After leaving the adventurer’s guild, Alza originally wanted to try and head to the house which was listed on the address card Master Elysia gave her. There was only one problem, she was lost. Despite asking for directions from a few different people, Alza couldn’t help but feel like she was nowhere even close to her destination.

The buildings around her seemed more worn out. And there were a lot less people walking around here in general, even though the sun was still up. Alza noticed that the clothing worn by the people around her this time seemed more simple compared to what she saw when she first arrived on Menon. She was definitely going in the wrong direction.

Breathing out an exasperated sigh, Alza was just about ready to turn back to the adventurer’s guild and try again. That was, until she heard a cry from what sounded like a little girl in the distance. "I’m sorry!" she heard, "I’m sorry!" she heard again.

Her curiosity piqued, Alza decided to go closer to the source of the cries. Not like she had much better to do for now. In the distance, she spotted a group of kids, they were all huddled around in a circle.

When Alza could finally get a good look at what was going on, she felt an unbridled rage build in her heart. The kids she saw from before were kicking a very scared fox-like girl. Some of the bastards even stepped on the poor girl’s twin tails. As she approached the kids, she could hear some of the insults hurled by the larger children, "Go back to the jungle where you came from!" one of them yelled.

"You should have never messed with us!" another one of the bullies spat.

Alza now stood directly behind one of the bullies, though they did not seem to notice her presence, at least, not yet. "I’ll give you little miscreants ten seconds to get out of my sight," she threatened, her tone dripping with disdain.

One of the bullies turned to look at Alza, "huh, who the hell are-," his words were caught in his throat as his eyes met Alza’s: her gaze alone was enough to kill the boy several times over. The boy grew pale, and he was desperately tugging at the shirt of one of his friends.

Alza began to count down loudly, "Ten, nine, eight-"

"We didn’t do anything!" One of the bullies said while running away.

"Hey! Wait for me!"

When the last of the bullies ran away, Alza turned to examine their victim. Taking a closer look, she could see that the girl was a wildborn: as evidently shown by the pair of canine-like ears which sprouted on her head, and a pair of fluffy tails which curled around one of her legs. Poor thing was sobbing, her body covered in bruises.

Alza knelt down to the wildborn girl’s level. "I’m sorry that happened to you. They’re gone now, you’re safe,"

The girl, still sobbing, raised her head. Immediately after looking at Alza, she desperately tried to crawl away, "I-I’m sorry, I-I’m sorry, I…I- "

Alza extended her left hand to the girl. "It’s alright, I understand you and I want to help you."

The girl’s eyes seemed to light up, her ears twitching, "Y-you do?"

"Yes, yes I do," Alza said with a gentle smile.

The girl’s eyes welled with tears, "I…I."

"It’s alright, you’re safe with me."

The wildborn girl's initial apprehension slowly melted away. After a few moments, she mustered the courage to clasp Alza's hand with her own, her fingers trembling slightly. "O-okay."

Alza concentrated her magical energy into her hand. In an instant, a brilliant golden light enveloped the girl's fragile form, and her bruises began to gradually fade away until they appeared to have disappeared completely.

The girl’s eyes widened with disbelief. Her small hands gently explored every inch of her body, seeking any lingering traces of the injuries she had previously endured. Inquisitively, she even lifted her tail, inspecting it for any signs of harm.

"If you don’t mind me asking, what’s your name?" Alza interrupted.

The sudden question caused the girl to startle, taking a small shuffle back. "Faye," she replied, her voice slightly trembling. "My name is Faye."

Alza smiled. "A beautiful name, for a beautiful girl," she said, shifting closer to Faye.

Faye seemed visibly surprised by the praise, her cheeks turning rosy. She closed her eyes momentarily, trying to hide her embarrassment. "Um, you're really beautiful too!" she blurted out.

Alza felt an indescribable warmth wash over her. "Thank you," she replied, her smile growing wider.

The girl’s hand was still shaking, but she appeared to slowly become more comfortable with Alza’s presence. "and wh-who are you?" she stuttered.

"Alza."

"Wha-what?"

"You can just call me Alza."

"Oh, ok!" the girl exclaimed, "Al-Alza?"

"That’s right, my name is Alza."

Faye’s face seemed to light up slightly, "thank you for helping me earlier Alza."

Alza gently patted Faye’s head. "You’re welcome sweetie. I was happy to help. But do you have anywhere to go? Someone you can turn to?"

Faye’s smile from earlier vanished, turning to a visible frown at Alza’s question, "I-I don’t know," she muttered out weakly, her eyes welling up with tears.

Alza hugged Faye tight, "it’s ok, you can cry."

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Almost as if on command, Faye bawled herself out, her tears flowing like a waterfall. Alza gently patted the girl’s back as she wept, "there, there, everything is going to be alright."

Alza wasn’t sure how long the girl cried on her shoulder, but she didn’t mind. She truly felt for Faye. There was a time when she too had to live on the streets, it wasn't an easy life, the wildborn girl must have gone through a lot. Once Faye’s tears began to dry, and her sobs had lessened, Alza sat herself down on the ground, her legs crossed, "are you feeling better now?" she asked, placing a hand on Faye’s head.

"I-I’m fine now," the girl sniffled.

"Good, maybe we can try this again," Alza said with a soft chuckle, "do you have anywhere to go for tonight?"

Faye shook her head meekly, her eyes casting downward. "No... I've just been living there by myself." She then gestured towards a dilapidated crate within a grimy alleyway. It was a heart-breakingly pitiful place, unfit for anyone to call home.

"I see, would you like to stay with me for a while?" Alza offered.

"No-no, I couldn’t, you’ve already done so much for me," Faye said, waving her hands frantically.

"It's alright, you won’t be a burden, I want to help you."

"Really? You promise?"

"I promise," Alza said, lowering her head to offer out her nose.

Faye seemed confused as to what Alza was doing at first, but her face beamed when she realized what she needed to do, she lowered her head as well, nuzzling her nose against Alza’s.

"My mom used to do the same thing whenever she made a promise, how did you know?" Faye asked expectantly.

"I’ve met many wildborn over my lifetime, glad to see some things never change," Alza said with a soft chuckle.

Though outwardly she was smiling. Alza’s heart ached deep inside. She wasn’t brave enough to ask Faye about what happened to her mother. But after some consideration, Alza figured that she didn’t really want to know. What mattered now was getting the wildborn girl to somewhere she could call home.

"Anyway, what do you say Faye, do you want to come with me?"

"Umm, is it really okay?" Faye asked meekly as she twiddled her small fingers.

Alza smiled and ruffled Faye’s hair playfully. "It’s fine, really, you won’t be a burden."

Faye seemed to beam at those words. Her ears perked up and her twin tails swished around excitedly. "Um, Thank you!"

***

Alza was smiling from ear to ear. She led Faye by the hand as she walked through the streets of Menon again. Despite her jovial mood, however, Faye did not seem to feel quite the same way. The wildborn girl clung tightly to Alza’s robes, conscious of all the curious looks that people gave out to her.

"Alza, I…I’m scared." Faye muttered, looking sheepishly to the ground.

Alza gently patted the wildborn girl on the head. "Don’t worry about them Faye, just stay close to me and you will be fine, I promise."

Faye’s frown vanished as she looked up to Alza with expectant eyes. "Okay." she replied, her voice still weary, but more steady than before.

Of course, Alza was aware of the curious looks that people shot at her and Faye. She didn’t mind it so much, but she knew that the wildborn girl was uncomfortable. Alza tried her best to navigate through less crowded streets, only asking for directions when she could find someone alone. And as best as she could, she tried to talk with Faye.

"And that’s when I ate my first slice of cake." Alza said with a chuckle.

"Woooow, was the cake good?" Faye asked, her ears perking up.

"Best one I ever had for a while." Alza replied.

Almost as if on command, Faye’s stomach grumbled. The wildborn girl blushed, her ears drooping as she looked downwards.

"Are you hungry, Faye?" Alza asked, placing a hand over the wildborn girl’s shoulders.

Faye nodded meekly. "Ye-yes."

Alza smiled. "We could get some food right now, if you want."

Faye’s eyes seemed to beam with joy. "Can we? Really?"

"Of course, I think I see a bakery just around the corner." Alza replied in a jovial tone.

"Yay!" Faye exclaimed, raising her little hands in the air.

Though the sight of Faye’s cheer warmed Alza’s heart. There was another feeling that unnerved her. It was faint, just enough for her to notice, but not enough to alarm her. Alza turned her head back to check if anyone or anything was following her: nothing.

A gentle tug at the hem of Alza's robes interrupted her thoughts. "Um, are you okay?" Faye asked.

Alza turned her attention towards Faye with a warm smile. She knelt slightly, extending her hand to pat the head of the wildborn girl.

"It's nothing to worry about, sweetie, let’s go."

Soon, the pair arrived at a bakery. As Alza opened the door to the place, the ring of a bell greeted her and Faye. The latter jolted back in shock at the sound.

"It’s just a bell Faye, there’s nothing to fear." Alza chuckled.

Faye’s cheeks flushed a bright red. "I-I knew that." she muttered.

The bakery was a humble establishment, but its interior held an undeniable charm. The scent of butter, sugar, and warm spices hung in the air. Wooden shelves lined with an assortment of baked treats stretched along the walls, including a variety of different breads and pastries.

As Alza considered what she wanted to get for Faye, a voice interrupted her train of thought. "Welcome, welcome, to my humble bakery, I hope you have found something that is to your liking?"

Alza turned her head around to see an old man with a thick mustache greeting her. His eyes crinkled at the corners as he offered a kind smile. Brown hair peeked out from under a well-worn baker's cap, hinting at the years of dedication to his craft.

"Oh, yes, I was just perusing what you have here, the breads you have here do look rather exquisite." Alza said.

The baker let out a proud smile. "I appreciate the compliment miss, they are-" he suddenly stopped speaking. Alza was confused at first, until she saw that the baker was staring at Faye, who immediately hid behind her.

"The wildborn girl, is she-"

"She’s with me, yes." Alza replied nonchalantly. "I am her guardian."

Kneeling down to Faye's eye level, the baker's weathered hands rested on his knees as he aimed for a comforting smile. "Hello there, sweetie. Do you recognize this lady?" He asked, pointing a finger towards Alza.

Faye's head bobbed in a hesitant nod. She inched subtly behind Alza, using her as a shield against the stranger's gaze.

Alza's chuckle rang softly in the air. "Don't worry about Faye. She's just a bit shy."

"I see…well, I’m not one to judge." The baker shrugged as he stood up again. "Sorry about that, it’s not everyday you see someone just have a wildborn kid with them, thought you might have-"

Alza interjected with a composed smile."It’s fine, really, I understand." she said in a cordial tone. "Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll be taking a look at what you have."

"Just come by the counter once you’ve made your choice."

"I will, thank you."

Not too long after, Alza and Faye left the bakery with smiles on their faces. She brought with her a large bag of bread while the wildborn girl was busy stuffing her face with a croissant while Alza watched on with amused glee.

"Careful there, Faye, chew your food." Alza said.

Faye responded with a nod, her mouth still full of croissant, "mhm hm."

"How is the croissant? Is it nice?" Alza asked.

Faye swallowed the last bits of the pastry. Before nodding enthusiastically. "It was really good!"

Alza ruffled the wildborn girl’s hair. "I’m glad you liked it!"

"Can I…have another, Alza?"

"Later, Faye, you can have more once we’re home."

"Aww, okay." Faye replied, her visage turned to a slight frown.

"You know, I was thinking we could get you some nicer clothes on the way." Alza mentioned casually.

"Really?" Faye asked excitedly.

"Yep, I’ll see if I can find a nicer store for you." Alza said with a smile.