any trace of blood dampened by the rain. "Can you stand?"

Linia looks away from you, glancing up to the sky, then she attempts to stand. She begins by sitting up and slowly rising. But when she presses her left foot to the ground, she hisses loud in pain and her balance is thrown completely off. You catch her before she falls.

"Oww, nya... it's my ankle." Her pained moans overlap the fall of the rain. Though her tears have dried, the hurt remains. It must be excruciating.

"I can't heal broken bones, obviously... so I'll just have to bring you back into the room," you tell her. Linia brings her gaze back to you as she clings to you as a crutch.

"You don't have to help me," she says, "after everything I've done. Nya... and it was all only to find out you're crazy strong. Mmph... I'm done messing with nyewbies..."

You revel in how defeated she sounds. You never thought you'd see the day. Linia has been a thorn in your side for what feels like forever, and if she hadn't targeted you, she would've targeted someone else. That's for sure. This time, she bit off more than she could chew. You aren't just some newbie with power on their side — you're the whole damn army.

At least... you are when you're pushed to that point. Unfortunate for the Doldia girls, they've broached that limit all for you. It took you long enough, you think to yourself. The girls couldn't have had any idea what they were getting themselves into, clearly — they expected you to be this weak, puny little runt who couldn't fend for themself — and now look at them.

Linia, who has cried for possibly the first time in your life and has suffered a broken ankle after witnessing just how powerful you are.

Pursena, who is still on the outskirts of Ranoa tied up and alone, wondering when she'll be set free after she's been humbled and humiliated.

You've got your hands on the reigns now. It's a funny thought. Almost makes you crack a smile as you watch Linia attempt to step on her broken ankle and waddle away. Every one of her attempts is futile; she's in too much pain to move so much as a foot away from you.

"Ow ow ow... nyaaa..."

You grab her arm and sling it around your neck, holding her up securely. She gasps at the sudden gesture, her eyes fluttering over to you.

"Hey, I said—!"

"Would you quit acting all tough?" You cut her off. "You aren't going anywhere with that ankle." A pause. "I mean, unless you wanna crawl."

"No, nya! I don't!" she desperately blurts out. "I mean... it's whatever! I don't care either way!"

"Hm, fine. You can crawl."

You start to let go of her. She gasps again, and to your surprise, she clings to you tighter, her arm squeezing the side of your neck.

"No, please! I take it back!" she whines, stuck to you now. "Don't... don't let go."

You finally crack that smile. An odd feeling runs through you as you guide Linia out of the rain and back into the comfort of her dorm room. Entering the room once more yields the sight of the broken window, a painful thing to see, because if someone else were to walk past now, you'd be done for.

Eh, nothing a little magic can't fix. You walk Linia over to her bed, set her down, then do your thing without uttering even a whispered incantation. In no time, the glass shards strewn about the floor are gone and the window is fixed.

Linia gawks at you now, her catlike irises sparkling. "You're... kinda cool."

You drive your attention away from the window and over to her instead, granting her a blank stare. "Your attitude changed way too quick."

"What do you expect? That's how things are... at least in my tribe, and maybe even my blood. Anyone stronger than me is superior to me by default, nya." She looks shyly off to the side. "It's the same for Pursena. You've got... some crazy strength, so in a way..."

Her eyes land on you. "You're like our Master."

Ugh. Ugh! You can physically feel your mind cringing, crumpling up like a wet sheet of newspaper. Master? Why would she even say that?

...

And why does it kind of sound good in your ears?

After a moment of deep consideration, you actually manage to grin at the sound of the word. Master.

"You're not actually gonna start calling me that, are you?" You look her dead in the eyes, searching for any sliver of mischief, but for once Linia is staring back at you with absolute truth on her face.

"I could," she says.

"How about we find a different title?"

She tilts her head. "What's wrong with 'Master?' That's what we call our superiors. It's normal."

You pause and find yourself looking away. In your head, there are about a million different thoughts playing — all of which revolve around this word. Your grin turns tense. Right away, Linia can read the stress on your face.

"Oh. You pervert."

You spin back around and face her, putting your hands up quickly. "It's not like that, I swear! It's just... it's weird, okay? I'm not gonna go from getting tormented by you to being called 'Master.'"

Linia crosses her arms. "If I would've known you were a perv, I would've bullied you more."

"Just call me something else if you have to! Or nothing at all, I don't really care."

"I'll just split the diff and call you Boss."

You still feel weird about all this. After all, this is your bully. Err, tormentor. This is the girl who drove you into depression. Now that you've surpassed her in what sounds to be a tribal pecking order, you're her Master—

No, Boss.

You shake that other word out of your head and don't let it get to you for now.

"Hang tight. I need to get your sister," you say and start to collect yourself for the trip back to Pursena.

"Eh? Where's she at?"

"No comment," you speak dismissively and head for the door. "I'll be back. Don't go anywhere — not that you really can."

Linia chuckles. "Nya! You got it, Boss!"

It's amusing to see Linia in another light like this. She's a totally different person. Perhaps she wasn't lying, perhaps it's true that when she is deemed weaker than her foe, she is bound by blood to respect that individual no matter who they are.

It turned out to be you, the person much stronger than her. Well, simply put, you're stronger than both of the sisters.

You corrected Linia... by nearly taking her life. As for Pursena... you're not sure. You wonder how she's been affected by your little spook. You never threatened her life, but if you know one thing, it's that dogs shed tears when they are abandoned.

Images of stray dogs race to your mind — whining, wandering, wondering what they had done wrong. Some end up abandoned by the side of the road, others become drifters in lonely neighborhoods and struggle to find their next meal. Some end up dead. Their collars with names engraved hold no more weight because they are no longer wanted, and therefore no longer have anyone to call them by name.

You race back to the place you left Pursena. Immediately, you stop and assess your surroundings. There she is, on the road, curled up beside the wall hugging her knees to her chest, with no one to call her by name. The rain has soaked into her binds and loosened them enough so that she could pry them off.

But even though she's free, she did not leave. As any loyal dog would, she listened to the orders you gave her...

Be quiet until I'm back.

... even if that meant waiting here in the cold rain and sobbing alone.