34 The Wings From a Memory

Jumping off of her dirt staircase, Camellia coldly turns her back to the woman to face the crowd. With a serious look on her face, she throws her hands up once again and yells with all her weight.

"JUST CHOOSE TO LIVE DAMMIT! I'LL HELP YA, YA KNOW?!!"

Watching in awe, Zeph, who had been somewhat lost in the crowd, was stunned speechless. He could be seen staring at the young passionate girl with eyes full of shock, hope, and a hint of pride. Shocked that a child could do what she has done, shocked that she bested the venomous woman in a battle of the tongue, and hopeful that she might be the second chance for him, his people and his village.

All of these emotions created by the young proud lady that stood before him. However, the pride that welled up within him was one he had not felt in decades.

Looking around, Camellia decided to use this chance to her advantage once last time. They all grew a look on their faces, an old one they hadn't worn in a generation's time, since they had long since forgotten the feeling of hope. The feeling of pride that they had once held as 'the race of the forest!'

"I can tell from the buildings you and your ancestors have built, I can tell from the smiles you give each other when joking around, and from the rough taps on the backs you give your pals and brothers alike! This is NOT the village, these are NOT the type of VILLAGERS that want to be caged!"

Feeling pressured once again, the tall woman tried to speak up.

"You... Life isn't that simple! Like you said yourself, there aren't only two options-"

<Heh~ seems as though the little lady has won~>

[Right, accepting what she's said is basically bowing to her.]

{Lose}

Completely ignoring her plea, Camellia continued preaching to the masses. It was no longer a debate, but a stage for her to entertain long lost dreams and ideals.

'Lets make some Shakespeare!'

"To me, this seems like the kind of village that wants to grow! That wants to make a name for itself so grand that even these trees and great wall you've built look shy in comparison!"

Although she didn't quite have the best affinity for social ques.

"Now tell me! Would you rather be known as the house cat elves?!"

Although she was once being drowned by the crowd in the world HE had hated so much...

"OF COURSE NOT!!"

Jaxx had finally woken up, and decided to fight.

"You'd rather be known! Be spoken about, and not as the kitten in the cage this time, but as the lion of the jungle!"

Creating a small black layer of flames along her arms, the figure was not of the small and timid framed Camellia, but it was as if Jaxx could be seen puffing out his chest to the raising sun in front of him. He was ready to fight!

"So let's not mearly be known as the kings, or monsters of the Forest! Let's be referred to as the great elves of the world!! With the strength of a bear and the technologies of the gods!"

Well... fight for something other than a sale at the grocery store, or to open one of those hard plastic wrapping they put on stuff like scissors.

***No but for real though, I bought the scissors to cut that stuff! Why wrap it in more of it!?!

Carefully choosing her words, she offered her hand to the crowd.

'ok, I've only got one shot to come up with a plan, and it's gotta be on the spot. If I mess this up, or the plan doesn't sound believable enough then.... No wait... It's the opposite! In times of need, people always extend their arms to fantasy!'

'That's a low blow... It's research...'

<mhm~>

"Listen well! I can reinforce these walls, and make a bunker inside and underneath the entrance! They're supposed to be sending a decently sized army for the tournament right? If we turn this city into a trap, we can use the cage they forced us in, and lock them down instead!"

Shocking the tall woman once again, she butted forwards, this time with interest gleaming from her eyes instead of spite.

"H- How could we trap this whole city though, isn't that impossible?"

*Snap*

'Hehe, caught ya'

"Who says we need to trap the whole city?"

Lazily tossing her hands to her sides, she shrugged her shoulders while pulling out a map she had made of the town while hiding in the barn.

"I've been here for how long now, trying to find a place to hide, and not only have I still not managed to see the whole city, but I've also found every blind spot in site. From bushes that I watched the streets from, to back alleys I've felt safe catching my breath in, to corners I've accidentally boxed myself into!"

Pointing at her map, she snickered at her own genius.

"All we have to do is lead them to the tournament, like you always do, treat them like royals, like you always do, treat them to booze and desert like you would spoil your boss, separate them into smaller units in their drunken state. Set parameters that you want to keep them inside, have land mines so they cant run away through the fields separating the city, ambush those who make it out from inside the walls."

She pointed to every place she had mentioned on the map using the clawed tip of her glove. She had previously taken off her mask to help show facial expression when trying to win over the crowd, but now, as she snickered in her head, and gleamed with eyes that seemed to view the enemy they feared as nothing but prey, she hid her somewhat provocative glare with her mask. Peeking at the venomous woman from below the chin of the mask, she muttered her plans closing statement.

"Then we use their horses and carriages, as well as our own to escape this cage, hiding amongst them as their own, while having access to whatever notes, files and money they brought with them."

No ifs or buts in her plan, without a mention of a plan B or C, she showed her upmost confidence in this plan despite having just made it up on the spot.

"Why wait for them to open the door, when we can just open it ourselves? Show them our open arms, but not the bomb under our coat! Simple, no?"

*** *gasp* like- like a dragon?!

<No.>

'I'll cry... don't make me some super distant cousin of a dragon just to bait me with saying things like that!'

<Aww~ but you make it so fun~ Hey, maybe I should just draw some wings on your face next time instead? You seem to not mind that~>

'Wha?! DID YOU LOOK THROUGH MY MEMORIES?!'

---

*Ring ring!*

As the school's bell rung, a young man's sleeping head could be seen drowsily raising from his desk. His somewhat greasy hair shone a little in the sunburnt light that peaked through the window into the almost empty classroom.

'Ah shit, math really is just that boring huh?'

Scratching his head, he started to lazily stuff his papers into his slouched, open bag.

'Wonder if miss Daring's gonna eat me alive for falling asleep again... hmm~ that would actually be pretty nice no~?'

Blinking his eyes heavily, he yawned with a big stretch as some light chattering and laughing could be heard just outside the door.

'Geez, can't even think with all these hooligans around. Is it that bad to fantasize about a hot milf yelling at you, or even punishing.... hmmm-'

Scratching his chin with a lewd grin on his face, he failed to notice someone walking up to him from one of the front seats of the class.

"Ummm, Jack?"

"HAH?! Yea?! Ah... K- Kiyo..?"

Suddenly being woken up from his... questionable fantasy, the young man found himself looking at a beautiful young lady. She was slim with hair that suited her glasses and her perfect jawline well. She had a somewhat concerned, or worried face and seemed like she wanted to say something... Not that Jack would know due to him staring... elsewhere...

"Oho~"

"Uhm... Jack?"

"Present!"

"R- right... Uh, I just wanted to make sure you knew..."

She gestured a circular motion with her hand in front of her face, then the same but towards his face. 'Understanding' What she meant, he leant forwards with blistering pride.

"Hm? Ahh, finally coming around hmm~? If ya wanted to kiss me that bad-"

"They drew on your face again dimwit."

Changing her attitude she quickly clapped back by pushing his face back with her whole weight behind it.

"You know? Like drew. On your face? That thing they've done to you multiple times?? Hmm??"

"Ah.. Right... Well... haha, what'd they draw this time I wonder~?"

"Jack..."

Truth be told this beautiful and introverted woman was actually his friend! His... well... They are both each other's only friend.... They'd both been ignored or bullied throughout school and somehow ended up as good friends through the orphanage.

"I know I know; 'stop accepting it and stand up for myself' right? You've said that to me for years now and I haven't done it for a reason you know?"

"Arrgg, your classic excuse. Why can't you just do it by yourself?"

"I'm not sticking up for myself until-"

"Until I stick up for myself right? And once I do then you'll stick up for me too. That's what you've been saying every time since like 4th grade or whatever, and I have stuck up for myself!"

"Right right, I kn- wait, when was that?"

They'd both been bullied throughout school regardless of her next to peerless beauty and Jack's above average grades. But there was a stark and clear difference between the two of them that was hard for him to swallow as the truth.

"The DAY OF you making that crappy excuse! Quit being a coward and just stand up for yourself or you'll get walked all over by people for your whole life!"

One was someone with a collected pride, that would only be shown when needed or provoked...

"Whatever, I'm gonna go wash this off. Walk home without me, they used the good stuff on me this time, so I'll probably be a while."

And one was a coward, who always either took fights lying down, or ran from them before they could even start.

Sloppily stuffing the last of his school supplies in his bag, he stood up and walked to the door without even closing the zipper.

"Earg! Quit letting Serpent own your life!"

Oh, one more thing about the beautiful girl who yelled seemingly random things at Jack like a tomgirl with her arms up in the air...

"She's a total nerd for mythology... Why read up on all that boring Norse stuff when you could just spend your time reading Isekai? I don't get it."

Walking through the somewhat empty hallways with one hand on the back of his head, he slouched his shoulders while looking at his phone, which he held out in front of him to look at the damages done by the bullies.

*sigh*

"They didn't even draw antennae... Idiots don't even know what butterflies look like."

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