Hi all! Would have posted this yesterday, but the Transformers chapter took over three hours to edit and post and by the time I was done with it ... I just didn't have the energy to repeat the process with this chapter. Sorry. Anyway, it's here now, I hope you all enjoy!
Review Response: Dear ShadowShock, hi! (shuffles) Aw, thank's for the compliments and for giving this story a shot despite it not being in a show you know! I've done that a few times myself actually ... it's how I got semi-adicted to One Piece. Anyway, hope you enjoy the newest chapter!
Dear Hazel tree09, hello! (Bows) Thank you, I did my best to capture their unique charm. I think it helped that I'd binge-watched about half a story arc before writing that chapter... Yes! (pumps fist in the air) Someone got the reference! The Tora mentioned is, in fact, "that" Tora and I might feature a one-shot of them doing that mission sometime. It would be fun to write, but I'd half to be in the correct mood to pull it off. Thank you, I wasn't sure how the restaurant mission would go over. I was honestly stumped as to what sorts of missions mages do when they're A: not saving the world and B: just kids. Good to know you liked it. Hope you enjoy this one too!
Author's Note: So, part 2 of Rihanna's first mission that will have Fairy Tail Luck (capitalized because I swear that's an actual thing), I hope you enjoy. Also, please note that aside from Mest, Bickslow, and Bickslow's tikis, all characters featured in this chapter are my OCs and are thus not to be borrowed. Suisen and Takimura are my creations as well. Now, without further ado (bows) enjoy!
Copyright Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any references made in this story. The only things I own are my OCs who are planning to steal my plot.
Chapter Nine: Escort - Part 2
(Three weeks, six days since joining Guild)
The forest surrounding the road between Magnolia and Suisen was peaceful. The afternoon sun was hanging high overhead, illuminating the comings and goings of the chirping birds and little forest animals. In one particular section of the forest, the peace was suddenly broken by a high-pitched scream of outrage that sent nearby birds flying away in terror, "Argh! Let go, let go, let go!"
Rihanna didn't even bother looking over her shoulder as she calmly dragged Conrad back towards the place where the carriage had stopped for lunch and to let the children in the carriage stretch their legs. The physically older boy flailed uselessly, trying to reach her or grab hold of something to stop his steady retrieval, but to no avail.
Of course, in any normal circumstance, there was no way a six-year-old girl could physically drag a larger twelve-to-thirteen-year-old boy with anger issues by the ankle against his will. Or at all. But naturally, Rihanna had one thing that threw normal circumstance out the window. Namely, she had Shadow Magic with which she could grab Conrad and cheerfully pull him along as if with a black, velvet-steel leash.
"I said, let me go!" At this, Rihanna did glance over her shoulder, raising an eyebrow in a distinctly unimpressed expression. If you didn't try to run off to who-knows-where while everyone else was playing tag, we wouldn't be in this situation.
Seeing her look, Conrad stuck out his bottom lip, surprisingly unscathed for being dragged across the bumpy forest ground. Rihanna suspected it had something to do with being a resident of a magical anime world, "This is cheating!" Rihanna scoffed silently, I'm a shadow mage who's somewhere around half your size. Of course I'm cheating. It's also called doing my job.
The two of them finally emerged on the outskirts of their chosen campsite, Mest looking up idly from where he was helping their carriage driver cook lunch. Reaching into his pocket, Mest pulled out a pocket watch and clicked its button, "Huh, nice job, Wren-chan. You almost broke Bickslow's record this time." Rihanna smiled and flicked her fingers so that Conrad was hanging upside down in the air by his captured ankle.
Conrad squawked indignantly, his arms flailing wildly for a few seconds before Rihanna flipped her Shadow Tendril, flicking Conrad into the air before dissolving the shadow so that he could land on his feet. The boy stumbled and fell backward onto his bum, obviously fuming about yet another failed escape attempt.
It was the afternoon of the second day of their journey. It was also Conrad's fifth failed escape attempt. For reasons lost on Rihanna, Conrad attempted to escape every time the carriage was stopped for any reason, and once when it hadn't. She was honestly baffled how he hadn't broken an arm in that particular stunt. Unlike stated in the poster, his escape attempts were also clearly not out of boredom, because heavens knew just how absorbed he could get in fighting with Bickslow.
Just like right now. Rihanna thought dryly to herself as she watched Conrad roll across the ground, wrestling with Bickslow and the two yelling challenges the entire time. Sitting on the carriage footboard, Orazio looked up from his book to watch the scuffle with an exasperated expression that Rihanna could sympathize with. Their fights were tiring just to watch and had already caused them to be delayed during the trip.
All Rihanna could really say about that was that it was a good thing someone had thought to bring a spare carriage wheel, because said wheels were by no means laser proof.
Bickslow finally wrestled Conrad to the ground and straddled him, fists raised in the air triumphantly as he yelled, "Hah! I win!"
Conrad squirmed and bucked futilely underneath him, "Oi! Let me up, baka! You're heavy as a log!"
One of Spellmeyer-san's regular guards, a cheerful young man named Derek, called, "Don't let him up yet, Bickslow-kun! We'd like to eat lunch in peace without having to search for him afterwards!"
Bickslow flashed a tongue-grin and a cheeky salute at Derek, his tikis chittering in amusement, "No problem, Derek-san!" Conrad yelled something insulting at both Derek and Bickslow and got a bonk on the head from Bickslow in retaliation, sparking a whole new tirade.
Mest sighed and moved away from the pot their designated cook, Patterson, was tending to, "Alright Bickslow, that's enough. Let him up."
Bickslow scowled, "But Mest-!"
Mest shook his head, "No buts. Conrad-kun, if you're going to run off again, I suggest you at least wait until after you've eaten something. Running through the woods isn't much fun on an empty stomach."
Conrad glowered from his position underneath Bickslow, but after a long staring match with Mest, finally consented to not escaping until after lunch. Rihanna shook her head and moved to go sit down next to their second resident problem, who looked up from his book at her approach rather hopefully. Orazio scooted over on the footboard a little to make more room for her, "Thank you for fetching my brother, Wren-chan. That Shadow Magic of yours is really amazing."
Rihanna shrugged lightly, trying not to invoke further interest from the perpetually curious boy. Unlike his brother, Orazio was very polite and didn't try to run off … mostly because he preferred either reading or following someone around asking an endless stream of questions.
Orazio was already pretty much banned from talking to Bickslow at all because of how many times he'd accidentally set off her brother's temper with his questions about where Bickslow came from, what Bickslow's tattoo was, how he and Rihanna could be siblings when they looked nothing alike, and all manner of other innocently nosy questions that lit Bickslow's temper.
For most of that morning, Orazio had turned his attention to Mest, begging his way onto the carriage driver's seat so as to ask Mest a million and one questions about magic, mages, and mage guilds. It was kind of cute, but the look on Mest's face by the time he finally stopped had convinced Rihanna that she didn't want to somehow get caught up in it. But surely he wouldn't bother asking a mute girl about stuff, would he?
Orazio closed his book and set it aside, "How long have you been using Shadow Magic, Wren-chan?"
Or … he could try anyway. Neutrally, Rihanna held up one finger. Orazio cocked his head to one side contemplatively, "One … month?" Rihanna shook her head and Orazio guessed again, "Um … a year?" Rihanna nodded and a timid smile lit Orazio's face, "Really? Wow, you're really good for having only used it a year! Was it hard to learn?"
Rihanna shrugged again and made a so-so gesture with one hand. Orazio opened his mouth to ask something else when Patterson called amiably, "Lunch is ready, Orazio-dono, Conrad-dono, minna." Both Orazio and Rihanna perked up slightly and started making their way toward the designated lunch area, carefully sidestepping around Bickslow and Conrad, who were currently holding a hissing insult match with their foreheads pressed together while walking.
Shaking her head, Rihanna tugged on Bickslow's shirt as she passed, indicating that he should hurry up. Reluctantly, the two boys broke apart and moved to sit on opposite ends of the cooking fire. Ignoring the drama of the boys, Patterson dished out a simple yet filling traveler's stew for everyone that he claimed to have learned from his aunt.
Rihanna consumed it gratefully, mentally giving thanks for the hundredth time that chopsticks were common but not required in this world. Spoons, knives, and forks were so much easier and practical in her opinion. Settling himself down next to Rihanna and Bickslow, Mest smiled at them, "Well, how do you like long-term missions so far?"
Bickslow growled into his stew slightly, "It would be more fun if that brat wasn't around. Plus, packaged homework is a hassle." His growling stopped and he added almost reluctantly, "Still, it's … really cool to travel and see the countryside and stuff. I've never really been outside a city before…"
Rihanna nodded and smiled, Conrad's escape attempts and Orazio's curiosity aside, it was actually very interesting and fun to be traveling. It wasn't something she had gotten to do too much in her previous life and not at all in her current one, so she was actually enjoying herself for the most part.
Mest smiled at their responses, "Yeah, traveling missions are my favorite ones. All the different places you get to see, all the different people you get to meet, all the stuff you can try … it shows that the world is a lot bigger and more interesting than most people really think it is. There was one mission I took where I got to visit Takimura just in time for their annual spring festival. It was amazing, the mages there used water and fire magic in concert to melt the huge waterfall in the center of town. They melted it just as the sun rose so all the steam refracted the light and made the biggest rainbow I've ever seen."
Rihanna breathed out softly in appreciation as she imagined the scene Mest described. Bickslow looked interested as well, inching fractionally closer to Mest as he tentatively asked about what other things Mest had seen while traveling around Fiore. Rihanna listened to the stories Mest willingly told to Bickslow as she ate her stew, but she couldn't help noticing out of the corner of her eye that they were not Mest's only audience.
Conrad was listening too.
Half an hour later, Rihanna was honestly surprised to find Conrad had not slipped off in an attempt to escape during lunch. Of course, he then ruined any hopes she had that he had finally given up by making a hasty yet stealthy exit while everyone was loading the cooking supplies back onto the top of the carriage. Upon noticing Conrad's absence, Rihanna calmly tugged on Mest's shirt sleeve and pointed toward the forest. Mest blinked at her once, looked around, and then gave a noise that sounded distinctly like a growl of exasperation, "Conrad-kun bolted again?" Rihanna nodded and Mest sighed, "Oh well, I guess I'll-"
Bickslow interrupted Mest by bolting into the forest in the direction Rihanna had pointed with the shout of, "My turn!"
Both Mest and Rihanna watch Bickslow and his tiki dolls vanish into the trees before sharing a worried glance. Bickslow wanting to track down Conrad probably meant nothing good for the rich would-be runaway. In fact, Rihanna would not be the surprised in the slightest if Bickslow returned Conrad to camp humiliated and thoroughly pranked. Though hopefully Bickslow will remember not to accidentally set Conrad's clothes on fire with Pippi again.
Finally, Mest shrugged and ran a hand through his hair, "Well, while Bickslow-kun retrieves Conrad-kun, let's help them finish packing stuff so that we can go as soon as they come back."
Rihanna raised an eyebrow at how Mest was simply letting Bickslow go off to track down Conrad alone, but made no protest. Bickslow needed to learn how to handle missions, and his temper, without anyone hovering over his shoulder and Conrad needed someone to beat the concept of personal safety and humility into his head. Plus, if something went drastically amiss, everyone back at camp would no doubt hear it and Mest could then intervene via teleportation.
Derek chatted easily with Mest as the mage helped him tie down the last of their opened supplies. Because of her small size not being conducive to heavy lifting, Rihanna approached Patterson and managed to coax him into giving her the bowls and silverware to go wash in the stream just a minute or two walk from their camp.
The camp was soon out of sight as she walked into the forest toward the sound of the stream, small pile of bowls and clinking silverware firmly in her arms. Through the trees, Rihanna could hear the muted chatter of the camp, reassuring her that she was not alone or wandering too far as she set the bowls down by the stream and proceeded to rinse and scrub them with the sponge Patterson had handed her. The stream was a pretty one, deep, broad, and fast. Its cool water chortled over its smoothed stone bed and licked at her wrists and lower arms as she dunked one bowl after another into the water and swished it around.
She was almost done with her task when something prickled at her awareness, a whisper of warning velvet across the back of her neck. Rihanna jerked in surprise at the sensation, instantly looking up and around to pinpoint what had caused it.
The training she'd been doing with her Shadow Magic had led her to discover another facet to it she'd never thought existed, Shadow Sense. It was a bit like the famous "spidey-sense" belonging to a certain famous Earth comic character, but was much harder to pinpoint and was based solely in her magic. She had yet to figure out exactly how it worked, but she did know that sometimes when something or someone dangerous was nearby, she would get a sense of it, a feeling of wrongness in the shadows that made her sit up and take notice.
The feeling increased a bit in intensity and Rihanna set down the silverware she'd been washing as quietly as she could. Slowly, she stood up and backed away from the open area around the stream, retreating silently to the cover of a nearby tree where she promptly stood in its shadow. Her eyes swept the area tensely, the feeling of wrongness still increasing until she could feel goosebumps prickling along her skin.
What is it? What's wrong? I don't hear anything- Rihanna stiffened slightly as she realized something, she couldn't hear anything. Literally. Somewhere in between one breath and the next, all sound had left the near vicinity. She couldn't hear the birds singing, or the squirrels arguing. She couldn't hear the camp behind her, or Conrad's shouts as he was inevitably dragged back to camp by Bickslow. She couldn't even hear the rush of water over stone that should have been easily heard from the stream right in front of her.
But there was nothing. Something, or someone, had just pressed the world's mute button.
A pounding started in her ears as her pulse spiked and her heart slammed against her ribs. It was not true sound, but the closest thing to it at the moment as she started swiveling her head back and forth desperately, trying to pinpoint the source of the sudden lack of sound, every nerve screaming in silent terror at the unnaturalness of what was happening.
But aside from her surroundings all suddenly deciding to become mimes, there was no sign of anything amiss. No other person in sight, no attacker leaping out of the bushes to ambush her, nothing. Rihanna took a deep breath, ignoring the fact that she couldn't even hear the air rushing into her lungs, and forced herself to think it through. This is magic of some kind. Sound based? Either way, where there's magic on this scale, there's a mage somewhere using it. There aren't supposed to be any mages other than Bickslow, Mest, and I around here and none of us can use … whatever this is. So that leaves a third party…
Realization hit like a thunderbolt and set Rihanna bolting back for the camp, the pounding in her eardrums seeming to fill her very existence with its uncontested presence, the bandits from which we're supposed to guard Orazio and Conrad! The poster said the bandits wielded magic, but it never said what kind!
Just before she could break the cover of the trees and enter the camp, Rihanna skidded to a stop and flung herself to the ground behind a prickly spruce sapling. With wide eyes, Rihanna took in the sight of the camp and tried to stay marginally calm … or at least sensible enough to make a plan.
The six men Spellmeyer-san had sent to accompany the Fairy Tail mages and his sons were all being dragged to one side of the camp, unconscious and being methodically tied up by a skinny man with a black bandana wrapped around his head. Orazio was kicking frantically, his mouth open in silent shrieks of terror as he was dragged out from under the carriage by another thug. Something flickered on the corner of her vision and Rihanna turned her head just in time to see Mest materialize in mid-air, leg whipping around in a vicious roundhouse kick at the head of a well built man with raised ridges of skin running up and down his arms the color of sunburn.
The man raised one of said arms in a block moments before Mest's kick could make contact, something pulsing in the air, possibly wind from the concussive force, raising dust as it did so. Mest twisted in the air, curling in preparation to launch another mid-air attack only to suddenly go flying backwards into the carriage. The carriage dented under the force of impact, rocking dangerously on its wheels as the man Mest had attacked slowly lowered his other hand and relaxed his fist.
The thug trying to capture Orazio, having ducked, now successfully dragged the boy out by his ankle only to have Mest land on him and knock his grip loose. A wrestling match started between the two before Mest teleported away again, trying to attack the other thugs only to be thwarted and smacked back repeatedly by the tall man with the sunburn-like scars.
Rihanna lay there, muscles frozen even as her mind screamed that she should do something. This was a fight and she had to help somehow. But she was so much smaller than her opponents and her magic was far from the heavy-hitting types that let kid-Natsu or kid-Erza send people flying.
Mest was sent hurtling into a tree again, but this time he didn't stagger upright. He slumped against the trunk, head falling forward onto his chest. Rihanna felt her heart freeze in her throat, Oh no, no, no, no, no! He can't be dead, he has to just be unconscious! It takes way more than crashing into a few things to take down a Fairy Tail mage, right? A part of her mind grimly reminded her that this wasn't some idealistic anime anymore but Rihanna pushed the thought aside. She needed to assume the best in order to not panic.
The world was still mute and the bandits easily outnumbered their entire party, let alone the mages in their group. Spellmeyer-san's guards were down for the count, Orazio was already captured, Mest was unconscious, and Rihanna had no idea where Bickslow and Conrad were.
So, for the moment, it was up to her to do something. I can't fight that many men three times my size all at once! Or even one at a time! So what do I do? What do I do?
Her time on Aternum's streets flooded back to her and Rihanna pursed her lips together grimly as an answer, feeble but the only one she had, came to her. I cheat. Taking a deep breath, Rihanna crawled to the left until she was lying in a patch of natural shadow. She exhaled, tugging on her magic at the same time. Cool velvet rolled over her skin, chilly and all-encompassing even through her clothing as the shadow thickened and rose to swallow her whole.
The world turned greyscale at the same time her sense of hearing came rushing back to her. Rihanna gasped faintly in surprise at the sudden return of sound, then shook her head to focus. Standing up, she hastily took stock of her options. Her limit for being in the shadows had increased over the past few weeks, but it was still in the minutes category, and could still be counted via fingers.
"Oi! Stop moving, brat!" Rihanna looked over at where one of the bandits was trying, unsuccessfully, to hold Orazio down long enough to tie him up. The man finally resorted to smacking the boy roughly, drawing a cry of pain from Orazio that made Rihanna's blood boil.
The man who had knocked out Mest turned to look coldly at Orazio's captor, "Horea, damage the boy again and I will remove you from the operation."
Horea flinched, "Yes, Ulrich-kachō." They're talking to each other … how can they hear? Does the silencing magic only work on certain people?
Ulrich, who seemed to be some kind of leader, looked around, "Are there signs of any other guild mages in the area?"
Rihanna carefully didn't move as another bandit looked around, his eyes sweeping right over her without seeing, "None, Ulrich-kachō."
Ulrich hummed faintly before turning to look back at Mest. Rihanna swallowed hard at the look in Ulrich's eyes, it was not a look she wanted turned on anyone she knew. It was the look of someone contemplating whether or not it was worth the effort to squish a bug. What kind of bandits are these? There is no way this should have been a mission available to kids! Then again, Spellmeyer-san did say something about there being very little knowledge of the bandits methods and numbers…
Ulrich seemed to come to a decision and slowly, casually, raised his left fist. Something swirled and twisted around his fist and Rihanna's Shadow Sense positively screamed. Before she was even aware of what she was doing, or that she had no method to her sudden madness, Rihanna was raising her hands, dropping out of the shadows for better concentration as she went through the familiar motions of grabbing someone else's shadow and manipulating it.
The world was muted to Rihanna again, but from the way everyone conscious in the overrun camp froze, the smack of flesh being struck must have been loud. Ulrich's head bent forward to his chest, both of his hands reaching up to his head automatically even as his face twisted into a snarl and he spun on his heels to look for the threat. His shadow didn't change position and Rihanna recklessly used that to her advantage.
Curling her own fist, Rihanna pulled back and punched the air, causing the right arm of Ulrich's shadow to do the same thing. The shadow appendage rocketed through the air before Ulrich had a chance to realize what had previously struck him and buried itself into his nose. The velvet sensations running up her fist flickered and some part of her knew, just knew somehow, that she had broken the lead bandit's nose. Ulrich stumbled back as the camp exploded into a frenzy of searching.
Hastily, Rihanna slammed her fist into the air twice more before releasing Ulrich's shadow and diving back into her greyscale cloak of invisibility. Just as before, sound came snapping back instantly, making her eardrums ring from the yelling that was going on. Rihanna ran through the camp, ducking around rushing feet and legs until she came to a rolling stop under the carriage and dropped out of the shadows again to launch another desperate attack.
Keep moving, don't let them see you. You're shadow, shadows hide, no one notices shadows. Use their preconceptions against them. Come on, think! Rihanna twitched her fingers, shadow tendrils launching from ambient shadows around the camp to wrap around the legs of various bandits, sending them crashing to the ground. Ulrich straightened up, a look of fury on his face and his lips moving in what were clearly loud-volume orders.
Experience of many hard video games for once became useful as she flicked her hands back and forth, sending bandits flying into each other roughly. Don't give them a chance to recover, hit the boss as often as you can, take out the minions first so they don't stab you in the back when you're not looking. One shadow tendril launched a bandit with more force than she intended and sent him flying toward Ulrich. Ulrich's fist came up and punched outward, sending the man flying away, his back twisted at an angle very far from normal parameters of movement.
Rihanna suppressed the urge to feel sick and ducked into the shadows again. Ulrich's voice vibrated against her eardrums as he roared, "Find him! Find the blasted Mage!" Rihanna crawled desperately out from under the carriage and started running toward the tree Mest was slumped against, hoping to hide behind it and figure out a way to fix the situation beyond stalling for time with her minor tricks.
She was halfway through the camp when pain exploded through her side and she was suddenly flying sideways. She crashed into the ground, air leaving her lungs in a silent rush as she rolled several times before coming to a stop. She had been winded few times in her life, and it never got any less disconcerting or painful. The sheer need for air after her lungs had become well and truly deflated was terrifying. As she lay there gasping and stunned, a part of her mind managed to find enough braincells to scream, The world's mute again! I got knocked out of the shadows … how? The question of how disappeared under the instinctive impulse to get up and run. She'd been discovered somehow, she needed to move.
Her arms twitched as she tried to get up only to freeze at the sight of a gleaming silver point hovering just above her throat. The silver point was connected to a long, slender blade which was in turn connected to a glowering bandit dressed in some kind of demented, ratty, neon version of a classic gentleman's outfit. The man smiled thinly down at her, his free hand coming up to tilt his top hat mockingly, his lips moving without sound in what was clearly a taunt or warning of some kind.
Rihanna stayed frozen, only daring to move her eyes frantically back and forth as she tried to figure out what to do now. The ground vibrated underneath her slightly and pain suddenly lanced through her scalp as someone roughly grabbed her hair and lifted her up by it. Automatically, she opened her mouth in a cry of pain that would not come, hands scrabbling at the calloused fist entangled in her gold curls in an attempt to be released. Ow-ow-ow-ow! Stop! Make-it-stop!
The hand shifted, sending spikes of agony through her head and bringing tears to her eyes. Managing to crack open her eyes anyway, she found herself face to face with Ulrich, the presumed boss of the bandits. Fear clawed wildly at her insides as she struggled against his grip. His lips moved in sharp curt motions, but she had no idea what he was saying. Her pain and panic was increasing, growing rapidly to the point where she could feel herself instinctively reaching for the door in her mind, Don't make me use it- let go! Let go! Stop!
A meaty fist raised and Rihanna felt another rush of adrenaline in response to her terror. She didn't know what magic Ulrich was using, but she did know that getting punched by him was a very, very bad thing. Mest was simply unconscious, she hoped, but the bandit she had tossed at Ulrich had most definitely been killed and somehow, Rihanna doubted she had Mest's level of durability.
No-no-no-no! Desperately, Rihanna mentally lunged for her door, no other thoughts except survival running through her mind. Something bright and green flashed brilliantly behind Ulrich and he suddenly dropped her, his back arching in seeming pain. The impact with the ground jarred her feet, sending painful vibrations up her ankles which were promptly ignored in favor of placing distance between herself and the bandits. Lunging, Rihanna dived into the shadows again, swerving around the legs of the startled bandits whose voices were now ringing in her ears as they searched for the source of the newest attack.
As she ran, she somehow found her path of retreat carrying her by Mest's slumped form. I can't leave him behind, but what can I do? She started to slow, hand reaching out to grab Mest, though how she planned to drag Mest along to safety, she had no idea. The moment her hand made contact with his sleeve, she started tugging desperately, grunting silently with the effort it took to start moving him.
A strange noise built in the air, a whining just barely perceivable to her senses yet somehow attracting her attention more than the yelling and high pitched screech of green laser fire. Wait. Laser fire … Bickslow! Rihanna looked up wildly, just in time to see Ulrich cocking back his fist in the direction the lasers were coming from. The other bandits were starting to rally, waving weapons or prepping various magics as they prepared to charge into the undergrowth to deal with the newest nuisance.
Rihanna shifted gears, ignoring the headache steadily building in her eyes from dropping in and and out of the shadows so often within such a short timespan. Still clutching Mest's sleeve with one hand, Rihanna threw out her other one toward Ulrich and the other bandits. Shadows swelled, surged, and rose like a hissing black tidal wave, crashing through the camp with a sheer brute force that sent the adults sprawling and cursing.
Rihanna heart was slamming an erratic rhythm against her sore ribs and her headache was growing worse, threatening to eject her from the shadows before it was time. Grabbing Mest with both hands and praying fervently that Bickslow would have the sense to run once he saw they were away, Rihanna heaved with all of her might, hoping to drag Mest somewhere, anywhere that was away from the currently un-winnable battle.
The velvet around her coiled and abruptly deepened, dragging her under like water in a hidden well. Her last thought before the darkness swallowed her whole and sent her spiraling into unconsciousness was that this really hadn't been what she meant by "anywhere".
Japanese Translation: "Minna" = Everyone
"Kachō" = Boss/superior officer of some kind of a non-military type