lisa sat in the main room of their ho. Her parents stood across from her, both clearly very pensive.
Margaret took a deep breath as if steeling herself for the conversation to co.
"lisa, sweetheart," she began, her voice almost reluctant, like she didn't want to face the possibility of what Javir had proposed. "What do you want to do? About Javir's offer, I an."
lisa looked down at her hands.
Her dreams all flashed before her eyes.
"I want..." She looked up. "I want to be a hero. I-I like it in this village, it's a nice place, but..."
She took a shaky breath.
"I don't want to spend the rest of my life here."
listair leaned forward, his brow furrowed with concern.
"But lisa, you heard what Javir said. The human kingdom, it's not kind to nim. You'll face so much hardship, so much opposition. Do you understand? People like Striker," he added, "they'll be a di a dozen over there, and no less awful."
Margaret nodded, her eyes shining with unshed tears.
"We don't want to see you get hurt. M-Maybe... Maybe you could take a year or two to consider it? What do you think?"
lisa shook her head.
"No. I know it won't be easy. But... But I feel like this is what I'm ant to do. I don't want to waste ti here."
Margaret and listair looked at each other. It shocked lisa, how open they were being to her wants, her ambitions.
She hadn't felt this kind of support before.
And, she didn't want to let it go.
She looked at her parents, a sudden realization dawning in her eyes.
"But... But I don't have to do it alone, right?"
lisa jumped off the couch and ran up to them, taking her parents' hands in her own.
"Mom, Dad... Co with ! Co to Syux with !"
Margaret and listair blinked, taken aback by the request.
"lisa, we... we can't just leave. This is our ho, our life."
But lisa was undeterred.
"But what kind of life is it, really? Struggling to make ends et, always worrying about debt? Wouldn't it be better to start fresh, sowhere new? Sowhere with opportunities, for all of us?"
She squeezed their hands, her eyes pleading.
Margaret shook her head, smiling sadly.
"We're not scholars, l. You heard what Javir said. The only way to be free in Syux is to get a scholarship. We're well past that point in our lives."
lisa shook her head too.
"N-No, she said that was one of them! Let's ask her, co on, right now! Let's see if you could be free so other way!"
It looked like her parents were considering it when they heard that.
But, they didn't even make it two steps to the door before they heard sothing.
"LISTAIR, CO OUT!"
Instantly, lisa's heart dropped.
[What?]
"Oh no," listair said, gently pushing lisa aside.
listair cracked the door open, just enough to peek outside. lisa, her heart pounding, leaned in to catch a glimpse of who was calling for her father.
Her blood ran cold.
It was Striker, and he wasn't alone. Several rough-looking n stood behind him, their faces twisted into cruel sneers.
"listair!" Striker called out. "Get your ass out here, now! We've got so unfinished business, you and I."
listair tensed, his hand gripping the doorknob so tightly his knuckles turned white.
"Oh gods, oh gods, what do we do?" Margaret asked, pacing side to side, hands on her own head.
listair took a mont to think. lisa could see his eyes darting as he considered their options.
"You and lisa need to hide," he said, his voice low and urgent. "Don't co out, no matter what you hear. I'll... I'll handle this."
lisa looked back at the door.
[... What do we do?] She looked up at her father. [They'll kill him.]
"N-No, co on, hide with us!" Margaret said, trying to pull listair to the hallway.
"No. It's they want. You two just get yourselves to safety. Please."
[What do we do? What do we do? What...]
An idea ca to lisa.
[Javir. I need to get Javir. She'll know what to do, she can help us!]
Without a second thought, lisa darted towards the back door.
"lisa, no! Co back!"
But lisa was already gone, sprinting through the garden and into the village streets.
lisa's heart raced as she sprinted through the village streets, her eyes darting from building to building.
[The inn, the inn, where's that damn inn?]
She'd never had a reason to visit that part of the village yet. So, right now, she was pretty damn lost.
[Co on, co on, it's got to be around here sowhere!]
She turned a corner, nearly colliding with a startled villager.
"H-Hey!"
"Sorry!" she called over her shoulder, not slowing down for a second.
Every mont she wasted was another mont her father was in danger. She couldn't afford to lose any more ti.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, lisa spotted a sign hanging above a doorway.
["The Rusty Mug". That has to be it!]
She ran up to the door and, without hesitation, shoved it open with all her might.
The door flew open, slamming against the wall with a loud bang. Every head in the inn turned to stare at the panting, wide-eyed nim girl standing at the entrance.
lisa's eyes scanned the room frantically, searching for that familiar head of sunlight hair.
[Please be here, please be here, please...]
And then, she spotted her. Javir, sitting at a table in the corner, a mug of ale in her hand and a surprised expression on her face.
"Javir!" lisa cried out.
She ran to the table, nearly tripping over her own feet in her haste.
Javir set down her mug.
Imdiately, the woman understood sothing was wrong.
"lisa? What's wrong, what's happened?"
The words poured out of lisa in a frantic jumble, her voice shaking with fear.
"It's Striker- t-this guy who- look, he's a bad guy and h-he's back, he's at our house with a bunch of goons and he's going to hurt my dad, you have to help, please, I don't know what to do!"
Javir was on her feet in an instant, her hand already reaching for her sword.
"Say no more," she said, her voice hard as steel. "Lead the way."
lisa nodded, a flicker of hope sparking in her chest.
They ran out of the inn together, lisa leading the charge back towards her ho.
[Hold on, Dad,] she thought, her jaw clenched with determination. [We're coming. Just hold on a little longer.]
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