rit and I both stood silently, watching the wall being built from a distance.
Well over a dozen people were working in this room, mostly focused on the wall being put up. It was interesting to watch, since I'd never seen a real wall being made before. They used not just wood and tal, but so kind of mixture of mud and other materials too. The stuff slled weird, weird enough that I didn't want to get too close to them or offer to help. Which was too bad… pretty much everyone here was a non-human. A mber of the Society. So I really wanted to et them all and talk to them. But, like Light, they were all so… busy. Always working, as if ushered by so great purpose. They were all in such a hurry to finish this cathedral that I was barely able to converse with them, since it made feel rude to interfere.
They were focused, and working hard. Talking to them and distracting them made feel…
A man with wide shoulders entered the room, pushing a wheelbarrow. He took it to one of the workbenches near the wall, and started to unload it. The supplies he placed near the workbench were quickly taken by the other workers, and promptly used to build the wall.
It was a little humbling to see so many people so… good at what they were doing. It was like watching a bunch of Vims, almost. They all seed to know exactly what to do, and how to do it as swiftly and efficiently as possible. Most of them hadn't even said a word the entire ti, even though they had to work together sotis as a group and thus should need coordination.
Their efficiency explained how they'd be able to build this supposed cathedral in a few years as they planned. This cathedral was going to be far bigger than I had assud. I'd not really seen much of it yet, since most of it wasn't built yet, but there were already several floors and maybe a dozen different buildings. They were building over the spot that monster had erged from, and it seed thanks to the all the damage to the surrounding area they had been able to acquire several blocks worth of land. They basically owned the equivalent of several city blocks, and all of them were in a good location. We weren't far from port, not far from the markets, and the edge of the cathedral's expected reach was opposite of the entrance to the noble's section of the city.
Almost as if it had all been by design. It made wonder who had been the one to swiftly move in and take advantage of the situation… it had to have been Brandy, right? I wonder if she had been warned ahead of ti, or if she had simply taken the opportunity to profit the mont she had been given it.
So footsteps drew my attention from the wall and the hard workers, and I found Tundra. She ran into the room, almost knocking over one of the tables in the process.
rit flinched at the sight of her, but held her ground alongside as Tundra ran straight at us… and then straight into .
"Oof," I kept my footing as the young wolf tackled with a hug.
"Morning Renn!" Tundra happily said as she gave a great squeeze.
Smiling at the young girl, I returned her hug… though not with the sa vigor. The young girl was strong, but for so reason I felt like I needed to be careful with her. "Morning to you too Tundra," I said.
The young girl giggled, her ears flapping under her little headdress's hood, and I couldn't help but sigh a little.
"And morning to you too, rit!" Tundra exclaid, quickly unwrapping her arms from as to turn and hug rit too.
"Don't!" rit shouted, stepping back and raising her little hands as to defend herself.
Tundra paused, her arms outstretched in preparation for a hug. I couldn't help but grin at them, since the two looked like young sisters. Which was adorable, especially since rit looked like the younger one in this situation.
rit though wasn't joking around, or playing. The look in her eyes told how serious she was being, but if Tundra noticed that or not…
"But you're so huggable, rit!" Tundra complained, her fingers twitching in apprehension.
"And you're conductive!"
Tundra tilted her head at that, her ears fluttering inside her hood… and I couldn't help but smirk.
"She's threatening to shock you. Careful, I'd take her warning to heart and wouldn't discount it. I've personally seen what her shocks can do," I said.
Tundra glanced at , gave a sad frown and then looked back at rit. "Really? You don't want to hug ?"
rit shifted a bit, and I was a little surprised to actually see hesitation in her glare. She was actually feeling bad for once!
"Maybe so other ti…" rit finally grumbled after a few heartbeats of her hesitation.
Tundra sighed but nodded. She lowered her arms, which went to drooping sadly as if her heart had just broken. "For a predator you sure are stingy!" Tundra complained.
rit's eye twitched, reminding of Vim. "And for a wolf you sure are clingy. You're supposed to be a solitary creature, act like one!" rit responded.
"What? We form packs!" Tundra defended herself.
Enjoying the exchange between the two, I felt far happier than I had a few monts ago. Yet as happy as I was… sothing felt off.
Glancing around, I went a little still as I realized we were being watched.
By everyone in the room. The whole group of people who had just been diligently working, paying rit and I practically no mind at all, were now staring at us. No one was moving. So had even paused right in the middle of whatever they were doing; one had a saw still half stuck in a piece of wood. Another was in the middle of climbing a small ladder.
I gulped at the oddness, and before I could even process what was happening… they all returned to their work.
"Ignore them, Renn. They're all prey," Tundra then said.
Blinking, I turned and frowned at the young wolf. "Huh?"
She nodded and gestured at those who were now fully focused on their work. With renewed vigor. "All of them are small creatures. They can't help but stare when they hear loud noises," Tundra said simply.
Shifting a little, I glanced at rit… who now had a sad look on her face. Her eyes t mine, but for only a single mont before looking back to the wolf. "That's what you get for being loud," rit said.
"How could I not be!? You probably don't understand, rit, since you've had her and those like her all this ti but I haven't! Ever since mother died I've not had anyone else to hang out with!" Tundra said.
My ears fluttered beneath my hat, since I had heard a strange tone from the loud and proud girl. She had spoken calmly, and with surety, but I had heard sothing from her I'd not heard before.
Sadness. Genuine pain.
"I don't understand your mind. How can you claim to not have fellows when you have Less and the rest?" rit asked, not as bothered by the young girl's tone as I had been.
"They're predators… I'll admit it, but it's not the sa. They don't have any backbone!" Tundra tried to explain.
"How do you explain her then? Renn's strong, I'll admit, but she's as soft as jelly," rit asked with a point to .
I grinned at that, since it was true.
Tundra glanced at , frowned and shook her head. "Jelly…? I an… maybe. But not where it counts. Plus I've heard of what she'll do! No one able to do that would be spineless!" Tundra said happily.
I tilted my head at that and glanced at rit again. She scowled a bit. "I'll take her and leave if you start talking about prophecies," she warned.
"Oh. Sorry…!" Tundra imdiately flinched and glanced at with worry. I nodded gently to the girl who genuinely looked apologetic.
"It's okay," I said.
She still frowned with worry, and then glanced around a bit. "Right… Light just yelled at earlier too. It's your fault! If you'd have just accepted my hug I wouldn't have forgotten like that!" Tundra said with a point at rit.
rit huffed. "Not very predator-like. Shifting bla whenever possible is sothing I'd expect from a jellyfish, not a proud wolf," rit teased.
"Wha…!" Tundra flinched as if she'd just been slapped. She spun a bit, to gape at while pointing at rit.
"She does have a point," I said gently.
The young wolf's eyes imdiately swelled with tears. "I didn't an it that way!" Tundra said worriedly.
"Doing it again? Really?" rit asked as she put her hands on her hips.
Tundra let loose a terrible whine, one that made the hairs on my ears stand up. Had her heart just broke!?
"I… I didn't…! I an…!" Tundra began to shake, but not from rage. I suddenly felt horrible for helping rit tease her just now, as the young girl looked to be on the verge of weeping.
I'd been told she was young, by Martin, but I hadn't realized just how young!
"I'll go repent…!" Tundra then shouted, and darted away. I reached out to stop her, to grab her by the arm and tell her it was okay, but she was too quick. In a blink of an eye she ran out of the room, hurrying down the hall as she ran away.
A little stunned… I glanced at rit and groaned. "rit…"
"What! I didn't realize she was so fragile! She acts all tough!" rit defended herself with a gesture to the door the girl had just run through.
Reaching up, I rubbed my face. Poor girl! She had definitely been crying! I had just wanted to tease her a little with rit, in hopes of making her realize what she'd just said earlier had been a little rude. But… to go that far…? If Vim was here he'd sigh at and call a bully!
And repent…? I wonder what that ant… hopefully it wasn't anything like what Abel did back at the Crypt…
"The heathen made her cry…"
I flinched and glanced over to those working on the wall. None of them had even glanced our way, and were all focused on their work still… but now there were small whispers amongst them.
"It's rit, what do you expect?" another said.
"Might do the girl good, to be honest," a man whispered.
"Gossip where we can't hear you!" rit shouted.
They all flinched and went quiet.
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Feeling my face grow hot, for many reasons, I reached over and grabbed rit's arm. She let pull her out of the room and into the hallway… but I didn't know which was to go. Tundra had ran that way right…?
"What! Renn I won't apologize," rit said as I headed the direction I thought Tundra had gone.
"You don't need to. I'll handle it," I said simply.
"Just because she's young doesn't give her the right to be so snarky, Renn. You heard it too didn't you? She basically badmouthed all of them; she's one of those that think they're better than anyone else just because she's a little strong!" rit said as we walked down the hallway.
My tail squird as I tried not to blatantly agree with her. I had indeed heard it, and saw it. I just… had been hoping to ignore it.
I slowed a little, but didn't stop. We weren't far enough from the room we just left, and the people within it, yet. I could still hear their whispers, and they were almost as infuriating as everything else going on. Although I did want to go find Tundra and make sure she was okay, their comnts had been why I had left that room. I had been about to shout at them myself, if rit hadn't done so already.
I an really! Yes rit didn't believe in their faith, but to call her a heretic!? Isn't that what they called the ones who believed in that Epoch faith? The very people this church, those people here, hunted and burnt on crosses!? Did that ant that's how they saw rit? Like that? As if so kind of enemy?
"Ignore them Renn," rit said simply.
Coming to a stop, I glanced down at rit. She had a gentle look on her face, the one she usually had when we were talking about sothing sad. Like her kingdom, or her love for Vim.
So she could still hear them too…? Of course she could…
"But…" I mumbled, unsure of what to say.
rit had just tried to defend them. Tundra had basically insulted them, in her own way, and that had been why rit had teased her. To try and make the girl realize she was being hypocritical. Yet here she was… being called a heretic, and…
Though I was stressing, it seed rit wasn't. Her small, gentle, eyes held my own with a strange firmness. One that told she really was fine and not bothered by what they were saying about her.
"If I cared what people like that said about , Renn, I'd have run away years ago. It's okay," rit said.
Hesitating… I decided to just nod to my friend. "Okay," I said.
rit smiled at and nodded. "It's not. And I can tell you think so too. That's all that matters."
"Mhm…"
My small friend sighed as she crossed her arms and looked around. "What now? Either go find her or let's leave. I'm tired of being here," she said.
Right… I kind of wanted to leave now too. We had co to see Light, and to kind of just… look around, honestly, and we had been here for a few hours now. If we left no one would find it odd, if anything people would likely even be happy about it.
Many of the people here seed to be interested in . But whenever I wasn't alone, like with rit, they all beca… distant.
I knew it was because of their pasts. Many of the people here were old. Only a few were like Tundra, or Martin. Most didn't just rember rit, several had actually known her back when the Society had been… well, more important.
rit herself would have never co here under normal circumstances. The only reason she did was to accompany . So it made feel a little rude, since it made feel like I was forcing her to have to endure and et people who she didn't like… and who didn't like her.
"I'd like to talk to the girl before we leave, if that's okay," I said as I returned to walking.
"Just follow the sll of dog, that way," rit said with a point down a new hallway.
My lips tightened a bit as I nodded. Yes, she did have a rather noticeable sll, didn't she? I had been trying to not say anything about it, since I knew it wasn't the girl's fault. It was just… whatever she was. She had fur, enough of it to be noticeable… even if hidden by robes and clothes.
It was the sa kind of sll that I had. Or well, once had. That sll which made most of our mbers weary of us.
It was undoubtedly why the poor girl had such an outlook on life. She saw people as weak, without backbone, because when they were near her… they did indeed beco ek and timid.
The poor girl's attitude was a byproduct of her environnt. And it sickened that no one was willing to acknowledge it, or do anything about it.
"I'm not sure why you're bothered, Renn. Most predators are like her. In fact she's actually not that bad, considering," rit said.
"Not that bad…? The only reason she likes is because she thinks I'm strong, or whatever! That's insulting!" I said. From the mont she had realized I wouldn't treat her differently, or flinch and shy away at her re look or presence, Tundra had latched onto . It was the sa reason she had tried to hug rit just now. Because although rit had flinched and stepped away from her hug, it hadn't been out of fear. rit just didn't like to be touched, by anyone. Tundra had obviously noticed that, which was why she not only liked rit but had taken rit's words so sincerely.
rit's little teasing had likely hurt a lot. Because to her rit was an equal. And that bugged too. I didn't want to be liked so… purely, just because I treated her normally. It made feel weird.
"It's only insulting to you. I liked Vim because he was strong, in the beginning, is that insulting too?" rit asked.
I slowed again and glanced at my friend. She had a small grin tugging at the corner of her mouth, which made want to hug her.
"You teased her to teach her, didn't you? Doesn't that an it bothered you too?" I asked.
rit sighed and nodded. "It had… but I honestly wouldn't care if she learned or got better. For as long as she doesn't get worse or hurt anybody, who cares how she acts and sees people?" rit said.
Well… "That's very Vim of you."
rit smiled at that.
"The poor girl is a lost cause anyway, Renn. Growing up amongst these idiots? She didn't have a chance," rit said as we rounded the corner and walked down the hallway that slled like Tundra.
"That's no reason to be an to her, or ignore her, rit. If anything that should be all the more reason to do the opposite," I said.
rit made a noise as she sighed, but didn't argue.
"Oh my gods…!"
rit and I both paused and turned, as I once again fird my footing as I was ran at.
"Again…!?" rit grumbled as she stepped back and behind , as to not get targeted.
This girl wasn't as tall as Tundra, though she was dressed in the sa gray robes. Unlike Tundra though… she had a very peculiar trait. One that made hesitate, even as she ran right up into my arms and into a hug.
Her eyes were glowing brightly.
The saint wrapped her arms around , giggling happily with great joy as she squeezed . As she did, I noticed right away this girl was more normal than not. She didn't have half the strength that Tundra had.
"You're here! The one! Oh my gosh…!" the saint scread in joy, squealing as if she'd just happened upon the best thing ever.
Although I had no idea who she was, or what she was talking about, I couldn't help but return her hug and grin happily as well. Her joy was utterly contagious!
Giving the girl a hug, I spun her around a bit as she laughed. Once I stopped, and her feet landed back on the ground, she imdiately separated from and spun to look at rit.
"And you! You're as tiny as I am! Haha!" the girl darted forward, making rit startle and raise her arms to defend herself.
Before I or rit could say or do anything, the girl had wrapped rit into a hug. A big one, to the point she had lifted rit off the ground and started to spin her around… just as I'd just done to her.
"Oh boy…" I groaned as I then heard it. Tiny little pops and crackles filled the hallway, and then without warning a flash of white and blue sparked out from rit.
The saint yelped, going still as rit shocked her.
I panicked at first, since my only experience with rit's shocks were from back during the chaos. When she had used her ability to kill those n who had been chasing . The ones from the sewers.
"rit…!" I shouted in worry as I stepped forward, as to grab them and separate them… but before I could the girl put rit back down and released her.
"Wow! That hurt!" the girl shouted loudly, as if stunned. I grabbed her by the upper arm, to steady her as rit quickly stepped away.
"Renn…!" rit whined, glaring at the girl as she put her back to the wall… as if now fully on guard.
The saint blinked a few tis and then shivered, as if cold. "I'm all tingly now, haha!" she then said.
Although still worried, I couldn't help but breathe out a sigh of relief. She was still alive, at least…
Maybe rit could control how badly she shocked people…? I couldn't imagine this tiny girl surviving what those hardened n had. Now that I had her arm in my hand, I was able to feel just how tiny she was. She was taller than rit, but not by much, and just as scrawny. She felt more like bone than anything else, was she sick or sothing?
"Are you okay…?" I asked her as she reached up to rub her cheeks.
"My mouth's all tingly!" she said, though she spoke fine.
"Touch again and you'll feel more than tingly!" rit said, loudly.
"What's that feel like…?" the girl asked as she actually stepped forward towards rit. I fird my grip on the girl's arm, stunned at her audacity.
She had just tried to hug rit again!
"She doesn't like being touched," I said, sternly.
"Aww…" the girl moaned a bit, as if disappointed.
"Mono…!"
I turned as Martin hurried over. The son of the knight huffed a little, telling he had ran swiftly and from a distance. He too reached over and grabbed the girl by the arm, though not the one I held.
"Martin! She really can shock people! It felt great!" the girl told him.
"By the gods you're…!" Martin bit back the word he wanted to say, and then hurriedly turned to look at rit. "I'm so terribly sorry, rit! She had said she had foreseen herself getting shocked if she hugged you… So I had thought she'd know better than to do so!" he said quickly, as if worried he'd be the one in trouble and not the saint who had hugged her.
rit glared at the two, her back still up against the wall. "Mono…?" rit mumbled.
"That's !" the girl said happily as she tried to raise her arms up, but both Martin and I held them in place.
I kept hold of her since he still did too. The fact he had his hand on her, a man who was considered a knight for saints, told all I needed to know about this girl. She was as uncontrollable as Tundra was, it seed. Maybe even worse… considering she had foreseen rit's shock and had still done the deed.
"It's nice to et you Mono… but I hope you'll not annoy rit further, otherwise the two of us will have to leave," I said to the girl, hoping to make my point.
Mono glanced up at and nodded. "Oh, I won't! Now she won't shock anymore, since she now knows who I am… thanks for that Martin, you jerk," she said as she turned to glare at the knight.
He didn't seem to care at all about her look, or tone. "I'd chastise you for not realizing how dangerous your antics are, but the sad fact you do indeed know how dangerous your mistakes are make question the gods' intelligence in giving you sight," Martin said.
The girl laughed, but I only shook my head at them.
Releasing the girl, I stepped back a bit as to put myself slightly between her and rit. Just in case.
"You know her, rit?" I asked. They had just said rit recognized her na, basically. Which was odd… rit hadn't brought up this person before. Mono…? Don't think I'd ever heard that said by anyone, not even Vim.
"Rather, she likely knows her parents. Anyone who has been in the Society long enough would know what her na ans," Martin said, his hand still on the girl's arm.
My ears fluttered a little as I processed his words. They made feel, once again, as if I was so kind of outsider to them.
The girl stepped forward a step, but only because that was all she could do. Martin kept hold of her, and he didn't budge. "I'm a celebrity! Like you! So let's get along!" Mono said as she held out her other hand.
A little hesitant, I frowned as I went ahead and took the offered hand. It was small and oddly cold considering it was covered in sweat.
Maybe rit's shock had hurt her more than she was letting on.
"Renn… What's that…?" I asked her after introducing myself.
The girl tilted her head in a way that told she didn't understand my question.
"She ans soone famous. Basically she's well known, like you are," rit answered for , from behind. Martin nodded, confirming it.
"I'm famous…?" I asked, not liking that at all. Because it likely was ant in a bad way.
Mono giggled as she leaned a bit, as to look past and around at rit. "It's nice to et you too, rit! I liked the shock, I've never felt anything like that before!"
"You're definitely her daughter…" rit groaned.
The saint bead us a mighty smile. "Really!?" she shouted. She looked and sounded absolutely ecstatic, as if she'd never received such a wonderful complint before.
She let my hand go as she tried to step forward, and she reached out to grab at . I panicked at first, thinking she was going to try and round and hug rit… but then I realized she was simply trying to hug again instead.
Martin though kept hold of his arm. "You're bothering them, Mono…" Martin said with a voice that told he was likely the one being bothered the most right now.
"Mhm…!" Mono nodded, but didn't stop trying. She tugged and pulled her arm, doing all she could to reach .
With a small sigh, and much to rit's disappointnt… I stepped forward as to accept the saint's hug.
Smiling at Martin, I nodded to him as to let him know it was okay. The girl giggled happily as Martin finally released her, and she once again gave a hug.
Mono buried her face into my stomach as she hugged , which made feel a little weird. Was she trying to sll …?
"You really don't sll at all! Haha" she said with a muffled laugh, telling that was indeed what she was trying to do.
Martin groaned, covering his face as if in sha… and rit then groaned too, though in annoyance.
Smirking at them all, I sighed as I patted the girl's back.
So many new faces. So many new troubles… but honestly…
This was what it was all about. The Society. And I'd not trade it for anything.
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