When they reached the bottom, they first passed Kahima's stash of savings, but Zetto didn't care about that. He headed straight for a small, stone room – cold and dark. From the entrance, he could hear quiet, soft sobbing.
It's a child crying.
He thought for a moment and moved faster toward the cell.
Behind the bars sat a half-owl girl, looking about seven years old. Her long, straight golden hair was tangled and messy. She looked thin, starved and filthy. Her ears, the same color as her hair, stood up like an owl's tufts, and instead of arms she had golden-brown wings with clipped claws at the ends. The girl looked at the Messenger with fear.
"Don't be afraid," he said, opening the cage. "I'm here to help you."
Only now did he notice her maimed wings and the deep wounds on her feet that left her completely unable to walk. The child was chained by both feet to the stone floor. Zetto shattered the metal with a spell.
"I… I can't heal her," he added, his voice breaking as he looked at her injuries.
"I can't believe Kahima kept a human-owl," said one of the Tiriga girls who had been watching the whole scene, curious to see what the expensive, secret exhibit would turn out to be. "Her kind has been–" She stopped herself. "No, I don't want to say that out loud around her."
"Why can't I heal her?" Zetto asked in disbelief, his voice cracking.
The girl watched uncertainly, her big, light-golden eyes wide. Her face showed a mix of fear, doubt, and a glimmer of happiness.
"Dayun… it's not that simple," the long-haired Tiriga said. "Beast-people from races that have… well, you know… they have a strong sense of bonds. You can't heal their wounds with magic unless you're close to them. Which means, if you want to help her, you're going to have to build a bond with her."
"I understand," he said, a hint of sadness in his voice.
I'll do whatever it takes to save this child. I don't know what she's been through, but I have to get her out of this. These four dark, filthy walls remind me of times when I…
No. My experience isn't even comparable to hers.
Zetto reached out his hands toward her.
" It's okay now," he said in a soft tone. "You don't need to be afraid. You'll be safe with us."
The girl's lips trembled, and then she broke into full tears. Zetto was close enough that, despite her injuries, the girl lifted herself slightly to hug him.
He felt her tight hold, as if she wanted to release all her fears, sorrows, and agony into him, so they would leave her once and for all. A moment passed before she finished crying, and Zetto gently ran his hand through her hair to soothe her – the only caring, parental gesture that came naturally to him. He wanted to express his intentions, to reassure her that no one would ever abandon her again and that everything would be alright. At the same time, the Messenger's gaze drifted into the distance – empty, half-absent, half-sad. The emotions that had overwhelmed him when he saved Ellie returned with double intensity.
I can make it so that at least a few more people shed fewer tears… but the path to that leads through equally cruel acts.
Where is my place in a world ruled by the illusion of a conflict between good and evil?These realms… they were never clearly separated. They constantly intertwine, creating chaos, and I am right in the middle of the storm.
My safe place is with the people I want to protect. That's all I know, and that's more than enough.
After a few minutes, the girl, exhausted from emotion and hunger, fell asleep in his arms. Zetto instructed the two Tiriga women to take Kahima's chest of savings, and then, the four of them headed back to the camp.
*
When Zetto got back to camp, the Tiriga were celebrating his return. The red-haired girl he'd saved couldn't believe her own eyes.
"Mom…" she said with a trembling voice, looking at Meime.
"Harri!" Meime couldn't hold back her emotions. They ran to each other and hugged tight. "I thought I'd lost you for good… this really is a miracle…" she said, smiling through tears. "And you also saved Nevai' s daughter, the one everyone thought was long gone. You're a miracle worker, Zetto."
Zetto nodded at her, leaving them alone so they could enjoy their happiness. The long-haired Tiriga, Nekai, was also celebrating her return to the tribe, old friends, and her extended family.
"Zetto, you're back!" Maghra exclaimed excitedly, wagging her tail. Together with Tae and Alice, she came up to him.
Zetto looked at their faces, the joy in their eyes to see him. He smiled, wide and genuine.
No doubt about it. My place in this world is with their bright smiles.
"You took forever again! I was starting to worry," Tae said, then her gaze shifted to the sleeping child in his arms. "Is that… an owl-human child? But their race got exterminated two years ago. It's a miracle she survived."
"That bastard Kahima," Zetto said, his expression growing serious again, "kept her locked in his basement, calling her the crown jewel of his collection."
"Oh my god, poor thing!" Alice gasped. "But wow, she's so adorable!" she added after a moment, amazed. "I can't wait to take care of her hair and sew her a pretty dress," she said with a wide smile. "Don't worry, Zetto. We'll take care of her together."
"Yeah, I don't doubt that. But what worries me is something else. I can't heal her wounds."
"She just needs time to get used to you," Maghra said. "She's the last of her kind. Give her some time."
"I want to help her as soon as I can…" Zetto felt the owl girl clutch his cloak tighter in her sleep, as if she could sense his intentions toward her.
"We know. Each of us has gotten to know you a little," Tae added with a half-teasing tone.
"Thanks, everyone. Without you, I would've long ago…" He stopped, staring at the ground. They understood without words. They didn't need them. Everything they needed to know was in his eyes. Each of them looked at him, smiling. Tae gazed at him, her eyes full of love.
They talked for a while. The owl girl kept sleeping peacefully, her breathing calm and relaxed. After laughter, teasing, moments of emotion, and sharing happiness together, they went off on their own for a bit.
Maghra went to the Varii to get to know them all. Since the others noticed she was the closest to Zetto, they made her their leader. Alice said she wanted to start right away, sewing some clothes for the owl-girl.
"Tae, could you come with me?" Zetto asked, looking at her with an expression that was half sad, half hopeful.
"Of course," the tigress replied.
They went to his tent and sat down next to each other. Zetto took a deep breath.
He told her everything. About his sadness, about his doubts, about who he really thinks he is, about the breakdown he had on the streets of Sain and about his anger. He looked at her sometimes, and at nothing in particular other times. Tae held his hand tighter at certain moments.
"Zetto, I… I want you to know that no matter what, I'll be with you. All of us will be with you. You're not evil – this world is just disgusting. I'm not trying to justify what you did, but if you hadn't done those things, the people you killed would've committed even worse crimes. To survive here you have to be just as brutal; that's how nature is. Besides, how do you know those people wouldn't have ended up in an even worse or similar way if you hadn't been here? It didn't depend only on you, but on the choices of a few really awful people. Because you showed up in this world, a dozen or so lives were saved. You gave the Tiriga and the Varii hope for a better future. I get your doubts, but I can't put it into words. I don't know if I myself wouldn't be just as torn", Tae grasped his hand gently. "I want you to know that no matter what, I'll stay by your side."
Zetto held her hand just as tightly, mindful of her claws.
"Thanks, Tae. You're my moment of peace in all this unpredictable chaos," he said full of emotion, his voice trembling slightly, then added, "I love you." Tae fell silent. He watched her, moved.
A few tears from Tae fell to the floor. She looked at him, all flushed, crying with happiness.
"I love you too! Damn it, I never thought I'd hear those words from anyone!" She moved closer to him, then kissed him.
*
A few hours later…
Zetto carefully placed the owl girl on his bedroll, making sure she was comfortable. He didn't sleep – he just sat or stood, keeping watch over her condition. He wasn't sure if, since he couldn't heal her properly, her state might suddenly get worse. As he thought about it in the evening chill, with the night chorus of insects playing in the distance, his status screen suddenly popped up again.
Extra Trait: Owl Parent.
Owl Parent automatically displays the status of the one under the care next to the user's status whenever the user summons it.
Zetto glanced at the light-brown screen next to his own.
Name: Ora (Last name unknown)
Status: Citizen (Owl-human)
Class: None
Level: 1
Racial Skills: Golden Feathers, Wisdom of the Skies
(Golden Feathers boost nearby allies' attack power and speed by 5%. Wisdom of the Skies allows unlocking up to five racial skills.)
Nice to meet you, Ora, Zetto thought with a warm smile. Five skills, huh… but there's nothing here saying what needs to be done for her to unlock another one. Well, guess that'll come with time, or maybe we'll figure out some kind of rule later.
He looked again at his extra trait.
If I've got the Owl Parent… does that mean…?
The Messenger slowly reached out his hand. It shook with uncertainty, but still – he tried one more time.
This time, his magic worked. A green-and-gold aura wrapped around Ora, healing her wounds. Relief filling him, Zetto smiled wide – it had finally worked.
The girl woke up, looking at him with pure gratitude.
"Thank you," she said, her gaze shining with happiness. "I feel better now."
"You're welcome. Nice to meet you, Ora. I have to say this again: everything is okay now. You'll be safe with us, I promise you."
He said, as a few tears slipped down his cheeks without him realizing. The girl's face brightened, she got up from the bed, and hugged him.
Zetto didn't want anyone to see him crying – whether of joy or of despair.
But this little owl girl, her fate, and the fact that he'd managed to help her despite everything… made Zetto shed tears in front of someone for the very first time.