Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem Fates!
Warning! There is animal death in this chapter.
Despite everything, I truly love Orochi. I feel like I'm writing her almost as if she's the bad guy in this work, but that's not how I think about her at all, haha. Anyways, like the last chapter, there are some, er, lovey-dovey stuff. Again, I'm not good with writing more than the kiss/touch/want. And jealousy is a theme throughout this whole story, but there's quite a bit of it here, again.
Moving on to a smaller detail, but the first dozen chapters or so had rather common words, words that people know the definition well of (i.e. bloodthirst, energy, flannel, illusion, etc.) with a few greater words in there for variety. From this chapter on, many of the chapter words will be more rare or complicated (just as the story is progressively getting more intricate) with the exception of a few simpler words.
Lastly, after going through Pieri's scenes and supports again, while she does speak in third person, she occasionally uses the first person "I", as well. So I changed some of her dialogue accordingly.
Mundivagant
adj. wandering through the world
Flannel stared at his ceiling. His head was dizzy and feverish, and it felt as if the world around him was spinning.
Nishiki was in pursuit of him not too long ago, chasing after him with some sorry excuse of why he was with Orochi of all people, and why their lips were locked together in such a loving way. Part of the garou knew that it would be wiser to face the youko, confront him and hear the truth from his own mouth, but his nature would not allow it. His pride was always exact, and it would never be swallowed, not even for his own love's sake. To forgive Nishiki would be to give in, it would mean to accept defeat and modesty for what they were.
And Flannel was not like that. He was jealous, fierce, and possessive. He was a wolf, and whatever he wanted to be his would be his. He was never denied anything before, and he never denied himself anything. Flannel could be upbeat and goofy and jocular most of the time, but that did not mean he was not serious at other times, and his anger was full and volatile. He was known to be completely unreasonable and stubborn at times like these, especially if he felt like he was wronged.
And oh, was he wronged. It was impossible for him to forgive Nishiki at present. He did not care if the fox begged or cried to him, seeing as they stood at a place that allowed no room for forgiveness. Or, at least, that was what Flannel wanted to believe. His anger was strong, but short-lived. He knew that once it blew over, he would find himself reasonable enough to hear Nishiki out again, and the unrest in his heart and bones would ease itself altogether.
But until that time came, the garou could only find comfort in his hate and jealousy, and he thought long and hard about whether or not he wanted to burn that stupid medallion (the one he had even worn to try and confess to Nishiki in the first place). He wondered if he could scrape the paint off, crush it to pieces, or break the string so the beads would go flying. Flannel threw the accessory at the wall, dissatisfied as it remained in tact as if full with a dull thud.
He buried his head into his pillow and sighed deeply.
What a pain.
...
Nishiki searched everywhere for the garou. His scent had gone in different directions, lost in awry trails of presence. The fox knew that this was on purpose, that Flannel had confused his nose with misleading paths, and that feat would be easy to do considering that when compared to a garou, a youko's nose was lacking.
He was stronger than humans tenfold, but when it came to instinctive senses, the wolves had him beat. Nishiki knew this, and groaned in frustration when he lost the freshness of the trail some twenty miles out the castle gates, and figured that for the time being, Flannel was lost to his own anger.
He had no idea that the garou was resting in his own room, only leagues away from him. But Nishiki was none the wiser as he accepted defeat, and dragged his feet back inside the courtyard. He ignored anyone that tried to talk to him, including an upbeat Hinata and a sophisticated Tsukuyomi. Both of his friends seemed worried, but ultimately left Nishiki to himself as he sulked.
Nishiki went to one of the open spaces, and curled up underneath the large cherry tree. Sakura and Elise were both there already, and noticed the disheartened look on his face. They did not say anything as he transformed into his real self, and lost his muzzle in the bushy end of his orange tail.
The princesses simply stroked him consolingly, and the youko fell asleep to the soft thrum of their fingers.
He dreamed of Flannel.
...
Kamui thought that it was awkward when Flannel hated them, but it was nothing compared to the wolf's behavior around Nishiki. Or, if he was even around the fox long enough to speak to him. There was an obvious disconnect between them, as Nishiki kept pursuing Flannel, but the Nohrian would evade him every time, barking harsh replies or ignoring him altogether. At meals, they sat on opposite sides of the room, although the Hoshidan would sneak glances at his counterpart, ears folded in and eyes downcast.
Flannel ignored him, although Kamui noticed the occasional wistful look he had, mixed with resentment from before but still blighted by a sort of shame. It was like a fire that was too afraid to burn, or lightning that did not want to strike.
It confused Kamui, but it also saddened them. If there were any two people in the army that seemed inseparable, it was Nishiki and Flannel. Everyone noticed their closeness, from the glimmering royals down to the most insignificant stable boys, everyone saw the bond they shared. It was almost confusing and disheartening to see that even a relationship like theirs could falter, could sever and break in on itself.
It made Kamui fear for Flannel, especially. Because if someone like Nishiki could get him resentful, there was no telling what Flannel was feeling about Kamui. They could not imagine that the garou's anger towards them had lessened by any means, but they could still hope that there was room for reconciliation. Because there was no doubt that Flannel would have to forgive Nishiki eventually, and if that were possible, then the same forgiveness could be had for Kamui.
And until that day would come, the dragon-born would think of every way possible to try and fix their relationship.
It's the least I can do, they thought, considering that they've done so much for me already.
It's the least I can do.
...
"Flannel," Pieri said, "you love hunting, but what's the point of being in a hunting party if you're just going to leave me and the others behind?"
He pouted, but did not give her an answer right away. Instead, he looked at her, face contorted into an angry smolder. An irritated huff escaped his lips, as well as an eventual reply. "It's not my fault if you guys can't keep up."
"Pieri kept up just fine," she rebutted, "especially when she had to carry back the animals because after you killed them, you didn't even bother bringing them back! Is it my fault when you don't want to help?"
"I am not in the mood," Flannel sneered, turning his gaze away. "A-And I'm not sorry about that, even if all those dead animals looked heavy..."
"Are you, or aren't you sorry? Pieri hates it when you get indecisive like that."
"Alright," he gave in, "I'm sorry. There, feel better now?"
"..." Her eyes narrowed, mind buzzing with a million different ways to pay him back his rudeness. A stab here, or a stab there, maybe a good shove or two ought to remind Flannel who he was. A soldier, a friend, a wolf before he was an enemy. It was so unlike him to be so negative, so Pieri could only guess that something terrible must have happened to him.
Something that involved Nishiki. She was positive that the fox was incapable of such slights, but he must have been if his closest friend was as down in the dumps as he was.
The cavalier sighed, and sat down next to Flannel. She crossed her arms, and tapped her fingers along the length of her armor. "...It's about Nishiki, right?"
"I don't wanna talk about it."
"You two seemed very close. And you both smell like blood, so it felt like we'd all be fast friends."
".."
"Pieri doesn't understand you, Flannel. You always make things complicated but then you get cold feet."
"I said I didn't want to talk about it," he chided, voice rising louder. "You don't understand a lot of things about me, Pieri."
"Pieri thinks she does."
"Well, you're wrong." The garou stood up, and buried the ends of his claw in the table. His eyes were smoldering again, although the stifled flames of hate threatened to burn over. Pieri refused to be intimidated, however, and stood up to better meet his eyes. She was shorter than him, naturally, but she countered his fire so well that he wondered if she was the one looking down on him. He shoved the feeling of hesitation down his throat, and barked at her.
"You don't know me like you think you do. Just 'cause you spent a couple times hunting with me, up in the mountains with me, you think you've got me figured out? No, no one here really knows me, Pieri, and I'm sick of them acting like they do."
"One person knows you," she insisted, straightening her shoulders. "But for reasons that not even I know, you've been shoving him away. Pieri thinks you're the one who doesn't know anything. You don't understand what it's like to not have anyone left. You have your pack, your friends, and Nishiki! Pieri has no one, so don't you dare try to act like you're all alone."
Flannel's anger quickly morphed, still fiery, but transformed into something dreadful, something that edged with fear and trepidation. He wanted to speak, but Pieri was one step ahead of him.
"Pieri's mother was stabbed in front of her eyes. A servant had skewered her, one that had manipulated her and attacked her in ways that would break a person. She broke, and from then on Pieri's servants were not to be trusted. I killed them all, until there was no one left. And I was lonely, I was really alone. Pieri has no one left, and if it were not for Lord Marx, she would not have anything left to look forward to. She thought she found a friend in you, but if you still can't decide who your friends are, then Pieri will forget about you. Pieri will kill and kill and kill but she will kill alone because that's the way she's always done things."
Her voice was cracking underneath its own weight, and tears stormed down her face, ruining her visage and stability. Her fists shook with such might, and when she let go and punched Flannel in the face, he felt her true power for the first time.
Her true despair.
"Pieri has always been alone! IF YOU DON'T WANT TO TALK, FINE! If you want to drag me along but then leave me halfway there, fine! Pieri will never forgive you! I HATE YOU!"
She ran off, stumbling over the chairs and the rugs, but ultimately stayed upright as her bright figure bounded wildly, voice shrill as she screamed and sobbed uncontrollably. Flannel thought about chasing after her, apologizing to her, and explaining to her how he really felt. He felt like fixing things, but that feeling died down as he slumped back into his seat.
No, Flannel was no good at fixing things. Even if the things he broke ended up being close to him, he never bothered putting the pieces back together. His emotions were stirred up into a frenzy, and the only thing that kept him centered was the stinging sensation in his cheek, the lasting reminder of the girl who wanted to be with him.
The girl who deserved so much more than he gave her.
...
Orochi thought that kissing Nishiki and getting caught by Flannel was the most awkward thing to happen to her, but she was wrong.
Being put on scouting duty with Nishiki, Flannel, and Pieri was probably the most awkward thing to happen to her. Not to mention that Kamui themselves joined their party, but their presence was just as estranged as the others, because no one really looked at them in the eye.
Especially not Flannel. He seethed with obvious distrust and frustration, such that Orochi could feel the heat emanating off of his skin. Nishiki was the near opposite, crestfallen in every way but one, but his smile could not fake the apparent hurt and regret he felt.
Orochi could not look at either of them in the eye. Instead, she stared at Kamui and Pieri, the latter who seemed especially anxious. She kept readjusting her gauntlets, her shin guards and elbow plates, even if the armor was immaculately applied. Her eyes darted around, the visible one landing on Orochi but never staying there for too long. The diviner had never felt more stifled in her life, and brought it upon herself to break the silence.
"Scouting? Isn't that what the scouts are for?" She asked Kamui, crossing her arms. "I don't understand what we're supposed to be doing here."
"Ryouma asked me personally to investigate something," they explained, shifting their weight from one foot to the other. "I decided to bring the rest of you along because no one else was available."
What a lie, Orochi thought, smirking. Asama was whining about having nothing to do. Not to mention that Nyukusu was talking about how the new spells she had learned in her free time. This whole thing is obviously set up.
"Will it be alright with just the five of us?" Orochi asked, twirling a strand of hair around her fingers. "Maybe we can ask some of the others to help. I saw Hinata earlier and he wasn't doing anything. And neither was Harold-"
"It's fine," the dragon-born explained, a bit too quickly than they would have liked. "With the five of us, it should be fine. You see, a few days ago, a town was raided by some warriors from Valla. It's nothing new, considering our situation, but something happened that was a bit different than usual."
No one seemed entirely moved by this explanation, but Orochi could see some shifts in the beaststone users, and a look of worry in Pieri's eye. She sighed, and focused her gaze entirely on Kamui.
"What happened that was so strange?"
"It's the people," Kamui said, "many of them died, but some escaped. When the survivors went back to the village to bury the dead, they were shocked because no one was there. There were no blood trails, no corpses, and the evidence of fire and fighting had all but disappeared."
A small smile crossed their face, and they stared each of them down with a look of curiosity. Finally, they spoke.
"They found the people that were dead," they said, "and they had all turned into statues."
...
"Statues?" Flannel finally spoke out, voice dull but unbelieving. "You expect me to believe that? Isn't that impossible? You can't just...turn into a statue."
"Like, stone statues and all?" Nishiki added, picking at stray threads in his clothes. "They just...turned into stone?"
"Exactly," Kamui said, "they were all statues. And the townspeople discovered that the soldiers of Valla that attacked them also turned to stone. They were horrified, so naturally, Ryouma wanted us to deal with it. Because if our enemies somehow found a way to turn people into stone, then we could have a serious problem on our hands. Imagine, a giant battle where everyone's fighting and such, then suddenly BAM! We're all statues, ready to be put in a museum or a menagerie or something."
"So why did you take us?" Orochi exclaimed. "What if we get hurt?"
"I took you all for various reasons. Pieri, you have some of the highest resistance to magic out of all of the knights. Orochi, you are the most well-versed in counter cursing, and Nishiki and Flannel, neither of you are actually human so I decided that whatever spells they were using won't affect you the same way."
"So we're your meat shields," Flannel snapped. "What kind of hunt is that?"
"You are not shields at all! Um, how do I put this? You guys are probably the best people to bring along. The strongest. And I felt that you were lacking in responsibilities lately. I mean, I'm still learning a lot myself, but I make sure to put my fair share in. Not to mention your group manages to have the most free time." A smile threaded like a needle through Kamui's face, and there was something satisfying about the disappointed looks on their faces.
Faces that knew they were right. There was drama, problems between the four of them that allowed them a luxury other soldiers did not have. The luxuries being time, respite, and relief from the trouble they caused.
It was high time that they remember that before they were friends or enemies, they were soldiers.
And for better or worse, Kamui would be the one to remind them. Although hopefully this will be a good break for all of us, they thought, hopefully this will be the reality check that they need.
"Consider yourselves the most important people in the army right now. Our goal is to bring about peace, so let's do our best, okay?"
"How far away is the village? I want to know," Pieri insisted. "Pieri wants to take her horse. She misses him."
"You should take your horse," Kamui agreed, "because the village is far away. The closest place that the astral plane will take us is some city that's at least a day's travel away. And don't look at me like that, you guys. There's only so much that a space-warping dimension can do for you, y'know."
...
Orochi was thankful that she did not have to ride Nishiki or Flannel. It was all too easy to ride with Pieri on her horse, and wrap her arms around the Nohrian woman's armor, clinging tightly enough to warrant balance.
The other three shifted into their true forms, and did leaps and bounds across the land. Flannel wanted to avoid Nishiki and Kamui as much as possible, so he ended up flanking the group, staying at a steady pace behind the horse. He was wordless and only the occasional grunt or bark signaled that he was still there.
Nishiki lead the group, despite it being Kamui's charge. He did not mind, however, as the empty horizon was a calming sight, and Nishiki could momentarily forget about the others as he stood in the front.
Kamui, in contrast, exercised a steady and easy control, striding alongside Pieri and Orochi, although towering over them by at least a story. This did not unnerve either of them, however, and Orochi found it comforting to watch Kamui's dragon form run beside them as sleekly as silver.
It was silent, but at least it was not awkward. If Pieri's armor were not so clunky, then Orochi would have liked the idea of taking a nap on her. But the metal plates stuck out and poked at Orochi's soft skin, so she shifted every so often to adjust herself. It felt like hours passing by, and they only stopped once or twice to give Pieri's steed a break, and when the stallion was rested enough again, they would resume their course.
And Orochi was surprised at the changing surroundings. They ran through woodland, forest, plains, prairies, and eventually stopped at the base of some northern mountains. In that one day's span of travel, the diviner felt as if she had already ran through a majority of the world. She recalled each thing with heavenly regard. The river which ran as clear as the sky, the flowerbeds of shocking colors unlike any Orochi had ever seen, the occasional weird and lonely hut on the hillside. All of them were small sights, but she enjoyed them nonetheless.
When they arrived at their destination, she almost felt sad. Riding behind Pieri was easy and fun, and now she would go back into the social fray that was working with Flannel and Nishiki.
Gods, she thought, let's hurry this along, please.
"This place doesn't look damaged at all," Flannel noted. "Are we in the right place?"
"This is it," Kamui answered. "I wasn't kidding when I said something strange happened here. But something's still wrong." They paused, and everyone hitched to a stop. Pieri, who was ready to reign in her steed, looked with anxious eyes.
"What? What's wrong?"
"When I left here earlier, this place was bustling with a dozen or so survivors. There were even more people from the next village over that came to help. And we stationed a small unit for protection."
"And yet," Nishiki added on, "there's no one in sight. Not even a cat or something. It's like this place is abandoned."
"Exactly. Something is wrong. Be on the lookout, everyone."
"That's just great," Orochi murmured, clutching onto her scrolls. She brought the spirit of a rabbit and a bird with her, the kanji of their characters engraved on the spells. With a simple motion, she could summon them and unleash magical terror on her enemies.
But it had been so long since she was in a real battle. The mock fights and training that she had with Tsukuyomi and Odin were nothing compared to the real thing. She remembered defeating a few foot soldiers in one scrap, but the last time she had a true struggle, one that filled her with fear and adrenaline, was back in the youko hamlet.
Back in that village with murderous foxes. Her glance unwillingly flickered to Nishiki, although his back was turned to her. Did he know her hesitation, she wondered? Did he still pity her?
He must, she thought, we haven't spoken since that terrible day. Since I ruined things for him, royally. Gods...
"Watch out, Orochi!"
She blinked, and turned her head. The spirit of calamity was rushing at her, but she was not fast enough to evade it. The full brunt of the spell struck her in the abdomen, and a loud grunt was made as she stumbled.
In front of her was a dark mage. No, a sorcerer. It had to have been, what with the feathery cape and the sheer clothing. A Nohrian was jeering at her, staring her down with eyes that glittered like beads. Yet his weapon was clearly Hoshidan, so that could have only meant one thing.
They were in bigger trouble than they realized.
Orochi fought back with a cast of the bird spirit, the bright green magic coming to life and striking at the sorcerer. The opponent let the attack hit her squarely in the chest, but she seemed entirely unfazed.
The diviner's heart sunk.
"Hah, how weak. The bird is too lighthearted, you see. It is the spirit of calamity and the dragon that makes a difference." The sorcerer spoke, accent thick with nobility and the dark tones of Nohr. They laughed, and the sound of it sent shivers up Orochi's spine. Her comrades gathered near her, and they thought to make a group attack, but that thought was put to rest.
More enemies came out from the village huts, revealed themselves from the cover of darkness. There were Nohrians and Hoshidans alike, and while the spirit of unity was something to admire, for once Kamui wished that the groups were separate.
Maybe there would have been less of them, otherwise.
"Who are you?" Kamui demanded, steeling themselves. They were in their dragon form, and all of the other enemies cowered before them.
All except the sorcerer, who smiled widely. "That's funny, because I know who you are. Kamui, the rumored royal from Nohr that somehow managed to bring the two nations together. While you fight a bigger threat, you count on the unity between darkness and light to hold the world together. You're Kamui, unbearably naive in thinking that such a bond could exist so easily."
"You seem to know a lot about me," they said. "Why? Who are you?"
"Of course I do. I had my sources in your army. Someone on the inside."
Orochi's stomach churned. She dealt with the issues of treachery before. Hoshido, as shining and bright as it was, had its fair share of distrust and lies. She remembered the nights of grief that Lady Mikoto suffered, the endless questions of loyalty and betrayal. She remembered that the mere thought of having a spy in their ranks was enough to threaten the system, the bonds they all shared.
That same feeling of betrayal and confusion is what caused the late queen's death. Orochi despaired at the thought of it recurring again. Was there a traitor in the army we didn't know about? She wondered. What does this sorcerer know?
"No one would stoop so low as to betray their cause," Kamui reasoned. "Even if they had a good enough motive, all of my forces are the most loyal there is."
"Is that why you're standing so far apart from each other, then?"
Kamui blinked, and noticed that the enemy was right. Nishiki and Flannel were too far away again, and Pieri was edging off to the corner, where she seemed more concerned about her horse than anything. Only Orochi was close enough to warrant safety.
The dragon gulped, and hid their hesitation. "You're dancing around the question. You think that because we're outnumbered, that we won't put up a fight? You'll wish you had more allies."
"Haha, perhaps! No, but I meant, we had a person that managed to get inside. They're dead, however."
"Good," Flannel suddenly barked, his beaststone glowing with the soon-to-be usage. "We don't want anything to do with trash like you."
"That's funny, coming from the guy that killed him."
Flannel blanched, and Nishiki covered his mouth. They both shared looks of discontent, and Pieri quickly caught on and understood. In her face was the fear and anger from the jailing incident those weeks ago, the unresolved tension that stuck between all of them.
Was this the rest of the poachers that the dark mage mentioned? Were these the forces he spoke so highly of, the ones that swore to kill youkos and garous until they were but a story and a trophy?
Was it them?
"Yeah, you killed him. His name was, well, you don't really care for that, do you? No, monsters don't care for who they kill."
Flannel's temper flared, and he was in his true form within seconds. "Run that by me again, human. I didn't quite hear you."
"You're a monster. You had to be, who else could kill him so cruelly? Ripping him apart, such that I felt my own soul tear to pieces...how hypocritical of you, to kill him above any of the other prisoners there. And yet you think I'm so bad for calling you what you are." The sorcerer smiled again, and stood forward. "Monster."
"You wanna see him that badly?" Flannel guffawed, black eyes staring them down with a vicious intent. "I'll make it quick."
"Flannel!" Orochi suddenly spoke out, grinding her teeth in the mistake of saying his name in front of the enemies. "It's a trick, don't you see? She's just trying to get you riled up!"
As she spoke, Pieri mounted her horse, and Nishiki also transformed. Kamui, already transformed, started closing in on the sorcerer.
Everyone else was still, and Orochi thought jokingly if they somehow turned into statues, as well.
"See what a monster you are? Having humans vouch for you...you really have their kind wrapped around your finger, huh?" She smiled. "Flannel, was it? I'm Mara. Although what are names to a garou? Nothing, as you continue to slaughter humans like a game."
"Flannel, don't listen to her!"
"Shut up!" Flannel roared, and reached out with his claws. He was aiming for her throat, and was sure that no amount of magic could save her in time. His eyes were dark but alive with the rush of killing, the thought of anger but the feeling of excitement rushing through. His claws glinted, and he was sure that he would see the sharp edge of black and silver dyed red.
Instead, his hand went cleanly through the air, through the sorcerer that warped like fog or an apparition. His heart sank.
She was not real. None of them were, as Pieri's lance pierced nothing but the fake visions of soldiers, and Nishiki ran into a wall instead of the soldier that looked like he was there. Even Kamui's anger, about to unleash on a few smaller enemies, was halted as they realized what was going on. None of the poachers were real. Their bodies were fake and their presences nothing but illusions.
Only Orochi knew better, although she did not know they were fake. She only had the idea that something was amiss, and attacking too quickly would be a mistake. She wished that it were not so, and that the future held a new surprise for them, something to give them more of their bearings and more of a chance against their opponents.
Instead, the illusions all faded, and there was a raucous laughter erupting above their heads. They looked up, and in horror, saw the real enemies, standing on the roofs of the buildings, glaring and spiting them from above.
Mara, the sorcerer, and presumably their leader, had a strange book in her hands. One that was silver with black writing, and yellowed pages that fell out as she used them.
"Petrify. This little spell made amusements out of the dead villagers, and trophies out of the semi-visible ones. We don't know why they're like that, but it doesn't matter. As long as their forms are human, the effects will be the same." Her gaze moved to Orochi, the diviner having been the one to go against them earlier. "I think you would make a beautiful statue, Hoshidan."
It was a fast moving spell. A stream of silver and black shot out like a snake on the attack, and ran in a straight line for Orochi. She shrieked and ran out of its way, barely missing it. But the fact that she was able to dodge it gave her a new momentum, and she raised her scrolls to counterattack. This time, the rabbit came out, and leaped from the magic and out into the fray.
A spear master, who was standing next to Mara, grunted as he blocked the attack with his wide blade. Orochi cursed, but was not fast enough for the next attack.
To retaliate, Mara had her Petrify spell, and directed its power was in a precise stream of magic, posed to hit Orochi in the face. Before its ungodly effects could take place, however, she found the attack being blocked by a massive body of black and white that stood in front of her. Still, she screamed as if she was hurt, anyways.
It was Flannel that had protected her, in his garou form, too. He grunted from feeling the attack full on, but still seemed to be statue-less. It only works on humans, Orochi thought suddenly, thank Gods!
Her relief was short lived as Flannel barked at her to run, and Orochi knew why. The rest of the enemies drew their weapons. Half of them were archers or mages like Mara was, but all of them aimed their attacks with deadly precision.
Kamui's group was being picked off like mice being preyed upon by hawks. A flurry of arrows rained down on them, but Pieri managed to dodge each one. But her horse was less lucky, as an arrow or two struck it straight in the eyes, missing the rest of the protective metal that went around its face. That was their goal, she realized. They were aiming for her horse all along, and their plan had worked, as it fell down in one fell swoop, a pathetic and low whinny escaping its dying lips. Pieri screeched as she fell off her mount, and landed in the dirt by its side. She dodged more arrows that came flying in her direction, and cried out angrily. Pieri could do nothing but watch helplessly as her mount was killed over and over again, the archers' sharp edged arrows and long shafts burying themselves in its hide, in its face and in its legs. It was a motionless lump of meat now, rendered into nothing before her eyes.
"NO!" Pieri screamed, tears streaming down her face. "No, no! NO, PLEASE, NO!"
"Leave it!" Nishiki screamed, shoving her forward with his fox muzzle. She yelped, but ultimately followed his lead as he ran out from the fray. She looked back, and wished she could go and bury it, or at the very least, pick out the offensive arrows from its body. But she could only run away, follow Nishiki obediently because there were spells and arrows and blades slinging above them like a death storm, and the longer she spent there, the more likely she was to reunite with her fallen mount.
Kamui, who was fending off more soldiers, found their height and size effective in taking them down, swiping them off of the roofs in the same way that a person would swipe dirt off of a counter. There were yells and sprays of blood and flying bodies, but they did not care. They could only move thoughtlessly and carelessly, frenzied by the life-threatening situation they were forced in.
It was not until Nishiki shoved them along, as well, did Kamui understand that it was useless to fight the sheer number of poachers. They took one last glance at Mara. The damned woman was laughing and smiling despite the deaths and injuries taking place, even if there were some of her own that fell down lifelessly. It sickened Kamui, and they redirected their gaze forward.
They had no idea what was going on, but there was no time to think. There was only time to run, and they pumped their limbs along mindlessly. They kept running with the others, until they reached the outskirts of the settlement, until the sounds of battle were left behind them. And it was not until Kamui collapsed into the grass, exhausted and reverted back to their human form, did they realize something horrible.
Orochi and Flannel were not with them.
...
Kamui's stomach turned. It was only the three of them, Pieri, Nishiki, and themselves that were outside of the village, collapsed in the nearby fields. Orochi and Flannel were nowhere to be seen, which could only mean one thing. The two of them, in the midst of battle, were separated from the rest, still stuck in the fray and the mass frenzy of Mara's forces. And that situation would not be friendly to either of them.
They looked at Pieri and Nishiki, both physically spent and worn out, but in that shared gaze of helplessness, they seemed to understand the wordless message that Kamui was trying to convey.
Nishiki's eyes widened, the ends of them brimming with tears. He stared at the village they just escaped from, and shook his head. "No, no, no. Kamui, we have to go back. W-We have to go back!" Nishiki stood up, but yelped as he fell down in pain. He did not notice it earlier, probably because of the adrenaline, but he realized there were shards of a weapon embedded in his legs.
It was part of a beast killer, the lances laced with special poison and made with exotic metal, the ones specifically designed to kill things like Nishiki. He screamed in pain, the fragments alone were enough to make his head dizzy and his limbs bleed profusely.
Pieri and Kamui were in no better shape, the knight full of flesh wounds and a dagger or two in her sides, the dragon decorated with cuts and scars, and an arrow that was stuck in one of their arms. They were in no shape to be saving anyone, as they needed to be saved themselves.
"We have to go back." Nishiki repeated.
"And we will." Kamui reassured. "But we have to wait."
"Wait for what?"
"For who, you mean." A new voice spoke out from behind them. Kamui was smiling, but Pieri and Nishiki were worried. They turned around, and were ultimately relieved at what they saw.
A small force, consisting of Cyrus, Joker, Suzukaze, Elise, Sakura, and Leon stood behind them. From the looks of their flushed faces and drawn brows, they had just arrived, and barely on the nick of time, as well. They were a rescue party of sorts, but even with their added numbers, they were altogether still outmatched by Mara's crew. But seeing their presences were enough to give Nishiki some hope that Flannel and Orochi could still be saved.
"Once we heal up and come up with a plan, we'll save the other two." Kamui smiled at Leon, who quickly went to his sibling's side. Their gaze moved along to the other close friends that managed to join together for a last minute rescue. "I told Cyrus and Leon ahead of time to grab anyone else and follow us after an hour or so, just in case things went badly. I'm glad I did."
"Yes," Leon suddenly spoke out, beside Joker as the latter took out a staff to mend Kamui's wounds. "Otherwise, you'd all be dead. Or very close to it, I imagine. We have an idea of who we're dealing with here, but we have to put all the pieces together if we want a strategy that works."
"Yeah!" Elise perked up, clutching a stave in one hand and a roll of bandages in the other. "Things look hopeless now, but together we can get Flannel and Orochi back!"
"I'll scout ahead," Suzukaze said quietly, "and see what we're dealing with. I'll be back soon enough." In the next instant, he seemed to have disappeared, although everyone trusted in him to return safely.
"I was worried about your plan, Kamui." Cyrus admitted, helping along Elise as the two of them fixed up Pieri. Elise did the actual healing, although Cyrus helped with bandages and replaced some of her chipped armor with extras he brought. "But with our combined forces, and our bonds we share, we should be able to overcome this obstacle."
Sakura, naturally, fell to Nishiki's side, muttering profuse apologies as she had to pick out the shards of the broken beast killer from his leg. Each tug felt like a deep spike of fire, and he could not help but yelp in that way that foxes do. He felt relief when the sharp objects were pulled out, but it was not until Sakura used her staffs did he feel the pain subside. She cleaned up the blood, and looked at him earnestly. "W-We can save them, I-I know it." She smiled, and added extra bandages and another round of medicine for safety's sake. "Once we come up with a plan, I-I'll try to help as much as I can! Because i-it's scary, isn't it? When the ones you love are in danger?"
Nishiki vaguely wondered if Sakura was talking about Orochi or Flannel as his 'loved one', but he realized that in this case, they both counted as people he loved, and they were both people that he did not want to lose. He found comfort in her softness, and his usual smile returned to his face.
"It's not just scary," he admitted, "it's terrifying."