Chapter 66: The Wrong Crowd
They were near the border, but it had started to get dark.
Hiro and Eiji set up the tents in their packs, and gathered wood to build a fire.
When they had succeeded, due to Hiro's pixie magic, they all relaxed and sat down by the fire.
There were logs chosen for seats.
Emi gave a long stretch, lifting her feet up by the fire.
"This is great! I've never been out real campin'... Hell, my life's campin'... 'Cept without the tents... And no fire."
Her face was filled with a sudden sorrow.
She brushed it off, and smiled.
"Well, I like it! Only thing this is missin' is a Flask!"
Hiro laughed. "You drink? How old are you?"
She shrugged. "Fifteen... Why? Ya got a bone with it?"
Hiro shrugged. "Not really... You don't look fifteen though."
She looked at most thirteen... About thirteen actually. The only thing that could go against that is her cup size and her face. Her face looked her age, if not a year older.
She was a foot shorter than Eiji, and eight to nine inches shorter than Hiro. She was also curvy, and heavier set... It was more of a frame than anything. She was built more broadly, but her features were gaunt, like she hadn't eaten in a while. Her hair showed lack of attention, and was put in a loose ponytail of auburn dreadlocks. Her eyes were almost an amber color, and her skin was naturally tanned.
Emi laughed. "I get that one lot's! Well, it's true..."
She seemed to trail off.
"That never stopped no one though... So who gives a damn."
"I-I'm sorry..." Said Hiro.
"I didn't mean to offend you."
She shook her head and laughed.
"Ya shouldn't give two cents about that load... Who gives a lick about offense? Never made nobody less wrong or right. I don't care."
Hiro looked at her.
"You look sad." She said. "I'm curious, what's getting to you besides your sister?"
Her eyes became cold.
"Stop askin' things ya don't wanna hear..."
Eiji sighed. "Well, no one said that..."
He figured a lighter approach might loosen things up.
"What's Deadmarch like? Do you have any friends there?"
She laughed. "Yea... Friends. That's it. I have fun friends..."
Eiji went red.
Oh... Those kind of friends.
Eiji continued.
"So I take it there aren't many casual friends in Deadmarch?"
She grinned. "Oh, it's a casual of sort's..."
More redness.
"Well, I see then... Um... Any other family besides your sister?"
She looked down. "Nope... Got no parents, and no other sister."
"What's her name?" Eiji asked.
She sighed. "Her name's Freya. She's good people..."
She seemed to sink deeper into herself.
"She's so damn bold. Too bull headed to get the watch in on it... Always wantin' to 'win her own battles' she says... Now the filthy slack picked a bone and cursed'er. I'll kill him when this is over... Picked the wrong damn bone he did."
Eiji sighed. "I'm sorry... It's wrong to hurt anyone without a good reason. Especially someone you're supposed to love..."
She shook her head.
"Yea, well, it's nonna yer damn business... And yea, it's wrong."
Her stomach growled, and she shifted uncomfortably.
Hiro dug through her pack, and found some sandwiches her mom and dad had given her to pack.
She gave Emi one.
"Here Em..." She tossed Eiji one as well.
"Let's eat."
Emi looked at her curiously.
"Yer gonna be sorry when ya hit the blood roads, and all yer food is gone..."
They all ate, and Emi ate surprisingly neat. She had a different way of eating then she did with other things... She still seemed to guard it like a wolf, but she had some actual manners.
She handed half of the sandwich back.
"Don't waste it." She said.
"Ya never know when that'll save yer life."
Hiro sighed. "I gave it to you though..."
Emi rolled her eyes.
"Just pack the damn thing..."
Hiro did.
Emi looked at them both curiously.
"What's a blood caster anyhow? It's all spells right?"
Eiji nodded. "Yes, they're spells. The difference between regular magic, and blood magic, is the use of blood... Either your own, or someone else's."
Emi seemed to pause for a moment.
She looked away.
"Never heard of it... Talk like that in Deadmarch? They'll sick a knife on ya for sure... If they're not all loud about it."
"A knife?" Hiro asked.
Emi gave a groan. "Okay, a knife is somebody ya coin to kill somebody else..."
"Like an assassin." Said Eiji.
"Yea... That's right." She said.
"So pipe down if ya don't want to meet one... And ya don't, cause its the last body you'll meet, 'cept yer own."
Eiji pulled out a notebook and began writing in it.
"Whad'ya doin' with that thing?" Emi asked with confusion.
Eiji smiled. "Writing down definitions."
"Ya mean words?" She said flatly.
"Ah hell, yer a coupla strange one's..."
Hiro laughed. "And you aren't? Well, strange isn't bad... You could say I don't give two cents about judgement. I think it's stupid to judge someone you don't know."
She gave her a side glance.
"So ya don't think I'm stupid...?"
Hiro shook her head. "No. You have a lot of knowledge on survival... More than I have. That wood we gathered was perfect for burning! I'm book smart, but you have a thing for knowledge outside of books."
She blushed.
"Oh, shy off! I ain't that special... It's not every day ya find someone who can cast a fire... And stuff for that takes coin I don't got."
Eiji scribbled more definitions in his notebook.
"Oh hell, let up on that! I feel like a damn project..."
Hiro laughed. "Well, I guess he's really into it now..."
He continued to write.
Emi smiled. "It's really a shame yer hitched... Ya probably don't like girls anyhow."
Hiro shook her head.
"Nope, sorry. I definitely like guys!"
She shrugged. "Can't win'em all..."
Her expression changed...
She looked away. "Ya wouldn't happen t'know some freak with red eye's, right?"
They both stopped.
"Why?" Asked Eiji.
"Is his name Kaihn?"
She nodded. "Yea... That's the one."
Hiro looked at her.
"If he's caused you any trouble, just tell us. We'll handle it, don't you worry Em..."
She teared up. "Good god... Ya actually trust me. Well shit, now ya won't... We gotta get outta here, now."
"What about Deadmarch?" Eiji asked.
"I was leadin' you away, and into a fix... We're not close to Deadmarch."
Hiro gaped. "Then you lied to us!?"
She gritted her teeth.
"No. The rest is true... My sister is all kinds'a sick, and all'of her stuff's been taken by the watcher's. I got no money to keep'er roomed... She'd die in the cold. Then ya come along, and have a cure... Somethin' I didn't think could happen. He offered me coin to deliver the girl, he said. Bring the boy if ya can... I can't. I can't, Dammit all to HELL! I CAN'T!"
Her lower lip was trembling.
"If he shows up, I'll get'em good... Don't you worry. I'll help you, but if he comes up, just run."
"I have one question." Eiji said.
"How did you get involved with someone like Kaihn?"
She looked down.
"He tried to take me at first... The scariest guy I'd ever met. He... Well, not goin' there, but long story short... I cast lion, and yea... I used blood. I didn't know that mattered... I figured he needed a caster to do his dirty work, since he gave me that deal on coin and my life."
Hiro sighed. "I believe you... But what now? Where do we go."
Eiji looked at her. "I say Deadmarch. That was the original plan... Let's just stick to it."
He sighed. "And now that it's out? Don't lie to us... We'll help you, especially when it comes to him."
She seemed to curl up into herself.
"Okay..." She said softly.
"Scared...?" Said a familiar voice.
"Good, you should be. I gave you a good offer, and you just threw it away... What? Has the hardened street urchin gone soft?"
They all stood.
"Back off!" Hiro yelled.
"I don't want to be your stupid apprentice, so get it out of your head!"
He laughed darkly.
"Where are you...?" Eiji asked, his tone low.
Emi stepped in front of them.
"I'm tellin' ya guys, I'll handle him."
He appeared before them.
"Will you now?"
She froze, but stood her ground.
"Y-Yeah... That's right. Gotta bone with it?"
He laughed. "Oh please... Everyone can see you're shaking. You're like a wet kitten... All growl and no claws..."
She held a dagger to her hand.
"Don't FUCKING PUSH ME!" She yelled.
"I'LL DO IT!"
He appeared behind her, holding her knife to her throat.
"Ooh... That's a nice knife... Mind if I use it? I have a nice sword too, and I'll know you'd like that..."
He slid his hand up her shirt, and grabbed her chest.
"Though it might take some getting used to..."
Eiji threw him off with his threads, and Hiro slammed him with her club and into a nearby tree.
"Hands OFF!" She yelled.
"Or I'll show you what my club feels like, and you won't like that!"
Her expression became dark, and she smiled.
"But who am I kidding? You were probably gang banged by the skull fuck demons as a child... It took some getting used to, I'm sure..."
Emi gaped. "Damn... I need to take some burn lessons from her... Fuck... Ya need some ice for that!? Ya damn shit pile..."
Kaihn lunged at her.
Hiro slammed him into the tree again, and tried to follow with a slam through the tree.
They shifted positions, and Kaihn grabbed her by the throat, slamming her head continuously into the tree.
"You insolent WENCH! When you become my apprentice, I'll melt your MOUTH TOGETHER!"
Hiro let out a whimper of pain as the back of her head continued taking blows.
Eiji threw him off, and slammed him into the ground. He tried to puppet him...
Kaihn used Eiji's blood threads as a means to restore himself.
Eiji collapsed, and his fingers began to gush blood.
Hiro was also weakened... Not only was she losing consciousness due to a head injury, he must have taken some of her power.
Eiji still had life force left... But Kaihn was preparing to drain him.
Hiro reached out for him... But she couldn't move.
There were ruin marks on the ground, and Emi was standing at the center. Her right hand was pressed against the ground.
"Alright shit stick! Need better than that lion!? Well here ya go douche cakes, wish granted!"
A Cerberus shot out of the ground, and Emi mounted it.
"How's this for a cast, motherfucker!?"
The Cerberus clawed Kaihn away, and white hot fire balls from each head.
She grabbed both of her daggers as Kaihn killed her summon.
"Quite the summon, blood summoner... What now?"
Lucky for her, wounds inflicted from blood magic heal after a successful summon.
She grinned. "Well I can fight ya know? No shit."
She flipped over him, and caught him in a hold... Her knife pressed against his throat.
"What now, shit stick?" She mocked.
He broke the hold, and she slid back, evading a thrust move from his now drawn sword.
She looked at Eiji, who was losing blood.
She tried to ends the battle with a clean stab to the back of the skull. He kept on evading, and blocking her moves.
"Fuck me! Why do ya hafta have real talent, damn you!?"
He glared at her. "I could say the same... The more blood he loses, the less I get."
She tried to sink her knife into his throat, he deflected the move, and they both slid back.
"What're ya some kinda vampire caster?"
His eye twitched. "No... I'm not a fucking vampire! That's a ridiculous legend!"
She grinned... She knew how to beat him.
"Where are yer fangs then? Don't all vamps have them sharp teeth for blood sucking? I wonder if there's a special set for ass gobbling, angel lover..."
He lunged at her, and she saw an opening directly at his heart.
She took it, and it went through.
He pulled back, grabbing his chest.
"Damn you!" He yelled.
His disappeared back to Hiro's sanctuary...
She smirked.
Ass gobbling angel lover... How many dicks did he hafta swallow to get his job.
All I know, is that there's shit that's off about up top... How could somebody like that freak get angel love? Lyin' bastard...
She looked over at Eiji.
"Oh shit! Hold on guy, I'll get ya patched up!"
Leviathan's ran to the 'border'.
One of the Leviathan's ran to him, and healed his arms.
"Hiro too!" Emi exclaimed.
"Kaihn messed up her head, ya might wanna check her."
He ran over to Hiro, and healed her as well. They were both sleeping soundly after that.
Emi sighed, and gave the Leviathan a hug.
"Thank god ya guys showed when ya did! I wasn't sure what I could do..."
He smiled. "Well, Master was in danger... And A Mistress... I am Fred."
He said, holding out a clawed hand.
She shook it.
"Nice to meet ya Fred."
He blushed. "You too Fangirl... Hey! Do you want CAKE!?"
She gaped. "Ya got cake!? Hell yea I want cake!"
He conjured a lifetime supply of cake.
"Where'd ya get all that!?" She gaped.
He looked down and smiled. "Hehe... France."
She shrugged. "Oh well, that looks tasty!"
She dug in to the chocolate cake first... It wasn't something you got much in Deadmarch, so she savored every bite.
She sighed. "So I guess I'm goin' to the blood roads after all... I'm gonna miss yer loveable mugs when I leave... Can I take that to go?"
Fred conjured a pile of saran wrap.
"Okay... What about that stuff? Where'd ya get that...?"
He grinned. " ..."
She gave him a flat look.
"Yer tellin' a tall one Fred..."
His grin broadened, but he stayed silent.
A giant rift opened in the sky, and thunder and lightning came crashing down to the earth.
"What the Ever livin' FUCK!?" Emi exclaimed.
A giant Leviathan came crashing down... He was huge.
At least ten times the size of the others.
"I HAVE EATEN!" He yelled.
They all looked up at him.
"MAAAAXXX!" They screamed.
They all huddled around him, and hugged his feet.
He shrank back to normal size.
"Hiro..." He said.
He looked over at Eiji.
"Sorry Eiji..." He said.
"I shouldn't have been so rash with you..."
He seemed more coherent then the other Leviathan's.
"The souls of some heaven dwellers have given me a good snack..."
He looked over at Hiro.
There was a moment of silence...
She sat up.
"Max!? You're alive!?"
She looked at him sternly.
"This is the third time Max, where were you!?"
He looked down.
"Getting souls... I wanted to come back stronger, so I could protect you. Sorry for the wait Hiro..."
She hugged him, and sobbed.
"Can you actually die!?"
He grinned. "Probably not."
She let out a small laugh.
"You jerk..." She sniffed.
She looked at him. "Eiji is off limits for ever attacking, got it? He would never knowingly hurt me..."
He looked down. "I know... I'm sorry about that. I wasn't feeling well, swallowed something bad... I can't eat evil blood mages more than once I'm afraid..."
Hiro gaped. "You ate Kaihn!? TWICE!?"
He laughed maniacally. "YES! I DID, AND IT WAS GLORIOUS BOTH TIMES!"
Still that side left... Max...
He grimaced. "Not doing that again though..."
Emi sighed.
"Ya lost me at, 'the third time'."
Fred laughed. "NO! Max can't die!? No!? NO!? NOOO!"
Max sighed. "As long as I'm imprinted on you, my life span matches yours... If you aren't dead, neither am I... I promised you I wouldn't let you be lonely."
She let out a sigh.
Her breath was shaking, and more tears spilled from her eyes.
"That's a relief..." She whispered tearfully.
Emi got Eiji back to camp, and in his tent. Her and Hiro chatted for awhile, then went to sleep.
Hiro let Emi sleep with her in her tent. She took the sleeping bag, while Emi got the blanket.
Emi curled up in the blankets. Tears spilled when she was sure Hiro had fallen asleep.
"Why'm I crying...?" She whispered to no one.
"I'm a damn fool... I don't deserve this help. I'ma no good crook..."
I stole them cufflinks... I stole'em for her. Damn idiot.
Freya told ya not to, but it's you and the ladies...
That lady.
She said she loved me...
Promised me a home... And her.
She wanted the damn cufflinks, as some test of loyalty...
Well fuck, it was rigged right?
I guess that's life...
A rigged fuckin' test...
Fuck her... That fuckin' nark!
She was in on it with'em the whole time...
I'll be all kinds'a fucked if I run into her.
Eiji 'n Hiro will probably hate me, because I lied. Again.
Fuck me...
God dammit!
Just DAMN ME TO HELL!
I hate you...
I HATE you.
I HATE ME!
She sobbed softly.
"And that shit don't change."
Hiro was lying awake.
She had a hard time sleeping after what had happened.
She heard what Emi had said...
Emi... I swear you're good. You have a big mouth, and a hard head.
And a good heart.
When you told us what was really going on? It wasn't from a hateful place...
You showed mercy and kindness...
You're not as bad as you pretend to be, or even as bad as you think you are.
I think you're good, and I'll have to show you that.
I'll do something nice for you tomorrow Em, something that will make you smile.
Hiro let peaceful and clearing thoughts enter her mind, drawing her into an undisturbed sleep.