I'm not going to lie to you readers, I just got done eating a whole bucket of chocolate ice-cream and I am sugar high as hell and the best part is I never crash. But back on track, in previous chapters Okami talked about her herd but we never really seen the presence of herd... until this chapter! Roll it!
Chapter 24
I returned back to my room that day to find a stack of Recovery II Pills and a note that said 'Sorry' with no address. But I didn't need one, I already knew who sent them. Lindow was right, Soma truly was the kindest one of us all. When all has left me, he's the only one who stayed by my side. Such realization made me feel... warm. I shall never betray such loyalty, until the day I die. Which, if the Director has any say about it, might be sooner than I think. But a beast can still bite even with its head chopped off.
****** Entrance ******
The Aragami are getting stronger and more restless with each passing day. With only Soma and a few others from the sub-pact the hunts have become tiring. And the mumbling I keep hearing in the back of my head is getting louder and more pronounced. Still even with the Aegis Island getting louder, Shio seems to be behaving. The only thing we can do now is keep her safe and talk with her to drown out the voice... if it works for me it'll work for her. But with danger increasing so close to the human territory, I fear how my brothers and my beautiful forest fares.
Suddenly the alarm goes off. "Emergency! The Den has been invaded by small Aragami! Repeat, the Den had been invaded by small Aragami! Repel immediately!" Most of all of the God Eaters were present in the Den, so there was no need for me to interfere.
"The Aragami has invaded the God Arc Hangar! Repeat, the Aragami has invaded the God Arc Hangar! Repel immediately!" Well that's as far as he's getting, there's no way he was getting past Tatsumi and the others. And with Licca safe inside Saki's Lab I had nothing to worry about.
"The Aragami has broken through the stairway! Repeat, the Aragami has broken through the stairway!" What?! Impossible! Are the others alright?! How could he have broken though?! "The Aragami is heading for the Entrance! Repeat, the Aragami is heading for the Entrance! Please repel immediately!"
He's heading toward me, but why would he push so hard to come this far unless... he was looking for something. But what? Either way Hibari and the non-fighting members of the pact were scared. I got in front of them to make sure the Aragami would have to get pass me before he could reach them.
"Okami! What are you doing?! Your God Arc is still in the Hanger, you don't stand a chance!" Hibari said in unusual panic. I slightly turned to her.
"My God Arc is a luxury not a necessity." I turned back, facing the stairway. I pulled out my spear and put on my mask. "I can fight."
The Aragami bangs on the barricaded door to try and break in. His impacts producing progress, any moment now he would break through. Hibari and the others flinched with each impact. I tightened my grip on my spear bracing myself.
At last he's broken through... It can't be... you. I know this one.
****** Back in time in the Hangar ******
Damn Aragami, thinking with all the craziness going around it can just waltz right into the Den. Well it's got another thing coming. Me, Tatsumi, Brendan, and Karel awaited it in the God Arc Hangar. Shun, Gina, and Kanon stayed as back up to secure the other areas. Looking in the Hanger, I noticed that Okami's God Arc is still hanging. Why would she be going around armless, damn woman, she's more of a handful than I thought.
An explosive sound brings me back to the situation at hand. The Aragami has finally broken through the door. It was an Ogretail, this one didn't have an aggressive vibe but it was still defensive. The fight left me as the image of Okami crying over dead Ogretails flashed through my mind, but I shake the thought out of my head. This Aragami invaded the Den, it was a threat that needed to be exterminated... no matter how others felt about it.
Me and Brendan swing down to deliver a crushing blow to its skull, but it dodged. Tatsumi came at it with a piercing strikes, but it twirled out of the way. This is no longer a coincidence, this Ogretail was deliberately trying to disengage with us.
"Bust through!" Karel shouted, trying to get a shot in on the Ogretail. But then it leaped in the air, just as we thought it was going after Karel it went over his head and broke through the stairway door.
"Man, this isn't good." Tatsumi said, turning on his speaker. "Shun, the target got passed us. Can you get him on your end."
"Yeah I see it. Relax, it won't get passed me. We're going to go on a rampa- What?"
"What's the problem?"
"It's just sniffing the air... It doesn't even acknowledge us. Well I'll teach you to ignore me! Wah!"
"Didn't I tell you to stay out of my line of fire!" Damn, this is not the time for Kanon to get in the way! "Ah!"
"Hey, are you guys okay?!"
"Yeah... It just... pushed us out of the way." Kanon replied shocked.
"What?... Gina it's all your now."
"Good, I can't wait to fire." All we hear on the other side are a few shots fired. "Wah!"
"Gina?!"
"I'm sorry... my flowers didn't bloom... It just jumped over me and ran ahead."
"Damn, this is bad." Tatsumi states what everyone is feeling.
"The Aragami is heading for the Entrance! Repeat, the Aragami is heading for the Entrance! Please repel immediately!"
"Oh God, Hibari! Everyone head to the Entrance, cut it off at the stairs if you can!"
"Roger!" They all say. Wait... no, Okami, she's already there... With nothing but a spear and a knife. Damn that idiot! I gotta hurry. The elevator would take too long so we rushed up the stairs. I usually don't like to show others the true extent of my Stamina. But this time I didn't hold back as I rushed passed them.
"Whoa! Did you see how fast he was going?!" Shun commented.
"Who cares! Just get to the Entrance!" Tatsumi ordered out.
We got up the stairs as the Ogretail broke through the Entrance stairway. Hibari and the other civilians on the Floor let out a scream. But the Aragami didn't roar or charge at them. It just ran up to stop in front of Okami, she seemed surprised as it approached her. Her spear was defensive, but not as much as when the Aragami first broke through. They both did nothing as they looked into each others eyes. But shock came over Okami as she lowered her spear.
"Hibari! You alright?!" Tatsumi said coming to her side.
"Y-yes Tatsumi, we're all alright."
"Then what are we waiting for, let's finish it off!" Shun said going in to strike it. But it did nothing, it didn't even try to dodge or flinch.
"No!" Okami shouted, blocking Shun's blade and pushed him back with her spear. "Wait." She turned back to the Aragami. "W-what did you say?" I could feel her consciousness in the back of my head. I don't believe this, she was Resonating with it.
****** A few minutes back at the Entrance ******
I-I know this Ogretail, he was a friend of the family... Emiel. We would hunt with him when mother would take us to the herd. Why... why was he in the Den? Would I have to kill him with my own hands? Would fate be so cruel? The herd never fed off of humans... that is until the piece of the herd I had to kill off a while ago. And quite possibly now with him, my old friend, present in the Den.
He ran up to me. Please, just go back. I don't want to have to do this. My hands are dirty enough, will he make them to the point they will never be clean. But then he stopped in front of me, looking me in the eye.
"Earth, Fire, Ice, and Thunder. Earth, Fire, Ice, and Thunder. To your breed, your fur, your clan be true. Tails be true. Earth, Fire, Ice, and Thunder." That was... the the code of the Ogretails; both Regular, Fallen, and Vajra alike. He didn't come to fight... he was asking for help.
"Then what are we waiting for, let's finish it off!" I heard Shun say as he came to strike Emiel. But he didn't attack or defend himself. He placed his life in my hands, he truly was asking for my help. I was bound to the code by birth, now I must honor the code. I defended him from Shun's blade and pushed Shun back.
"No!" I cried out, looking at the others I said, "Wait." Then I turned back to him Resonating and asking him out loud at the same time. "W-what did you say?"
"Okami, daughter of Icetail Yuki, I come before you to ask of your help protecting the herd. The enemy is strong and there are many. We cannot hold them off for long, soon they will slaughter us all. We need your fangs."
I turned my head away from his pleading eyes. "Why come to me... my hands are already stained with the blood of my kin. I am not worthy to be looked upon as still a member of the herd."
"Your grief proves you are more than worthy, my young friend. You did them a favor by ending their misery."
I looked upon him at that. "What do you mean?"
"A madness has fallen upon the forest. An eerie voice comes from the island afar. It plagues the mind and strips it of sanity, making those who fall to it be ruled by their hunger. They attack enemy and friend alike with no recollection of their previous self."
"That's barbaric!"
"It is... we already lost many to the madness. They left the herd to fulfill their hunger with the humans. But I am grateful you ended their pitiful existence before they dishonored the code by eating their own." His words, although did not fully lift the guilt of my actions, did take away the weight on my chest.
"But the madness spreads to the Greater Beasts, they attack us relentlessly and without mercy. We are fighting a losing battle at this point. Your brothers are coming to our aid but we fear that it isn't enough."
"Kage and Shiro have bared their fangs?!" To call upon all of us must mean the herd is in dire need.
"Please... for the sake of old times, as an old friend, I beg of you to come to our aid."
"There is no need to beg... I will come to the herds aid."
"Thank you, my friend."
"And what is the meaning of this?" We all turned to the elevator in surprise. The Director must of come down because of the commotion. I got in front of Emiel to protect him from the Director.
"This is an old friend, he has come to me to ask for help. The herd is in danger, I shall take leave for the day. I apologize for the commotion he has started."
"Regardless, an Aragami has broken into the Den. He must be dealt with accordingly by extermination."
"You will not touch even a hair of his fur as long as I stand." I said holding my ground.
"Is that insubordination?"
"I don't know what that is, but as long as he is protected by the code I shall protect him... Besides, he has committed no crime. He reached here without hurting or attacking anyone. He's not staying long, we shall leave as soon as I retrieve my God Arc."
"As long as it is not an official Fenrir mission you are not permitted to take your God Arc out of the Den."
"I see... it would have made things easier but I will have to make due." I turned back to Emiel and lightly patted his head. "We are leaving now, do you mind if I ride on your back to save time?"
"Not at all, it will be like old times." He said kneeling down so I could jump on his back. Getting on I readied myself.
"Where are you going?" I turned to Soma.
"What do you think, I'm going to save my herd." Then my tone softened when I realized I was talking to Soma not the Director. "They need me Soma."
"No, the Den needs you more."
"The Den will last a day without me, it has long before I even got here."
"I see... so you're abandoning us, just for some monsters."
"They are my family, Soma! They are calling for help and I will not leave them to die!" I didn't want to lose my temper with Soma, but he was testing my patience. "They showed me more compassion than the humans ever did! You once said that I was sited by people countless times in my lifetime. But throughout that time did any of them come to help me?! The humans did not make contact with me with me until I had seen 17 winters and brought me here tied up like an animal!"
There was a silence in the Entrance at this realization. "The humans had countless opportunities to take me away from the Ogretails and raise me as their own when I was younger. But they did nothing. In this world you have to be strong in order to survive, if you are weak you are weeded out. And the humans follow the world's rule by abandoning me to my fate at the mercy of the Aragami. But they... they saved me. They raised me as their own, they took me in when the human wouldn't. They were there when I needed them most, and now... now they need me, and I will go to them."
Emiel was very patient letting me finish, but I couldn't hold him up for long. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not abandoning you. If all goes as planned I shall return by sundown... alone this time."
"Is this your final decision?"
"Yes." I turned away only to feel extra body heat behind me. I looked behind me to see that Soma had climbed on Emiel with me, God Arc and all.
"Then we best get a move on if we plan to be back by dark."
"Soma... thank you."
"Soma, have you lost your mind?" The Director was shocked at his son's actions.
"Frankly I'm starting to wonder that myself."
"Don't worry sir, I'll have him back before curfew."
"Idiot! Don't say it like that!" Soma said trying to hide his blush under his hair and hood. What did I say wrong?
"What? I'm just saying with you coming along this will get done quicker. We'll be back before you know it." Ignoring the fact that I was forbidden to take my God Arc for personal reasons while Soma was not. The fact that he was favored only helped the situation out, and with him here I'm less likely to get into trouble.
I looked down to my old friend. "I hope you don't mind if I bring some extra help with us."
"The more the better... but I don't think my old bones can carry another."
"That's fine, it's just us. So should we get going." Emiel began to run forward, but I stopped him. "Whoa, what are you doing?!"
"Going out the quickest way, the windows are the best option."
"We've already done enough damage, just leave the way you came in."
"Very well."
As he prepared to leave I turned to the Director. "Sorry about the damage, take it out of my pay." With that I turned forward lifting my spear as I shouted and Resonated. "Forward!"
And we where off. Soma grabbed a hold of my waist to steady himself. But I don't recall him having to do that while riding Kage with Kota. But I didn't mind, his warmth made me feel good, it made me realize that I wasn't alone.