Melinda’s shirts laid in a heap on the kitchen counter, the bloodstains now already beginning to oxidize and turn a dark red. One of her bra straps laid loose over her shoulder and the white towel she was using to contain bleeding from wound was beginning to stain bright red with blood as she dug around in the wound with a pair of forceps.

 

Memories flooded back to her as she became lost in her own thoughts while undertaking the repetitive action

 

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“Melessa, are you okay? You haven’t said anything since..” He trailed off, not wanting to upset her.

 

“I’ll be fine, Kai,”

 

The two sat around a campfire, having stopped a few hours outside the port-side settlement from which they planned to take a boat off Angel Island, which sat off the coast from what they then knew as the newly founded United States on the North American continent, and back to the mainland.

 

A shiver ran down her spine and she pulled her cloak tighter around herself for warmth. Although it helped her blend in, the thin cotton shirt and long skirt she had picked up wasn’t much for warmth out here in the damp and cold coastal air. She was thankful that the leather shoes at least kept her feet warm and that she didn’t opt for sandals.

 

“You know, it’s not your fault and that creature has been thrown in a cage now thanks to you. The beating you gave him rendered him unable to run away,” Kai stared into the campfire.

 

“If I would’ve just got there faster I could’ve saved him, could’ve done something besides having that child die in my arms,”

 

“The creator had claimed him long before you got there, you did all you could by making sure he didn’t have to be alone when he slipped away into the next world. I’m sure he’s at peace now and thankful you we’re there,”

 

“There was one thing I could’ve done, I could’ve finished the job and put him in the grave instead of a cell,” Her voice was cold, yet carried an unmistakable anger.

 

“Would that have brought the child back? Would taking his life have accomplished any task but feeding your rage and thirst for revenge?” He remained calm.

 

“I just, I can’t understand it. I can’t understand why that child was allowed to die while a monster like that goes on living,” she wrapped her arms around herself.
“As much as we want to find a reason in everything, evil often feeds on chaos and acts without reason. Trying to understand it can sometimes be a dangerous task because we risk letting it consume us,” He poked the campfire with a stick, moving about some of the now dwindling firewood,

 

“I know that, I know that all too well from 1000 years of living and fighting but that doesn’t make it hurt any less when I fail someone, especially a child,” she lowered her head, letting the cloak hide her face.

 

“You didn’t fail him, as I said: because you came to his aid he did not die alone and his killer had to answer for the crime,” He looked up at her, the fire’s light reflected off his sapphire eyes and highlighted the braid of white hair that now hung over his shoulder.

 

“I just,” she trailed off, not wanting to risk crying where he could see.

 

“I know you have a mother’s heart, even if you’re infertile just like all of us, and I know the pain you feel when you lose a young one because you care about them so deeply,” he smiled.

 

“Kai…” she smiled in return, only her muzzle visible under the hood.

 

“I know you also understand that you do not have to be ashamed because your tears are not a weakness, for they show the compassion that separates a warrior from a murderer like him”

 

“When did you get to be so wise, Kai? I thought I was supposed your be YOUR teacher?” she took a deep breath.

 

“It’s been ten years now we’ve traveled together, I’ve learned a lot from you,” he let out a chuckle

 

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She felt the familiar chill run down her spine as she quickly approached the sound of conflict.

 

Melinda had ventured out of the hotel for some fresh air and heard screaming coming from a storage building across the street. Her first instinct was to run to it, and run even faster at the horrifying realization that it was a child’s screams

 

She stopped in her tracks when she saw a figure leaning over a young boy, knife glistening in hand and wet with blood. Flashbacks rushed through her head of that night in the village and she silently promised herself it wouldn’t end that way again.

 

“Leave him alone,” she shouted, reaching for her sword. Her voice echoed off the ceiling off the large and empty building.

 

“I’m just having a little fun with him,” the man stood up and stared at her with icy blue eyes.

 

“It hurts, please stop,” the child cried

 

“It’s okay, child. I’ll make him leave you alone, one way or the other” She withdrew her sword from her coat.

 

The man turned back to the boy and leaned over him. He scrapped the knife’s tip over the boy’s forehead and watched the blood trickle down over his face.

 

“I said leave him alone!” She almost screamed the words, barely holding back her fury.

 

The man merely grinned and ran the blade down the boy’s cheek, “Why should I? He’s just another mortal that will soon die anyway. I’m merely speeding things up.”

 

“Because I’ll kill you if you don’t, is that a good enough reason?” She readied her sword.

 

“You’d really kill one of your own kind over this mortal child whom you don’t even know the name of of?” The man stood up and lifted the boy by the throat.

 

“I’ll do what I must, now put him down,” She said, an even hotter fury entering her voice.

 

The man tossed him down and drew his own sword, “Such a waste, but I do admit it’s been a long time since I took a head and I can’t say I won’t enjoy this. I’m sure you know how addictive that rush from a good quickening is,” he gave a wicked smile,” By the way, my name is Isa, in case you want to know your killer’s name.”

 

She stayed silent.

 

“Suddenly you’re not so chatty,” Isa approached her and threw out his arms, “Would you like the first shot?”

 

The clang of steel meeting steel filled the air and she swung and he blocked before shoving her blade aside. Isa countered by swinging his blade straight down, an attack she easily blocked with the flat of her blade before aiming a kick towards his groin, causing him to quickly jump back while she stepped away to avoid any potential counter attacks.

 

“Oh, you’re a feisty one aren’t you? I didn’t expect someone so determined to play hero would fight so dirty. I guess I’ll really have to teach you a lesson,” Isa quickly closed the distance and swung sideways, she easily ducked under the attack and brought her foot around to sweep his legs out from underneath him.

 

Isa rolled out of the way just as she attempted to run him through and sprang to his feet,

 

“Okay, I’m done playing around,” He lunged forward and attempted to stab her, to which she easily stepped to one side and brought her sword down on his arm.

 

She watched coldly as he stared down at the stump his forearm now terminated in, watched as he began to laugh as he stepped over the boy and drew his knife.

 

“Step away from him now and you can still walk away,” she said coldly.

 

Isa pressed the blade to the boy’s cheek, “why should I?”

 

“I’m warning you,” she said.

 

Without warning he dug the knife into the boy’s face and slice upward across his eye, eliciting a scream and more crying as the boy rolled over clutching his face.

 

“You son of a bitch,” she lunged forward, ready to strike until she noticed him raising the knife at the last minute. In one smooth movement she ducked and swung her sword, slicing through his leg and sending him to the ground.

 

She quickly stood up and placed her sword to his neck, ready to finish him off until she looked him in his eyes. She noticed for the first time that he looked deceptively young, not much older than 15. She also saw something else, she looked into those wild eyes and saw nothing but malice staring back at her. Reflected in those icy blue irises she saw something that truly scared her, she saw herself being consumed by his darkness and losing herself to it if she struck. She withdrew her blade and hesitated for a moment.

 

“What’s wrong, scared of something,” he laughed

 

In one fluid motion she flicked the weapon and sliced across his eye, “When you wake up, I want you to drag yourself out of here and never cross me again, you understand?”

 

“Bitch,”

 

She stabbed the blade into his heart and twisted, waiting for him to go limp before turning and making her way towards the child as she sheathed her weapon.

 

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“Please don’t hurt me,” the boy sobbed.

 

“It’s okay, he won’t hurt you anymore,” she crouched down and gently placed a hand on his bare shoulder.

 

He continued to sob and tried to brush her hand aside.

 

“Honey, I’m here to help. I’m not going to hurt you,” she rubbed his shoulder, and he shook under her touch.

 

“It hurts, please make it stop,” he sobbed.

 

She attempted to help him up, but he instinctively kept struggling against her efforts, thinking quickly, she pulled off her cloak and laid it over him like a blanket. He seemed to relax and actually let her arm remain on his shoulder this time.

 

“See, honey. I won’t hurt you. I’m here to help if you’ll let me,” she said softly.

 

He curled up under the cloak for warmth and quieted down a little. She gently hooked her other arm underneath him and he him wrapped the cloak tightly around himself as she sat him up. He whimpered as she sat down and pulled him close, hugging him.

 

“Promise you won’t hurt me?” he choked out.

 

“I promise, and I also promise I won’t let anything else happen to you.” she rubbed his back.

 

The child finally relaxed and snuggled in closer to her. She could feel the blood soaking her chest as he let his head lay against her. She would have to stop the bleeding quickly once she calmed him down enough.

 

“My name is Max,” he said, now much calmer as he held onto her.

 

“I’m Melissa, “ she said.

 

“That’s a pretty name.”

 

“Thank you,” she said with a small smile

 

He was silent for a moment before speaking again, “Melissa?”

 

“Yes, Max?”

 

“I’m not going to die, am I?” He started to shake again.

 

“Of course not, honey. We’ll find your parents and get you to a hospital,” she pulled him a little closer.

 

“I don’t have any, I’m an orphan,” he said.

 

“Then you can come back to my hotel room with me and I can help you,” she said.

 

“Really?” he finally sounded somewhat happy.

 

“Of course, I’ll even carry you, come on,” she adjusted her grip, placing one arm around his shoulders and the other around his legs to support him before lifting him up off the ground.

 

“Thank you,” he laid his head on her shoulder and quickly fell asleep.

 

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The bullet hit the metal sink with a clang, followed by the forceps. She could already feel the familiar tingle, almost like static electricity as the wound closed up and left behind nothing but a red stain on her fur. The memory brought a smile to her face because she could seek solace in the fact that she saved that child’s life and those moments spent comforting him and carrying him back to her room where she treated his wounds shown brighter than any of her fears and regrets about that day.

 

“Mom, are you okay?”

 

The familiar voice snapped her out of her daze and she slid her bra strap back into place before turning around.

 

“Of course, I just got caught up helping Sonic deal with one of Eggman’s robots and the tin can got in a lucky shot, nothing serious,” She smiled.

 

“Sonic was telling me about that, he also said something about me making you a lightsaber?” Miles said quizzically.

 

“He thought maybe it would be a good idea for me to actually carry a weapon that can take those things out, since I lack armor piercing spines or rotor-blades attached to my butt,” she chuckled.

 

“You know it’s not a bad idea…” he trailed off in thought.

 

“Wait, could you actually build something like that? Could you actually make me a lazer sword?” She asked.

 

“Well I could probably...“ he suddenly stopped and narrowed his eyes at her, “Hey, wouldn’t that violate some kind of rule about it being a fair fight if you used it in a duel?”

 

“Hey now, it would be strictly for robots. That would be low even by my loose standards and I’m shocked you think I’d sink to such levels,” Melinda playfully smirked at him.

 

“Just as well, you people are walking electrical conduits and stabbing another immortal with it would probably fry it-” Miles trailed off.

 

“Something wrong?” She asked.

 

“I just kind of realized how messed up that part of the whole immortal thing is.” He nervously rubbed his arm, obviously looking a little distressed.

 

Noticing this she slipped on her flannel over-shirt and crouched down to hug him, “Hey, not all of us are out for each others blood. I only fight when I have to some of my friends are even immortal, like Kai. We also do have the whole teacher and student tradition going for us,”

 

“Thanks, I guess it’s just kind of scary because it makes me realize there’s a way I COULD lose you,” He returned the hug before they separated

 

“Hey, you don’t live to be 1200 without learning to handle yourself in a fight. You don’t have to worry about a thing,” She playfully messed with his head-fur, “So, how about that new sword?”

 

“What color do you want?”

 

“Can you do blue?”
“Oh yeah.”