Step, step, step.
Slowly, I staggered along, following the road into town. I didn't know what I might find or experience here, but the looks I got…they varied.
Some were glances of pity. Some glares of disdain. Some faces even seemed to cringe or pale as I passed. Others simply sneered. Parents pulled their children aside and watched me warily; the children just stared and gawked. No one approached me as I stumbled by.
Then the whispering started.
"Do you see that?"
"…a demi-human…"
"Wretched thing will bring curses upon…"
"…that blood? Oh god, it's covered in blood!"
"…e's wounded… should we help?"
"What happened to that poor kid? Why's there an arrow in her shoulder?"
My ears flattened as I withered under their frightening gazes.
"Is she okay?"
"She seems…confused. Like she doesn't understand what is happening around her."
Tears welled up in my eyes.
The truth is, I was much more than confused. I was terrified. I had no idea where I was, or who these beings were. Everywhere I looked was just another face staring and gawking in dismay or horror or morbid fascination. I hugged myself weakly as I carried on.
A large figure stepped out in front of me. I wasn't looking ahead and bumped into him, falling on my butt.
"The hell happened ta ya, ya little wench?" he asked gruffly, glaring down at me.
I could feel the eyes: everyone staring at the arrow in my left shoulder; the slash on my right arm; and the stab wound that had been dealt to my right side, just a little below my chest. However, this being was gazing at me as if he desired to cause me even more harm.
"The hell happened to ya, and why did ye DARE come here? Ye'll lead monsters right to us!"
I looked back up at him nervously but defiantly. I couldn't speak, only show that I wouldn't back down. So, clutching my wounds, I glared back.
"Well? SPEAK UP!"
I flinched.
"She might not be able to, fool." An elderly voice came from nearby.
"SHUT YER YAP, YA HAG!" The hulking being didn't budge or turn from me. He wasn't letting me out of his sight.
"If you're so concerned about her leading monsters here, just let her get treated!" another voice called.
"You idiot, she left a trail of blood. It's too late to eliminate the threat of monsters! On second thought, though, I'm more concerned about the actual wounds! Those ain't from monsters!" He roughly grabbed me by the arm and lifted me into the air, eliciting a pained yelp and making my hair stand on end, while earning cries of dismay from the crowd. "Who did ye piss off so badly out there to come stumblin' in here with BLADE marks and an ARROW in ye?!" he roared into my face. I let out a low, anxious growl in response.
A shaky voice called out, "Wait, are those claws? Put her down before you get hurt, Derik!"
Too late. The fool had brought me to eye level.
I raised my left arm and raked my claws across his face in a desperate attempt to get free.
"AAAAGHH, THE BITCH GOT MY EYE!"
He threw me down and doubled over, reaching for the wound. Landing hard on my side, I quickly scrambled away from him, left hand dripping with blood. I quickly scanned the faces around me, but no one else seemed interested in making a move.
Derik, on the other hand, right hand over the fountain of blood that used to be his eye, was quickly regaining his senses. He roared in anger.
"I'LL KILL YA FER THAT, DAMN RUNT!" he spat with fury, preparing to come at me.
Just then, a flash of light came from behind Derik, followed by a loud noise that made me wince and reach for my ears. Even the hulking figure stopped what he was doing and turned to face the source. It was a gray-haired being clad in white: a long-sleeved, ankle-length white coat covered his torso fully until the waist, where it opened like a cloak, with a large golden cross design across the chest; a similar, moderately-sized white hat with a cross in the center; a black belt with a silver plate buckle; and white pants, tucked neatly into his white belted combat shoes. He wore some sort of wire on his face which sat directly in front of his eyes, with chains hanging on either side and invisible yet reflective center pieces. These reflective pieces made his eyes appear to glow as he stood with one hand behind his back and the other calmly holding up one finger.
"Reverend Psarea…" Derik begrudgingly acknowledged.
"Now, now, children," Psarea said with a smile, returning his raised hand to clasp the other behind his back. "That is enough. No more fighting! Let us all calm down, treat our wounds, and sort things out."
Derik, grumbling and clearly angry that he wouldn't get his immediate payback, straightened up and lumbered off. He kept the glare of his remaining eye on me until he was out of sight. The white-robed being and I watched him go.
And then the white-robed being turned to me.
I turned my gaze to him warily. Something told me he meant no ill will, yet I still shrank into myself and fidgeted nervously under his and the other beings' eyes. So many eyes…. This was so uncomfortable.
"I am sure you have many questions to ask, as do I. However, I believe I said we would treat those wounds first. We can save all our questions for later. Now, would you please follow me, little one?"
I bristled a little at being called "little one," which this being seemed to take note of.
He got down on one knee and reached out to me, saying, "I will think of something else to call you until I have your name if you do not wish to be referred to in that way. For now, please allow me to take you to get treated."
I stayed as I was for a few moments, switching my gaze between the being's hand and his face, before hesitantly accepting his offer. Careful not to hurt him with my claws, I took the outstretched hand with each of mine and let him help me up. He smiled a little wider and said, "Follow me this way."
——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ———
As Psarea led me by my hand, I continued getting stares and hearing whispers from anyone who noticed us passing by. He seemed to notice the effect this had on me, as he assured me it wasn't far. Soon, we were walking into a place full of beings in a different type of white clothes busily moving about. Seeing so much going on in such a small space gave me a headache, prompting me to hide behind my guide. He chuckled and patted me on the head.
"This is our medical center. While it may be just a tent, it is all we have in this town. Rest assured, however, that you will get the best treatment we can offer. And do not worry about running into Derik inside, I took my time leading us here to reduce the chances of encountering him again. You need only step inside and allow the staff to do their work."
With that, my guide led me inside, walking up to a being sitting behind a table. I continued hiding behind him as best I could.
The being sighed and, not bothering to looking up, spoke with a tired, monotonous voice. "Sign here, please. After that, a medic will take you to an available space for treatment. Thank you." Then he grumbled, "I don't get paid enough for this."
Psarea picked up a small object, marking something on a thin sheet lying on the table. As he did this, a new being wearing the white clothes that seemed to be common in this place walked up.
"Reverend? Did something happen?" she asked.
"Oh, I am not here for myself." He cruelly stepped aside with a gesture, exposing me. I stared up at him with betrayal in my eyes.
"Oh! Heavens, what happened to you sweetie?!" The medic was down on her knees and in my face faster than I could react. "We need to tend to those slashes and-! My dear, why do you have an ARROW in your shoulder?! Oh, you're so DIRTY, too! Come, come! I'll take good care of you!"
Still feeling betrayed, I was dragged over to an area where several uncomfortable-looking cots were set up and set on top of one. My ears flattened against my head and I tried to lean away from her, but she wouldn't let me.
"One moment, dear, I need to clean you up a bit first…!" She managed to hold me in place long enough to splash some freezing cold liquid on me before I pulled away. I shivered and watched in frustration with a tinge of fascination as the liquid flowed around me, seeming to remove the dirt, grime, and blood that had collected on my skin and clothes with ease. It then…seemed to disappear into thin air? I wasn't happy about being here, but at least I wasn't filthy any longer.
This didn't change the fact that I still fully intended to struggle, however.
"I need you to hold still, sweetie. I'm not gunna hurt you, but I need you to cooperate."
I continued resisting.
It was only when I saw the Reverend coming to join us that I started to calm ever so slightly.
"Is there a problem, Margaret?" he asked causally.
"Yes, the child is resisting me and seems to have no intention of listeni—whoa!"
As soon as Psarea had gotten close enough, I scrambled over to him in an effort to get away from this Margaret being. Not risking dropping from the cot, I clung to his arm at the end opposite the medic. Psarea chuckled and patted me on the head once more, while Margaret seemed flustered about my resistance.
"Well, she seems to like you. Or something. Could you please convince her to stop resisting me?"
I looked up at him pleadingly.
"My child, this is what I brought you here for. Do not be afraid, please. Miss Margaret here only wishes to treat your wounds. No further harm will come to you, you have my word," he said with a sad smile. I looked up at him a little longer, wondering why I seemed to trust this one explicitly. Finally, I relented and meekly turned to face Margaret.
"It's as the Reverend says, sweetie. Please, will you let me help you?"
I sighed and nodded, not meeting her eyes.
"Thank you, dear. Reverend Psarea? I would like to get the arrow out first. Would you distract her for me?"
"Of course," he replied, before squeezing my hand to draw my attention. I nervously looked up at him. "Focus on me, my child. There is nothing to fear. In fact, you look hungry. Is there anything you would like? I could get you something to eat."
My ears perked up at this. I was indeed hungry; not only was I hungry…I was in fact starving. I hadn't found much in the way of sustenance on my way here. The only things I had encountered were a kind of strange creature that fought back viciously when I tried hunting them. They had been a pain to take down in my state, and when I tried to take a bite it burned my mouth. I hadn't been able to eat them. The idea of getting food sometime soon captivated me.
Psarea smiled upon seeing my reaction. "I fear we do not have much variety here, as, being such a small town, we do not get much trade. Regardless, I will happily purchase any food you show interest in."
Just as I started drooling at the prospect, I felt a sharp pain from my shoulder and yelped. I turned to look and found Margaret holding the arrow that had been protruding from there just moments ago. She quickly held her hands above the open wound, and a mesmerizing green glow formed at her hands. I watched in awe as the wound closed. It remained sore, but it wasn't as bad as before. She proceeded to perform this ritual on my other wounds before wrapping the now healed but still sore flesh.
"You'll want to be careful for a few days. Our healing magic isn't perfect, I'm afraid, but you should be good as new very soon if you take care and avoid getting into any more trouble."
I looked up at her, reluctant but grateful. Possibly sensing I wished to thank her somehow, Reverend Psarea bowed slightly and gently placed his hand on my back to make me do the same. "Thank you for your help, Margaret," he said for me. "Now if you would pardon us, I believe I promised food. Let us go to the shops next."
They practically had to restrain me so that I wouldn't jump off the cot and hurt myself in my excitement.
Chuckling, Psarea said, "Welcome to Rivuné Village."
——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ———
Once we got to the place my guide had called "the shops," I had immediately caught the scent of something tantalizing. The Reverend had to stop me from running off to hunt down the source. A few minutes later, I was happily eating some kind of meat that a vendor had been selling. I didn't know what it came from, but it didn't matter as long as I could eat it. My guide gazed at me with a hint of amusement on his face as we continued walking while I ate.
The road we were following was made up of more of the large stone bricks that had led me to the entrance of this town. There were simple structures dotting the grass on each side. Up ahead was a strange round structure that was spewing water. This must've been the thing called a fountain Psarea had mentioned earlier, stating we needed to go there to get my status checked. He was interested in learning about me, but he had realized that I couldn't speak. So, this, he had said, would be the best way to learn a few things about me. His words had caused me to develop an interest as well, since even I hardly knew anything about myself.
Even now, as we walked, there were people around us that would simply stop and stare at me as if I were not welcome here, and the whispering wouldn't go away either. I was starting to get used to it, though it still bothered me when I noticed it. The Reverend had said it was because I was something called a demi-human, something many people here apparently held in low regard or even in contempt.
Just as I finished the last bit of meat he had so kindly bought for me, my guide confirmed that we had arrived at our destination. We were standing in an open area where the road formed a circle with four paths, centered around the fountain. Past the fountain and to the left was a small structure that he told me was this town's version of an adventurer's guild. Being such a small town, it was simply a small stand situated by the fountain and the object called a mana reader, or status checkpoint. This checkpoint was built into the road and into the side of the fountain. It was right in front of us.
This was the device that would tell us about me.
"Here we are. You see that pedestal with the orb on top? That is the status checkpoint. All you must do is go up to it and place your hand on the orb. It will read your mana and bring up your status."
I looked first at my guide, then at the checkpoint before me.
"Are you ready?" he asked.
I nodded. I stepped up to the pedestal and reached up to place my hand on the orb. I nearly fell back when it suddenly began to glow blue.
Within moments, a window detailing my status appeared over the orb.
As Psarea looked over it, he seemed to become increasingly concerned. Moreover, it seemed that we hadn't been the only ones interested in seeing what would come up on the status window. Several of the beings that had been in the area had come over to check it out. And from their reactions, they didn't like what they were seeing.
[Status Info]
[Name: None]
[Race: Kitsune (Demi-Human)]
[Age: 10]
[Class: None]
[Level: 6] [XP until Level-Up: 538]
[Status: Confused, Nervous]
[Affliction Status: Weakened, Feeble, Fatigued]
[Titles: Summon, Forged Soul, Child of Shadow]
[Affinities: Darkness]
[Skills]
[Passive: Night Vision]
[Active: Self-Analysis, Simple Body Modification]
[Stats]
[HP: 2239/3125]
[STA: 98/750 (-150 MAX) [600 MAX]]
[MP: 400/400]
[SP: 220]
[ATK: 1250 (-125) [1125]]
[DEF: 625]
[Effects]
[Status Effects: +20% STA USE]
[Equipment Effects: None]
[Level Effects]
[+375 HP, +75 STA, +40 MP, +4 SP per level]
[ATK=40%HP, DEF=20%HP]
[Class Effects: None]
[Phys Stats=Hx2.5]
[Mag Stats=Hx4]