Firyal

"Fi, stop," Kim shouted exhaustedly. I glanced back, hiding my own exhaustion, to see him and Tsubaki rapidly falling behind. Somehow Max was managing to keep up as were the other three though I don't know why I should be surprised. Kim was always had a weak body and no doubt Tsubaki's was any better. I turned my attention back to the front to see the sun almost completely set, but the gates were in sight at least and also open. One more glance back told me that we defiantly not going to make it and I might have a few deaths on my hands if I didn't do anything soon.

While mulling over this rapidly growing problem, I heard the blood chilling pounding of the humanoid tigers. In a split second, I made a reckless, but necessary, decision which involved a lot more running for me, dodging, thinking on my feet, and putting Max in charge. That last was defiantly the most risky.

"Max, take control," I said loudly and let myself fall back. Everyone turned their heads to look at me but only Max's said, "What the hell are you doing now?" While they ran to the gate, I slowed myself down and didn't start speeding up until the tigers were close to me. I watched them steadily approach from where we had just come from, and started running when their attention was clearly fixed on me. I ran forward but didn't rush out the gate as the others did. Instead, I took a path to the right that lead to the eastern gate.

As a child, I explored everywhere around this city. I was the one child who discovered everything that the adults wanted to forget, including the hollowed out tree outside the east gate. When the adults were children themselves, many of them worked together to dig out the dirt underneath a tree that been there since before the city was built. It was a hideout for children while the adults worked. Even today, it was still hollowed out enough to kids to hide in, and because of my small frame, I had no doubt that I could slide under the roots and hide from the tigers. The roots were knotted and harder than tock so there would be no way for the tigers to get to me, hopefully. That was my reckless, not so thought through plan.

I was running down the tight alley, my entire chest area burning, when I glanced back to see they were rapidly catching up. I couldn't tell, but hopefully those were all of the tigers that were chasing us. I pivoted my foot and sharply turned right into a wider alleyway which forked at the end. At the end, I pushed off the wall and headed left and heard the satisficing crash as the tigers failed to mimic my sharp turns. The alley turned into the main road, and again I took another sharp right. I was in the homestretch as I passed through the gate and none of the tigers had even made it out of the alley. My gait slowed down as I dodged fallen logs and broken branches over this far over grown path. I was relieved as the area around the tree was cleared and I easily slide on the dirt and into the hole that had long since been carved into the roots. Once inside I huddled into a ball, hushed my rapid breathing, and fearfully listened.

A few minutes later the bounding leaps of the tigers became hearable and gradually my fear sharpened as they became louder and louder. They sniffed around before trying to claw their way through the hole. Realizing it was too enforced, a few of them tried to claw their way through the roots. My fear reached its highest when I realized that if they did get in, I was trapped. I wouldn't be able to get away.

Then, it suddenly stopped. There was a minute of silence, and then, just like that, the tigers bounded away. I sat in the dark, listening for stragglers. When I heard nothing, I peeked my head out. Through the over grown path, I had a clear view of the now closing gate. Even from here, I heard the clang of the doors shutting and then the metallic clicks as they was locked. I sat there a few minutes in silence before wiggling out and attempting to stand. Stumbling, I came to lean against a sturdy, but young, tree at the edge of the clearing. Taking deep, painful breaths. I navigated from tree to tree, back to the gate and then around the wall to the place where we had stashed our stuff.

Max

Huffing from exhaustion, I pooled my anger into running. As we passed through the gate I looked back to see Firyal disappear around a corner along with most of the tigers. When I say most, I mean all but three of them. They were slow though, but still fast enough to eventually get Kim and Tsubaki. Fear for Kim pushed my mind into overdrive as I thought of some plan. The best I could come up with were the trees.

"Into the trees!" I yelled and latched onto the nearest tree. I pushed and pulled until I was on a high sturdy branch looking down. I watched with fear as everyone just barely made it into the trees. Maka's ankle had almost been snagged by a tiger (Kim saved her), and, well, Black Star had decided to play hero until he almost got his hand bitten off. None of us tried to help him. He was now safely in an opposite tree by himself while two of the tigers tried to climb up to him. The last was looking to get Maka or Kim. I watched with interest as they tried to figure out how to dig their claws into the bark and launch themselves up as I had seen other great cats do. Each time they fell and became more and more angry. These creatures may have the strength and bodies of tigersm, but they had no idea how to use the skills that real tigers needed to survive.

Then, they suddenly stopped. They all stood high on the hind legs with their ears flickering every few seconds. Then they bounded off into the fading light toward the city.

"Where are they going?" Soul asked beside me. I watched as they went through the gate and then close it. Everyone started to climb down. Mostly everyone made it down easily, except me, whose foot slipped and then went flying onto their back. Every inch of my body was screaming sleep as well as that the ground was comfy. I even closed my eyes, until Kim spoke.

"Max, are you okay?" Kim asked worriedly. I opened my eyes and looked up at his worried face. I gave him a small smile. He smiled back and offered me a hand.

"Just tired," I said and took his hand, "We should get our stuff and make camp."

"What about Firyal?" Maka asked worriedly. I almost laughed because it was funny that someone other than us was worried for our meister. Not that we ever worried about her. She was a foul mouthed, spoiled, arrogant, and disrespectful. Who would care about her? I was guessing they didn't know what she did to Kid.

"She'll find us," Kim said strongly.

"Let's just go make camp," I said tiredly and started to lead the way to our stuff.

By the time Max and his group had gotten to the tree that held their bags, it was pitch black. Somehow Kim lit a torch and together everyone got supplies out, made food, and set up camp. Mostly everyone was asleep by the time Firyal stumbled into the light. Those that remained awake were Kim, who forced himself to stay up and wait for her, and Soul, who didn't believe that Max could stay awake though somehow he was.

She was pale and bedraggled. She clutched a tree on the edge of the light with eyes that barley reflected any light. They were dull and tired. Her breathing was ragged and noisy as she slide down the back and let her head hit the bark with a dull thud. Her eyes didn't close but remained fixed on Max.

"Are you okay?!" Soul quietly exclaimed as he dashed to her. Max slowly got up, his muscles cramping as he did. Firyal nodded her head.

"Tired," Was as she said and she closed her eyes. She was asleep. Soul moved to move her, but Max put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"If you touch her, she might kill you," He said quietly and pointed to the side of his neck where there was a faint scar over his carotid artery. Soul just looked at him before moving back to his position by the fire. Max retrieved a blanket and carefully laid it over Firyal before going to sleep.

The morning

Max

I awoke next to my brother to have sore muscles and still tired eyes. Still I pushed myself up and shook my brother. Daylight was barley filling the tent as the sun just started to rise. Usually Fi woke us up by now, but amazingly it didn't seem like she was up. Something didn't feel right with that.

"It's morning?" Kim questioned in a sleepy voice as he stretched.

"Yeah, I don't think Fi is up though," I responded.

"That's weird," He mumbled.

"We should get going. You wake the others, I get Fi up," I said and climbed out of the sleeping bag. Outside I took a canteen, splashed some water in my hand and smoothed out my hair before moving to Fi's unmoving form. I kneeled down next to her and was about to wake her when I heard the slight rasping sound. I froze and listened to find it was coming from Fi. A bad feeling settled over me but still I dared to shake her awake and tensed for the blow. "Fi, it's past sunrise." Her eyes slowly opened and she studied me for a moment before speaking.

"Let's get going then," She responded in a raspy voice. I nodded my head and turned to get some quick food ready. I heard her clear her throat, and watched her slowly rise and stumble ever so slightly to the tree out of the corner of my eye. She righted herself and went to work.

Fi's pace wasn't crazy on the way back to Death City but it wasn't slow either. As we moved through the desert though, my bad feeling kept growing and growing every time she stumbled or paused or stopped. She didn't talk, Black Star complained, Kim and Maka had started some conversation about mission provisions, and Tsubaki was quietly trying to quiet Black Star. Soul was the only one who was quiet.

The sun beat down on us and we ran out of water. Not long after that though, Death City was in view. We wouldn't die of dehydration at least, but still the bad feeling sat. Something wasn't right. Sure those devices were still on Kim and the others, but they weren't hurting them from what I could tell. Kim didn't even like fighting so that feeling couldn't have to do with the devices. No, it had something to do with Firyal. I found myself being a few steps behind her, much closer than anyone else.

Again she stumbled, but this time she didn't catch herself. She would have collapsed into the sand if I hadn't reacted in time to catch her limp body. The others around me exclaimed things like "what happened?" or "Is she alright?" Her breathing was raspy and her face contorted with pain. I had been right, something was wrong.