Being alone felt different this time. Traveling by myself doesn't hurt like it use to. "I wonder where this road is going to take me." I left Night Raid a couple days ago. I wonder what they are thinking, does Mine blame me for what happened even with a cool head? Does boss want to hunt me down for leaving? Does Leone feel like I abandoned her? I never got the chance to explain to Tatsumi that I am on his side. I wonder what Rabac thinks too, I bet he's mad at me as well. Bulat.. Will he understand the need to be stronger to protect those close? I shook my head. "I have got to stop thinking about them. Just focus on getting stronger."
I followed the road looking at the trees around me. The world just isn't the same anymore. I feel almost numb, food barely has any taste, my body only has the slightest reaction when I touch something.
Something caught my attention, I can't explain it but there was something attracting me towards the woods as if reacting to it my body went that way. What is going on? I need to find out what this is. I went from a slow walk and accelerated into a sprint, ducking under low branches. I'm getting closer, I can feel it. I slowed down not wanting to pass whatever was bringing me in. I turned my head and looked at a tree, I would of kept walking but there was something carved into it. "K + L" I mumbled under my breath as I read the carving.
"Leo come on! Hurry up I want to show you the surprise!" Kana called out to me while standing at the village's entrance. She seemed excited about something and hasn't shut up about it all day. She told me to meet her here after I finished all my chores.
I shook my head and smiled. "Were you waiting here for awhile sis?" I asked.
She puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms. "Only all day, you took all day to finish."
"I think there is plenty of sunlight left out for the day."
"That's not the point! You never make a girl wait."
"Well I had to finish the chores first."
"Fine! You're excused for today since the surprise is for you." I sighed at that. What is going on with this surprise? Is it something that exciting? Kana grabbed my hand as soon as I was in her reach and took off dragging me with her.
"Woah sloow down you're going to tear my arm off!" I called out while trying to keep up with her.
"Nope, you get faster if you wanna keep it!" We ran for a few more moments weaving through the forest that surrounded our home. "Okay now close your eyes Leo~"
"What for? There isn't anything to see out here." Just hurry up and show me the surprise already I thought to myself.
"Just do it already." Sigh no point in arguing. I closed my eyes.
"What now oh loveable sister of mine."
"That's a surprise now let me guide you." She started pushing me from behind. "Okay now turn left a little bit." I felt a push on my left shoulder and slightly turned. "Good boy!"
"I'm not a dog." I grumbled.
"Close enough." What.. what's that suppose to mean? "Now open your eyes."
I opened my eyes, but all I saw was a tree with a hole that could fit maybe one person in it. "What is this?"
"It's the surprise!" She just smiled at me as if expecting me to be grateful.
"What kind of surprise is this?" She dragged me out for a tree. A tree.
"Well you said how you wanted a place to be alone. I thought this spot would be great you can even fit in the tree." She looked at me then looked down. "Is it no good?" She asked in a sad tone.
So that's why she dragged me out here. "It's good! I like it!"
She sniffled and looked at me again. "You mean it?"
"Yes yes I mean it!" Just don't be sad.
"Yay!" She hugged me and I hugged her back. "I just knew you would." She took a step back and I watched her pull out a knife. "Now to mark the tree." I watched as she carved something into the tree. I couldn't see what it was since her body was covering it. Well as long as she's excited about this I guess I can be happy. "Annnd done." She took a step away and I looked at the carving.
"K + L?" I asked in a questioning tone.
"Kana + Leo. It's to show that this tree is our hideaway. I mean your hideaway!" I laughed at her. I see now she wanted a hideaway to.
Everything was on fire. There was dead bodies all over the streets. The town was being raided by bandits and I'm hiding in a bush. "No mom why." I said barely audible. I couldn't believe it they were desecrating her corpse.
"Leo don't look!" Kana put her hands over my eyes. "Just listen to my voice and it'll all be okay."
"How.. mom and dad are gone.. We're dead as well." A stinging sensation snapped me out of my daze. I looked at Kana there were tears in her eyes.
"Leo we can still live no move your ass or I'll move it for you." She grabbed a hold of me and started running off dragging me with her.
"Where are we going?" I asked as I started to run by her side.
"Somewhere safe." Safe there isn't anywhere safe around here. I thought of how I was never going to see mom or dad again. My home again. My vision started to go dark. "Leo come on Leo! We need to hurry." Kana was calling out to me worriedly, but she sounded so far away." Then everything went silent. It felt like forever. The heat of the flames weren't there any longer just a breeze. "Leo, you hide here." I wanted to ask her where she was going to hide, but when I finally could see again, I was horrified to shocked to speak. My sister was covered in blood she had wounds on her arm. "You know you're useless but you can count on your big sis to save you. Just stay quiet." I watched as she flashed me bright smile and ran off.
"A girl managed to get away. After her!" I heard a man call out.
"Kana.." I whispered.
I could feel the warm tears rolling down my cheek. "I'm sorry Kana. I'll get stronger so nobody dies because of me again." I walked back towards the main road. As I arrived there was a carriage passing by. They looked like they were in a hurry but when they saw me they stopped.
"Hey kid turn around." The driver said to me.
"What why?"
"The village down the road is being attacked. It'd be suicide to go there."
"Attacked? By who?"
"The Revolutionary Army." The man said in a tone of disgust.
"Why are they attacking?" This doesn't make sense they wouldn't attack a random village for no reason.
"We wouldn't take their side in this war. We just wanted to remain neutral in this pointless war."
"They attacked because of such a petty reason?"
"They have done it many times before. It must not be petty to them."
The Revolutionary Army is just attacking a village for no reason. Night Raid fights for people that would harm the innocent bystanders? If they do something like that, they are just as bad as the Empire. If a group like that wins, it'd just be an evil taking replacing another evil. That won't do. "Take me there."
"What did you say kid? Are you sure?"
I thought for a moment. It's the right thing, I can't let them get away with this. "Yes I'm sure."
"Hop on in then. If you can, when you get there can you save my daughter?"
I hopped onto the carriage right next to the driver. "I'll do my best. I won't let them get away with this."
"Thank you kid. Her name is Kaede."
"How long has the Army been doing this?" I need to know when things went south. Please don't be recently, please don't let Night Raid just be working for another corrupt cause.
"They've been doing it since the beginning of the war. Any place that doesn't aid them is with the Empire in their eyes."
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I'm sorry guys I don't know if I can return after learning that. As well as what I'm about to do. I'm sure I'll just become a traitor in your eyes.
As we got closer to the entrance of the village the man stopped his cart. I hopped off and started to walk into the village. "Kid wait." I turned back to the guy. "I can't let you do this alone, I'll join you."
"Are you sure?" I asked.
"I'm sure." I couldn't help but smile a little at that.
"Alright let's.." A whistling noise went past my ear and I watched as an arrow flew it's way into the man's skull. I turned around to where the arrow came from, a sense of rage was coming out of me. Another person died. No more. I saw the archer and started charging at him. He was hiding in a building. He released an arrow that I ducked under. I have an idea. I dove into an alleyway that was at my right and went into the shadow world. I snaked my through the shadows until I was right under the archer. I pulled myself out of the shadow silently and grabbed a dagger of my hip and plunged it into the man's throat and twisted it for good measure. "Rot in hell." I pulled my dagger out of his neck and blood started spurting out then went to the window and looked at the cart drivers body. "I promise I will save your daughter." I hopped back into the shadows and went downstairs only to find more soldiers.
"Let's head back there isn't much left here. We already got all the women." Said a soldier.
"I'm with ya on that. Anyone want to go get Darwin?"
"He'll head back when he feels like it. Let's go." I watched as four soldiers got up and left the building. I followed them.
"That's right lead me home." I whispered to myself. I followed them the for about an hour until they went into a cave. I smirked to myself. "Hey Nypehrius, we got the home field advantage."
"Indeed we do. Give me a bloodbath I can be proud of." I crept my way into the cave, staying in the shadows. I approached a couple of guards.
"Any new tricks you can teach me?"
"Grant me control and I'll weave something new into your body."
"Got it."
I let Nypherius control my body for a moment. It felt weird having no control over it. He raised my arm while looking straight at the guards. I watched as a pitch black spear came out of their shadows and pierced through their skull. After their bodies hit the ground Nypherius gave me back control.
"What was that?"
"A trick. It was almost an illusion. The impact of the spear tricks the brain into thinking it got stabbed and they go into a state they can never wake up from. They are brain dead and will truly die soon. Yet this won't work on teigu users nor those with strong minds."
"Let's give this a test run."
I crept my way through until I saw the group of men that were in the building with the archer. Seems like they don't have too many more soldiers I can only feel about eight other in the cave. I got behind one of the guys and looked at the other three. They were all huddled up around a fire.
"Anyone get to try out that green girl?" A soldier asked.
"No, the boss won't let anyone touch her." A soldier replied
"Why not?" The third soldier asked.
"She's a virgin and those sell great. We need at much money as possible to take down the corrupt empire." The fourth one said.
"Tch." I clicked my tongue and rose out the shadow behind one. "Let me interrupt you." I held out my arm and three spikes went into three different soldiers. They all fell down face first into the flames their hair catching fire.
"What the fuck?" The fourth soldier went to get up but I stabbed him through the back of the knee with one dagger and through his neck with the other.
"Both sides of this war are corrupt." I crept back into the shadows and made way deeper into the cave. Until I was able to hear talking.
"Hey go get the others I need to talk to them." What appeared to be the leader called out.
"Roger sir!" A soldier said and turned around heading towards me. Perfect opportunity. I went around the corner and waited for the soldier. As he stepped over the shadow I was in I reached out and grabbed his leg, yanking him into the darkness. I pushed off his body to get out as he went deeper in.
"Die a slow death, for you won't be escaping." I ran into the room where three other soldiers were waiting and threw my two daggers at the soldiers on the side. The daggers hit both of their necks and blood spurted out as they started gargling on their blood before they fell onto the ground.
The leader turned around and faced me. "What the.. Who the fuck are you?" Behind him was a cage holding around nine or ten women. Anger flared up inside me when I saw those girls caged.
"Your retribution." I snarled as I charged at him without any weapons in my hand. I'm going to enjoy his death.
He pulled out his sword and swung it at me. I jumped to the side avoiding it with minimal effort then kicked at the blade making it fly out of the leader's hands. I crouched down low then put all my body into an uppercut knocking him onto his back. "Is this all you got?" I straddled him and glared down into his eyes. "How dull."
"Please spare me! I didn't do anything wrong!" He cried out.
"Didn't do anything wrong? You killed innocent civilians."
"They refused to help us! They are with the Empire!"
"Nobody is entitled to help, especially such a cowardly army that would kill civilians." I stood up and brought my leg up and dropped it down onto his skull crushing it underneath my feet. I then went over to the cage and unlocked it. "You're all free. Get out of here." The women all rushed out towards the exit except for one. I felt a tug on my shirt and turned to face a girl. She wasn't much shorter than me maybe a couple inches.
"What's your name?" She asked me.
"Leo." I replied.
She let out what looked to be the brightest smile I'd ever seen. "Well thank you Leo, you saved me and those girls."
That's when I saw the world again. Hearing those words felt like a burden had been lifted off my shoulders a weight that was drowning me now gone. Color slowly came back into my life and I saw a hint of green. It was the girl's hair. "Kana.." I said without thinking.
She giggled and shook her head. "Nope, but close. It's Kaede."
A/N Another chapter done. My drive is great and motivation flowing through my veins. I hope you enjoyed the chapter if you did yay. This story will be finished this year heck possible in a couple months. Have a good day/night readers and I'll talk to ya in the next chapter!
