Never provoke a wolf.
Chapter 15
My day would have ended well yesterday; I even had lessons with Saki again. But Alisa ruined it for me. Not only did she mock and judge her fellow pact members, she had the nerve to say humans and Aragami couldn't co-exist. I stayed my tongue not wanting to fight with my new pact member, but she was making it hard for me. I went to bed with a temper and found it hard to sleep.
I felt terrible the next morning but I didn't bring it with me into battle. I learned a lot of things about my other pact members fighting alongside them. Karel and Shun were not as bad as they seemed, Karel just didn't like newbies cause of their inexperience and quick trigger fingers caused a danger for everyone but once he saw your skill he was easy to get along with. Shun was just a ball of spunk that may not have been much of a team player but he really wasn't that bad. I go as far as to say I wouldn't mind fighting alongside him again. Now Gina, Gina and I got along just fine. She liked me for the red flowers I'd help her create on the battlefield and I liked her for her unique charm that was wild and beautiful like my old forest.
I had another mission that day with Tatsumi, Brendan, and Kanaon. Tastsumi was as easy-going and Brendan as controlled in the battlefield as they were in the Den. But Kanon… Kanon was like two people trapped in one body. One second she'd let her shy nature take over the next second she'd be a ball of rage. She'd let out fires that endangered herself and others around her, friend and foe alike. She'd get behind you if she saw it as a good shot and tell you to get out of her line of fire. She's a loose cannon that she herself couldn't control. She's a good friend to have in the Den, but I will not be accompanying her in battle as often as I do the others.
Now I'm heading to lunch with the others, before heading out on a mission with Lindow and Alisa. Some food in my stomach should do me some good.
. . .
To my dismay Lindow brought that rookie Alisa with him to join us at our table. She did nothing but pick at the flaws of the people in the Den. It may be hypocritical of me but I found her antics annoying. I may have gotten on people for getting in my way but I didn't get them for the things that made them 'them'. Man, I would give anything to put an end to this torture.
"Okami!" Lindow called out, I turned my head toward the direction he called toward. "Just in time, come join us."
I said end it, not add on to it. Okami sat to my left side, as she usually did, while Alisa was placed to my right. I felt like the No Man Zone of a battlefield.
"So you're Okami." Alisa started a conversation with her.
"Yes."
"I've heard about you."
"Oh?" God, I could cut the tension in the air and put it on my corn.
"You're my fellow New-Type but they captured you from the wild."
"Captured?" There was a hint of anger that even Kota could pick up as he started to fight in his seat and break into a cold sweat. This is the first time Kota has ever seen her 'this' angry, well then he was in for a surprise.
"Yes, and then brought here tied up like a wild animal that was trained and tamed."
"Well I may have been captured, but I stayed and joined the pact of my own free will."
"It's not a 'pact' it's a unit." Best be sure to grab Okami if things go too far.
"They are the same to me. I look out for my friends in battle the same way I would for my brothers." The tension was rising.
"Ah, yes the Vajratails I've heard so much about. I find it hard to believe you treat Aragami like family let alone eat Aragami along with them."
A silence took over the table; Alisa was crossing a line that shouldn't be crossed with Okami. Okami reached down for something, thinking she was going for her knife I was just about to spring into action when I noticed she was reaching into her pack. She must have not cleaned it out from her last mission because she pulled out an Avian Joint.
She raised it high enough for Alisa to see then brought it to her face. While looking Alisa in the eye to watch her every expression, she bit down into it. The loud crunch got the attention of the whole Mesh Hall as she chewed and swallowed going in for another bite. This shocked everyone including me, we've heard her talk about eating Aragami when she lived in the wild but we've never actually seen her do it. Seeing it upfront brought the idea to a whole new perspective. Watching her rip through the Aragami part disgusted me, but also ignited a primal excitement in me.
"Ah! That is Barbaric!" Alisa shouted out in appall.
As Okami swallowed the last piece she licked her lips and addressed Alisa with a grin. "For the record, the stronger Aragami don't have much of a bad taste. And coexistence is possible."
The Mesh Hall didn't hear the second half of what she said as they applauded her accomplishment of eating and Aragami part. I'd occasionally hear comments,
'Did you see that? That was kinda hard core.'
'Man, that was hot.' Or
'Kinda ironic, don't you think?'
"Yeah, I bet you helped your 'brothers' devour humans too!" Alisa said nastily.
Okami bared her fangs at that. "We have never eaten nor killed a human or one of our own kind."
"Your own kind, you're human! Accept it!" Okami had to pause at this, as if the words crushed her a little inside.
"… That may be true; it's something I have accepted a long time ago. But … I am kin to Ogretail. I was nursed as an Ogretail, I was raised as an Ogretail, and I will die as an Ogretail."
"Please, like any other Ogretail I wouldn't hesitate to kill your so called brot-"
"Don't finish that sentence!" Okami had her hand on her left thigh. "If you know what's good for you, you will not finish your sentence."
She was tense and ready to pounce at any moment; she practically growled her last sentence. Now even Lindow was starting to tense, ready at any moment to break up the fight. I kept an eye on her hand lightly gripping the handle of her knife. Of course, the new rookie had to misinterpret my actions.
"Soma, you pervert! How could you stare so openly at her legs?! I'm very disappointed in you, I'd expect such behavior from Kota not you."
"Hey!" Kota protested.
I was just about to berate her for her mistake, but Okami spoke before me.
"Be grateful he is, because he most likely just saved your life." Okami put on a feral grin. "In fact the only thing stopping me now is the promise to my pact and my mother."
"Mother, please. Aragami can't feel affection let alone love."
"How dare you! My mother loved me and raised me as her own!"
"She most likely kept you around for so long because you were too small to eat then and she was waiting for you to grow and fatten!"
The whole Mesh Hall went deadly quite. Alisa just crossed the invisible line.
Okami spoke in a frighteningly quite voice. "Take. That. Back."
Alisa's voice calmed, thinking she had won the fight. "No I will not. I was only stating a fac-"
"TAKE IT BACK!" She now towered over me and Alisa. Mostly over Alisa, Lindow was ready to jump in. Kota and Sakuya froze in panic. Alisa's next sentence would set things into motion, whether good or bad.
"NO!"
She pounced, I jumped into action. Most of the time she was a wild force to be reckoned with, but at times she could be a yielding force. And she had to be that today, using my own strength against me pushing me in the direction I was going as she move aside toward Alisa.
Alisa may have excelled in simulation combat but that meant nothing when it came to hand-to-hand combat. All Alisa did was scream and pushed her hands in front of her, but Okami moved in silent grace flanking her side. Alisa tried to swing her arm to back hand her, but that left her open. Taking advantage of her opening Okami grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back. Using her foot Okami kicked Alisa in the back of her knee to force her to fall down while using her free arm to grab her knife and place it on Alisa's neck. Alisa cried out as the cold blade made contact with her throat.
Me and Lindow were on her in a flash. I grabbed Okami from behind by the neck with my arm. Not choking her but enough to tell her to submit. While Lindow grabbed her arm at her side to stop her from moving it whether from sliding the blade down Alisa's throat or pressing any deeper. All was at a standstill, nobody moved, nobody spoke. The only movement and noise came from Okami's heavy rage filled breaths.
Lindow was the only one calm enough to break the silence. "Okami! You said a pact was there for you when you need them and vice versa." He was using his rare serious voice. "You've protected your pact with such a fierce will; you've looked out for them. Alisa is part of our pact now. If you go through with this you'll go against everything you fought for. I know it hurts, but be the stronger person and let it go."
She looked Lindow in the eye, the fire fading from her. She let out one final sigh, blowing out the last of her rage. She relaxed her body, letting her chin fall on my arm. She began to move her knife arm away from Alisa, seeing this Lindow let go of her arm. When Lindow moved out of her way she flung the knife to stick in the pillar closes to the exit.
"I was going to ask you a favor Lindow," she said in a tired voice. "But I'll ask another day. I'm going to prepare for our mission. I'll see you in a little bit."
She walked out of my arms toward the exit. Already I missed the warmth she created, a part of me wanted to pull her back to me but I stomped that idea to the ground.
Alisa got up shakily while rubbing her neck. "You Savage Beast!" Why the hell was she trying to provoke Okami again? Okami already quite literally had her wiped on the floor, why was she picking a fight she couldn't win like a dog with all bark and no bite?
Okami suddenly turned around with a stern face. I readied myself to hold her down again. But all she did was point at Alisa and said. "You understand nothing."
Turning around again as she headed toward the exit. She stopped at the pillar with her knife in it, pulling it out. Okami then turned toward Alisa. Seeing Okami's accuracy with the knife I was afraid she would throw the knife at Alisa now that it was back in her hand. Alisa provoking her didn't help the situation either. I readied myself at any given moment I would need to push Alisa out of the way.
"You called me a savage beast." To mine and everyone else's relief she put the knife back in its sheath on her thigh. "You have yet to see the beast I truly can be." She then turned to everyone and bowed. "Please continue your meal, I apologize for this disturbance."
She was almost out the door when Tsubaki stormed in. "What's going on here?!" Apparently someone had time to sneak out during the commotion to rat her out. "Okami, what is the meaning of this?!"
"I believe this is what Saki called a 'catfight'." Everyone had to let out a sweat drop at how serious she was when she said that.
"Cat fight?! She tried to kill me; I demand she be put to trial!" This new rookie was really starting to piss me off.
"Is this true?" Damn this is getting out of hand, of course Okami wouldn't lie. Especially to Tsubaki, she had too much respect for the woman. If she was put on trial, even being a rare New-Type and having an outstanding performance record that wouldn't save her. She was wild and lived with the Aragami, they'd just believe she was returning to her roots and sooner have her caged than tried. Did the Rookie not understand the seriousness of the situation?
"Perhaps," perhaps… what kind of death wish was that?! "But if I wanted her dead, she would be dead. I will not hurt my pact thus I will not harm her. However, I will give her a warning not to cross me."
"Come on sis, it was just a quarrel that got out of hand." Lindow said trying to ease his sister, and then he got serious. "They're in my unit so I will take care of the situation."
Tsubaki looked at Okami then to Lindow. "Very well, I trust you will handle the situation accordingly First Unit Leader."
"What?! But she tried to kill me; I demand that she be at least punished!" I'm starting to wish Okami did throw that knife when she had the chance.
"Mmm, well I can't let you get away with such behavior." Lindow said looking at Okami with a hand rubbing his chin in thought. "I got it! Okami as punishment for attempting to harm a fellow teammate your knife and spear are to be confiscated and you are to attend 'Friendship lesson' with Dr. Sakaki."
Well that's an interesting punishment; I hope he warns Dr. Sakaki before sending Okami over to him. Okami then unstraps her knife from her thigh and removes her spear from her back tossing them one at a time to Lindow as he caught them with ease.
"Will I get them back?"
"Well, if you pass Dr. Sakaki's lessons and have been on good behavior before then. Then I'll give your weapons back."
"What?! No!" Alisa protested. "She can't be trusted with those!"
"They're hers to begin with," replied Lindow. "Besides if she passes her lessons, she's more than trustworthy."
"But she's a threat to everyone in the Den!"
"Alisa," Lindow got serious. "She was only a threat because you provoked her. Did you forget that I'm leader or do I have to punish you too for your part in the fight?"
"No sir."
"Good!" The smile was back on his face. "Okami your first lesson starts after Dr. Sakaki's Aragami lecture, dismissed!"