Tacy's eyes searched for Xzavier and sighted the young man standing not too far off with his arms folded across his chest and a sullen look plastered on his face.
There was no need for words, his facial expression was mere evidence of the fact that he had been listening in on her conversation with the group of elderly women. She needed no prophet to tell her that Xzavier wasn't pleased with the tale at all.
Not one bit. She strolled over to him and stood by his side as they both took time to process what they had both heard.
As expected, Tacy was the one who broke the silence as Xzavier was clearly still broody.
"I guess you caught all that huh?"
The young man brooding by her side nodded slowly in affirmation.
"Quick question though, why exactly do these people reason this way?"
Xzavier's question caught her off guard, so she raised her eyes quizzically at him. Not sure where he was going with it, she asked cautiously for clarification.
"What do you mean?"
"Isn't it clear enough that this woman is the victim and the abusers are the orcs? Why aren't they all going on a rampage in demand for justice?
And more importantly, how is it that they blame the woman for something that was clearly not her fault?"
Tacy was very much surprised by Xzavier's take on the matter. This wasn't what she had expected from him at all. His thoughtful insight to such a common domestic matter showed just what kind of man he was.
His questions weren't for show, they lacked the performative element that was typical of men who pretended to be allies of women. Xzavier's view on the issue was unbiased and showed true objectiveness.
It was a refreshing break from the misogyny and patriarchal way of thinking that was the norm around here. Tacy sadly shook her head as she explained to Xzavier the way things worked around here.
"You speak fine words Xzavier. Truly you do. But social justice around here is a joke. Don't worry, if you hang out here long enough, you'll be sure to understand the inner workings and why the people are like this."
Xzavier stubbornly shook his head in disagreement.
"I highly doubt that Tacy. I can't understand the thought pattern of these people so it's safe to say that I can never get used to seeing things the way they do."
As Xzavier and Tacy remained standing on the curb, the crowd all around them started to disperse as late evening slowly faded into night.
Unwilling to acquiesce, Xzavier continued to stand his ground. He was completely repulsed by the whole scene. It reeked of social injustice and oppression.
These were two things that Xzavier just couldn't stand. He continued his philosophical sparring with his female companion with renewed vigor;
"A lot of things are just wrong with this entire case. But I think the thing that ticks me off the most is just how complacent and narrow minded these people are. Why exactly do they reason the way they do?"
Tacy obliged him;
"Things must be pretty different from where you're from Xzavier. You're forgetting first above all things that she is a woman…"
Xzavier cut in before she could finish;
"What does that have to do with anything? She was the one wronged wasn't she? And last time I checked, the offenders were orcs."
Tacy didn't think she could be anymore shocked than she was at Xzavier's strong argument. He was putting things into perspective in way that she had never dared to view before.
Much like every other member of the town, the young girl had come to accept the way of the town without even trying to question the status quo. It had taken a complete stranger to shake of the complacency and awaken to a whole different side of things.
Sensing that his words were finally gaining ground on her, he confronted her with one particular thing that had been nagging him since the he began to think on the state of affairs of the town.
"Riddle me this Tacy, hunters exists to hunt down vicious creatures who step out of line right?"
Tacy could tell where he was going with this, so as she obliged him, she began preparing he own explanation right away. Xzavier pressed on with his question tactfully;
"Can you explain to me why the higher level hunters haven't collectively embarked on a hunting expedition to exterminate these self-indulgent orcs? I mean, the next victim could very well be their wives or daughters."
Xzavier genuinely didn't understand why this issue hadn't sparked an outrage. Especially since he had witnessed firsthand that the town had a natural inclination for violence and hostility.
Tacy listened to him make his point before she went on to explain as best as she could.
"You misunderstand. First off, hunting is a profession not a duty. Secondly, orcs are much more difficult to kill off. Individually, a single orc is a major problem. The smallest could weight about one hundred and seventy pounds and stand up to six feet above ground."
This piece of information didn't faze Xzavier one bit. He countered her;
"That should not a problem at all. Especially for high level hunters with enough experience."
She shook her head disapprovingly;
"I was speaking of just a single orc Xzavier."
Then she paused for a second before sadly releasing another trait that was typical of orcs;
"It is a known fact that orcs move in groups of up to seven or sometimes fifty. They are vicious, unruly, boisterous creatures that prey on the weak.
Because of the strength and confidence they have in their numbers, hunters usually steer clear of them."
Xzavier listened closely as Tacy divulged this piece of information. He had set out earlier in the day with the objective of gathering as much Intel as he could about this town and its people.
So far, he had managed to learn a whole lot in a day thanks to the young waitress with him. Xzavier's thoughts soon turned to the government.
"How come the government doesn't send troops to overcome the orcs and put them in their place?"
He didn't even bother to voice out his concerns because he knew that the politics and intricately delicate details surrounding the borders was something that would never truly be sorted out. Border disputes was something that he was all too familiar with.
As a solider and as a member of the Special Forces units, his missions included covering his nation's borders. He had fought at the border before so he knew more than anyone that it was always a dicey situation.
A streetlight came on overhead an Xzavier caught the sad expression on Tacy's face. He realized he had been too deep in thought that he completely missed the sad tone in her voice when she spoke about the orcs. He took a deep breath and tossed a personal question at her;
"Why are you still here Tacy? Why haven't you relocated to a safer place to live?"
His question completely altered the course of their conversation. Tacy was a bit taken aback, but she leaned into the mood anyway. She mumbled her reply quietly;
"I am an orphan with no one Xzavier, so you see that it's not that simple."
Xzavier didn't butt in this time. He allowed her to continue. Her voice thick with emotion, she narrated her story to Xzavier while trying to be brave about it.
"You know, I was supposed to have been sold as a slave, but the old man saved me from that harsh fate. He took me in instead and offered me an opportunity to make a decent living as a receptionist at the underground exchange."
As she dropped that last part, she struggled to rein in her emotions. It took all her willpower not to whimper as she spoke.
Xzavier said nothing. He simply stared into space as he took in all Tacy had revealed to him. That day, he didn't just learn a lot of facts about the town, he learned about its soul as well. Its soul was the people. People like Miss Mary, people like Tacy.
After they had both said their goodbyes, Xzavier wandered back to his hotel in deep thought.
He had a lot on his mind after spending a whole day with Tacy in his mind. From the beginning of the day right up to the very end, Xzavier had been bombarded with tons of information that had been communicated to him both directly and indirectly.
He pondered on the different pattern of thinking that was prevalent here. He thought on the issue of the different races and what its impact had been like on the common folk, the death of the raped woman was a typical example.