Testing Motives [Job]

Spoiler:

’I didn’t realize there wasn’t an age limit on requests, but…at least it doesn’t have me walking through the desert.’ The low level job caught Mao’s attention unwittingly, the notion that even a child could petition for a wizard’s help intriguing the clueless girl. Rereading the request she suppose it’d been sitting around for a bit as the low reward hardly pulled in those seeking their fortunes. Dealing with school yard problems also lacked any real sense of adventure to it, one walking the thin line between hero for one child and a bigger bully for another.

Yet the questions flowed and Mao so rarely had opportunities to question a child about their motives. Most of the time they put her off with their screaming and crying as she mostly spied younger generations with their parents, and it would be awkward to say the least to waltz right up to a family unit and inquire about a child’s life. As Silabus put it, they might think her some sort of child protective services agent and become guarded against her. Never mind potential public disturbance issues…

But questioning a bully’s motives should prove easier at least.

The train ride proved pleasant enough. As lovely as a trek would’ve proven the kid sounded a little desperate when she contacted him from the guild hall. Almost moved to tears he sounded desperate for the bully to be removed from his life – though stressing through near gasping breathes that he couldn’t be harmed or he’d be in trouble. The desperation with which he lived came across clear so Mao bit back any questions out of respect and mild fear of triggering the kid with words that sounded uncaring. She’d save it for in person where things could be conveyed better with body language.

Pulling back her hood, Mao squinted up at the sunny skies with some discomfort, ’I wish we could’ve done this on a cloudier day…but some things cannot wait.’

An all too eager voice called out, a child running until he barreled into Mao’s midsection with a hug and eliciting a small “oof!” from the girl, ”You’re here!” She didn’t quite know what to do, merely patting him awkwardly on the back until he let go and stared up at her. Eyes glittered with excessive water, a large toothy grin aimed at her with two missing teeth no doubt due to growth. ”I can’t believe you’re really here! And you have ears and a tail like you said, that’s so weird!”

She didn’t want to have their “strategy session” out in the middle of the streets so she pulled him off towards a smaller, more residential one where they could sit on someone’s front stoop. The kid insisted on calling it that even as he kept asking about her “odd” appendages – they were perfectly normal for her, what made them so odd? ”I know you’re curious about my appearance, but I feel we should focus on the main matter at hand here: why you asked the guilds for help.” That got his attention, the exuberance dying down as he chose to stare at the ground instead. ”I know it’s not a fun thing, but can you please describe some of his methods?”

”He teases me a lot: making fun of my grandma’s death, how short I am, how my parents are ‘nobody wizards,’ and other things. Sometimes he starts pushing me around or into things-he even shoved me into a trash can before!” he cried out, pain evident in his voice as water once again collected in his eyes, threatening to spill over, ”He claims he’s so hot cause his dad’s in the Rune Knights and he’s gonna be somebody someday while I’ll never be anybody! I hate him so much!” Finally the tears flowed over, neither eye capable of holding a drop more.

She smiled at him, a hand lightly petting his hair, ”Okay, I’ll get him to stop then.”

The kid’s hang out spot lay in a park, the little punk currently alone as he waved a wooden sword about and provided “clink-clank!” sword fighting noises to the epic battle against his invisible opponent. She opted to watch, ears twitching as the kid swapped back and forth between “witty banter” and the sounds of battle before she eventually interrupted him, ”Kale?”

He whipped around, eyes wide and cheeks turning a ruddy shade of red as he’d obviously been caught in an “embarrassing” display. Eyes turned incredulous as he stared at the woman before him, her expression distant yet slightly curious before zooming in on the long ears and the oddly tri-tipped tail, ”What’re you supposed to be? This ain’t some sorta cosplay café ya know, n’ Trick-or-Treating’s not for another few months dummy!”

The spiteful words went ignored, not particularly concerning, ”I’ve been told you’re looking to join the Rune Knights?” When he nodded she returned the gesture, ”And what makes you think they would accept someone of your ilk? Is your father so high in their ranks they can ignore your rotten nature?” They both jarred and confused the boy, her words not masked with a sugary coating yet lacking any real menace behind them. He seemed so confused by her words she pressed on, wanting a clear and proper answer, ”You’re so busy trying to squish other children beneath you like insects yet you want to protect those same people someday? What makes you think they’ll want you as their guardian, let alone trust you? If you cannot win even the smallest person’s trust, why should someone with power give you a second look?”

Try as he might to scoff at her words, she could see some cogs beginning to turn in that little noggin. ’Perhaps a minor demonstration?’ Summoning the protective powers of diamond, the crystals formed along her skin and limbs. Crystals hardened up her sides and around her torso, impressive quantities forming over her hands into fearsome gauntlets meant to protect despite their rows upon rows of jutting spikes, and some still inched down her legs to cover calves with their impressive sheen. As her tail waved more of the gemstone covering revealed itself into a third, impressive gauntlet of spikes upon the tertiary limb, and as the sun shone down brightly upon them both the boy was forced to shield his eyes before the splendor.

”Protectors come in all shapes and sizes, but their goals should share similar paths: to act as both a shield for their people and a ray of hope for the weak. If you cannot do that much, then abandon your dream now.”

It’d been days since she left the children to decide their fates for themselves, denying the boy’s payments “until he got his results” – if he did. While Mao left the other boy with his mouth agape, possibly awestruck, and definitely temporarily blinded by the light show she couldn’t yet say if he’d change or not. If words could find a way then Mao would prefer that to fighting any day, and she certainly didn’t want to fight such an unfair bout against a child who may have simply strayed from a better path. Whatever his reasons, if he could find the strength to become an example instead of turning into a terror then she hoped it possible, but ultimately the choice was his.

Besides she could always go back and demonstrate a little more to at least scare him off of his primary target.

She’d received a letter from the client however, and smiled down at the cheerful words as he explained “Kale’s” changes in attitude.

"-he even scared off another bully trying to pick on me! He got a little banged up, but my mum patched him up and treated us to ice cream afterward! Kale’s been telling me all sorts of tales of his dad in the Rune Knights, and I think I might wanna join someday and maybe get into the same squad as Kale or his dad! It’d be sooooo cool to work under a hero like that!"

The letter went on, and when she finished she placed the letter inside a desk drawer to savor it for another day. Staring out the window at the clouds sliding by the Sabertooth aerial hall, Mao smiled, ignoring the money sitting next to the envelope.