It had been a trying few months, where the trio were trying to get even better with their weapons of choice. Indeed, Raphtalia was learning stances for her sword and Rifana was practicing shots from Riku's back as he ran about.

Keel has been getting instruction slightly more personally from Sadeena. She deemed it necessary with his faster weapons that he knows how to identify windows of opportunity to strike, something she started impressing upon all of them shortly thereafter.

Rifana took these words to heart, as she currently finds herself and Riku spending time practicing with the steel arrows she found there one day.

After firing a few shots at the chest of the dummy, she walks over to carefully pry them out, not wanting to break them on accident.

Riku sits next to a small pile of her things for the day, ever dutiful. The dog is now larger than some people when he stands up on his hind legs. His tail thumps the ground once when she picks out the shot that was closest to the center.

"I think I'm getting better, don't you?" She asks, looking over to him with a smile and a hand full of arrows.

He lets out a single woof as he meets her eyes.

She blinks, running this through her mind for a second. "So… yes. Thank you!" She smiles brightly at his approval.

He wags his tail and goes over, taking the arrows from her in his mouth and putting them back in the quiver.

Once he is done, she hugs and pets his head, enjoying the familiar fluffiness.

He makes a rumbling sound that tickles as it vibrates through him and against her. His tongue flicks out briefly to lick her cheek while she's in range.

Rifana lets out a happy laugh, gently rubbing his ear as she pulls away. "Such a smart boy." She glances at the sky, thoughtful. "Do you think we should've joined our friends? Relaxing, I mean?"

He lets out a big yawn and lays down next to her, looking towards town.

"We can go over to the tree, if you'd like." She gently scratches behind his ear. "Raphtalia might be there, and she could have a treat for you again."

He wags his tail and pants, nudging her towards his back with his head.

"You want me to ride you again?" She smiles, brushing his coat as she heads along. "Thank you, I really enjoy the rides you give!"

He woofs proudly.

She gingerly climbs onto his lowered back, rubbing his neck and straddling just below his nape. Her hands find his fur, carefully gripping so that she does not cause her friend pain. "Are you good?"

In response, he rises and shakes his head as if getting ready. She sees his ears stand higher and feels his muscles tense.

"Ready," she whispers, eyes glittering with eager anticipation.

With a mighty starting leap, he begins bounding towards village proper, wind rushing over both of them as paws hit the dirt with rapidity.

She laughs brightly, enjoying the sensations coursing over her body with every stride he takes, short pink hair nonetheless flowing behind her in the breeze. She belatedly realizes she still has her bow and arrows, but decides that it doesn't matter. The other kids would not mess with the weapons, especially when Sadeena is around!

Oh, right, Sadeena is hunting in the ocean. Better keep them close, then.

She has to hold on as he takes a corner, claws digging into the dirt before he takes off once more, tree now in sight.

Rifana perks up, giving both of the shapes beneath the branches a bright grin. She can make out Raphtalia's brown hair and clothes, and Keel's arm waving at her, both of them just as excited to see her and Riku.

Riku comes to a stop right before them, panting lightly.

"Wow... we're never gonna be able to beat you anywhere now, huh?" Keel asks them.

"You beat us here, today," she points out with a smile.

"Yeah, but that's because you went the opposite way." He counters.

"But still!"

"Keel found us a spot to play at!" Raphtalia interrupts, holding up a ball. "It's at the top of the cliff, but mom and dad said they'd be there to watch us!"

The boy nods. "Yeah! It's super open and the grass is really soft from the wind always being there."

Rifana beams, opening her mouth to say just how great that sounds.

Then the sky breaks above their town.

Her voice catches in her throat, staring up at the sky with swirls of red and purple surrounding a green hole. If she stares hard enough, she can see small dots coming down from it, which sends a shiver down her spine.

"W-whats going on?" Raphtalia whispers, gripping the tree as she gawks at the sky.

"I dunno! Some weird weather maybe?!" Keel hopes.

Riku's hackles are raised as they all hear a low growl from him... just before the screams start.

Rifana turns towards the town, eyes wide in shock. "W-we have to help them!" She says, even as she trembles at the thought of what might be causing those screams.

"We need to find shelter we can lead them to!" Keel objects as his own ears flick to the distant sounds of chaos.

"Where would that be?" She asks, glancing around for anywhere that might help. "And where is Raphtalia!"

"Uh... I don't know!" He grabs a nearby stick just before they hear a loud growl, similar but different to Riku's.

Rifana sits straight on the large canine's back, notching and drawing back an arrow. She whirls to the right, past Keel, training it on some creatures coming out of the woods.

Large hulking canines emerge from the trees, glowing red eyes and bared teeth. They howl as they see the children.

Rifana lets go of her arrow, mouth agape in stunned silence. Why were dogs attacking them? She barely even notices that she shot in their direction due to nerveless fingers.

They start barking, Riku responding in kind as even more shapes start to emerge, these of walking bones.

The arrow hits one of the skeletons and makes it fall to pieces. Rifana doesn't care, reaching over to frantically pat her friend's side. "Keel. Keel, get on. Hurry."

The boy backs up with her away from the creatures, eyes darting around for an exit.

She quickly yanks him up with her, the byproduct of years of trying to lift the dog they're currently riding.

He grabs onto her as she hears him mumbling. "Really wish I had my weapons…"

"Should we get them?" She whispers back, hand still gripping her bow tightly as she stares at the monsters staring back at them.

"We can try, first thing is we need to get away from them." He eyes the oncoming foes warily.

"Okay, Riku," she reaches forward, gently patting the red fluffy neck, "time to show them who's the fastest."

He backs up away from them, his back rolling as he gets used to the new weight. Still, he gives them one bark before turning and bolting back into town.

Rifana holds tight, her bow sliding up her arm from the speed. Her breath catches in her throat as she stares ahead, not wanting to turn and make her friend think she doesn't trust his skill.

She can hear him panting more than he was before, but that is soon drowned out by the chaos around them. Yelling and howling come from all directions, and the red sky only adds tot he ominous setting.

"Everyone," she whispers, her voice lost in the wind whipping around them, "please hold on!"

Riku barks as they come across a group battering at a door, screams coming from inside.

Frowning, she grabs up a hammer from the blacksmith as they ride past. Using the momentum, she swings it into the skeletons, shattering them with the resultant force.

Keel blinks at this. "Wow..."

She sighs, resting it across the canine's back. "Thank you, but I still can't lift Riku…"

"I don't think anyone expected you to!" He responds over the sounds of battle.

"I do!" She swings at a few more skeletons they come across, drawing near to their practice field. "It's my dream to carry him again!"

"Well, it's a good strength goal!" He dives off as they get close, grabbing his own weapons and nodding securely.

She nods in agreement and grabs Raphtalia's wooden sword in case they run across their friend. "Let's go! Our first mission is to save as many villagers as we can!" She gestures forward, gripping the red dog's fur tight. "Lead the way, Riku!"

He lets out a loud howl of challenge and dives back into the fray that the town has become.

Rifana clutches her borrowed hammer, ready to fight and protect her home.

As they charge back into town, Riku mows down skeletons in leather armor by simply running them over. The weasel girl whacks those coming at him from behind, doing her best to protect him as they head into town.

Keel tries his best to use one tonfa to strike to the side as they pass, but his other hand is busy making sure he doesn't fall off.

When he stops her from falling after reaching too far, she gives him a grateful smile, then goes back to warding off the monsters.

They all get a small scare when they hear a loud bark from nearby, a large dark canine lunging at them from a bush.

Yelping, Rifana flings her hammer right at it, losing her grip at the sudden motion.

The hammer lodges in it's mouth, making it land and shake its head and it tries to dislodge it.

Rifana quickly gets out her bow and sticks an arrow up its nose.

It thrashes and runs off, crashing through some barrels.

"…well. I just lost my hammer," she says, put out.

"Here!" Keel quickly hands her a tonfa.

She catches it, eyes wide in surprise. "B-but I don't…"

"It's better than nothing even if you don't know how to use it!"

She nods and takes it, twirling it around the handle with a small blush. "Thank you."

He nods before adding, "Try not to let them fetch it!"

Rifana offers him a small smile. "I think I'll give it back once we're in town." She smacks a skeleton away somewhat awkwardly, sending vibrations up her arm.

This one seems slightly sturdier than others, raising a hand up just before Riku spins and snatches it off, tossing the limb away with a bark.

She blinks, rubbing her arm as she kicks it away. "Why didn't that one fall apart?"

"Maybe it was a tough one?" Keel guesses. "Shouldn't we have seen Raphtalia carving through them by now?"

"Did she have her sword?" She asks, glancing around before gesturing towards a crowd of monsters in front of town hall.

"Good point!" He braces himself.

The three of them charge in, paws and weapons swinging just to stop the monsters trying to break the doors down. When only the ones Riku strikes are falling, they start to realize they have a problem.

Keel pants as he tries to knock one in the knee. "Come… on!"

"Why isn't this working?" Rifana grunts as she tries to make another fall on its back at the very least.

She does get that accomplished, but sees her foe trying to rise back up far quicker than she'd liked.

The poor girl whines as she repeatedly strikes it head with her borrowed weapon. "No! Bad! Stay down!"

After a flurry from all three of them, they do manage to subdue one just before their ears prick to the nearby sound of growling.

Rifana freezes, slowly turning to look in the direction it came from. Her hand unconsciously moves to grip Keel's free hand, as if wanting him near so she can keep him safe.

Riku's ears prick back and he growls back as they see a more hulking hound approach. This one is almost double his size and isn't alone, another matching its form also arriving and starting to circle them.

The pink haired girl slowly presses the tonfa into Keel's hand, reaching back and pulling her bow free of her body. She quietly nocks an arrow, never taking her eyes off the monstrous dogs before her.

When one takes a step forward she swiftly pulls the arrow back and lets loose at its face.

Suddenly a massive dark-furred leg steps in frotn of the arrow, causing it to bounce off. They all look up to see a truly towering beast, canine like the others but with enormous teeth and three angry heads. As it growls, they feel it shake through their whole bodies.

The next arrow that Rifana had instinctively grabbed slips nervelessly out of her fingers, the edges of her vision darkening out of the sheer dread this beast causes to form in her chest.

She can barely see Keel shaking his head and repeating the same word over and over, though hearing him is another thing.

Riku backs up towards the door they had been defending and she can feel him growling beneath her. He snaps as one of the hulking dogs gets closer, only getting it to pause momentarily. The next few moments are a blur of movement, colors and sounds roaring around her before things slowly come back into focus.

The familiar rhythm of her dog's feet, faster, but the same. Hearts pounding in her head, not just her own. Lights flickering above her as leaves crunch beneath. How long this goes on, she can't tell.

What she does know is that Keel is there, shaking her back into lucidity, his kind face filling her returning vision.

"Hey, hey! Rifana!" The colors in her face switch as she suddenly gets half her face licked.

She splutters for a second before letting out a faint laugh, reaching out to hug them both. "So… so you guys saved me?" She whispers, her face buried in their shoulders, certain that the lack of growling meant they were out of danger for the moment.

"Well... it was mostly Riku here." Keel says quietly.

"I'm willing to bet you made sure I didn't fall off," she gently retorts, turning to give him a more personal hug, wanting him to smile.

He does manage a small one as he returns the hug.

"There we are." She smiles back when they pull away, glancing around. "…where are we?"

"I don't... know." Keel replies. "Riku just stopped after a while."

"Riku?" She asks, looking at her dog-shaped friend without releasing Keel. "Do you have any idea?"

He looks around before stopping with his head in a certain direction.

Rifana blinks, turning her head in that direction. "Is that the way back to town?" She asks.

He woofs once, ears pricked attentively. She can see almost a layer of forest debris in his coat from the run.

She finally lets go of Keel so she can brush Riku's coat clean with her fingers. "…do you think we made enough of a difference?"

Riku slumps to his side as Keel ponders this. "I hope so… maybe we bought time?"

"I hope so…" She shudders, stopping her grooming to rub her arms. "What was that? With the sky?"

"I don't know... it was crazy... I thought the world was ending." He admits.

Somehow, that strikes a chord with Rifana, causing her to think back on what she read about the four heroes. "…was… was that the wave of catastrophe?"

He blinks. "Like in the stories?"

"Yes," she says, leaning against the big red dog's side, "but where were the heroes? Aren't they supposed to save us?"

"Maybe they were surprised too?" Keel says quietly.

"But they're supposed to save us from the waves," she repeats, her voice barely audible. Her hands find his, gripping them tight, reminding her that he's still there, that they are alright.

"Maybe… maybe they got there after we left!" He quickly reasons.

The weasel girl blinks, some of her tension gone. "You really think so?" She asks, breathless. "Does that mean we can meet the Shield Hero?"

"Maybe!" He echoes, looking to Riku as Rifana looks to him.

"Then we should find him!" She declares. "He cares for us, he might be able to get the town back in shape!" She pauses briefly. "But first we find Raphtalia!"

"Right, yeah!" He looks at her now. "She was probably fighting too, so she should be fine."

"We should start by the cliffs!" Rifana says, nodding once. "That's where she went, right?"

"Yeah! Yeah…" the second utterance is quietly to himself, though a look from Riku has him slightly worried.

She glances between the two of them, frowning in concern. "…do you think she isn't there?"

"… she has to be." He seems to decide, nodding.

Now uncertain, she turns her attention back to Riku, frowning slightly as she tries to think. "…do you think you could find her? You have a good sense of smell, right?"

He woofs, wagging his tail.

She nods, relaxing a bit. "Can you take us to her?"

He looks up at the sky, silent before looking back down to her and tilting his head.

"Maybe he's worried about you?" Keel guesses.

"What, me? I'm fine!" She insists, flexing her arms. "I'm right here, and you guys can help keep me safe! I can support you from any range!"

Riku leans in and rubs his face on her.

She smiles and hugs his muzzle, enjoying the affectionate gesture.

After that bit of reassurance, he stands up, shaking himself before getting in position next to her.

She quietly climbs on, securing her bow and arrows just in case and holding out a hand to Keel.

He takes it and joins her, quiet as he gets situated.

Rifana quietly tugs him closer by the arms, seeking comfort by his physical contact. With him against her back, the bow between them, she whispers to Riku, "Let's find Raphtalia. You can chew on any bones you find."

He woofs before setting off, back the way they came, though only he would know the way.

They come across a few wandering skeletons, but the big red dog easily defeats them with a swipe of his paw. The sky has long since turned back to normal by the time they draw near town, and the monstrous dogs don't seem to be anywhere nearby.

As they approach, they can see a few forms moving throughout the now trashed town. Most are walking slowly and moving rubble that used to be houses.

Rifana sighs softly, seeing that they managed to help, even if only a little bit.

Riku goes nose to the ground, trying to find their friend as they go.

A few of the villagers wave as they pass, most of them absently, as a form of habit, but a couple smile as well, grateful that they helped protect those they could.

"Did they take down the big one?" Keel murmurs as they go.

"I don't know," she whispers back, quickly glancing around. "I don't see it anywhere, so… maybe?"

He nods even as they pass a noticeably large pawprint.

"…I see the town hall is still standing, at least," she says, pointing at the building in question.

"Huh... they were next to that so I thought for sure it'd be done."

"So did I," she admits, her voice so quiet that he could barely hear her.

Riku suddenly lets out a woof and gains speed.

Rifana quickly grips his fur, not wanting to fall off from the sudden acceleration.

He takes them over to a smaller but more familiar figure, stopping and licking this one's face.

Fluffy round ears twitch at the action, her unfocused brown eyes slowly raising from the ground to the dog's eyes. "Riku?"

"And others!" Keel adds from behind the dog's head.

"Keel?" Her eyes start to tear up, even more so when the other girl gets off the dog's back to kneel beside her. "Rifana!" She launches herself at the weasel girl, nearly knocking her over and hugging her tight.

Keel has a relieved smile as he dismounts, Riku sitting protectively close to all. "I'm glad we found you."

She pulls him into the hug as well, crying on both their shoulders as she seeks the comfort of her friends.

The group of sensitive ears can hear Keel sniffing a few times, but holding it together.

Rifana gently rubs her back, lending her shoulder to her friend so she can let out her emotions. "We're here. Don't worry."

A rumbling noise from Riku agrees.

Raphtalia shakes slightly, looking up at all three of her friends with a fragile smile. "…thank you…"

"Well get through this, we can help get stuff back how it was." Keel says with a forced but confident smile.

Raphtalia nods, rubbing her cheeks dry with one hand. "R-right. We… we can help with the houses! Get food for the town?"

Keel tilts his head at those suggestions, but nods quickly. "Yeah!"

"Right!" Rifana adds, nodding decisively as she pulls away from the group hug. "And we can find our parents!"

The raccoon girl freezes, her eyes wide and her grin going through rictus.

"... Raphtalia?" Keel asks.

Her eyes glisten with unshed tears, her shoulders hunching in as the weight of a recent memory presses on her. "Mom… dad…"

"Oh..." He looks down.

"Hey, no, stay with us," Rifana says, hurrying forward and pulling her back upright. "We are not leaving you alone. Say it."

The poor girl just stares blankly at her, forlorn.

The weasel girl gently shakes her. "Say it. Please."

Raphtalia blinks, a tear escaping. "...you are... not... leaving me... alone..."

"Good. Now give us a smile."

Those glistening eyes go distant for a moment before a frail smile forms on her lips.

Riku dips his head under the raccoon girl's hand.

She gently brushes his fur, taking a few deep breaths. "…right… we… we should help our town…"

"You can just... rest if you want to." Keel says.

"No!" She jumps from how loud her own voice was. "N-no, I… I need to help. Please."

"Okay okay!" He quickly says, ears down. "We can do that."

She nods, trying to force a smile as she walks towards town to get to work.

Thank you so much for reading this chapter, and I apologize if the story got darker than expected. Next chapter might get darker still. I may need to change the rating? Please let me know if I do.

Have a nice day! Enigma out!