Human

"It's a monster!" An agent cried, holding her hands in a feeble attempt to shield herself, right before Aisha tore through the woman's neck, bathing herself in a shower of blood.

.

Aisha was bombarded with a barrage of spells, fireballs, rocks, and electricity arcing off her back, but they seemed to have no effect on the feral fey, only seeming to annoy her.

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"Magic resistanc-AUGH!" A agent cried out, before Aisha let loose a spray of her unstable, purple magic through her mouth, a wide cone of necromantic energy that vaporized some of the agents.

"It really is a monster!"

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The rest of the fighting in the room seemed to pause, as both sides looked in awe at the feral, monster-like creature that was Aisha, tearing apart black-clad mages in a rampage. Another agent fell when Aisha pierced her hand through his midsection, the man's visor falling off as he fell to the floor, face frozen in an expression of shock.

.

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The room went silent, the fighting around them coming to a standstill, as people watched as Aisha massacred the agents in front of her. Blood flew everywhere, splattering on some of the other combatants, some covered in magical burns, some with some cuts and bruises.

.

Nothing compared to the utter carnage that Aisha left behind her, bisected corpses, agents with holes in their chests and necks. Soon there was no sound, save for tearing flesh, bootfalls, screams, and the sound of weapons clashing.

.

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"What's gotten into you, Raxas?" Alune demanded, grunting as she was forced back by the force of Raxas's sword, almost losing her footing and falling backwards. Raxas swung again, and this time, Alune wasn't able to dodge, and her helmet was quickly melted by the blade, scorching the judge with searing-hot metal.

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Alune screeched in pain and threw off her helmet, revealing a head of long, purple hair, face marked with dozens of tattoos, beads, earrings, and various other trinkets and baubles, now marred by a line of burned flesh.

.

"Why are you doing this?" She demanded, a fierce bolt of lightning holding Raxas off at bay. "Who do you think will stand for this… coup!? You used to be such a kind man!"

"I've tried doing things the right way…" Raxas muttered. "I tried, and all that's ever gotten me… All that's ever happened is that I lost the people close to me."

.

"And what will this change!?" Alune demanded, panting heavily as she blocked a fireball. "Do you think they would have- AH! - They would have wanted this?"

"DON'T GIVE ME THAT CRAP!" Raxas snapped. "YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE, TO LOSE THE PEOPLE YOU CARE ABOUT… TO LOSE YOUR BEST FRIEND, AND HAVE IT ALL BE YOUR FAULT! TO KNOW THAT IF YOU'D HAVE BEEN A LITTLE MORE DECISIVE…"

"J-James, I…"

"It doesn't matter." Raxas snarled, shaking his head. "That… none of that matters anymore. There is only the future. And I don't intend on letting that happen anymore. I'm not going to be indecisive anymore."

"Y-you are destroying your good name!" Alune cried desperately. "Nobody will be able to look at you again!"

"I don't care."

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"YOU'RE A FOOL!" Alune screamed, as Raxas bore his sword down on her, the heat from the blade literally melting the barrier she projected. "I'VE LOOKED INTO YOUR FUTURE! THERE IS NO HAPPY ENDING! YOU WILL DIE ALO-"

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There was no sound. No sound as Raxas cut Alune in half, only the aftermath, and the clanking noise, as what was left of the judge fell to the floor. Raxas's frame blocked the grisly sight from view, but nobody even dared look for a second. Nobody dared look at Raxas, as the clanking of his boots resonated through the destroyed, now open hall.

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"Clank."

"Clank."

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The helmets of the two now deceased judges were sat on top of their chairs.

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"Let's resume the vote."

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[

The sense of vertigo that Aisha felt was familiar to her, at this point. She shook her head a few times, before she recognized that she was standing up, and with a lurch, she stopped herself from falling down, taking a few breaths to calm her stomach.

.

"Is this place even real?" She muttered.

"It's real enough." Her voice responded.

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Aisha glared at her black silhouette, purple eyes glowing softly in the firelight.

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"What are you?" Aisha asked.

"Well, I'm you."

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"...No, you're not."

"Well, I'm pretty much you." Shadow-Aisha said. "I have your memories, your personality, and I'm a part of you."

"Do you have the same goals as me?" Aisha asked quietly, sitting down on a log. "Do you… want to return to mistress?"

.

There was a long pause, and Aisha didn't miss the way her shadow doppelganger turned away from her. "...No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"I would think… that if you have my memories, that you would want that too."

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"I don't! Okay!?" Shadow-Aisha exclaimed suddenly, turning to Aisha in a girlish way. "We are different, in that regard! That- that woman is for you. I don't… I don't want any part of that."

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"Hmph." Aisha closed her eyes. "Then what do you want?"

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"I just want to make it clear… that what we want is different!" Shadow-Aisha snarled, jabbing a finger into Aisha's chest. "What I want is to feed! To eat! I'm hungry, and-"

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"Have I fed you well?" Aisha interrupted suddenly, expression soft in the firelight.

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"...Sure." Shadow-Aisha mumbled, sitting down next to Aisha.

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"Then we shouldn't have a problem, should we?" Aisha said, putting her hand on Shadow-Aisha's head, and fluffing her ears.

"Wha-" The demon sputtered. "Hey! What are you doing!?"

.

"Well, It's in my interest to keep you happy. You're my powers, and you live inside me." Aisha said quietly, hugging the clone to her body. "I brought you into this world, so… I… I… …I've kind of always wanted a sister. This is what makes me happy."

"What are you talking about!?" The silhouette demanded, putting up a feeble resistance against Aisha's loose, affectionate embrace.

"I know that you're lonely too." Aisha mumbled. "I've seen enough lonely people to recognize the look."

.

"... Oh, shut up…" Shadow-Aisha mumbled. "You're weird."

]

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.

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"...Hey!"

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Aisha shook her head, recognizing that her hands were caught in a tight, slightly painful grip, outstretched in front of her. She leapt backwards, before relaxing her muscles, feeling the sticky dryness of blood on her skin.

.

"It's time to stop fighting." Tylich said icily in front of her. "Can you hear me?"

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Aisha wiped some blood off her mouth, the metallic taste lingering on her tongue.

"Sure."

"...Good."

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Aisha looked around herself, at the carnage around her… the suspicious, slightly fearful looks… The blood…

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She shrugged. Nothing she wasn't used to.

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"Hey, Aisha." Raxas said, beckoning the girl over.

"Yeah?"

"Go get us some food." He mumbled, metal gauntlets pressing a wallet into her hand. "I want four cheeseburgers."

.

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Aisha hummed happily as she carried the fifteen cheeseburgers she had bought from the little stand. The food in her arms smelled nice, the greasy, cheesy smell wafting up to her nose - although she could do without the stares.

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She knew she was drenched in blood, but… if she still had an appetite, despite the blood, why couldn't everyone else?

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Aisha unwrapped a burger, wrapped thinly in wax paper, and shoved the entire thing in her mouth, whole.

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"How did you do that?"

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Aisha almost dropped her entire stack of cheeseburgers, startled and jumping up at the sound of a voice that came far too close to her for her comfort. She whirled around, eyes wide in a panic, before her eyes locked on to the towering, immaterial form of Feng.

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"You've got sauce on your mouth." Feng pointed out, a comically small stain on Aisha's blood soaked visage, who quickly swallowed her burger.

"What are you doing here?" She whispered aggressively.

"Watching." Feng said nonchalantly. "Pretend like I'm not here."

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Aisha took off in a hurry, the slight jump not unnoticed by all the passerby staring at her from the road. Feng followed her, the tall woman's heavy bootfalls not kicking up any dust, or making any sound.

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"How long have you been watching me?" Aisha demanded.

"Since you got back from the drake." Feng said, staring off into the distance. "It's been kind of boring. I kind of wanted to skip it. Well, until now."

"Skip it?"

"Yeah, like a TV… nevermind."

.

The adrenaline wearing off of Aisha's system, she began to observe Feng more closely, noting her absentminded, blank stare…

It wasn't an expression Aisha had seen before. Although, if she thought really hard, one of her elders…

"You look bored." She struggled out.

.

"Great observation." Feng rolled her eyes. "When you can't interact with anything, yeah, you get bored."

"So… how long have you been…?" Aisha asked tentatively.

.

"If you're asking me how long I've been a reaper…" Feng sighed. "Mmmmhhh… a hundred-thousand years. If you're asking me how long I've lived… a hundred-thousand and 37. Give or take."

"...How'd you die?" Aisha asked.

"Aren't you nosy?" Feng tutted. "Fishing for weaknesses? So you can kill me? Although I suppose this suggests you haven't found Sen's journal."

"You can't blame me." Aisha muttered.

"No, I can't." Feng agreed. "...An explosion."

.

"Huh?"

"I died in an explosion."

"Like, to a flare?"

"No."

.

.

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Aisha and Feng returned to the meeting hall, the wind howling through the destroyed hall as drafts of cold air blew through the now open summit hall. The wind wasn't terribly loud, but without many of the walls, the judges' voices no longer echoed throughout the hall, and they spoke noticeably louder.

Before Aisha could drop off the food she had been asked to buy, her eyes locked onto another shadowy form, hunched over the corpses of the agents she had killed. The reaper's eyes, in turn, widened when they saw Aisha, and looked like they were going to pop out of their sockets when Feng entered the room, phasing through a wall.

.

"You- It's- I-I-" She stammered. "Feng!"

The tall reaper rolled her eyes. "Yeah, it's me, Ash."

"T-these corpses… they… they don't have souls in them." Ash whispered. "A-and it's her fault! Dammit! Killing her is your job, I-"

"She's a special case." Feng said simply.

"Special how!?" Ash demanded timidly.

"It's none of your business."

"It is my business, if you-"

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Aisha closed her eyes and shook her head at the two reapers - walking over to Raxas and dumping a few cheeseburgers in front of him, she returned to her spot and sat down, wrappers crinkling as she took out another burger and crammed it into her mouth whole.

.

"To close out the discussion on war related efforts…" Raxas said, also taking a bite from a burger. "We're going to retreat from Kalamina. We'll establish a defensive line and divert troops to San-Dion and Jenova."

"I'll start!" He said, with mock-cheerfulness. "I vote yes. And so does Gazeth and Alune."

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He leaned over to Gazeth's chair, and bobbed the charred helmet up and down.

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"Aye." Tylich said.

"Aye." Vayne voted, nodding.

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Havel noticeably shrunk with fear in her chair.

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"Isn't it interesting?" Feng asked, walking up to Aisha and motioning to the judge's table.

"Where'd the other reaper go?" Aisha asked quietly. Ordinarily, her voice would have resonated through the hall like a bad resonance, but the wind masked the fact that she was talking to empty air.

"She went home." Feng said dismissively. "She can't do anything to me. None of them can."

"...What does that mean?"

"I've seen more of these than you can count." Feng continued, ignoring Aisha's question. "Sometimes it's a king and his advisors. Sometimes, it's an oligarchy."

.

Feng motioned to the table.

"But it all falls to shit in the end." Feng sighed. "It always does. And in the exact same way, every time."

"And that is?"

"It always starts with one man." Feng tilted her head back, as if she was leaning on something, despite not being able to touch anything. "One human… They lose something dear to them, and then… then everything falls to pieces around them. As they destroy everything."

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Aisha didn't… didn't like the way that Feng stared at her, but the woman didn't say anything else.

.

"This is bullshit." Idra muttered, as another vote passed. Raxas didn't even bother asking for Havel, Idra, or Bariss's vote. Not even as a formality. "This is tyranny."

"Hmph." Tylich let out a laugh of derision.

"What's so funny, rat?" He demanded.

.

"Wouldn't you be doing the same thing to us?" Tylich asked. "If the rock and the hag were alive?"

"No." Idra said firmly, slamming his hands on the table. "Want to know why?"

"Because you're better?" The thin judge suggested.

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"No!" Idra exclaimed. "I mean… Yes. I…"

"You're not very good at this."

.

"Settle down, boy." Bariss muttered. "You're just making a larger and larger fool of yourself, every time you talk."

"Thanks, man." Idra said sarcastically. "But this is fucking stupid! What is th-"

"Be patient." Bariss mumbled.

.

"Oh!" Feng suddenly exclaimed, almost making Aisha jump, pointing at Bariss. "I've seen this before!"

"Seen… seen what?"

"He thinks that eventually something will happen to the guy, and that things will go back to how they were. But it never does. Sometimes someone kills the guy, but it never actually goes back to normal. They just keep trading around the big seat and then eventually they get taken over by someone else."

"...You're saying…" Aisha said quietly. "That it happens like that every time?"

"Every time." Feng nodded. "Oh, and the young guy. He's going to do something stupid and get killed. I know his type. He'll probably end up challenging the older guy, and then die."

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"There's… no way that's true" Aisha said. "Every time?"

"Yeah."

"Even if they try to not do it?"

"Only makes it worse."

"..."

.

"Do you know what separates humans from animals, kid?" Feng asked, suddenly.

"Huh?"

"It's ambition." Feng muttered.

"Ambition?"

"Animals… want to survive." Feng sighed. "To continue living, you require… food, water, and shelter, right? The three essentials. And in order for the genus to survive… the fourth need. Procreation. So that's four things. If you gave an animal these four things… they would be happy. They would live, and fuck, and whenever they weren't eating, they'd be fucking their brains away."

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Aisha nodded.

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"But humans aren't content with that." Feng said lazily. "Humans want more than that. They want to conquer. First the other animals. Then each other. Eventually…"

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Feng stared directly into Aisha's eyes.

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"Eventually, humans wish to conquer nature itself. They hunger to destroy the world… destroy nature, and then reshape the universe, reshape everything, in their image."

"What happens then? After?"

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"They destroy themselves."

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"..."

"I envy you." Feng said suddenly.

"...Why?" Aisha whispered.

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"You might be happy one day."

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[

Aisha smiled as she draped her arms around her mistress's shoulders, pressing their chests together and nuzzling her cheek together with the tall woman's. She couldn't help but giggle. Everything just felt so warm, her mistress was beautiful as always, smelled as sweet as always, and felt so soft, as always. She was in heaven. No, even heaven wouldn't feel as amazing, as soft, as when she was in her mistress's arms… her goddess's arms…

.

Lorian smiled nervously as she draped the covers over Aisha's head, letting her fluffy little ears poke out as she got into a comfortable position on the bed. In the day, Lorian was in control, she was the one who decided the games, she was the one who pet Aisha, and she was the one to embarrass and tease Aisha, but during bedtime…

.

Bedtime was Aisha's domain. During bedtime… something about the intimacy, the loving gazes, the sleepy comfort… it just turned Lorian's cheeks red. Like when Aisha tried to hold hands in public, although thank Serith, the girl hadn't noticed how flustered Lorian got when the little girl tugged on her shirt to beg for hand holds.

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Lorian controlled the fun, the comfort, the games, and the giggles. But when Aisha was in control…

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They were lovers.

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"Mmm… mistress…" Aisha purred. "I love you…"

"I-I love you too." Lorian squeaked. "T-thank you…"

"You don't have to thank me." Aisha said happily. "It's because you smell so nice, and make me feel good, and you make me so happy…"

"Jeez! Aisha, oh…" Lorian'a cheeks flushed. "Ah… good girl… I guess…"

"Yay!"

.

Lorian's heart fluttered at the genuinely happy expression on Aisha's face, so innocent and adorable… she couldn't help but hug Aisha even closer to her, blushing even more intensely at the pleased mewl that the little fey let out at the motion, squirming and silently begging for more squeezes and squishes. She was amazed at how much Aisha loved to be squeezed and squished. It was adorable, but also, somewhat concerning, just how… hard the girl wanted to be squeezed.

.

But if her good girl wanted them, Lorian would give her good girl all the hugs she wanted. She hugged Aisha as hard as she could, and looked away abashedly at the delighted squeal that Aisha let out, the small girl tightening her grip on her mistress in turn. Lorian also liked to be hugged. But she was far too embarrassed to admit it, so she was just content to snuggle deeper into Aisha's small, soft little frame.

.

"You're so soft…" Aisha mewled happily, softly. "You're so beautiful…"

"Oh- goddamit!" Lorian turned scarlet, even though she had heard those damn words a thousand times before. "A-Awwawa-why do you have to say thaaaaat!"

"But it's true!"

"Do you think I'm some-I'm some… floozy, you can milk se-hugs out of for compliments!?" Lorian demanded, looking away to hide her blush.

"Of course not!" Aisha said softly. "You're -"

"Aaaaaaaa-aaaah!" Lorian covered her mouth, as if that would stop her stammering. "Why do you have to say it over and over again?"

.

Aisha pursed her lips, pouting into Lorian's collarbone. "You tell me that I'm a good girl every day."

"Oh, well…" Lorian blushed. "I-I… I… mmmmmhh…"

"What's wrong?" Aisha asked sweetly, and Lorian couldn't even tell if Aisha was messing with her or not.

.

So Lorian grabbed Aisha by the shoulders and flipped her under her, crushing and smothering the little girl under over six feet of her weight. Aisha flailed a little bit, but after a while she went still, her breathing evening out under Lorian's soft, plush, squishy body.

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After a few seconds, Lorian lifted herself up by her arms, and was immensely pleased to see Aisha's panting, flushed, submissive expression under her. So subby, so lovey-dovey… Lorian could practically see the little hearts in her eyes…

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"Little minx." Lorian growled, planting a kiss on Aisha's cheek. The Little fey squealed in response. "Little- dummy little- stupid cute little- adorable-"

"Mistressssss!" Aisha blushed, turning away shyly.

"Do you think…" Lorian kissed Aisha again. "You can… get away with being… such a little damn tease- haaaaaahhhh… by being so cute? By being so adorable??"

"...Mayb-HYAAAAHHHH!!!"

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Lorian pursed her lips with determination as she plunged her fingers into Aisha's ears, sending shocks down the poor girl's senses. Aisha's eyes widened in shock, her mouth open in a silent gasp, and when Lorian began to slowly pump her fingers, she began to gasp and pant, a flush entering her cheeks.

.

"What about now?" Lorian demanded.

"I-I-hhhhhhhh oohhhhhhh…." Aisha smiled, shuddering in pleasure. "I- I th-thiiiiiiinkkkk… haa… I've… already gotten away with it… Ohhhhhhh… mmmmnnnyaaaa…"

"..."

.

Lorian just puffed out her cheeks as she took a tissue from her dresser, wiping her fingers off. She kept Aisha's ears super clean, since she liked to lick them so much, but she cleaned them out of habit.

.

"You're lucky I love you so much." Lorian muttered.

"I love you more." Aisha giggled, climbing back on top of her mistress, and snuggling into her shoulder.

"No, I love you more." Lorian mumbled, hugging Aisha back.

"No I do!" Aisha said, laying her head sideways, and kissing her mistress's cheek.

"I do." Lorian said firmly, kissing Aisha back.

"I love you more!"

"No I love you more."

"No I…"

]

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Aisha sighed as she made her way down the streets, down towards the guild hall. For once… instead of running, she walked her way down the streets, her small steps lagging behind the foot-traffic, as everyone else walked past her.

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She just… felt like walking.

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"Aisha- Aisha! Is it true?" Fei demanded, rushing down the street towards the small little Fey, a larger woman following. "What's with the mask?"

"Is what true?"

"Did you…" Vigil asked with uncertainty. "Did you… stage a coup with a Judge?"

Aisha sighed. "That's what people have been saying."

"Aisha…" Vigil said in a concerned tone. "Wh… why have you gotten mixed up in this kind of business?"

"I don't know."

"Aisha, we're concerned for you." Fei furrowed her eyebrows. "You're… Ever since the necromancy… Aisha, you…"

.

"Leave me alone." Aisha snarled. "What decisions I make are none of your business."

.

Aisha clicked her tongue as she strode past the two women, quickly making her way to the guild doors. The massive, wooden doors were forced open easily, and many eyes locked onto the short, masked girl. Aisha herself no longer even gave the stares any attention.

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Although, one figure stood out - perhaps not physically, but his coffee-colored skin, and feminine appearance, made Aisha freeze in her tracks.

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Her mouth went dry.

"You're… you're that kid."

"Yeah."