Chapter 61: Risk
"Books? Check. Uniforms? Check. Clothes? Check. Ointments and potions? Check. Cage? Check—ah, lock it so that Silky won’t open it with his beak," Ahara commanded her brother before turning back to the paper in her hand, ticking all the boxes after making sure Damien had the things written next to them.
The sound of metal clanging lightly on the cage filled the room as Damien locked it. Silky tried brushing his beak on the boy, but Damien was careful not to let that sharp mouth graze his skin. He had stopped Ahara from having it trimmed and curved to avoid damage once the bird decided to peck and something—only to become Silky’s prime target after saving him from momentary pain.
"Do you have your oblong on you?"
"Yes—tsk," Damien hissed after Silky managed to get a jab at his hand. "Are you sure I’m Silky’s master or is this you trying to avoid taking care of him whilst I’m gone?"
Ahara glanced at her brother. "Don’t start a fight before leaving Damien. What if you found me dead when you return and the last conversation you remember of us was a fight?"
"Please stop saying such depressing stuff."
"I’m not saying it because I want to, but because you need to know what line of work you’re signing yourself up for. Going to a hero school means you have to be a hero until the day you retire. It’s like signing up to be a soldier despite having so many career options at hand," Ahara explained.
"I signed up for that, and that means I have to live with my decision. I’ve already received an area to oversee in the human world and I’m switching places with the assigned hero there next week...my warning is a bit validated you know."
Damien wanted to tell her she would survive, but after listening to her and Kingston’s fighting tales, he couldn’t. There was a high chance that Ahara could die during her hunts despite her rank—he’d almost seen it himself that night one month ago. But still, saying that an hour before Damien’s departure was kind of...