Hell's Refugees, Vol 1

by PsionicsKnight

After the events in Sotoba, three Shiki-Susumu Yasumori, Miyako Sakutarou, and Shizuka Kirishiki-find themselves in a dark, alien world. As Miyako searches for her friends, and possibly other survivors, the three come across a couple of strange teenagers who might be the key to surviving in this new land.

3. The Strange Boy

Hello everyone,

Here is the last part of Hell's Refugees, Vol. 1. Rest assured; this story will continue in two more volumes and a longer series, but this tale must come to a close for now.

Hope you all enjoy!

Warning: The following contains implications of violence and SA towards children. Viewer discretion is advised.

Miyako looked up to the scarlet sky of the wasteland and grimaced. It had felt like the trio had been walking for hours, and yet the young Shiki had seen nothing up in that endless expanse. No moon, no stars-no sun, even. Just the interminable, crimson expanse of that cinder sky above them-with only the occasional dark cloud marring the expanse before them. Frowning, the young Shiki squinted her eyes, trying to see if she could see something-anything-different in the vast horizon.

"What are you doing?" Shizuka's voice rang out, causing Miyako to snap back in mild shock for a second. Looking at the Shiki child's concerned face, Miyako gave a slight frown.

"Oh… sorry. I just wanted to see if I could see something else in the sky besides clouds."

Cocking an eyebrow, Shizuka turned her crimson eyes to the sky, a slight scowl on her face. "I don't see what's so important about that," She responded with a shrug and then twisted her head back to look at Miyako directly. "I mean… all we have to worry about is the sun. Why worry about anything else?"

"Yeah, I mean… I like the moon and stars too, Miyako, but I can go a bit without seeing them."

Coming to a stop, Miyako's face twisted into one of mild exasperation, and she replied, "Shizuka before people developed compasses, how were they able to tell the direction they were going?"

Confused, the Shiki child turned back to Miyako and replied, "By looking at the sun…." As she spoke, her eyes began to widen, and her voice lowered, "A-And the stars…."

Approaching her, Miyako gave a soft sigh and replied, "And we are missing what?"

"Well, I mean… it's not super important, right? I mean… it's not like we need to tell where east or west is to get out of here."

"Well, sure… but what happens if we learn everyone else is heading west?"

With these words, Shizuka's eyes fell to the ground. "Oh god…"

"B-But, we can figure something else out," Susumu stammered. "Right, Miyako?"

Rubbing her chin as she scanned the dead forest, she replied, "I'm… not sure. But, maybe, if I can find something like some moss on a rock, I could try and find a way to-"

"Uh, actually, that ain't gonna help here, little lady,"

A hushed silence fell over the trio as the words of the new voice rang in their ears, and their bodies became stiff with dread. For what felt like hours, the three stood there, side-by-side, unwilling to budge-or even blink. Before any of them could react, they suddenly heard, "Hey, you kids okay?" right above them.

With a yelp, the trio jumped forward, quickly turning to see a teenage boy, somewhere around Aphrodite's age, giving a confused look before he opened his mouth in a large, playful grin and waved his hand. Like Aphrodite, he stood out against the blackened environment, being a tall teenager with unkempt medium blonde hair, framed by a rounded face and eyes the color of emeralds. His skin held a light brown hue-possibly sun-tanned, considering his slender, somewhat athletic build.

However, what stood out to the three were his clothes-unlike Aphrodite or the humanoid creatures they saw before, the young man before them wore a coffee-brown leather jacket, covering what appeared to be a gray shirt, with a pair of slacks the same color. Around his waist was a black belt with a large, golden belt buckle, forged into an odd symbol– looking something like a thick circle with a fraction of the top cut off from the rest. In the center of the ring was what appeared to be a lambda, but cut in half, with both sides being symmetrical but not touching. A pair of brown riding boots were on his feet, which clicked with the sound of spurs as he took a step forward, while a wide-brimmed brown fedora sat on his head. Approaching the three, he kept his smile as he bent down towards them, placing his arm on his bended knee. "Now, what might three kids like you be doing in a place like this?"

Taken aback by the strange figure, the trio stood still and did not approach the peculiar teenager-though more out of confusion than fear.

"Oh, where are my manners?" The teenager responded as he quickly took off his hat and extended a hand. "Name's Chambliss. Andrew Chambliss. And you three might be?"

Blinking, Shizuka only gave a small, "Uhhh…" Before she noticed something out of the corner of her eye-Susumu, moving forward and coming in front of the strange teenager. Bowing slightly, Susumu stated, "I'm Susumu Yasumori, Mr. Chambliss."

"Susumu, eh? Sounds like you come from the Land of the Rising Sun." With a grin, he nudged the young boy. "Am I close? Tell me I'm close."

"Y-Yeah, you are," Susumu replied with a surprised grin. "How… how did you figure that out?"

Andrew replied, "Eh, I know a couple of guys who come from Japan," with a shrug. "Pretty good guys, even if the two of them used to be Yakuza."

Blinking, Miyako replied, "Wait, what?"

"Oh, don't worry; they've both left a long time ago," Andrew's nonchalance with his answer only served to make the preteen more uncomfortable.

"Uh, Susumu, can we talk in private for a second," Shizuka asked as she grabbed Susumu and dragged the young boy to some of the dead trees, ignoring a confused and somewhat hurt Andrew. As the Shiki Loli pulled Susumu in front of her, she sternly glared at the young boy. "What is with you?! Why are you acting so friendly with a stranger?!"

"G-Guys, really… there's no need to worry."

"No need to worry?!" Miyako exclaimed, despite her attempts to keep quiet. Cringing a bit at her reaction, looking over at Andrew, who stood patiently and gave a small wave as he waited for the group to return. After giving an awkward wave back, she turned to Susumu with a stern look. "Susumu, he just admitted to knowing the Yakuza. How is that 'nothing to worry about?'"

With a small smile, Susumu replied, "Trust me; I tested his emotions, and well… he wants to help us."

Remembering his empathetic powers, Miyako and Shizuka glanced at each other, nervous uncertainty in their deep black eyes. Despite them knowing his empathetic abilities, each thought the same thing: Could he be wrong?

"Susumu…" Shizuka stated as she approached the Shiki child, a hand outstretched. "Are you sure about this? I mean, you're still learning about your powers. What if you got mistaken or something?"

Susumu blinked and frowned, getting frustrated. Why did this always happen with him? Sure, he was one of the younger Shiki, but he knew his powers well. And practiced every day! Why did everyone act like he didn't know anything?!

"Look, I know what I felt when I was reading Andrew. If you don't believe me, then have Miyako read him!" He exclaimed, jabbing a finger in the direction of the taller Shiki girl. "You want proof; she can get it for you!"

Suddenly, just as the three were speaking, Andrew appeared behind Susumu, confusion, and concern in his emerald eyes. "Is something the matter?" He asked as he leaned over Susumu, just shy of touching the top of the boy's head, with his hands behind his back. At his sudden appearance, the trio yelped and jumped away from him, their unliving hearts jolting to life for a brief second.

"Will you stop that?!" Shizuka exclaimed as she composed herself, while Andrew continued to stare in their direction, his stance unchanging.

Straightening himself, Andrew approached the group, staring at them casually. "What's the problem, missy?"

"My name isn't 'Missy'! It's Shizuka-Shizuka Matsuo, and you'll address me as such!"

"Shizuka, eh?" Bending down in front of the scowling Shiki, he grinned and booped the Shiki Loli's nose. "Sure you ain't Tinker Bell-for someone so little, you seem to have alotta anger there." It was hard to tell, but Miyako thought she saw Shizuka's face go red for a brief moment. She didn't have time to ask; however, as with a chuckle, Andrew turned to face the tall child. "And last but not least, we have…" With a flick of his wrist, he extended a hand to Miyako, palm up.

"Oh, uh… I'm… I'm Miyako, Andrew-San," Miyako stated, giving a slight bow in response.

"Miyako, huh?" The blonde teenager stroked his chin, continuing to stare at her. After a few moments, though, he smiled warmly and replied, "Nice name! Can I call you Mikky? Imma call you Mikky!"

Cringing a bit, Miyako began, "I don't care for that name—"

"Anyhoo!" Clasping his hands together, he rose to his feet, grinning. "I'd hate to rush y'all, but we need to get going soon."

"Excuse me?" Miyako replied.

"Look, folks around here-they don't take too kindly to outsiders. Stay in one place for too long, and they're bound to find you at some point. And trust me-you don't want to know about what they do if they find you."

Recalling the mutilated, deformed humanoids that they had just faced, Miyako shivered. "Yeah, I think we have an idea…"

"Well, then you know why we should go." Giving a grin, he placed his hands on his hips and continued, "Besides, I've even been fixin' to do some D once I get back to my friends' base. And I'd love to get me some new players!"

"D ?" Shizuka replied with uncertainty, cocking an eyebrow at his claim.

Holding out a hand, he replied, "You know, Dungeons & Dragons. Figured a good session might take your mind off things," He gave a knowing smirk as his hand rested at his side as if expecting the three to understand what he just said. As the trio stared in confusion, he stuck a leg out and spun around, walking away from them. "Now then, come on! We're burning helllight!"

With the blonde teenager leaving, Shizuka turned to Miyako. "Hey, Miyako… you think you can read this guy's mind?" She whispered, an uncertain frown growing on her face.

"Well… I can try Shizuka. But… do you think that's a good idea? What if he can… tell?"

"Do you have a better idea?"

"I do." Chimed in Susumu. "Let's go with him! I already said that he wants to help us."

"And if he's lying?" Miyako inquired, folding her arms.

"He's not! I already said he wants to help!"

"And what if 'helping' means something different for him?" Shizuka retorted with a frown before extending her arms to the teenager. "I mean, look at him! We're in some ravaged wasteland, and he's acting like we're taking a walk through a park!"

"It does seem odd, Susumu. After all, despite acknowledging where we are, he seems… remarkably blase about everything."

With a huff, Susumu crossed his arms and replied, "Fine! Go ahead and read him, then! I'm going with him!"

"Wha-Susumu!" Shizuka hissed as the young boy headed off to Andrew's side.

Miyako reached out, about to say something, when she paused-perhaps Susumu was right. Maybe they really should trust this strange boy. After all, if he intended to hurt them, why wouldn't he do it now? When all of them were somewhere isolated? Besides, he was just one teenager-indeed, a trio of Shiki, including one experienced one, could handle him well enough. With that, she turned her dark eyes to the blonde and started the process with a sigh.

Concentrating, she reached out with her mind, slowly and carefully focusing on taking in his thoughts. As she focused her power, "they" appeared-a cluster of small, translucent appendages, almost like tentacles, appearing from her mind. Despite the initial surprise of seeing them again, she sent them out to Andrew, aiming for his head. Slowly, the cluster wrapped around the blonde teenager's head, and soon, his thoughts were flooding into hers. She took a breath, allowing the once-cryptic information to flow, eager to see what the strange boy was thinking…

"I wonder what that kindergartener will want to play? I suppose a rogue would be a good choice, but maybe she'd prefer to be a barbarian? She does seem like she's got a bit of a temper. Though I'm sure the glasses girl will like being a wizard-she seems like a smart cookie…"

Blinking, Miyako released her hold on Andrew's mind, letting herself come back to herself. Grabbing her head, she let her senses return to her, already feeling the aftereffects of her power.

"...yako! Miyako! Hey!"

"Huh, what?" Shaking her head, Miyako turned to her short-statured companion-who looked at her with concern. "Oh, Shizuka! There you are!"

Blinking in confusion, Shizuka shook her head and asked, "So, what did you find out? Is Andrew safe to trust?"

After a brief pause, Miyako rubbed her chin, replying, "I'm not completely sure, to be honest… his mind was on something other than us." Letting out a heavy breath, she turned her face to Shizuka, frowning. "I don't completely trust him yet… but he seems harmless. And besides… putting aside we're Shiki, there's three of us and one of him. I'm sure we could take him,"

Glancing back over at Susumu, who seemed to be happily chatting with the teenager as they continued their walk forward, she continued, "I guess at the very least, he's our best bet for the moment."

Groaning lightly and running a hand through her hair, Shizuka scanned the area one last time before letting her gaze fall on Andrew and Susumu once more. "Well… I suppose we shouldn't keep them waiting… Besides, I think we owe an apology to Susumu."

Nodding in agreement, Miyako strolled up to the two, with Shizuka following alongside her-making sure to stay close to the taller kindergartener.

As the two got closer, Susumu turned his head around, a little confused and even fearful, before the sight of the two girls popping up caused him to beam with joy. "You two came!"

Crossing her arms and looking away for a brief second, Shizuka replied, "Well… we couldn't just leave you here alone with some strange guy…"

"Hey, I am a puckish rogue, hun," Andrew replied with a grin and a wink. "In any case, it's good to see you around-I wouldn't force y'all to come with, but… this place ain't the safest without someone with experience." The Shiki children grumbled in response.

"So… where exactly are we heading, Mr. Andrew?" Susumu inquired, gazing up at Andrew curiously.

"Well, my friend Aphrodite and I got ourselves a makeshift shelter down yonder. Tomorrow, once we get rested up, the lot of us can head out of here and get somewhere else. Somewhere, well…" Shaking his head lightly, he flashed an uncertain frown. "I wouldn't call it 'better,' but it is a tad safer. If only for the company…"

"Ugh, whatever…" Shizuka stated as she threw up her arms. "Let's just get going; I'm tired and just want to rest."

Giving her a slight smirk, Andrew replied, "Right away, little filly!" With that, the four began to walk off. "So, tell me, which Clan do the lot of you belong to?"

"Uh, 'Clan'?" Susumu asked.

"Yeah! Like, are you three Lasombra? Brujah? You don't seem crazy enough to be Malkavian, and you're not feral enough to be Gangrel."

"I… I don't… think we have a 'clan' Andrew-Sama,"

"Caitiffs, eh? Guess that explains a bit. Still, it's good to see more of the clanless banding together."

"Kay-tif?" Susumu spoke out.

"Well yeah! I mean… certainly, you lot must have been told about other vampires already, right?"

The Trio immediately stopped. "W-Wait!" Miyako blurted out, trying to hold in her shock and fear. "W-Why do you think we're vampires?"

"Oh, sorry," Andrew's features shifted into ones of tremendous guilt. "Are you some of the ones who prefer the term 'Kindred'? I meant no offense."

Miyako blinked. "...Huh?"

"You know, Kindred! Descendants of Caine. Members of the progeny of the Antediluvians, the grandchildr of Caine, and the god-founders of the various Clans." He bent down to them. "Certainly, your sire must have told you lot this."

"Uh, well, you see… Umm…" Shizuka gulped a bit, trying to find the right words. "We, uh, we don't… umm, well…"

"What my friend is trying to say," Miyako continued, stepping up a bit. "Is that we have no idea what you're talking about. I mean…" She attempted a tiny, disbelieving scoff. "What's with all this business about vampires and such? I mean, they aren't real…"

"Riiiggghhhttt… and I'm guessing all the tell-tale signs are just sleep deprivation?"

"...What signs?" Miyako asked quickly.

"Oh, you know… corpse-like skin; strange black or red eyes-"

"Our eyes aren't that weird…" Miyako muttered.

"-and the fact that you three were mentioning powers, so… either magicians or vampires."

"...You heard that?"

"Look, if you're worried, Mikky, don't be," Andrew responded as he took a few steps, bending down to look her in the eyes. "I've seen some strange stuff myself, and heck; some of my friends are vampires! As long as you lot don't hurt anyone, I'm sure we'll get along great!"

Immediately, Susumu looked away, feeling guilty. "Yeah… we won't hurt anyone…"

Approaching the teenager, Shizuka exclaimed, "You seem pretty nonchalant about us being Shi… vampires."

Uncertainly shaking his head side-to-side, he continued, "Well, darlin', to be honest, I was raised by two criminal gangs. And after they had me leave, I was found by a group that took in some strange things and folks: alongside a living statue that only moves when no one's looking, a giant talking lizard who wanted to kill everything for a bit, a girl who can warp reality and thought it was because she was a witch and another little filly who can mutate and control animals. And that's just scratching the surface!"

The trio stared at Andrew, mouths agape but silent.

Coming to his feet, Andrew replied, "But that's for another time. Like I said, though, what are you? Didn't you call yourselves… 'Shiku' or something?"

"Shiki." Miyako corrected. "It means 'corpse-demon'."

"Hmm… never heard of a Clan like that. Is it a bloodline or something?"

Shizuka cringed. "Bloodline? Okay, now you gotta be making stuff up!"

Andrew blinked in confusion. "Wait-you all don't know anything about the Kindred?" He breathed a heavy sigh as he turned around, heading further down the forest, his voice barely above a whisper. "Whoa nelly… the others are gonna have to explain a lot to ya. Don't think the Caramilla will be too pleased…"

With a heavy breath, the Shiki Trio went on, their inquisitiveness having run out.

A few moments later, the party of four came upon a small mound with the mouth of a cave at its side. With a smile, Andrew clapped his hands together. "Alrighty! We're here!" He spun around to the three. "You three make yourselves at home-it's not much, I know, but it'll be what we need before we head off towards the Gate tomorrow night!"

Giving a slight smirk, Susumu replied, "Well, as long as it's far away from whatever 'Chagdiel' is, I'll be happy."

At the mention of the name, Andrew suddenly appeared in front of Susumu. "You were at Chagdiel's Citadel?!" Bending down, he gripped Susumu's shoulders. "What happened?! Did the priests do anything to you?! How did you get away?!" Susumu stuttered in panic, looking for the words.

"Hey, leave him alone!" Shizuka replied as she pushed Andrew off Susumu, glaring daggers at him. "He's been through a lot! And why would you care anyway?!"

Miyako was about to scold Shizuka for her behavior… when she saw Andrew slowly get up, looking suddenly sad and solemn. "Chagdiel is the Death Angel that targets kids," Andrew replied quietly, slowly-even somewhat painfully. Andrew crossed his arms and looked upset, tears appearing in his cinnamon eyes. "Millions of youngsters have been kidnapped and brought to his Citadel, to be tortured, abused…" He closed his eyes as a few stray tears fell out, while the Shiki Trio merely stood there in confusion. "Defiled…"

Miyako gasped while Shizuka glanced over to a confused and concerned Susumu. Thinking of what could have happened to him if Miyako didn't get there in time, she balled her fists and gritted her teeth, all the while fighting back the tears that were starting to appear. Wiping his own away, he turned back to look at the three. "I don't know what happened, and you don't have to tell me, but I promise you-as long as I live and breathe, Chagdiel and his zealots won't lay a finger on any of ya." Turning back to the cavern, he waved the three in. "Come in, I think we're all getting a bit tired, and we could use the rest." Silently, the three went in with him.

"Now, I know it's not much…" Andrew continued as he pulled out some worn-out blankets from a dug-out compartment. "But I hope it'll help for the moment. And I can assure you; things'll be a bit better when we regroup with my friends." He approached the three with a slight smile, handing out a blanket to each child.

"I think it'll do…" Miyako said as she took her blanket, laying it down behind her.

Laying out his own, Susumu asked, "So, what will we do next?"

"Well, we're gonna hunker down here for the night. Tomorrow, though, we're getting out of here-heading off to meet some other friends o'mine." Flashing a half-smirk, he rose to his feet, staring out at the entrance to the cave. "Although, one is supposed to be here really soon."

Shizuka glanced up at the claim. "Wait-you have a friend here?"

Shaking his head, Andrew continued, "Yeah, that's right. Our leader decided it'd be best if we all traveled with at least one other person. Figured that considering all the dangers of this place, it'd be safest if we were together."

Miyako nodded. "Makes sense; like with anywhere dangerous, there's power in numbers."

"Right! And good ol' Aphrodite should be back here any second now!"

Hearing the name caused Miyako and Susumu to exchange looks of shock and surprise at one another. "What's wrong?" Shizuka whispered.

Turning to her, Miyako whispered back, "Aphrodite's the name of the girl who found us and did all that… crazy stuff." Turning her attention to Andrew, she continued, "Wait, this Aphrodite person. Is she-"

Suddenly, the sound of rushing feet echoed in the cavern. Turning to the entrance, Miyako saw that her suspicions were correct: there, in the opening, was the blonde teenager, looking a bit more ragged than before but, for the most part, relatively okay. She barely seemed to register the three as she marched into the cave, only looking at Andrew.

"Ah! The lovely Lady LaFont graces our presence-"

"Shut it, Chambliss," Aphrodite deadpanned as she continued to move towards the cave's center, frantically looking at some nearby cracks and crevices. "There's a bunch of kids out there, and we need to get them back before they get hurt!"

"Uh, Aph..."

"Look, I need the whip. It might be risky, but when I last saw them, they nearly got gangbanged by a horde of purgatides. I need something consecrated to fend those fuckers off!"

"Aphrodite..."

"Damn it!" Aphrodite screeched as she slammed another drawer closed. "Why does that damn thing keep disappearing the minute I need it?!"

"Umm... I think it's there," Susumu said as he pointed to a seemingly-unimpressive leather whip on a nearby metal box.

Turning her head to it, Aphrodite's hand shot out to grab the weapon. "Good. Now I can find those three," Swinging around, she began to leave. "I swear, when I get to them, I'm gonna..." As she was leaving, she stopped in her tracks and turned to the Trio, fury leaping from her eyes like fire from a kiln. "I'm gonna fucking throttle them!" Stomping up to the three Shiki, she screeched, "What the hell were you thinking?! Didn't I tell you to stay where you were till I got back?!"

Miyako and Susumu cringed at the harsh words, looking downtrodden and guilty. Just before Miyako responded, she saw Shizuka approach the blonde girl.

"I don't know who you think you are, but nobody-and I mean nobody-talks to those two that way!"

Glaring down at her, Aphrodite replied, "Because of their idiocy, your friends nearly got forced into remaking A Serbian Film with a bunch of torture demons! I will talk to them however I goddamn want!" Miyako cringed at their arguments while Susumu tried to approach the two. Before he could, though, a form appeared in front of Aphrodite.

"Okay, time out, Aphrodite!" Andrew shouted as he rushed to the infuriated blonde, pushing Aphrodite away from the trio and grabbing Shizuka by the collar of her shirt. Gently placing the indignant Shiki down, he turned to the blonde. "Look, what they did was stupid, alright? But they were scared, confused. Besides, it's not like they know what we know!"

"They could have gotten themselves captured, Andrew! Thrown into a Purgatory, or worse! You know what kind of horrible shit is out here on the Inferno!"

"Look, Aph…"

"Don't you 'Look, Aph' me! You know I'm right about this!"

"Oh really?" Andrew snapped back. "So, what about when you and your friends first saw a Voidbringer? A Necron? From what I recall, y'all weren't exactly fearless!" As Aphrodite and Andrew continued their spat, Miyako bit her bottom lip–this was getting out of hand. While the young Shiki didn't know these two all that well, she felt that this wasn't normal, and something had to be done. Besides, as much as she hated to admit it, Aphrodite was right about something–what Susumu and her did was reckless, and probably caused her a great deal of worry.

Approaching the two, Miyako squeaked out, "Umm… Miss Aphrodite?" Immediately, both teens' heads swung to look at the young Shiki–Andrew's in concern, Aphrodite's in rage. Her head down, fidgeting a bit, Miyako continued, "I'm… truly sorry about what happened. It was my idea to go down there in the first place…"

Crossing her arms, Aphrodite glared at Miyako, but there seemed to be something other than fury now in her eyes… disappointment, perhaps?

"Miyako, you don't have to do that!" Shizuka exclaimed as she went to Miyako's side. "You did nothing wrong–you guys just wanted to help me!"

"But, the point, Shizuka, is that Ms. Aphrodite told Susumu and I to stay put. Even if we did help you, well… we still went against her orders."

"Aww, come on, darlin'." Andrew stated, approaching her. "You just did what you thought was right. There's no shame in doing that!"

"Andy, stop enabling her." Aphrodite deadpanned as she stepped in front of the, now annoyed, cowboy. "So, is that it? Was your whole suicide rush just your idea?"

Miyako hung her head, thinking of what to say. She couldn't let Susumu get in trouble, but she wasn't sure what would be a convincing lie. Perhaps she could say that she dragged Susumu with her, or guilt-tripped him. Maybe she could say that Susumu simply refused to let her go alone–

"No, it was my idea too!" Susumu's voice caused Miyako's head to whip up, staring at Susumu in surprise. Her jaw nearly dropped to the floor–what was Susumu doing?! "I said that, even if I wanted to believe you could help Shizuka, we… still should have helped her anyway. And… I said I was going to come with Miyako anyway."

"Hmm…" Squinting her eyes and pursing her lips, Aphrodite bent down slightly to stare Miyako in the face. "Alright, before I decide what to do with you, let me figure out something–just what was going through that steaming pile of shit you call a brain to make you think that what you did was a good idea?"

"Look, we've been through a lot, okay!" Shizuka blurted out. "Our village got into a…" She sighed slightly, looking uncomfortable. "A… 'civil war' if you could call it that." Aphrodite's features softened slightly upon hearing that, while Andrew took a few steps forward. "Our leader, Sunako, wanted our village of Sotoba to be a haven for Shiki. And so she had us try to turn or kill the rest of the townsfolk. When the humans figured out the truth, they started fighting back, and well… a lot of us got killed, okay!" Looking around her surroundings, she continued, "Or, at least, I thought we did… But, it doesn't matter! We lost everything, and for all we know, the three of us are all we have left."

"Christ almighty…" Andrew whispered.

Aphrodite leaned back and took a few steps away from Miyako and Susumu. Her eyes filled with pain and… understanding, perhaps? "Is… is this true, Miyako?"

Miyako nodded her head. "Look, I won't deny what we three did at Sotoba was good–looking back, there were a lot of better ways to do things–but we're family. And family is everything, especially for us Japanese. Especially for us Shiki!"

In response, the marked girl took a breath, glancing sideways to Andrew, who returned her gaze. Closing her eyes for a second, Aphrodite begun, "Okay… if that's the case… then, I'll let you and Susumu off the hook for now."

Miyako and Susumu's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when they heard that. "R-Really?!" Susumu exclaimed with a grin.

Aphrodite nodded, before her brow once again creased, and she approached the three. "But, from now on, until we get you back to either the Keep or your family, you aren't leaving our sight for a second." Aphrodite continued firmly, causing Susumu and Miyako to flinch and Shizuka to shoot Aphrodite a dirty look. "You three won't drink, sleep, or shit unless we know where you are at all times! Do I make myself clear?!"

"Y-Yes, ma'am..." Susumu squeaked out, looking to the side in fear. Seeing him, Miyako reached out and placed a hand on his arm, smiling slightly. In response, Susumu turned to Miyako, flashing a small, grateful grin with the gesture.

"Good…" Seemingly calming down, Aphrodite took a breath and replied, "Well, I suppose that the best thing to do now is get some rest. We've got a long journey ahead of us, and we'll all need to be ready."

Susumu nodded in response. "Yeah, now that you mention it… I'm starting to feel kind of tired, all of sudden." He yawned slightly. "How about you two?"

Miyako nodded. "Yeah… I'm starting to feel it too. Guess the day really took a lot out of us."

Andrew shrugged. "Tends to happen on your first day here. Besides, it'll be good to get well-rested for the journey home!"

"Speaking of a journey," Shizuka stated as she approached the girl. "You mentioned a 'Keep'. What's that all about?"

"It's, uh… hard to explain. Essentially, there's a place–a safe haven our allies made, so we could protect ourselves and help others."

Shizuka frowned and cocked an eyebrow. "You've got a house in this place?"

"Sure do, little lady!" Andrew replied with a smile, back to his old cheerful self. "I mean, it's no Mariott, but all of us keep the Keep in the best condition we can! It's got plenty of rooms, nice dining area, decent game room–"

"Wait, wait, wait…" Shizuka replied as she waved her hands in front of her. "'All of us'? There's more of you?"

"Sure is! There's Jared, Olivia, Shallan, Jaune, the Crows–the list goes on! To be honest, even got a couple of D campaigns going on with them. Though a few still need some persuading…"

"Ugh, please," Aphrodite replied with a roll of her eyes. "Like you'll ever convince them to play that stupid game."

"Wha–What's wrong with D ? It's a great game for everyone!"

"Right, like we all want to play pretend like a bunch of toddlers…"

Cocking an eyebrow, Andrew replied, "Oh, really?" before opening up his coat and reaching over to one of the interior pockets, pulling out a folded sheet of paper. "Then explain this character sheet for a Ms. 'Sagesse Beaumont.'"

Aphrodite's eyes widened. "Wh-Where did you get that?!"

Unfolding the paper, Andrew hummed and stroked his chin. "Hmm, let's see… Paladin… likes to use a whip… comes from a long line of vampire hunters…"

"Vampire hunters?" Susumu asked.

"J-Just the bad ones, sweetie." Aphrodite giggled nervously, before glaring at Andrew. "Give me that back, Chambliss… I worked really hard on making that for your stupid campaign."

"Oh, so you admit you played D before!" Andrew flashed a trollish grin, causing the trio to stiffen giggles of laughter.

"Not important–give it back!" Aphrodite lunged and grabbed the paper, holding it close to her as Andrew continued his grin. Apparently remembering the younger kids that were in the cavern with the two, Aphrodite's features softened for once and she continued, "Uhh… I just… you know… don't want something I worked on for a while to go to waste. These character sheets take a long time to make!" She chuckled nervously before starting to head for the cavern entrance, slowly folding up the paper. "I… I think I'll just take first watch tonight… give myself some time to think…"

Miyako stared at Aphrodite as she left, surprised to see this part of her. Beforehand, the Marked Girl seemed to fierce, cold, aloof–almost devoid of any emotions besides anger and distrust. Now, though, seeing her act more like… well, a teenager, it made Miyako feel differently about her. She appeared more… human. More vulnerable. As if Aphrodite was hiding herself in a suit of armor, and she had finally begun to take it off.

Along with that, it allowed Miyako to realize something. Beforehand, with those creatures she and Susumu had encountered, she was confused, horrified, and uncertain. She didn't know what was going on, and didn't know who to trust besides her family. … safe. Safer than she had been even after her transformation–perhaps even in her whole life! It was strangely ironic–somehow, by dying, she had found herself with people she felt would ensure nothing bad would happen to her or her friends ever again. There was uncertainty, of course, and a great deal of unanswered questions–the biggest being if anyone else from Sotoba had arrived here, and if so who–but she couldn't help but feel that somehow, things would be alright.

Allowing herself a small smile, she headed over to her blanket, laid down, and allowed sleep to overtake her.