Chapter 19: Youthful Burdens
The rusted door of the ship's brig opened wide with its metallic creak. The apprentice rushed out of the single cell, returning to the halls of the lower deck. Quickly he closed the entrance/exit back. So fast as to not let anyone nearby steal a good glimpse to what laid past the old door. Once the rusted entrance was pulled and shut tight, the young feline laid his arms and head against it, breathing heavily and rapidly while contemplating on what exactly transpired just minutes ago?
"Are you alright?" Asked the Shadow Claw guard, still standing vigilantly to the young mountain lion's right. The older warrior noticed the peculiar posture of his leader's pupil: Being still, breathing rapidly, and seemingly zoned out into empty space. "You ok?" The guard asked once more.
Hearing a voice speak to him a second time, the apprentice looked towards his right and gave his best answer. "Y-yeah… I-I'm fine." The tone of his voice seemed reassuring, though of fabricated intentions.
The younger feline couldn't comprehend his failing. He was there, with dagger in hand and ready to strike. He knew who his target was; the cruel beast whom stole away his joyful upbringing. And yet, the deed wasn't, couldn't be done. Realizing the pairs of eyes and ears beside him, the apprentice turned and gave a simple, yet demanding instruction, in a voice of collectiveness meant to mask anxiety. "I'll… I'll return later. Just don't let anybody else inside. This IS my mission."
Without asking questions, the guard acknowledged. The lower level assassin figured it best to assist Moushar's apprentice in any way, rather than suffer allowing his initiation be ruined by carelessness.
Unable to grasp with his own mind, the young mountain lion walked down the hall, slightly swaying in protest to the lake waves colliding with the ship's hull. He passed by a few sailors, who were either tending to their duties or easing themselves, though the apprentice didn't pay much attention to them. His mind was rather in a frenzy of questioning. As the long minutes passed he simply went on and on to himself, urging his inner being to make sense of this day. But the more he attempted to solve his own dilemma, the more he questioned his very perceptions on both his past and present.
That wolf was his enemy, since that dreadful and misery filled day four years ago. Whether via his own imagination or his vivid dreams, that monstrosity was only a savage. People like him deserve to die. They've properly earned the right to have their life taken away from the lonely emptiness of the darkness. Such is the teaching of the few inducted into the ways of the Shadows. But the apprentice's mind seemingly slammed back and forth with personal world altering questioning. Once entering that cell, all the young man's heart desired was the kill and the taking of vengeance. However, he didn't know whether it was that man's words, or his sincere gaze, or something else entirely, but an unmistakable beaconing within the young assassin-to-be's mortal being begged him to stay his blade. Perhaps the dire warning of the imprisoned wolf struck into the young cat's soul, backed by the noticeable detail of the scarred man's telling of his past. All the apprentice felt at first was hatred and anger. But he could read on that one eyed wolf's face, and see nothing he ever expected from his night terrors, should he ever meet this man face-to-face. No, all there was in the wolf was… pain, and sorrow, and most noticeable of all, regret. Continuing to walk down, the apprentice thought: A man feels regret… a savage doesn't… right?
"You didn't have the gull for it, did you?" A feminine voice sounded suddenly.
Instantly the young mountain lion jumped, startled before seeing Aisha laid against the wall casually. Being driven into deep thoughts diverted his focus, enough to lose awareness of his surroundings.
"Oh, you startled me, Aisha." The apprentice said.
"You couldn't kill him, could you?" Aisha replied.
His face lifted with alert and shock. "What, how do you know?"
"You just told me, that's how." She answered with a smirk.
"AH, damnit!" he muttered while putting his paw to his forehead in self-shame.
Moving from her relaxed posture against the wall, the panther woman moved closer to her younger fellow member to-be. She sported a curious smile that gave off a dangerous vibe to him. Looking around, Aisha checked to see if anybody was nearby before digging into her curiosity regarding the young mountain lion's test.
"So, you couldn't kill him." She started. "This IS the most important moment in your training, you know."
"Yes, yes, I understand that. I just…" He replied, unsure to what his choice of wording should be.
"What was it about that General Yu guy that made you spare him?" She asked, acting relaxed and casual like.
Frustrated, he refrained from answering for a moment. But then he reminded himself who he was talking to, and answered. "I didn't want to spare him. I just… hadn't worked up… worked up the gull, as you said, quiet yet."
"Hmm" She muttered to herself. "Did he tell you anything?"
The ship continued to sway gently along the river as their conversation continued ammist the slight echoes of creaking wood and sailors' chatter.
"He warned me not to kill him." The apprentice informed.
"Let me guess, for HIS sake… or his family's?" She pondered out loud.
"No, for MINE!?" He answered in a subtly shocked tone.
Aisha's intrigue increased greatly. She then asked "Why would he do that? Why should he care about you, the enemy?"
"I don't know." The apprentice replied in a tone of confusion. "He went on about how apparently when he was young, he committed the same mistake, and practically begged me not to kill him out of vengeance."
"Vengeance?" She muttered out. Noticing the look on the young feline's face, she was able to place pieces together in her brain. "Ah… I see: this is something personal for you, isn't it?"
"T-that… that's my own business." He replied while crossing his arms over his chest, keeping to himself the best he could.
Aisha then walked over to the wall next to him and leaned against it, in the same casual posture as just before. He faced himself towards her, but held his head down slightly, now thinking of what angle could one of the order's most highly regarded of members could be working from.
"Anyway-" The apprentice explained. "When I was about to kill him, he went on about his past. About how when he was young he had a wife and kids that were murdered, and he helped massacre a whole village just to get revenge."
"Hmm…" She muttered curiously with a raised eyebrow. "Well, that's all the reason you need."
He looked at her, silent as to let her speak her mind on such matters. She spoke as if sheer amusement was radiating from her by even speaking of grim actions.
"He said it himself; he is a vicious killer, who no doubt grimly ended hundreds of lives. And not to mention he was a war general, helping the fabled, Mad Peacock in conquering the whole country."
"What's your point?" he asked in a serious voice.
"My point, is that that man, in that cell, is nothing more than a murdering monster. And by terminating him, justice is brought to all the souls he ended." She gave a sick smirk at the young fellow feline. "I mean; isn't that what we do, as members of the Order? Bring justice from the Shadows?"
(Fire Emblem Echoes ost – "The Dim Abyss")
"Y-yeah… but-" He uttered before being interrupted.
"How about I tell you a story?" Aisha offered.
He paused for a moment, then asked "A story, from YOU?"
"I promise it has a good ending." She teased.
Taking careful consideration of his situation, the apprentice nodded his head before she began her tale. "Years ago… gods it feels like a lifetime… I lived in an extravagant palace, belonging to a Khan in Mongolia."
"I… had no idea." The young mountain lion commented before the panther woman continued.
"But you see, I wasn't a royal or a noble, no." A hint of disgust crept into her tone. "I was a slave in that palace." Looking back at the apprentice, she noticed his face shown with silent shock. "Oh yes, I was once the property of someone. But I was… simply an item in that Khan's eyes, nothing more than a plaything for him to enact his sick pleasures onto. Nearly every night he was home, that sick bastard would ruin me, reduce me to nothing more than a toy for his disgusting amusement."
He listened closely as a sense of anger swelled into her voice as she went on. "Night after night, again and again, it never ended. Then, one day, I had enough. In an idiotic drunken act, he made the utterly stupid mistake of leaving his sword within my range, before passing out on his bed after a feast." The next part of her story she felt a drive of adrenaline simply from recalling her memories. "I saw an opportunity before me. My anger burned until all there was inside me… was RICHEOUS FURY! So, I grabbed his sword… climbed onto his bed… turned him around… and I RUINED HIM! First, I ruined his dick. Then, I ruined his arms, and then his leg, his head, his face. All the years, all the nights he ravaged me, all the rage I built up finally unleashed its wrath. At that moment, all I saw was the redness of his blood. By the time I was finished, you wouldn't even think he was human to begin with. I then escaped and my self-liberation caught the attention of the Order… and here I am now."
Utterly shocked by her story, so unbelievably gruesome, he quickly moved away from her, though only a few feet. "Is there a reason for you telling me this story?" The apprentice asked.
Moving out of her casual posture against the wall once again, she stood closely to him and answered chillingly. "On that day, I learned something. Well, actually it was two things. The first was; this world is filled with sick-minded-bastards, that all deserve to die. I mean, you said that that General Yu admitted to killing an entire village right? Not to mention the hundreds of war crimes he committed in service to a conquest craving noble."
With a gulp of fear, the young mountain lion asked the panther vixen, "And what was the second thing?"
She gave a disgusted smirk and answered "When I killed that khan, when I tore him piece by piece with his own blade, I discovered something… I actually was enjoying it. The mere act of liberating myself through blood as I butchered his body after he ruined mine, it gave me an unbelievable bliss to me, at that moment… I was actually laughing with joy."
In fear, the apprentice asked "How's that different from vengeance?"
She leaned closely, and replied "Because, sick, demented bastards do nothing but kill and ruin and devastate whoever they see fit. They're nothing but loathsome maggots to be slaughtered themselves. And by terminating them, justice is given to all the souls they ruined. Isn't that what we as the Order do? Deliver justice from the shadows?" She finished.
With her story and her point said, Aisha began to walk off, leaving the young feline to himself. But she was stopped when he said "WAIT!" Turning around, she listened. "What do you want from me?" The apprentice asked, remembering that she was aware of his failed test.
She gave a slight chuckle before replying. "You make it sound like I'm blackmailing you."
"I'm just being cautious." He replied, turning his tone serious.
"Well… how about we make a deal." She proposed, taking a few steps back towards him.
"A deal?" He asked.
"Yes. You see, that story I told you, I've only shared it with a select few people, and aim to keep it that way." She then smiled chillingly. "How about this: You keep my secret… and I keep yours?"
Realizing she knew of his failure, and now knowing of her past, the apprentice figured out the situation he came into, playing into her paws like a moth to a flame. "I guess I have no choice." He replied.
All she gave in return was a wicked little laugh under her breath before walking off to above deck. The apprentice took a deep breath, though still unnerved by her story. The fact that she subtly roped him into whatever nefarious intentions she may be having set his stomach sick. Giving a big, long sigh, the apprentice looked back down the hall, seeing the door that lead to that General Yu. And now the young feline was all the more conflicted as what to do regarding his test. Wanting to escape from it all, even for just a few moments, the wildcat walked over to a nearby window, and gazed out at the river and the country beyond it and the waves crashing with each other, though the horrid images from Aisha's told past still dreadfully resided in a dark corner of his imagination.
("The Dim Abyss" ends)
((()-()))
While the slaver's ship slowly sailed, further down the river behind them, the Bank Breaker pursued. The small boat moved slowly as the winds propelled it passed the nearby trees and distant country lands. At the helm of the Bank Breaker, Nadia held the wheel, operating the steering device that guided the small boat along the waters. The cool breeze blew passed her face and along the fur on her head. The young lioness looked down the deck of her ship, seeing two of her passengers at work, mopping the wooden floors. Having paying passengers was good enough in her eyes. However, she quickly realized the opportunity for some free labor. With only her and Keng onboard, it was helpful to have someone else do the manual chores. She kept watchful eyes on the small rabbit boy and that teenage wolf warrior. Together they cleaned the decks.
Putting his mop down for a moment, Fang spoke his mind in his usual manor of speech. "Why do we have to do all this work for HER of all people?"
Erdan ceased his cleaning and replied "Well, it's their ship, so it's their rules."
"But we're not cleaning servants. We're on an official mission to save lives. Not be janitors!" Fang complained.
"Come on now, a little labor won't kill you." Erdan replied. "Besides, it's the least we could do, considering what we asked Nadia and Keng to do."
"Yeah, yeah." Fang groaned.
"HEY, THAT DECK ITSN'T GONNA GET CLEANED WITH CHATTER!" Nadia shouted.
Immediately the wolf and rabbit resumed their given work. Soon after, a large man walked out onto the deck, wearing simple attire. He came out from the ship's interior, and nearly shocked both Erdan and Fang before realizing who the large bear was.
"Oh, Mushi, it's just you." Erdan said as relief washed over him.
The samurai looked confused, and asked, "Did I startle you?"
"No" Erdan answered. "No, it's just… we haven't seen you without your armor before."
Fang then walked up to the large, strong bear, saying "Yeah, and you actually look… normal."
Erdan raised an eyebrow while Mushi asked, "Does my appearance… shock you?"
"Nah, I just thought you'd have like a huge scare, or you were missing teeth or something."
"Fang!" Erdan protested.
"What?" Fang said back.
Mushi shrugged off the rabbit's remarks, thinking them as simple childish thinking. Passing by the two working boys, Mushi walked up to the captain of the small boat, as she was continuing to man the helm of her craft. The samurai approached and tried his best to be calm and relaxed, and to speak in a respectful tone.
"How is our course heading, Nadia?" Mushi asked calmly.
"Well, so far, it's slow and steady." The young lion girl replied.
"Good, very good. We don't want the Shadow Claw the detect us following them." Mushi said as he looked ahead out towards the river.
"The Shadow Claw?" Nadia asked with a half believing tone and a raised eyebrow.
"Yes, that's the name we've given to the allies of those bandits we're pursuing." The samurai replied.
Nadia however only shrugged it off, choosing to take as little part in their affairs as possible. Nothing else was said for minutes as the Bank Breaker sailed its course down the river. Soon, she began to notice the bear exhibiting unusual behavior. He kept placing his paw on his stomach, and he remained close to the edge. She had her suspicions, but she also wished to confirm them.
"What's wrong with you?" Nadia asked plainly.
After taking a moment to compose himself, Mushi answered "I… I'm… I'm fine."
The young lion girl wasn't fooled. "That answer only makes me more curious."
Not wanting to keep anything from the captain, the samurai explained himself, all the while attempting to not lose his lunch. "I… I have… a tendency to get seasick, very easily, I might say. To be honest, it's a marvel I survived the voyage from Japan."
At first she simply ignored him, preferring to keep to herself. But after a few unfortunate sounds uttered from his throat, she turned towards him and shouted "You better not throw up on my boat. Cause if you do, you'll be cleaning it up!"
"U-Under… understood." He uttered while trying his best to contain his stomach's contents.
With a sigh, and some inner debate, Nadia decided to do something about it, rather than leave him only to hurl his inners all over the ship's newly scrubbed deck.
"Look, a trick I learned is to get your mind onto something else. Like talking about something you like. So, what's its like being a samurai?" Nadia asked in a distant manor.
(Fire Emblem Fates ost – "Homesick Light")
Mushi sat down on a crate just five feet away from her, and decided to take her up on her advice, and told of his past. "I… was born in the Miamoto family, a noble heritage. My father, Hashimoto Miamoto, was a renowned samurai. However, he died in service to the Daimyo. And since I was… around your age actually, I was trained to become a samurai."
"And yet me guess, you learned at some samurai school?" Nadia asked while focusing on the steering device.
"Yes, to become a samurai, is one of the highest of honors." Mushi did his best to continue the conversation, and not dwell on his nausea. "After my childhood, I was trained in the ways of sword… and brush." A small smile tugged at Mushi's lips from remembering those days of youth. "I even idolized one of the greatest of samurai, Miyamoto Musashi."
Nadia then asked "So this, Miasho… Masusha-"
"Miyamoto Musashi." Mushi corrected.
"Whatever, so did he like, win lots of battles?" Nadia shrugged and asked.
"He wasn't just a great swordsman… he was also a renowned artist… and a master of calligraphy."
Nadia turned towards Mushi, and asked "The hell is calligraphy?"
"It's the writing of Japan's native language." Mushi corrected before continuing. "When I was young, I actually wanted to become a painter, like Musashi was, however… I was…"
"Bad?" Nadia asked plainly.
Mushi smiled a bit as he replied. "I learned good technique… however, I lacked what I've heard is an artist's passion. So I focused on learning the ways of sword and warfare. When I became a man, I earned my swords, and years later, my armor. Since then, I've sworn to fulfill my duty, and serve the people of my kingdom."
"Heh, I don't get you." Nadia spoke her mind.
"What don't you understand?" Mushi asked, now curious.
After a moment of hesitation, the young lion girl answered "Why in the world would you want to stick your neck out for total strangers… like, what have they ever done for you?"
"We samurai, are sworn to serve our masters and people, even if our duty demands our lives." Mushi explained with a sense of pride.
"Whatever… crazy is what I'd call it." Nadia replied.
Mushi looked again towards the thirteen old captain, asking "You don't think that putting forth effort for others is-"
"Let's just say… whenever I've stuck my neck out, the people I helped took nothing but advantage of me and Kung." Nadia answered, her tone stained with a hint of regret. "Well, did that talk help you at all?"
The small but significant reminder of his on-deck nausea rendered back into the samurai's mind, bringing his stomach back to a state of uneasiness. The Japanese bear suddenly held his paw to his mouth, just managing to keep his latest meal from hurling out of his insides. The Bank Breaker then rocked suddenly by a wave on the river, jolting Mushi's body. Instantly, he rushed to hang his head over the edge of the ship, no longer able to withhold his sickness. Nadia was thankful she could only see the man's back as he puked into the river, but the stomach churning noises he made could very well be heard. With a heavy sigh, Nadia said to herself "I'll take that as a no."
("Homesick Light" ends)
Diverting her eyes away from the man hurling off of the boat, Nadia looked at the deck, now freshly cleaned and scrubbed. Little, if any dirt, grim or muck was barely visible anymore. The Bank Breaker was now the cleanest it ever was. The lion girl looked at the two passengers who performed the well done job. Currently that small rabbit and the young wolf warrior were taking a break. They could continue longer, however, Nadia decided that it was enough… at least for now.
"Hey, you two!" Nadia shouted, gaining Fang and Erdan's attention. "Pipsqueak and muscle dog, that's enough. The deck's good now!"
Erdan gave an affirmative nod and Nadia resumed her duties. The wolf and rabbit best-friends sat down on the wooden benches the deck featured and rested. Drips of sweat poured down their foreheads from both their work and the summer heat. Surprisingly, being on a boat in the middle of the river did little to ease Erdan of the heat, with a wolf's thick fur coat, it almost like being inside an oven.
"I don't really like her, that cat girl much." Fang whispered, making sure not to let said girl detect his words.
With pants coming from his mouth due to heat, Erdan replied "Come on Fang, a little labor won't kill you."
"No but this sun will!" Fang said back. "I'm gonna go take a nap. Wake me when something exciting or dangerous happens."
"Will do" Erdan replied simply.
The small bunny boy walked off down the deck and towards the inner cabin of the boat, desperate to get away from the dreadful summer rays. As he approached the interior's entrance, the doors suddenly opened, as Keng came walking out on his knuckles and back feet. Luckily he noticed the tall, gray furred ears of a rabbit, or else the ape could very well have stepped on the boy with his large fists.
"Oh, sorry there." Keng said gently.
"It's alright" Fang remarked.
As Keng made way for Fang to go inside, the rabbit couldn't help but feel envious of the ape's large body and strong physique. In a split-second, the teenage rabbit had an idea that popped in his mind from being near the large yet young primate.
"Hey Keng" Fang asked. "You're pretty strong, right?"
With a gentle voice, Keng kindly replied "Um, yeah, I guess."
Fang crossed his arms as he proceeded with another question. "So… how often do you train?"
Confused, Keng softly asked "T-train?"
"Yeah, training yourself, how often do you workout?" Fang asked casually.
Looking at his own body, layered with muscle, Keng answered "Um… I actually don't train… or workout."
Within a single quick moment, Fang's face switched from intrigued to disappointment. "Of course you don't." Fang muttered as he walked off into the boat's interior. Keng however, could only sport an expression of confusion. Shrugging off the awkward last few minutes, he slowly walked down the deck. The large knuckles of his giant fists padded over and over each other as the young gorilla approached Nadia at the Bank Breaker's helm.
"You doing ok out here?" Keng asked his feline sister.
With a yawn, the young lioness answered "Yeah… much better than that guy there." She then pointed back towards Mushi, who stayed close to the boat's portside, ready to hurl into the river if needed, all the while showing a face of great unease.
"Is Mushi ok?" Keng asked with concern, remembering the names of their passengers well.
"He's just seasick… or river-sick actually." She answered.
Wanting to help their guests, Keng decided to take his share of responsibility. "How about I take over for a while, and you get Mushi some tea to help him, then relax a bit."
"We have tea?" Nadia asked with a raised eyebrow.
"No, but that deer girl, Yingyu has some." He explained.
Surprised, Nadia asked "How do you know that?"
"They showed me, and I helped organize their supplies." Keng elaborated.
"Really putting that brain of yours to good use." Nadia said with a hint of humor. "But, what the hell… I could use a break."
With an affirmative nod from her primate brother, Nadia left her post and gave helm duties to Keng. Eager to lounge around for a bit, the young feline made her way to the Bank Breaker's small kitchen inside, all the while admiring the now freshly cleaned deck. Finally she entered the insides of her boat, and relief washed over her once being enveloped by the shade of a ceiling. Once inside, she saw that white wolf girl and that deer princess sitting and talking with each other.
"Hey, you two!" Nadia loudly said.
Galena and Yingyu diverted their attention towards the thirteen-year-old girl.
"What is it?" Galena asked.
The young lioness sat down in a hammock nearby while saying "Your samurai friend… Misha?"
"Mushi" Yingyu corrected.
"Yeah, him" Nadia continued. "He's getting kind of sea sick, and he could use some tea for that."
Searching into the pack of supplies given by Shifu, Yingyu pulled out a bag of tea from the palace. "We have some. Is there a way we can heat some water?" The young noble asked.
In a relaxed manor, Nadia answered "There's a small stove over there. Don't cause any accidents."
"Thank you, and I won't." Yingyu assured, only to find the lion girl had fallen into a nap.
Moving over to the small, metal stove, Yingyu poured some drinking water in a barrel nearby into a kettle, then lit the stove for the drink to heat up. Galena, deciding to help Mushi, picked up her medical tome and proceeded out on deck. Before leaving, she said "Yingyu, I'm gonna check on Mushi, see if he's alright."
"Ok, I'll bring the tea when it's ready." Yingyu replied.
Galena then exited out of the Bank Breaker's interior and stepped out on deck. The summer sun beamed on her face as the wind blew through the fur on her head. She took a deep breath, soaking in the fresh air and looked out at the large river, with its blue, watery body and the distant countryside in the distance. Though she had to remind herself of the task she was self-given, the beauty of the land before her was almost too great not to admire. But she could gaze at nature all she wanted later. Walking down the deck, she arrived at the rear where the mast and helm could be found. Keng was tending duties at the ship's steering device, Erdan was sitting on the same wooden bench he first rested on after his cleaning was done, and sitting near the waters was Mushi, looking not as focused or concentrated as before. Galena approached the single adult in the group, and was greeted by friendly nods from both Erdan and Keng while passing by.
"Mushi, are you ok?" Galena asked, not needing to kneel down to talk with the large bear face-to-face.
"Um" Mushi muttered. "I'm… I'm just… fine."
"Are you sure? Nadia said you were getting sea, or rather, river-sick." The white wolf girl remarked.
"Rest… assured… this is normal for me." Mushi replied.
Galena took a close look at the bear's face, scanning him for any worrying signs of sickness. Mushi understood what she was doing, and remained quiet and still as best he could, regarding the swaying of the boat. The young doctor-to-be visually examined and then moved over the samurai's face, which now was absent of a warrior's helmet and mask. As far as she could judge, Mushi was exhibiting little signs of serious illness.
"Do you get seasick often Mushi?" Galena politely asked.
"Yes" The bear answered as he held his stomach with his paw before continuing. "I've always been one to quickly become uneasy on ocean craft."
"You must have had a terrible time on your way from Japan." Galena guessed.
"I managed… though not without some rather… drastic measures." Mushi informed.
Finishing her examination, Galena said "Well… I'm happy to say nothing seems to be wrong with you, besides your…um… sensitive stomach. Yingyu will soon bring you some special tea to help."
"Thank you." Mushi replied.
Done with checking her patient, Galena decided to return inside. But on her way down the deck, she looked to her left and saw Erdan, rubbing his shoulder and expressing a face of annoyance. A sense of curious caring propelled Galena to offer Erdan help. As she approached her fellow lupine, Erdan noticed her presence and greeted with a warm smile. "Oh, hi Galena."
"Hello Erdan, are you alright?" She asked.
"Why do ask?" Erdan questioned.
"Well… you were rubbing your shoulder and didn't look very relaxed." She answered.
Erdan did the same action again and rubbed his shoulder. "I think I might have done something… but I'm not sure what?"
"Here, let me see it." Galena offered.
She then looked closely at Erdan's shoulder, she lightly touched and applied pressure in specific areas while asking various questions. "How's that feel?"
"Uh… a little sore." Erdan answered.
She seemed to find the place that had been bothering him. There wasn't any cuts or bruises. Thinking back to all the physical demand he's put his body through the past few days, the white wolf teen made her best guess.
"I think you probably just agitated a muscle a bit, probably from all the running and hiking last night." She affirmed.
"Yeah, I've felt this way before, I've been in a lot of dangerous scrapes before." Erdan replied.
"How often do you get into dangerous situations, Erdan?" Galena asked.
"Almost every week sometimes." Erdan answered.
With a surprised face, Galena said "You really like living a life of thrills, huh?"
Erdan cracked a smile and humorously said "Truth is trouble always finds me. Sometimes in ways people wouldn't believe." He then groaned as the shoulder annoyed him again.
Wanting to help, Galena said "If you'd like, I could give you an examination."
Pausing a moment, Erdan then replied "Ok, why not? You've done this before?"
"I've seen my parents do it dozens of times, don't worry."
Erdan then stood up, kept still, his posture straight up and as relaxed as possible while Galena begun. First, she asked him to open his mouth to check inside. Looking inside, she closely inspected his teeth, which seemed to be white, strong and healthy. Next was his eye sight. The Bank Breaker passed by a tiny village in the distance, of which Galena asked her patient to answer questions about.
"Ok, now; what's the color of… that house's roof?" Galena asked while pointing towards a far off hut.
Erdan looked closely, focused his eyes and answered the best he could. "Um… brown, it's brown with a gray chimney."
"Good. Very good sense of sight." Galena replied.
Erdan beamed a nice smile at the good accolades being given.
"Ok" Galena said. "Next, I'll inspect your muscular status."
A smirk was made on Erdan's face and said "If you wanted to feel my muscles, you could have just asked."
"Noted" Galena replied simply.
In reality, she did feel somewhat amused by the strapping, half bare young warrior in front of her. But Galena quickly pushed her feelings aside and retained a focused and serious mindset. Starting with his arms, the young wolf examined her fellow lupine's building mass of strength. When asked to bend his arms inwards, Erdan did so, which made his biceps flex as galena took note of the flexibility of his limbs. Next she inspected his torso. She poked and prodded his chest, finding them well trained and quiet durable. Erdan's stomach was slim, showing barely any signs of body fat, even displaying evidence of developing abdominals forming. On her travels, Galena knew about warriors who forego armor or upper clothing, whether for culture or prideful reasons. And though she wouldn't admit it, it was amusing for her to be so close to a healthy, muscular wolf boy her age. She even felt a sliver of bliss from the experience. However, clearly knowing of his relationship with Yingyu, Galena kept her own emotions in check, and remained in a professional attitude until the medical examination was finished.
"Galena, may I ask a question?" Erdan requested.
"Sure… what?" Galena replied, now finished with her exam.
"Do you enjoy being a doctor?"
Galena paused a moment, then answered "Well… my parents started teaching me when I was eight -years-old, and I didn't exactly like it at first."
"Really?" Erdan commented.
"They wanted me to learn, and being a nomad gives little choices of subjects to study. But it wasn't until I treated my first patient was when I decided I wanted to learn." Erdan listened with interest. "My parents and I were staying in a small village in India. I was with my mother, getting supplies at the markets when I saw an injured little girl. I went to help her, nobody else seemed to pay her attention, must have been low class or something. She had a sprained ankle and a scrape on her knee. So I bandaged her injury and fitted her leg. I explained it was nothing serious and that she'll heal within a few weeks."
Next, Galena's voice turned from simple, to exhibiting a sense of pride. "But as I finished treating her, she looked up at me and smiled, then thanked me a dozen times. Her parents soon found her and brought her home. Seeing her turn from scared and helpless to happy and hopeful sparked something in me. It was then that I realized that, with this knowledge, I can do the same with so many people in need."
Erdan spoke up. "And, it was then that you decided to become a doctor."
Galena nodded and she and Erdan exchanged smiles. "Ok, now… may I ask a question?" She asked.
"I don't see why not." Erdan replied.
The two wolves continued their conversation as the ship kept swaying slightly to the river's waves.
"What's with that cloth you wear on your head?" Galena asked.
Erdan realized what she intended and answered "Oh, my bandana. It was a gift from my mom."
"That's nice of her." Galena replied.
"It's the only thing I have left of her." Erdan explained.
Puzzled, Galena raised an eyebrow as she questioned "Wait, what do you mean by that, isn't your mother still alive?"
Erdan gave a heavy sigh and answered, knowing how it would open up old wounds yet again. "My parents, the ones we're rescuing, are my adoptive family."
"You were an orphan?"
"Yeah… three years ago, actually." He then explained his darkly troubled past, knowing that she'll only asked. "I was born in a place far away from the Valley of Peace; a small village in the Tavon Bodged mountains. And I was born to a tribe of wolves who lived there."
"What happened?" Galena asked.
"One night, after my birthday in fact, my home was attacked by raiders. They slaughtered my tribe, not even sparing the pups. If it weren't for one of the raiders taking pity on me, I would have died with my birth parents. But now… I'm the last of my original pack."
"O-Oh… my goodness." Galena muttered. "Did you ever encounter those raiders again?"
Erdan took a long pause, before finally getting the simple truth off of his chest finally. "Yeah… just a few days ago, in fact."
Galena thought a moment before placing the pieces of his story and recent events together. "Oh my… so, the mountain lions we're after… they're?"
Erdan simply nodded. "I know it's the same group of bandits. When me and my foster family came to that wolf village, I reconized the aftermath… it was nearly identical to what happened to my home in the mountains."
Erdan then paused a moment, staring into space. Deep in thought as to what will happen when he finally comes face-to-face with the men who killed his mother and father. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Galena gave Erdan a tender hug. At first Erdan needed to realize what was happening. But soon he took in her support and hugged back lightly. A moment passed, and the white wolf girl ended her hug.
"Erdan" Galena said. "I know we only met a few days ago, but… I want to let you know that… I'm here for you. And I'll help in any way possible to save my family, and yours."
Erdan smiled before giving another hug back and saying "Thank you."
After the moment was gone, Galena went to check on Mushi. She walked to the back of the small ship, both her and Erdan unaware of the pair of eyes spying on their recent actions recently. Keeping herself well out of sight, Yingyu watched from behind an empty barrel, keeping herself silent for the entirety. It was only a minute after the tea was finished did she exit the interior and went out on deck. Once within her line of sight, shock was all her mind could process at the sight before her; Erdan, and Galena, with that wolf girl handling her paws all over his body. Yingyu watched as she seemingly threw herself at the opportunity to enjoy her fellow lupine's strong body in secret from the teenage deer. For long minutes Yingyu watched as Erdan handed himself to that… that dog. Anger burned in her began to take her mind and-
"Oh, Yingyu." Galena suddenly greeted.
Yingyu's attention was suddenly brought out of her anger fueled mindset and into current reality. Standing before her was Galena. Quickly standing up, the deer remained as calm as possible. But great mental retrain was used to keep the young noble from verbally assaulting her fellow company member.
"Oh, good, the tea is ready." Galena said, noticing the warm beverage in Yingyu's possession with steam slowly rising from the warm, flavored liquid.
Yingyu handed over the drink before it was taken over to the uneasy samurai resting on deck. Afterwards she looked back at Erdan. That wolf was staring out at the distance, relaxed and at ease, as if nothing had transpired within the last few minutes. Anger burned and jealousy took root as the young royal quickly approached the lupine teen from behind. Hearing footsteps from behind, Erdan turned and smiled to see who had joined him, unaware of the enraging emotions eating away at Yingyu's reasoned mind.
(Fire Emblem Echoes ost – "Truth")
"Hello Ying-" Erdan was suddenly interrupted by the deer girl's hooved paw, which rapidly swung to strike the wolf's face.
The sound of the slap followed by loud groaning earned the attention of Keng, Mushi, and most of all, Galena, who could see the events unfold before them.
"What was that for!?" Erdan questioned as his left paw was held at his face, pain brewing from her strike. "I didn't realize you're hooves are THAT hard!"
"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU, ERDAN YU!" Yingyu said loudly.
"What's wrong?" Erdan asked.
"DON'T TALK TO ME LIKE SOME… SOME… SIMPLTON!" Yingyu yelled. "I thought you were better than what I just witnessed. I never pegged you as a… a… a loathsome womanizer!"
In fury, Yingyu stormed off, leaving Erdan in with only confusion and facial pain in her wake. Their three company members watched as the wolf boy hurried after the noble girl. Keng and Mushi were clueless as to what just transpired. Galena however, took a very well calculated guess as to what led to this display of lashed out anger. And a small spark of guilt brewed in the young doctor's conscious.
The doors to the ship's interior opened, giving way to the infuriated deer, quickly followed by the wolf urging for explanations as to her recent actions. Nadia woke up from her nap, still comfortable in her hammock and silently watched as that deer princess paced around the kitchen in a session of unrelenting frustration. Erdan approached, still holding his paw to his left cheek as the pain slowly dissipated away. The light from the afternoon sun beamed through the glass windows of the wooden walls as Erdan began his demands for explanation.
"Yingyu, what was that for?"
"Don't tell me 'what was that for'!" She said back loudly. "I believed you were better than most boys. Despite your barbaric attire, or rather LACK of attire, I thought you so respectable that you could make a nobleman's son!"
"What what did I do?" Erdan protested.
Yingyu then sported an expression of pure fury and shouted "Don't think me as simple-minded!"
"I-I don't… I'd never!" Erdan argued.
"I saw you… e-entangled with… with that girl Galena!" She protested.
Putting two pieces together in his head, Erdan explained "She was giving me an examination, to check how healthy I am."
"Don't give me some wildly fabricated excuse!" Yingyu yelled back. "You were there, standing idly, letting her paws be all over you!"
A moment of pause came before Erdan replied "Yingyu, I wouldn't just give myself away to just anybody, especially when I already have a girlfriend."
Yingyu became quiet for a moment. His most recent wording struck a cord with her very heart. Erdan slowly and steadily approached her, baring the most reassuring face he could muster, regarding the facial strike he suffered.
"Y-you… called me… your… girlfriend?!" Yingyu replied, not as loud or sudden as before.
Erdan then held her shoulders with his paws and looked directly into her eyes. "I went on date with you, and we're still with each other… so I do think of you as my girlfriend."
The noble girl was at a loss for words, due to her still raging anger. Her mind was in such a stressed state she couldn't compose a reply of any kind. Being so close to one another, the two teens, in their years of nearing adulthood, silently stood. Being in such close proximity, Yingyu's eyes were drawn to the body of the handsome, strapping young man holding her. Her eyes shifted towards his shirtless torso, shown with such strength via built broadness. Her emotions worked in overdrive and her drives raged as she quickly reached for Erdan's face and forcefully brought her mouth to his. At the moment puzzlement was all Erdan could process. But her head was filled with desires to hold and hoard. While she forcefully kissed, her paws were frantically moving over his intoxicatingly bare torso, messaging the young warrior's built biceps and proud pecs. Respectability, common sense, decency, all of it didn't matter to her. Only raging desire was all her head and heart could relish in. Yingyu wanted more… to kiss him more… to feel his muscles more… and to-
"YINGYU!" Erdan shouted as he pushed her away gently. "What's gotten into you?"
Suddenly, the young noble's mind was brought back to the realm of consciousness, before falling into realization. The royal deer looked around, seeing Nadia only just at the end of the room watching with a blank face. Yingyu breathed in and out deeply, and slowly came to grips with her behavior for the past twenty minutes: spying, accusing, and worst of all in her eyes, lustful intention, which went against every sense of respectability and dignity taught since young age. She stepped back, moving away slowly.
"Yingyu… are you alright?" Erdan asked with concern.
She nodded, replying "I… I need some… some time alone." Then quickly exited into one of the interior's cabins.
Erdan reached his paw out as she left, even contemplated following her again. However, he chose to respect her space, and allowed for her to calm down and sort her emotions out on her own. Giving a long sigh, the young wolf's chest moved in and out, slowing down his breathing after such displays of raw, unbalanced emotion. Realizing he still wasn't alone, Erdan looked towards his left to see Nadia, still in her hammock.
"I'm not even gonna ask." The lion girl stated before turned over and laying on her side.
Erdan looked back at the door leading to Yingyu, his supposed girlfriend. He then stood in front of it, holding his paw up to knock it. But again, his reasoning urged him to allow the girl to settle herself down, and sort out the mess when cooler heads would prevail. Stepping outside, Erdan rested his elbows on the side guards of the Bank Breaker. The cool summer breeze blew through the fur on his bare torso. A sigh drew from his mouth as the wolf warrior watched the waves and they crashed against one another along the river's current.
("Truth" ends)