I stare at Natalia on the white bedsheets. She refuses to look at me. Her bloody paws are still in cat-form, proof of the stress she’s under. Even though she doesn’t say anything, I can still hear her…in my head. Her screams yesterday…I can’t forget them. Ever. I try to touch her shoulder, but she shies away and I drop my hand guiltily. This…this happened because of me. Frick…how did they know I was here? How can we be so…unlucky!

“…” The silence drags on longer and longer. I don’t know if Natalia knows that I’m the reason this all happened. She hasn’t heard yet. I’m dreading explaining it to her. But I think she’s already guessed. Even though Natalia’s a kid…she’s sharp like that.

“Natalia…” I start to say, but she just rolls away from me, closing her eyes. Her tail has been cleaned, but it’s missing patches of fur from the fire. Perideen says that they will grow back. “Why won’t you look at me?”

“Because Myrr will leave me.” She inexplicably says again. “Don’t look at me.” Seeing her small form on the cot of the clinic in Sines, I feel a well of guilt rise up.

“What do you mean?” Controlling my frustration, I try my best to understand her. And then the floodgates open-

“Papa…and Mama are gone…GONE!” Natalia’s howl is filled with all the grief I never wanted to hear. Instantly, I regret poking at her fragile control. “Why…why? Papa never hurt anyone! Why does everyone want to hurt us! *Hic…*”

“I…” It’s impossible. I can’t tell her how this is my fault right now. I can’t bear to see her face afterwards. The girl who has always smiled when she sees me, how will she look when she knows I am responsible for making her parents like…like that? “I don’t know, Natalia. I’m sorry. I’m really, really sorry!” I feel like I’m not all the way here right now. As my adopted sister rages in bed at the cruelty of life, I hide behind deceitful words and pretend to know nothing of why her world has come crashing down. I still remember it…coming out of that house yesterday…seeing Perideen at the doorstep. Eurgh…I…I’m so sorry.

It wasn’t his fault that she saw them. Perideen couldn’t have known. It was my fault for not stopping her though. She woke up on the doorsteps to her house, and saw everything burned down and destroyed. Of course, she would have gone in. I could have stopped her. But the air was so stifling and hot. I felt so woozy after seeing Pisa and Nadania like that. I’ve never seen anyone I know dead before. On Earth, I was in another country when my parents died. They tried to find me for the funeral, but I ignored the messages. I saw that Natalia was awake too late. Didn’t think that in her transformed form, she could still crawl so fast even with a broken leg. By the time I realized Perideen wasn’t holding her anymore, it was already too late. She got inside. And saw what those sick bastards had done.

“Why! WHY would they do that!” Natalia is still crying. I’m scared to touch her, give her any comfort except to say it’s okay when it’s not. She keeps saying that I’ll leave for some reason. Eventually, I realize why she’s afraid. It only makes me feel worse when I understand it. “I…I’m alone! Mama and Papa are gone!”

“No! NO! You still have me!” I try to comfort her, and she just cries harder.

“No, it’s all ruined!” She sobs despite my words. I don’t know how to convince her. Natalia starts to bang her head into the headframe of the cot. Nothing I say is working! What do I do?! “Myrr’s going to leave me and then I’ll be all alone! FOREVER!”

“What do you mean! I’m right HERE!” Desperate to stop her from hurting herself, I grab onto her, and she shivers in my arms, thrashing about. “Why do you think I’m going to leave you?”

“B-Because…” She refuses to answer. I stroke the back of her head. Softly, ever so softly, she finally sobs out the reason, “I was going to be Myrr’s maid. But now…now I can’t walk. I can’t fight. How can I serve you properly?”

“What?” I’m nonplussed. That was why? It doesn’t matter! “You think I would abandon you because you have a broken leg? Are you crazy? What kind of person do you think I am?”

“B-But…that’s the duty of a maid.” She says more stupid things which I’m sure her father taught her. But I can’t even be angry because Pisa is dead now. And I can’t disrespect someone who I got killed. “How I can I be Myrr’s maid if I’m in a wheelchair…”

“It’s okay! Stop, stop! You’re going to get better. And even if you weren’t, I would never abandon you! Everything’s going to be okay!” I comfort her, just stroking her hair. Relief that I finally understand why she was so afraid of me flows through my body. “You know, Perideen is pretty connected. Listen, you’re going to be fine. I’m going to get him to find you a healer who can make everything better! Fix it all! You’ll be running in no time!”

“Really?” Natalia whispers, a silver of hope in her voice for the first time. Yes…YES! “I…I can be your maid then?!”

“Of course. I told you, when you’re older, you’ll be my maid. Until then, you’ll be my sister. And you’re going to get better.” I promise. Natalia begins to sob again, but this time it’s not sad tears. I can tell because her face is all scrunched up into a painful smile. Her droopy ears perk up just a little. Gradually, one of her paws begins to transform back into a little girl’s hand. I take it and stroke the back, careful to avoid her ripped fingernails. “You’re not alone.”

“I’m…not…” She cuts off and I hear her breathing slow as her head falls against my shoulder. Sighing, I very gently tuck Natalia into the sheets, doing my best not to jostle the makeshift sling the village doctor put on her leg. It seems that she never considered her leg could be healed because in a place like Sines, using magic to treat wounds is impossible. Mark was an exceptional healer, but his abilities are not common. And healers are not cheap. Only the rich and noble can afford magical treatment. We’ll have to bring her to a big city to get her healed properly. But I don’t have any money. I’ll need to ask Perideen for a favor.

Walking quietly outside, I find the assassin in question standing guard at the doors to the clinic. I walk past him and step into the gloomy day. Up above, clouds swirl, and it seems a storm is coming.

“I need you to bring her to a healer, Perideen.” I turn to him.

“So, you do.” He nods. Surprisingly, he agrees, “I’ll help her. However, it’s been two days since that leg broke. It’s beginning to set wrong already. Advanced Healing Magic is necessary. And every healer worth their salt is participating in the Holy War. You could search all of Ravenmore and I doubt you’d find someone capable of healing so much as a papercut at this point.”

“I…there has to be someone!” I growl dangerously and he holds up a hand.

“There is. But…it’s a trip.” Perideen’s scarred green eye regards me curiously. He seems nervous. “Our healer at Rainstopper Headquarters deals with lethal wounds all the time. Your friend’s recovery would be guaranteed.”

“Really…?” My eyes widen. Romy’s home? No…this is her home. That…is just the place she grew up. “Well then let’s go. Take her there, please!”

“Not so fast.” He leans in closely, and I grow uncomfortable at the intensity in his gaze. “There’s something you need to consider first.”

“What? Come on, she needs healing, stop wasting time!”

“Just listen. What are you going to do after she’s been healed? I already told you who did this. You remember, right?” Perideen’s expression is dead serious. I nod, slowly.

“I remember.”

“Good. Now it’s unfortunate that the Daggas Clan was the one to discover you were here. But I’m certain it was them. Out of all the clan’s in Meirkeep, their hatred of the Demi-Races is legendary. From the signs of the wreckage, it’s obvious they came seeking you. They would never have attacked if they knew this was the home of the Secthead. But they did attack, and thus they must have not known. They asked the townspeople whether a boy your age had appeared the day the blood rain came and managed to track you here. When you weren’t at the house, they decided to have a little fun before leaving-“

“Fun? Really?” I spit and Perideen sighs.

“That’s what they consider it, don’t get mad at me. Anyways, your friend’s parents…unfortunately never had a chance. From their description, I’m guessing Selina Daggas was the one leading the team. She’s an uncannily good wench with a blade, who enjoys going into towns and butchering any Demi’s she manages to find.” He continues to explain things I already know, and I’m beginning to get angry. Stepping into his face, I cut him off,

“Why are you telling me this again?”

“Because…Selina may be a dishonorable turncoat, but she’s also quite strong. If we fought, I’m not sure who would come out on top.” He reaches out and taps the top of my head. I jerk away in disgust. “And I know that your young brain is doing exactly what mine would in your situation…thinking of revenge.”

“Heh. So what?”

“Kid, you’re strong. Honestly, I’m still not entirely sure where the Secthead found a little monster like you. But Selina is so far beyond your paygrade right now that it’d be suicide for you to go after her.”

“Afraid, Perideen?” I taunt. “Didn’t take you for someone unwilling to get your hands dirty.”

“I know you’re angry, Kid, but I’m not the enemy!” Perideen flicks the top of my head, and this time he doesn’t hold back his speed. Without Foresight I can’t do anything to avoid it. “See? See how slow you are? How easily I could twist your skull off your neck? You need training! Develop your potential before you do something stupid!”

“So, you want me to join your Sect? That’s it, right?” I get his angle now. “Romy never wanted me to go there. Why would I train there when I can get direct instruction from your Secthead at home?”

“Is the Secthead here right now? Do you really think she was teaching you seriously?” Suddenly Perideen’s voice becomes mocking. He flickers out and pokes my forehead with a nail so hard it draws blood. “I don’t see nearly enough scars to show that she was actually teaching you the Rainstopper ways. Even if she was here, at this rate, Selina will be old and gray by the time you have enough strength to take on the Daggas Clan.”

“…” I have no answer. Digesting what he’s saying, I blink as a little drop of blood trickles down from my forehead into my eye, staining the left side of my vision red. “Fine. You win. If I join the Rainstopper Sect, will I become strong enough to beat them?”

“As a regular Acolyte…no.” Perideen tuts as my eyes narrow, “Hold on, hold on! As a regular Acolyte, it will be too hard. But if you were to enter the trials for the next Secthead…and win. Well, that would be a different story. Of course…such a thing would be very dangerous. Secthead Romy instituted several rules prohibiting murder and abolishing the old ways upon becoming the Eastern Raingoddess of this generation, but even still, people have been known to get…crippled. In ways that can’t be healed.”

“Ah.” My response is short. “And these trials, if I win? I’ll be strong enough?”

“The trials in themselves are a polishing process. Haven’t you ever wondered how the Secthead got so strong? She’s still quite young, you know. Of course, at your age, she was already talented. But the trials are what allowed her to bloom into the Eastern Raingoddess that all know and fear today. Even if you don’t win…you would get stronger. A lot stronger. Strong enough, I can’t say, but it’s your best shot.”

I…I really just wanted to live in peace. Honestly, I’d begun to forget a little bit about Meirkeep and my family’s feud. I thought they’d never find me here. Yet here they are…and now the house is gone. Nadania and Pisa are dead. These…animals who think they are people, keep spitting in my face. But I never get a chance to fight back! I’m just too weak. Romy, you’d understand me, right? Well, maybe you wouldn’t because you’ve always been strong. But I feel…so helpless. No more…I want to be like you. I want to be strong. No more playing with wooden swords, no more hiding. It’s time to see what the real world is like-

“I’ll go. Sign me up.”

And so, my fate was sealed. I did what Romy never wanted, “Take us to the Rainstopper Headquarters! Before we go though, there’s just one thing I need to do…”

“Yea, what’s that, Kid?”

“Just get Natalia ready. It won’t take long.”