Honesty

"That fucking caveman played dirty with that," Rosary cursed through her teeth. "Didn't think people would go this low as to using the Corrupt as a weapon."

Rosary was digging around in her throat wound where the man in the black trench coat stabbed a knife into. Outside of a gushing stream of blood, there was also a thick purple yellow liquid that she found in her blood.

"Tsk! A paralyzing reagent."

Rosary also examined the torn white cloth she ripped off the figure holding her in place. A faint purple powder residue was sprinkled on it.

"They turned the Corrupt substance into a powder as well?! No wonder I couldn't sense any presence of them."

As Rosary picked at the powdery substance, she noticed her pool of blood that she was standing on. Her blood was a thick red, like a tomato, exactly like the blood of a regular person.

'Shouldn't leave that there.' She thought to herself as her hands suddenly turned into a bunch of wiggly tendril strands.

She stuck her tendrils down into the pool of blood and pulled the thick red liquid through her tendrils and back into her body. Once the floor was clear of any blood, she gritted her teeth angrily upon seeing the empty vial on the ground and ripped her door off the hinges of her house.

———

*CRANK!! CRASH!!*

Before I could say something to Xylvia, the sound of something crashing into wood caught everyone's attention. The crowd of people, Catherine, Elroy, Xylvia, and I all turned to see where it had come from…and were shocked to see Rosary drenched in blood with a furious look on her face.

"R-Rosary," Xylvia said with a puzzled expression, standing up on her fear. "You shouldn't be out here! Those people could still- Wait, why are you drenched in blood? Wh-Where's Wanda?"

"That wretched prick and his men got the jump on us," Rosary seethed. "He took Wanda and left my paralyzed."

Wanderer's…gone? Wait, is she talking about that self-proclaimed god in the black trench coat?

"Is that your blood?" Xylvia asked.

"Well…n-no," Rosary answered. "I took a couple of them out, but there were three others. I couldn't fight them off. And they incapacitated Wanda before he could react."

After that, Rosary walked right over to us and grabbed both our hands.

"I need your guy's help. Please, help me get him back."

"Do you know where to go?" I asked, taking her hand and picking myself up.

I still had to balance myself on Xylvia, but I felt way less imbalanced now that I had both limbs again.

"I saw them heading East before I blacked out. My guess is that he's taking Wanda to the sea-line."

"Why there?"

"Wait, are you saying-" Xylvia started.

"Yeah," Rosary nodded her head. "Slave trading. Wanderers that are involved in the Slave Ring are like the blessings straight from Gleam's mouth. They're worth enough to set you for life along with your kid's and your kid's kid's lives. If they cross that border with Wanda, we'll never be able to get him back."

"But why here? I thought they got rid of them after the Separation War."

"Do you know about the island in between Myaria and the Infinite Storms?"

Infinite Storms?

"Yeah, but that island was-"

"-abandoned long ago," Rosary finished her sentence. "That's what everyone says, but I know better. That island is the home of the Slave Ring. Thousands of captives get sold mostly on that island, which is being ruled by an outside conquerer."

"How much time has passed since they left?" I asked.

"I think around twenty minutes," Rosary said. "The crowd of people were here while I was still conscious, so it definitely wasn't much longer than that. The country border is where we need to head."

"We should bring some people with us. People who can fight. It can't just be us three. And if they're using the Corrupt for their weapons, then we'll have to approach it carefully to."

"And that's why we can't bring anyone with us," Rosary said. "The more people we bring, the higher risk we set ourselves for the Corrupt to progress in these people."

"What about his leg," Xylvia asked. "It'll still take him a while before he's used to it."

"I mean, it can't be that hard," I sighed as I attempted to stabilize myself. "I haven't gone that long without my leg."

I say that, but it turned out to be a little too hard for me to balance myself. First it was a foreign object, which meant my body probably had a hard time working with it. Second, it was hard to understand just how much pressure I should put into it since I can't feel anything below my upper thigh. And every single time I tried to take steps with it, I'd end up hesitating and relying on my right leg. My brain just refused to trust this piece of metal attached to me.

"Then he can just stay here," Rosary said, a little irked. "I just need your help. You've got fire power and a means to get away, so we can figure out a way to escape once we get Wanda back."

"Wait a sec, it can't just be you two," I quickly said. "You guys should at least take some of the soldiers here with-"

"They won't come."

Rosary said in a stern voice.

"Why not?"

"They may have been saved by Wanderers, but they only see you and Xylvia as the ones that saves them. They want nothing to do with the Wanderers…or with me."

"No, surely their minds have changed at least a LITTLE bit," I persisted. "Come on! There has to be at least some of you who don't resent them anymore!"

Most of the soldiers within the crowd, along with the crowd themselves, turned their faces away with and awkward look. Not a word was spoken for what felt like hours as my worry grew more and more greater.

"No way…" I whimpered. "Do you…really hate the Wanderers THAT badly?"

A man from the crowd with a black, scaly face and tail along with ashy grey hair stepped forward and spoke up. His voice was a little scratchy, as if he had smoked for a good chunk of his life.

"Some of us do resent them still," he said. "However, that's not the main reason why we don't wanna help. You see…we're all afraid of the Corrupt. Even the toughest people here refuse to go beyond the lines. And for those who do, you're either suicidal are monumentally foolish."

"He's right." said another older voice, also stepping forward.

It was Elroy Skulcoff, the man who used to be a general for Gleam's army during war dubbed the "Separation War." He was also the man who attached this artificial leg into me after I had lost mine during a cave collapse.

"I've only ever gotten the opportunity to study on a Corrupt ONCE. I still remember the texture of its skin. The burning sensation from the steam that fumes from the inside of its body. The disfigured, ugly, dangerous corpse; I regret ever bringing it into this city…into my home."

"Is it…really that bad?" I asked.

"A being that's dangerous to kill, but also dangerous to let live. A true weapon of mass destruction…and a possible end to all life in this world."

His old, grey eyes spoke highly of his age and wisdom. I couldn't even begin to imagine the horrors he had to witness in his life.

They looked lonely…and scared of something.

"I appreciate the warning, but I'm still going," Rosary declared, her determination unfazed. "Wanda was the first person to ever look at me without judging eyes. You guys may see Wanderers as demons, but I see them as a misunderstood group of people just looking for a purpose."

She then turned to Xylvia.

"Please. I know you see as a just some pervert, but I really need your help."

"Hey, it's ok," Xylvia reassured her. "I'm with you. Besides, I feel like I should apologize to you."

"For what?"

"I've…treated you poorly for so long when I didn't know how much you were hurting. I won't ask you now, but can we please…talk for once? Just…about life?"

Rosary looked to be a little taken aback by Xyl's apology.

"I…uh…s-sure," she managed to say. "Someday, maybe."

There was an awkward silence between the two. One that I felt I should interrupt.

"I'm coming too," I said. "I'd be pacing…or I guess hopping around in my room all day if you two went without me."

"Hiro…your leg…" Xylvia started to say.

"Don't worry about it. If you guys are going to fight, then I won't get it your way. I just want to be there. Who knows? Maybe me being around will help in some way?"

Both Rosary and Xylvia looked a little conflicted.

1 Section Later

These Manalines worried me since they haven't been in use for Galleries, but they apparently still held up fairly well. Every time we dipped down slightly lower towards the ground it made me think that we were getting close to our destination, only for the carrier to bring us up a little higher again.

"You can take these carriers to the sea line," Elroy had told us. "They havent seated a person in Galleries, but you should be fine. The goods we trade weigh more than you guys I bet."

"I've seen these go by every now and then, but I never knew that'd I'd be in one." Rosary commented, admiring the view. "I must say, this is quite impressive for people who were around way before we were born."

She seemed more impressed with the view than anything else.

Carriers were these large rooms that stretched out for about 20 stretches with several lines of seats from front to back. It had a roof and a window for each seat line that you can look out. All you'd see was the ground several layers high or clouds if it was cloudy.

Rosary then looked over at me after some time had passed.

"You sure that was the right call?" She asked me. "Leaving him back there instead of taking him with us, Xylvia?"

I left my head pointed to the ground as I contemplated her question before looking back up at her…

"Yes, I'm sure." I, Xylvia, said to her. "I don't know what I'd do if he got killed. I admire his determination, but losing him would…I…"

I'd probably wish I were dead too. He reminds me of my mother, the way he pets my head when I have those nightmares again. Being around him…calms me. He's sweet, and someone that I always be around.

"Hmmm~"

I jumped when I saw Rosary peering at me quite intensely, a teasing grin flashing on her face.

"Wh-What's with the face?" I asked, a little startled.

"It looks like Hiro's got a new little sister he's gotta take care of." Rosary giggled.

"L-L…LITTLE?!"

Is she making fun of me again?! And after I apologized to her?!

"I'm not referring to your height," she quickly added. "But the way you act around him seems a little…clingy?"

C-Clingy?

"I-uh…I…"

I had nothing to say against that. Truth be told, I did always want to be around him. Even when he went off to the cleansing rooms after our escape from Zig's pub from hell, I grew anxious when I wasn't around him. And then him telling me what happened down there made me cover the mirror in a bedsheet and tell him not to leave until morning. Even though he did smell like vomit.

"I-I'm just worried is all," I admitted. "He's new here and…he's a nice guy, so I just don't want anything bad happening to him."

"Like a little sister doting on her big brother." Rosary smiled.

"Hey, I'm older! So if anything, it just be like a big sister worrying about her younger brother!"

"You're older than him?"

"Of course I'm…older…than him…?"

"You don't know?"

"Uh…uhh…"

I never asked him how old he was…

"To be honest, you both look about the same age," Rosary said, leaning back in her seat. "That might be why you kids like each other so much. Easier to relate to each other. At least easier than with someone old like me."

"You're not that old Rosary," I chuckled. "You're only like 30 galleries older than me."

"Waaaahhh…I can feel myself turning into ash as we speak…"

She began exaggeratingly waving around as if she were actually shriveling up into ash and being blown away by the wind.

"You're not even 100 galleries yet," I responded to her nonsense while trying to hold in a laugh. "Stop before you make ME feel old."

Rosary eventually stopped and landed back into her seat with a sigh.

"Hey, you mind if I ask you something?" Rosary asked me.

"What?"

"You like Hiro? Like, as a mate right?"

I was a little jumpy when she asked that, but I wasn't too shocked about it. I mean, I guess it would look like that from an outsider's perspective.

As a mate…

"I mean…I'd trust him enough to message my tail," I said. "However, I don't think I really see him that way. He's more of a younger brother to me."

"Really? Wow, I really thought you liked him."

"He's just…not put together that well is all. I mean, he's very nice and I want to always be around him, but he's also too self-degrading. When we first entered the cave, I asked him why he was scared of me."

"He was scared of you?"

"Well, no. He was scared of himself. Scared that he'd screw up when he was around me. That he'd say something dumb or that he'd do something to make me hate him. Just…seeing him crushing his own heart like that made me sad. I helped him talk it out, but…"

"There'll be times where he'll have to just forgive it out himself." Rosary said for me.

"He had all these…feelings bottled up tightly inside. And all of a sudden, they just all started spilling out at once. I mean, people have problems, but…it was just so much all at once."

"Don't you have your own problems though?" Rosary asked.

She got me there.

"From the way I see it, you were reminded of yourself when you saw him like that. It reminded you of the horrible life you lived when you were a baby."

"How did you know…?"

"I've seen those eyes countless times in my life. Past pain. Eyes that flash thousands of bad memories. You can't fool me when it comes to hiding your pain. And something tells me you haven't fooled Hiro either."

I was never trying to fool him. He does know, but he decided not to ask about it. For my sake…

And yet…

"I pushed him to tell me his pain…" I whimpered.

"Because you're scared to admit your own."

"I…just…I…"

He trusted me all this time and yet I never trusted him. I thought he'd be like all the others I let into my life. Chewing me up and spitting my out into the fire.

"Why did you want to go with him?" Rosary asked. "Was it really because you wanted to go on adventures with him?"

'I want to put an end to this Corruption.'

"Was it because you wanted to use him, like how all the others used you in the past?"

…

"No."

I looked up at Rosary's face with confidence and smiled, my eyes growing wet from the doubt that was clouding my head.

…was.

"That isn't why," I exclaimed. That isn't our goal. That's mine! Our goal is to go out and explore the world. I would never force him into something like that! Yes I want to end this Corruption, but not by manipulating people. I'd NEVER stoop down to the levels of those Golem-bred lunatics."

Rosary smiled at me as I was letting my thoughts run wild. She probably asked those questions on purpose, knowing I'd start confessing how I really felt.

Damn, she's clever for a pervert who got her ears fucked.

I couldn't help but smile back at her.

"I've always wanted to go on adventures! Ever since I was a kid! Even when everything in my life was going to shit, I still wanted to explore the world. Can you blame me?! I've been locked up in that town for most of my life because of this stupid, fucking Corruption. Hell, if no one's gonna do shit about it, I might as well step the fuck up! And I sure as hell am not dying! I've still got stuff to do with Hiro!"

"What kind've stuff?" Rosary smirked.

I felt the tips of my ears burning up when she asked me that, but I didn't care.

Adventures! Open up a shop and sell some stuff! Get into trouble! Get drunk! Laugh and eat together! Walk in on each other naked and get embarrassed every once in a while! ALL OF IT!!!"

"Aaaaand~?"

Steam was fuming from my head as I felt the embarrassment boiling up inside me. I was shaking and stammering my words, but I didn't let that stop me from voicing what I wanted.

To hell with it! If she wants to know how I really feel, I say it! Admit it! Shout it right into her face! That lewd, punchable, and extremely cute face of her's!

"I like him! I like him a lot! Maybe not as a mate, but I like him! Seeing him break down and be honest like that just made me wanna hug him so badly! The way he's honest about what he wants to do, the confused looks he makes when he sees something new to him, the way he pets my head when I have nightmares! I love him for that! He makes me feel comfortable, happy, and safe! I feel like I can actually rely on him!"

"And yet you still don't trust him?" Rosary asked me.

"I'm…just…embarrassed. It's…embarrassing…"

I could feel the dark shade of red on my face from how hard I was blushing right now.

"You don't think Hiro was embarrassed when he was honest with you?"

"I know… I'm just being stupid is all…"

"I wouldn't say you're being stupid," Rosary said as she got up from her seat and walked over to me. "You're just a little slower than he is. That's nothing to be ashamed of. I mean, it good to talk about your problems, but at your own pace. Don't try to force yourself."

"But…I forced Hiro to…"

"And does he hate you for that?"

"…no."

I looked down at the floor, embarrassed yet again. Why do I always act like a child when it comes to these kinds of things.

"I'm not saying what you did was fine, but if he's not hung up about it then you should try to get over it as well." Rosary said as she knelt down next to me and rubbed my right shoulder. "But, if forcing it out will make you feel better about it, then I won't say anything else."

When that flushed feeling I had finally faded a little, I lifted my head back up and hugged her tightly.

"Thank you…" I whispered.

"Hmm, come on. I didn't really do much." She said.

"But you did enough."

I couldn't see her face, but something tells me that she was smiling very deeply. Maybe even crying a little. Her hands slowly came resting onto my back after her arms had wrapped around me.

She reminded me of mom. Just…a little more perverted.

Suddenly, the carrier tilted forward. Rosary quickly grabbed hold of the back of the seats as we saw the ground below us creep closer and closer, Along with a group of about four or five people with a bag large enough to fit a person inside.

A tense look with bloodthirsty anger had been written on Rosary's face as she stared intensely at the group.

"Is that them?" I asked her.

"Yeah," she said in a cold-blooded voice. "That's them…"

Back in the City of Color…

"They left me in the city," I said. "What should I do?"

"Don't worry," he said. "I figured this would happen, so Elroy and I came up with a plan."

"Elroy?"

"Yep. He's got another one of those Carrier thing ready for you. You should be only a few minu-…er…what were they called again? Whatever! You shouldn't be too far away from them."

"You sure this will work? What if your power doesn't work this time?"

"Don't worry. It'll work. I've had just enough time to practice."