It was a dark, cold night for the young raven haired female, rain pouring over her hooded cloak and metal shoulder plates as she trudged through the desolate camp of her and her company on guard duty. Why? She could only assume it was punishment for failing her last assignment, nothing interesting ever happened around this dump of a base. A sword hung idly from her left hip, a sword that hadn't seen combat for the past four months.
"Argh!" She growled, kicking away a loose stone before stomping her foot in frustration; all the other guards and hunters were all nice and cosy inside their huts, and she's out here, freezing her butt off and soaking wet, because they sent her on a wild goose chase. 'Find a Nightfury within a month' What sort of stupid task was that?
Along her patrol she stumbled across her only friend in the company, a girl roughly her age who she trusted with her life, they had saved each others skins more times than either cared to keep track of, though truth be told there was always some reward for her friend that she didn't hesitate to accept. Extra Hacksilver, a new weapon, those sorts of things. "Hey Heather."
"Tira."
"Let me guess, another impossible mission?"
"When is it not? We haven't even been properly trained and they expect me to find a Goddamn Nightfury? Why'd they even need one of them with the stuff they've already got." Tira shrugged, leaning against the nearest wall, under a small balcony that kept the rain off of her. Heather walked over and leaned against the wall beside her, pulling down her hood. She had short black hair, with a single ponytail that reached to just below her shoulders currently resting over her collarbone.
Tira followed suit, removing her own hood to reveal a shoulder length auburn hair, framing a slender face baring only one small scar across her lips from a very fiesty Terrible Terror that scratched her face. "I don't make the rules Heather, I just follow them."
"Still stupid, what they got you on guard duty for anyway?" Heather glanced curiously at her only friend.
"A Terrible Terror got loose and stole a fish."
"Seriously? They're punishing you for that. It wouldn't happen if they actually put Terrors in better cages."
"You're telling me." Tira laughed, shaking her head in amusement. "It was worth it though, I got to see a Terror knock down two guards before I finally had to step in a subdue it." Heather remained silent for a few seconds, then, after checking the surroundings, she spoke in a slightly hushed voice.
"What do you think about these guys? And him?" Tira shrugged.
"It's good hacksilver, and it's better than my village life was. Barely made enough to keep myself fed, here, food comes free."
"You not miss your home though?" She shrugged again.
"I guess so, but I ain't really too bothered about going back there. Besides, I know it's being looked after." Heather frowned slightly, for in truth she was actually hoping Tira would hate being a part of this company just as much as she did, then she wouldn't feel so alone.
Sure, they were treated well and cared for, more so in this camp than other camps, and most, if not all, the guards were actually somewhat nice people, but what she hated was the intentions and the groups purpose. They didn't fit well with what her heart told her; especially the recent developments where War was mentioned. The shadowy haired girl, after hearing about a war, instantly lost what little respect she had for them.
"What do you think about this whole war thing?" Tira visibly tensed once Heather mentioned war.
"I don't know, I think you just heard it wrong." She answered slightly to quickly for Heathers liking. "I think you should just keep quiet about it. Rumours like that are what tear groups apart."
"It's not me who started the rumour." She defended herself, though she was lying to some extent. She actually did start the rumour they were going to war after hearing it mentioned, not realising it had actually provoked some of the group members. One of the camps had actually fallen apart because of the rumour, though no-one but Tira knew Heather was the one spreading the word - much to her gratitude.
"I know it was. Look Heather, I'm doing my best to keep you in the clear, you can't keep it up. Letting dragons get away, giving them extra food. I can't cover for you much longer."
"It don't matter, I have a plan." Tira raised an eyebrow, turning to face her with a skeptical expression adorning her face.
"A plan for what?"
"Getting out of this place." Tira vigorously shook her head in a 'no'.
"Are you crazy? We'll so be caught. Even if we got away, you know they'd hunt us. It's way to risky."
"We won't, I promise. I have a plan to distract the guards and cover our escape. Set the dragons free and use the explosive powder barrels. As far as they're concerned, me and you would just be collateral damage." Tira seemed heavily conflicted.
"Meet me in the hut after your shift ends tomorrow and I'll explain the plan to you in full." Heather then proceeded to return to her patrol, Tira following suit.
~...~
Laying prone on an upper level, Tira and Heather were overlooking the dragon cages and some of the explosive powder barrels, observing their increased security. "They're really tightening up on security after that Nightmare broke free." Heather punched the ground in frustration.
"Damnit." She hissed, "This was meant to be easy. covering our escape is going to be so much harder now, hopefully the barrels I've already got set up will be enough."
"So, what's the plan for them?" Heather pointed out a small alcove in the roof of her hut, where she was planning her escape from; it was very convient her hut had water access. The boat was already in place.
"There's about five barrels there. All I gotta do is find someway to break that support beam and they'll blow up the hut. We can sneak out from behind into the boat and sail off before they realise. I just need a new way to break that beam from a safe distance. I can't exactly rely on the dragons blowing it up for me in the fight now."
"You reckon it'll work?" Heather nodded.
"Yeah, as long as they think we're in the hut when it blows up we're fine. Meet me after sunset, I'll need your help with trying to set this up."
"Can't, I'm on guard duty again. Think you can manage. I got two hour shift, I can join up afterwards." Heather sighed, but nodded reluctantly.
"Ok."
~...~
Impatiently tapping her foot on the floor boards of her hut, Heather sighed in annoyance. Where the Hel was Tira? Everything was set up for their getaway and the girl was taking forever. "Hurry up." Finally she spotted the girl, walking towards her, flanked on both sides by three guards.
"Tira, what the Hel is this?" The auburn female simply drew her blade, pointing it at Heather. The black haired girl took a step back in shock, her face twisting into one of betrayal. It didn't take long to realise Tira was selling her out. "I thought you of all people were my friend. You're selling me out?"
Tira shrugged, glaring at Heather without pity, remorse or regret in her expression. "I'm looking out for myself Heather... I'm sorry, but you know as well as I do that running away from these guys is stupid.."
"Really? After the amount of times I've saved you? You're going to get me killed." She shook her head, lowering her sword to her side.
"No, I talked to the boss. I'm looking out for myself Heather, but I'm still going to save you as well. If you surrender, nothing'll happen to you. I promise. Just give up and we'll pretend this never happened; you won't get killed, you won't even get hurt or demoted or anything. Just don't do it."
Heather could only frown in disgust, reaching for her own sword. "Don't try it." Tira warned. She stopped, staring at Tira.
"I guess family really means nothing to you."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You never really cared about what happened to your family did you, after you joined these guys. Then we met, we became best friends, Hel, you even said I was a sister you never had." Tira shrugged, as if Heather's words held no merit to her.
"So, what's the choice?" Despite feeling betrayed, Heather had deep down expected an outcome in which they were found out, so her getaway was still viable even without Tira's company. Granted, she had hoped it would be her and Tira aboard the boat as they escaped, but if Tira wanted to stay, so be it. The girl was as stubborn as a moody Nightmare.
"Goodbye Tira." She yanked her sword from it's sheath and cut the support beam, allowing the upper balcony to collapse under the sudden pressure and cover Heather temporarily, the barrels crashed to the ground, some snapping open and spilling part of the powder. Tira's company made no move to pursue once the barrels landed, as the auburn girl knew Heather would've had a backup plan anyway. The girl wasn't dumb, she always looked at as many outcomes as she could.
Though something then struck as confusing and even worrying. Heather had said the beam she cut was the primary plan, which meant that... Cutting her thoughts short was the loud rumbling of an explosion as finally the fire that would light it fell from above, landing and setting aflame the wooden planks before reaching the flammable compound of explosive powder and causing explosions that collapsed the hut very quickly. The group had sheilded themselves, and were a safe distance from any real harm, but Tira knew Heather didn't have enough time to have reached the boat when the hut came crashing down..
~..~
She frantically threw her burning hoodie back into the inferno after unlatching it, removing her metal armour plating and throwing it away into the water to sink before jumping onto the ship and desperately trying to set sail before it was too late. She couldn't exactly test her escape method, and now she was paying for it with heavily misjudged time.
The boat, however, crept past unnoticed by sentries, and Heather allowed herself some time to cry in anger over the betrayal. She trusted Tira, and Tira sold her out. It wasn't like there was much risk, infact, other than the increased guards at the dragons, there was nothing that even remotely hinted that there was a chance they'd get caught. The plan would've worked, and they'd both have gotten away with it.
She just sat there, letting the boat drift over the waves, without a plan of what to do. Tira was the one who was more knowledgeable of survival and the Realm of Midgard, so she focused on the post-escape plan while Heather focused on the escape plan itself. Now, Heather had no guidence of what to do; a weeks worth of food and water, she could only hope she'd find somewhere new to call home soon..
~...~
She drifted for many days and nights, and now she had exhausted her supplies. Her body felt weak, her spirit defeated. The nights were cold, and the waves slowly became more aggressive as she drifted onwards. A storm had torn the sail the same day as her escape, and left her aimlessly floating along the water. She was ready to accept her end; then, like a glimmer of hope, she saw at the furtherest horizon the rim of an island - still many days out for her to hope of reaching alive, but atleast it woukd serve as somewhere to sleep, food and such.
She had thought back to her family and her tribe. The Berzerker's, how were they fairing after she left for the company. How would they react to her 'death' With how quick the hut had actually collapsed and the explosion occured, she was surprised she got away alive. Tira would most definitely think she was dead, even if she knew the plan. There'd be nothing left of her anyway. She made certain her tracks were covered long before she even put it into action. Considering where the boat was hiding, Tira wouldn't think much to not see it there, dubbing it down to sinking and being caught in the destruction.