The Typical Fan-Fiction Disclaimer: I do not own +Anima or any related characters, the +Anima series is owned by Natsumi Mukai, Tokyopop, and various other parties that have to do with the creation and publishing of the series. As I probably don't need to say, this is purely a fan work.
All right, now to chapter six! This chapter is still fairly lengthy, but it's quite a bit slower than the last one – it mostly ties up loose ends and sets up for the next section of the fic. After this, it should start picking back up again. There are some important parts, though…
Chapter Six: Nightmare By The Firelight
Nana lay stretched out on her side, her eyes watching the orange and scarlet fire dance against the darkening gray sky. She'd spread herself across one of the blankets they'd taken from Senri's shop, and had covered up her trembling body with another of the six.
Senri sat directly across from her, on the other side of the small flames. Cooro rested just beneath him, lying limply over another quilt with his eyes shut tight. He was still unconscious.
With Cooro in Senri's arms, the three of them had managed to make it out of the village – escaping while the guards had stood stunned at the awful scene that'd been spread out before them. No doubt, though, that they would be blamed not only for letting loose the +anima, but also for the murders of the guards…or at least, her and Senri would for sure. She wasn't sure about Cooro this time, since he'd been completely passed out. She didn't know if the guards would still label him as an ally of theirs, or as an unidentified victim. For his sake, she hoped it would be the latter. But then again, he'd still been with her when Niomi had been found back by the merchant shop…
Nana shifted uncomfortably, the gaze that settled once again on the flames mostly distant and blank.
The tenseness of the rescue earlier, and the initial joy at reuniting with Senri had distracted her from everything for a while. But now, as she rested in the middle of nowhere with the sun slowly disappearing behind the tree tops, she just felt empty and sick.
This was wrong! This was all wrong! This wasn't her life!
All those nights she'd spent by the side of a forest campfire, in the company of Cooro and Senri, and Husky too…she'd left those times behind years ago. Her life was back by the orchard, back with Niomi in the comfortable mountainside village, in her own tiny cabin.
But there she was…suddenly reunited with two of her lost childhood friends in the course of just a few days, under rather unfortunate circumstances… Niomi was dead, and she'd lost her home.
And…even though she was together with all but one of her old companions, where were they going to go?
Judging from the conversation she'd overheard from those guards, +anima in general were being taken under the custody of the government all over the country. And not only that, but the guards were also after the three of them specifically for jail-break and murder. If they were suddenly going that full-force against +anima, there was no doubt that word of their supposed crimes was already spreading throughout Astaria – wherever they went, the officials would surely be after them. What could they do? Where could they possibly go?
…Why did people have to be so cruel to +anima? It wasn't like they, or her and Senri, anyway…could just flee to Sailand to get away from their wanted status. Not with the slavery system that had been in place there for decades. She could only hope that Astaria wouldn't end up going in the same direction…or perhaps even worse… What would the +anima do then?
For the first time in years, Nana suddenly found herself wishing that her +anima would just disappear. Over the time she'd spent since parting with her friends, and despite the fact that she'd kept it hidden, she'd come to accept the +anima as a part of herself. But now…regardless of how helpful it'd been over the past couple of days, and how heavily she'd used it, she would be perfectly happy if it was suddenly just gone.
If she hadn't been a +anima, there was no way she would have been suspected in Niomi's murder to begin with…and even now, it would make her much easier to identify. Her +anima would serve as a mark to her identity – how could she ever escape the accusations against her, much less the new onslaught against the +anima in general, as long as it remained?
Maybe Cooro was lucky. Even though he was probably wanted by the government as well, Nana doubted that he'd ever run into trouble if he was to split up from her. With the guards never having been able to identifying whether or not he was one, he was known more as the rouge +anima's companion. Or perhaps now, just another victim. She didn't know, but she almost envied him.
Nana groaned aloud, burying her face against the blanket as she shivered. The quilts were small and thin – her and Cooro had only been able to bring along what they could easily carry, packed inside a small bag they'd also grabbed from Senri's closet… She missed the warmth of her tiny, musty cabin more than she would have ever thought possible.
This still felt like some surreal, twisted nightmare.
"…Cooro…" Senri spoke the name thoughtfully, running his fingers down the boy's face and giving him a slight prod. Cooro didn't move, falling right back into the same position as his older companion slowly moved his hand away. Senri frowned, giving him another push.
"It's okay, Senri…" Nana remarked quietly, barely looking up. "Just let him be for now. I'm sure he'll be happy to see you when he wakes up."
The bear +anima had been doing that all evening, obviously having a hard time just leaving the unconscious Cooro alone. Having been prodding and poking at his old companion ever since he'd set him down, Senri was clearly anxious for him to wake up, and probably worried too… One thing that was for sure, though, was that he definitely knew who the boy was. Nana couldn't help a smile. He was still in a state of disbelief, but she was just glad that he'd remembered the two of them. She'd really had her doubts.
Senri stared at Cooro's motionless face a moment longer before turning instead to her, his eyes filling with concern at the meekness in her voice. "…Nana?"
The girl forced a confident grin across her lips. "I'm okay too, don't worry. I'm just a little…tired…" Her voice trailed off at the end, despite how reassuring she'd tried to sound. He didn't say anything else, keeping his thoughtful, distant gaze on her. He was sad to see her this way, she knew that.
Senri was in almost exactly the same situation as her. He may not have lost anyone close like she had, but he'd been forced to flee his home and comfortable life, had suddenly found himself back together with a couple of old friends, and had become another victim of the rising movement against +anima and wrongfully accused crimes.
He was still really quiet, hardly having spoken at all since they'd escaped, and never in more than one or two words…but his eyes remained strong, despite what he'd just been through. Unlike Cooro, who'd somehow been completely shattered, she could definitely tell that this was the same person from her memories…and that was one of the only comforts she had. Even though she'd mostly been fumbling over her own regretful thoughts, it made her feel much better to have him around. It was his sturdy and familiar presence that provided her the ounce of strength she needed to keep from caving in completely.
She tried to look on the positive side – at least they'd saved him, and he would live to see the coming noon. …Everything may not have gone exactly as planned, but her and Cooro had in fact managed to spare Senri, as well as the other captured +anima, from the government's cruelty. That was really quite an accomplishment, with it just having been the two of them…
…Cooro…
This time it was her gaze that rested on her companion. He'd been laying completely still the whole time, wrapped in several extra layers of blankets in an attempt to keep him warm. Nana was still dressed in the black outfit she'd worn during the raid, never having bothered to change out of it. They'd had to use scraps from her and Cooro's old clothes, though, to bandage up the wound on his leg. The make-shift cast wasn't completely satisfactory, but she and Senri had done the very best they could do.
What worried Nana, though, was that despite their efforts, they hadn't been able to fully stop the bleeding. How could they, with a jagged, terrible wound like that? The flesh had literally been torn off the bone! Even now, she could see fresh drops of crimson dotting the surface of the rags, sometimes leaking from underneath it and dripping down his ankle.
A sad, ironic smile came across her downcast face. Cooro had kept his promise, and had gotten the door open, but at what cost to himself?
He seemed okay…his chest still rising and falling as he steadily took in air, but would he ever be able to walk again? He could easily end up losing that foot…
Nana felt herself shuffle nervously. What would happen if it didn't heal right? What would happen if the wound bled too much before healing? He needed to be at a hospital, not out there alone in the middle of the forest…
Cooro's horrible cry as the gears and chains tore into his foot echoed through her mind, making her shiver. He'd been asleep for a long time… She'd mostly been lost in her own thoughts, but suddenly, like Senri, she desperately wanted him to wake up – even if it wouldn't heal the wound, even if it wouldn't stop the bleeding, just seeing his eyes looking back at her would be such an unspeakable relief.
He seemed so…dead…right now.
Nana bit her bottom lip. Even though she'd only just seen him for the first time after parting eight years ago, and regardless of the fact that having been forced to flee with him wasn't what she'd wanted, she didn't think she could bear it if…if he didn't wake up, if something went wrong… He was already so frail… She subconsciously balled her fingers into an anxious fist.
Why had that horrible woman been there? What had she done to him?
She felt a fierce rush of anger go through her at the thought of that wretched, black-winged witch. As worried as she was about Cooro, all her sorrow suddenly turned into a hot blaze of fury.
It was all because of her! Everything! Never before had she hated a single person so much! …She hadn't even known such hate was possible.
But…Cooro having run into her while waiting by that door was the last thing she'd expected. She hadn't thought she'd ever see that awful killer again, much less just a couple of nights later.
She suppressed a slight, troubled gulp in her throat. Did she have some strange connection to Cooro…? The way she'd suddenly shown up had almost been too odd to be a coincidence…but that would have to mean she'd been specifically seeking them out, and why would she bother? Even if they were witnesses to Niomi's murder, it's not like they would really make a difference to the killer – she'd been seen before, by people like that one victim's wife, and the guards had already placed at least partial blame on her and Cooro. Why had she only shown herself specifically to him, anyway…? Was that just a coincidence too, or…?
One nagging question settled in Nana's mind above all the others, refusing to go away whenever she tried to put her suspicions to rest…
Why hadn't she killed him?
Everyone else in that room had been slaughtered by the time Nana had burst out from underneath that door, but Cooro had been unconscious in her arms – alive.
"…Nana, please…don't let her take me…!"
What had he meant by that? Was that a way of saying he was afraid he'd be killed – that his life would be 'taken'? …Or had the words 'take me' been referring to something else…
She was glad, so glad, that he hadn't just been left another corpse by the time she'd returned from the basement…but that didn't change the fact that she couldn't understand why he hadn't. …If the killer really had sought them out – which Nana certainly hoped was not the case, considering that might mean that they hadn't seen the last of her – then there had to have been something she wanted, right?
…And…that night Nana had first seen her, when Niomi had been murdered in her own home, had also been that same evening Cooro had shown up in her orchard. Scared, and having left his own companions for reasons unknown.
A terrible, cold shiver ran through Nana's whole body, from her feet to her shoulders, and left her feeling sick.
No! No, that couldn't have anything to do with any of it! …After all, not every killer has to have a motive, right? Some are just completely sadistic and mad!
She gave Cooro a last, tired gaze before she let her face sink completely into the fabric of the quilt beneath her, her heavy eyelids drooping. She pulled the top blanket completely over her shoulders, struggling to find any bit of warmth that she could. Not even her own worry could keep her exhausted body and worn out mind awake any longer… She may as well get as comfortable as possible.
"Cooro!"
Nana jerked right back up again a moment later as a horrible gasping noise hit her ears, Senri's startled cry following seconds after.
The boy was still unconscious, but he was no longer completely peaceful and still. He was shuffling uncomfortably in his sleep, panting for breath as a few drops of sweat appeared on his brow.
She suddenly got to her feet in alarm, a bolt of panic waking up her senses as she hurried to Senri's side…her older companion already leaning over the wounded boy.
"Cooro? Cooro, wake up! What is it, what's wrong?" Nana put her hands on his chest and face, giving him a slight shake. Senri joined in, this time both of them trying to rouse him.
What happened? Was he in pain? Had his condition gotten worse?
He still didn't wake, continuing to rasp and writhe uncomfortably beneath them.
Nana forced herself to calm down, trying to take a better look at him.
The movement had stirred a few fresh crimson drops to the surface of the bandage around his ankle, but other than that, the wound didn't seem any worse. And his chest still rose and fell fairly steadily, despite how raggedly the breaths were coming in.
Nana relaxed slightly, not finding anything visibly wrong.
"…Maybe, the wound is just hurting him…or he's having a bad dream?" She suggested thoughtfully, her and Senri sharing a glance as they sat over their still unconscious companion.
It was winter…towards the far end of season when the frost was giving off its last, full-power fight in an attempt to avoid succumbing to the spring.
The boy rummaged about his small cottage, left on the outskirts of the village by the place where the trees began to grow. He heard the pot boil just in time, running up to the wood stove and hurriedly removing the meal from the heat of the flames.
He went right back to cleaning after setting the carrots and potatoes on the table to cool – he'd invited someone over for dinner, and he wanted his house, usually somewhat mismatched, to be as clean and welcoming as possible.
The boy was Cooro. Or, at lease, that's who he could've sworn he was. But…his body seemed different.
A few tuffs of blond bangs fell over his freckled face, the short, pale hair curling around the base of his ears. His eyes were blue, and glasses rested in front of them on his nose.
He didn't know how he knew all this, there was no mirror in the small cabin, but despite the confusion in his mind, he knew exactly what he currently looked like. And he recognized every little detail of the small home, even if he didn't necessarily remember it.
The boy also knew exactly whom he was waiting for. It was girl with the beautiful, almost white hair…usually kept in a ponytail with a few strands falling across her delicate features. She was tall, with rose-colored lips and intense green eyes.
There was a knock on the door.
He quickly padded over to open it, sure enough finding that same girl standing outside on the covered porch. It had started to drizzle as the sky turned a peaceful pale gray, and a few drops of water dribbled down the strands of her hair.
The greeted each other with a smile, the boy quickly beckoning her inside and away from the weather.
He was perfectly content – safe and with company in his warm, comfortable home.
And then the scene switched.
He didn't know how much time had passed, but he felt older…and different. Or rather, more like he would have recognized himself to feel. The simple peace of that winter night had vanished completely, replaced by a sensation of guilt and fear throbbing at his senses.
Horrible, unwelcome thoughts and emotions flitted through his heart. It didn't feel natural – these feelings couldn't be his! It was as if he was waging a war with his own being…like some other, unwanted part of himself was trying to take control!
He tried to force the fearful instincts away, wincing as he stumbled back slightly. A few drops of crimson dotted his hands, his whole body shaking.
Big, black wings were spread out behind him, dark feathers scattering across the cold ground.
"What's wrong with you? What happened? I won't ever forgive you for this, not ever! I hate you! I hate you!"
The same girl was there again, this time her eyes filled with horror and rage.
Tears fell down the boy's face even as he struggled in pain – he was just managing to get himself under control again. "I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry, I…I don't know what happened – please forgive me!"
The girl never even answered, turning and rushing away in the opposite direction.
He heard a laugh behind him as he stretched out a hand after her, trying to get his legs to obey.
The boy flipped around, scowling in rage at the black-winged woman that approached.
"Don't you run now." She ordered, sounding darkly amused. "Come with me, and things might just end better for her."
He paid no notice, frantically darting off after the pale-haired girl with a defiant huff.
The scene broke again, but this time all that passed was a matter of moments.
Darkness weaved in and out as a picture struggled to form, a cacophony of misplaced sound hitting his ears. He couldn't tell what was happening as the time skipped around, but his heart was beating frantically in his chest as he continued surging forward.
"Tilah!"
Tilah…yes, that was his name – not Cooro.
He heard the girl call out to him frantically as the blackness suddenly shattered, the scream echoing in his mind as the image before him took shape.
The girl was dead.
An icy jolt ran through his body, freezing his very veins.
She laid spread out on the soil, blood spilling from her chest. There were a few black feathers stuck to the sticky, crimson liquid – he didn't even know whether or not they were his…or hers.
He sensed another, all too familiar presence nearby, a mocking smile beating down on him. "Don't take me lightly." A female voice insisted coldly. "If you keep refusing me, everyone that means something to you will end up just like this."
The boy fell to his knees with a hard thud, his heart swarming in terror and grief.
"I hate you!"
"Elizabeth… Elizabeth…no... No!" The last words the girl had truly spoken to him played over and over again in his memory as water dribbled down his cheeks and onto his neck. "No!"
"No!"
Nana scrambled backwards with a startled yelp as Cooro suddenly jerked up to a sitting position without warning, his forehead almost colliding with hers.
His eyes were completely distant and wild, as if he didn't even see them. He was still panting, tears running down his face as he rasped for breath, almost sobbing. His face was completely overcome by horror, like he was looking at something awful that only he knew was there. "No…no! No!"
"Cooro! Hey…stop! What is it? It's okay!" Nana threw her hands to his shoulders, holding her hysterical companion firmly in her grasp.
He jerked away with a surprised gasp at the touch, gazing up at her with shock and confusion written all over his face.
For a single, brief moment, he had absolutely no idea who she was. He took another look at her, trying to place her image.
"…Nana?"
And then it came back to him, reality finally clicking in his mind.
He was, in fact, the boy named Cooro. Of course. A red flush came to his cheeks.
It had just been another nightmare, that's all.
"Cooro! Thank goodness! Are you all right?" Nana smiled in relief, leaning forward again and placing the palm of her hand on his back as if to help keep him steady.
He took in a deep breath, struggling to calm his erratic breathing. He blinked, still partially dazed. "Yeah…yeah, I'm okay… It was just…a nightmare."
He shuffled, deciding all at once to get to his feet. He let out a screech the moment he tried to lift his right leg, a sharp, throbbing pain shooting all the way up his back. "Careful!" Nana gasped, steadying him again. "…Your wound…" He stared blankly ahead, the burning in his ankle momentarily taking his breath away.
Oh…that's right.
He winced, hearing the sound of the steel ripping into his flesh as he jammed the gears with his foot.
Wait… His heart jolted as the events came back to him in more detail, distant horror returning to his eyes. He saw the woman's face, feeling the cold clasp of her hands on his arms as she tried to drag him away.
"Nana!" He suddenly blurted out. "Wait! What happened, too…?" "I got that witch to let go of you with a screech! After that, the wretch just took off!" Nana answered, guessing what the question referred to. She continued, more hesitantly. "…What happened, anyway? Where'd she come from?"
Cooro didn't answer for a moment. The ever-present fear in his eyes, while having settled, was still agitated, shining in his gaze. "I…I don't know. She just appeared out of nowhere, right behind me!" He paused, still trying to un-tense his muscles. "…Thank you…for saving me."
Nana considered pressing him further, but, he looked so…miserable. The questions evaporated on her tongue, replaced instead by a forced smile. "…No problem!"
"Oh, the door!" Shame played across Cooro's expression as he suddenly piped up again, surprising her. "…I can't do anything right, can I? Not even something so simple as pressing a lever! It…it's just…with her there… I… I did get it open, though, didn't I…?" Nana blinked as he sputtered – it looked like was about to burst into tears again. "Huh? Yeah, you did…" Her confused expression turned to a look of sympathy. "It's not your fault that she showed up!" She started, praying it was true. "We had no idea that was going to happen – you didn't do anything wrong! I'm just sorry that you got hurt…"
Neither one of them said anything for a moment.
"And look…!" A light all at once came across Nana's face as a thought came back to her, grinning in an attempt to cheer him up. She pointed behind Cooro, towards his right. "We did it! Look who's here with us!"
He turned, following her gaze. For the first time, he noticed the familiar man crouched beside him.
"…Senri!" He trembled with eyes stretched wide in amazement, staring in astonished disbelief at the sight of his oldest former companion.
"Cooro…" Senri answered back in a quiet voice, looking equally stunned…or perhaps a bit bewildered. Cooro didn't notice.
He let out a slight, surprised gasp, a wide grin spreading across his face seconds later as a delicate but bright light returned to his eyes. "Senri…you remember me!"
The bear +anima all at once reached forward, carefully wrapping his strong arms around the boy.
Cooro flinched slightly, startled. He let himself relax a few moments later, a distant, melancholic smile coming over his lips as water started to well from his eyes.
He cried. Letting himself fall limp in the embrace.
Senri silently let the boy's tears dampen his shoulder, holding him tightly.
The truth was…he'd almost recognized Cooro more when he'd been asleep. The 'Cooro' that he remembered was a bright-eyed, carefree child…but he was different now, his eyes looked so…sad, and scared. Senri could feel Cooro's whole body shaking unsteadily, realizing how light and weak the boy had become. It made him sad, too. He didn't know what had happened to the child from his memories, but he wanted to make him better…in whatever way he could.
And so he held him, Cooro weeping tearfully in his arms. Neither him, Senri, nor Nana said a word.
The gray in the sky slowly shifted to a star-lit black, evening turning to night as all three of them sat together for the first time in eight years.
Cooro was sitting alone again by the time the moon had fully risen on the horizon, still stuck in the same place. He shivered in the autumn chill, his face still damp from the tears he'd shed earlier.
He watched as Nana and Senri cooked what appeared to be some kind of meat over the fire, probably from the emergency rations they'd packed earlier.
It was probably a bit late to be eating, but Nana had noticed her hunger after finally getting up from her blanket in front of the fire. There was an extra morsel hanging off the stick Senri was holding over the flames, obviously for Cooro. For once, though, the boy didn't really feel want food.
His thoughts had returned back to the dream from earlier. He hadn't had one like that for a while.
"Tilah!" "Elizabeth… Elizabeth…no! No!"
Who the heck was this 'Tilah' anyway? He didn't even know – he had absolutely no idea! And yet, during the nightmare, he'd been so convinced that was who he was… So sure, in fact, that even when he'd woken up, it'd taken him a moment to remember his real identity and life.
It was so strange. It'd felt completely natural…he'd instinctively known exactly what he – 'Tilah' – looked like, the details about his home, even about that girl he'd been waiting for. 'Elizabeth'…he'd called her by name, yet actually had no idea who she was, either. He knew things during the dream, but he didn't actually remember them. He couldn't recall any of 'Tilah's' past, or anything beyond simply recognizing what was presented to him.
This wasn't the first time he'd had a dream like that, either. Far from it. He'd even specifically been 'Tilah' in his sleep before.
For years, there had been two different, distinct kinds of nightmares that plagued him…even on nights when that awful, black-winged witch kept silent.
There were those like the one he'd just had. The dreams where he had a different face and another name, where he knew strange places and other people. And usually, the scenes presented in these nightmares followed a pattern. They would start out almost painfully blissful and calm…then eventually something would go horribly wrong, and someone would usually end up dead. They were almost always the same in that way, and they always felt so chillingly real. It wasn't just this 'Tilah' person he'd become in these dreams either – there were other identities that he'd sometimes assume, each with its own set of friends, settings, and tragedies.
"If you keep refusing me, everyone that means something to you will end up just like this."
However, in these nightmares, there was only one person he truly remembered…and that was her.
He'd like to have thought that maybe it was just the anxiety of having her lurking around that lead his mind to create these terrible stories in his slumber…but, he'd been having dreams like that before he'd ever even seen her, she'd just never appeared clearly in them until then, even though the other aspects were the same.
That type of nightmare…he'd been having occasionally for almost as long as the past nine years – just before he'd even left Senri, Husky, and Nana. He hadn't said anything about them. At first they hadn't bothered him much, but as he got older, the stories they told got worse – the tragedies at the end had started to appear, turning them from simply strange to troubling.
They weren't the worst type of dream though. No, the worst was the other kind of nightmare that used to haunt him as well after he'd grown a bit older. The kind where'd he'd envision things in his own life – horrible, violent things – where he'd feel the burning in his shoulders, and where he felt, well…a lot like…
An image of stone walls flashed through his mind, speckled with splattered blood. He stood panting for breath, a knife still in his hand.
Cooro gave his head a rapid shake at the memory, trying to clear it away.
After that happened, though…about three years ago, he hadn't really had any of those nightmares, and the first kind had become less frequent as well. He subconsciously placed a thoughtful hand on one of his shoulders. He'd been right…it'd gotten better he'd made that decision.
Thank goodness! The kind of nightmares he still had were awful enough, but while they made him feel sad, empty, and sick, the second kind were truly horrifying…and sometimes he wondered whether they'd actually been dreams at all… He shivered.
"Here!"
Cooro blinked, thrown out of his thoughts as Nana held a charred piece of meat in front of him.
"Senri cooked it for you. Eat it! You need all the strength you can get with that wound of yours." She continued, probably adding the last part after having noticed the blank look Cooro was giving the small chunk of food.
He took it from her reluctantly, continuing to simply stare at it a moment longer. The boy knew she was right, though. He put it to his mouth, taking off a small bite. He had to admit it was delicious as the warm juices hit his tongue, suddenly finding the tiny morsel to be disappearing a whole lot quicker than he'd thought it would. Nana smiled satisfactorily, enjoying her own small share. Senri had come to sit beside them as well, contently eating his piece.
Cooro looked up from his food long enough to give Nana a slight glance, noticing her eyes resting on his right leg. She turned her gaze back towards his face. "…How does your foot feel?"
"…It hurts." He answered simply after a pause, his eyes falling away from hers as he spoke. It did hurt. His ankle was constantly stinging, and he'd feel a sharp, vivid rush of pain if his leg so much as twitched. He doubted he could even move his foot…though he didn't dare even try, all he could feel was the dried, sticky liquid covering it.
He hated this! He couldn't even move from the quilt he'd been set down on no matter how much he wanted to – the mere thought making him squirm restlessly in place. And…the last thing he wanted was to be more of a burden than he already was…
Nana suddenly pulled the top blanket away, revealing the bandaged ankle. She instantly frowned as the cast was illuminated by fire-light.
It was bleeding just as much as it had been earlier that evening. The rags were completely stained, and even the quilt beneath him was tainted with a few, fresh drops of red. Cooro stared at it too, not even having realized that it'd been bleeding quite that much. He hadn't even seen what the wound looked like for himself before it'd been bandaged. Maybe he didn't want to…
"It's…still just as bad." Nana remarked glumly, her voice quiet. "I…I think we need to get you to a hospital of some sort tomorrow…" She turned to Cooro as she spoke. "Huh? …But, aren't the guards after us practically everywhere?" Cooro objected, Nana having explained earlier to him what'd happened after he'd passed out. "Well…maybe if we keep our +anima hidden, and get out as quickly as we possibly can, they wont recognize us. After all…you're the one needing the attention, and you're not a +anima anymore, so…" Nana started, trying to sound hopeful. "Well, you wouldn't get taken into custody just for that anyway. And it makes you a lot harder to identify than me and Senri."
"Uh…" Cooro sputtered, taken aback. "But…" "We have to!" Nana insisted, not letting him get another word in. "We can't just carry you around in the middle of nowhere with a dangerous wound like that! What if you loose too much blood, or if it gets infected?" "…Needs help." Senri agreed, looking over Cooro's foot himself. The boy just sighed, knowing that he couldn't talk them out of it. "…Okay."
Besides…he was a bit afraid of the wound. He knew it was bad. What if he would never be able to walk again? Or, if… He made a face at the thought – he'd been trying to keep possibilities like that out of his mind.
"Then it's settled." Nana decided firmly. "First thing in the morning, we'll try to find a hospital somewhere close by. We'll have to be really careful, though."
Senri simply nodded in agreement, pulling the blanket back over Cooro's shivering legs.
"For now…" She added. "We should all just try to get some sleep."
They all settled into their makeshift beds shortly after that, struggling to fall asleep.
Cooro was reluctant after that last, horrible dream…but, they didn't usually happen too often, maybe he could rest peacefully this time. At least she seemed to be leaving them alone this time – there was no way he could sneak away from the others now like he had before. …Hopefully she was lying low after the close-call at the station.
He finally felt the light, comfortable haze of slumber overcome him, so different from the enveloping, thick darkness of unconsciousness. He could hear the rhythmic breaths of both Nana and Senri as he drifted off, the two of them sleeping close to him. The hint of a timid, contented smile, delicate as if he was afraid it might be stolen away, lit his face as his eyes finally stayed shut.
The silver-haired boy padded groggily up to his boss – the sheriff, where the rest of his squad had already gathered.
There was barely even a tint of blue in the sky, but already they'd all been forced out of bed. He sighed impatiently, still exhausted. What was it this time?
"Ah, Myrrha, there you are! At long last! Hurry and pack your things, we're about ready to depart." His boss ordered before the boy had even fully reached them.
"Huh? Depart? Where are we going?" He questioned, confused. "We're going to the area of Astaria closest to the mountainside, where we'll be patrolling the villages." The sheriff, an imposing, burly man, explained. "They've been having problems with the +anima there lately…there's a small gang on the loose that's reportedly already committed several murders – they've called us over to specifically seek that dangerous group out. I'll tell you more about them on the way."
The boy, Myrrha, automatically felt himself tense, only nodding before heading back to his bunk. He didn't say anything.
He barely managed to finish packing before it was time for them to leave, taking a few minutes to rest on the bed he'd so rudely been pried from. Secretly, he wished he could just sit this particular mission out…
Without thinking about it, he placed a nervous hand to the base of his neck, where a gill-like marking was hidden beneath the collar of his shirt.
How long could he keep his secret?
He'd joined the village guards of Astar just a little over eight years ago, shortly after parting ways with the group of friends he'd been traveling with – other +anima. He couldn't help but smile a bit at the memories of the people he'd eventually grown close to. There'd been that obnoxious, black-winged crow boy, Cooro, that quiet bear +anima, Senri, and then that bat girl, Nana… That was back when he'd been known by his other name…Husky.
The boy groaned aloud. The situation with the +anima in Astaria was getting worse by the day. He'd kept the fact that he was one of them a secret ever since he'd been taken in by the sheriff himself – none other than the captain of the guards, after having impressed him with his combat skills. That was when he'd been caught shoplifting food, stuck in the alleys with nothing. At first, hiding his +anima hadn't been too hard…it hadn't been as big of a deal, but now… He didn't know what would happen if someone ever found out. Thankfully, he'd already established a decent reputation within Astar – no one would ever expect him of such a thing now.
He hated watching the +anima around him get stolen from their homes, he hated being a part of the organization that was doing it! But…he obeyed. He had no where else to go. If he resisted, he would be thrown back onto the streets. He would keep hiding his secret, and hope for the best.
The silver-haired guard picked up the bladed staff resting beside his bunk, running his fingers distractedly along the sharp edge.
He didn't like having to oppose his fellow +anima, not when he knew they already had so much against them…so many years of discrimination and hatred. But…there was nothing that justified killing.
Apparently, this group they were after were murderers – he'd show them no remorse.
Well, that's that for now.
Hopefully the part about Cooro's dreams wasn't too terribly confusing – it will make more sense as the fic goes on and the mysteries behind him and the killer slowly start to unravel.
Anyway, let me know what you think, and they'll all be moving from that spot by the campfire next chapter. Husky's going to end up getting involved now, too…
