Just going to give a quick shoutout to Milarqui for the excellent suggestion on this chapter's title. Thanks again, dude. Hope you all enjoy the chapter today.
Chapter Four: Whetting the Blade
"... Urgh…" Ren groaned, and then slowly opened his eyes.
He could not recall what he'd been dreaming about, but his face was covered in cold sweat and his body wouldn't stop trembling.
He immediately knew that it'd been a nightmare.
Images of something orange passed through his mind, and his face tightened momentarily as he fought to ground himself and repress the memories.
…
…
After a few seconds, Ren managed to succeed. But that had taken what little energy he had gathered from his restless sleep.
He knew that he was going to have a hard day now. He always had a hard day whenever he had nightmares at night.
And to think yesterday had gone so well too…
"Ren?"
Ren's eyes fell upon the girl resting in front of his face.
He hadn't noticed it until now, but one of Wyndia's hands was running through his hair. Her eyes met his own, full of worry and concern.
Ren had no idea for how long the dog girl had been awake. It was likely a while ago, judging by the look on her face. "Yeah?" The Sword Hero finally managed to respond weakly.
"Are you going to be alright today?" Wyndia asked him.
…
Ren didn't answer right away. Truth be told, he just wanted to lay back down and do nothing until he could feel something again. But Wyndia's hand then rested on the back of his neck, keeping his gaze on her.
"I'll be fine staying here with you until you're ready to head out there, Ren."
"..." Ren's face saddened for a moment.
Another flash of orange ran through his mind. He was pretty certain she was in it. Wyndia and everyone else…
Another feeling of warmth made itself known in the form of the dragon egg stirring in the blankets between their legs.
Wyndia smiled a little as she noticed their lively future daughter making her presence known. "We'll both be fine staying with you till you're ready." She clarified.
…
Ren swallowed hard and focused his eyes. He knew it was going to be a hard day for him. It was going to be even harder to smile at anything or anyone.
And yet…
"I… I want to…" He forced himself to speak.
…
"... I want to go outside now." He managed to say.
…
Wyndia's worried look didn't entirely disappear. But she shifted forward and gave him a quick peck on the lips. She didn't argue and simply accepted his words at face value.
"Alright, please let me know if you'll need a break from anything."
"I… I'll try," Ren muttered weakly.
Wyndia kissed again. "You'll try?" She asked tenderly.
"I… I…"
Wyndia began to grin at the confused look on her boyfriend's face, and she leaned in close again, bringing her lips a mere centimeter from his. "How about, you will?" She whispered.
…
Ren found himself starting to blush, but he finally felt as if a bit of sun had gotten through his cloudy day. "Alright, I will. Just please let me get out of bed now."
Wyndia laughed at his response as she pulled back. She then flashed her Sword Hero a sincere smile as her simple pajamas settled on her body. Somehow, she almost looked to be glowing as she then picked up their dragon egg daughter and hugged it to her body.
Resting his hand against the egg, Ren found that it was incredibly warm.
The Sword Couple was well on the way to raising a dragon together…
…
…
Yesterday already felt like a distant memory. But there was no time to dwell on such things.
Ren was never going to get better if he continued to hide in his shell. So he might as well try to have a good day with these two.
Ren and Wyndia, after spending a little more quality time with their new egg, eventually got out of their bed; changing out of their night clothes as they got themselves ready for the day.
And what a day it'd turn out to be.
"Huff… puff… huff… puff…"
The Sword Hero breathed in and out heavily as he jogged with the dragon egg strapped to his back.
"Hup hup, come on Ren! Keep them legs moving! Hup hup!" Farrie shouted encouragingly next to him.
"E-Easy, huff, for you to, huff, say." Ren managed to get out.
Farrie laughed, turning around as she started running backward. The girl's light-green hair radiated in the light of the morning sun. "You know, now I'm starting to feel grateful that Eclair continued drilling me and my sis with morning runs after we moved here. I'm hardly breaking a sweat!"
"You- huff you don't run with- puff me on every- huff lap!" Ren complained. He was unable to mention how he was also carrying the heavy dragon egg on his back, but Farrie just continued to laugh while playing around with the Sword Hero.
Ren was shirtless and wearing only his pants and shoes. Farrie had ditched her jacket and was assisting the Sword Hero on his morning run around the perimeter of the village.
This was how Ren's day usually started when he felt good enough to leave his house in the morning, and when naked Filolial Kings didn't barge into his room and tackle him out of bed because they were seeking protection from some crazy mad scientist lady who wanted their blood for some kind of secret research project.
Indeed, Blue wasn't around today. Since he'd reached Royal status, Fitoria had taken him back to the Sanctuary to put him through her Trials just like Amber and Filo.
Ren still didn't know how to feel about Blue's transformation. But at least that was something he didn't have to worry about for today.
Ren was still a total wreck physically and unable to level up at the moment, due to the consequences of his Cursed Series abuse. His mental state was hardly faring any better, thanks to being tortured inside the Spirit Tortoise for so long by the rogue Book Hero. Still, his responsibilities demanded he pull himself back together as quickly as possible.
And, fortunately, endurance training was one way to increase one's stats, even if only a little bit.
"Come on Ren! You're not sweating hard enough!" Farrie yelled.
"H- huff HOW DOES ONE SWEAT- puff HARDER!?"
Farrie laughed again, not even breaking her stride. She didn't even try to answer his question.
Ren's friends took turns every lap around the village. Each having their own unique way of encouraging and supporting him.
Farrie loved to tease the Sword Hero and give him some tough love as they ran. Wyndia, on the other hand, would be kind and supportive, sometimes helping him out or pausing to give him a chance to catch his breath when he needed it.
Tersia was more methodical in her approach, carefully observing Ren and dropping or raising the pace and intensity of the workout as the situation demanded and explaining her reasoning for it in detail during breaks.
As hard as this was, Ren appreciated the ways his friends helped him out during the first part of his day.
Besides the endurance training, Ren also got to see all the parts of the Hero's town and how it was progressing during his run. From the Hero's homes and the fishing boats heading out to sea to the wooden fortifications slowly but steadily being set up around the town's perimeter bordering the hills and forest.
Even now, homes and various buildings were still being erected to handle the influx of people moving in. It wouldn't be long before they either had to expand outward or, otherwise, set up a second settlement elsewhere in the territory.
As Ren and Farrie ran by one of the walls that were slowly taking shape, the Sword Hero spotted Melty at the edge of the construction site. She was writing something down on a piece of paper while talking to one of the knights.
A group of villagers worked alongside knights in binding thick logs together in three thick rows, which were then raised and tied together to a bulwark with more rope as Ren ran up. Then as he began to pass by, some more knights climbed ladders, carrying buckets filled with a strange brown-colored liquid, which they then poured into the gaps between the massive logs, filling them one bit at a time.
That substance was sap from a variant of Bio-Plant. Ren hadn't even known that the plants could produce sap, but, the new member of the Hero's Nation, Rat, who'd only joined yesterday, had taken some of the seeds given to her and, somehow, had made a Bio-Plant that focused on producing sap instead of food.
The Middle Eastern-looking woman hadn't received any special instructions from Ren or Motoyasu on what to do with the Bio-Plant seeds, so she was going to try out all sorts of things. Her first, and surprisingly fast, success was making a breed of Bio-Plant whose sap became as hard as concrete when it hardened.
The sap would stick to whatever it was poured on, and after only an hour, it'd harden into an adhesive as strong as stone. It was not only going to be useful for the fortifications Melty had planned but also in the homes of the townspeople.
This made the job of building the walls much easier. Soon, they'd be able to support additions like towers or even siege weapons.
Melty was becoming more and more serious about upgrading the defenses around the village while Motoyasu was gone. And even if it'd take a longer time for her more ambitious ideas to be implemented, the villagers were inspired to assist after the mess with the Spirit Tortoise familiars.
Seeing everyone working as hard as they could to improve the area, Ren almost felt proud at how far they'd come. It was an amazing thing they were managing to build here.
…
However, he couldn't focus too much on that since his whole body felt like it was dying.
"Come on Ren, you can't be telling me that dragon egg is that heavy now." Farrie teased, still running backward as if to spite him. "Maybe this is a sign that you're getting old?"
Ren breathed in and out heavily, unable to form a response this time. His burning lungs could hardly muster any breath.
He'd managed 25 laps just two days ago. But now he was struggling with completing his sixth lap!
Yeah, the egg definitely wasn't helping. Maybe he should have asked Wyndia to carry it while he was running.
But he wanted to be able to raise a super cool dragon daughter that'd see him as her parent… urgh, the things one had to sacrifice to get what they want.
As they neared the training area, Ren almost did think he was going to keel over and die of a heart attack. But Farrie finally faced forward again, high-fiving Wyndia as she did so, and the two switched places, with the shorter dog girl joining Ren at the start of his seventh lap.
Unlike Farrie, Wyndia ran by his side. Also unlike her, she rested a hand against Ren's lower back, underneath the egg he was carrying. "Don't worry. I'll help you run another lap yet." She told him seriously.
Ren's breathing was too ragged to respond. But after a moment, he saw a glow of energy come over him, and he felt himself running a little bit faster with a bit more energy compared to before.
"Wha…" He managed to get out between his gasps.
Wyndia looked up, smiling at him as she revealed the three glowing gemstones she was holding in her other hand. "Don't tell the others, but I finally figured out how to cast Trigram's Support without destroying the gemstones."
"You should be feeling faster and stronger for the next few minutes now."
Ren was unable to smile back through his tiredness, but he managed to give the girl a thumbs up instead. He remembered her casting that spell when he fought against Glass the first time. It was cool that she'd learned how to cast it for free now!
Thanks to Wyndia's magic assistance, Ren was able to get through the next lap just fine. He'd bond with his dragon daughter yet!
…
However, the magic eventually wore off, making Ren collapse into a heaving pile of limbs and exhaustion while he was in the middle of the eighth lap with Tersia.
At least he didn't die from exhaustion.
Ren was helped back to the training area, where he was healed up via healing magic.
Eclair appeared briefly to help Ren stretch out his sore legs and arms while Wyndia held their dragon egg in a warm hug. But after he was taken care of, he was escorted to breakfast, where he managed to eat a small meal.
After that, Wyndia escorted him over to Jerry's forge, where he continued his day with his blacksmith training.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
"That's it laddie! Just like that now!"
Ren was sweating furiously again, but he kept his eyes focused on the piece of steel he was shaping before him. One hand held a pair of tongs so he could keep a grip on the sword he was making. The other swung his hammer down on the molten metal in a practiced motion repeatedly, shaping it as he saw fit.
Unlike two days ago when he'd failed to shape the steel properly, this felt a bit easier. Like his body was being assisted in striking the metal more precisely than he had previously.
No doubt, this was thanks to the sword he'd copied coming into play. He'd unlocked its equip bonus Blacksmithing Up II that night. And though he hadn't had a chance to try it out yesterday, he could see the effect of it today.
It hadn't made him an expert. He still wasn't sure he understood the entire process from beginning to end. Yet it did feel like his body had a better idea of what it was doing. And even the action of him stopping his hammering to reinsert the blade into the furnace felt a bit more natural to him.
"Oh, I was about to suggest ye do that, lad," Jerry said, looking genuinely impressed.
"S… Sorry," Ren murmured.
"Sorry?! You got nothing to be sorry for!" The large blacksmith placed one of his hands on the Sword Hero's shoulder and laughed. "It just means you're improving laddie! I admit I was a wee bit skeptical moving ye from iron to steel so soon but look at how yer already proving me wrong now, eh?"
Ren's body slumped. For some reason, he felt like he was cheating thanks to his weapon. Had it been a bad idea for him to unlock that equip bonus?
"Keep it up, Ren," Wyndia spoke from the side, where she was reading a hero's diary that rested on top of the dragon egg she was holding while the Sword Hero worked. She'd report to Rachel what she'd learned from it later, though there probably wasn't going to be much from this record of a past Spear Hero and his harem. "Me and our daughter can't wait to see what you'll make today."
It almost seemed impossible, but the dragon egg shook in her lap, as if in agreement.
…
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Ren pulled the heated sword back out and held it in place with his tongs before starting to hammer it again.
Light taps. Hard hits. He allowed his thoughts to flow away as he kept to a rhythm.
His mental turmoil didn't entirely disappear, but the encouraging blacksmith helped him along. He found a rhythm for himself.
…
…
Eventually, Ren wiped the sweat away from his brow and laid his finished work on the table in front of him after he was done sharpening it on a grindstone.
Steel Sword: Quality: Above Average
Special Effects: Attack Up (Small), Slashing Damage Up (Small)
Its level requirement was 15. It was definitely a step up from the first Iron Sword he'd made. Ren didn't know how to feel though, knowing that this wasn't anywhere near good enough for the villagers to use for level grinding or defending their homes.
"Holy- ya made a sword with special effects?!" Jerry yelled out in shock.
"Hmmm? Is that rare?" Wyndia asked curiously.
"You betcha, missy!" Jerry said excitedly. "It usually takes weeks or months of training with a material to learn how to bring out the power hidden within it! Our Sword Hero here managed it only days after I started training him with steel!"
Wyndia's face brightened with happiness. Ren didn't seem as happy about it, however. "Will it be of any use here though? I think everyone has access to far better weapons than this."
"Be of use?! Don't sell yerself short, laddie! This is great progress!" Jerry yelled.
"It's a level 15 sword though. It would break against a level 30 monster." Ren sighed depressedly.
Jerry clasped both hands on Ren's shoulder this time, making the Sword Hero stare up into his serious face.
"Aye, it might not be of much use here, but this sword could mean the difference between life and death for other adventurers out there. Those who've only just started their journeys, wanting to enter a humble blacksmith's shop in search for gear that could save their lives in a battle.
"Gear that can help them on the path to growing strong."
Jerry paused for a moment, allowing those words to sink in before he continued.
"Laddie, no one starts out with the power to wield the greatest sword. Just like we blacksmiths don't start out with the ability to make the greatest weapons. And some of us will never be able to no matter how much we dedicate our lives to it."
Jerry poked Ren in the chest. "But that ain't meaning we sure can't try for it, eh?" The redhead began to laugh again.
Ren's face twisted with a grimace, as he was unsure if what Jerry said was true. But Wyndia had set the boring book of the past Spear Hero's escapades to the side, holding the egg in her arms as she leaned over the sword he'd just made and looked it over with excitement.
…
The Sword Hero sighed. But he didn't try to say anything else after that.
Jerry kept him in the forge for a while longer. He made another Steel Sword during that time, though this one was of Average quality and only had a Slash Damage Up (small) special effect.
However, no one talked down on it, and Wyndia looked just as proud of it as she had with Ren's first attempt earlier.
Ren's work for the morning and early afternoon was set aside to be given to Elena, as while Ren was right and the weapons were too low level to be useful against monsters near the town, they could be used by adventurers closer to the Capital where monsters were weaker.
In short, Ren's hard work could become a potential source of income down the road that'd help their nation out while also helping out those joining the call to become adventurers in their world. Alleviating the burden on Elhart and other blacksmiths in the Capital in the process.
It helped Ren to smile a little while he had a late lunch with his friends after that.
"Zweite Aqua Slash."
A slash of water impacted against a hill outside the village. Cutting deep into the surface of the solid rock.
"Hmmm, better," Tersia commented from the side, where she stood observing Ren. "Now, again."
Ren set his feet beneath him and raised a hand. The dragon egg weighed heavily on his back where it was strapped to him once more. "As the Sword Hero, source of thy power I order thee. Decipher the laws of nature, and slice my target with a blade of water and sunder it in two. Zweite Aqua Slash."
Another slash of water came out from his hands. Hitting the same spot on the hill that the previous one had hit.
"As the Sword Hero, source of thy power I order thee…"
He repeated the chant several more times, with Tersia calmly observing him.
"... slice my target with a blade of water and s-sunder it in two. Zweite Aqua Slash." The spell slammed into the hill again, though it looked noticeably weaker.
"Watch your pronunciation of the word 'sunder' there," Tersia instructed patiently. "Say it clearly so the structure of the spell isn't weakened upon release."
Ren nodded, grimacing at the simple mistake. But other than that, the former nun remained silent.
He kept on aiming for the same spot. But some of his spells hit the area around the main gash. Turning the area he was aiming at into something akin to Swiss cheese. His grimace deepened as his frustration grew.
This had been so easy to practice before after he finally got the hang of magic. Urgh, now it felt like he was wasting his time…
After a few more minutes, and as Ren was preparing to cast the spell one more time, Tersia stopped him by placing a hand on his shoulder. Her other hand offered him a Magic Healing Water before pulling a book out of her robes and opening it to a page somewhere in the middle of the volume.
"Drink this, and then read that. That should give you time to recover your MP and acquire a better understanding of the drifa version of that spell before I have you continue." Tersia told the Sword Hero.
Ren's grimace remained, but he downed the potion and then sat on a nearby stump to do exactly as the mage had ordered. He hadn't even noticed that his MP bar had been almost empty.
…
As he tried to read, he noticed his girlfriend in the distance near the beach.
Wyndia was at the door of the town's monster stables. She was accompanied by several kids.
One of the girls was leading one of the village Dune monsters out the doors with a leash, and Wyndia began teaching them about the monster. How to groom and take care of it and the like. She still struggled to smile and express herself around most people, but amongst kids who also shared a passion for monsters, she looked happier than ever.
It really made the dog girl look that much more beautiful. If he could only help her to smile like that forever…
"Ren, focus," Tersia told him gently. Putting a hand on Ren's head before shifting his gaze back down to the book.
"S-Sorry," Ren mumbled an apology. His cheeks turned a light shade of red from embarrassment.
"It's fine. But it's my turn to teach you magic today. Remember, I didn't get to teach you last time it was my turn since you weren't feeling well enough to do anything besides blacksmithing that day." Tersia said with a sigh.
Ren's frown deepened, and he couldn't focus on the page he'd been on because his body began to tremble from guilt.
Tersia noticed it, and the hand resting on his head began to smooth out his hair. The older girl then sat down next to her Hero, wrapping an arm over his shoulder as she brought him into a caring side hug. "Don't be mad at yourself. It's not your fault that it happened.
"Here, I'll help you with reading this next section out. How about that?" She offered.
Ren couldn't look her way but nodded his head while squeezing his eyes shut to prevent his tears from flowing out.
He still had more of today to go. He couldn't break down now and end things here. He couldn't bother Wyndia since she looked so happy teaching others how to raise and take care of monsters, using the many lessons her dad had instilled in her.
"The spell Aqua Slash summons a blade of water to strike an enemy. Depending on the caster's proficiency, the summoned blade can be too weak to be meaningful in most combat scenarios. However, a mage with an understanding of the spell will be able to make it sharp enough to cut through most materials.
"To reach this level of proficiency, the caster has to understand how water works…" Tersia continued reading the passage at the top of the page to Ren, who managed to focus on her voice as he read along.
His Melromarcian still wasn't perfect, but he was getting better. He had to ask Tersia to slow down at one point, but otherwise, he was able to keep up with her as he tried to imprint the book's knowledge into his mind. Even though it felt like trying to keep a wet fish down.
…
When he'd learned that Farrie, Tersia, and Wyndia would be taking turns teaching him magic each day of the week when he was able, Ren had thought it'd be similar to how he'd had to learn magic while in Cal Mira.
However, as he'd come to learn, he only had days like that whenever it was Farrie's turn to study with him.
It'd been her idea back then to have Ren learn through brute force and memorization. Wyndia and Tersia had their teaching styles but had agreed to hers since he not only had to learn magic but magic text and Melromarcian as well. Her method was determined to be the most effective in that regard.
Now though, he only had to undergo that kind of brutal study regiment whenever it was Farrie's day to teach him magic. And as rough as she'd been on him during their morning run that morning, she didn't go anywhere near as far as she did in Cal Mira in helping him to learn and improve.
It was also her job to help him read through his water and support magic grimoires so he could learn new spells hidden within the magic text.
Whenever it was Wyndia's turn, she made sure to demonstrate magic spells to him before he tried casting them himself. Mainly Support spells since they shared that affinity, though she also demonstrated fire spells that had similar properties to water spells. Like using FireBall to help him improve his casting of the water equivalent; Aqua Shot.
She made sure to help him out through every step of the process, from chanting and structuring the magic to its release. It was slow, and she explained things thoroughly in between each spell he cast about what he did and how he could improve. But he didn't mind her style of teaching.
He liked that she cared that much about the little details, and it didn't require him to drink Magic Healing Waters to replenish his MP since there was plenty of time in between each spell he cast for him to recover.
Tersia's style of teaching fell in between the two, just like it had with morning runs. She sometimes demonstrated magic spells and had Ren practice the water equivalents. But outside of that, she'd watch him cast magic, giving him pointers here and there before sitting him down to read more about the spell he'd been casting like right now.
She could be as harsh as Farrie sometimes. While other times, she'd be as kind and patient as Wyndia. It was like the other two were his tutors, while Tersia was his teacher.
After learning their various ways of learning/practicing magic, Ren almost couldn't believe that they'd settled on just one method to help him learn in the past. He guessed they must have cared about his progress that much to cast aside their differences in the past.
As much good as that did…
…
After a moment, when he hadn't realized he'd spaced out again, Tersia sighed. "I think that'll be enough for today."
"Huh?" Ren looked up. He hadn't noticed Tersia had stood up.
The mage looked down at him. "It looks like Wyndia is almost done with the kids. And the sun is getting low.
"You still have sword practice with Eclair after dinner. We'll end with this for today."
"Oh…" Ren's head fell. "S… Sorry for spacing out at the end…" He mumbled weakly.
…
The former nun internally sighed. She didn't express it out loud, seeing her Hero as weak and depressed as he was. She sometimes wondered how Wyndia could constantly have the energy to cheer him up.
Even when Tersia and the others did try to comfort him, it didn't feel like the Sword Hero gave it as much thought as when Wyndia helped him out. The Earth mage didn't mind that the dog girl's love helped to get through to Ren.
But it felt unfair to Tersia for Wyndia to have to be the one to constantly improve the Sword Hero's sour mood.
Unfair because it felt like too much to ask the dog girl to do just by herself. She'd run herself ragged if Tersia and the others couldn't lend a hand.
"Ren, do you want me to continue teaching you magic?" Tersia suddenly asked.
The question had Ren look up at her. He didn't speak, so Tersia continued. "I know I'm not the best teacher in the world. But I do want to help you out.
"I might not love you the way Wyndia does. But that doesn't mean I don't care about you any less."
"..." Ren hung his head low again. "S-Sorry…" He meekly apologized again. "I'm trying to… but it's… it's so hard though…"
…
"..." Tersia lifted his head, smiling down at him. "You apologize too much, you know that, Sir Ren."
"..." This time, an annoyed frown made its way onto the Sword Hero's face. The familiar look elicited a chuckle from the mage, who let go of his chin.
"I thought we were past everyone calling me sir." The Sword Hero mumbled.
"We are, but I wanted to make sure the Ren I got to know and adventure alongside was still there. And what do you know." Tersia smiled teasingly.
"A part of him still is."
…
"..." Ren's annoyed frown disappeared, but he didn't look as sad anymore. "I… I still want you and Farrie to take turns teaching me." He told her. "I do value both of you as my friends."
"I… I would like it if Wyndia could give me magic lessons each day. If she could spar against me with the sword, and… … But… she has her own things that she has to do too.
"I'd be selfish if I took her away from the things she enjoyed."
"Don't worry." This time, Tersia took Ren into a motherly hug. "She certainly enjoys being around you a lot. Even more, now that you two are together."
…
Tersia allowed those words to ring in her Hero's mind for a moment before she continued speaking.
"All I ask is that you don't become too dependent on her, Ren.
"Wyndia is more selfless than others I know, but she needs time to live her life too. Just like me and Farrie and everyone else.
"We don't just want to see you get better. We want to see you develop a healthy relationship with our friend that'll last after the Waves are over. From what I've seen, it is hard to make a relationship last if only one person is the one giving all the time."
Ren almost chuckled. A small smile spread on his lips for the first time that whole lesson, and he hugged the mage girl back. "I know. I'll try." He promised.
The hug only lasted a few seconds before the moment was interrupted.
"Hey, Tersia!" Farrie called out from the distance. "I'm done reading smut for today! Are we going to grind monsters tonight or what?!"
Tersia laughed, releasing the Sword Hero who looked confused about what Farrie had said. Fortunately, it looked like Wyndia was coming over to relieve her at that moment, so the timing was perfect.
The Earth Mage gave Ren a wink and a thumbs up. "We all have things we're doing in our lives Sword Hero. But me and the others are glad to have you as a part of it."
"G… Got it." Ren's smile fell, but he was still looking gratefully at the mage before bowing his head to her.
"He's all yours, Wyndia." Tersia saluted to the dog girl as she walked up, before running after Farrrie, who'd raced into the forest.
Great balls of fire were already being conjured by the younger mage. And the monsters stupid enough to hunt closer to the village were about to reap the consequences of their poor judgment skills.
"I didn't see much of your lesson. Did everything go well with Tersia?" Wyndia asked Ren curiously.
In the distance, Ren saw the kids that the dog girl had been teaching earlier. They were now taking care of the Dune monster on their own.
Rat, the woman who'd joined the village yesterday, was over there as well. It looked like she was examining how the kids were taking care of the monster and seeing if there was anything she'd need to correct or not.
"She did," Ren told her. "Tersia did very well."
Wyndia smiled again. "I'll look forward to seeing how well you do in our next lesson then."
The Sword Hero tried to smile back. He wondered if that'd be a good day for him or not.
He hoped so. He really did.
While Ren and Wyndia chatted amicably, Rat sighed to herself and walked over to the group of kids to show the kids the 'proper' way to clean a Dune's teeth.
Sensing a potential conflict if Wyndia turned around and spotted what the tanned woman was doing, Ren hefted their dragon egg on his back, and he took Wyndia away by the hand.
The Sword Hero and his girlfriend walked back to the communal kitchen for the third time that day. Grabbing themselves dinner and eating together with Eclair, before heading to the training arena for the last part of the Sword Hero's day.
"Focus!" Kth!
Ren held his wooden sword weapon form in front of him, blocking a downward strike Eclair had made toward his head.
The rose-haired swordswoman didn't relent, and quickly swung from the side, forcing Ren to step back as he parried one strike and blocked another. And then another. And then another. The swordswoman's chipped wooden sword didn't stop in its assault.
It was the final part of Ren's day. His evening swordsmanship training/sparring with Eclair. He'd actually managed to get through his whole day.
They'd started with some katas to warm up, and then she went over some different sword stances with Ren. Correcting his form as they went through each one.
Finally, they were at the sparring section of the training. A part that would be silent under normal circumstances. Eclair sometimes pushed him, but not usually to this extent.
That was probably Granny's fault, since she was the one watching over their battle, and was also the one who'd yelled at Eclair earlier.
"Let your energy flow into your weapon!" Granny yelled again. "Make your weapon a natural extension of yourself!"
Eclair didn't respond to the old lady, continuing to attack and deflect Ren's attempts to push her back.
Ren blinked the sweat out from his eyes, trying to hold onto the motivation Tersia had inspired in him earlier. He truly did want to improve. He wanted to become strong enough to fight alongside his friends again!
Kth! Kth!
His arms ached as he blocked two quick strikes from Eclair before he jumped back and parried a third strike to make space between them.
But right after he did so, Eclair's wooden sword glowed bright. Her eyes sharpened as she rushed forward, impossibly fast. Her sword moved in a blur of afterimages in front of her.
"Hengen Musou: Multi-Thrust!"
Ren's mouth gaped, he couldn't even react in time.
Kth!
Before her weapon made contact, however, Granny appeared between them. With a swing of her hoe, Eclair's wooden sword flew through the air, landing on the ground nearby.
...
And like that, the intense sparring session suddenly came to an end.
"Hm… hmhmhm." Far from looking displeased, Granny was smirking with delight. "Well done, Lady Seaetto. That was a near-perfect Hengen Musou: Multi-Thrust attack you pulled off there."
Eclair straightened, bowing respectfully to the old woman. "Master, what can I do to improve?"
"Ohoho!" Granny grinned widely as she set her hands on her hips. "Such eagerness! Are you certain you want to hold off on your sparring with the Sword Hero to learn more from me?!"
Eclair nodded, looking at Ren. "If I'm to be the best mentor for the Sword Hero, I must ensure that he won't beat me again in battle for a while yet."
Ren's face fell, and he almost sank to his knees in exhaustion and defeat.
However, just as he was falling, Wyndia appeared at his side. Their dragon egg was tied to her back as she helped him to stay upright. "Don't worry, Ren. You fought hard till the end."
"But… I couldn't even react to her last attack…" Ren muttered sadly.
"Oh, don't feel bad, Sword-dono." Granny approached the Sword Hero, her hands held behind her back and a pleased look on her face at his effort. "Multi-Thrust is a very fast attack that many veterans would struggle to defend against with all their years of experience. Your condition in particular makes you quite vulnerable to such fast strikes at the moment."
"However, instead of feeling shame, you should be proud that you were able to push Lady Seaetto to be able to harness her life force so quickly." She smiled proudly. "She has next to no innate talent for it. And yet she's learning faster than most practitioners I can remember training in my lifetime."
"I… well…" Ren struggled to speak. Fortunately, Granny continued, which kept him from having to say anything.
"Miss Seaetto already pushes herself hard enough in her training. But you're sturdy enough that she can go all out, as opposed to holding back like when she's sparring against other people, myself excluded." Granny bowed her head, still smiling as she did so.
"..." Ren looked down at the ground silently again.
There was a flash in his mind. A moment of his and Eclair's blades interlocked, with his vision tinged with orange.
"Hmmm…" Granny's smile disappeared, being replaced with a serious look as Ren fought to push the thought from his mind.
"Miss Seaetto, I believe some cooldown katas are in order for Sword-dono." Granny suddenly turned to the rose-haired swordswoman. Her hands were clasped behind her back.
Eclair tilted her head in confusion. "Were we not going to train further today?"
"No. We are done for tonight." Granny ordered firmly, for once, giving a worried look to the sweating and exhausted Sword Hero.
Wyndia also looked up at him with worry, but Ren tried not to look any of them in the eye. He was already on the verge of falling apart as it was.
Looking at him, Granny recalled a moment from a very long time ago. The look on Ren's face reminded the old lady of her own expression when she came back from a long trip. Only to find her town and the dojo she'd trained in since she was an infant;
On fire. Burning, as someone she'd called friend, laughed amid a sea of bodies.
…
She'd long since moved past that time in her life. But she knew better than most how hard it was to let go of that kind of pain.
When Ren was able to stand on his own, Wyndia moved to the side. Sitting down on a bench while hugging their dragon egg daughter to herself. All while watching him and Eclair go through the cooldown katas together. With the knight encouraging her pupil as she did so.
The haunted look in Ren's eyes didn't entirely fade, however. He was already trembling like he had that morning when the dog girl woke him up.
Wyndia's face saddened. She rubbed her hand along the surface of the egg, feeling the warmth of the creature within.
Ren continued to sweat. Feeling guilty, yet trying to focus on his cooldown exercises instead of his mind.
That was why he had to do this, after all. He had to keep himself constantly busy so that he could be distracted from his trauma. At least, until he found a way to overcome it. Whether on his own or with the help of his friends.
…
After ten more minutes, Eclair released Ren from the training arena. And with Wyndia walking at his side, the Sword Couple returned to their home.
Ren and Wyndia lay together in bed. Their dragon egg nestled between their legs like an electric warmer.
They had taken separate baths, changed into their pajamas, and gotten ready for bed. By this point, the haunted look had disappeared from Ren's eyes. But the Sword Hero looked incredibly exhausted after today.
However, soon after lying down, Wyndia spoke out.
"Ren?"
"What is it?" The Sword Hero asked quietly.
"I just want to make sure that you're doing ok." The dog girl replied. "I noticed the times you were struggling today, but didn't want to say anything."
"..." Ren opened his eyes and looked across his pillow at his girlfriend.
Wyndia's amber eyes stared back at him. Full of vulnerability, but also care. It was amazing how many different emotions he'd seen dancing across those beautiful irises each night since they got together.
Part of it still felt like a dream to him. Like, at any moment, he'd wake up, and find out the last couple of weeks had all been a lie. That he had murdered all of his friends, and…
Ren's hand reached over, and Wyndia grasped it in hers, bringing it to her cheek where she nuzzled against it.
Her hands felt warm and delicate. Riddled with callouses from her time training with a sword, though she had been spending more time practicing her magic lately.
Not the hands of a swordswoman like Eclair, nor the hands of a mage like Tersia and Farrie. Perhaps a spellsword would have been an apt term to describe them?
The thought made Ren smile a little. What mattered was that they were warm. That she was alive.
"I'm doing a bit better now." He admitted. "Now that I'm here with you."
Wyndia smiled in relief. Her hands still holding onto his.
…
The two slowly talked to each other about their day. Even though she'd spent most of it near or beside him, that hadn't meant Wyndia had been idle.
She told him about her studies with standard fire magic. How she was close to maybe being able to cast drifa tier in that category. She also told him a little of what she'd found in the Hero Books she'd read with Rachel that day. The things that weren't smut-related, at least.
There were some details like descriptions of past Heroes or places they'd been in the world that survived on the pages. But it was mind-boggling how little there was about things outside of M-rated activities between Heroes and their spouses or members of their harems.
Wyndia also told Ren about how her application of Gem Magic was going alongside her use of typical Earth Vein magic. She was garnering a better understanding of the kind of magic she could use with gemstones. And was even thinking of ways where she could combine vitality from them with vitality from sources around her to cast more complex Earth Vein Magic.
She had a ways to go in that regard, but having a goal to work towards and the passion that appeared in her eyes as she described it was mesmerizing to the young man.
Ren also talked about his day a little. From how he'd felt about his accomplishments to his vulnerabilities that came up in certain moments.
This was something he also normally did each night if he felt good enough to do so. He didn't know if being honest like this would help him out or not. But Wyndia made sure to listen attentively every time he did so. And tonight was no exception.
When the two were finally finished talking, they simply lay on their sides. Gazing into one another's eyes as more stars appeared outside their bedroom window.
Their hands had moved to rub the warm dragon egg still resting between them. But the two of them stayed staring at one another.
"Do you think… we'll be able to spend more nights like this together?" Wyndia suddenly asked. "After… after you get better."
"What do you mean?" Ren asked in turn.
"..." A troubled look passed through Wyndia's eyes, and while she felt like turning away, she forced herself to stay looking at her Hero. "If… when, you get better… will we be able to stay like this? Being as open and loving with each other as we are now."
"Will be able to experience this kind of intimacy when we're older?"
…
"..." Ren sighed, but his hand resting on the dragon egg moved to touch hers again. "I don't even know how long it'll take for me to get back to my old self at this point… but when I do…
"... I'd love it if you stayed beside me, Wyndia." He admitted to her. "I'd really love it, because I love you."
…
"..." Wyndia remained silent, tearing up just a little as she moved her head forward, kissing Ren on the lips before settling her head beside his.
"Alright… I promise that I'll help you to have another good day tomorrow then." She whispered. "And however many good days you'll need after that before you're able to stand on your own again."
Ren kissed her on the forehead, his arm moving to wrap around her back.
Tersia's words came back to his mind about making sure to not become too dependent on Wyndia, as it could affect their relationship down the line.
If she was the only one giving in their relationship, then he'd never be able to live with himself.
He… didn't want to be selfish like that. Not after Wyndia had shown just how big of a heart she had. He wanted to be able to give to her in return.
"I'll help you have a good day tomorrow as well," Ren whispered.
Wyndia sighed in contentment, falling into a deep sleep as she relaxed against the heat of her Sword Hero and the dragon the two would be raising together soon.
…
Ren… didn't know if tomorrow would be a good day or not. It depended on if he didn't dream that night… or didn't have an episode during the day. Which was more likely on the days when he did have a nightmare.
But… even though he had a nightmare last night, he'd managed to avoid having an Episode today, even if he had come close there at the end… and he really, really liked the scent of his girlfriend filling his nose. Her heat soaked into his body and helped his tired muscles to relax. And she cared for him so deeply and was also pondering on the future they'd have together when he'd finally recover from his curse and trauma, and…
He didn't know what tomorrow would bring… but as long as Wyndia and the others were at his side, Ren would have plenty of more good days down the road. He was sure of it.
With that thought in mind, Ren closed his eyes and finally drifted off to sleep.
Smiling softly as he did so.
…
…
Ren felt something shove him with enough force to send him flying. The attack was still coming down from above. What had thrown him…
He slowly looked back. His eyes falling on two, good, loyal friends.
…
The two's gazes focused on Ren, their lips curving into smiles. Welt and Bakta's hands slowly raised to their heads, giving their friend one final salute.
Ren's hand reached out, a soundless cry on his lips.
…
"Do..."
Hunger…
"Do you seek…"
So much hunger.
"D& Y$U S&&K P W&R?!"
Gluttony. An endless abyss.
…
"You bastard! How dare you steal my exp!"
The Sword Hero had stabbed straight through Itsuki.
Blood burst from the Bow Hero's mouth.
…
"Wyndia!" Eclair finally caught up and jumped at Ren from behind, bringing her sword down.
However, this time, Ren quickly turned around. Eclair found herself stunned in midair as she realized that in her haste she left herself exposed.
His sword hit hers out of the way, disarming her, and while Eclair was still in midair, his foot came up and slammed into her chest, sending her rocketing back.
…
"This could give you the power to kill the Guardian Beast! But it will also drive you to kill my daughter and everyone else you care about! Please, you have to stop before it's too late!" Gaelion cried out.
"N̴̢͍̞̥̎̈́O̸̜͖͑͘!̶̞̞̝̬̑̐ ̴̬̮̅͛͐̆͜ͅI̶̖̬̋ ̵̦͗N̸̥̋͠E̶̠͖̪̹̋E̵̝͐̋̿D̴̰̦̥́̐̌̀ ̶̪͇͂̑̀͝M̶̛̫͎̟̔͜Ǫ̵̳̥̠̾̎̇R̶̢̛̲̖E̵̱̰̾̚!̷̝̳̇͜" Ren screamed, overrunning the dragon's own voice.
…
"No, Ren! Please!" Tears fell from Wyndia's face.
"Let this foolish sinner pay for her transgressions with an execution by beheading!"
"With nary the time to scream, let her own head be separated from her torso…"
"Ren…" His name fell off her lips, all the love, care, and hurt she felt coming from her voice. "Please… don't do this…
"I love you..."
But Ren didn't pause. "And then she shall know despair!"
"Guillotine!"
…
…
…
…
…
Ren stared at the scene before him. His hand reached forward in shock.
He'd gotten out of his Cursed Series, but it was already too late.
His friends lay on the bloodstained ground around him, all dead.
Tersia, Farrie, Blue, Naofumi, Motoyasu, Itsuki, Eclair.
Everyone. Every last one.
And in the center of them all was Wyndia. Her body still resting on the guillotine he'd summoned, her head floating on the surface of the blood-filled lake. Her hollow, lifeless amber eyes stared at him.
"N-No! WYNDIA!"
Her mouth slowly moved on its own.
"... your… fault…"
It couldn't be! She was still alive, this was all just a dream!
He hadn't killed her! HE HADN'T WANTED TO KILL ANYONE!
"Your fault." Her voice came out, much clearer this time, though twisted and hungry.
Ba-Thump! Ba-Thump! Ba-Thump! Ba-Thump!
Ren put his hands to his ears and closed his eyes, trying to block out the voice. But it kept on repeating, coming from the mouths of all his former comrades as his heart hammered in his chest.
"Your fault."
"Your fault."
"Your fault."
"Your fault."
BA-THUMP! BA-THUMP! BA-THUMP! BA-THUMP!
He started to run. To scream. To get away from the sight before him.
But as the Sword Hero ran, he tripped on something, falling forward.
Looking back, he saw two halves of a tower shield. Burned to cinders, and cut clean in half by his weapon.
"Your fault." "Your fault." "Your fault." "Your fault." "Your fault."
Ren struggled to get up in vain as the lake of blood began to devour him. He wanted to cover his ears to drown out the cries of the damned, but his arms were busy flailing uselessly around as he fought to stay afloat and breathe. His heart felt like it was beating in his ears.
BA-THUMP BA-THUMP BA-THUMP BA-THUMP!
There was no escape.
There was nowhere for him to go.
His sins were laid bare before his eyes.
BA-THUMP! BA-THUMP! BA-THUMP! BA-
And then, all at once, the cacophony of the damned stopped.
One voice spoke for them all.
"It's all your fault, Ren."
The Sword Hero opened his eyes.
His girlfriend's disembodied head floated on the blood in front of his face.
Ren's eyes widened in shock as her mouth twisted into a disdainful sneer.
"If only you'd been strong enough to save us, Sword Hero."
With that, his body vanished under the crimson waves. Ren sunk deeper and deeper; screaming as the blood of his friends drowned him.
"NO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Wyndia bolted upright in bed. "Ren?!"
Ren's body spasmed where he lay. His arms and legs twisted every which way. The gemstone of his Sword, attached to his side, was glowing a dangerous orange.
"EVERYONE! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!" Ren continued to scream.
"Re-" As Wyndia began to shout, one of Ren's clenched fists moved towards her.
The girl reacted, her eyes widening to alertness as she ducked under the unintended blow. She then reached out, grabbing the dragon egg from between her and the Sword Hero before diving back out of the bed.
Her reaction time was perfect, as no sooner had she gotten their daughter out of harm's way when Ren's fist slammed into the mattress where she'd been. The shockwave from the impact went through the mattress and cracked the bed frame beneath.
"R-Ren, what are you doing?!" Wyndia stammered in shock as she got off the floor.
"I DIDN'T WANT TO KILL THEM! PLEASE!" He continued to scream. The orange of his weapon's gemstone continued to brighten. A malevolent aura was starting to come out of the Sword Hero.
It was then that Wyndia realized what was happening to her boyfriend.
"WYNDIA!"
And his cry for help made her act again before she could think.
Wyndia put their dragon egg on the nightstand behind her before she threw herself at the Sword Hero, dodging past his spasming limbs and latching her body onto his torso, restraining him.
"WYNDIA, TERSIA, EVERYONE, I'M SORRY! I'M SO SORRY!"
The dog girl hugged onto the Sword Hero with all her might even as he continued to convulse in her grip. She was managing to keep him from hurting himself, but now she had to wake him up somehow.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Slam!
The door to the room burst open as Farrie and Tersia dashed in. The two were dressed in their nightgowns, but both were wide awake.
"Wyndia! Ren!" Farrie shouted, a worried look on her face.
"What happened?!" Tersia yelled next.
Wyndia didn't reply. She could feel Ren's heart hammering in his chest. It was all she could do just to hold on without him throwing her off.
"EVERYONE! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Tersia and Farrie stood in shock. Taking a step back as a heavy wave of malevolence burst from the weapon on Ren's side.
This… this felt exactly like what they'd felt long ago facing the Spirit Tortoise. But they'd been so far away then.
This close, they were frozen by fear. Neither of them could move.
"Ren, I'm here." Wyndia cried, hugging her Hero tight as fear filled her core. "I'm right here."
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Wyndia had no idea what to do. Adrenaline was pumping through her veins. She felt so afraid of what was happening.
A part of her wanted to run away. To hide. To not confront this thing that was trying to take control of her boyfriend again.
…
But the other part wanted to stay. To help. To be there for Ren until he was okay. Just like back then.
And right now, that part of her was the one that remained in control.
The dog girl laid her head against Ren's chest. She ignored her adrenaline trying to trigger her fight or flight responses and instead began to breathe in and out deeply in a calm manner.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Ren continued to scream. The malevolent aura of his Weapon not fading in the slightest.
"Ren, I'm here," Wyndia whispered this time. Tears slowly gathered in her eyes. "I'm right here.
"I'll always be right here. I'm not going anywhere."
"You didn't kill anyone. We are all okay."
"You're going to be okay… you're going to be okay… you're going to be okay..."
One of Wyndia's hands began to rub Ren's back. She might have not realized it, but she was acting to ground the Sword Hero back to reality. Guiding him out of his realistic nightmare so he could wake up and not pull out his Cursed Weapon.
The two mage girls stepped forward, still looking afraid. They were scared of the evil aura emanating from the gemstone of Ren's sword. That their friends were going to get hurt if either of them did anything.
...
But as the seconds ticked by, Wyndia's efforts paid off.
Ren's body began to convulse less and less. His screams lessened to cries, and then to sobs. The orange of his gemstone began to fade, until, finally, almost a minute later, it turned back to a dull, tired blue.
The cursed presence that'd surrounded the young boy had vanished back into the darkness of the night.
…
"Is… is everyone alright?"
Farrie and Tersia looked back in the doorway, finding Eclair standing there. One hand held up a ball of light, while the other held the hilt of her sheathed weapon. Unlike the two mages, she was dressed in her knight armor.
Farrie and Tersia stood still and said nothing. Partly because they still couldn't comprehend what they'd witnessed.
They were only brought back to reality as Ren's wakeful, heart-wrenching cries hit their ears.
"I'm sorry… I'm so, so sorry."
Ren had awoken, but he was not doing well.
"It's fine. Everything is going to be fine." Wyndia cried as well as she continued to embrace her traumatized hero. Doing her best to try and calm him down. "It was all just a bad dream. Nothing more."
"I, I almost hurt you." Ren continued to cry. His head was buried into his girlfriend's shoulder. "I almost gave in."
The dog girl's eyes found her friends, and she choked back a sob. Her eyes expressed a multitude of emotions. The fear she'd felt. The pain she was in. And above all that, a cry for help.
Not for her, but for the boy in her arms. Because that was how selfless she was.
Tersia and Farrie, shocked out of their stupor, immediately felt ashamed at their initial inaction, and at their friend's pleading stare, they immediately moved to rectify their mistake.
Farrie moved to the nightstand, picking the dragon egg up to warm it. Tersia sat by the couple on the bed, running a motherly hand through the Sword Hero's hair.
She began to sing a soft lullaby she'd learned while training as a nun to help kids she'd look after to sleep better.
It wasn't long before Farrie joined in the tune as well. And, once she was sure the Sword Couple's daughter was nice and warm, she joined in hugging the Sword Hero opposite Wyndia.
Eclair didn't enter the room. In part, because she'd frozen just like the other two at the all too familiar malevolent feeling that'd washed over her earlier. But she also didn't enter because she knew that she wasn't good at comforting others. Not with something like this.
That was not a role she could fill as Ren's mentor. She could help him out physically, but not mentally, and certainly not emotionally, which was what he needed more of right now.
So instead, she did what she was good at, and stood guard in front of the Sword Hero's house. Talking to the knights and townspeople who'd rushed to find out the source of the commotion.
She let none of them pass. While she didn't like doing it, she lied to them, telling the worried townspeople that a monster had attacked the Sword Hero's home while he was asleep.
The monster had been taken care of. Everyone was alright. Nightly patrols around the village would be doubled, and measures would be taken to ensure something like that didn't happen to anyone else.
The townspeople bought it. The knights groaned since their patrols had already been doubled after Motoyasu began traveling to Zeltoble, but regardless, they accepted Eclair's orders.
Only Melty would learn the truth of what happened from the rose-haired knight, while the Sword Hero and his party wouldn't be disturbed for the rest of the night.
Ren did eventually calm down, thanks to the other's efforts. But he didn't let go of his girlfriend, crying into her shoulder as his throat was too hoarse to speak.
Wyndia continued to cry as well but began to whisper into his ear again. Saying things to comfort him. To comfort all of them.
"We're going to be fine, Ren."
"You didn't hurt anybody."
"You aren't to blame for what happened."
"We're all safe now."
"We won't let that thing control you ever again."
"We'll always be here for you, Ren."
"I promise. We all promise that."
Tersia and Farrie tried to say their own words as well, but couldn't. They still felt ashamed of themselves for being unable to step up when Ren had needed his friends.
So they remained silent, humming soft tunes from long ago as the hours ticked on…
…
And though their efforts did work in the end, Ren wasn't able to fall asleep for the rest of that night.
The next day, and the day after that, the Sword Hero didn't leave his home.
Wyndia stayed by his side the entire time as promised, keeping their dragon egg daughter warm between them while attempting to help him feel better.
To get him to talk. To sleep. To at least eat… or something.
But the boy didn't eat much, and he slept even less.
He didn't do his morning jog. Nor his blacksmith training. He didn't practice magic, and he certainly didn't work on his swordsmanship.
He just existed, hardly saying a word whenever he was addressed.
He never said what it was that he saw in his latest nightmare. And no one was in a hurry to press him for details.
Farrie and Tersia especially had come to learn for themselves what exactly they were protecting Ren from. And the two were striving harder than ever to be able to help Ren whenever he needed it.
And yet, nothing anyone did could remove the haunted look that'd moved to stay in the Sword Hero's eyes. The feeling of hopelessness and despair that emanated from his heart.
That this pain was never going to come to an end.
…
Not even Blue's successful return after passing Fitoria's Trial could soften his pain.
It was like he was back at square one all over again…
…
…
Such was the nature of Ren's recovery. With one step forward, and two steps back.
Even if he was getting better, and even though he had everyone helping him out, it would be a long while yet before the Sword Hero of Legend became whole once again.
Author's Notes:
My poor Sword Boy, I hope you'll recover from your traumas. I wish it could be an easy thing to overcome.
There are good days, and then there are bad days. And then there are really, really, REALLY bad days even after all the good days. And those days just make life that much more miserable to deal with, whether you have help or not.
I sincerely hope and pray that for anyone reading this who has experienced this in their lives, that you will have the strength to persevere and overcome the challenges before you. No matter how big or how small they appear to you or those around you. And I hope as well that you'll have help from the people who care about you the most.
Till Next Time
Allen