Kartan’s Orphanage

Morgana and her party made their way to the orphanage of Kartan as the little girl slumbered in the trickster's arms.

"Hey, sis," called Ray as they walked. "Is she going to be okay there? You said this place sucked…"

Morgana understood his worries, as taking a child to the orphanage of a city filled with crime didn't sound like the best idea. However, that wasn't entirely her plan.

The building was located far from the main street, which was a measure to prevent kidnappers from going for the kids, as they would have to cross the entire city with their hostages.

That didn't completely stop crime from happening there, but it reduced the number of break-ins and kidnappings they suffered constantly.

Morgana knew of the place since the last time she tried saving Kartan, the workers at the orphanage proved to be the only decent people in the city.

Hoping their attitude hadn't changed over the last century, she was determined to take the girl there for the time being.

When they arrived at the orphanage, two level-35 guards stood outside the shabby gate, their armor looking just as bad.

"Hey, there! Can we come in for a moment and talk with the caretakers?" said the trickster with a friendly expression.

The guards, noticing the little girl in her arms and the teenagers behind, said that only one person could go inside with the child.

The trickster understood that it was a measure for them in case the group wanted to set a trap, as the guards believed that they could fight one person but not an entire party if they planned on doing something shady.

Morgana nodded and said she would be going in, making the teenagers wait outside the gates with expectancy.

Walking toward the main door of the building, the trickster observed the sad state of the garden. Its flowers were withered, the grass looked brown and dry, and the fountain had no water.

Inside, she was received by a young woman in a simple dress with a broom in her hands.

"Oh, hello! C-can I help you with anything?" asked the woman, seemingly nervous.

"I found this child on the main street. I was thinking you could take care of her for a few days…" responded Morgana, noticing the woman's sad expression.

"Th-this is probably not a good time…" she said while clenching her broom.

"Why is that?"

"Five days ago, the orphanage was raided by a group of bandits who kidnapped all of the children and one of the caretakers. We asked the guards for help, but they said they are looking into it…" said the woman, her voice laced with fear.

"I see… Then let me help," declared Morgana, her eyes determined as she stared at the worker.

"Wh-what?" the woman asked, but the trickster cut her off.

"I have a party waiting outside. Let them protect the place while I go look for the children," she said with a commanding tone.

At that moment, an older woman wearing the same type of dress as the other worker entered the room with a serious expression.

"May I ask why are you willing to help us?" she asked softly.

Feeling the effects of her "omni-sense," Morgana could tell that the old woman was using appraisal on her.

The old worker smiled nervously. "C-could this be real?" she asked, her eyes turning wide as she saw the woman's name in front of her.

"You see now?" asked Morgana, leaving the young worker puzzled about what was happening.

The old worker, in turn, nodded and said she understood. She went outside and told the guards the let the teenagers inside the building.

The two workers sat across the party and introduced themselves before explaining the events that had transpired a few days back. The old lady was "Tilly," and the younger was "Bailey."

During the night that the bandits infiltrated, they killed the two guards they had at the gate before the current ones. Tilly was tied up and thrown to the ground in the living room, and Bailey was hit in the back of the head, rendering her unconscious.

The other young caretaker, called "Vivian," convinced the bandits that they would need someone to take care of the children and kidnapped her along with them. However, she was beaten for speaking to the bandit's leader beforehand.

Tilly recognized them as a bandit clan called "The Roaches" that gathered at the center of the city, and they were known for being one of the most prominent slave traders in Kartan.

The old caretaker deduced that something must have happened to their slave trading business, as they had never tried to attack the orphanage before. But after noticing the city guards disregarding her complaints, she suspected them of being in cahoots with the bandits.

By the end of the story, the little girl opened her eyes and clenched Morgana's collar.

"Mom?" the little girl muttered lowly.

But the trickster didn't respond. Instead, she held the girl's hand and answered with another question. "How are you feeling?"

"G-good…"

"Do you have a name?" she asked in a soft tone.

The little girl shook her head in denial.

"Do you know what happened to your parents?"

"Parents?" asked the girl, confused.

"Your mom and dad. Do you know where they are?"

"My mom? Is not you?"

"I…" Morgana stopped her sentence, noticing that tears were forming under the blind girl's eyes.

In response, the trickster placed her hand on the girl's head. "I'm not your real mother. But you can call me that if you want," she said, her tone soft and sweet.

The girl nodded and kept hugging Morgana.

"As for you…" she continued while slowly placing both of her palms on the girl's cheeks.

"Your name will be Selene."

Casting one last appraisal on the child, she confirmed that her name was recorded and introduced her to the rest of the party and caretakers, telling her they would look after her for the next few days.

The girl seemed apprehensive at first, but after hearing the kind voice of the others present, she relaxed while her new mom went out into the city to look for the lost children.

However, before leaving, she left a couple of fried rice bowls for the teenagers to feed the child and also for them and the caretakers to eat something.