"Good luck and be safe, little thief."
Those were the words she had spoken to Naruto before slinking away to deal with a majority of Gato's force.
Tonight...
Tonight would be a night of slaughter and death. There would be no respite. She'd offer no mercy. She would exterminate every individual in this camp, leaving their bodies for the vultures to feast off of.
Talking with Naruto had opened up century old wounds. The kind of pain that you pushed away, stowing into the back of your mind and locking it away to deal with for another time. A simple lie, of course, because you never truly dealt with those issues.
Perhaps Kassandra just enjoyed suffering and took pleasure in the chaos of death. She was only truly alive when in the heat of battle, fighting for her life against overwhelming odds with her back against a wall.
Those kind of battles... She'd relive them in dreams, desperately searching far and wide to return to a simpler time. A time where she wasn't so powerful and had to claw her way through even the simplest of issues. Bloodying her hands had been the easy part.
Surviving was the difficult bit.
What was one supposed to do when facing the full military might of separate united countries, all with the common goal of ridding you from this world?
Why, she'd tell you, of course.
You slaughter anyone who stood in your way.
Kassandra was a warrior. Raised in death and despair. Someone who blurred the line of man and monster, or rather, woman. She was only human in a superficial sense.
She was but a monster that paraded around life, wearing the skin of man.
Did she enjoy inflicting pain and death? Yes.
Did she regret bathing in the blood of those who hadn't wronged her, merely standing in her path? Never.
She knew who she was as a person. An individual blessed (cursed), with the power of the Gods. A human who refused to walk the path that Fate had granted them. A Harbinger of death and fear that would only cease their actions once attaining the world whilst leaving mayhem and destruction in their wake.
It was the ease at which her broken spear sliced through the throat of a random guard that really set her off. She watched with a detached gaze as his body crumbled to the floor like some kind of puppet without its strings.
She felt nothing as the man's soft cries descended into confused gurgles. His brown eyes were full of shock and fear as he gazed up at her, eyes widening with each second that passed.
As the light slowly left his eyes, Kassandra merely turned her attention elsewhere, focusing on another man who stared at her as if she was some sort of demon.
Kassandra's iris' flashed a brilliant gold as she twirled her bloody spear, flinging the essence of life along the shoddy tent shared by the two men. She ignored the man's pathetic whimpers as her spear rose.
With but a flick of the wrist, the man's head flopped to the floor, thudding quietly. His torso followed only a moment later, crimson liquid spurting from his now decapitated body.
Kassandra stepped over the corpse, armored sandals sullying the body as she continued her hunt. There would be no battle here, no rush of excitement that would get her blood pumping. Every man here was but a grunt. A mere child begging and pleading to be spared.
And she'd offer her quarry no such thing.
"No please! Stop!" A terrified man screamed, blood spurting out from his severed wrist. "Have mercy!" An agonizing gurgle passed a moment later followed by the sound of a soft thudding noise.
And then it was silent once more.
Yoichi Nakayama was not a smart man by any means. He had grown in poverty, stealing when he was old enough to walk. Many a nights had he laid awake, hallucinating due to starvation and dehydration.
He never went to school and had only lived off the suffering he caused. Why should he care about the plights of others?
Life was full of pain and suffering. The strong stood at the top while the weak were crushed and silenced. It was the only truth in this wicked world and Yoichi knew that.
He refused to whimper, covering his mouth and noise with his bare hands as he listened to the slaughter of his comrades. Sweat cascaded down his face as another agonizing gurgle emanated from a random tent, somewhat close to him.
That wasn't a woman! She was terror incarnate! A devil! A Shinigami sent by Kami herself to cleanse this world anew!
Yoichi clenched his eyes shut as tears dripped down his face. He heard the agonizing screams of his fellow comrades and refused to whimper. His body shook in terror as he sat in the corner of his tent, curled up in the fetal position, listening to the deaths of his fellow men.
Yoichi wasn't a fighter. He wasn't a Samurai nor was he a Shinobi. He was a simple man who had clawed his way to a semi-functioning life all off the suffering of others.
He knew he would pay his penance some day after all the cruel deeds he had done. He just hadn't thought the Shinigami would come for him so soon.
So when the flap to his tent burst open, he could only cry harder, curling in on himself even more when the Reaper slowly waltzed towards him.
Fear left his body comatose and he could only hope that his death would be a sweet release.
Life flashing before his very eyes, Yoichi cracked open an eye, gaining some semblance of courage to gaze upon the Devil that had come to purge him.
He nearly wished he hadn't.
Crimson liquid dripped down the woman's body, pooling at her feet. Her eyes, whilst shining brilliantly, were dead to the world. Staring into those shockingly bright eyes was like staring into a bottomless pit.
Like... Like an abyss.
How did that old saying go...?
Be mindful when staring into the abyss... cause perhaps the abyss might stare back.
The Demon's arm rose, weapon glinting for a moment due to the torch in the tent.
Then down it flew.
And Yoichi Nakayama died as he was. A pissant, quivering in fear.
Kassandra walked at a meager pace, eyes glowing ominously as she stepped out of the last tent. Bringing her free hand up to her face, she calmly wiped her face clean of the remnants of blood painting her features.
Her eyes flicked upwards, spotting Ikaros with ease whilst synching their vision together. One of her golden eyes closed as she stood still, seeing the world from Ikaros' eyes.
Her trusty companion cawed loudly, wings flapping leisurely as he circled ahead. His head swiveled as Kassandra nudged him to focus on where Naruto was. A few seconds passed by as Ikaros spotted the boy.
The Spartan watched, lips upturning slightly as Naruto made quick work of the guards standing watch in front of Gato's horrendous mansion. Kassandra released a low breath before opening her closed eye, severing the shared connection with her avian companion.
Good. Their mission would be accomplished soon...
However, she was unsatisfied. She wanted her blood to pump. She wanted chaos. She wanted... no, needed to feel like she was going to die!
She was a pure blood Spartan. Battle and death was all she knew.
Who would grant her her wish? Who could make her blood rush?
She received her answer far sooner than she would have thought.
Ikaros gave a startled squawk, briefly drawing Kassandra's gaze. She felt it only a moment later.
Golden eyes flashed brightly as she twirled abruptly, spinning on the heel of her right foot to avoid the danger she could sense. Not a second later did the familiar scrape of steel and metal slide along her armored abdomen, drawing up several brief sparks whilst shrieking loudly.
Kassandra came face to face with a masked woman. Her golden eyes shone brightly as she stared into the eyes of the woman through the holes of her mask.
The hairs on the back of Kassandra's neck pricked up as she spun her spear, jabbing towards the woman with lethal accuracy.
The woman parried the weapon with ease, not so much as batting an eye from the counter attack. She immediately flipped away from Kassandra, not allowing the Spartan to follow up once more.
Kassandra stared at the women silently, golden eyes briefly dipping towards her armor. Her eyebrows furrowed minutely at the actual damage the woman had caused with her weapon.
That should've been impossible...
Unless...
Golden eyes snapped towards the weapon in the woman's hands, eyeing the strange sigil upon the base of the weapon, near the hilt and guard.
Was that...
Isu weaponry?
It wasn't familiar in design though. It didn't feel like a standard Isu weapon but it was familiar to some degree...
The weapon gave off a unique aura despite the simplicity of the overall design itself. It looked like nothing more than a simple Udachi, equipped with a rather unique hand guard. On the end of the hilt, practically being connected to it, was a simple interlinked chain of metal. It quietly clinked as the woman slowly positioned herself into an unknown stance.
The masked woman stood, crouched low with her knees bent, sword being held upside down and above her head while the woman's freehand faced toward her, palm open.
Was this woman... like her?
Kassandra started to shake and tremble.
Not out of fear but out of excitement. A battle... A battle where she could potentially die!
Yes...
Yes!
YES!
YES!
Adrenaline surged through Kassandra's body as her muscles flexed. The ground beneath her cratered as the power of the Isu bloodline flooded through her very veins. Golden ichor swam through her veins, causing liquid-like gold to fluctuate throughout her body.
Her features sharpened as her golden spear then began to morph, growing larger and larger until it resembled an actual spear. The weapon shine like the sun, lighting up the environment.
Kassandra twirled the Spear of Leonidas before a pillar of golden energy slammed down onto her, destroying the surrounding environment.
"You!" Kassandra cried in a manic-like tone, one full of glee and insanity. Her eyes widened to an absurd degree as she lifted her right arm in the air, twirling the golden spear. "You will give me what I desire!"
The masked woman merely tilted her head, looking completely unfazed by the abnormal display of power from her opponent.
"You will fall here, Heretic." The masked woman spoke in a low and soothing tone that was surprisingly soft. "You know not the power you hold... Allow me to snuff it out."
The holes of her mask shine a brilliant gold as she too, channeled the essence of the Isu. Her traditional kimono, embroidered with flower-like patterns, flapped wildly as golden ichor began to flood through her veins. Her long, black hair swayed erratically as it became unwrought from the ponytail she had it in.
A similar pillar of golden light struck the woman as her Udachi began to shine. The unknown sigil etched into the blade began to shine before the woman vanished.
Kassandra's eyes widened as she was forced to back step, back bending backwards in an almost abnormal manner to avoid the woman's blade. A vicious distortion of wind passed right above the Spartan, nearly taking her nose off as the katana passed overhead.
The Spartan grit her teeth, placing her free hand along the soil and using her strength to flip backwards, idly kicking out with one of her feet to catch the woman's chin.
A minor grunt of pain emanated from the masked woman as she took the attack, back stepping slightly while briefly being stunned by the sheer power of the simple attack.
With her hand still planted along the earth, Kassandra gripped the soil, digging her hands into the sand while clenching the course material. She rocketed from her crouched position, rearing her spear back to strike at the woman.
The unknown woman briefly braced her sword, knowing from her brief exchange that the tanned skinned woman was physically stronger than her.
It proved to be a blundering her part.
Kassandra feinted with her spear, launching the balled up sand in her fist towards the woman's face. She heard the woman grunt in surprise, watched as her eyes instinctively shut due to the underhanded tactic.
A malicious grin formed on Kassandra's face as her left hand chambered towards her chest before rocketing towards the woman's face. A vicious CRACK resounded out in the clearing, followed by the masked woman's brief cry of pain.
Clenched knuckles followed through, shattering the porcelain material while launching the now maskless woman through a tree. Her body impacted the soil once, rolled twice before abruptly slamming into a random building, toppling the small building in on itself.
Kassandra released a haunting chuckle as she stepped over the shattered remnants of the woman's mask. "You're not gonna win like that, little one." She continued walking towards the woman, watching as the dust began to clear from the destruction. "How about you jus!-"
Kassandra was cut off by an abrupt flash of movement from the woman. Her golden eyes widened a moment later, eyes zeroing in in the blade nearing her chest that was aimed straight for her heart.
With a supreme force of effort, Kassandra used her bare hand to direct the attack lower, biting back the pain of the weapon slicing through the flesh of her hand.
A grunt escaped her lips as the weapon rammed through her abdomen, spearing through her armor with ease and jutting out from her back. A dribble of golden ichor slipped through her teeth as she stared into the unknown woman's eyes.
"Onoha ; Itto Ryu - Kiriotoshi : Shin!"
Kassandra grit her teeth in pain, bloody hand clamping down upon the Udachi to prevent the woman from doing any further damage.
The unknown woman only grit her teeth, grunting loudly as she tried to strong arm the bronze skinned woman. It was all for naught though as the taller woman rose her leg, chambering her knee, before lashing out against her stomach.
An explosion of pain briefly blinded the Udachi wielding woman as she was sent skidding along the earth painfully. Her body rag dolled multiple times, head smashing against the soil before abruptly slamming into a tree and halting her momentum.
Golden ichor spewed through the woman's mouth as she slowly moved to her knees, arms shaking from the sheer strength of the woman's attack. Her golden eyes quickly flicked to the woman before widening, noticing that the woman was directly atop her, golden spear crashing down towards her face.
Move!
"Onoha ; Itto Ryu : Seme age!"
With near lightning-like speed, the unknown woman thrusted her Udachi upwards, blade poised to skewer Kassandra's head.
Kassandra was forced to back step once more, growing frustrated at the sheer speed the smaller woman was show casing. This woman was incredibly fast and struck with lethal precision.
"Onoha ; Itto Ryu : Kaku o Katameru!"
Kassandra furrowed her eyebrows, briefly tensing her entire body as the woman settled into a simple and basic stance, her eyes closed and her body completely relaxed despite the golden ichor dripping down from her minor head wound.
She was as still as a statue, completely unmoving like the object in question.
Kassandra furrowed her eyebrows, eyes briefly dipping to the chest wound she received, noticing the steady amount of ichor pouring from the wound.
Why was the wound not healing? No... It's not that she wasn't healing, she could feel her chest trying to mend her flesh back together but there was something there, preventing the action from happening.
Kassandra could sense a small amount of foreign power in her chest where her wound was.
Almost like...
Kassandra's eyes lit up in realization. She understood now... There was a reason this woman was so fast. While her attacks lacked immense strength, her Isu weapon more than made up for it.
"Death by a thousand cuts..." It was an apt moniker, if anything. Normal wounds such as this were hilariously easy to heal from. In normal circumstance, something like this would have been mended in no less than a minute.
But the woman's weapon prevented that. If you were cut then you'd continuously bleed throughout the remainder of the fight. Due to her speed, most of her fights would likely have been over by now.
Kassandra briefly clenched her left fist, ignoring the ichor that continued to seep from the wound upon her palm.
This was...
Exhilarating!
Kassandra's heart thumped rapidly as her smile grew. What beautiful weaponry! She wanted it! She needed it! She just had to have it!
"I need it!" Kassandra roared in a manic manner, grin splitting across her face.
With nary a thought of the possible consequences, Kassandra vanished from her position before suddenly appearing directly in front of the Udachi wielding woman. With her spear held high, Kassandra proceeded to bring it down upon the unmoving woman.
It was brief. Nearly untraceable. Kassandra only managed to glimpse the tail end of the attack. A brief flash of silver surged on the edge of the her vision followed by the sound of something thudding against the earth.
The Spartan blinked after the fact. Huh. Something... Something was wrong.
She felt... lighter somehow. Odd.
Time seemed to slow down to a crawl as Kassandra's analytical mind clawed to the forefront of her mind. She could see now, with clear eyes and mind, that the woman was slowly retracting her blade, likely assuming another stance.
But... Kassandra hadn't seen her move. She had only seen a glimpse... of silver...
Ahh. That's what happened.
How long had it been since she'd been disarmed in such a manner? Centuries possibly? The thought should have excited her but it didn't.
It didn't worry her though. Only calmed the manic desire and glee that course through her veins. This woman... She was like her. An Isu half-blood with monstrous combat capabilities.
With a now sober mind, Kassandra glanced to her right arm. The beginnings of a frown began to form as she noticed the empty space where her arm should be.
How amusing. She had quite literally been disarmed.
She merely snorted at the lame pun. The situation was now steadily becoming more dire. This woman's blade, coupled with her sheer speed, could potentially end her life.
Again, the prospect of potential death should have excited her but it didn't. It only made her annoyed.
But why though? What had changed?
She lived for the sweet release of death, praying and dreaming of the day that she would fall in combat... She was a Spartan. Raised in blood and war.
Kassandra was intimate with cruelty and knew suffering like the back of her hand. She craved death and enjoyed spreading it.
What was wrong?
An aching feeling stabbed into her heart, spreading through her body like liquid fire. An unfamiliar emotion courses through her veins as she continued to stare at her severed arm.
No, not unfamiliar...
She knew this emotion well, once upon a time.
A time when she was younger and experienced. A time where she was blissfully ignorant to the woes of the world. A time where she used to call Kephallonia home.
This emotion...
Kassandra had spread it far and wide through the world. She was intimate with it but had rarely ever been on the receiving end of it.
Fear.
Time resumed a nanosecond later and Kassandra immediately retreated away from the Udachi wielding woman. Her heart hammered rapidly, but not in excitement.
No, no no no. There was no joy to be found here.
Kassandra was... She was scared.
For the first time in centuries, she was truthfully scared.
But of what?!
Anxiety began to seep through her veins, constricting her like a python. It smothered her and squeezed, preventing her from acting. The knowledge, or rather the lack thereof, terrified her.
Why was she experiencing this?! What was causing this?!
"Hmm? What's this?" The unknown spoke softly. "Where's that confidence? You seem almost... nervous." She twirled her Udachi before bending her knees, readying her blade. "You wanted this, did you not? Now... Die, Heretic!"
Snarling at the woman's words, Kassandra did not allow the fear to paralyze her. She was a blur as she retreated, dodging the deadly swipes and thrusts from the unknown woman.
She grit her teeth in frustration, left hand grabbing for her Xiphos and parrying a thrust from the woman. Sparks skittered across her face as she flexed her left arm, quite literally forcing the woman to retreat due to her physical strength.
Kassandra's golden eyes flicked to her severed arm for a moment before she sucked her teeth in annoyance. Thinking quickly, she reached into one of her pouches on her utility belt before throwing several smoke bombs along the terrain, covering the area in a thick waft of black smoke.
Kassandra blurred through the area as she raced towards her fallen weapon, picking up her severed arm along with it. She heard Ikaros squawk loudly before abruptly shifting her weight.
Leaning her head back, Kassandra dodged a thrust from the woman's Udachi before twirling her golden spear and batting the weapon away. Dozens of sparks illuminated the hidden form of the unknown woman for a moment before she retreated, flashing away through the smoke.
The Spartan gnashed her teeth together, body tensinng as the smoke was now being used against her. With her heart hammering wildly, Kassandra forced herself to take a calming breath. Anxiety threatened to encompass her before she slowed her breathing, closing her eyes and trying to relax.
She couldn't afford to make a mistake right now...
She sensed movement all around her but was incapable of precisely zeroing in on the woman's location. The smoke billowed slowly, muddling her surroundings but she ignored it in favor of listening.
Kassandra blocked out the pain. Blocked out the fear. Ignored her thoughts and focused solely on the sound... of the... environment.
Everything became muddy as her golden eyes seemed to glaze over, instinct taking over her body. Dull, near lifeless like eyes gazed out at nothing as Kassandra stood motionless.
There was nothing... Atleast for a minute or so.
Just a little... longer...
There!
It was a minor thing. A simple one, really.
A quiet, whoosh that emanated for half a second. And yet, that was all Kassandra needed.
The Spartan seemed to just... vanish as the unknown woman's blade thrusted toward her head, swaying away and dodging what would have been a killing blow.
"Onoha ; Itto Ryu - Kiriotoshi : Shin!"
The unknown woman released a gasp of surprise before that gasp turned into a scream of pain, courtesy of the golden spear now jutting through her chest.
The unknown woman grunted as golden ichor spewed from her orifice, painting Kassandra's face a bright gold. The muscular woman ignored the Isu essence, before grunting loudly and physically lifting the petite woman on her spear, causing her legs to dangle uselessly.
Kassandra's action caused the woman to release an agonizing scream of pain. Her body lulled for a moment causing her to slide further down on the spear.
"Y-You...! Wretch! A-Abomination!" She spat blood from her mouth, weakly raising her Udachi while trying to stab Kassandra through the eyes. "DIE!"
Kassandra roared, channeling her power before slamming the woman into the earth. A gigantic shockwave emanated from her action, up ending several chunks of soil and earth. A dust cloud sprang up around her, covering both women and shielding them from sight.
A few seconds passed by before the dust began to settle, revealing Kassandra on her knees, left arm shaking furiously as she kept the woman speared to the ground.
Kassandra released a cry of pain from the Udachi that was currently ran through her chest, likely piercing her right lung. She spat golden ichor but refused to let up on the woman.
"D-Die!" The Spartan grunted, teeth gnashing together as she forcibly began to push her spear deeper and deeper into the earth, subsequently causing the unknown Isu attacker to scream in pain.
"I w-will... take you w-with me!" The unknown woman continued to sink her blade deeper into Kassandra's chest, grunting ferociously whilst trying to sever the woman in half.
Kassandra grit her teeth as her vision began to blacken, the blood loss finally starting to make its presence known.
No...! No!
She couldn't... She couldn't die here! Not now!
She still... needed...
She needed...
She needed...!
"KASS!"
An explosion of golden energy suddenly manifested, emanating several meters away from her. Through her brief connection with Ikaros, she saw exactly who it was.
It caused a smile to bleed to life on her face despite the circumstances.
"Heh... I guess I am in your debt, little thief..."
Not a moment later did she allow herself to succumb to the blackness, opening her arms and willingly diving into it with no hesitation.
Naruto was here.
He'd be able to handle it from here.
She trusted him.
Kassandra's eyebrows furrowed for a moment, face scrunching up in annoyance due to the bright light above her. She felt something prod against her face, specifically her cheek, as she shook her head.
There was a snort of laughter from her action, emanating from beside her. Or so, atleast she assumed it to be beside her.
Her thoughts were... muddy to say the least.
She briefly opened her eyes, surrending to the bright light and annoying prodding. A pounding headache struck her near instantly at the action forcing her to clench her eyes closed.
"Ahhh!" She released a pain-filled groan, moaning in pain from the action. "Maláka...! What brute caved my head in...?"
"It was no mere brute, sister." A calm and deep voice spoke, a hint of amusement painting their tone.
It caused her blood to run cold. That voice...
No... No! It couldn't be! It... It couldn't...!
"It was me." The same voice continued, oblivious to her mental breakdown. The man released a few chuckles, metallic noises clinking a moment later as he spoke once more. "Care for another bout? I promise to go easy this time around."
This... wasn't real...
It couldn't be...!
Slowly opening her eyes, she was greeted to the visage of a man who shared a similar facial structure to her own. He possessed a sharp chin, with long locks of twisted and braided brown hair. A scruffy beard covered his face, not long enough to really be called a proper beard but noticeable enough to where he actually needed to shave his face. His face, while stern, was soft and seemed amused as he stared down at her.
No... It couldn't be...
This had to be a dream...!
But it felt so real!
The sounds! The course sand beneath her! By the gods she could even smell the familiar scent of dirt! Sparta ridden dirt!
Never would she have imagined that dirt would make her happy.
But as she stared at the man who hovered over her, she was overcome with dozens of emotions. Some of which she had locked behind closed doors, never to be seen again. But right now, they were bursting through it.
"A-Alexios...!" She croaked, voice breaking due to her emotions. "I-Is that... you...?" The sheer hope in her tone nearly caused her to vomit, having been unused to the feeling for centuries.
The man named Alexios stared down at Kassandra, eyes widening at the tears streaming down his sister's face. "Kassandra!" He spoke in concern, falling to his knee and placing an arm around her. "I'm sorry! I did not think you were injured so!"
By the gods... It truly was Alexios!
"Alexios!" Kassandra cried, sobbing loudly as she clung to the man with reckless abandon. Tears streamed down her face as she wailed against his armored chest.
"Sister!" Alexios cried, shell shocked at his sister's action. He sat, motionless and surprised, allowing his younger sister to cling to him.
And what ferocious strength she possessed. Had she been going easy on him this entire time? Sure, he knew that Kassandra was physically powerful, easily being able to go toe to toe with some of the older Generals but he never remembered her being this physically powerful.
Her sobbing and wailing only seemed to get louder as she stained his armor, babbling gibberish he couldn't hope to understand.
They had been engaged in a bit of light sparring before he got the upper hand, bashing her unprotected face with his shield. She had fallen to the ground, eyes dazed and head spinning. But here she was now...
Crying and apologizing?
The notion confused him. Why would his dear sister be apologizing? If anything, he was the one that should be apologizing. After all, he was the one to knock her unconscious.
Eventually, Alexios shrugged his shoulders before returning his sibling's embrace, patting her back and reassuring her that it was okay and that he forgives her.
It took a few minutes but Kassandra was eventually able to stifle her tears and compose herself. She pulled away from her brother, hands still clinging onto his armor. She stared at her brother's face as her expression shifted multiple times, very nearly bawling her eyes out once more.
"Alexios!" A female voice yelled from a few meters away. "What did you do to your sister?! You better not have sucker punched her again! We are warriors, Alexios! Not Athenian brutes!"
The woman's voice caused Kassandra to freeze up. Her head practically snapped towards the approaching woman, tears already glistening.
Ma...
Mater!
A woman who looked nearly identical to Kassandra, yet stood nearly three heads shorter than her, made it all of four feet before her children before taken down by her daughter.
"MATER!" Kassandra wailed as she took her mother down, arms squeezing the woman tightly. She buried her face into the woman's chest, not even daring to hold back her wails of sorrow and pain. "IM SORRY! FORGIVE ME! PLEASE DONT HATE ME! I'MSORRYI'MSORRYI'MSORRYI'MSORRY!"
Myrrine only grunted in surprise, completely blindsided by the onslaught of sorrow and pain emanating from her daughter. She couldn't have removed the girl even if she wanted to.
Honey brown eyes softened as she listened to her dear daughter wail her heart out, profusely apologizing and begging for forgiveness. Her red robes stained with tears and snot but Myrrine cared little for that.
All that mattered was that her daughter needed her.
From her position, the Spartan mother merely wrapped her arms around her daughter, singing an all too familiar lullaby that Kassandra had heard a thousand times.
It only caused her sobs to grow louder.
"Oh my sweet, little Eagle Bearer..." Myrrine cooed softly, listening to Kassandra's quiet whimpers. Her fingers danced through the girl's long hair, threading along her braid and smiling softly. "I could never hate you. Tell me, what's wrong?"
Kassandra could only babble incoherently, mishing her face against her mother's chest.
Myrrine only smiled at the display. "I will wait for you then." She turned her attention to her son, noting the deep concern on Alexios' face. "Bring the horses around, Alexios. Make sure they are fed. I have a feeling we will be here for a little while longer."
The man soared a glance to his sister, eyes creasing in concern before returning his mother's haze. "Of course, mater." With another lingering look to his sibling, the muscular man took off in a jog to gather their horses.
As her son ran to accomplish his task, Myrrine only smiled softly, laying her head down upon the soil. She continued to hum Kassandra's favorite lullaby, stroking the girl's scalp while listening to her whimpers.
"It will be okay, daughter. I'm here for you."
"Dammit!" Naruto cursed quietly as he wiped his fingers clean of Kassandra's blood. "Fuck! Fuckfuckfuck!" He spat angrily.
His hands were moving rapidly as he applied a tourniquet to Kassandra's severed arm. Upon staunching the flow of blood, he shifted his attention to the two stab wounds upon her chest.
Golden ichor seeped through her chest plate and Naruto immediately made to remove the armor. He grit his teeth, hands clasping around the chest plate before hearing a quiet clicking noise. He carefully removed the piece of armor, surveying the damage and ignoring the woman's now bare chest. This was no time to ogle. He needed to focus on saving her!
With shaking hands, the boy began to lightly dab the wounds, noticing that while they were deep, they were relatively clean cuts. He released a shaky breath before tearing off a piece of his cloth and dabbing the areas around her wounds before grabbing a piece of adhesive tape from his pouch and applying a bit of pressure to her left chest wound.
Naruto managed to clean what he could, idly noticing that the blood flow had gone down somewhat. He grimaced, eyes returning to her rapidly paling face and nearly panicked at her quiet groans of pain.
"C'mon! C'mon!" He muttered quietly, ripping another piece of his cloak off and pouring cold water atop it. He folded the damp makeshift rag up before placing it atop her forehead. "Fuck me..." He muttered quietly, fingers shaking as he opened one of the woman's pouches, sifting through the contents and procuring a small pair of needles and a thin price of twine.
Naruto wiped the sweat off his face, ignoring the fact that he smeared Kassandra's blood over his face. "Don't you fuckin' die on me, dammit! You're not allowed to!"
Fresh tears began to swell in his eyes as his emotions began to get the better of him. He wiped his eyes with an annoyed grunt before threading the thin twine through the needles.
Upon successfully doing so, Naruto released another shaky exhale before staring down at the woman's bare chest.
Two holes presented themselves, one just below her right breast that had managed to avoid her rib cage, miraculously. The other on the other hand... He grimaced at the wound, watching as blood ever so slowly seeped through the makeshift pressure bandage.
He cursed to himself before reaching into his makeshift pouch and grabbing some more tape. Ripping off some of the adhesive material, he used his enlarged canines to cut through the fabric before tearing off yet another piece of fabric and wrapped the adhesive around it before placing his hand atop the woman's wound.
He ignored the way her face grimaced at his action, focusing on the task at hand. With a stronger force of application, Naruto gently tilted the woman up before wrapping the tape around her chest and pulling upon it tightly, staunching the flow of blood from the wound.
He gently laid the woman back down on the ground before wiping off the fresh bout of sweat that formed upon his face. "Mother fucker!" He spat and cursed multiple times, clenching and unclenching his fists several times. "I'm not gonna let you die on me... You can't, Kass... You can't!"
His emotions threatened to overwhelm once again before he furiously scrubbed at his face once again.
Naruto managed to compose himself somewhat before releasing a relatively calm exhale. He proceeded to then try to suture the woman's wound. He was inexperienced at best and downright terrible at worst. Several minutes passed by before he sutured up the final stitch. With a nod, he then leaned over the woman's chest, using his enlarged canines to rip the twine in half.
Shaking off his anxiety, the boy began to gently drag the comatose woman towards a tree before gently propping her against it, chest facing towards it.
Naruto proceeded to do the same things to her back as he did her chest, knowing that the stab wounds had penetrated through her cleanly. He dabbed, cleaned and sutured what he could before gently resting the woman against the grass.
He wiped his face once again, smearing golden blood along his features. The teen then stood to his feet, grabbing his canteen before nearing a small pond. He dipped the item in the pond, returning to Kassandra before ripping off yet another piece of his fabric and dabbing it with water. He replaced the woman's forehead rag before dropping to his knees with an exhausted sigh.
He was silent for several minutes, hearing the idle sounds of the forest. Listening to the crickets chirping and the leaves rustling overhead.
He balled his fists in frustration, hands shaking as he clenched his eyes shut. Naruto grimaced quietly as a stray tear ran down his cheek. "Stay with me Kass! Please... Don't go..."
The "I need you to stay." was unspoken.
"Stay with me... Please!"
A vicious headache assaulted Kassandra causing her to grab her head with a painted grunt. She grit her teeth in pain before hearing... something...
"Stay with me... Please!"
That voice... It was familiar...
Where had she heard it before?
"Kassandra? Are you okay?"
The Spartan woman was brought out of her thoughts at the voice of her mother, gazing at her with concern. "I... I think so."
Myrrine only smiled softly as she laid her hand atop her daughter's own. "Are you sure? The headaches only seem to be worsening...No thanks to someone...!"
An annoyed grunt answered her as Alexios responded. "I apologized several times, mater!" He groused with a roll of his eyes. "I have suggested taking her to the clerics but she refuses... Stubborn woman."
Kassandra only smiled at Alexios, briefly ignoring the spike of pain that assaulted her mind. "It is only mental pain. Nothing that a night's sleep won't cure... With some of mater's cooking, of course."She added in slyly, glancing towards her mother and snorting at the woman's annoyed scoff.
"You are both lucky that I love you." Myrrine half-heartedly complained, returning to the burning pot near the edge of the room. She lifted her wooden spoon, idly stirring the stew she was currently making. "I swear, I coddled you both far too much. What would your father say?"
While Alexios chuckled loudly at the response Kassandra on the other hand, received another brief spike of pain. This time, the pain practically seared against her brain.
"No! No, no no! C'mon Kass! Stay with me! Don't do this to me! Please!"
That same voice... Why?!
It felt like her skull was practically being ripped apart! What was happening to her?!
"Kassandra!"
"Sister!"
Both of Kassandra's remaining family members rushed towards her as she collapsed from the table, banging her head against the hardened soil.
Her body began to convulse as she laid upon the floor, arms spazzing and flailing as spit began to dribble from the side of her mouth.
Flashes of memories began to slam into her. Hundreds upon thousands of memories assaulted her causing her to scream in pain.
"Nikolaus! I've come to end you!"
Her body convulsed once more as a searing pain etched into her skull, drowning out her screams of pain.
"You... You... BASTARD! HOW DARE YOU! ALEXIOS WAS INNOCENT! I'LL KILL YOU MYSELF, PYTHAGORAS!"
Kassandra screamed out in pain as blood began to seep through her ears and nose. Another vision hammered into her skull, causing her head to bash along the floor.
"MATER NO! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO YOURSELF?! COME BACK! I CANT LOSE YOU TOO! PLEASE! COME BACK!"
Kassandra screamed in pain once again before her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Her head slammed against the hardened soil, blood slowly pooling from her cracked skull as her body finally ceased its thrashing.
"Come back to me, Kass! I need you!"
The pain had finally ceased and with it, came clarity.
Kassandra groaned quietly before slowly opening her eyes and responding to the familiar voice in her head.
"Naruto...?"
"Kass!" The voice immediately responded back to her, filled with untold amounts of relief and exhaustion. "You... You're back... Thank Kami, you're back..."
The voice lulled off quietly and before Kassandra could gain full cognitive awareness, she felt a weight settle upon her bruised abdomen.
She released a quiet hiss, eyes snapping to the weight upon her stomach. A familiar head of blond, spikey hair filled her vision.
Kassandra furrowed her eyebrows, listening to the soft snores emanating from her lap. It caused a small smirk to form on her face.
Her little thief... How adorable.
A throb of pain assaulted her body, causing her to grit her teeth and hiss in pain. Dozens of memories returned to her at once, remembering everything that had happened.
Ahh... What a bitter experience.
Not only had her dream, or rather the near death experience, been upended, she had to deal with the injuries of the said fight that had originally caused it.
Kassandra glanced towards the stump on her arm before frowning in confusion at the shoddy tourniquet. Ahh, her little thief had played the role of a medic hadn't he?
It was amateur at best but she couldn't complain. After all, she was alive.
Now, time to find her arm... Ahh, there it is. How thoughtful of her little thief, to keep it so close. She snatched the appendage up, ignoring the lance of pain that seared through her body.
Kassandra placed her severed arm on her lap before grabbing a nearby piece of wood and placing it between her teeth. She proceeded to wrap her fingers around the make shift tourniquet, bracing herself with a calming sigh.
A moment later she proceeded to rip the object off, teeth absolutely gnashing upon the thick piece of wood. A hoarse scream escaped from her lips, muffled by the piece of wood in her mouth.
Her brown eyes snapped towards Naruto's sleeping form, nodding briefly as he remained asleep. Sweat pooled along her forehead, idly dripping down her face before she grabbed her severed appendage. She proceeded to line the arm up against her body before channeling her Isu blood.
Specks of golden light surrounded her body before she began to physically reattach the limb to her body. As her arm began to mend itself back to her, she released several cries of pain, muffled by the piece of wood in her mouth.
Sweat continued to drip down her face, pooling along her bandaged abdomen. She nearly blacked out multiple times due to the pain, huffing quietly as her arm finally reattached itself to her body.
Kassandra's chest heaved heavily as she leaned against the tree she was propped against. She allowed the pain to center her thoughts, compartmentalizing everything that had happened.
Releasing the piece of wood from her mouth and throwing it away, she tilted her head down towards Naruto, smiling to herself.
He must have run himself ragged trying to make sure she was okay. How thoughtful of him... If it wasn't for him, she wouldn't have been here.
She rose her right hand, arm still tingly as fresh blood began to run through it. Her fingers glided through his spikey locks as she leaned her head against the tree once more.
Well, all's well that ends well, eh?
A snort escaped her before she began to softly hum.
A familiar lullaby that had once lulled her to sleep, assuaging her fears and uncertainty while protecting her. Soon after though, it became a source of anger and self-hatred.
Now though?
Her brown eyes fell to the exhausted teen resting upon her lap. Anxiety began to build in her chest the longer she stared at the boy. An emotion she thought she had conquered long ago.
Hmph. How insulting. Nearly a full millennia of time and now she was worrying herself over a boy she had only known for a week.
She shook her head at the thought, continuing to hum her mother's lullaby as she stroked Naruto's scalp.
Perhaps, this is what was needed for her to grow. To no longer be the monster in man's skin...
How long would this last, she wondered.
How long until another unknown Isu half-blood got the drop on her? How long until she was fighting for her life once more? Would she need Naruto at her side to prevent another potential death?
Hmm... Questions for another time, she supposed. All that matters was that they were alive. Battered and wounded, but alive.
Kassandra allowed herself to drift away, trusting in Ikaros to watch over herself and Naruto.
AN: WOWEE. AN UPDATE. WOWEE WOW WOW.
MANY QUESTIONS UNANSWERED. NEXT UPDATE? WHO KNOWS. WOWEE WOW