Chapter twenty-three: Kala, Kind Yet Sad

It was the following day and things were relatively quiet in the Healing hut at the deamon explorer village.

Pidge was lying on the bed with Kiaion still curled up at her side, mewling and twitching in pain.

Just as Sahra had said the herbal remedy she had made for Kiaion only dulled his pains, but not enough to the point where he was cured of his poisoning.

At the very least, he could survive for a few more days...but there was really no telling.

All Pidge and Hunk could do was gently stroke his fur in an effort to comfort him.

"Kiaion…are you in pain?" Pidge said.

"Haggar's toxins are still inside his system". Hunk said.

Kiaion only gave a small, weak mewl in response.

"It'll be okay, Kirara..." Hunk whispered. "I promise."

Outside, Shiro, Keith, Lance, and Stats were all conversing with each other about Kiaion's condition when Romelle finally contacted them earlier that morning after Keith call her to fetch information about where to get some medicine that could cure their feline friend. Thankfully, she returned with good news.

"What?!" Shiro asked in surprise as Romelle conveyed her findings to them. "Medicinal herbs that heal even the most fatal poisons?!"

"That's right," Romelle replied from the The communicator.

"And Kiaion will recover if he takes it?" asked Shiro, hopefully.

"Indeed, they will," Romelle answered. "However, the field is quite a long way from here...and that's not all."

"Oh, of course, it wouldn't be that easy..." Keith muttered. "All right, Romelle, spill it. What's the catch?"

"Well, Keith," Romelle began, "The field is guarded by a fierce Galra. It's not as easy as walking up and picking them."

"A Galra?" Lance asked.

"Well, Galra or no Galra," Shiro began, "we have to help Kiaion! He's counting on us!"

"Then we'll leave right now," Keith began, "that way, we can get there by morning, get the herbs, and then come back."

"For once, I agree," Shiro said. "The sooner, the better."

With that said, Shiro and Keith soon gathered up the former's backpack and leave the village to get the herbs, leaving Lance and Hunk to look after Pidge and Kiaion while they left.

"I see… Shiro and Keith went to get herbal medicine for Kiaion." asked Pidge

"Yes," Lance answered as he sat by her side. "They're going to find some herbs that will help cure Kiaion, even though these herbs are said to be guarded by a Galra. I am staying here to look after you until your wounds has healed."

"...Somehow, I don't feel very safe," Pidge said as she hid beneath the covers.

"She got a point! Lance!" Hunk said.

"Why don't you trust me!" Lance asked.

"Well, you sometimes act like a creep!" Hunk said as he sat nearby. "That's why Shiro told me to watch so you won't do anything funny."

"Stats!" Stats said.

"Thank you, Hunk, Oh you too, Stats" Pidge said, gratefully while Lance sighed in indignation.

The one time he's actually being sincere, and yet, everyone still doubts him so.

Out on the open road, Shiro and Keith were walking beside each other as they headed to this field that Romelle spoke of. As they did, Shiro couldn't help but smile at the warmth that rose up in his chest.

"I think it's faster if I went alone." Keith said, softly.

Chief Herschel and Sahra taught me how to pick the correct herbs. I may hold you back a bit, but that's okay, isn't it, if I came to see this herb garden." Shiro said.

"Oh well then…I'm counting on ya." Keith said.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" he asked.

"Since what?" Keith asked.

"You know," Shiro began, "since we've been alone like this. It used to be just the two of us just starting out, remember?"

"...Huh," Keith muttered. "I guess it has been a while, huh?"

Shiro tried not to show it, but he seemed a bit disappointed at how unenthusiastic Keith sounded.

"You'd just a little excited about it," he said, Deadpanned

"Huh?" Keith said.

Meanwhile, somewhere in a deep, dark forest...a young women was seen, running as fast as she could, carrying a bundle of herbs on her back. Her heart pounded and her lungs felt tight as she kept running, her body exhausted, but her instincts were pushing to keep going until she couldn't anymore. As she ran, she momentarily glanced back, only to gasp as she saw a pair of glowing red eyes behind her.

At that moment...she tripped on a tree root and fell to the ground, just as an enormous shadow came towering over her.

"You..." a deep voice growled.

"No!" the woman cried. "No, please! I beg of you!!"

The creature lunged...and all that could be heard was the sound of the young woman's dying shrieks as her flesh was ripped apart.

"I said I was sorry, Shiro..."

"Will you pipe down! I said I'm not angry!"

Keith sighed as he walked alongside Shiro, "Don't tell me you're still sore at me," he said.

"Look, I'm not mad, ok? I'm not, really". Shiro said.

"You sure seem mad to me..." Keith muttered. "As you like spending time with me, right!"

"Excuse me?" Shiro asked, causing Keith to grin at him.

"Oh, nothing, nothing," he said as he walked by...and Shiro snorted for a moment before an amused smirk as he walked after him.

"I think he's actually starting to have fun," thought Shiro as he glanced back. "It's been a while since I've seen him joke like that."

Suddenly, Keith tensed and he froze in place, causing Shiro to stop as he noticed his sudden change in mood.

"What is it?" Shiro asked .

"...I sense someone passed," Keith said.

"What?!" Shiro questioned. "From where?!"

"Somewhere up ahead," Keith answered as he walked forward. "Stay close, Shiro."

Shiro nodded before he quietly followed after Keith, concern welling up in his very core. It wasn't very long before they soon stumbled upon a human village...where they saw a group of villagers, mostly old and middle-aged men and women, covering the same young woman from before with a reed mat.

"This is the third one," said one of the men. "All of her guts, completely torn out...!"

"Is this really the work of that Cursed Kala?" asked an older woman.

"It has to be!" shouted another. "If we don't do something, she'll kill and kill us all!!"

"But how?" asked a younger man with a scruffy beard. "We're not a match against that monster, even if we all banded together!"

"Uh...excuse us?"

The villagers turned to see Shiro and Keith approaching.

"Is there something the matter?" asked Shiro, only for the villagers to gasp as they quickly grabbed her and pulled her away from Keith, who gasped. "AH! Hey!!"

"Run, Dear boy!!" shouted one of the men. "We'll hold that beast off!!!"

"Stay back, boy daemon!!" shouted another as he pointed a spear at Keith, who growled as he attempted to advance, but Shiro quickly pulled himself away from the panicked villagers and stepped in front of him, arms held out defensively.

"No, wait!" he cried. "Please, Keith is my friend! Don't hurt him!"

"Eh?" the men muttered.

"So you tamed this beast, young man?" asked one of the elders.

"He did NOT tame me!" Keith barked.

"Keith, let me handle this," Shiro urged. "Please."

Knowing that he couldn't argue against his saying "please", the half-daemon wisely backed down.

"We're sorry to intrude like this," Shiro said, "but...do you happen to know where we can find some herbs that could be used for an antidote?"

"You mean the herbs that grow on Kala's farm?" asked one of the men.

"Uh...I suppose". Shiro said.

"This Kala or whatever it's called," Keith said. "Is it a wild daemon or something?"

"Where can we find the herbs?" asked Shiro.

The village men and women, all clamored at once before they turned to the duo.

"Kala lives on the outskirts of the village with her father," said one of them. "She guards a vast field of the most potent herbs, said to cure even the strongest poisons! In the past, we'd ask for those herbs...but lately, it seems that Kala has taken a liking for human flesh."

Shiro gasped silently while Keith narrowed his eyes.

"Take us to this field," he said. "I'll deal with this wild daemon, myself."

Soon, the villagers led Shiro and Keith to a huge field of herbs. Nearby there was a little wooden hut, but it looked like it was barely staying together...but that wasn't the only thing, out in the field was a huge, lumbering creature. She was at least twice the size of the average women, muscular and covered in scars. She has purple patches over her body and two bulging yellow cat eyes, plus she also had claws on her fingers.

"Is that her?" Shiro asked as he, Keith, and the villagers hid behind some bushes. "Yikes...!"

Keith snorted. "She's just big, that's all."

"So, will you fight him off for us, boy daemon?" asked one of the villagers.

"His name is Keith," Shiro corrected as he glared at the villagers.

"Forget it, Shiro," Keith said. "Either way, we gotta get those herbs, right?" He then walked out toward the field. "This shouldn't take long. Just stay here and wait for me."

"Be careful," Shiro said.

"Is that boy strong?" whispered one of the men.

"Who cares?" whispered the other. "If one of them kills the other, that's one less wild daemon in the world."

Shiro could only glare at the villagers before he sighed and shook his head as he know that these people had deamons...and when he saw Keith's twitching out of the corner of his eye, he knew that he must have heard them, too.

"Even now...there are still people that don't tolerate daemons..." thought Shiro. "I guess it can't be helped, though."

At that moment, Keith drew his dagger, the glint of the weapon gaining Kala's attention.

"Huh...?" Kala muttered.

"So, you're this man-eating wild daemon that everyone's so scared of, huh?" Keith asked. "Well, that ends today! I'm gonna stab your stomach right now!!"

"Huh?!" Kala questioned...suddenly looking rather nervous. At that moment, Keith's nose twitched, causing him to gasp quietly.

"Hmm? She doesn't smell of human blood." Keith thought.

Suddenly, Kala grunted as she was pelted with stones, causing Keith to turn and see the villagers throwing rocks at him and holding spears and pitchforks.

"No, wait! Stop!" Shiro cried. "You'll hit Keith, too!!"

"Hey Kala!" one of the men shouted. "Your days are numbered, you monster!!"

"What are you men waiting for?!" questioned one of the elders. "Kill her!!!"

Keith and Shiro gasped while Kala's eyes suddenly flashed red. What sounded like a deep growl began to thunder from within her, causing Keith to hold up his dagger...but then...

"BWAAAAAAAAAAHH~!!!!" Kala...started wailing with tears pouring out of her eyes.

"What in the hell...?" Keith asked in disbelief.

"PA~!!!" Kala cried as she turned and ran away.

"H-hey! Wait! Come back!!" Keith called as he ran after him. "Hold it, I just wanna talk!!"

"PA!! HELP!!!" Kala cried.

At that moment, a shadowy figure suddenly came rushing out of the old hut: a middle age black man...hefting a wooden log over his shoulder like it was nothing!

"WHY YOU!!!" he yelled.

"A mountain man?!" thought Keith in shock as he stopped in his tracks.

"You tryin' to steal our herbs, again, you rotten thieves?!" the mountain man, Kala's father, yelled as he whacked Keith on the head with the log...but the lumber only ended up snapping in half as it met his skull.

"Uh...ow," Keith muttered.

"It's Trivette! He's gonna kill the boy!!" shouted one of the men. "RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!"

With that, they all turned and ran away.

"I don't believe them!" Shiro exclaimed before he went to Keith. "Keith, are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"Pfft!" Keith razzed. "Please...I didn't even feel that."

"Listen here!" Trivette barked. "I don't know what those villagers told ya, but Kala would never hurt a fly, let alone to attack innocent people!! The only reason they're so quick to judge him is because she's a half-Galra!!!"

"Half-Galra?!" Keith and Shiro questioned before they looked to Kala, who cowered behind her father.

After a while, Shiro and Keith were sitting inside Kala and her father's hut, the former carefully grinding up some herbs into a paste using a tiny rock and a plate. her father, Trivette sat nearby, stoking a fire in the firepit. It was during this time that Keith and Shiro had explained themselves and what their purpose was being here, and they apologized for the misunderstanding.

"So that's all it is, eh?" asked Trivette.

"Yes, Sir," Shiro nodded.

"...Keith, wasn't it?" asked Trivette as she glanced at the half-daemon that sat by Shiro's side. "You're a half-daemon, though you don't much look it."

"So you can tell, huh?" Keith inquired.

"Half-breeds are funny, that way," said Trivette "For some that's born pretty like you, there's another born what ain't."

"Yeah, Keith's pretty cute, all right," Shiro mused as he reached over and touched his shoulder, causing his cheeks to turn red a bit, which caused him to giggle.

"Hmph...you're a lucky feller, then," said Trivette as he glanced up at his daughter. "Just imagine what it's like for her. Being a half-daemon, Especially being part Galra, it shouldn't matter...but those villagers, they treat her like some kind of brute or a monster or somethin'!"

"You mean...they bully her?" asked Shiro.

"Pah!" Trivette scoffed. "Bullying is putting it mildly. Tryin' to kill her is more like it!"

"I'm sorry, Pa," Kala said, hanging his head, shamefully. "If only I wasn't born like this, I..."

"You stop right now, Kala!" his father scolded. "Don't you apologize for being different!" He then closed his eyes as a warm smile appeared on his face. "Now your mother, she was different...but that never made no no-mind to me."

A young man lied on the foothills of a mountain, alone with a basket of herbs strapped to his back.

His left ankle was a bit swollen and bruised, possibly due to the fact that he tripped on some rocks on the way down.

He grunted as she attempted to stand, only to fall down, once again. She sighed in resignation, thinking that all hope of his getting back home was lost...when suddenly, this light flashed before his very eyes. He gasped as he looked up...and there she was: a woman wearing the Armor of a common Galra soldier, and yet they looked as clean and as new as they could be. She held a gun in her left hand and a backpack on her back.

However, her most noticeable features were her cat golden eyes and her long mane of lavender hair with silver tints.

The soldier approached the man, who gasped as he shielded his eyes...and yet, she gently kneeled beside him and took his ankle into her hands, being as tender as she could possibly be. As he looked at her, she smiled at him, warmly...and soon, feeling safe and confident, he smiled back, a light blush tinting his cheeks.

"Such memories I have…I sprained my ankle in the mountain and couldn't walk. It was your father who saved me. She was in the form of a Beautiful women, but I knew immediately that she was a Galra. And we fell passionately in love."

Trivette sighed wistfully as he placed a hand to his blushing cheeks while Keith and Shiro both glanced at each other, somewhat disturbed.

"Wait, hold up," Keith said. "So...if you're saying that Kala's mother was the Galra...then you're the human parent?!"

"What'd ya think I was?!" Trivette asked.

"I thought he was a mountain man!" thought Shiro when all of a sudden, Kala held out a tiny pouch to him.

"Here you are," she said. "It's for your friend. It's an antidote for the poison in him."

"Oh, thank you!" Shiro said as he took the pouch. "Uh...how much do we owe you?"

"Ah, nothin'," Trivette answered. "It's the least I can do for the clubbin' I gave, earlier. Now leave before I grind your bones and make the bread."

With that, Keith and Shiro soon left the farm while Kala and her father went back to tending to the herbs. As they left, however, Shiro glanced back at the farm where they saw the large half-daemon Galra and her father toil, then looked to Keith, who was already walking away.

"Keith?" he asked as he walked behind him. "Don't you think we should stay here?"

"Why?" Keith asked. "We got what we came here for."

"The villagers believe that Kala eats people. Kala is big in size but she seems very gentle."

Keith didn't speak...but Shiro could tell by how he tensed up that it still bothered him a bit.

"I mean...yeah, Kala is different," Shiro said, "but that doesn't mean that she's guilty!"

"...But that's what it's like when you're different," Keith said. "No one trusts you, you're always the first to be blamed, and it is always, ALWAYS your fault!!"

With that, he walked on ahead of Shiro, who stared sadly as he followed him.

"...Sometimes...it's easy for me to forget how much Keith's been through before he and I met. Seeing Kala must have brought up some really bad memories."

Concurrently, in the village, the village folk were gathering up rifles, spears, swords, and anything else of the like that they could find.

"Gather every weapon in the village!" shouted one of the elders.

"This is plenty!" said one of them. "Even she can't take all these!!"

"Tonight has to be the night!" said one of the men, shakily gripping a rifle. "It's kill...or be killed!"

"But it's not!!"

The villagers turned to see Keith and Shiro approaching, the latter having a worried expression as he ran up to them.

"What? It's you!" asked one of the village women.

"You people aren't planning on going after Kala, are you?" asked Shiro.

"What do you think?" asked one of the other men. "Of course, we are!!"

"But you don't have any proof that she-" Shiro started.

"Foolish boy!" barked one of the elders. "You can't be that naïve!!"

"They hate us! The mountain man and his monster daughter!!" yelled another.

"Oh, really?" Keith asked as he stepped forward. "Because the way I see it, it's the other way around."

"Huh?" the villagers muttered.

"But right now, we have more important problems," Keith began, "like finding the real daemon or Galra that's behind all this!"

"What do you mean, ′ real Galra '?!" asked another villager, skeptically. "You planning on catching it?!"

"Keith, I'm going back to the farm." Shiro asked. "Someone's gotta stay there and protect her."

"...Do what you want," Keith said, "but if you get into trouble, call me no matter what, got that?"

"I will," Shiro nodded, and with that, Keith turned and bounded off, disappearing into the forest.

"You sure you can trust that boy?" asked one of the villagers. "He's a half-daemon, too, ain't he?"

"...Half-daemon or not, to me it doesn't matter," Shiro said before he turned and glared at the villagers. "I trust Keith more than anyone else!"

In the forest, Keith sprinted as fast he could, following the energy of the daemon that killed the young woman. It was somewhere nearby, he could tell. However, as he leaped up into a tree and landed on the branch...his mind started wandering to days he wished he could forget.

As he glanced down at his right hand...he could see the tiny scars that marred his skin. All over his body, he could feel it: the phantom pains from when he first received those scars. In his mind, he could hear angry voices yelling and growling. He saw himself as a child, staring up at shadowy figures that held clubs and sticks. They raised their weapons...and all that could be heard were screams of agony.

"Ugh...Come on!" Keith cursed as he shook his head. "Come on, Keith, concentrate! You don't need to think about that stuff, now! as right now, the murdered woman had the energy of a Galra on her. I can sense it…it's nearby!"

With that, he bounded off, once again to continue his hunt.

Meanwhile, Shiro returned to Kala and her father's farm where he soon conveyed to them why he had come back and what the villagers had planned.

"The villagers did that?" asked Trivette as he pulled some weeds out of the dirt.

"Yeah," Shiro answered, "which is why I said I was going to stay here with you guys until Keith finds the real daemon behind the killings. You don't mind, do you?"

"Eh...have it your way," Trivette shrugged as he continued to pull the weeds.

Soon, Shiro went over to Kala, who was also pulling weeds out of the ground. However...She looked rather tentative as the young man came and stood by him.

"Hey, Kala," Shiro greeted. "Mind if I help?"

"...Uh...you can if you want," Kala replied.

"Just pull the weeds, right?" asked Shiro.

"Mm-hmm..." Kala nodded, and soon, Shiro crouched down and began to pull the pesky plants away from the herbs. As he did, he noticed that Kala suddenly scooted away from her, not too far but enough for him to see her out of his peripherals.

"Is everything okay?" asked Shiro.

"Umm...yes," Kala nodded, shyly. It was then that Shiro took a moment to look at all the scars on his body. Unlike Keith's, which were small and hard to see unless he was in some sort of lighting, these were larger and much more noticeable.

"So many scars…The villagers must have inflicted them." Shiro thought.

"Uh...Kala?" asked Shiro. "Haven't you thought about leaving this village? You know, going somewhere where no one will bother you or your dad?"

"Not really," Kala answered. "This place is best."

"Huh?" Shiro muttered.

"...My Ma left me this farm," Kala said.

"Oh, I see," Shiro smiled. "Well...I guess as long as you're happy here, it's no skin off my back."

Kala swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat, her heart pounding loudly in her ears.

"I-I'm speaking to here…For the first time in my life, I spoke to a boy!" Kala thought. "And he didn't scream at me."

"YAAAAAAAAAH!!!"

"AAH!!" Kala yelped as she heard Shiro shriek before she looked down...only to see that he was shuddering at the sight of a tiny earthworm on one of the herb plants.

"It's a woooooorm...!" He whimpered, prompting Kala to gently pick the worm up and put it down into the dirt. "Thank you!" He then sighed in relief while Trivette looked on, perplexed.

"He's scared of worms, but not afraid of Kala?" he thought. "What a strange man...but then, he is friends with that Keith feller..."

Later that day, as the sun began to set in the west, Shiro was still out with Kala, who was feeding some leftover seeds to a flock of birds, one of which perched onto Shiro's finger, to his amazement.

"Look, Kala!" he said. "Isn't it cute?"

"Mm-hmm..." Kala nodded, just as some other birds came and perched themselves on his shoulders.

"Is this what it's like...to be happy?" She thought as the feeling never came to her, until now.

It was around nightfall and Keith was still in the forest, searching for the true culprit behind the attacks at the village. For almost 3 hours, he tracked the energy of daemon and human through the woods until he stopped at a particular spot. He crouched down on all fours and sniffed the soil beneath the dead leaves, then gasped as he realized that the scent was at its strongest here.

"It's around here. I'm sure of it." he thought as he began to brush the leaves aside. He placed his hands over the soil, which felt a bit softer compared to the rest of the forest floor.

"It's fresh..." he whispered. "Like it was just buried-"

Suddenly, the ground gave out beneath his feet and crumbled, causing him to scream as he tumbled down into a dark tunnel.

"Ugh..." Keith groaned as he managed to shake off the disorientation. "Damn, that hurt..." He then looked around. "Where am I? What is this place?���

Deciding he wouldn't get any answers just sitting around, he soon stood up and carefully made his way down the tunnel, he notice a light at the end of tunnel as he walked further, he discovered that what look like shadows, As he looked ahead, he gasped silently as he saw that there were at least 40 or more of them and were Galra all of the next to a table field with plans to the land. and that wasn't all. In a corner of the chamber, there was a massive Galra, Dressed in a purple and orange armor that separates them from the others. As Keith drew closer, he came to one conclusion.

"These are men, Galra men..." he noted. "And it looked like something just hatched a plan, too! This is definitely their base of operations..." He then gasped as he realized something else. "Oh, no...now that they've plan, the leader probably setting out their agendas as we speak!" He then turned and ran out as fast as he could. "That means Shiro's in danger...and I gotta get back to him, and fast!!"

Concurrently, at Kala's hut...while Trivette and Shiro lied sleeping, Kala stared at the small fire in the firepit. As she did, she then glanced over at Shiro, who had a peaceful smile on his face as he slept...and seeing him made her heart seem to skip a beat or two.

"This feeling...I can't explain it," she thought. "When I'm around him...suddenly, I feel so warm...like all my troubles are gone."

Suddenly, a rock came crashing through the window, causing Kala to gasp and alerting Shiro and Trivette, who both sat up as they heard the angry clamorings of the villagers coming from outside.

"Come on out, Kala! We know you're the one who killed our people!"

"Get out here, you damn Galra, so we can kill you!!"

Kala whimpered as she hugged herself and screwed her eyes shut while Shiro and Trivette both got up, the latter grabbing his gardening hoe.

"Pa...!" Kala whimpered.

"Don't you worry, Kala," said his father. "I'll drive 'em off. You just wait right here."

Soon, he exited the hut, only to be pelted with rocks and sticks as the villagers continued to yell at him.

"You ingrate!" shouted one of them.

"And we let you live near us, too!!" yelled another as he threw another rock at the man, who grunted as it hit his square in the forehead, which soon spilled a bit of blood.

"Hey!" Shiro shouted as she came out and stood before Trivette. "Knock it off, all of you! Don't you have any shame at all?! Attacking an innocent man!"

"Bah!" scoffed one of the villagers. "You foolish boy! Why are you defending them?!"

"Because they didn't do anything!!" Shiro shouted. "You'd know that if you all weren't so quick to judge!!"

"You hear that?!" asked one of the villagers. "He's just as bad as they are!!"

"Anyone who loves half-Galra as much as he does must be one!!" shouted another. "I bet he's guilty, too!!!"

"What?!" Shiro questioned. "No, wait! I'm not-"

"Forget it, Shiro!" Trivette said. "They are to mindless to see that Kala would never harm them, and besides a lot of people have been affected by the war!" He then gasped when the villagers began to throw torches at the hut, setting the roof ablaze!

"Oh, no! Kala's still inside!!" Shiro said.

"Kala!!" cried her father while inside, the hulking half-daemon cowered in the corner, even as embers began falling from the ceiling.

"Let the monster burn!!" shouted one of the villagers.

"Serves you right, you man-eaters!!" yelled another one.

"That does it!!" Trivette yelled before he charged at the mob with her hoe. "Now you've gone too far!!!"

Just as he was about to attack, however...something else attacked first. A scream of terror and pain suddenly rent through the air, causing the mob of villagers to turn around, only to gasp upon seeing a huge, Galra with the same armor...and it was surrounded by his own men with guns and they about to pair to fire.

"AH!! A GALRA!!!" screamed one of the villagers, just as one of the Galra started firing at one of the men.

"The Galra are firing on him!!" cried one of the villagers in horror. "Next, they'll go to us!!"

"You see that?!" questioned Trivette. "There's your real Galra, right there!!"

Once the Galra soldiers had firing on the man, they soon turned to their leader, which gave a commanding cry. "Go...Kill them all!! and then we finally have this garden under our control!"

Obeying their commander, the Galra soldiers soon chased after the villagers, as well as Shiro, who was trying to get Trivette back to the burning hut.

"I've gotta do something," he whispered. "And quick!"

Back inside the hut, Kala whimpered, still too frightened by the fire and the noises outside to flee. However, she soon heard footsteps rushing inside, prompting her to turn around and see Shiro, who grabbed his sword before he turned to the half-deamon Galra!

"Kala, come quick!" he urged. "Your dad needs your help!"

"Huh? Pa?" Kala asked, worriedly, before her soon followed Shiro out, where she saw her father, gasping in horror as the Galra commander drew closer. Shiro raised his sword at the man, hoping to drive to at least drive it off and buy the villagers, plus Kala and her father some time.

"Get back!!" Shiro shouted as he slice against the galra commander, which managed to hit him on the side, causing him to shriek in pain as a bit of flesh was blown off. "I got it!!"

"Curse you, boy!!" the galra commander roared as he swiped his arm at Shiro, knocking him to the ground, out cold.

"Ah!" Kala gasped in horror.

"Oh, no! Shiro!!" Trivette shouted.

"I'll Kill you, next!!" the Galra commander declared as he bring out his gun, attempting to Kill Shiro...but then, all of a sudden, Kala's eyes flashed red as she felt something inside him snap.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" She roared as she suddenly charged at the Galra and punched right through his head! "I WON'T LET YOU KILL HIM, MONSTER!!!"

"Rrrgh...damn half-demon...!!" the Galra commander gurgled before he wrapped his arm around Kala's throat, causing her to gag as she felt it beginning to choke her. It was at that moment that Shiro woke up, only to gasp in horror as he saw Kala towering over him while holding the Galra back.

"Kala!!" he and Trivette cried.

"Hurry...get away!!" Kala shouted. "Aside from Pa...you were the only one...who ever treated me as if I were a real person! If I let you die here, I wouldn't even deserve to be half-human!!"

Meanwhile, the villagers were trying to fight off the Galra soldiers, but due to being outnumbered and their weapons being useless against their strong armor, they had no choice but to flee. Just as they were about to be devoured, however...

"Magical Deamon art! Iron Reaver!"

Streaks of daemon light suddenly flashed in the night air, revealing that it was none other than Keith, who rent the Galra soldiers's Weapons to shreds in mere seconds.

"Shiro!!" he called. "Where are you?!"

"Keith!!" Shiro called. "Please help Kala!!!"

Keith gasped as he saw Kala grappling with the Galra commander, even while the monster still tried to choke him to death.

"Just hang on!" Keith called. "I'll be there in a-"

"No!!" Trivette shouted. "Don't you do it!!!"

"What?!" Keith questioned.

"You mustn't help him!" cried Trivette. "Kala has to learn to fight for herself!!"

"What?! Now?!" Shiro asked in shock while Kala started to gag for breath.

"He's right," thought Keith. "It's now or never!"

It was then that he spotted the villagers out of the corner of his eye, all of them attempting to walk away while the Galra was distracted...but then, Keith leaped in front of them, stopping them in their tracks.

"Leaving so soon?" he asked while he popped his knuckles. "And the fun's only just starting...so, who are the cowards, now, huh?"

"We are, okay?!" answered one of the frightened villagers before they kneeled in front of him. "Please...you gotta help us! We're beggin' ya!!"

"Oh...I get it," Keith smirked. "You grovel before the strong. Better say sorry to him, too!" He then turned to Kala. "Kala! Show these cowards and teach 'em who's boss!!"

Kala growled as she glared at the Galra, who growled as he punch her in the face...but then, with a roar, he suddenly pulled the Galra's arm clean off and pulled him into a crushing bear hug. her body then began to glow a blue light and her eyes flashed red and fiery. All of a sudden, the Galra commander exploded into bits and chunks of flesh, leaving only its head alive!

"DIE~!!!" Kala yelled as she punched the Galra commander's head, completely obliterating it. Nearby, the villagers, his father, and Shiro all gaped in awe...and perhaps a bit of fear from the villagers, mostly.

"I...Commander!" one of the galra soldiers said, Rambling in fear, "Retreat!"

And soon, the galra soldiers left in fear of Kala.

"Incredible...!" Shiro whispered in disbelief.

At that moment, Kala turned to the villagers, who all gasped in horror as he began lumbering toward them.

"Well," Keith began with his arms crossed, "better they learn late than never."

"What are you talking about, Keith?" asked Shiro. "You make it sound like you want Kala to hurt them!"

"Well, what choice does he have?" asked Keith. "If she doesn't do it, they'll never respect her!"

"But she's not a monster!" Shiro argued. "Isn't that what we just tried to prove?!"

"...Maybe, but in order for people to respect you, You have to be tough or remain who you are!" Keith muttered with his eyes cast at the ground, causing Shiro to gasp silently.

Keith...did you...?′ he thought.

As for Kala, who stood in front of the villagers, who all whimpered as they bowed their heads before her.

"Please...we're sorry...!" said one of them. "Please, don't hurt us! We'll never bother you again!"

Just then, Kala lowered her hand...revealing several bundles of herbs, to the villagers' surprise.

"Here," Kala said. "Lots of you are hurt. This will help you feel better."

"Uh...th...thank you," said one of the village women as she took the herbs.

"Oh, come on, are you kidding me?" Keith asked.

"Stop it, Keith," Shiro chided as he nudged him in the side. "That's enough. Truthfully, I'm glad she decided to help them."

"But...they...she...!" Keith stammered, only to sigh. "fine..."

"Hi ya, Pa..." Kala said as she gently put her finger to her father's forehead. "You're not too hurt, are you?"

"Kala..." her father whispered, a proud smile on his face.

"I know..." Trivette nodded.

"...So gentle...just like your mother" thought Trivette. "If that's how things are...that's how they'll be."

The following morning, Keith and Shiro had decided it was time for them to head back to the daemon explorers village. Now that the Galra commander and his men had been defeated and they had gotten the herbs they needed for Kiaion, there was no point in staying.

"Will you really be all right?" Shiro said as he looked to the hut that had been burned to a pile of cinders.

"We'll be fine," Trivette reassured. "Now you best skedaddle and get that medicine to your friend."

"Thank you," Shiro said before he looked up to Kala, who had gotten her arm bandaged. "Especially you, Kala...for everything."

"...You, too...Shiro," Kala said, her face turning a light pink.

"Hey, Shiro!"

Shiro turned to see Keith standing on the hill, waiting for him.

"Come on!" he called. "We better hurry up if we wanna make it back in time to help Kiaion!"

"Right!" Shiro replied before he turned to Kala and her father. "Goodbye, Kala...and you, too, sir."

"Be seein' you," Trivette answered as Shiro and Keith soon disappeared behind the horizon.

"...I'll never forget that boy," Kala said.

"Hmm..." Trivette smiled. "Seems you've taken a fancy to her, eh, Kala?"

"Err...well..." Kala muttered while scratching her head.

"Haha!" Trivette laughed while patting her arm in a reassuring. "Just joshin' ya!" Just then, he gasped as he noticed the villagers, all of them wearing bandages and holding garden hoes, pitchforks, and lumber...but they didn't seem to have any malicious intentions.

"And what do you all want?" asked Trivette

"Err...well...we know it might not mean much," said one of the village men, "but...we're very sorry for how we acted...and we were thinking that in order to make up for what we did, we should help you rebuild your house."

"If you'll let us, that is," added another. "We know it might take time for you to forgive us and we don't blame ya at all...but we just thought that maybe this was a good start."

Kala and Trivette blinked in surprise before they glanced at each other...then the former nodded her head, causing the latter to nod back before he looked to the villagers.

"As you wish." he said. "Let's get started, this work's not gonna do itself,"

Soon, the villagers began to make the repairs necessary to the farm and were even taught which herbs were best for certain ailments. As they worked, Kala noticed several small children nearby, one of them being a little boy, who smiled warmly as he walked up to her and held up a tiny little flower. Kala blinked at him before she smiled and gently accepted the gift...her heart swelling with relief and joy.

Not far from the village, Shiro and Keith walked along the path, with the latter been seemed unusually quiet. It seemed a bit awkward, not saying anything for a while...so Shiro decided that she would be the one to speak.

"Umm...Keith?" he asked.

"What?" Keith asked back.

"I was wondering...did that ever happen to you?"

"Did what ever happen to me?"

"You know...bullying...were you picked on?"

Keith snorted as he folded his arms. "Hah! Stupid! No way I'd have taken it lying down!"

"No! Of course, you don't!" Shiro replied.

"I'm guessing that he was bullied, then..."

"...I'm not one...or the other..."

"Huh?" Shiro muttered as she looked to Keith, who had this...somewhat melancholy look on his face as he stared up at the sky.

"I'm not a demon…nor am I human. I don't belong to either. So…I always believed that I had to create my place in life through power". he spoke

"...Keith..." Shiro whispered.

"That's how I lived and then I realized, I was alone. That was the only way I knew how to live" .He then cast his eyes to the ground and sighed quietly. "I was...alone."

Shiro's eyes went wide. It was rare when Keith ever talked about his past like this. Sure, he'd allude to it at times, but he never actually said what his life might have been like long before he met him.

He had really come to trust him so much after all this time...and he probably wasn't even aware of what he had just told him.

"...Keith?" asked Shiro, causing him to look at her. "I'm...happy to hear it."

"Happy?" Keith repeated with a somewhat skeptical look. "Happy, how?"

"Well...you rarely open up and talk to me about your past and all," said Shiro. "I'm glad you have. I always wondered what your life was like, you know? I'm just glad you're able to let down your guard and talk to me about things like this, that's all."

"And that makes you happy?" Keith repeated.

"Yeah!" Shiro answered. "So don't worry about showing me your soft side every now and then, okay?"

Keith scoffed. "You make it sound like I'm some lonely pet that needs company!"

"Well, what's wrong with that?" asked Shiro. "It's nice knowing that you're not alone anymore, right?"

Keith's eyes widened while Shiro soon walked on ahead of him, smiling cheerily.

"...he's right," he thought. "I'm not alone anymore...somehow, and without my ever noticing it...it just felt so natural...having Shiro near."