A couple weeks had passed since the encounter in the garden with Rez’nir. Senna had since graduated from her crutches and now relied on a simple cane. What excited her most was only two more sessions with Cyrrus remained; she waited with eager anticipation for the grueling recovery sessions to be a thing of the past. Her newfound mobility had also allowed her to start shadowing Celica around the house to learn what chores needed done across the week.
On a particularly sunny day, Senna convinced her mother to let her take a walk around the neighborhood unaccompanied.
"Darling, are you sure? I can join you once my chores are done.”
“It’s fine! I’ll be fine! I’m getting cabin fever and figured I’d get out of your hair for an hour or so, anyways.” As Senna spoke, she leaned her cane against the kitchen table and took a few moments to stand without any support.
“Cabin fever? Are you okay?” Celica pressed a hand to Senna’s forehead without even a moment of hesitation.
A laugh burst from Senna’s mouth at the reaction, unable to help herself.
“It’s an expression on Earth. It’s when you feel anxious for being cooped up in a space for too long.”
Forcing a smile, Celica nodded and conceded.
“Okay, but please don’t go too far. I worry about you falling or collapsing from exhaustion. If you get into trouble, don’t be afraid to ask someone for help. They’re good folk.”
Truthfully, Senna enjoyed the thought of being struck by lightning more than propositioning a stranger for help. Despite that, she knew in her heart that if Celica could vouch for them, many of them must be genuinely good people.
“I’ll have lunch ready in an hourish, so don’t be back too late!” Senna smiled, and as she was about to turn, she felt Celica’s hand on her shoulder. “Don’t forget this!”
Celica reached out an open hand with a somewhat large, ornate key in her palm.
“It’s a spare key to the front door. It’s yours.”
Hesitating for a moment as strange, sentimental emotions filled her chest, Senna tenderly took the key from her mother’s hand. Her fingers weakly clasping it as if it was as fragile as an egg, she reverently slipped it into her pocket. Turning away before her misty eyes could betray her, she stepped out the door and waved, calling out “Bye mom! I’ll be back soon!”
It was a short walk down the path across the front yard as she closed the door behind her. Taking in a deep breath she steadied her grip on the cane, a small tremble running through her hand. Her thoughts raced as she passed through the gate, the hinges whining as she crossed their boundary.
Her one trip through the neighborhood more than a month ago had already grown hazy in her memory. Overwhelmed by the events of that fateful day, everything had bled together into a jumbled mess in her head. The only memory of the suburb that remained fresh was the momentary panic as Celica lifted Senna’s wheelchair down the small tract of stone steps leading into their cul-de-sac.
Walking past several houses all nestled together in a development that clearly predated the rest of the buildings, she noticed that a number of people were out and about. Some were hanging out clothes to dry in their small, compact yards. Others were relaxing in small gatherings, their laughter and jovial discussions lingering in the air. Several children filed out of a house, running past Senna on her left as a woman called out to them to return before sundown.
It was a strange social ecosystem that she had never really experienced in her past life. When she had been a teenager, most people in the suburbs where she lived were so insular that she never heard of any neighborhood get-togethers or events. Minus small cliques of kids, everyone was so focused on their school or work grind that nearly no one felt a shared sense of community.
Adulthood had been even worse.
When she had been Sayko, the extent of her socializing had been in-game chat or on Datcord with guildmates from her favorite MMO, Endless Fantasia. What’s more, they only seemed to reach out when they noticed her absent from scheduled dungeon raid days.
Somehow learning how to socialize offline feels like the final boss of this new life!
Heading up the stairs and out of the cul-de-sac, she found herself on a larger street that hosted a variety of multi-story apartments broken up by the occasional small housing plot that likely predated them. Using her free hand to block some of the sunlight that had been obscured by buildings, she paused to observe the thoroughfare. The street itself was dominated by foot traffic, barring a man with a hand drawn cart selling sweets of some kind, as dozens of people went about their day.
All at once, every one of Senna’s senses were assaulted.
The closest comparison Senna could compare it to was a combination of anime convention meets horse stables on a Victorian era road. The natural noises of humanity, the smell of dogs and horses, and seeing throngs of people going about their day all at once felt like information overload after a month cooped up.
Like the first raindrop to break the surface of a pond before the storm, her anxiety began to grow. Senna’s fingertips tingled as her chest tightened, a rising panic filling her throat. She could suddenly feel the heat of the sunlight for the first time, her neck burning up in response.
Slowly turning back towards the stairs, she nearly took the first step down before immediately catching herself.
NO! Do NOT take that step!
Her thoughts screamed as they pulled the emergency brakes on her body’s instinctual reaction.
You made a PROMISE to change. You PROMISED to do things differently this time!
The world spun for a moment as she stood at the top of the steps; closing her eyes, Senna took several deep breaths to collect herself. Noticing that she could hear her own heartbeat in her ears, she took her time to wait until the pulsing rhythm disappeared. Pulling a hair tie out of her pocket, she gathered up her hair in her hands and tied it up into a tall ponytail to help keep the heat off her neck.
Slowly turning to face the street once more, Senna stepped out onto the sidewalk and followed the right hand path down the road. She had remembered her mother mentioning a park in that direction a couple weeks prior and was curious to see if she couldn’t find a quiet spot in the shade to relax.
Nervous about tripping on a gutter or getting in someone’s way, she decided to stick close to the inner path of the sidewalk. Aside from the occasional deviation around stone steps leading up into an apartment block or to get past a group of people loitering, she found the journey to be relatively pleasant. Most people politely cut a swath to let her pass when they saw her cane and subtle limp.
Something that quickly stood out to Senna was both how courteous everyone seemed to be towards another as well as how many people were smiling. She was worried her own natural “resting bitch face” probably stood out considerably in contrast to everyone else. It somehow felt even more alien to her than when she witnessed magic for the first time in her life.
Eventually the road turned into a bend, as the park Celica had mentioned started to come into view. Eager to find a bench to rest on, the girl prayed on a shooting star that wasn’t there that a bench would make an appearance soon. Luckily, some gracious deity in the cosmos above heard her silent plea, and as she took her first steps into the park, she saw a stone bench to rest on.
Beads of sweat formed across her brow and neck that she wiped off with a handkerchief that her mother had lent her. The days had been getting warmer after they had entered the month of Cress, Messaris’ equivalent month to May, and it was already making Senna dread the upcoming summer.
The park itself was shockingly expansive, nestled neatly between several boroughs. Being on the outer section of Enzen was the only reason the grounds were so vast, as the inner city grew quite cramped until you reached the capitol district or Gosford Manors, where the governing body and local nobility lives respectively.
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After taking a fifteen-minute breather, Senna resumed her journey to enjoy the park. Following the main trail that lazily bisected the grounds in a snake-like path, she admired the scenery as she went. There were countless trees and several ponds along the way; some of the former had grown into thickets that bordered on being miniature forests.
Senna was shocked at how many trees were carbon copies of flora found on earth, with several resembling them to a shocking degree. She immediately recognized several species: oaks, maples, cherry, and birch trees. Even the grass closely resembled a regular lawn back home, giving her a reassuring semblance of familiarity in this strange land.
Flashes of memory raced through her thoughts of the past life. She had never been fond of parks or the outdoors, especially not after her elementary years. Sitting at the edge of playgrounds by herself or under a tree somewhere with a book was about the only activities she ever took part in outside. It wasn’t like the other kids had wanted to befriend her, anyways.
An hour of slow meandering around the winding path brought Senna to a pond with a bench beside it. Without a smartphone or watch, she had no idea how much time had passed since she had left the house, so she figured it was a good idea to take a quick break before heading home.
Seconds after sitting down, Senna almost leapt out of her skin sitting back up as a voice sounded out beside her.
“Rez’nir has been following you, child. You are a stranger in a strange land, no?”
Turning to see the feline creature from the garden taking shape beside her on the bench, Senna hissed through her teeth as she sat back down.
“Don’t DO that! You scared the life out of me!”
A dry, raspy cough like laughter rose from Rez’nir’s throat.
“Apologies, apologies. I didn't mean to scare, merely warn. Children are coming this way and Rez’nir knows they are up to no good. If they trouble you, call on Rez’nir, he will help.”
“Who’s coming? Help how? What’s going to happen?” Her head spun to look over both shoulders out of immediate paranoia.
“Fret not, child. I will lend an ounce of my strength if you ask for it.”
Like the Chesire Cat, Rez’nir dissolved into the air, an amused expression on his face.
Sure enough, several minutes later a group of about ten or eleven kids approached the pond, dragging a child by the collar of his shirt. Pushing the boy to the ground, several members of the group jeered and called out insults to him.
A particularly tall boy with curved goatlike horns in the group stepped out from the crowd to confront the frightened boy on the ground.
“You wanna call yourself one of us but we don’t want some wimp like you, Thiazzi! You aren’t man enough to be one of us! Not unless you can learn how to swim on the spot, that is…”
A familiar cruel smirk flashed across the boy’s face, his scarlet eyes filled with malice. It was familiar because it was one Senna had been on the receiving end of before. Every muscle in her body tensed up reflexively, an anxious energy spreading like wildfire as she balled up her fists.
Her thoughts raced as she silently watched the scene unfold further.
Tears were now running down Thiazzi’s face as he turned to plead with the leader of the pack.
“Please, just leave me alone, Biorix. You know I can’t…”
“What was that? I don’t think I heard you…” Biorix knelt down beside the sobbing Thiazzi. “You WANT to learn to swim?! Is that what you said?!” An evil grin now formed.
“No! You know I didn’t say that!”
“Don’t worry, I heard perfectly!”
Senna’s teeth began to grind, rage replacing the anxiety in her heart.
I can’t just sit by and do nothing! This poor kid, I have to help him somehow! But what the hell can I do!?
A familiar voice filled her ear, barely more than a whisper.
“Do you want Rez’nir to lend his strength?”
Seizing the boy by the wrist, Biorix handily pulled Thiazzi to his feet. With an arm around the latter’s torso, the bully threw the boy into the pond like a ragdoll.
“Catch us some fish while you’re in there!” Biorix yelled, an infuriating tone to his voice.
Senna was nearly snarling as she grit her teeth, rising to her feet.
Every one of the boys pointed, raucous laughter filling the previously peaceful air of the park. Thankfully the pond was only a few feet deep, as Thiazzi quickly struggled to stand back up. As he made his way back to the shore, Biorix stood at the edge of the bank, barring the path.
“Where do you think you’re going?! I believe I told you to catch us some fish, didn’t I!?”
“There… There’s only minnows in here, Biorix…” Thiazzi’s voice was barely audible, the sound of defeat marching behind each world.
“Then I guess you’re not leaving until you find something bigger!! Gahaha!” As his obnoxious laughter burst forth, he extended a leg out in a swift kick that painfully launched Thiazzi onto his haunches in the now muddy water.
What had started as sparks amongst kindling was now an inferno. The grip on her cane tightened as Senna muttered under her breath.
“Let’s do this, I’m gonna kick their asses!”
A sensation of pure warmth raced up Senna’s legs, down through her hands, and filled up her chest. Her stance felt so steady that she let the cane fall to the ground and started walking towards Biorix, every step filled with rage. Truthfully, she had no plan of attack, but simply knew she was going to make him pay.
The crowd surrounding the bully hushed suddenly as Senna approached. Contentious looks filled with theirs, but none spoke up.
“Who the hell are you? His little girlfriend or something?”
“No, I don’t even know who any of you are. And I don’t really care either. Help him up now, apologize, and leave.” Her voice, low and tumultuous.
“HAHAHAHA!! You hear this, guys?! She’s trying to defend the little man!”
Glowering, Senna took another step forward.
“This is your last chance, help him out. Or else.”
There was a raw energy pulsing through her veins that she could only attribute to Rez’nir. It wasn’t just a buff to her body’s strength, she felt confident in ways she hadn’t ever experienced before.
“Or what?!” The boy bellowed, trying to intimidate her.
Leaping forward, Senna punched Biorix in the side of the gut with enough force that spit flew from the boy’s mouth. Gasping for air from the shock, he stood by helplessly as she seized him by a horn and threw him face first into the muddy bank of the pond.
He squirmed trying to push himself up and watched as Senna walked past him, stepping into the pond. Pushing himself off the ground, he snarled at the girl who stopped in place, back turned towards him.
“You little BITCH! I don’t care that you’re a girl, I’ll-“
Before the bully knew what hit him, Senna spun so fast that he wasn’t ready for the open palm slap that took off his feet once more.
“I hate people like you… if I EVER see ANY of you little bastards come near Thiazzi again…” A growl ran through her voice like a wild animal at the shocked onlookers. Without a word nearly all of them took off running, abandoning their horned friend Biorix.
Biorix’s eyes were filled with tears as a blue aura radiated off of Senna, unaware that her eyes had violet hexagonal runes cutting through their golden visage. Gulping, he let out a pathetic whimper.
“Please don’t hurt me, I’ll never touch him again!”
And with that, the boy jumped to his feet once more and took off running like his life depended on it. A sigh escaped Senna’s lips as she turned to offer a hand to Thiazzi, who still sat on his haunches in the pond water, staring in disbelief at the scene that had unfolded merely seconds ago.
“Let me help you up.” Senna said, a warm tone to her voice.
She had been this child before. In middle and high school, she had her desk and locker vandalized, her possessions thrown in the dumpster. She had been the child that no one had stood up for. Her heart couldn’t bear to let it happen to someone else.
Thiazzi cautiously took her hand, his eyes filled with the same fear that Biorix had. Senna held his hand as she led him back to the dry grass, the strength finally leaving her body when she returned to the bench to retrieve her cane.
All at once, the weight of her recovering legs returned, feeling like she had just run a marathon. Her hands felt tender, bruises beginning to spring up where she had hit and grappled Biorix.
Mumbling to herself, she whispered thanks to Rez’nir before turning back to face Thiazzi.
“Well, you’re safe now. My name’s Senna Lorenz, nice to meet you.”
“I’m… uh.. I’m Thiazzi Bressa… why… Why did you save me from them?”
“Well.. It pissed me off to see them treat you like that! Anyone should’ve intervened had they seen it happening!”
“You’re actually the first...”
Her heart sinking into her knees to hear it, Senna shook her head.
“Well guess what?! It isn’t happening again! We’re friends now and I’m gonna make sure it doesn’t!”
Despite how heavy her body felt now that Rez’nir’s buff wasn’t active, she forced a genuine grin. Thiazzi looked at his savior in awe, merely nodding at the proposition.