Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction, I do not claim any rights to any of the characters or
concepts created or owned by Viz Video or Rumiko Takahashi. This is just the work of one fan to the others. The only characters or concepts that I claim are the ones I created or introduced. That said, I bring you:
The Annals of the Heroine Akane, and the Dreaded Demon King. A Tale of the Mirrorverse.
Chapter 18: Run, run as fast as you can.
The group moved out after they had eaten, and let Nabiki rest for as long as they could. They would have to let her actually rest soon, or the lack of proper rest would start to wear on her, and as much as Akane hated to admit it, they would need her at her best for what they were to face. They had to not only draw a large force of unknown size and composition along behind them, they would have to figure out some way to deal with it as well. They could not leave it to ravage and rampage over the countryside. That meant they ideally needed to draw them towards one of the fortresses where they could engage them with force, or they would have to defeat them piecemeal until they were no longer a threat.
Akane was not overly fond of that idea, not with how many non-combatants they had with them. And, if she was going to be honest with herself, she knew that there was a limit to what she could accomplish. She was no great hero of legend, no godling walking the world. She was just a simple girl from a rather small village that had been chosen as the next one to carry the mantle and responsibility of being the Hero.
There were times she wondered if it was much the same for her adversary. It is doubtful he had chosen this fate for himself. He was as much the product of fate as she was, she had started to believe.
Of course, that did not change the facts of the matter. She was the Hero, it was her fate and duty to stand against the Demon King, and lay him low or die trying. There was no other route she could choose, no other path to walk.
You couldn't ignore the will of the Goddess, after all.
Akane looked towards the horizon, and the narrow shoulders of the woman who walked in front of her at the moment, and wished that things were different. But dreaming about the future, of what could be was not for her. Maybe once the war was over, and it was peaceful once more. Maybe then she could dream of what could be.
Nabiki walked with the furry little terror perched on her shoulder as she led the way. She looked about, and smiled a bit as she noticed that the cat did the same. "You feel it too, don't you? That something isn't right. That we are being stalked, being hunted. That we are in a race that we can't afford to lose." Nabiki said, then glanced back at the rest and started to move a little faster as she motioned for the rest to pick up the pace a bit.
She would love to backtrack tonight, but she didn't think it would be a good idea right now. Too much risk of running into something that she couldn't handle, and drawing it back to the others. It was better to just push as far as they could while it was light out, and maybe into sundown. Probably to start moving at sunrise, as well.
As things stood right now, the odds of them making it to the next fortress didn't look good if the enemy was able to push themselves faster than they could.
If they caught up, then it would be up to Akane to decide what was the best option, and how to deal with it. Until then, it was up to Nabiki to make those decisions. And right now, they needed to put as much distance behind them as they could, without losing the enemy. Honestly, it went against everything she had ever learned to not avoid what had to be a drastically superior force, especially since as good and tough as Akane was, there was one very specific thing that let her use the full divinely gifted might that slept inside of her. It was only when facing the Demon King that Akane was able to tap into the full extent of her powers and abilities. It was a curious restriction, but Nabiki was sure that the Goddess must have her reasons for putting that limit on her chosen Hero.
It was just horribly inconvenient at the moment.
Kasumi looked up as Nabiki signaled that they needed to pick up the pace. She knew very well that she was mostly a liability in an actual fight. Yes, her healing and blessings were powerful gifts given by the Goddess, but she was not a fighter. That was not the role she had been given.
She was glad that at least she wasn't some soft, cloistered priestess who was not used to long trips and hard living. She had that going for her, at least far too many of her brothers and sisters in the Faith were.
From what she had gleaned from Ryouga about her opposites, they were the exact opposite. They were fighters who wielded divine might to break their foes, and powerful and baleful magics that could harm and kill. Very much fitting of those that wielded the power of the Dark Goddess.
As Kasumi contemplated the balance of divine power and those that were drawn to it, Ryouga cast a concerned look towards her, and brushed against her leg. He relaxed a bit when she reached down and ran her hand over his shoulder. It was odd, the sense of ease that her presence brought him.
As the group moved ever closer to their goal, Nabiki's sense of unease grew worse, as did Xian Pu's. Nabiki nodded to herself as she pushed their little group just a bit further before she let them stop to make camp. She idly petted Xian Pu as she tried to put her finger on what felt wrong, what had been eating at her the entire day.
It was shortly after sunset that the reason became clear as a distant howl could be heard faintly, followed by many more. Nabiki looked at Akane as she hoped she was wrong, but the grim look on her sister's face chilled her heart.
Dire wolves, a pack of dire wolves, were on their trail. That meant wolf riders, more than likely. This was just about the worst case scenario. The sisters had given up on horses some time ago. Trolls had a fondness for horseflesh. Dire wolves did as well. Many of the creatures of the Demon King's army unsettled them.
Now they were in a race against a faster enemy that could trail them by scent alone.
The odds of them making it to the fortress had just plummeted to almost nothing. Even if it was goblins and not orcs or demons that were mounted, during the night they could cover a great deal more distance. On top of that, there was now no way that Nabiki could sneak up on them, not without a chance to prepare properly.
Their options had dwindled greatly, and it looked like they would have to take drastic steps if they were to survive this. Nabiki and Akane shared another look, then looked to Kasumi. Kasumi bowed her head and nodded. "How long will you need to prepare, Kasumi?" Akane asked.
Kasumi bit her lip as she started to pull items out of her bag. "An hour. I will keep it up as long as I can, but you both know that it's going to leave me drained. I don't know how long I will be able to keep up on my own."
Akane nodded. "I've carried you before, and I can do it again. Don't worry, Kasumi. We will make it through this."
Ranko looked at the sisters and pursed her lips, then looked at Akane to ask her a question. "What are you three planning?"
Akane smiled at Ranko as she tried to put the bard at ease. "We are going to use one of the Goddess's blessings. The blessing of endurance. It will make us nearly tireless, able to march or even run without stopping for anything more than food and water."
Ranko blinked and cocked her head to the side. "Why haven't you used it before this?"
Kasumi answered as she laid out the items she would need. "It's because, as with all great magics, there is a price to be paid. It's very tiring, and the more beings that are affected, the more draining it becomes. Usually, when a large force needs to use this blessing, the priests that are casting it ride in a carriage or wagon. They take shifts, and share the load amongst themselves as much as they can. We don't have that option, so we will do what we can with the resources that we have. In this case, me." Kasumi said as she smiled and finished her preparations.
The others spent the next hour preparing food and making sure that their supplies were in order as Kasumi knelt and prayed as she gathered the strength to cast the blessing.
Kasumi raised her voice as she chanted words that were more felt than heard. Words that seemed to tug and pull at the very fabric of the world. The others felt a warm lightness settle into their flesh, into their very bones, as the Blessing settled over them like warm sunshine on a clear day.
Ranko blinked, and cast a quick look at Ryouga and Xian Pu, unsure how the blessing of the Goddess of Light would affect them. At the subtle shakes of their heads, Ranko breathed out a sigh of relief. She did indeed feel stronger, the fatigue from their previous days of travel washed away.
Ranko looked at Kasumi, and noticed how she had paled slightly as she rose, and her hand rested on the unwavering shoulder of Ryouga who had pretty much not left her side since they started this journey. Ranko narrowed her eyes as Ryouga did his best to not look in her direction. Ranko shook her head and sighed, as she figured that there should be time later to find out what had happened, what was going on with both of her retainers lately.
As long as they didn't die in the next few days, at least.
The group ate as they walked, then started to pick up the pace again. Kasumi was settled on Akane's strong back already, as Akane tried to let her sister conserve her strength as long as possible. They had a long couple of days ahead of them, and they needed to make sure that Kasumi was not completely drained at the end of their flight.
"Do you think we will make it, sis?" Akane asked Nabiki as they moved along at a quick pace.
"It's not likely, if I'm going to be honest. They are still moving faster than we are, we just are not letting them catch up nearly as quickly. Yes, we are covering ground all the time but we are still slower by quite a bit than they are. If they travel half as long as we do, but they are traveling four times as fast… Well, you can do the math." Nabiki said as she took a swig of water from her canteen.
Akane nodded grimly as she glanced over her shoulder at their older sister as she clung to Akane's back, her lips moving in silent prayer. Akane shared another look with Nabiki, and the two sisters nodded. They knew that there was no way they would reach the fortress in time. They had to find another place they could hold out for as long as possible, and they needed to find one before Kasumi drained herself completely.
"There are a number of abandoned keeps and outposts in the area up ahead. They used to line the old road before it was abandoned during one of the earlier wars. The forests had become too dangerous, so people moved. Even after the threats were mostly cleared out, the people didn't want to come back. We might be able to find a place that is defensible there. I still don't know how long we can hold out, to be honest. But we can't let them surround us while they are riding dire wolves. No, a fight in the open is not what we want." Nabiki said as she mulled over what she knew of the area.
Nabiki nodded as she looked off into the distance as she looked for landmarks. "There is one that we can reach. We will have to keep running for another day, but if we are lucky we can make it there before they overtake us. The outer walls are gone, but the keep is still there. It's not in great shape, but it's better than being out in the open or on some hill. It's our best chance. We just have to hope that one of the patrols finds them before they can wear us down."
Akane nodded as she shifted Kasumi and gave a strained smile to Ranko. "It's going to be fine. I'm the hero, after all." Akane said to Ranko, but it sounded very much like she said it to steady her own nerves.
The small band moved as fast as they could, through the day and into the night while their hunters nipped at their heels.
