Two Minutes

A Shift

Kenzo stopped at the door to the dungeon, looking down at her ring. Two charges? What the hell, it had just been three! She glared down at the ring. That was five charges now. What the hell was going on? She put her hand on the door handle, then stopped. Was it whatever was down here? She growled lightly and swung the door open, walking down the steps. The door slammed hard behind her. As she approached the cells, the torches lit themselves. She turned toward the occupied cell as she approached it, ready to yell at what lay before her. Instead of some big knight or sorcerer, she found a small girl cowering in the corner. She stood there a moment, shocked, then softly smiled. She opened the door. She felt a shift in her gut and stopped walking. She grabbed hard onto the door, then stood back upright and continued walking in. The girl cried out in fear for a moment before Kenzo spoke out with a motherly tone, "Hey, hey... I'm not here to hurt you." The girl trembled, but stopped whimpering. "Good. Now, could you tell me your name?"

"..F-Faith."

"That's a pretty name." Kenzo smiled warmly at the girl and grabbed her hand, carefully shaking it. "My name is Kenzo. I think there's been a mistake, you shouldn't be in here."

"Wh..what?"

"Come, come, I'll get you out of this dark place." She helped Faith to her feet and wrapped her arm around the girl, protecting her from any prying eyes as she took the girl out of the dungeon.

They walked across the manor. Kenzo opened the door to her room and pulled the girl in with her, closing the door behind her. She looked at Faith, who seemed a little flustered for some reason. "Please, have a seat," Kenzo said, motioning to the bed. Faith sat down on the bed, looking up shyly towards the Demoness. She looked down at Faith questioningly, not having a plan.

"Wh-what are you going to do with me?"

"I'm--" She paused, thinking. She smiled softly, cupping the girl's cheek. "To be honest, I don't know. You're not in trouble and I'm not going to hurt you, alright?" The scared girl leaned into her hand, somewhat blushing.

"O-okay..."

"Are you hungry?"

"Uhm.. y-y-yes?"

"Okay, stay here, I'll get you something to eat." Kenzo patted her head and left the room. Faith remained seated on the bed, confused. Was she a captive? Why was the Demoness being so nice? Her stomach fluttered a little. She looked towards the door and shifted nervously. She didn't feel nervous like she was scared. She felt nervous in a different, unexplainable way. There was a knock on the door, then Kenzo walked in, holding an apple. "You like these, right?"

"U-uh, ye-yeah."

"Good." Kenzo gave the girl the apple. She carefully looked over it before looking back at the Demoness. She smiled and nodded in response. Faith took a bite of the apple, determined it was fine, and kept eating. Kenzo sat next to her and lightly patted her back. "Are you feeling a little better now?"

"Y-yeah, kind of..." She swallowed hard and shivered a little at the contact. "Wh-why are you being so nice? A-aren't I your... captive?"

"No. I did say you were in there by mistake, didn't I?" She chuckled softly, rubbing the girl's side. "I can't just lock you up. That's not fair for you, and it makes me feel bad. Sleeping on that cold, hard floor. No, no, you can sleep in here with me."

"Wh-what do you mean?" Faith asked, blushing more.

"I am the Lord of this manor. No one enters my room without permission. As such, this is the safest place for you. Is that easier to understand?" Faith looked nervous, but nodded, seeming to understand a little.

The two sat there for a while silently. Eventually, the girl leaned over and laid her head against the Demoness' shoulder, "I-I'm feeling a little tired."