Level Up Saintess

I can’t believe what I’m hearing.

 

I know that the birds were described to me as being a ‘warlike race’, but I didn’t expect their thought processes to be so… primitive. It makes me sad that Kale grew up in a place where might makes right like that...

 

“So… They don’t want anything at all?”

 

Kale nodded, and his eyes opened once more to look upon the other birds.

 

“They believe any pain or humiliation that they suffered is only right for having lost. The apology that you mentioned earlier was lost upon them, Saintess, and they expect and want for no such thing. Now that they know they’ve been freed and won’t be killed, they only wish to return to their homes and see their loved ones again, even if it is in disgrace.”

 

The onlooking birds simply nodded along to his words, looking hopefully between him and me.

 

Wow. I didn’t expect this... In a way, I feel like it isn’t right. I feel like they should be given more. But giving them things that they don’t even want won’t be for their betterment at all; It will only be for my own personal satisfaction, which shouldn’t matter in this case.

 

…I feel like such an idiot for strong-arming those two to apologize now.

I guess it’s still good that I forced them to look at what they’d done though, although I should have totally handled it better.

 

“Then if that’s all they want… I guess they can just leave now.”

 

Kale gave a small respective nod.

 

“Thank you, Saintess.”

 

All the birds mimicked his words of thanks and then crowded around me, shutting their eyes and rustling their feathers as they all stroked down my arms and back while muttering words under their breath. They repeated the strange acts on Kale as well, and then as each of them completed the strange ritual they were performing, they suddenly spread their arms to the sky, and with a mighty flap, they ascended, flying away.

 

By the end, only Kale was left.

I turned to him with a baffled face.

 

“What… What was that?”

 

“Forgive them, Saintess. They were praying to the Bird God for you in thanks.”

 

The Bird God?! There were other gods here?!

 

“I’ve never even heard of the Bird God before!”

 

“That… is because they aren’t really a god, but one of the many demi gods- The many divine beasts. Only certain beast-tribes really remember or worship them.”

 

Oh, I see. I still didn’t know about those either, though. Don’t think there’s a single mention about them anywhere in the theology books I’ve been reading, either. You’d think there would be, considering they’re demi-gods and all. Wouldn’t that mean that they’d be the Goddess’s children or something along those lines? Or maybe they aren’t real? They could totally just end up being some tribal superstitions or something. Best not to delve into it too deeply right now then, and possibly upset Kale.

 

Besides, it’s hard to tell, but ever since he started talking about the ‘Bird God’, he’s looked a teensy bit down.

Let’s change the subject!

 

“So what will you do now, Kale? Will you be flying home too, like them?”

 

Kale’s slightly melancholic eyes suddenly opened in all their falcon-like glory, as they’d done the last few times we’d met, focusing on me and scanning me over intensively. I’m happy that they didn’t look sad anymore, but I kind of wish he’d kept that nice classic Kale-like look in his eyes while he looked at me…

 

“I will stay here with the Saintess, as you wished.”

 

“Oh.”

 

I didn’t think he remembered me saying that. Here I was, fully prepared to have to make my case again! Although it’s not like I wouldn’t have let him go home if that’s what he wished… I certainly would have made sure to come along though. I should do my best not to bring it up again and have him change his mind.

 

I should also do my best not to let the smile blossoming on my face rip it in half.

 

“...If that’s the case… then I’m happy.”

 

~~~

 

I didn’t have anywhere else to keep Kale for now, and I didn’t want him wandering around and bumping into Meria or the quiet priest, so I brought him to my room while I figured out what I should do for now. I sat down on my bed and tugged his hand that I’d been holding this whole time, trying to get him to sit next to me, but he just stood rigidly in place and continued scanning me with his wide eyes.

 

While I was patting the spot next to me still trying to get him to sit, Chella entered the room, and for some reason I let go of Kale’s hand like I’d been caught doing something I shouldn’t have.

Chella crossed her arms and gave Kale one quick look up and down, and then turned her gaze to me.

 

“The birds have been freed I see.”

 

“Um… Yeah, that’s the case.”

 

Something about the piercing look in her eyes had me hunching my shoulders like a guilty child.

 

“...And so you immediately brought this ‘Kale’ of yours to our room? Arissa, if you’re gonna do something indecent with him, then do it somewhere where I don’t sleep, please.”

 

“What?! Chella!”

 

Ah crap, is that what this looks like? No wonder Kale didn’t want to sit on the bed with me…

 

I glanced over to look at his face and make sure he didn’t look too weirded out, but he still looked normal as ever, and honestly… It kinda made me a bit disappointed. It’s not like I’d do anything to him when he barely even knows me, but still, I’d like for him to at least be a little embarrassed, you know?

 

He’s only been calling me a Saintess this whole time too, so maybe he doesn’t see me as a woman?

Or maybe he just thinks I’m too young…

 

My hand on the bed fisted the sheets before I even knew what I was doing, and my eyes dropped down sadly to my knees.

 

“...I was just trying to talk to him. I promise we weren’t going to do anything else.”

 

Chella looked between Kale and I with her narrowed eyes one more time and then made a small dismissive snort.

 

“Don’t lie to me. You think I care what the two of you get up to? It’s not like I have some chip on my shoulder about it; I did grow up in a brothel.”

 

“Hey! I told you, we weren’t doing anything!”

 

“Yeah yeah, sure. Here, take this.”

 

Chella uncrossed her arms and tossed a key next to my hand on the bed.

 

“It’s the key to the room next door; Bishop Rekland told me to give it to you for Kale. Maybe take your little ‘talk’ over there.”

 

“Wha- I said it’s not-!”

 

But before I could finish, Chella had strolled herself out of the room.

With her gone like a storm, and after everything she said, I was left feeling horribly awkward towards Kale.

 

“Um…”

 

I let my eyes wander for a moment until my hand slowly grasped the key and brought it up between us.

 

“...Do you want to go check out the room?”

 

It was the first thing that I could think of after desperately grabbing for topics, so it definitely came out without me getting to think it over, and oh man did I immediately regret saying it. I mean, I was literally just feeling embarrassed from Chella insinuating we were going to do dirty things, and then as soon as she left I offered to take Kale to the room she implied we could screw in.

 

Gosh Arissa, this is really just a great day for talking for you, isn’t it? Really, just the best.

God dammit...

 

…Am I still allowed to say that…?

 

“Yes, I would like that, Saintess.”

 

Kale’s unexpected answer broke me out of me stewing in my self hatred. I can’t believe he just said that, like absolutely nothing was wrong! Well, I guess he didn’t really have a reaction to what Chella had been teasing me with just now anyways, so either he wasn’t taking it very seriously because he knew it wasn’t like that, or just like I thought, he completely doesn’t see me in that way.

 

Or… Maybe if I’m willing to get my hopes up, he does see me in that way, and he’s perfectly okay with it happening?

But then why was he so against sitting next to me on the bed?!

 

Urgh, why is this bird so hard to understand?!