Konna

~Chapter 7~

I jolted awake. As I opened my eyes, I felt a dull throb of pain from my arm. But, what surprised me more was the sharp pain coming from my horn. It was as if someone was trying to rip it off. As my eyes focused, I noticed a young boy in front of me. He had golden hair and inquisitive blue eyes. He had a small frame and was likely no older than 6 years old. He was leaning back, tugging hard with all his might at my horn. I stared menacingly at the boy before changing back to my human form. My horns and wings vanished. Due to the momentum, the boy lost his balance and fell on his butt. The boy gazed at me with a feeling of being wronged before shuddering at my cold expression. He then started to cry shrilly. I had an urge to tape his mouth shut. His pitiful cries were like the sound produced by nails against a chalkboard. 

The sudden loud wails caused Renna to wake up. When she noticed the little crying boy, Renna looked at me with a disapproving gaze. The small boy ran over to Renna and buried his face in her chest as he continued to cry. Renna patted his head, trying to console him.

"You shouldn't bully a child tut tut tut," Renna scolded me.

I looked back at her with an unamused expression. "Why would I?" I shook my head and looked at the little boy. "Those are the consequences of his own actions."

"What do you mean?" Renna inquired.

"Ask the boy."

Renna gently pulled the boy away from her chest and wiped away his tears. She said in a gentle tone, "young lad, do you mind telling big sis what happened?"

The boy pointed a finger accusingly at me. "She bully me!"

I was beyond speechless. When I looked at the boy, he secretly stuck out his pink tongue at me. I could feel my heart become colder. I walked over to the boy. Before anyone could react, I picked him up by his leg and let him dangle upside-down. "Tell the truth," I said coldly.

"I no mean to!" whimpered the boy. "I no mean to!" he repeated. His small body trembled from fear. I shook the boy. He started to hiccup and wail again. I felt a headache coming on.

"Waaaaahh, mean lady, let go!"

"Not until you tell the truth." I sighed inside. This child was poorly educated. Not only hadn't he apologised, he wouldn't own up to his own mistake.

"Hic, I want the horn. Mean lady give me. I want, I want, I want!"

Renna drew a sharp breath in, "horn?" She then looked at me. "Don't tell me he saw..."

I nodded in response. "He pulled my horn and then fell."

Renna imagined that comical image in her head. She then chuckled, "so it's like this. He unlikely knows your true identity. Don't worry." Renna took the boy from me and carried him in her arms. The boy started crying even harder. She patted his back and said in a coaxing tone, "you cannot have the lady's horn. Butttt, I can give you something better." Renna magically produced a lollipop. The boy's eyes lit up. He stopped crying and hastily reached out to snatch the lollipop from Renna's hands. Renna moved the lollipop out of the child's reach. Renna shook her head, "except you must apologise first. You cannot take what others own nor should you lie."

The little boy nodded obediently and turned to look at me. "I'm sorry." I slightly nodded. Renna then gave the boy the lollipop. He happily took it and began sucking it. Renna set him down to sit and then produced some clean clothes from her storage ring.

"Here change into these Kocho. You look like a mess."

"Thanks." What a compliment.

The outfit was a thick black sweater with ripped blue jeans. There was also a poofy black coat. I went to a secluded place to change out of my torn clothes. I put back on my blindfold. After changing I returned back to where Renna and the little boy were. I heard Renna ask the little boy, "where are your parents?"