It’s never ending.

When the world got active, it never let up. There was always something else. Always another event around the bend.

I took a small breath as one of the men let out a tiny whine. He, like the other three, wore a sack over his head. It was tied lightly with a fisherman’s rope, but it honestly didn’t need to be. All of them had their hands bound firmly, and were kneeling on the ground.

This was why I needed to leave soon. Even if it wasn’t the most correct thing to do.

If I stayed in Lumen I’d never be able to leave. I’d get entwined in all the politics and schemes and…

“This one’s a knight, Vim. Had ma’ men check. Deserter during the monster attack,” Ronalldo pointed at the man in question, it was the man in the middle. His back went straight and his shoulders rose upon being the focus of the conversation.

He didn’t say anything though, even as Ronalldo spat near him. I knew none of their mouths were bound, so I knew the only reason none were talking was out of pure fear. They had been muttering and begging when I had entered the room… but had gone silent once I sat in front of them.

Which was interesting… since I hadn’t said a word yet, and there really shouldn’t be any way these men knew who or what I was.

Maybe Ronalldo and the other sailors had said something.

Ronalldo had sent the other sailors out of the room, and it was now only the two of us with these would-be-thieves. Several of them were hurt, but strangely Ronalldo looked the worse out of all of them.

His face was covered in dried blood, but I didn’t say anything. Either he was too angry to clean himself up, or wanted everyone to see his injury. To let them know he was man enough to endure it.

“The others are likely just pirates or opportunists. None of them are too important in the underworld here either,” Ronalldo said as he stepped over to the larger man on the right. He sent a harsh foot out and into the man’s stomach, kicking the wind out of the man. He buckled, and the other bound men shuffled worriedly as they listened to their friend’s groans of pain.

I understood Ronalldo’s temper. Even if he hadn’t gotten bashed over the head as they had done to him, he would have still been furious. Just like the other sailors here.

These men had tried to steal the ship, during the night. They likely thought with Lumen still in something of disarray they’d easily be able to pirate it and sail away before anyone noticed.

To Ronalldo, and most sailors, their ship was more than just a boat. It was a home. Their country. They took more pride in their ship than they did their own appearance and names, half the time.

They’d sooner forgive these men for murder than what they had done.

“If they were working for someone, they aint’ saying it,” Ronalldo said as he smirked down at the man still hunched over. His kick had been fierce; maybe Ronalldo’s boot had hit ribs.

“Is that true?” I asked the men.

They all shifted, even the one bent over.

My words lingered in the air for a moment, and then Ronallod stepped forward. To kick again. But the men startled at the sound of his footstep, and began to speak.

“No! No one!” the one on the left shouted.

“We aint work for no one!” another said.

Ronalldo didn’t let their hurried attempts at staving off his interrogation stop him. He kicked another man, this time in the shoulder. He fell backward, yelling out in pain. He fell harshly, thanks to the way his hands and arms were bound. He struggled to roll over, bumping into the other men in the process.

“Please! We didn’t get hired, honest!” the one Ronalldo had said was a knight shouted.

Ronalldo kicked the man he had just sent onto his side. I watched the way Ronalldo broke the man’s leg, and tried to ignore the shout of pain that followed.

This room was much too small for such loud screams.

I sighed as Ronalldo huffed and stepped away. He was still fuming, but at least he wasn’t smiling. His blood was boiling… but the young man didn’t seem to take pleasure in what he was doing, at least.

A good sailor. Willing to do what it took, yet wasn’t cruel just for the pleasure of it. Though that might come in time.

“Four men. Sailing a man-of-war. A hard task,” I said lightly.

Ronalldo nodded as the man with the broken leg groaned and curled up, as if to try and hide behind the other men next to him. “A hard task indeed,” Ronalldo agreed with me.

“We were goin’ to sail to Whickler!” the man on the right shouted. His voice was raspy, Ronalldo had definitely broken some of his ribs from his earlier kick.

“Aye!” another shouted.

“My brother’s a shipwright in Whickler. We planned to get him and a crew there,” the knight revealed their grand master plan, and sounded defeated as he did so. He actually lowered his head, exasperated.

I sighed as Ronalldo scoffed. Whether he believed them or not didn’t matter to me.

After all, I did.

These men were simple opportunist. The knight likely had gotten into trouble during the event with the creature. Maybe he had gotten scared and disobeyed orders, and thanks to the cities problems he’s not yet been punished for it. He then got his buddies involved, and planned to nab a ship and sail off before he could get fired or hanged for his insubordination.

Such a thing might not be the exact story, but it was what made the most sense to me.

“What ya want to do Vim?” Ronalldo asked me.

I noted his speech. Was it rougher because of his anger, and pain, or was the pirate blood that was drying on his face making him go back to his roots?

“What did your mother teach you to do with those who tried to steal your ship?” I asked him.

“Bleed em’ and feed them to the sharks,” he said with a nod.

I nodded back as I stood from the small chair. “Keep their bodies in the hold until you set sail. Tossing them into the bay will only cause more problems than not,” I said.

“Right sir,” Ronalldo nodded as I turned away and to the door.

The four men started to shout, begging for mercy. The knight even offered all his wealth to stave off his punishment, but I ignored them all as I opened the door. Two large sailors were outside, and I nodded to them as I stepped out the door and past them.

Ignoring the sounds as the sailors went into the room, and I heard Ronalldo give the orders, I headed down the dark hallway to the main deck.

The ship was rather quiet, other than the screams behind me down the hall.

Reaching the main door, I opened it and shut it quickly. To make sure the last shouts of those men didn’t get heard any more than they could be.

Only a few other sailors were on the deck of the ship, and most were keeping themselves busy. One was on his hands and knees, cleaning the deck. Two others were folding up a massive rope near the port side.

Sailors working hard… in the middle of the night.

Looking up at the dark sky, blocked by dark clouds, I wondered what else could possibly happen before I was able to escape Lumen?

“Always something,” I whispered as I stepped away from the doors that led into the ship. I could hear a man shouting. One last man. But I knew that most others out here on the deck likely couldn’t. Although it was the dead of night, the wind was harsh enough and the sea loud enough that I knew most couldn't hear the screams of death.

Yet even if they had… none would say or do anything about it.

The sailors here were all Ronalldo’s men. Men of his family. They now wore the Animalia Guild crest on their sleeves and boots, but they were still more pirate than company men.

A good thing too. Had this ship been manned by the common workers of the Animalia Guild… well…

“Might have lost the ship,” I said softly as I stepped towards the starboard beam. There were two ramps on the ship, both leading to piers, but the starboard one was the only ramp that led to the city. The port side ramp led to a smaller boat instead, one of the other Animalia ships.

Walking slowly down the ramp to the pier, I noted the crates all along the pier. It looked like they planned on loading the ship tomorrow.

Which is likely why those men had attempted to steal this one tonight. They saw that it wasn’t busy, it was near the end of the pier and alone, and all the crates and goods waiting patiently to be loaded on the daybreak…

Yes. The perfect victim.

Lumen would have an uptick in crime for the next few years, likely. Thanks to the chaos made by the clean up and rebuilding of the city. Hopefully the city would survive it… and the infection of crime wouldn’t just fester and become stronger.

To survive that creature, yet die slowly to the poison it left afterwards…

“History repeating itself,” I whispered as I thought of the city beneath my feet. The one still full of toxins.

Pausing a moment, right before I stepped off the pier and stepped upon the stairs that led upward back into Lumen… I realized the likely source of those creatures.

The toxic air. It might have transformed some kind of plant or beast into those things… and over the course of decades…

“Very likely,” I whispered as I realized it was the most probable answer.

An obvious one too. Why hadn’t I thought of it before? Or had I and I just hadn’t focused on it?

Shaking my head free of the thoughts I left the pier and stepped onto the main streets of the ports. I glanced up and down the cobblestone road, and noted the fires lining the side of the port.

People were living on the streets. Their homes were destroyed, and so they had made temporary shelters all up and down the port. Which was why this section of the pier had been the main target for thievery.

This section was owned by us, the Animalia Company. Our insignia was etched into the wood pillars all over the place, and all but a few of the ships docked in this section were ours. The large man-of-war that accompanied Ronalldo, to the tiny fishing boats that I wasn’t really sure why we had.

The ship that the Society had used to leave Lumen, and thus return, was moored a few ships down. It wasn’t the smallest, but it wasn’t even half the size of the man-of-war.

That would have been the ship I would have stolen, if I had been them. Not only was it large, and well made, it was something half a dozen men could easily sail if need be. Especially if only for a short trip.

Good thing thieves were usually stupid.

And good thing that Ronalldo was…

My mind went numb as my feet came to a stop.

Amidst the smell of the sea. The storm. The death and dried blood from the destroyed city all around me. On the wind full of ash and burning wood… was a new smell. One so potent to me, I found myself only able to smell it and nothing else.

I blinked, and for the tiniest moment… The world had stopped.

No more chaos. No more headaches. No more humans causing grief. No more non-humans putting themselves into danger for no reason. No more politics… no more death…

No more votes.

Just Renn.

She tilted her head and smiled at me, and the world started turning again. I had to step aside off the road as a drunken man fumbled past me. He hadn’t even realized I had been in front of him. I had barely noticed him too, which would have worried me at any other moment in my life.

Renn waited for me for only a few steps, but then she too stepped away from the building she had been waiting for me at. It looked like she had been sitting on the stairs that led into a warehouse, which was now locked and quiet of course.

The two of us approached each other, and I couldn’t help but notice the slight limp in her stride. It was barely noticeable, likely wouldn’t be to anyone else. Either she had an injury still, or something had healed incorrectly…

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

Still…

She looked good, even if she looked as if she hadn’t gotten a good night sleep since I had last seen her.

“Hey Vim,” she greeted me first, and I felt as if I had failed somehow.

I should have said something first.

“Welcome back Renn,” I said.

A toothy grin made my eyes narrow… and I realized I had genuinely missed her.

I kept myself from spewing forth all the things I wanted to say, and instead nodded and gestured past her. For her to join me on the road, to head back home.

Or at least, home for now…

She was no longer allowed to call this place home, after all.

Which was sad, but not as sad as it being her second banishment in just as many weeks.

“I heard your arm was broken still,” I said as I glanced at her right arm. It was not in a sling, but like her stride I could see it was still injured. It didn’t flow lightly like her left did as she walked. It hugged her body more than not.

“It still hurts, but nowhere near as bad. Honestly what still hurts is my tail. I broke it in several places, and it’s healing really slowly,” Renn said lightly, with an undertone of happiness. She sounded far too calm and happy to be talking about something so painful.

Her tail however made sense. That explained the odd stride. It wasn’t her legs or feet, it was her tail that was putting her off balance.

“Tails do heal slowly. Least you still have it?” I both asked and suggested.

She nodded. “Right!” she agreed, and I almost breathed a sigh of relief. So she did still have her tail. Good.

If she had lost it… well…

Then I would have done a much deeper disservice to her than I already had done.

Renn and I walked past a small tent. One that was empty, since the owners of it were sitting around a small fire. Three women stared at us as we walked by.

I ignored them, but Renn didn’t. She glanced at them until we were far enough away that they started to talk amongst themselves again.

Usually I’d take note of what the humans were saying about us, or Renn, but instead…

Instead all I could focus on was the woman next to me.

“You look… normal. Last time I saw you, you were covered in gashes and holes,” Renn said.

“Hm. All fine now,” I said with a shrug.

“So weird… I mean, I healed so fast that people actually questioned it. Yet I still hurt and have to be careful not to further break anything… So what does that say about you?” she asked.

“Not much. Just that I’m more monster than you,” I said.

Renn huffed, but had a smile as we rounded a corner.

“How’d you know where to find me?” I asked her gently. That seemed like a good thing to talk about. Not too dangerous, nor would it reveal my heart to her or…

“Brandy. And Herra. They said I shouldn’t really find you, but after talking to Mark and the rest I… well…” Renn hesitated as she glanced at me, and then smiled and looked away.

Basking in Renn’s odd smile as I walked next to her, I wondered how such a simple look on her face made me feel so…

Well, lost.

I wasn’t sure what to say. Or think.

Maybe I was being infected by the stupidity of those around me.

“Mark and who?” I asked, focusing on that instead of the way her body swayed. She was walking as if each step was a joy, even though it obviously hurt to walk. That wasn’t fair. And it especially wasn’t fair that the rags she was wearing, cheap wool stuff with the Animalia Guild symbol on the chest, wasn’t able to make me find her any less attractive.

“Hm? Oh… Mark and his family showed up today. You offered him help, and a job, when you met him down in the sewers. A few others showed up too, an older couple, and then a small family who I guess you and Reatti met?” Renn informed me that much more was happening than I realized.

I of course somewhat remembered who she was talking about. The man who had tried to stop me from finding her. Though he had not done it maliciously. In his perspective he had been trying to save my life.

“I see… You met them?” I asked softly. The old folks too? I had told them they could get help if they came to the company, but I hadn’t thought any of them actually would have done so.

She nodded. “I helped them get situated. We gave them a residence, and set them up for work. Which actually helps, since we’re so busy now what with the cleanup of the city and all the charity work, and stuff,” Renn said.

We turned down a dark road. Not because it was small or insignificant, but because it was half destroyed. Most the buildings here were rubble, and no one had seemed to want to set up camp in this section because of it.

Yet it was the fastest route back to the Animalia Guild Company building.

“Why’d you deal with them, Renn?” I asked, even though I kind of already knew why.

She shrugged. “I… just ended up doing it? It wasn’t that difficult, Herra ended up helping me half way through,” she said.

I nodded. Right. Still…

Why her? Out of all the people to have been involved with them, why the one who actually cared about helping such people?

Why did fate seemingly want to burden Renn in such ways? Constantly?

“It was very nice of you, Vim, to offer them sanctuary. Mark’s wife told me that he had tried to stop you, and after hearing what happened I know you could have… handled him in a very different way. It’s kind of you to be so gentle sometimes,” Renn said.

I had to look away from her, and the gentle smile on her face.

Paying attention to where we walked, I did my best to make sure we didn’t tread upon the more destroyed sections of the road. Bricks and debris still littered everywhere… but we stayed away from the larger piles of debris or the deep holes scattered everywhere.

We walked in silence, and although I enjoyed it… I also didn’t. I wanted to hear her voice some more. I wanted to hear her thoughts, and concerns… her worries and fears…

Which was unsettling.

I was growing irritated with everyone and everything. I was getting annoyed having to deal with this city, and all its problems.

I was tired of hearing people cry and sob over their injuries or lost family members. I was tired of having to police the area, and deal with would-be thieves or swindlers. I was tired of dealing with the politicians who were worse than all of that combined.

I was even avoiding the Society members, within reason, as to avoid hearing them complain or tell me about their thoughts about Renn and what had happened.

Yet here I was… willing and wanting to hear all of Renn’s woes and complaints.

Really, what was wrong with me?

I felt exhausted, even though my body never got tired anymore.

“Did someone try to steal a ship, Vim?” Renn asked me, breaking the silence.

I nodded. “Ronalldo and his men caught them. He’s… a good man. I’m now glad I let him into the Society. He’ll prove much more useful than most our members, even the non-human ones,” I said lightly.

Renn didn’t say anything as we walked, and I realized I had just said something degrading. Hopefully she didn’t take too much offense over it. She knew I wasn’t speaking of her, but I also knew she cared dearly for everyone… so would be hurt all the same, no matter who I spoke of. Simply because I was speaking ill at all.

“Though I wish he had been a little more… like his ancestors. He had waited until I arrived to decide the thieves’ fates,” I added.

“Their fates…” she whispered.

I nodded. “It’s not a bad thing. He waited until the one he is below arrived and made the official decision, before he did anything drastic. A good trait to have for a sailor, especially a commander. But… it meant I had to deal with it. They were just petty thieves in the dark of the night. Always skittering around, always have and always will,” I said.

“I see…” was all Renn said about it.

Shrugging as we rounded a large pile of wood and other refuse, I recognized the very simple attempts of someone trying to clean up some of the destruction. Either one of the cleanup crews our guild and the Lumen powers to be had started on this section, or it was the very owner of these buildings here. Either way it was a good sign, to see such attempts.

Humans were good at rebuilding after such destruction and chaos. It was too bad my people wouldn’t learn that trait from them.

“He also led the men during the event. He commanded the ship to attack the creature from the sea… and he made sure all our ships left the ports before they burnt to the ground. He saved the Society a lot of money and headache. A good man. It’s too bad he’s human,” I said.

“Hm… think I could meet him? He’s the pirate you brought back with you, right?” Renn asked.

I nodded as I glanced at her. She had that look in her eyes. The kind that told me she was being very serious.

“He’s human, yes. They’re loading tomorrow, and will likely set sail soon. You might be able to see him if you’d like, if you go to the docks tomorrow,” I said.

Renn’s smile dimmed a little, and I knew it was because she read between my words.

She could go meet him. Alone. Without me.

I looked away from her sad eyes, and hated myself. Why was I always so brunt when it mattered most?

“I’m regrettably very busy… I need to leave soon, so I’m trying to do all I can as to ensure I can do so in a timely matter,” I said gently, hoping to apologize in the best way I could.

She nodded. “I know. Herra also hopes to leave soon, she… doesn’t seem to like all this commotion,” she said with a gesture around us.

“Which is funny. She hates going home,” I said.

“Oh? She does?” Renn’s look brightened again.

I nodded. “She does… and…” I slowly stopped walking as I realized something.

Renn slowed as I came to a stop, and she studied me from the few feet away where she had walked to. She looked… worried now.

“Vim…?” she asked softly.

Taking a small breath, I nodded. “I heard what happened. At the Bell Church,” I said.

Renn didn’t even blink as she softly nodded. Her eyes held mine, and I noted their glistening gleam in the night.

“As the Societies Protector… it’s my job to ask, Renn. Do you know anything about their accusation?” I asked her.

Renn took a very deep breath, and then trembled. Just once. The obvious shiver should have been from the cold night air, but I knew it wasn’t.

“I don’t… but I do believe it. My family had not been a good one. My grandparents especially,” she said with a soft tone.

“You mentioned once… That you didn’t think any other member of your family still live. Is that true?” I asked her. I held her gaze as I spoke.

She nodded. “My aunt is the only one I could see still living… and even if she is, I have no idea where she’d be or how to find her,” she said.

“And if she still lived… could she have done what Plumb claims?” I asked further.

Renn hesitated, but ended up shaking her head. “My aunt had only one hand, and no legs. Not to say… she couldn’t have done it before she had lost her limbs, but…” she said.

Interesting.

“Honestly Vim… it was likely my grandparents. Or great uncle. Though they’re definitely dead. I helped light aflame their corpses,” she said with a heavy nod.

I nodded back, and stepped forward. I did my best to… keep my hand from doing anything more than grab her by the shoulder. I squeezed it as gently as I could, and gave Renn a smile. “I apologize for asking such things, Renn. But…”

She quickly shook her head. “It’s okay! I know… I know why. And… Thank you, for asking.”

“Thank you?” I asked her.

She nodded, and then shrugged. My hand on her shoulder shifted a little, and I did my best to not notice how warm she felt beneath her shirt. “If you had… ignored it, I would have been worried. I was worried you’d… well…”

“Treat you with kid gloves,” I said softly.

“Something like that. For you to actually ask, well… it means you trust me enough to at least do so, right? I guess…?” She sounded unsure of herself, but all the same she nodded and smiled at me.

I gave her shoulder a tiny squeeze again. Her eyebrows rose upward upon my grip, and I sighed at her. “I trust you so much it’s worrisome, Renn,” I said to her honestly.

Renn blinked at that, and I turned away as to get us back on our path. I did have things to do. And now that Renn was back… well…

It was time I finished those tasks. So we could leave.

“You’re going to come with us, right?” I asked her, to make sure.

“Huh? You mean when you leave with Herra? Of course? Why? Am I not allowed to?” Renn asked quickly as she hurried to keep up with me.

The way she asked told me something horrible.

She didn’t know.

She didn’t know yet.

No one had told her.

“Good. You can deal with Herra’s family then, for me,” I said with a forced smile.

Ignoring the horrible sinking pit in my stomach, I actually bit my tongue… to keep myself from telling her.

It was my job to. It was my duty to.

As the protector.

As Vim.

As the one she loved the most in the Society, especially.

I had to tell her.

Yet…

Did I want our long separation, and our meeting finally, to be stained by such a thing?

She’d cry. She had that right.

But… could I stand here as she sobbed and broke, and not grab hold of her?

Could I control myself?

“I’ll more than happily meet her family, Vim,” Renn said, not noticing the horrible turmoil within me.

“You say that now. They’re a loud bunch, and are always singing and dancing… it’s horrible,” I said, doing my best to focus on this topic and this topic alone. It was easy, since I tasted blood. I had bit deep and thru my tongue.

Renn giggled at me as she took her place to my left. “You say that like it’s some kind of a threat, but I swear I hear the exact opposite!”

“I’m sure you do… which is why you’re perfect for the job,” I said.

“I look forward to it! I can’t wait to see why Herra seems to hate her home so much, yet can’t wait to leave and return all the same,” Renn said happily.

“Oh you’ll find out, that’s for sure,” I grumbled.

The cat giggled next to me, and I noted her lovely smile. The glistening of tears in her eyes only made that smile all the more awe worthy.

As we neared the guild building… I realized the two of us had already returned to normal.

We were walking together, and talking, as if we had never separated. As if she and I had been with each other this whole time.

At least, she was. I was still fretting over the reality that no one had told her she had been banished from Lumen, as well as the Bell Church.

But for now I at least walking calmly… speaking normally. Smiling gently.

That was… a good thing. More than I could explain.

We did have much to talk about, and I still wanted to hear everything I could from her… but for now…

This was fine. This was good enough.

Hopefully.

I should tell her how glad I was to see her. I should voice it. Show it. Show it with action… but…

But if I did, I’d be admitting it. And…

And I’d be risking her far more than I already had.

If they’d banish her over what her ancestors did… over what she did with Fly, or because of Fly…

What would they do to her if they found out I loved her?

The thoughts haunted me. They weighed upon my shoulders more than all the lives I carried.

They kept words in my throat.

I had much to think about. A lot to ponder. And I had to do so as soon as possible.

Walking side by side with the woman who looked far too happy… I realized I was going to have to decide her fate for her.

If she’d let me.

If I would let myself.

If I could, even.

Either I let her be broken and killed by the fate that was so obviously trying to loom over her.

Or I kept her far away from those who would drag her down. To keep her away from those who her gentle sympathy could latch onto.

To keep her safe, I either needed to keep her right next to me… or I needed to take her far away from everyone and everything.

Both were bad choices.

But that was life.

Nothing but endless bad choices.

At least, that was my life.

I just wished it wouldn’t be Renn’s too.