Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim all rights to all characters (save for those of my own creation) in this revealing confrontation… especially for the one who climbs.

~保護者~

"Ties That Bind"

~保護者~

"So… you don't remember anything about what happened, do you?" Armaris questioned Shei, her gaze shifting to him. The pair had traveled quite far, but because Shei was still tired they had slowed to a walk for now. The chameleon in question tossed her a vaguely confused look for a second or two before it clicked and he simply shook his head. The cat frowned deeply at this and sighed. "Fucking necromancy… During the battle with the woman who brought you and Aniko back, she sent the both of you after Espio. Your fighting was pretty awful," he frowned upon being told this, "because she obviously doesn't understand ninja. I tried helping him get both of you off of him, but you fuckers threw me around instead of fighting."

Still frowning, Shei signed to her and asked, "Why were we made to do such a thing?"

"Not sure. It seemed to really bother him, though." For obvious reasons, she thought, sighing. "It was odd though. You guys wouldn't pay any mind to me unless I was in the way. It's likely that either she or the God of Demons has some sort of plan in mind for him, as awful as it is to admit."

It stood to reason that that was the case, and Shei didn't like the implications one bit. "I need to know what else has happened. Anything else of note that has occurred involving my son or his Darkness."

"He's had the markings, I remember mentioning that. He's very aggressive when he has flares, much like I was when I was younger. He's not entirely against killing those that he's friends with, that much I know," Armaris listed, thinking to herself. What else is there? Her demeanor shifted and she grimaced. "Oh. He was also… infected with demonic Darkness for some amount of time."

Shei's interest - and his concern - sharpened. "How?" he silently demanded.

"The god," Armaris muttered, a growl entering her voice for a moment. "He did it to me, too."

If he'd been capable of cursing aloud, he would've. As it was, however, he had to settle for doing it within the confines of his own mind. When he eventually responded, he did so more calmly than he would have to begin with. "Does that Darkness remain?"

As much as she hated to do it in response to this question, Armaris shrugged. "I hope not, but I've got no clue."

That was… not a comforting answer. But Shei forced himself to focus on other matters for the moment, directing his subtle confusion to a different subject entirely. One that had been nagging at him all day by this point. "Why do you try so hard?" he eventually asked her.

Armaris had obviously been in some level of deep thought before this question was posed, and it was enough to grab her full attention. "Huh?"

"You claim to be exceptionally close," Shei replied with slow deliberation, "but in truth you and he did not grow up together as much as you seem to remember. You were very young then. The mind does not always recall things properly."

Her gaze narrowed in minute agitation, crossing her arms at him. "What in the hell are you talking about? I was a young kid, and not a chameleon. I had a lot more expression of emotion, and definitely bonded more than you seem to think."

"But not as much as you seem to think," Shei calmly retorted, somehow managing to emphasize the word despite talking with his hands. Then he hit her with another question. "Armaris, how often do you believe my son was even around you when you both were small?"

"What does it matter? And what are you even getting at?"

"Answer my question first."

The cat rolled her eyes at him, muttering something in another language. "Not often. There."

"Even that does not fully express the truth," Shei told her. "He was around often enough to befriend you, that much is true. But generally speaking, Espio was simply never there. As such, there can be no sibling bond as you claim. So I ask again, why are you trying so hard?"

Armaris's eye twitched out of confusion, her mouth hanging slightly open. "I'm sorry, but what the fuck do you mean? I give a shit about him. Isn't that obvious enough?"

"My question is why, Armaris," Shei said to her. "It is unusual to care this deeply for someone who one is not genuinely sharing a close bond with."

Her facial expression didn't change in response to this, concern as to what he meant in her eyes. "What are you getting at…?" she asked again, this time more slowly.

"Precisely what I asked."

"I don't get it," Armaris snapped lightly, glaring. "Stop being so damn cryptic, for fuck's sake."

Shei watched her patiently, head slightly canted in thought. Eventually, he said, "I am only asking why you care so much. That should not be a difficult question to answer."

"Because I do, Shei," she answered, exasperated. "I don't know why."

More patient thinking on his part took place as he deliberated on her response before giving his own. "Friendship is… complicated. But what is it that you yourself perceive it to be?"

Armaris paused for a moment and her body briefly flickered into a state of intangibility as the desire to be away from this conversation appeared. She didn't like what he was seeming to imply, nor did she feel inherently okay with the feelings that finally seemed recognizable to her. Another pause was accentuated with her vaguely remembering something her father said in the time she was gone. 'Bonds are one thing one may work to keep. Be careful not to misread them, however. It may tear you apart to learn what was missed.' Though she highly doubted her biological father could have foreseen such an unusual change in how she felt towards someone that she (and only she, apparently) once almost considered family, it occurred to her that he always watched over her. Her eyes lifted to briefly ruminate on this fact before idly throwing a middle finger to the air and beginning to walk. "I don't want to talk about it."

That was fair enough. Shei was reasonably certain that he sensed someone nearby all of a sudden, anyway. Their rate of travel was fast enough for him to assume it was another shinobi. That only left him with the question of which shinobi was coming their way and why. If it was one from one of the few villages that were always hell-bent on starting wars… well, one glance at Sako proved that a fight against a person like that would be disastrous. So, signing quickly, Shei told Armaris, "We are not alone."

"I noticed," Armaris muttered softly, her hand gripping the handle of her sheathed blade and snapping it free.

Almost sharply, Shei signed at her, "Put it away. Even if they are coming without intent to fight, your weapon will incite a conflict."

Armaris didn't like the thought of not having her weapon at the ready, especially considering many battles before had taught her to be at the ready always. Despite this, she snapped it back within the sheath and crossed her arms, eyes idly beginning to follow where the shinobi was. "They don't seem violent. Seems more like a scout."

It was certainly likely. Shei knew that villages had once been somewhat near to their current location. He had no idea if they still were, but it was definitely possible. "We may have crossed into their territory."

"Leave or wait?" she questioned, nearly locking eyes with the shinobi. They were still, and simply watching the trio currently.

"I cannot run at sufficient speeds with him on my shoulder," Shei answered her. "He is not yet strong enough to hold on during such conditions. Fleeing is not a viable option."

"I can drag us through shadows to get us out," Armaris muttered. "Surely they'll approach. We know they're there."

"We will be pursued. For now, let them come. Without knowing where their territory ends, it will be ineffective to try to leave."

Armaris sighed softly and held out a hand, motioning for the chameleon to come on out. She didn't have time to waste on shit like this, and certainly didn't want to waste it by simply standing still when they could be moving. "They better come out soon," she muttered. Shei echoed that sentiment. Aniko had always called him impatient, and moments like this were what convinced her such a thing. He was getting antsy, anxious to get a move on again before too much time passed. If only he could run once they did so…

It was another ten seconds or so before the chameleon hopped out of the tree over to them. Armaris noted that their legs seemed to change in appearance when they made the jump, but she didn't care enough to comment. The female chameleon landed some feet away and inspected them before her eyes caught sight of Sako, a faint curiosity betraying the veil of emotionlessness. "From where do you hail?"

"Hyale," Shei answered in chameleon sign language, the sort most often reserved for use during missions where complete stealth was required. But at least using this ensured that she would understand what he was signing.

She blinked a few times and seemed to glance past them for a moment before she looked over Armaris, responding to him in a similar manner. "Who is she?"

"Armaris," the cat said before Shei could. "I understand the language."

The chameleon was visibly surprised. The fact that Armaris was traveling with a chameleon that was obviously very skilled and powerful surely meant the cat wasn't entirely an outsider, but… for another race to know such a language left her confused. "Why?"

"I was raised in old Hyale before it was destroyed. He is mute, so I was required to learn the language to be capable of conversing with him," Armaris answered. "Who are you?"

The female chameleon was notably a touch cautious about introducing herself, hesitating while glancing between them both before conceding with a nod. "Tyria."

"Armaris," Armaris answered as she glanced to Shei with a raised eyebrow. She rolled her eyes a second later upon remembering that he was likely to let her do all the talking. "This is Shei."

Tyria's mouth dropped at this news and she quickly made to conceal her surprise, but her eyes remained wide as she looked back to Shei. "It is true?" Since he didn't feel like signing when he didn't have to, he merely nodded. The female chameleon was a touch anxious, unsure of how to feel about knowing that Shei was alive. "How are you here? You should not be."

"It's a long story, and there's a lot of stuff that you neither need to know or want to be involved in," Armaris answered. "Look, we have something really important to do and need to get moving again."

Deciding he needed to step in to prevent this from being taken too aggressively, Shei tactfully added, "There are matters that require our attention. If we are in your territory, then show us out and we will be gone."

Tyria processed this slowly, glancing between them once more before giving a nod. If Shei was the one asking… it would be best to comply, even if the woman was aggressive. The female chameleon motioned with her head for them to follow and tore off in that direction. Armaris cast an idle glance to Shei. "Do you want me to drag you and Sako along with me?"

Shei gave this some thought, but ultimately decided he had to refuse. Such a course of action could be considered weakness, and if others were watching… it could prompt an attack. With a frown, he shook his head and carefully took hold of Sako so the infant wouldn't fall. He then took off after Tyria at high speed. Armaris moved after him at similar speeds, noting to herself that she had seen the chameleon's legs shift again. It was something she wanted to keep in mind… just in case.

Before long, they had caught up to Tyria. They followed her all the way out of her territory, and at that point Shei slowed again, both for his own sake and his grandson's. He hid his slowly building tiredness from view, but it nevertheless played a part in him stopping when he did. Tyria turned to face him and Armaris as she appeared mere seconds later, tilting her head. "I would like to know more about your return," she admitted slowly, a frown on her face. "Something big must be happening for you to be… alive."

Shei saw fit to answer that. He had learned already by now that there were few shinobi who didn't know who his son was, and he used that to his advantage. "If you wish to speak more on this, then meet us in Hyale when we return. There are outsiders gathered in Espio's home. They are allies. You will find no enemies amongst them."

Tyria paused momentarily at this and frowned. "Outsiders?"

"Like he said, meet us in Hyale if you want to know more. Or you can ask them a bunch of questions. Most of them won't be against explaining what they can," Armaris explained, watching the other female closely. A hint of distrust was in her eyes, but whether or not she chose to hold onto such a feeling couldn't be known.

The female chameleon was quiet for a moment before giving a slow nod. "May your mission be fruitful," she murmured before bounding off at incredible speeds.

Armaris groaned softly and rubbed at her face. "You saw her body change, right?" Shei nodded once. "Shapeshifting or polymorphism. Judging by the differences in what she could do with it… shapeshifting. I'll figure out more later," she murmured, beginning to walk. "Can you move quickly?" she asked, turning to face him.

After a long moment, Shei shook his head. "No." He hesitated, not liking that he had to admit this, but soon added, "I feel too weak right now."

"Do you want me to do the shadow thing now?" Given that there was no longer any danger associated with such an act, Shei caved in and agreed. Armaris nodded and let her shadows envelop and carry Shei and Sako within it as she ran off. A gut feeling told her to check the communicator once more, and she frowned at the sight of the communicator Kial was carrying no longer moving. Her pace increased and she phased into her shadow with the chameleons, a worried expression her face. Something was wrong...

~保護者~

Armaris came to a sudden stop when she saw Kial sitting on the ground in a meditative state. Mild frustration made itself known to her and she brought herself and the two chameleons from the shadows and lightly kicked the bobcat in the back. "Oi, what the fuck happened?"

In his state of mind, Kial almost didn't notice them arrive or the kick. He blinked once in mute surprise and pushed himself to stand, turning to face the trio. "I was walking with Espio and he ended up taking off. I couldn't follow him, even if I wanted to."

Darkness flared up around Armaris at the memory of what Nyokae had said and Kial was able to make note of a certain level of anger entering her aura. "What direction did he go." The demand was posed as a statement more than a question, walking dangerously close to Kial.

Kial idly pointed in the direction he could best approximate Espio had gone. "Please step back, and remember that I'm blind, Armaris. I don't know where he went."

Shei looked around slowly and carefully before signing to Armaris, "His guess will have to be enough. We may still have time. Look around. Espio left this man in an area completely lacking in immediate danger. It may still be possible to reach him once he is located."

The female cat's eyes idly shifted to regard the area before she nodded. "We need to get moving, then. Now. Kial, how fast are you able to move?"

"Fast enough. I should be able to keep up, especially with your Darkness expressing itself enough to guide me," the bobcat explained.

"Then do what you have to do and keep up. Shei," her gaze fell back on him, narrowing. "We're good to go?" With no other choice, he just nodded. Once more, she pulled Sako and Shei into her shadows, then tapped Kial's shoulder and rushed past him, giving him enough time to transform and follow.

Armaris weaved through trees with incredible ease for several minutes, acrobatics on display as she moved along the path. Kial's large wolven form was surprisingly capable of keeping up, and he managed to avoid slamming through all the objects he couldn't see by following the slightly noticeable mist her Darkness left behind. The female cat was quick to skid to a stop, idly putting a hand out to stop Kial's momentum since the action was so sudden. Her ears flicked and she caught the somewhat distant sounds of fighting, a growl escaping her. "That bitch," she muttered, moving along once more but far slower and hardly noticeable. In her anger, she forgot Kial and he was forced to forge his way forward with the vague guess of where she'd gone to.

Ears keen to the sound of swords meeting one another in the distance, Shei frowned and crept forward through the foliage. He spied a stony clearing up ahead, and he waved a hand vaguely to get Armaris's attention once he saw it. The cat appeared beside him silently, her eyes wide and attentive. Utilizing a common symbol used for communication during situations like this, Shei crooked a finger to tell her to stay by him, then resumed creeping forward. Before long, they reached the very edge of the trees. There was nothing of note at first, but then there was a violent flash of movement, closely followed by a shower of rock being spewed into the air as Nyokae slammed feet-first into the stone ground. She huffed and, even from this distance, could be heard murmuring, "Touched a nerve, did we?" Espio landed several feet away from her in a crouch, scowling.

"Isn't that the one thing you're the most skilled at?" Armaris accused lightly as she walked out of the foliage, glaring at Nyokae. Shei stayed behind, knowing that he was much too tired to fight right now. And besides… he had to keep Sako away. "I seem to recall that you like antagonizing people."

Nyokae turned, her eyes betraying that she was mildly surprised to see Armaris there, but she soon relaxed into a smile. "Well, hello there. I must admit, I did not expect to see you here, kitten."

"Save the chatter," Armaris answered, walking forward calmly. "What you expected doesn't matter."

"Mm, I disagree," Nyokae murmured. "I-"

For once, Espio cut her off instead of the other way around. "Shut up, Nyokae!" he snapped at her. It was readily apparent to all that he was deeply worked up as a result of whatever had been going on here. Then, drawing in a breath that only barely calmed him, he added, "You need to leave." Armaris glanced at him in mute surprise at his reaction, but didn't dare remove her eyes from Nyokae for long.

Of course, Nyokae only smiled. "I will leave when I am good and ready, love. You should know this by now. As for you, kitten… I believe it would be in your best interest to stay away."

"Make. Me." Armaris dared, a hand clutching at her blade's handle. "I'm not just going to leave. I've come too damn far to let this go."

Nyokae raised an eyebrow at her, gears turning in her head very rapidly. "Have you, now? That is an interesting idea. To think we might be vying for the same thing…" She laughed a little, shaking her head. "I must regret to inform you that you are a little late to the game."

"My interest in that isn't as important," Armaris countered. "You hurt him and lie to him. You try to turn him into something that you can use. You don't give a shit, or, if you do you don't act like you do. So, I'll say it again. Make. Me. Leave."

"You are an amusing little thing, aren't you?" Nyokae smiled, twirling a knife between her fingers. "However… I'm afraid I must decline. I have a prior engagement." Just like that, she and Espio disappeared from view again, clashing with enough force to create shockwaves through the air and ground with each strike of their blades. After a tense minute or two of this, they were again broken apart by Espio slamming her into the ground, hard enough to shatter more of the stone beneath their feet. However, far from being upset, she actually seemed pleased by the violence he was beginning to display. "Hm, better. But you are holding back, love." She picked herself up and dusted herself off casually. "That is rather unbefitting of you."

Armaris appeared between Espio and Nyokae, fixing the other woman with a hateful look. "You're an actual piece of shit. What do you gain from forcing this out of him, huh?"

Temper rising further, Espio told her harshly, "Move, Armaris." He gripped his sword tightly, barely refraining from simply throwing her aside. Maybe violently. It took the cat a moment before she gave a nod, stepping out of his way while retaining her glare at Nyokae.

For the second time, Nyokae raised an eyebrow. This time it was directed at Espio. "More hesitation, is it? She is an easy target. Why not simply be rid of her?"

Morbidly curious, the cat glanced over at Espio. She wasn't scared, but she realized that he certainly could have ended her life rather than tell her to move. "...Why…?" she echoed, a small frown on her face. Espio scowled at the both of them, faint traces of Darkness swirling around his sword. When Nyokae opened her mouth to say something else, he concentrated that Darkness into an attack that hit her full-on, launching her backward and with some force through the clearing and into the trees. This time, he hit her hard enough to draw some blood. Droplets were left behind on the ground where she had been standing. Armaris stood still at this sight, moving a bit farther out of his way before imploring that he talk to her soon with a silent expression.

Around this moment, Kial chose to make himself known as well, walking out into the clearing and examining what he could of the situation. His skin had already morphed to be immensely hard, just in case something happened like it had when he last encountered Nyokae. His attention fell on Espio and Armaris first, noting that the chameleon's Darkness was noticeable and that Armaris' mood had… leveled out? Concern wrote itself onto his face as he stood quietly, 'watching' the proceedings. Armaris finally spoke, turning fully to Espio. "Espio… what happened before we got here?" she asked.

Espio tossed her a sharp glare, but restrained himself from lashing out like he initially wanted to. After a second, he told her, "Nothing." He watched with narrowing eyes as Nyokae picked herself up from where she had landed and oh-so-casually dusted herself off again. Something about her demeanor only furthered his anger.

"Espio, I don't think this is worth it. She wants you to lose control of yourself, and wants that Darkness to do exactly what you've tried to keep it from doing," Armaris explained, frowning softly.

More anger flared, followed immediately by more barely-contained Darkness. "You don't think I know that?" Espio responded, snapping again without having intended to.

"Since you know that, let's just go. You don't have to suffer through your Darkness because someone else wants you to," Armaris implored, stepping closer by instinct. "Please."

It wasn't that fucking simple. Leaving only meant that she would follow. This confrontation would only end when she decided to let it. Espio had well learned that by now, after having had so many other meetings with her very much like this one. But he didn't feel like explaining that to Armaris. He didn't fucking owe her anything. "I'm not leaving," he muttered darkly, eyes fixed on Nyokae's position. She had temporarily busied herself with plucking bloodied bits of sharp wood out of one of her legs.

"Why not, Espio? We can get away from here, all of us," Armaris said, biting her lip. "Me, you, Kial, and Shei." Her words broke through the haze of anger enough for Espio to finally notice his father's presence a short distance away. He glanced that way in complete silence, taking stock of the situation and who exactly was with the other man. Cursing heatedly under his breath, he took several slow and deliberate steps… firmly placing himself between the pair and Nyokae as she began to approach again. Armaris did similarly, shifting herself somewhere between Espio and Shei with her black blade drawn from the sheath.

The sight the pair made earned a smirk from Nyokae. "Such a charming show of solidarity," she drawled. "Decided to partner up, have we?"

"I have my family amongst my priorities," Armaris answered easily, her own Darkness growing visible around her.

"Family, is it?" Nyokae echoed, a laugh in her voice. "I believe you are a bit delusional, kitten." Espio started to say something, but she cut him off by returning his earlier attack on her. He was knocked backward a good distance, but not too harshly. She huffed. "Impatient as ever, that one. Can't even finish my thought before he opens his mouth."

"Maybe you don't deserve to finish your thoughts," Armaris muttered, lowering her stance. "All I've seen you do is cause him pain and issues. You use romance as a way to get what you want, never once thinking of him."

"On the contrary," Nyokae drawled, "I think about him quite often. I suppose you could say I use him… but is it truly so hard to believe his little romance is not one-sided? Do you simply not wish to consider such a thing to be possible?"

"I don't consider it when the other party is being used. I've seen toxic relationships, lived them. You're the antithesis of someone that's good in a relationship, so sorry that I find it hard to believe you care."

"Caring on its own isn't much fun, now is it? We all want a bit of fun in our lives. I simply work to make it happen." Shrugging a little to herself, Nyokae idly hurled two concussive blasts of Darkness straight at the spot where Espio had landed, intent on keeping him down for the moment. "You, however… you are much too hesitant."

Armaris took two steps forward, glaring hatefully. "Because I don't use my time to idly hurt others to make my own ends meet. And if you're not hesitant, why haven't you struck me down? You've got a damn good chance here and now. After proclaiming that I couldn't hold my own in a fight against you, you sure as hell haven't made a move."

"You, my dear, are part of the plan," Nyokae grinned, expression predatory. "You are a… friend of his. That he cares enough not to kill you for the moment is proof enough. Such a detail can be… taken advantage of."

The cat licked at her teeth, lowering her stance further. "So you're continuing to use people to make your own goals come to fruition? Sick bastard."

"Of course I am, darling." Two more blasts were flung to the same spot as the others, then a third. Each was stronger than the last, tearing apart the ground and preventing Espio from recovering enough to return just yet.

"Leave him the fuck alone," Armaris bit out, growling. "If you're gonna attack anyone, attack the one right in front of you."

"How very sweet of you. However, I feel I must decline your heartfelt offer." Darkness rapidly encased the area she had been attacking. This in and of itself was just another attack, one that would be significantly more difficult for him to escape… given how much he was now forced to focus instead on not letting her Darkness draw his own out further. "As I said before, I have a prior engagement."

"Fine, then. Fuck you, Nyokae," Armaris spat, her Darkness flaring as she actively began using it to deflect Nyokae's away from Espio while managing to keep her own from touching Espio. She knew that a slip of her control could cause the exact same situation that the chameleon woman wanted.

"I'd rather you didn't, actually," Nyokae quipped, smiling another dark smile. She took note of Armaris's actions and steadily increased the amount of her own Darkness that was being poured out. She looked amused by it all, and absolutely nothing more. Not concerned, not angry, not anything except entertained.

Despite the amount of focus required to continue such a task, Armaris flashed a cocky smirk at Nyokae. "But here's the thing, I happen to swing both ways. I could very well do it."

"Oh? Well, maybe you and he are more compatible than you thought." Nyokae's smile grew faintly. "I do wonder how your little emotions are going to affect you in the near future, however… it may prove to be quite interesting."

"Is the lady afraid that the demon's gonna be horny? Oh dear," Armaris covered her mouth with a faint giggle.

"Mm, demons do have a reputation for a reason," Nyokae drawled. "Let us see, how many spawn has your god fathered by now, exactly…?"

"I'll make sure to uphold that for you," Armaris winked, ignoring the second sentence. She had no affiliation with him, and as such didn't care.

"If you do," Nyokae chuckled, "you will certainly fit in with our kind, I suppose. How very fortunate for you."

Armaris acted shocked for a moment. "You mean I could save the infertility of your race?" She looked around, as if stunned. "Oh my. I forgot that the chameleons had troubles getting a baby out."

"Truly, we do not need very many of them," Nyokae returned easily. "And certainly not as many as your kind tends to produce. Unlike demons… we are strong enough to survive."

"I'm a cat so that probably wouldn't help the 'baby factor' so to speak," Armaris quipped, sticking her tongue out. "And if you haven't realized, dear, I'm strong enough to survive as well."

"If you are that desperate for a baby, go and ask him," Nyokae answered dismissively. "He produced one. What is one more?" She looked over the scene of the attack in the distance and gradually let up on it. "However… I am afraid I will have to hear the results of that little conversation another time. I have said my piece to him, and I believe this is enough damage for one visit." She winked at Armaris before turning to leave. "Ciao, kitten."

"Aw, did you not get what you wanted?"

"On the contrary… I got exactly what I wanted. Truly, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for your… assistance."

Armaris smirked once again. "Then I'll let you be on your way," she answered, waving her farewell. But by then, Nyokae was already gone. Armaris promptly dropped her false demeanor.

"So… what the fuck just happened?" Kial asked. He got no answer as Armaris bolted past him and directly over to Espio, sliding to a stop on her knees to check on him. Stifling a bloody cough (because of course Nyokae had used her Darkness to beat and crush and slice, just as she always did), Espio rolled off of his back and pushed himself up.

"Espio… are you okay?" Armaris asked quietly, refraining from touching him out of worry for him lashing out. He grabbed his sword on instinct after having dropped it, but made no move to try using it. Pain had always proven to be an effective tool to keep his emotions at bay so, while his Darkness was very much still a problem, he was in control… at least for now. Whatever he may have attempted to say to her, however, was cut short by the cough he had been holding back until that point. She bit her lip softly, moving a few inches closer. "Do you need anything…? I can surely go find whatever you need…"

Another cough. Espio pushed himself into a sitting position and thrust his sword into its sheath. He would worry about cleaning the damn thing later. "No," he told her after a long moment. He busied himself with swiping blood away from his eyes and off of his face in general.

The cat hesitated for some time before sighing. "I… I want to talk to you about something soon. It can wait for a bit, though." Her voice was quiet, as if she was almost ashamed to even be bringing it up.

Not exactly in the most patient of moods right this minute, Espio frowned and responded, "Just say it."

Armaris very instinctively threw a barrier of Darkness around Kial so that he couldn't hear and looked to Espio for a few seconds. "Espio… I… I think I might like you." Espio's initial response was a healthy dose of confusion. Granted, he was not the most well-versed in the ways of friendship, but generally speaking wasn't liking the other person very much the whole point? The cat grew frustrated with herself for her own damned inability to explain it all properly. "No, Espio… I… it's more than that. I might be… in love with you, er…" She cringed internally at this, not liking her hesitation to speak. Why was she struggling so much? She'd been in relationships before.

His attention sufficiently caught, Espio finally turned his head to look at her. He regarded her in silence for a long moment, just thinking before eventually asking with equal hesitation, "You… what?" He hated how fucking stupid he sounded saying something like that, but the words were already out and there was no taking them back.

"I don't fucking know, man…" Armaris said, putting her face in her hands. "I feel stupid even trying to fucking say it, and you're already in a relationship or whatever so this all feels so awful."

Espio scoffed and turned his head away again. "This is not a relationship," he muttered. "It's a fucking train wreck."

"You shouldn't have to put up with either," Armaris muttered, wisps of Darkness floating off her body. "I'm sorry…"

He took a bit more time to think about this, about everything, before telling her, "Don't be." He wasn't entirely sure what else to say, too confused by everything that had just happened to come up with a better response. But so long as she knew she wasn't the one who needed to be apologizing, then he supposed that was good enough right this second. Armaris looked up at him with a frown. Her arms were twitching, as if she wanted to hug him or something but was afraid of the prospect. She cursed herself for being so afraid of her own emotions and not being willing to act when she knew she was already safe. After a bit of silence, Espio forced himself to move again and carefully pushed himself to stand up. This, naturally, aggravated his still-bleeding wounds, and he gritted his teeth a bit. Damn her.

Armaris watched him stand and, after cursing herself for more lack of action to sate her emotions, stood as well. "Shei is over there… He's been really worried about you."

Worried was not a word Espio would normally associate with his father but, given the circumstances… "Why did he come?" he eventually asked, beginning to slowly walk toward the others. In a way, he sort of limped, which he hated. "He is in no shape to be here."

"I told him about your Darkness flaring. He wanted to come," Armaris explained, trudging along behind him. Why didn't I do anything…? A moment of deliberation passed and she rushed up to him and gave him a quick hug fro behind. Naturally surprised, he stopped walking, then glanced back at her. She bit her lip and pulled herself closer for a moment, unsure of what else to do. "I… I'm really sorry, Espio…"

After a long moment, he shook his head and quietly reiterated, "Don't be." Even he wasn't entirely sure why he was being so… blank right now. Something vague tugged at his mind, some vague memory… something involving the words "emotionally drained"… but who the hell really knew anymore. Maybe it would explain why his feet were dragging, why he suddenly felt tired despite physically having no need for sleep anymore.

Armaris let him go and walked beside him, releasing Kial from his temporary 'prison' and watching the chameleon. "Are you okay…?" He could only offer a vague shrug this time. There wasn't much of another answer he felt that he could give. He was fresh out of anger, fresh out of lies. He was just… fucking tired. Despite her intent to let go of him, she slowly offered a hand to help him if he wanted it. "Do you need any help, Espio…?" Something about the gentleness of this was just foreign enough for him to refuse with a shake of his head. The hand, anyway. As for her question… hell if he even knew anymore. A part of her decided not to accept this, wrapping an arm around his body and glancing up. "Fuck it… You never look like this, Espio."

"Like what?" he sighed, stopping again. He wouldn't have asked at all, had he not been certain that she would continue regardless.

"You look so fucking tired compared to usual. You also seem to be having some issues walking, so… you'll have to put up with me helping you," she murmured, urging him to keep moving with very light pushes of her arm. The walking issue was easy enough to explain away. There wasn't blood all over his legs for no reason, after all. As for the rest of it, though… he didn't have an explanation anymore than she did. So, with no better response to give, he just shrugged. Armaris continued to hold him close, murmuring something about carrying him if she damn well felt the need to. All of this happened as Kial simply stood off to the side with a tilted head. A bittersweet smile made itself known on his face as he observed the two before following.

Once it was clear that Nyokae was gone and staying that way, Shei decided it was safe enough to emerge from where he had been crouching with Sako. The baby looked on with wide eyes (albeit with none of the fear that even a chameleon infant would have normally displayed at such a young age) as he was carried toward Espio and Armaris. Shei was careful to gauge Espio's reaction to the child's presence before they drew too close but, seeing no negativity at the moment (not that there was any positivity, either), he approached the rest of the way. Then, taking stock of his son's condition, he nodded toward the nearest tree and curtly ordered, "Sit." When Espio, tired though he appeared to be, looked ready to argue, Shei responded firmly, "Do not make me repeat myself, Espio."

It came as no surprise that Espio quickly bowed to his father's whim. He had always been mindful, always been respectful. Even as a toddler, he had simply never been the disobedient sort. Not with his parents, at any rate. This appeared to be just as true now as it had been then. Espio gently dislodged himself from Armaris and did as he'd been told to do. Shei fully expected to see signs of his son's stubborn nature showing through, perhaps even only just in his eyes, except… there was nothing. Not this time. The level of apathy he was displaying instead was nothing short of concerning.

Shei came to a decision and moved to crouch beside Espio. Then he gently dislodged Sako from his shoulder and passed him over. Espio took the baby on reflex, but after that seemed to hesitate. When that hesitation persisted for too long, Shei sought to carefully break through it. "He is yours, Espio. More is required of you than simply keeping him safe from harm. Our young require closeness to their parents. Do you remember how much you once clung to your mother?"

After a long pause, Espio relinquished a small sigh and nodded. "Yes," he murmured. Though he continued to move slowly, he drew the baby closer so as to more properly hold him.

"Keep him close," Shei told him patiently. "He needs that of you." When no argument came, he stood up and walked back over to Armaris. He switched to signing to her instead, as there were matters that needed to be discussed and Espio was currently distracted by his own son. "I do not like the way he is behaving," he admitted to her with a small frown. "I have seen this in him once before, when he was very small. The implications are… serious."

Armaris frowned and moved a bit closer, responding in the same manner. "What does it mean, Shei?"

"The last time this happened, he was still a baby in our years," Shei told her slowly. "He was four, at the time, and Aniko and I had been out on a mission with the best and strongest that Hyale could offer. His first sensei, the one he always spoke highly of to you, was tasked with his care. But when we returned… the man was dead and our village was in ruin. Of the young, only he and two other children survived whatever attack took place. They were trapped in their homes, surrounded by fire and death, and they were all in shock. Espio was left… numb after this event, and he remained that way for months. From what Aniko and I were told, it is the way his mind attempts to protect itself after periods of unusually high emotional spikes. Something must have happened here, something that was very substantial, for him to be displaying the same response again."

The cat's fists clenched in agitation, not liking what that may mean in the slightest. It severely bothered her to think that this was likely because of Nyokae, but she didn't know what she could do to help. As such, she implored Shei quietly to explain what they might be able to do. Not having too much of an answer to this, Shei simply told her, "He is tired, but not physically. Nevertheless, it will be necessary for him to rest. We should return him home."

"Is he going to be okay with that? He left for a reason," Armaris responded, arms crossed.

"In his current state, he does not have it in him to become upset," Shei answered. "Returning him home will not be difficult, nor will we find trouble convincing him to rest. The trouble will ultimately lie in handling his emotions once he ceases to be numb to them… as well as his reactions to those emotions."

"Should I just carry him then? Or should we teleport?" Armaris asked before glancing at Kial. She sighed when his clearly confused face told the story of what was happening in his mind. "Almost forgot he was here."

Shei ignored that last little bit, deeming it unimportant, and said, "Teleportation would be quickest."

"When?"

"Now, unless you had something more to say to him before we are again surrounded by prying eyes."

"If anyone wants to pry, I'll make sure to return that favor," Armaris answered, looking annoyed by the thought before she pushed herself up and walked closer to Espio. Shei understood the distinctly physical nature of her threat, and he shook his head at her but didn't say anything about it. "Hey, Espio," she said, crossing her arms lightly. Espio looked up at her in silence as Sako climbed up his arm to get comfy by his shoulder. A small smile broke onto her face at the sight of Sako before she knelt down by Espio. "Shei wants us all to go back to your house. He says you need to rest for the time being."

This earned the very first hint of emotion from him in several minutes, showing in the form of a vague frown. "I don't want to," he soon told her. He'd left on purpose, after all.

Armaris very calmly set a hand on his free shoulder, sighing. "I'm gonna be real with you. Shei wants you to, and I'm not gonna let you argue your way out of this. Either you come with us, or I'll drag you there by myself. Maybe make that other cat help." He didn't have it in him to argue, even though some small part of him wanted to. In the end, he just sighed and gave in. She smiled and gave him a small hug, resting her head on Espio's free shoulder again briefly. The thought that Kial was there weirded her out, then she remembered that he was blind. That'll take some getting used to. "We'll go in a second."

"Meaning when you are ready," Espio tiredly deduced, looking back over at Sako. The child had stuck his hand in his mouth and closed his eyes, as though prepared to sleep again already.

"Maybe, maybe not," she answered unhelpfully before pushing herself off him. "Just cause you think it, doesn't mean it's right." His only response was to shrug a little. He said nothing about the hug, and in fact didn't even think too much of it just now. Armaris eventually glanced to Kial and raised an eyebrow. "Get your ass over here. We're going."

"Thanks for keeping me involved in absolutely nothing," Kial responded with an amused smile, walking over to the pair before his head turned toward Shei. "I suppose we're heading back, right?" Given that Shei had no method for communicating with someone who couldn't see, his only response was to just walk over to them.

Armaris glanced to Kial. "Yeah. We're teleporting. Get close and I'll get us all back to Espio's house." Once Kial and Shei were close enough, and with a final glance toward Espio, Armaris teleported them all back to Espio's home.

~保護者~

7,986 words this time. Many thanks to Blazing Winds for all of his help and support! Posted (at around 11:15 a.m.) 04-21-20.