We are not your enemies!

@$#%!

Why did this woman save Greenie!? Hurriedly, I fling away the strip of skin still clinging onto my talon. Was she crazy or something!!

Her wide eyes surrounded by wrinkled skin stare into mine. Clutching her stomach, she swayed as if drunk as she stood between the two attackers and us. One of her hands was faced with palm out towards the Minotaur in the universal expression of 'Stop'.

Gritting her teeth while blood continues to leak out of her back, she groans words out in that language I don't understand to the other two. "Ongjks jdfjsh as"

The dwarf that had already found the sword, somehow, and was making his way towards us stops in his tracks. His expression grows dark at her words, cloudy eyes disappearing under bushy lowered eyebrows. "Hjksg akjhga!!"

The Minotaur's large shoulders sag as he joins their conversation. "Dewkhgaa.."

What was going on??

I didn't know what was happening.

But first and foremost. Greenie!

My first attempt to fly over to him fails miserably as I wince in pain.

Even with pain tolerance, it hurt!

What was broken this time? A wing? No matter how many times I evolved, the injuries just kept coming. Sigh...

I was almost too scared to look at what was broken this time. No! Stay sharp, Raven!!

Greenie was waiting for me! With trepidation, I take the chance while the trio spoke to each other. Tilting my head to look down at the source of my pain-. Yep. This time it was the part where my left wing connected to my chest? area. Something was broken there for sure.

Sigh…

Back to hopping it was then. Without wasting anymore time, I ignore each beat of pain the pierces into me like some kind of evil cupid's arrow on my chest.

I couldn't even flap both my wings for an extra boost.

When I got to Greenie, I ran my good wing down his body, checking to make sure nothing else was broken. His head was still bleeding, so I clawed my way up his body carefully, perching on his shoulder and sifting aside the greasy hair with my beak to check the damage.

There was a large bump on top of Greenie's forehead, hidden behind his hair. At least the bleeding was stopped.

Are you ok! How's your head?

Greenie smiles foolishly at me and responds.

Greenie ok, Master.

Too bad his gaze wasn't directed at me, but at the empty space to my right.

This goblin was concussed.

Greenie fight good! Master!

He staggers to his feet with me still on his shoulder, using the tree next to him to help himself up. I hated my incompetence. There was literally nothing I could do to help Greenie's injury, even ice it.

I'm sorry Greenie....

That woman's voice whispers in my head again.

Please help us...Honorable One…

I knew it was her. When she held a palm open towards me as the voice spoke, pleading expression on her face.

Us? Help you!? This old woman was crazy. Out here in the middle of nowhere, with a minotaur and dwarf that wanted to kill a small bird and goblin. I didn't care if she did save Greenie and I from accidentally hurting each other. SHE was the cause of all this trouble. SHE was the reason why we were being attacked, wasn't she!?

WHAT DO YOU WANT!?

LOOK WHAT YOU DID TO GREENIE!! TO US!!

Master..

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Greenie winces, clutching his head. I do my best to lower the force of my emotions at the hag that clutches at her back, staring at me as if I was her last hope.

Loo-!

The world suddenly flips upside down, and I stagger, losing my balance and falling off Greenie's shoulder. With Greenie concussed as well, it was impossible for him to catch me, and I landed on the ground with a jolt.

Master?!

Greenie panics as he catches empty air.

Was I hyperventilating!?

Somehow, the air in my lungs felt heavy and hard to take in, while the air I was able to bring in immediately escaped with my gasping exhales.

Greenie clumsily struggles to pick me up. Black edges on the corners of my vision. Behind him, I can see the dim figures of the Minotaur and dwarf standing next to each other, while the hag drags herself closer to me, panting heavily.

I was cold. So cold.

My feet and wings were clammy feeling, and the strength to raise my head up, to move my body, was escaping me.

Was I dying??? I hadn't even had a proper bath yet. Nor a meal or a good night's rest in a soft bed. Blinking, I stare at Greenie who carefully gathers me into his arms after multiple attempts.

Master, Greenie protect.

But if I was dying, that title should have come into effect already. Perseverant, was it? If it hadn't appeared, that meant I was still alive.

Gotta focus on my breathing. I was hyperventilating right now. Focus Raven!

Blinking hard, I use my whole being to concentrate on staying awake, to beat the darkness that roils on the edges of my consciousness, trying to make me collapse.

We need to stay alive!

FOCUS!

Please, you're the only hope we have.

The hag's lips whisper wordlessly as she looks at me with that same pleading gaze. Like I was her last, only hope.

Breathe in......Breathe out…

I repeat this a couple more times, feeling my thoughts returning to normal speed as I stare back at the hag while Greenie stands there, staring at her.

He didn't exactly trust her, but there was no sense of animosity from her. That was what he was feeling.

Reorganizing my thoughts, I ask the hag again, this time in a colder, more collected tone using Thought Transmission.

Do you think we can help you? Look at us!

The hag wipes the dark blood on her hands and smiles cynically.

You.. are indeed...strange..

...The...vessel..

she points her wizened fingers to me, and I can't help burrowing a little deeper in Greenie's arms out of reflex. She looked exactly like one of those evil witches in children's fairy tales. The kind that could zap a curse on you with one finger.

Her fingers pointed at me curl inwards into a fist, and then opens again.

and spirit within…

she places her palm over the center of her wrinkled chest.

do not match..

The trees rustle around us, shaken by an unseen wind.

I jerk in response to that, wincing when it makes me breathe hard again. Urgh. I couldn't imagine how much worse it would have been if I hadn't gotten pain tolerance.

Calm, Master.

Heal. Greenie protect.

Cradling me closer to his chest like a baby, Greenie eyes the hag with watchful eyes.

....But you are Raven..You represented Her..once..

Slowly she kneels, never taking the one hand that clutched the rough cloth covering her stomach as she lowered her body to kneel.

...and I ask you to honor that role once again..

she presses her forehead down on the ground before us.

"Jfhjaf asfh fdjdgh??"

Behind her, the Minotaur and dwarf stand there stupefied. The low rumble of the Minotaur questioning the woman, and her gravelly response was all I could hear as I contemplated her words.

"Fkdsfj"

Thud.

Following her example, the Minotaur lands on his knees and drops his heavy head against the ground, the broken horns digging into the dirt. The dwarf next to him sits down on his haunches, and though he doesn't go as far as bow down to me like the others were doing, he slides down to rest his knees in a subjective posture.

What was going on??

There was so much I didn't understand. How did this woman figure it out? That there was something different about me?? Did she know how I could go back to my old world? Was she some sort of witch that could turn me human again???

And then she crumbles to the ground, breathing heavily and no longer able to maintain her posture of kneeling towards me.

What's wrong?

Please don't die yet!

I mean, please don't die!

I didn't want this woman to die without answering the questions roiling within me. At least answer them first!!

Looking at the trees around us, I consider the options. It was no longer dark and overgrown, with every exit blocked off. Everything was back to the usual forest with dappled sunlight streaming in over us.

We could escape now if we wanted to. Leaving the woman and the other two still kneeling before us. There wasn't much of a head start with both of us injured. Maybe we could use　『Hide』and escape this trio.

But...I glance back. The warmth was starting to return to my body as Greenie held me close.

The Minotaur just kneeled there with his head pressed to the ground, unmoving even as the marks I'd left on his body streamed red streaks of blood down his skin.

Rustle.

Greenie was continuing to step backwards, back the way we came towards our cave.

Greenie, let's check on her.

Master?

Quickly, and then we'll leave.

Yes, Master.

Greenie doesn't question it, and steps past the two males and kneels by the hag. She lay face down, groaning and mumbling incoherently into the dirt.

After moving to hold me in one arm, carefully, Greenie rolls the hag over.

Her face was even more wizened and dried out looking, like a wrinkled prune now.

Ummmm..Are you alright?

I didn't know what to say. This woman had taken a hit from me to protect Greenie from her partners and then said some mysterious things and now was lying here.

Hacking coughs, and then her tightly shut eyes open, leaking tears that soak into the grass beneath her. Pained laughter escapes her lips in creaky gasps as blood sprays out of her lips.

No, I'm not alright..

You see, I'm-..

I'm-

a pause, as another round of wet, hacking coughs, and more blood spatters onto Greenie, and me, peering out from within his arms.

......with child.