Surprised beyond words, he never thought he would see again. Let alone meet her again so soon. She gestures over to the bench next to him if it's okay for her to sit on the bench itself.

“Oh uh, sure good ahead.” He said.

She then limps over to the wooden bench as she took a seat. She then let out a relieved sigh as it would seem she was exhausted from limp around with a cast leg. Saul looks down at her foot and thinks that she might have twisted her ankle when she ran away. But he was relieved to see that she was okay at least. He smiled and leaned back in his wheelchair letting out a sigh of relief. The girl then looks over to him and noticed his arms were covered in bandages and some dried blood was coming out of them. She then waved her hand over at his view and pointed at his arms.

“Oh, I get hurt during the raid with Desperado. But the doctor said I’ll be able to recover eventually.” Saul said.

However, the girl tilted her head as she didn’t understand what he said. Or rather, she couldn’t understand what he was saying. Everything that he was saying sounded like gibberish to her. Saul also tilted his head in confusion as She took out a notepad. She also took out a small quill pen and began writing in it. When she finished writing in it, she turns her notepad over to him as it reads:

“Mes excuses, mais je ne comprends pas très bien la langueque vous parlez. Car je n'en comprends qu'un peu.” She wrote.

(Translation: My apologies, but I don't quite understand the language you speak. Because I only understand a little.)

“oh, you speak French.” Saul said. He then cleared out his throat as he ponders in his head a bit he tried to remember a bit of French he has learned during freshmen year. “uuuh Je ne savais pas…. Pardonnez-moi maismon français … n'est pas si bon.” He said to her in a very bad attempt of speaking French.

(Translation: I did not know…. Forgive me but my French ... is not so good)

However, despite his bad attempt at speaking french, the girl was extremely ecstatic to meeting someone else that can talk to with. Even if he’s not fluent in speaking French. It was better to speak to someone she can communicate with rather than stay silent with no one to talk to. She flips the page of the notepad and quickly write again and shows him as it reads:

“Peu importe que vous le parliez couramment ou non. Je mesens juste un peu mieux que je peux parler à quelqu'un.” She wrote.

(Translation: It doesn't matter whether you speak it fluently or not. I just feel a little better that I can talk to someone.)

“Je le sais dans une … certaine mesure. Mais pas couramment.”He added.

(Translation: I know it to a certain extent. But not fluently.)

(Editor note: for the remaining part of the chapter the dialogue will be in English because I don't want to go back and forth on translating French to English and vice versa. And I don't know French all that well. Dx forgive me for cutting corners on this chapter.)

But she shook her head and continues to write and talk with Saul. Plus it’s good for him to put his high school French into good use. Even though he’s pretty bad at it. They continue to exchange and banter for a bit to the best of Saul’s ability to speak in another language he’s not familiar with. At best he knows only a few other languages; Spanish, Italian, French, and now Latin because in order to cast the spells from his spellbook he needs to learn Latin. He was already struggling enough to learn French and Japanese in his freshman year of high school but now he has to rely on his own to communicate with someone he saved.

“Well, I’m much relieved that you’re safe.” He said.

“What do you mean?” she wrote.

“Oh, I guess you don’t recognize me without the armor on.”He said.

 Confused about what he was talking about, she tilted her head. Saul then got up from his wheelchair and attempted to recreate the same pose he did when he saved but then remembered his arms were still in a huge amount of pain. But regardless of the pain, he did it anyway. It took the girl a moment to realize that it was him that saved her before she was killed. She had no idea that her savior would be a young boy.  Saul then let his arms down and returned to sitting back on the wheelchair.

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t know it was you! But, you’re a lot shorter in person.” She wrote.

“Geez, thanks for reminding me how short I am!” He said sarcastically.

The girl then covered its mouth and giggles at his comment. Saul also laughed along with her and he sees that she’s enjoying herself. Saul noticed a small tear from her eyelid. She probably hasn’t smiled in a long time. 

“By the way, what’s your name?” He asked.

“It’s Jonna. Jonna Marie Corday.” She wrote.

“I am from- or rather, I was from Eastern City.” She wrote.

“What do you mean by that?” he asked.

He noticed that she twitched when he asked her that. Her hands tremble in fear, her eyes widen, and sweat began to build up around her face. Flashes of her memories of living as a enslave girl ran through her. PerhapsSaul set off a very sensitive topic he shouldn’t have asked. He felt horrible asking about it and was about to speak up until Jonna started writing. She didn't even look back at him as she wrote in her little notepad. She kept on writing and writing, took a moment to pause but then she went to write. Only now, she was writing more furiously until she finally stops. Five pages, she wrote. Five pages of her life in her notepad.  She hesitates to give him the notepad for him to read, however, she even crushed it in her hands in fear and in anger. Her mind was racing all around until Saul placed his hand over her shoulder.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to tell. I’m sorry that I asked.” He said.

Jonna’s mind was at ease for a moment when he spoke up. It was the first time in forever that has shown her any compassion. For over the years, she’s only known aggression, beatings, and yelling. Shaken up, she hands over the now crumpled up notepad over to Saul and showed him where to begin reading it. Afterward, she turns away and lets Saul read it. Though it was still written in French, that didn’t stop him from wanting to know what she wrote.

“I was a peasant from the Eastern City. I was living in the streets of the city with my little brother, Jaune. We ran from an abusive home. My father would beat us day and night over because we didn’t “Do enough” for the family to get out of the slums. And my mother, she would do nothing, except leave the house at night and wouldn’t come back until the next day, late in the afternoon. One day, we had enough of our home. So, I and my brother ran away from home. Not like they would care or anything, we were starving out of minds from it all. For food, for decent clothing, but most of all, a warm and comforting home to live in. We got by with whatever handouts we could take from anyone who was generous enough to give us some food or spare change.”

“We slept on the alleyways of streets at night escaping from prying eyes and from my father. When he found out that I and my little brother ran away from home. He was beyond furious about and was hunting us. Not to finds us find and take us home, but he wanted to kill us for being “ignorant and stupid kids”. Too bad for him, he would be arrested for waving a knife out in public and murdering two officers while on the hunt for us. As for our mother? I doubt she even cared where we were the whole time. The last time I saw her, she was passed out drunk in front of a tavern and half-naked and a few men were laughing around the corner. I don’t think she ever recognized me or my little brother when she tried to sober herself. She just drank another bottle of Antoinette Wine and asked me “Where are your parents? Kids shouldn’t be on the streets at this hour.” But we said nothing and moved on.”

“One day, we decided to move out of the city. There was nothing left for us to hold on to but needed to escape from it all. This city brought nothing but pain misery to me and my little brother. We were cold and starving. However, getting out was nearly impossible to do. With the war still going on, crossing the border was no easy feat. Eventually, we found some smugglers to take us across the border into the south and start a new life. But it was also the greatest mistake of my life. They weren’t just normal smugglers; they slave traders in disguise. Once we cross the border, they sprung their trap. Instead of taking us to the south, they brought us to the slave marker itself. Hundreds, thousands, if not millions of people, carried away and sold off as property to other mercenaries or rich noble people to be amused for free labor or even for their own bodies. No one was safe from their clutches. All the elders to the children alike we sold off and separated from each other. Even me and Jaune.”

“We were separated from each other as I was sold from the highest bidder on their auction night. I screamed to beg them to let me take Jaune with me. But they would have none of it. They have beaten me to near-death itself to teach me a “lesson” for speaking out of terms with them. But that wasn’t enough, for them for my screaming was still annoying to them so they-“

The writing cuts off there. Just by reading it alone, sentSaul’s heart sinks down to his stomach. He turns to Jonna again, only to see her eyes filled with tears. He didn’t know what to say after reading what she wrote. But before he could speak up, Jonna opened her mouth to reveal that she had no tongue. Horrified even further, Saul’s widen from her lack of a tongue. Hesitantly, she picks up the again and wrote on the little space of the notepad.

“They stole my voice so I wouldn’t scream ever again.” She wrote.

 She looked away at first but then suddenly Saul grabs her and hugged her tightly. He emphasized her all the way she went through. Every amount of her instinct in Jonna’s body wanted to push him away. However, it was the first time in forever, she had ever felt someone sharing true compassion for her. She didn’t fight back, instead, she embraces his hug and cried on his shoulder. For an hour straight, she didn’t let go, nor did she stop crying. Every bit of her wanted to scream with all the buried emotions within her but she can’t. Saul kept her company until she passed out from the stress. He let her rest as he didn’t want to disturb her. Not too long after, Andrea finally came back.

“Sorry, if I took so long. The meeting lasted longer than I anticipated-oh. Am I interrupting something?” Andrea asked.

“Oh no. You’re not.” Saul spoke.

Saul had little choice but to Jonna wake up. When she awoke, she rubbed her eyes and was extremely startled where she was resting and for seeing Andrea herself. 

"Ready to go back kiddo?" Andrea asked.

"Already?" Saul asked.

"You need your rest too. Doctor's order." She replied.

Andrea then walked behind his wheelchair and prepare to stroll him back to her room. Jonna stopped them for a moment and quickly wrote in her notepad and showed it to Saul.

“Will you still be here?” She wrote.

“Of course, I will. Look at me, I’m not going anywhere anytime soon. “ He replied.

"Will i... see you again?" She wrote. 

Saul nodded and agree with her. Jonna smiled for a bit and let them be on their way. For the first time in forever, she found someone who …. Compassionate to her. It made her think of her little brother, Jaune, Still holding on to a little hope that she'll find him one day.