A small group of women stepped out from the shadows and through the scattering columns of light. Each one had that expression, the look of a hunter, a predator with cold hard eyes, a straight-line smile, every step cautious and hushed.
Color me impressed…. little misaka spoke with the same eyes, arms across her chest. Yep, and gave a little unconscious nod of her head.
One of them spoke. She was tall and slender, gripping the spear across her belly as if to say you have to go through me first.
"We didn't want to interrupt…" she pointed the sharp point of the spear at the bodies. "Our apologies…" she said, each one bowing their heads.
Exhaling a heavy breath and hearing no more heartbeats in the woods. "Don't bow." Mikoto said, "Please," gradually shaking her head. It was something she'd never gotten used to, and knowing that many of the members of her household would often do it just to tease her.
"Are they friends of yours?" her thin reddish eyes studied the lines across their faces. Her past experiences with warlords, world leaders, and a certain level four pervert honed her skills.
She loosened her grip on the body, letting her razor-sharp fingernails slice a gory trail across its bumpy back, hitting the ground with a heavy thud.
Chuckles and soft smiles appeared as they glanced at each other. The first one brought her hand up between her well-endowed breasts.
How'd I miss those? A little smartass spoke. Sheesh, Mikoto whispered, a soft shade of pink colored her cheeks, glancing down at her ample naked blood-splattered breasts. Nothing wrong here… clearing her throat. Long gone were those insecurities of a young woman. But she still had her pride.
Crap…. I'm naked, covered in sticky splatter, and…. sigh… this isn't a good day… is it? She uttered.
"Aya..." drawing her shoulders back, "Aya…" tapping her chest with a smile.
Mikoto blinked a few times. The young woman's voice cut through her cold gaze. She took a moment, looking at the smile on her face. The young woman's eyes drew her in, soft and warm, genuine. Seeing a certain someone special in her mind, her heart spiked. She dropped her chin and let her eyelids drift down.
"I'm sorry…" in a soft voice, bowing her head, "I'm being rude" she lifted her head, "Mikoto Misaka, nice to meet you." a glaze of wetness covered her eyes, letting the image fade from her memory.
"nice to meet you… Mikoto." the young woman called Aya answered.
Aya gave a solemn nod of her head, looking over to the other young women, winked, brought the spear up, the tip pointing to the sky, and elbowed the young woman next to her.
She was on the small side, long black hair to her waist. Her eyes swelled with surprise. She dipped her chin lightly, rubbed the back of her neck, and puckered her mouth at the others' teasing laugh. They were close.
She could see it, which reminded her of what she'd lost. The feeling let her heart sink.
It hurt…. those feeling returning. Losing her friends. Each laugh, the look in their eyes.
With a long exhale, she hoped to force it back to the memory where it belonged… her blood-smeared fingers clenched tight at her breasts. She watched quietly as they teased each other.
She knew them again. Vita, Rin, Brym, Scarlett, Chloe…. her elites. A pleasant memory turned painful. She waited until she could wait no more. The words formed slowly and made their way up her throat and over her tongue. Please stop. Barely able to pass her quivering mouth. She exhaled a long surrendering sigh, with eyes glimmering,
Look your best…. little Misaka wiped her balling eyes, sucking in her breath. that's right… cute attack… always workkkksss… I'm not crying… damn onions… it's so dusty in here!
Her own blood rolled over her tongue, the taste of iron drawing her back to the real world. Her cheeks blushed as she ran her blood-stained fingers through her hair, bringing it out of her face. A quick smacked of her cheeks…. come on, Mikoto. She growled. Get it together, shaking her head. These are not them. Taking a breath, she looked over.
Despite the resemblances, the woman shared. There was a very noticeable trait. Each one had a set of horns, each one different, each one uniquely beautiful.
One is called Nya. She was a good size and physique. She had spectacular corkscrew horns spiraled about 2 feet in height, and her eyes were dark and warm.
Another Rae, a little shorter than Nya, had smooth and wide horns rolled over her forehead, curved back, and full emerald green eyes.
The third, Gullah, the tallest of the group, reminded Mikoto of Ava, horns like a bull coming out the side of her head, pointed forward, with muted brown eyes, the color of freshly plowed earth.
And Kea, the smallest and more childish in appearance, teetering on the threshold of a young woman. The one they playfully teased. She had no horns, just two tiny buds poking out underneath her dark hair. But her eyes were like cats, and her ears came to a point. And those eyes were unique among them. They were the color of shadowy olive with shades of blacks and browns, matching her skin.
A dark elf? Little Misaki equipped. "Maybe? I guess…" Mikoto whispered, shrugging her shoulders. Do they have them here?
Aya stepped forward, and Mikoto took a step toward her.
"So again, I'll ask… are these friends of yours?" watching their facial movements for any tell. Maybe they'd decide to get close and take revenge, or they didn't know them and just went by for a daily stroll. Little Misaka rubbed her chin.
Aya slowly shook her head, " we were hunting." She said, " we heard the little ones crying out. " The others nodded, "so we ran to help."
Bringing her arms across her breast, Mikoto pursed her mouth "so… You weren't…" her eyes looked over them, "going to eat them or…." She spoke deliberately and shrugged her shoulders, "anything…."
They all looked at each other and laughed. It was a familiar laugh as if they knew a secret she didn't know. Feeling a little left, Mikoto fretted her brow. "Didn't think it was all that funny…" pursing her mouth.
I think? No… I'm pretty sure… little Misaka spoke.
Aya answered the question, "Come," smacking her thigh with her hand twice. "Me?" Mikoto's eyes went wide, pointing to herself, "you want me to…?"
So forceful. little misaka giggled, ok, if you insist… shaking her head, Mikoto bit her tongue… you shut up…
But the bushes rustled, and they rushed out and over to the young women. They knelt down on one knee, holding their hands out, beckoning them. the ones called blanks ran over whimpering, grunting, falling into the waiting arms of the women. They looked down as the blanks looked up at them. They nuzzled like playful puppies, their throat quivering with excited grunts and calls.
Mikoto sighed, seeing the recognition in their eyes. Nya, Rae, and Gullah held them, nuzzled them with a bright expression on their faces, pulling them closer as the blanks laid their heads in the crooks of their necks and became quiet.
"These belong to them…." Aya said, caressing the hair of the one Nya was holding. Mikoto had seen that expression many times in Anastasia's face and even her own. Felt the familiar weight on her shoulders and the warm breath on their throats.
"they're your children?!" Mikoto said, "then… Why?" her throat tightened, wanting to bare her teeth, "How could you leave your children? Alone in the woods." She said in a tone hardly perceptible, glancing at the two corpses who'd chased them down.
Those look a little different, little Misaka said, not by much, but older.
Mikoto clenched her jaws and gripped her hands tight. Her nails sank into her flesh.
Aya saw Mikoto's anger, slowly shook her head, and held her hand out. "These are not the same ones. That you encountered. these are a little older," she said. "They give birth to them, and a few days later, they will run into the forest until it's time to come back."
Aya looked at Mikoto, fretting her brow. She was worried that her words were not getting through, to say it another way. She knew they were at a disadvantage, perhaps even next to die. She'd hope to explain it better. It can't be helped. It's always been that way. No matter what. They just leave. The others nodded in agreement. We did it… she said, I and others.
Mikoto's breast trembled with a growl, breathing a long dark breath, frustrated, disgusted, and covered in sticky, smelly blood, mulled over her thoughts and spoke in a harsh tired tone,
"whatever." her shoulders slumped. "I'm going to get cleaned up… So, if you don't mind." slowly opening her eyes, "I'll be leaving now. " revealing two pools of light crimson with a hint of anger, staring at the ground, feeling a private storm in her heart.
What about? Little Misaka asked, a little worried.
She worried about the other ones that had rushed off into the forest. Children held a special spot in her heart. It wasn't because they were easy prey or easily teased or tormented. It was more of…. she never could answer that. She knew the unapologetic, brutally honest questions of children quickly frustrated Mikoto.
A particular situation brought a smile too little misaka. Two young boys in a playground lifted her skirt while she was looking for a missing item. "hey… you're wearing shorts…" they exclaimed for all to hear. "you don't have any clean panties," little girls asked, looking so pitiful at her… she blushed, got angry…. little misaka laughed, so predictable she said.
"they don't seem worried." turning to leave, "so I won't… Besides… I got this goo all over me." running her fingers along her hip, "What is this stuff?" snapping her fingers, the sticky goo stretched and flapped wildly before cutting loose, "grrrrroooossss… I can't believe." as the flailing goo struck a broadleaf, stretched then snapped back and clung to the broadleaf, slowly rolled to the edge and gradually dripped in a long, long glisten strand.
I'm going to be sick… uurrpp! Little misaka covered her mouth.
"Did they touch you?" Aya asked, slowly cocking her head. The concern peppered her face.
"Yeah… No biggie." scrunching her face, shaking her hand violently, "dammit… I'll just wash it off at the hot Springs." making a disgusted face, whipping her finger around. the goo broke and took off, "GROSS!" She gagged, her body quivered, the goo smacked hard into a tree, "disgusting." She contorted her lips.
"The mist-covered pools?" Aya said.
Mikoto blew out a disgusted breath, "yeah. I have my things there… So… I'll kill two birds with one stone." She laughed. "Oh? By the way." She shifted her attention from the sticky goo clinging to her finger and gestured with her head into the forest, "I left one."
Aya closed her eyes. "no need to worry. we'll take care of him." She spoke with a dark shade of intention. Kea grinned, turned, and disappeared into the jungle.
"thanks…" fretting her brow, thinning her eyes. What does she mean?
I wonder?
Well… don't care... Mikoto whispered.
She stooped over and picked up the sword with the attached severed arm. She made an annoyed, disgusted face as she peeled each finger off the handle, dropped the arm by the body, reached down, grabbed a handful of hair, took the head off, and tossed it to the side with a single practiced swing.
She walked over, severed the head from the other body, and jammed the blade's tip into the ground.
"What will you do afterward?" Aya asked as the others dragged the bodies together. Mikoto wrinkled her brow, watching as they stacked the bodies.
"you don't have to…" worrying that she was taking advantage of them. "I can…" she held her hand out to help. But the others paid no mind to her.
Nya reached into the large pouch hanging on her hip, pulled her hand out, and sprinkled powder over the body.
Religious rights? Little Misaki replied. Maybe… Kinda lovely, considering they were about to eat your children!
Rae knelt, reaching into a similar pouch, taking two black stones and tapping them together. Tiny sparks jumped, and the bodies broke out in flames.
Whoa! Barbecue anyone? Little Misaki laughed… Saves us the trouble.
Mikoto pursed her lips, mulling it over. She hadn't actually thought about what she was going to do next. She'd slept for the last four days in comfort. The hot Springs suited her. The mist covered her like a soft, warm blanket while she slumbered. The spacious pools provided visibility if any enemy were to approach. And she had ample food to last, stashed in her utility belt, plus the occasional jerks grilling on the ground were a welcomed snack. She did leave directions when she left the straight-line trail she was blazing. She carved a message in a big rock and even by Ava's headstone, giving the direction she had walked.
I mean, who wouldn't wish to stick around at a Hot spring waiting to be rescued? Lounging around nude in the hot, warm, and cool crystal-clean waters… To the….
"Why are you self-narrating?" Mikoto grinding her teeth, "I hate when you do that." thinning her eyes.
I get bored sometimes… Plus, it adds a little, you know
"No… I don't know."
Oh well, you were a bit slow on the draw… so I had to kill some time…. you were boring, so….
"If you like?" Aya said, her eyebrows scrunched, watching Mikoto getting irritable, quarreling with nobody.
"After you've washed up, you could stay in our village?" Mikoto shook her head, grumbling with her hands on her hips.
"huh?
She froze, her face bright red, swung her head around, nauseous feeling rising in her belly,her heart pounded against her chest, eyes opened so wide they might tumble out of their sockets.
She couldn't help that. Little misaka was just that way sometimes. Headstrong, independent, and opinionated. Mikoto did her best to suppress the little avatar, and it pissed her off to no ends of the earth, not knowing where she got it from. Hmm...
She peeked at Ava, a little annoyed, but she wasn't holding it against Ava. And for some reason, Ava seems to figure it out…. Maybe?
"mmm… hmm," Mikoto puckered her mouth, "I actually don't… I mean…" She moaned, "for some reason, I'm going to regret this… Aren't I" dipping her chin to her chest as she covered her eyes with her hand. "I'm getting a headache."
Nah! Think of it as visiting some annoying relative. Who insists you don't waste money on a luxurious, private hotel room… Not at all. It will be great… Remember visiting your mom that weekend… Oh yeah… That worked out well… That annoying pain in the ass… Kuroko came over and… Shivers rolled through her body, her fingers curled tight in a ball, "I'm trying to forget that time…" She growled.
Oh no… Little Misaki growled. I won't let you… I said to kill her over and over… Even just knock her out, no… You said something about being your friend for so long…. how about being the person most likely and did sexually assault you...…? And to top it off, your mother went shopping that weekend… Touma was finally coming over. We had the apartment to ourselves... Finally,… After all the time it took you to get up, the courage to ask him… And he shows up with that little nun… Holding his arm, glaring at us. I told you she knew we're vampires… and now Little Miss Nun in white who shouldn't be wearing white… maybe off-white, but certainly not white… is banging him like a hamster in heat!
A vein popped on the surface of Mikoto's forehead.
"Sure!" Mikoto blurted out in frustration, "crap…." Her eyes flew wide, and the sick feeling rose in her belly. She immediately regretted it.
"Great… Well," Aya quickly said before Mikoto could take it back. "We'll finish this, and you can get cleaned up." Aya had a satisfied look in her eyes, and her smile matched. She caught Mikoto off guard, and Mikoto knew it.
She dropped her chin to her chest in a whisper and a growl… CRAP…. and rushed through the forest.
Aya watched as Mikoto disappeared into the jungle. Nya and the other looked over as the bodies burned. "do you think she'll be alright?"
Aya shrugged, "it's in the hands of the goddess…" she said with the smell of burning flesh. The fire popped as the bodies shifted.