Tamori Taka: The visit from a woman of balance and spirit

"Leave that girl alone!" The stranger called. The children turned to regard the newcomer, a woman, clad in purple rising armour, accented with gold furs, holding an ornate spear.

Now nobody could accuse these children of being particularly intelligent, but after the first couple of kids attempted to charge the stranger and were painfully rebuffed by the haft of her spear, even they knew to turn and run.

The woman, who Taka easily identified as an Utaku battle maiden, came over and helped the fallen girl to her feet. Tending to a minor headwound that Taka had received, Utaku Keneya asked the girl about the situation.

Under the weight of everything that had happened, Taka broke down in tears, telling Keneya everything, her eye, the children, everything up to Keshintai's leaving and her classmates' new game.

Keneya looked at the child crying before her, and wished she could comfort her. She thought of what she would do whenever she was sad, and smiled.

"Child, come with me."