"A little to the left..." Rune guided Jatari as she placed a large boulder as a headstone at the site of the graves. The ground shook a little under his small feet as she set it down and finally panted a little to catch her breath. She had hardly broken a sweat for the past few hours of hard digging, and had just finished laying the fallen warriors to rest just outside the village. Rune helped her pick a peaceful looking place where the flowers were still in full bloom and where the light of the sunset washed over the graves like a gentle blanket.
Of course Rune couldn't say he felt much loss for a village of people he didn't know, but when he saw the distant look of loss and pain in Jatari's eyes, he felt a knot grow in his chest and his stomach felt more empty than before as he felt sympathy for the hardened warrior. He'd been close to his old tribemates once, and he understood the feeling of loss when a fellow warrior or friend died. This poor woman had lost her entire village and family, and now her only chance at having familiar comfort with her own. Unless she wanted to travel to foreign tribes... Her and her sister were on their own.
Jatari leaned on the hilt of her sword that she had used to help dig, panting and looking over the graves a last time as she gathered her breath. Rune let her have a moment of silence, walking over to one of the flower beds at the edge of the clearing and snapping a stem, walking over to the stone she'd placed with a purple and blue flower that resembled a lily.
He looked over the row of graves his small blue ears going down against his head with a soft bow of respect as he walked forward and lay the flower against the boulder. His heartbeat quickened when Jatari shot a glance at him, but when he turned to look back, he noticed the corner of her lips turning into a faint appreciative smile. Her cold eyes watched him a little warmer this time and she looked back to the graves, bowing her head softly with her eyes closed before turning and walking in the direction Vanna had left to wait with Yuko.
Everything seemed peaceful for the time being, despite the events of the day. Rune followed after the tall feline woman, his ears perking and excitement building when he located Yuko, and he jumped into a run, crawling up his leg and onto his shoulder and then running up his neck, leaning against the seviri's two sets of ears. He giggled when he felt Yuko shiver at the feeling of his tiny feet scurrying up his neck. Yuko let out a laugh and batted at him with his soft paws playfully.
Rune dodged and paused to glance at Vanna who looked distracted by heavy distant thoughts and he decided to distract his friend from troubles of the mind. He grinned playfully and launched into her hair, making her gasp a surprised scream and Yuko laughed at the sight. She laughed when she realized it was just the little mouse and laughed harder when he started to tickle her ears.
"Ah! Stop! Nonono AHAHAH!!~ Eee! Ruhuhuune!" Vanna's laugh was sweet and contagious, making the trio fall over themselves in a laughing hysteria. Jatari smiled and joined in the laughter a few moments later when Vanna suddenly sneezed and Rune flew off her head and back onto Yuko.
It was a long time before everyone stopped crying from laughing so hard. Vanna finally calmed with Jatari as they watched the two unlikely friends play by the boulder, Rune tickling Yuko along his ears and neck, while Yuko would gently try to bat him off with his big soft paws. They tussled and laughed, Rune happy when he looked back to see Vanna with a big refreshed smile on her face.
Even though they'd just met, Rune felt an instant connection with the two sisters, and he knew Yuko felt the same. They'd gotten off on the wrong foot, but after some clarity Rune realized they had a lot in common. They all had no place to go back to, except for maybe Yuko, but young male seviris were more or less kicked out of home sooner or later. They all had experience with the strange invasive fungus that seemed to take over, and they all agreed they needed to find a way to overcome it. They were all determined to survive, and agreed that they were stronger working together. Rune realized that despite the differences they all had...
They're my new tribe...
Rune's heart nearly sprung from his chest at the thought, and a wide smile spread across his face. He let out a sudden happy squeak when Yuko's large paw batted him out of his distraction, almost knocking him off and he clung to the seviri's ear.
"Awww, that was such a cute noise, Rune! That's so embarrassing for you!" Yuko laughed as Rune vengefully nipped at his neck, making him laugh harder and the two continued to play at the entertainment of the sisters.
Vanna was looking off to the right silently, seeming to watch something, but only Jatari paid attention and instinctively followed her gaze. The young mouse and seviri were too distracted to notice, playing and roughhousing happily until Jatari urgently snapped something undetermined at them, making them stop in an odd stance, both focusing on their new friend, slipping out of their happy high, their ears perking when they felt the anxious energy stirring around both the sisters.
"What's wrong?" Yuko quickly whisper-yelled and fell into step next to Jatari, Vanna not moving from against the boulder, fear growing in her eyes.
"They're back." Jatari growled gravely and was already gripping her sword.
"Who's ba-" Yuko cut himself off, Rune following his line of sight and caught the movement Yuko and the two Kynai were watching. Chills crawled through his spine and down to every nerve as a pack of the strange rabid creatures that him and Yuko had the previous encounter with, were now hurtling towards them up the cliffside path, followed by something that stood taller and walked behind them much slower. He didn't have time to decipher it before the group of about seven growling and yipping creatures, all came over the lip of the path. Jatari was the first to move, letting out a battle cry as she grabbed hold of the chain linking her sword and hammer, starting to swing the blade above her head in a spinning blur. It spun faster and faster, making Rune marvel at the whirring sound it made as it cut through the air.
He watched as the blade suddenly lashed out at lightning speed as one the beasts launched, his eyes widening when the blade severed it completely in half. He finally made the coherent thought that he shouldn't be out in the open and ran to Yuko, scurrying up to his place between his shoulder blades and held on. The world became a blur as Yuko attacked a creature that circled around the side, this time battling back with full force, not playing around or hoping to avoid a fight anymore. He knew just as well as everyone, that that wasn't an option with these animals.
The seviri's claws aimed low and cut into the creatures unprotected hide under its belly and along its side, making it yelp and limp-run away to regain its bearings. Vanna stood and got beside Yuko, holding a large spear that she must've taken from the village. Rune heard another high yelp before he saw the blood spray from the spear wound of the fleeing creature. For a girl who wasn't a warrior, she sure knew how to fight.
Everyone backed into a defensive circle with their backs facing each other, and the remaining rabid creatures circled the group. Three were untouched, two were badly wounded by Yuko and Vanna still circling relentlessly, and two were sliced in half, killed instantly by Jataris ruthless blade.
The older sister swung her lightning-like sword at the stalking predators, but the prowling creatures yipped in less surprise and jumped back, quickly dodging the attack.
They're learning... Rune realized with horror.
Yuko suddenly broke the circle, eagerly launching at two of the beasts that were getting too close, yelping when they dodged and ambushed him, biting at him from both sides, trying to drag him further away from the safety of numbers. Rune held on, crying out in fear just as Jatari slammed her blade through one of the creatures, it not even getting the chance to yelp. Yuko was able to kick the other beast off him, Jatari already running to Yuko's side, pulling back her blade for another retaliation.
As the sword swung back in the slack of the chain she wielded, something stopped the blade in the air and Jatari looked back unable to hide her surprise or fear. A tall, well-built creature standing on two legs, with a long tail, bluish grey skin and glowing green eyes, stood at the edge of the clearing, holding the blade's edge with one hand. His claws gleamed a shiny black.
"So you're the group that escaped my Pilayha... Fascinating~" The long-eared creature with a neck-mane a bit longer than Yukos, flicked its tail irritably as he yanked back on the sword, making Jatari lose her footing and Vanna shouted out worriedly to her sister. Jatari was too distracted to see her sisters eyes full of fear. Yuko struggled to keep back one of the aggressive beasts as another came to take the last attacker's place, coming at Yuko from his blindside.
"Vanna!" Rune called out as he saw the incoming attack and the young sister turned to help, stabbing her spear up through the creatures ribs just before it could latch onto the seviri. It fell limp to the ground, Vanna turning to help Yuko fight off the remaining creature at his other side. Rune breathed in relief before whimpering in concern as his eyes laid on another scene. The strange man that followed the beasts here was dodging back and forth effortlessly in front of Jatari.
"How could you!? How could you kill all those innocent people!?" Jatari screamed at the top of her lungs, tears that had long been buried were now threatening to well up in her cold hate-filled eyes. Rune pieced together from her words that these creatures must have been under the command of the strange man. His ears flattened as he switched between holding on tightly to Yukos mane and listening to the conversation ensuing behind them.
"Ha!.. Nobody's innocent~... Listen. I've got a job to do, kitty~... I can't have warriors like you holding me back~ It's not you, it's...... Well actually, it is you~" He chuckled darkly, only infuriating her more.
"Cheer up! Even if you don't die now, you'll all fall eventually~ You group of accidents are hardly worth my time... But even I get bored~"
Rune watched the strangers eyes switch from playful and devious to angry and concerned. He wondered why the sudden change, and then he turned to the sound of another shrill shriek from a beast who'd been impaled by Vanna's quick spear and she tossed it over the edge of the cliff, turning to face another. The stranger's eyes were on Vanna. Soon after, just like that, the man's eyes were back to their devious glow, staring at Jatari.
At first glance, it seemed like they had won. Rune saw no creatures except the last wounded one Vanna now battled confidently with her spear while Yuko rested from his wounds. The man continued to dodge Jataris swinging attacks easily, grinning again and Rune wondered why he wasn't fighting. Then it hit him.
He's a distraction...
Rune's worried eyes scoured the clearing but he couldn't see anything.
He called down a warning to Yuko who glanced up at him on his shoulders, confused before his eyes widened at a loud roaring howl. Both of them turned to see a creature hurtling out of the trees towards Vanna whose back was turned. She was distracted, cutting down the last injured beast with her spear by the cliff as the ambushing animal closed in at the speed of lightning.
"VANNA!" Yuko cried out in hysterical panic, Rune cried out a second warning to Jatari but couldn't take his horrified eyes away as the incoming beast launched at full speed into Vanna's back before she even had the chance to turn around, sending them both flying over the edge of the cliff towards the bottom of the ravine.
Runes ears flattened, his breath hitching as he jumped off of Yuko's back, racing to the cliff's edge, watching Vanna and the creature fall out of sight into the dark canyon below. Her screams mixed with the creatures yelping cries as they both fell, were soon overcome by the hurricane of rapids that raged in the river far below. When the screams silenced, Rune knew it was over and he fell to his hands and knees, screaming his pain and heartbreak down into the echoing ravine.
He was answered with nothing.
Jatari looked back quickly to see what the commotion was, the strange man she'd been fighting seizing the opportunity and quickly vanishing into the treeline. She turned back to defend herself from any attack, surprised that he had retreated. With no more beasts to fight for him, she imagined he'd accepted defeat. After a moment of watching the trees and listening to the footsteps fade away she finally turned and ran back towards Yuko and Rune who were both standing by the cliffs edge staring into the gorge below. She looked around confused.
"Where's Vanna?" Her voice was bordering urgent, and Rune couldn't bring himself to face her right away. He knew Jatari would be more angry than anything and he stood slowly, taking a breath, trying to unblock his tight throat. Tears fought to stay hidden in his eyes but when he turned to face her, the look of knowing pain in her eyes made them come in hot rivers down his cheeks.
"Sh-she..." He started to say, but he couldn't bring himself to finish the words he couldn't believe himself. He sobbed as reached up to rub the tears from his eyes, but they kept coming. Yuko still stared down into the gorge turning to look up at Jatari, shared horror and pain in his eyes.
The truth finally hit her.
"No..."
Her ears flattened for the first time since they'd met her and she raced to the cliffs edge, staring down into the darkness below.
"No!!!"
Jatari screamed out in a cry that could be heard echoing in the many mountains beyond. Yuko pawed Rune out of her way, pulling the mouse towards him to make room as she fell on her hands and knees dangerously close to the edge, muttering the word over and over again. Yuko brought his tail around in front of her to stop her from leaning out too far. She swiped her claws at him, leaving marks along his tail and making him bleed but he didn't dare pull away.
Runes heart broke as he watched the strong woman he'd met, lean forward into the embrace of the seviris tail as if pleading for its strength to give way and let her fall. Yuko didn't falter as she tried to claw past him once more, letting out mournful cries and crying harder than Rune had ever believed possible for her again. He knew she must've become so hardened over the years of loss as a warrior, and as a fighter. With the tears she cried for her sister, he knew just how much she'd loved her. Rune couldn't imagine her pain, and his heart broke more for the warriors loss.
His loss...
Yuko pulled her away from the edge despite her struggles and cried as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a hug. Jatari didn't fight back this time as he cradled her close, closing his eyes, his ears drooping as they both wept into the gentle embrace. Rune shuddered, unable to bare anyone's warm touch right now as he turned his eyes back to the ravine. He knew she was gone, and that there was no getting her back. But he hoped that even in another world, wherever she may be now, that she could still feel their love for her kind and gentle spirit.
We barely even got the chance to know you... But knowing you as we did... we'll miss you...
Nobody broke the silence as the sun sank below the mountains beyond. The young Kyn and Seviri lay close, sleeping next to the boulder Vanna's sweet scent still clung to. Rune was the last one awake, sitting at the edge of the ravine, his slender tail curled around his feet and watching the sky turn slowly from blue to a purplish black. As the night stars glittered and shone above, Rune thought one of them looked rather bright tonight.