Seven
Etsuko
Her legs, lungs, and skin burned. She was completely alone, running through wet shrubs uncaring how the forest itself grabbed at her, trying to slow her down for the things that chased her. Too afraid to stop and catch her breath, Etsuko sprinted from tree to tree, knowing that if she halted now, she would undoubtedly die.
She had abandoned anything that had threatened to slow her, only daring to keep her quiver and crossbow, for it had the chance to briefly halt one of the evil beings that clawed towards her. But no matter how fast she went, or what she ditched to increase her speed, the things chasing her would not stop. They would never stop.
Etsuko ran towards the only thing that could possibly give her sanctuary, knowing that the forest would be the end of her if she lingered any longer. As she ran, Etsuko felt the soil resist her steps, even though the rain had softened the earth. Soon, the trees that surrounded her became weaker and weaker, their failure to thrive filling her heart with hope that she might yet survive. The salty air filled her nostrils, the sounds of the sea making war against the earth becoming clearer with every second. Soon she would reach her last hope of escaping the things that chased her.
Daring to glance back, Etsuko realized the slippery grey forms were gaining on her, their claws gripping onto the weakened trees and rending them as they closed the distance. These creatures were like living lightning, darting back and forth through the trees as they hunted her. The talons and teeth that would end her life only a few steps away now.
A few more steps. Keep going. You're not going to die. You're right there. Keep going! Go. Go. Go! Etsuko screamed at herself as the trees vanished from her view. To her right, the vast, misty ocean beat against the earth she ran along, years of conflict making the land into a cliff. She was almost there. Almost to safety. Almost to the end of the land.
She could now see the crack where water had wedged itself over millennia, splitting the earth into two. All Etsuko had to do was jump, and she would have a crag between herself and the primordial evil that chased her.
Taking one glance back, Etsuko could see the soulless eyes of the predators that were so close to touching her. So close to ripping her flesh. So close to tearing at her skin to get the meat that lay underneath. Nothing else mattered to these creatures. Their legs propelled them over the land, as if they had been fired from a crossbow, pushing themselves to catch the prey that had avoided them for hours.
An instant later, Etsuko's feet had launched her off the ledge, and time itself seemed to slow. She could see hundreds of feet below her, water pushed against rock, the ocean untiring in its goal to consume the earth. Surrounded only by air, Etsuko could no longer feel the talons and teeth behind her. She reached forwards, trying to grab onto the land that had been split. Freedom from death was right there! Within her grasp!
Within an instant, Etsuko's heart dropped, bringing her down with it as she realized she wouldn't be able to grab the opposite ledge. She would fall, and be absorbed into the ocean. All this effort had given her was another death. Instead of being ripped apart and eaten by living creatures, she would be torn apart and dissolve into the sea.
Why did she come along with them? Why did she abandon her platoon for two strangers? Why did she have to put on a brave face and act tougher than she was? Why had she let this happen to her? As she fell, she couldn't help but curse the things that had made her walk this path as she stared at the encroaching sea.
"These maps are current, yes?" Naoki asked Kagehaha, who had just arrived to the stump they were using as a table. Etsuko turned to the entering sub-commander, who was wrapping up a conversation she was having with one of her cloaked scouts.
Kagehaha nodded, turning to the mass of platoon leaders who had volunteered for the hunting party. While all the company's fighting force were busy drinking themselves into ridiculous stupors and breaking property that would have to be reimbursed, the majority of the platoon leaders had gathered together to find their missing Inklings, save for the few who had been told to remain back and keep an eye on Kamakessai, namely those in the other half of the brigade.
"Yes, Naoki. They are current. If all of you would gather up, I'll explain the situation currently." Kagehaha calmly said, making sure to be loud enough for those having hushed conversations in the outer ring of the mob they had formed.
Quickly, Tae and Natsumi jogged over to her, pushing their way through the harquebusiers who were trying to see the map. Etsuko grimaced as their shoulders rubbed against her own, hating how Tae used her to separate the other platoon leader from his person.
"Before we start, thank you all for coming to help. As you all know, platoon leaders Taiki and Akurai have gone missing, along with my son, Kageha. They were last seen heading for this beach, southwest of the delta. As it has been storming for the past three days, we've been unable to find any signs of where they've been." Kagehaha grimly stated, her voice carrying easily to the group. "It is unlikely they are dead, as they were prepared for getting caught in bad weather. What has most likely happened, is they lost their bearings, and are trying to find their way back."
"Weren't they tracking a fish-tribe?" Naoki asked, his voice filled with concern.
"Yes, they were. There is a possibility that the invaders they were tracking had discovered them."
"Would it be unlikely if that had happened?" The new guy asked, who seemed to understand that he was speaking out of turn due to all of the stares he was generating.
"What's his name? Rabu? Rafu? Rafu, right?" Kagehaha asked, getting a nod. "My son is the best scout in the brigade. This isn't his first time tracking a tribe of fish creatures, so yes, it is unlikely that they were discovered and killed. If they were dead, there would be signs of battle, as opposed to nothing."
Sufficiently put in his place, Rafu backed down, showing his palms in surrender. Etsuko quickly hid her smile, having been through the same thing when she had learned the pecking order of meetings like these. After she had replaced the first arbalest platoon leader two seasons ago, it had taken her several weeks into winter before her peers considered her an equal. Chances were that Rafu's voice would be silent for a couple more months before anyone took him seriously.
"Since we're going on that they are not dead, but lost, we'll be separating into several small groups, and checking likely spots where they would gather their bearings, or places to weather out a storm. Hilltops, caves, and the forests of the western and southern areas around the Minami Delta. Break into groups of three, and a Night Blade will join you. Don't bring your equipment sacks, as the search will halt during night, or if the rain starts to get heavier. Stay with your scout, as we don't want to make this search for more than the three that are missing."
Nods of agreement and grunts of affirmation chorused around her, Etsuko making sure to add her own in. The fifteen of them shared looks of understanding, Etsuko making a mental note that Hana had decided not to show and demonstrate her own tracking abilities. Etsuko herself didn't really care whether the only real scout in their company hadn't joined in the search, fairly certain she wouldn't be here either if it wasn't for her peers. Chances were, the Night Blades didn't even want the Tenth's help, even from those they had fought and bled with during their winter war.
As she turned from the stump table to separate herself from the large group, Etsuko felt Tae continue to walk beside her, intentionally increasing and decreasing his speed as Natsumi tried to get a hold on him.
"Could you stop running for two seconds so I can say something?" Natsumi asked the defensive arbalest, who was desperately trying not to look like he was putting real effort into avoiding his fellow platoon leader – which he was failing spectacularly at. If Etsuko wasn't the one being used as a shield, she would probably have laughed at the scene.
"I'd rather not. The last time I let you get near me, you put me into a headlock for nine hours. Besides, we're about to go find Taiki." Tae said, continuing to avoid the grabbing hands of Natsumi.
The female platoon leader laughed nervously, locking eyes with Etsuko very briefly as Tae spoke. "It won't take a few seconds, Tae. Please? Pretty please?"
"I'm good." Tae simply stated as a Night Blade started to meander towards the three of them, using Kagehaha's pointing finger to guide him to which group of chuckle fucks he'd be stuck with. As he walked over to the three arbalests, Etsuko couldn't help but give an apologetic look as she tried to forewarn the Kageani via telepathy.
"We'll be taking the eastern part of the beach they were on. We'll look around the cliffs before heading to the beach proper." The Kageani stated, not even stopping as he walked towards one of the exits of the forest camp.
"The cliffs? At the end of the delta?" Etsuko asked, actually remembering some of the local landmarks.
"Yes, platoon leader." The Night Blade confirmed, double checking to make sure the three arbalests were following him.
"Etsuko." Etsuko introduced herself, trying to be friendly.
The Night Blade only nodded, then strolled into the woods, the arbalests sharing a look of concern as they trotted after him.
"Whoa. Look at this! Natsumi, Etsuko!" Tae called from beyond the trees. Piquing their interest. Natsumi quickened her pace as Etsuko breathed a sigh of relief.
For the past few hours of hiking, Natsumi had been whispering in Etsuko's ears about all sorts of irrelevant things unrelated to the search for their missing friends. She had fondled her crossbow's trigger very tenderly these past hours, contemplating actual murder as she learned more about Natsumi's imaginary relationship with Tae, which had been going on for nearly ten months.
Ever since Tae had joined the damned company, Natsumi had made it a point to mark him to every female in the company, telling lies about how close the two of them were. Etsuko had made it a point when she had been promoted that she had no interest in the male to Natsumi, tired of thinly veiled threats whenever the two of them had to do their jobs together. Befriended to the girl through open admittance that she was not some man-thief, Etsuko had to put up with all of the damned talking she did now, where the fellow arbalest would prattle on about her obsession.
Whether Tae knew he was in a relationship with Natsumi was still up in the air, though. Everyone in the brigade acted as if they were a couple, but anyone who looked closely or dealt with them on a daily basis knew there was something else going on… or something not going on. Etsuko didn't rightly care enough to ask Tae directly, mostly afraid that Natsumi would see her talk to him outside of their duties and slit her throat in her sleep.
As Etsuko finally caught up to the other three, Tae was standing haphazardly close to the edge of a large crag that seemed to have been formed from water splitting the cliff. Natsumi seemed more intent to worry about Tae falling than the geological discovery, as she didn't dare to get close to the arbalest in case he should fall. The Night Blade followed the great split in the earth trying to see where the rock mended back together, no doubt somewhere in the forest northward.
As Tae continued to peer into the certain death before him, mesmerized, Etsuko decided to speak with the Night Blade, who was continuing to distance himself as he stared at the ground near the edge. "Do you think they came here?"
"Something sure did. These markings, have been made fairly recently. Maybe six, or ten hours ago." The Kageani pointed out, beckoning her as he lowered himself to the ground. Etsuko peered over his cloaked shoulder, unsure of what she was looking at from the 'markings' in the earth.
"What are they? It isn't a message carved into the mud, is it?" Etsuko asked, getting a simple head shake from the scout.
"I don't think it is. It's probably a bird or lizard clawing at the dirt for some reason." Their guide supposed, running his fingers over the markings along the dirt.
"Can birds or lizards dig through rock?" Etsuko asked, getting a shrug from the cloaked warrior.
"I don't know. There were some markings on the trees while we were coming up here as well that were similar to these, but it was strange. They were horizontally made, instead of vertically." The Inkling explained with a tone that showed he was carefully considering what he had discovered.
Etsuko grasped her chin, not knowing what in nature caused horizontal claw marks. As she had been raised in a large city and worked in an assembly line growing up, she had very little experience when it came to the outdoors. Having no insight to say, Etsuko remained silent, glancing at the playing couple near the edge, wondering if a stiff breeze would send them over and force her to hunt her general down and explain how two idiots launched themselves off a cliff.
"What's so funny?" The Kageani asked, rising from the dirt as he wiped his hands free. For a moment, Etsuko only blinked at the Inkling who had seen her brief smirk, not knowing what to say as she switched her head between her fellow platoon leaders and the scout.
"Um… nothing."
"Uh-huh." The Night Blade grunted, standing beside her and looking at the other two platoon leaders. "What's your deal with those two?"
"Excuse me?" Etsuko asked, swallowing hard at the sudden change in their conversation. Normally, the mutants that tagged along with their company would only keep to themselves and make their own thoughts known in a blunt manner. There were only a few instances in her memory where the pale creatures would converse with one of the brigade's warriors. "What do you mean?"
"Let me rephrase my question then. Why are you over here with me, when you could be with your fellow arbalests? I don't mean to be invasive, but it is odd when you Inklings willingly seek out our company." The mutant stated, his face a mask as he spoke.
Etsuko remained silent, her shock not abating from how out of character this was for one of their village tagalongs. As she continued to process what sort of non-answer to give, the real reason she was by the mutant and not the ledge with her peers, was that she just didn't like them.
She didn't like most people, because they were cruel, or abrasive, or self-centered, or mad. Her fellows were unpredictable, making decisions based on emotion and instinct, as opposed to logic and fact. Etsuko could never tell what Natsumi would do next in her ever increasing lust for Tae, or what Tae would do to distance himself from the pushy woman. So of course Etsuko would pick the company of the quiet, focused warrior, who was trying to accomplish his mission, and nothing else. Etsuko used to spend her time with someone like that a lot, someone who wouldn't speak unless he had something important to say, and who always had some goal in mind.
"I see." The Night Blade eventually stated, responding to something that had remained unsaid. Etsuko's faced turned to surprise, wondering if this Inkling had telepathy or was a mind reader. Quietly, the Night Blade stepped forward, informing the other two that they were going to the beach now.
"What the fuck…" Tae whispered as they saw what was on the wet sand. Etsuko copied Natsumi's motions, covering her mouth and nostrils from the horrible smell that permeated on the wind. Birds called to the sky as they jumped around the scene in mass, hundreds of the seabirds feeding on the great amount of carrion that stained the dirt.
Before them, hundreds of fish-creatures lay dead. The ocean tide only helped spread the gore across the beach, making the once brown sand into a disgusting red. Though she was faraway, Etsuko could tell the invaders had ripped themselves apart, knowing from experience that was the only way for them to end like this.
Quietly, they moved towards the scene, arms drawn and bowstrings bent, lest they managed to find a survivor. It appeared several shredded bodies had tried making it towards the wood line as they died, but hadn't been successful in their escape from the beach. The half squad continued to move, trying to find a corpse that hadn't been covered by post battle mutilation, the birds flying a few feet away to consume a new corpse as the four Inklings moved past them. Carefully trying not to step on the bigger pieces of flesh that were scattered on the sand, the group navigated their way closer to the waters, finding a corpse that was mostly intact.
"What could have caused these wounds?" The Night Blade asked, kneeling besides the corpse. The chest of the invader had been opened, its bones broken apart so that something could get at the meat inside. "Could another tribe have come across them, and then battled to take their organs for some blood ritual?"
"Possibly." Natsumi's muffled words spoke, one hand still covering her mouth. Tae meanwhile, look to be turning paler and paler the longer they stayed on the beach.
"We should leave. Now." Tae warned, his eyes focused on scanning the sea.
"What do you mean?" The Night Blade asked.
Etsuko was suddenly hit with the recognition in what had caused this destruction, Tae beating her to the conclusion due to his firsthand experience with the only sea beasts that could have caused this much damage.
Suddenly, the birds that had been only avoiding them when they came near immediately took off in a hurricane of feathers, forming a huge flock of wings as they rose to the air. Bewildered, Natsumi and the Night Blade looked to them.
"Run back to the woods." Tae whispered, beginning to backpedal where he stood, not taking his eyes off the sea. Turning to see what he was looking at, Etsuko saw the dozen soulless eyes, remaining motionless as they watched what creatures had come onto their beach.
"Sharks." Etsuko whispered, quickly copying Tae's movements. As the group began to back up in unison, the large, gray forms began to move forward, the water melting off their shiny hides. A pack had appeared, and were slowly coming onto the dirt, watching the four Inklings shrink away with fear.
One of the sharks dwarfed the others, the tall, gray and white skin rippling with unused energy as it prepared to run them down. The back of this creature hunched forward, the crescent tail perfectly rigid as the menacing arms started to widen, as if the shark was going to embrace them. The other sharks copied the largest monster, their motions mimicking the great beast before them. Unlike the tall one, these hungry creatures were barely taller than an Inkling, but still exhibited primordial prowess that warned of only death.
"What do we do?" The Kageani asked in a hushed tone, his sword uselessly hanging in his hands.
"We run. We have to warn the camp that sharks are in the delta. If they come to an unaware town, they'll slaughter half the population before a defense can be formed." Tae warned, deciding on their move of action as Etsuko counted how many beasts were coming from the ocean.
Aside from the large one, she could only see twelve smaller beasts. Tae was right. If these thirteen made it upriver, chances were they would wreck the town, and possibly the entire brigade if they weren't prepared to be faced.
"Split up." Etsuko stated, knowing the attention was on her as she grew louder and raised her crossbow. "It will increase the chances of the message getting through."
"What are you doing?!" Natsumi hissed as they were about to enter the trees.
"I'm going to distract them. I'll run the opposite way, so get the message out."
"Are you insane?!" Tae growled at her, but Etsuko had already made up her mind.
"Shut up, Tae." Etsuko simply said, feeling nothing as she realized she was going to die. "I hate you both so much."
Etsuko didn't wait for anyone to say anything after that, bringing the crossbow's release into the stock, and watching the bolt fly home.
She screamed as her fingers dug into the jagged rocks, her crossbow's metal prong hitting her face as the sling fell to her shoulder. Her hands felt weak as all of her weight was put onto her fingers, but she knew if she let go now, she would die.
Etsuko winced in pain as the sprinkling rain dotted her now uncovered head and flesh, feeling the small burning sensations. If it had been raining heavier, she would only have seconds to think before melting, but she had lucked out once more, desperately believing the world wasn't done with her yet. Looking up to the sky, Etsuko could see the goal, so very far away from her. She might have failed the jump, but her fall had ended abruptly before her body had met the ocean, thanks to the weathered rocks that had battled the ocean's battering waves for hundreds of years. From the opposite ledge, she could see the patrolling forms of the blue sharks, seeing their blue backs when lightning would illuminate the gray night sky.
Etsuko held on to the rocks, trying to get her bearings as she thought about simply letting go. Chances were, her pursuers had already discovered a simpler way to get over the gorge, and by the time she would clamber over onto flat ground, she would only meet the hungry jaws of the beasts. But if she let go and became one with the ocean, no one would even know how she had died. She couldn't resign herself to obscurity, to be forgotten by those that worked with her. Etsuko gritted her teeth as she let go of the rocks with one hand, and raised it higher, believing that if she died to a bloody, gruesome death, she would at least leave a sign of what happened.
As she climbed, each move taking several breaths as she concentrated through the increasing agony of her muscle tearing and burning, she grinned at the sharks above her. They weren't fearlessly jumping off the edge of the cliff to get at her, but stopping and patrolling their side of the cliff, scratching at the dirt in maddened frenzies at their inability to eat her.
Etsuko only wished that there weren't so many sets of eyes watching her, as nearly all of the 'little' sharks had charged her after she had hit their alpha in the face with her bolt. Only the big one hadn't chased her, the bestial mind choosing to hunt the other three, Etsuko believing that it had chosen to eat three Inklings, than to share one. With any luck, her three companions would either be able to outpace, or out maneuver the single beast through the trees she had left behind.
After several minutes of painstakingly grasping for handholds and digging her feet into the cliff side, Etsuko finally was at the top. After getting her torso above the ground, she was able to pivot onto her ass and roll herself up, releasing a mighty cry of victory in celebration of survival. On her back, with rain dotting the side of her face, Etsuko watched the hungry, pacing creatures, maddeningly trying to discover a bridge across that didn't exist. As she fixed her rubber hood, Etsuko started to plan her next course of action.
She could stay behind, and use the few bolts that hadn't come free of her quiver during her escape and try to kill one of the sharks, but chances were that would only get them to jump the gorge, which she didn't want to risk. Instead of provoking the creatures further, Etsuko decided best to distance herself, and try to find a way back to Kamakessai before the rain increased past this drizzle and made her seek shelter. If nothing else, she knew that staying stationary would be death.
Finished adjusting her hood, Etsuko quickly absconded from the area, knowing that to be still and in view of the beasts would only make their stupid brains figure out that if she could make the jump, so could they. She walked along the side of the cliff until she lost sight of the crevasse and the creatures that patrolled it, before striking back into the woods and moving northeast.
Stopping from tree to tree, Etsuko began to worry. There was something wrong in the forest, but she didn't know what. Hints of soft movement that the wind didn't cause. The way the greenery that surrounded her breathed with the rain. Tiny undecipherable noises made around her. As if she was being surrounded at a distance and watched. With the sun beginning to set, she was growing more and more unnerved, but didn't feel the primal fear that the sea beasts put into her.
Even though with the increasing darkness starting to blind her, Etsuko's goal remained the same. She had to get back to Kamakessai and warn those in her brigade. She had to tell Range that there were sharks on the beach and had probably eaten the three missing Inklings. She hoped that Tae, Natsumi and the Kageani had managed to get away from their own pursuing shark, but she had to act as if they hadn't. If those three had also died, then it was up to her to warn their general.
A snap of wood made Etsuko drop to a knee, leveling her crossbow at where the noise came from, her heartbeat deafening her as she tried to listen for any more sounds. After moments of only rain and her blood flow filling her ears, she cautiously turned back around, now regretting her lack of a side arm.
Creeping through the dark undergrowth, she grimaced with every speck of water that touched her flesh. Unlike during winter, where they could wipe the snow off their skins before it melted, the rain was impossible to keep perfectly off. No matter how tightly they pulled their hoods together, or how fitting their waterproof under armor stayed, water would flow and find a way in, then sting them like a needle. Her friend, mentor, and lover had taught her ways to keep her skin covered, but the wind would find a way to sneak rain drops onto her face despite this knowledge.
His memory danced in the back of her mind, of their three years together. Of their quiet exchanges during the warm and cold months. Of consolation and celebration after every battle they shared together. Those memories exhausted her while propelling her simultaneously, not wanting to stop and actually contemplate them. It had been easy to distract her from her pain these previous months, as duty had taken all of her waking hours, and when duty didn't take her time, Etsuko could always find Emi and drink with her until she couldn't think anymore.
But here, in this moment of solitude, duty of returning was beginning to become more and more undesirable. There was nothing in this forest besides death and loneliness. There was nothing in this life, besides death and loneliness. She was tired of duty, tired of running, tired of so much.
Tired of life.
Etsuko collapsed next to the base of a tree, finding it more tolerable to use it as a shield from the wind and rain than that of her arm. She breathed heavily, knowing full well that she had reached her limits long ago. Her body had long since been sapped of energy, and with the realization of just how exhausted she was, a great part of her mind was ready to give up. Did it really matter if she warned the town, or the camp? Did it matter if she would get back to her squads and raise them from their stupors to go hunting in the rain? Even if she managed to get back to the town, warn Range, raise the company, hunt down the shark pack, what would she get? What would be her reward?
Nothing. She would continue to walk, alone, for years and years, from battle to battle until something would claim her life. She was too tired. She should have let go of the cliff. She should have plummeted into the ocean. She should have died on the beach, facing down the pack of sharks with sword and bow in each hand. She should have died in winter, in the scores of small skirmishes she was a part of. She shouldn't have fought the jellyfish swarms. She shouldn't have left Kaito alone in the archery range, where he vanished from this world.
Etsuko no longer cared that the forest was growing louder, and the things that surrounded her were coming from their hiding spots. Her vision was already going black from pushing her body far beyond their limits. Her body began to sway back and forth, trying to find some resting position against the tree's bark and finding none. As she blinked to see what would be the death of her, all she could see was the shadowy form of a ghost with a metallic face.
Feeling the rush of movement on the air as her back was falling to the wet dirt, Etsuko realized something had gripped her wrist, propping her up in a tight grasp. Wondering if this was one of the beasts that had stalked her for so long, she prepared to embrace her death when the hot breath of a whisper touched her ear. It was a shame, but she could only make out one word the phantom was speaking. Etsuko realized that it was her name being called in surprise, before her consciousness left her.
