My heart sank deeply into my chest upon hearing her story. I was attracted to her, but her fighting spirit and fire drove me to appreciate her existence. Beyond speechless, I sat there, thinking of something to say. My silence gave her a sorrowful smile. She turned to step away from me, but I reached out to grasp her hand.
"It's okay, Gale. I know everyone doesn't want something that is broken. It's better if I-"
"Be quiet, Kayla. Don't lump me with those idiots, even if I am one." Standing up, I wrapped my arm around her small frame. She cocked her head to the side as my flustered face tried its hardest to keep a straight face.
"Don't force yourself, please." Kayla didn't want to accept any gestures out of pity. I genuinely felt for her. Not letting go of her, I just felt the night drift by.
Eventually, I had to say goodbye, leaving us feeling awkward. However, she left feeling appreciated by someone at least. I spent the following days trying to devise ways to show my affection for her. I tried asking my master for help, but he became preoccupied with his issues. Waving me off without a second thought, I felt alone.
The festival was approaching reasonably quickly, and I didn't even tell her I would see her performance. I had drawn myself to the stage just a few days before the event. It had been adequately put together for such an occasion. I thought Kayla's performance would steal the entire festival, and I'd get to see it. Laughing, I caught myself being watched.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a group of young ruffians, no older or younger than me, from what I could tell. However, they were far from friendly. Soon, they approached me and pinned me in a corner near the stage.
Standing up to a tall kid with vibrant brown hair, I knew he was their leader. Thinking to myself that pride was something I couldn't control, I let it flow unchecked. "Mind not getting in my face?"
Their leader snickered and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Look, I understand you've never been to Barou before, but take it from me, that girl you've been seeing; I recommend you stop."
He was talking about Kayla. Just by the tone of his voice, I felt my blood boil. My fist clenched, and I continued to hold my ground despite the small group of four ready to beat me down at a moment's notice.
"What's it to you who I talk to? If I were you, mind your business before you get burned." His fist clenched, and he threw a cheap shot at my face. I lurked low and kicked his knee so he fell backward into his guys. Without hesitation, I backed away, my fists ready for a fight.
Their leader got back to his feet with a slight limp. "The hell did you do to my leg?!"
"Don't worry, you'll walk fine in a few hours. The same can't be said if you push this any further!" There were intense stares between us; I swore it would continue into a full-blown brawl, but when they noticed the sword at my side and my stance, I wasn't someone who should be fighting without a weapon.
They left within the moment and said nothing other than a few curses under their breaths. I took a sigh and felt relieved. My anger didn't get the best of me for once despite the rage built from their comments alone. Kayla's existence helped me deal with my anger issues and hot temper.
"Gale... What was that about?" The softness of her voice called to me. I knew it was her. I turned slowly to face her, but she looked frightened, which caught me by surprise.
"Oh, nothing, just some bullies thinking they could assault me without a reason."
"You didn't fight them, did you?"
"Well, they started it-"
"You shouldn't have! You idiot!"
I was speechless. Her harsh voice shook me up when she yelled. I couldn't think for a second that she was this upset over something so simple. I tried to calm her down, but she continued to interject.
"They'll be back with even more ire... I-They had begun to stop coming around because I ignored them... But now they will be back because of you!"
"Woah, hey, don't worry, I won't let them touch a hair on your head. They will regret messing with us."
Kayla's eyes welled with tears, and she held onto her dress while holding back the pain rising in her chest. I hadn't known then, but those little punks were part of a young gang within the city with quite a large number. But that wasn't the thing that concerned Kayla at the moment. She detested violence of any kind. Violence is what got her parents killed, and it traumatized her whenever she was involved in confrontation as the unknown possibilities that could occur made her shake with fright.
I tried to calm her down, but she just continued to yell at me until I left her alone with my head spinning in a daze. She broke down when the manager arrived to comfort her, giving me a look to leave her alone, which I did.
Every day afterward, I tried to visit her, but once she saw me, she would ignore me and turn away, trying not to look into my eyes. For once, I felt shitty and confused. That is how our relationship had to go over something so trivial from my perspective.
I figured, "Oh well," and moved on to something else. But my master was still busy and left me alone, so I couldn't help but think about her during the rest of the days leading up to the festival. I've had relationships fall apart in the past with guys and girls; however, something about Kayla rubbed me in a way that I couldn't shake.
I guess I grew anxious and annoyed that she was ignoring me. Call it a bad crush, but I didn't want to lose her. Either my stupid self was so head over heels for her that she made me feel more human than I did for most of my life as an orphan, or I had trouble sleeping a few nights because it bugged me very harshly.
Then, the day before the festival, I found her lying in the ditch of the alleyway, covered in blood and bruises...