Chapter Six: Innocence

Ignorance and Innocence ryhme depending on how you feel.

"C'mon and catch me!"

It's hard to catch someone faster than you.

Nutre is fast, like a cat. She's able to make really sharp turns and hides really quickly. She even manages to find ways to cheat in tag!

After chasing her for forever, I'm not having any fun anymore. Plus, Nutre was starting to run to the circular path around Naisha, the one we're not supposed to go on. I stop chasing after her, feeling nervous.

"We're not supposed to go there! Deanna will get mad, Nutre!" I call out loudly.

She doesn't hear me, still running absently over to the path, and turning out of sight.

Deanna comes up from behind, her arms crossed and head tilted. She looks around the streets a few seconds, before looking down at me. "Where's Nutre? Is she hiding?" she asks.

I point over to the path, biting my lower lip. Deanna frowns, but doesn't look angry.

"I suppose Marisol will run into her, then. She'll be brought back eventually, don't worry…"

She patted my head, and I started waiting…

I don't know how long it was, but eventually, I could see Nutre and Marisol. Weird thing was, Marisol was frowning deeply, and somebody I didn't know had his hands on her shoulders, and Marisol was shrugging away at him harshly. Beside them, Nutre was following slowly, a sad look on her face.

Deanna looks worried, and pushes me to the side gently as she approaches them. But the man shoves Marisol away before narrowing his eyes.

"I don't have the time to deal with these two. Make sure-"

"What do you need here?" Deanna interrupted. "Giver's Day is done. We've done nothing to antagonise-"

The man holds his hand up, and Deanna stops talking. "This has nothing to do with repercussions against this area. It's just a necessary collection of supplies."

Deanna looks confused now, but turns sharply to Marisol, a stern look on her face.

"Get these two away, alright?"

Marisol gives a huff, turning behind to Nutre. She goes back to Deanna, a bitter smile on her face. "Not 'cuz you ordered me to, but fine. They'll just get in the way."

I don't understand all of the words they're saying, but no one looks happy, and Nutre walks slowly to my side, guiding me to the sidewalk as Marisol starts following, but before she follows completely, she stops near the man, giving him a shove of her own. 

"Treat others how you want to be treated, right? Someone ought to cut off half your ears if you're gonna be with these mayflies," she laughs.

She marches ahead of us, standing outside a building, through the window, I see everyone else in there. She kneels down to me, patting my head. "Listen squirt, ya gotta be a big man right now. Things might get messy later on, so while I'm in here getting Lisia, you gotta know that if I say 'run', then do so, 'kay?"

Marisol straightens up, dropping her smile and walking into the building. I look at Nutre.

"Who is that man?" I ask.

Nutre jumps slightly, tugging at her dirty blonde hair. She sighs. "I don't know. But he's not nice," she says. Nutre looks in the building's window, still looking sad. Only when we both see Lisia walk out do we feel relieved. Marisol comes out too, and has some sort of silver object around her waist and belt, and she grips it tightly. Even Cleos and Soran come out, and Nutre immediately scurries over to them.

She makes a choking sound, and clings tightly to Cleos, and I hear her silently crying. 

She's stiff, but shaking uncontrollably. She's muttering something, but I can't hear.

Cleos doesn't say anything, only looks at Soran before shaking his head. He makes 

Nutre go into the building.

I can't move, and hear Lisia arguing with the man loudly.

Lisia's shaking her head rapidly, and sounds desperate. "We can't spare any supplies! We're low as it is, and barely have enough food to last much longer without hunting before winter drives all the animals into hiding!" she yells.

The man has a scary look on his face. "That isn't my problem, now is it? We have homes and people without food as well. It's not exclusive to this town. Would you rather have to hunt, with so many experienced hunters amongst you, or watch sick and poor families die in your place?" he asks.

I don't what all the trouble is about, but it must be bad. While they're talking, I see other men on horses and foot surrounding the area.

"How can you say something so easily? I've seen your towns and homes! Everyone lives comfortably, and here you are accusing me of neglecting the sick and poor? We get sick here more easily. We don't have warm clothes for winter, we're trapped in our homes, we can't even let the children enjoy a day in the snow! Even without that, how can you do this to your own people? What are you gaining from-" Lisia's green eyes widen, and she covers her mouth, and stops talking and breathes heavily.

"Exerting yourself won't end well," the man says. He turns to a man on a horse, saying something quietly, and the man trots away farther into Naisha.

Marisol, who was all fidgety, aimed the shiny object from her belt at the man, and he immediately gets of the horse.

"Marisol don't!" Lisia coughs.

"These guys already have enough supplies. They don't need ours, we 'supply' them with their own population as it is." Marisol keeps the metal thing aimed at the man, who keeps moving slowly to try to stay away. "Believe me when I say that I could take you all out. I've enough ammo for shooting down a demon if I wanted to."

The man with Lisia laughs loudly, running hand through his head. He raises his hand, and a man on foot walks to his side rigidly.

"I don't have the manpower to file a rebelling report for this area," he says. I don't know what a "rebelling report" is… The worst thing though, is when he turns to me.

"Leave a warning."

Lisia gives a shrill gasp, walking in front of the man, who has a large, black, longer version of Mariol's metal thing.

"What do you think you're doing? He's a child, what do you have to gain by-"

"If I remember correctly, a policy of yours is to not let children pull their weight until they're 15. Tell me, is that brat 15?"

Lisia moves as the man moves, lowering the black metal thing. "Of course he isn't! Are you telling me you're willing to take away 8 years of a person's life just because someone makes a simple outburst?"

"The child isn't able to contribute. He's dead weight and expendable. Be lucky I'm not taking out your hot-tempered friend there. She's useful, and if you're so worried about hunting, keep her alive."

I overhear Cleos say something.

"The hell is this…"

Soran has his arms crossed, a blank expression on his face. He's not looking at anyone.

The man with the metal thing pulls Lisia out of his way.

"Won't even finish his last thought, it's not like he knows what's goin' on anyways."

He's right, I don't understand what's going on. Only that something is wrong and that I'm in trouble. But why am I the one in trou-