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Crax
 Author
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: MY
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Old_Iron
Spoiler for Medieval Belka: Chapter 1, Part 2:
The snowstorm from the previous night had left the landscape painted a frigid white that the village farmers were forced to dig through so that they could tend to their sturdy winter crops.
Having left the village behind some time ago, the trio trudged along the snow covered trail down the mountain. The cold powder gave way beneath their footsteps with soft crunching sounds. Signum had taken point with her bow in hand and hawk-like eyes keeping watch for any movement. Vita guarded the rear while chewing on a sliver of jerky. Yuuno was stuck between the two females. Every so often he would pick up an errant stone, twig, or other object that was exposed or had been kicked up by animal tracks or Signum's footsteps. Each object would be examined as they walked and either stowed away or tossed aside.
It didn't take long for Vita to bring up the unusual actions. "Yuuno, what the hell are you doing?" she asked with a raised eyebrow, breaking the silence that had settled on the group.
"Gathering some reagents," was the simple reply as he examined a small pine cone.
"Reagents? You planning on brewing up something when we stop or going through some kind of ritual?" queried Vita with some confusion. She didn't see the need for any rituals, nor did she think they would have the time. The same went for potions and salves. There was also the fact that, even with her limited knowledge of the subject, Vita was fairly certain that medicines did not consist of random rocks picked up on the roadside.
Tossing the pine cone to the side, Yuuno replied, "Some of my magic requires reagents to work properly. I didn't have the money or time to properly restock back there. If I had, then I wouldn't have been able to pay my tab or let us leave on time."
"I've never heard of non-ritual magic that takes reagents before. Besides, if you can use junk you find on the ground, why waste money?" Vita wasn't really much into the realm of magecraft, but it was better than letting the silence drag on.
"Its a matter of quality, actually," he stated while looking back over his free shoulder at Vita, "Higher quality components are needed for stronger spells or more favorable results. Its that or use an absurd amount of low quality components for the same effect. You can make a better sword with better metal, right? Same idea. I'd rather have low quality spells than none at all."
"Huh... That makes sense, when you put it that way." Not exactly eager for the conversation to die out, Vita pressed on. "So... What kind of magic is that anyway? The kind that needs reagents and stuff." As she asked, the redhead moved closer to the scholar so that he wouldn't have to speak as loudly.
Signum remained silent and vigilant, but was curious as well. A sliver of her attention went to the conversation behind her.
Yuuno's expression took on a look that would have been odd to any who saw it, but since he had turned to face forward again, none did. "Its Scrya magic. I would be very surprised if you knew much, if anything, about how it works," he admitted. The magic of the Scrya clan was not widely practiced or taught outside of the clan. It had practically vanished on that day fifteen years ago and in the events that followed.
Vita gave a huff in response, "I'm a blacksmith, bookworm. Magic isn't something I'm exactly well versed in." She resisted the urge to start chewing on another sliver of dried meat before continuing. "So? What can it do? Rain fire from the sky? Command the undead? Or turn lead into gold?"
Her examples came across as a little sarcastic, but Yuuno paid it no heed. "You're not too far off with that last one, actually." Vita blinked but said nothing as the scholar continued. "Interacting with and manipulating the physical world is what it does. Alterations, transmutations, even transformations. I could turn you into a bear or a bobcat if I wanted. At least give you the ears and tail."
Vita seemed suitably disturbed by his explanation as she brought a hand to her ear, making certain that they were just as fleshy and hairless as when she'd woken up. Finding that nothing had changed, she glared at the scholar. A biting remark was on the tip of her tongue.
"Please refrain from doing so, Yuuno. My sister is rather fond of her current set," interjected Signum before Vita could say anything. Her tone was amused, but still caused the scholar to shrink back somewhat.
As he was about apologize, the Knight drew an arrow and notched it in one swift motion. Her posture straightened and the string was pulled back in a full draw. A sharp twang preceded the release of the deadly shaft. Not a moment later there was the meaty sound of the arrow striking flesh. Signum wordlessly marched into the snow covered bushes, causing much of what remained to fall with her motions.
"What'd ya hit?" called out Vita as she motioned Yuuno to follow quickly.
Signum emerged holding the impaled form of a rabbit by the ears, its snow white fur staining red around the entrance and exit wounds of the arrow. Unfortunately the shaft seemed to have snapped at some point after striking its victim and was unsalvageable. The arrowhead was saved however, and Signum stowed it away in a small pouch. "An early lunch," was the simple reply. "We may eat as we walk."
Yuuno looked a little green at the idea of eating the raw meat. Vita took notice and elbowed him good naturally, "What? You've never eaten a fresh kill before? C'mon, bookworm, be a man! Show some spirit. Don't tell me that you're a milk-drinker."
"I think you've been drinking too much of it," he finally shot back blandly while pointing at her chest. Signum ignored their banter as she drained the blood from the unfortunate rabbit, creating a trail of red snow as they got moving again. The bow was now strung across her chest, with the wood upon her back.
Vita's eyes widened slightly at his return barb before smacking him on the shoulder. "See, ya do have some brass, bookworm," she sated somewhat crudely while continuing to use the nickname, grinning the entire time.
Yuuno winced and rubbed the arm she'd struck. He would have attempted some form of retort, but Signum intervened, "If you wish to continue, that is your decision. It shall simply mean more food for myself."
The scholar and the blacksmith ceased their interaction and turned to Signum, who held out a few bloody strips of meat without ever turning to them or pausing in her step. Both finally noticed the trail of fur and cast off parts that were inedible that had been rapidly added to the blood on the snow. The blonde blinked as he tried to process just how quickly Signum had prepared their meal.
"...You should see her when she's really hungry," whispered Vita to Yuuno before approaching her elder sister to secure rations, lest they be devoured by the pinkette.
Rank was broken as Yuuno began walking alongside Signum as well, staring at the bloody cut of meat in his hand. He'd never eaten something like this before at the Infinity Library, but seeing Vita and Signum readily devouring the rabbit made him decide to just go with it. Taking a hefty bite, the scholar found it to be an interesting taste. It was cold, wet, and rather gamy, but good all the same. "This is pretty good, I'll admit," he stated after finishing his portion. He wiped his face with the palm of his glove, leaving a bloody smear behind.
Signum only nodded as she continued slicing away at the small corpse in her hand, occasionally pausing to hand an edible strip to one of two two individuals walking alongside her or to pop one into her own mouth.
Soon there was only the bones left of the animal and three satisfied bellies. Yuuno took the bones that could be rendered into soup and stored them away safely in his pack. If the weather went afoul and they needed to make camp, they would be most valuable. All three had made use of the snow to remove what blood they could from their hands and Signum to clean the dagger she'd used to butcher the rabbit.
"That was pretty amazing, Signum," commented the man after a bit.
"Pardon?" A quizzical look graced her features, not quite certain what she'd done that was impressive to her charge.
"The rabbit. I've never seen anyone prepare food so efficiently like that before." The few times he'd visited the kitchens of the library, there was hardly anyone there or it had been a scene of barely contained chaos. Not to mention that the cooks all had space to work on. He recalled nearly being trampled once when he was just a small boy.
"Ah. The preparation of food on the move is something taught to all Knights." She remained stoic, but scratched at her cheek with her now clean gauntlet in what could have been a sign of slight embarrassment. "I am simply... more proficient than most," she admitted.
"That you hate waiting to eat has nothing to do with it?" quipped the younger sister, eyeing Signum out of the corner of her vision.
The tallest of the trio did not dignify that with a response, choosing to ignore the redhead instead. Vita smirked in victory as Signum posed a question to the only male present, "Yuuno, might I inquire to what exactly you will be instructing Lady Hayate?" She knew that he was summoned to teach, likely involving magic, but had not been given any further detail.
Yuuno scratched his chin thoughtfully before replying. "I'll be teaching her mostly magical theory and how to properly identify and deal with Lost Logia. If I feel she's up to it, then I'll teach her some actual spells."
Signum arched an eyebrow. "I do not intend to belittle your intelligence, Yuuno. But you seem rather young to be a candidate for instructing the future Arch-Mage on the subject of Lost Logia." Managing and often sealing acquired Lost Logia were one of the primary duties of the Arch-Mage and a great deal of care went into the job. It was not something that could be taken lightly. In all honesty, she had been expecting Yuuno to be an older man and not the youth in the picture she had been given after receiving her orders.
He shook his head as they continued to trudge down the path. "Its alright... I've been involved with the subject since I could properly read, so that gives me enough qualification to warrant some of the Kaiser's attention. I'm certain you can figure out the rest of the reason." The last part was stated in such a way that Signum felt pursuing it would not be the wisest course of action.
"May I ask you then, exactly how many years that would be?" inquired the Knight. It was the safer question of the two she could ask, and Vita agreed silently.
"Thirteen of study and research. I'll be seeing my eighteenth before the end of this coming Spring," Yuuno answered honestly.
Vita turned an appraising eye upon the man while Signum responded, "That is quite a long time. I would have hoped you to have more experience, but this is acceptable."
The blonde scratched the back of his head, not entirely certain how to respond to that. "Well, I'll do everything I can to make sure she learns what I have to teach her." To which Signum gave a nod of approval.
The conversation seemed to die off after that and the three walked in relative silence. The only sounds of the frozen surroundings being the crunch of snow beneath their boots and the occasional scampering of winder wildlife. Trees were still plentiful as they made their way down the mountain trail, and would be until they started coming closer to Dawnleaf. High above, the winter sun continued its efforts to warm the frigid lands.
-Scene Break-
Small signs of civilization began to appear after a few more hours of marching. The occasional road marker or cast off wagon wheel buried in snow let the party know that they were making good time. They'd only had to make a few stops in their travel thus far to refill their empty water skins at a brook that ran close to the trail and also to answer nature's call. An action that Yuuno found exceptionally embarrassing.
However things began to take a turn for the worse when Signum suddenly stopped advancing and held her arm out, forcing Yuuno and Vita to halt. A gentle breeze had begun to blow. The silence was broken only by the sound of the Knight sniffing the air. It brought a look of confusion to Yuuno's face and understanding to Vita's, who immediately maneuvered herself to face the rear and sandwich the scholar between herself and Signum.
Her hand began moving towards the shaft of Graf Eisen that jutted out from beneath her cloak. "What do you think?" Vita whispered loud enough only for her sister and Yuuno to hear.
"Rot. Death. Bandits or trolls. I am unable to get a good sense of their positioning," she answered in a hard voice while reaching for Laevatein's leather wrapped handle with her right hand. "Yuuno, stay between us and do not attempt anything foolhardy." Her tone became harder, laced strongly with the power of a commander's order.
Yuuno wanted to protest, but the Knight's tone mixed with the sound of weapons being drawn to quash that desire. All he could do was draw the dagger that Vita had given him while dropping his satchel. The weapon felt unusual in his hands, clumsy and unfamiliar.
All went silent for a few moments more, only to be broken by the harsh cracking sound of a crossbow unleashing its payload. The bolt's deadly trajectory carried it towards Signum's head. It was only her reflexes that save her from being slain at the onset of battle. She twisted her head sharply to the side, saving herself from a lethal blow but suffering a long jagged gash running the length of her left cheekbone and just below it. The momentum behind the projectile forced Signum's body to turn with her head, and sent a spray of blood across the snow in the process.
Signum swore in pain while her attacker did the same in frustration. However the Knight did not falter from her position and immediately turned to face forward once more. Her charge and her sister would have voiced concern for her safety, but distraction could prove lethal here.
The unknown assailants seemed to have abandoned the element of surprise as they left their concealment and made their presence known. There were eight of them, all clad in patchwork leather and metal armor and covered in dried blood, dirt, and all manner of filth. The scent of dead bodies and unwashed flesh began to reach the less sensitive noses of Vita and Yuuno, whose faces scrunched up in disgust.
"Well now..." started one of the assailants, brandishing a longsword in Signum's direction that had seen better days. His voice was rough and oily. "Get a closer look and yer a broad. Good thing Roid didn't kill ya. Cold is fine, but I prefer 'em warm..." he trailed off with a vile leer directed at the Knight.
Another of the unclean, a woman by the looks of her and wielding a blade in far better condition than the one belonging to the man who had just taunted Signum. "We'll let you choose. Pleasure before death or death before pleasure." As she spoke, the group began tightening their circle around the trio.
"Not much of a choice there, bitch," retorted Vita, tightening her grip on the warhammer she held. "How about option three? The one where I see how far I can send your heads flying."
"Too bad then, girly. The lads'll be enjoying you for a looong time," sneered a third brigand. "Me, I want the boy. He looks mighty fine and virile." Yuuno's face paled as that horribly warped expression landed on him.
"Sorry, he's ours," the redhead shot back before the tension reached its breaking point. From there, the marauders made their move with a maddened battle cry.
Two of the eight charged the wounded Signum with axes drawn and the desire to see blood that was not their own was reflected in their eyes. The Knight met them violently as she body checked the first before he could even begin bringing down his weapon. There was a flash of steel and a bloody red arc was drawn through the air, trailing viscera and entrails. With that, the first death of many more to come had been written by Laveatein's razor edge. The blade had carved a fatal path through the second assailant's belly as he tried to capitalize on Signum's movements. He dropped the the ground screaming in pain while trying to pile his intestines back into the gaping cavity before perishing moments later.
The body checked brigand had been staggered by the fierce blow and fell to the ground, landing on his back. Before he could stand, the screaming of his ally filled his ears and the whirling form of Signum's body filled his eyes. There was no mercy in the Knight's movements as she brought her blade around full circle. No scream of terror left the man's throat as it was no longer receiving air. The second body collapsed bonelessly into the snow as the severed head landed next to it.
Signum made to move back to Yuuno's side, but the vile man who had spoken first was on her more quickly than she could retreat. A flash of sparks erupted as Laevatein met the blackened blade. "You've got spunk, lady. I like that," he taunted, not seeming to care that she had just dispatched two of his allies.
While the Knight exchanged blows with her assailant, Vita was keeping three of the four remaining marauders at bay. The fifth had met a very messy and painful end when Graf Eisen had impacted with her midsection. When the blow had connected, it crushed the already abused armor into the woman's body and pulped her internal organs, violently forcing blood and tissue to erupt from the mouth and nose.
No one had dared chance getting caught in the redhead's sphere of death after that. Having two of their number cut down with such brutal efficiency and a third turned into a bloody mess, the brigands' had started playing it more safe than before. They had shifted to a strategy that involved darting in and out of the blacksmith's range, trying for a wound rather than a kill. Unfortunately, this had the effect of pulling Vita's attention more towards her immediate threats than Yuuno's protection.
This left one target not being checked and it decided to go after the weakest link of the three. Yuuno made a delicious looking target for the brigand, looking around almost helplessly with a fumbling grip on the dagger in hand. He hadn't even realized that Vita had been pulled further away from his back as Signum fought on in front of his eyes.
It wasn't that the scholar lacked combat experience. He'd learned enough to defend himself along the road and had successfully done so more than a few times. But he'd never dealt with a situation like this before, where killing your assailant was the only option available. In previous encounters, he'd been able to subdue his attackers without slaying them. Yuuno was out of his element here, and it showed plainly on his face.
A guttural battle cry came from the blonde's left as the brigand charged him into the opening that had been made available to him. The dagger that Vita had loaned to Yuuno was hastily brought up to defend its wielder against the mace being brought down with incredible force. Mass and momentum tore the short blade from the scholar's hands as he shouted in surprise and fear. It landed some distance away, far out of reach.
Fight and flight are responses that every living being has the option of choosing when their life is in mortal peril. Fear clouded Yuuno's mind and he turned to flee in terror with the grinning and crazed brigand hot on his trail, spouting taunts and expletives.
"Yuuno, wait!" hollered Vita when she realized what was happening, to no avail. She would have given chase, but her own attackers made that nearly impossible. Graf Eisen's metal shaft blocked an axe blow aimed to remove an arm with a harsh clanging sound. The man's leering face was far too close to hers as he tried to keep the warhammer pinned so that his allies could attempt a crippling strike.
It would fail miserably against the redhead's titanic strength. She pushed him back sharply, enough to allow her to smash her forehead into his own. The dazed and foolish foe never saw his end coming as Vita's mighty hammer descended like a meteor onto his head and crushed it like a grape, splattering blood, bone, and brain matter everywhere. Now her enemies numbered two and they seemed torn between taking revenge and fleeing for their miserable lives.
Yuuno ran. He ran like never before. Thoughts of attack never crossing his mind. He didn't want to kill anyone, but he didn't want to be killed either. Adrenaline made the conflict raging within him all the worse.
Eventually, the scenery began to blur in the scholar's terrified eyes and he missed a step. He came crashing down into the snow and gouged a short trail as his body slid through the frigid powder. Yuuno coughed violently as he tried to lift himself up with shaky limbs.
"Caught ya~" came sickening voice from behind. Yuuno turned his head to see his attacker's boot become larger and larger in his vision. The kick tossed the blonde onto his back and made his world spin. "Now what should I do with you... Yer kinda pretty for a dude. What a waste."
"G-get back," demanded Yuuno feebly, eliciting a laugh from the brigand. With panicked movements, the scholar tried to shuffle backwards. His heart constricted in terror when his back connected with a tree.
The foul man ignored Yuuno's pleas and leered at him, "Now why would I do that, blondie?" With that, he lunged.
It was a move of desperation that saved Yuuno's life. His perception of time seemed to slow down as the adrenaline in his veins peaked. The cold air felt even more frigid. The ground was so very hard, even with the snow acting as a cushion. Snow? Snow was water, wasn't it? Water could protect him. Water had protected him before. He would die without its aid.
As the brigand came ever closer, Yuuno gasped a handful of the cold winter snow and hurled it at his attacker. Power gathered in his belly and flowed through his body. His lips parted and from his throat came words of an ancient dialect, shouted in desperation, "OKA WAHL SPAAN!" Power flowed through his voice and into the reagent he had hurled.
There was no problem with the magic fueling the spell that Yuuno had cast, rather his skills with defensive spellwork were quite impressive. The problem lay with the reagent. Had it been pure water, a large shield of the clear fluid would have come to life and the blonde's attacker would have likely rendered himself unconscious from impacting an immovable object at high speed. But snow is frozen water, ice, and that did not react properly with the magic.
The snow's crystalline flakes exploded outward, creating not a solid barrier of water, but a deadly latticework shield of razor edged blades that jutted out in all directions. They grew outwards to impale the brigand upon their frigid edges as he advanced to his doom, unable to stop his momentum. That same momentum carried him through the blade wall, his body filled with bloody lances.
His perforated form collapsed next Yuuno's body, some of the ice propping him up and leaving the pain-stricken and horrified face of the brigand turned in the scholar's direction. Shock and horror was written upon the face of the living. Blood pooled as it flowed from the corpse and stained both the snow and Yuuno's clothing deep red. The realization of what he had just done began to sink in and the scholar's pupils shrank in terror.
A scream ripped through the trees and reached the ears of the combatants. Signum's opponent merely grinned, "Looks like one o' my men is having a good time with yer boy."
Signum let a growl pass her lips as Laevatein crashed against the nameless blade her opponent wielded. She'd no idea why such a worn and tarnished sword had not shattered after a few exchanges against her own. The foe who brandished it was also far beyond the level of skill that one would expect. Though the blood loss from the wound upon her face was not helping matters.
Sparks flew from another meeting of steel and the Knight's frustration grew. She needed to end this now. Needed to slay this fiend. Needed to complete her duty to Lady Hayate. If Yuuno was dead, then Signum had failed in her mission and it was not something that she would tolerate.
Her chance to turn this bout away from the stalemate it had become and into her favor finally came when the battle came closer to the corpses of the first two slain brigands. After Laevatein separated from the opposing longsword, Signum kicked backwards, propelling herself away from the man. Her path carried her within reach of the second foe she'd slain. A sharp kick sent a spray of snow and the severed head flying at the opponent who had been giving her such difficulty.
Whatever trick the brigand had been expecting, it was not the flying severed head of his ally. It came quickly enough that he was forced to cut it away with his sword. That gave Signum the opening she needed. The pink haired Knight lunged and the sickening sound of flesh parting beneath Laevatein's razor rang out.
"You... bitch..." spoke the man in obvious pain as blood dribbled from his mouth. Signum's sword had pierced through the leather holding two metal plates together and secured her victory. It did not secure the man's death, however, as he struggled to raise his weapon in an effort to take the Knight with him to the afterlife.
She said nothing, flooding her sword with magic instead. The runes inscribed upon Laevatein flared to life and glowed a deadly red. A pained scream was cut off violently as the brigand's throat was filled with searing flame. Fire erupted from multiple orifices and wounds as Signum's blade poured blazing death into his body. Not more than a few moments later, she withdrew her sword from the now smoldering corpse and turned her attention to the remaining assailants.
The brutal display had taken the remaining fight out of the last two who had been continuing their attempts on Vita's life. As one leapt back to avoid being crushed beneath the redhead's hammer, the other took the opportunity to do what would have been wise after seeing what their targets were capable of. She turned and ran for her life only to be rewarded with a dagger in the back courtesy of Signum's extended arm. Her death rattle lasted only moments.
Vita ensured that there would be no survivors amongst those who had assailed her as she charged the last enemy before her. The man had nowhere to run and put up his sword in an effort to defend himself. The blade proved to be useless against the mass and speed of Graf Eisen. There was a meaty crunch and a tearing sound preceding the messy decapitation of the last target. His crushed head bounced off of a nearby tree and landed amongst the winter bushes.
Wasting no time to watch the body fall to the ground, Vita made great haste in the direction that Yuuno had been chased. Signum was close behind.
The scene they came upon did not immediately fill them with relief. Yuuno was propped against a tree, staring blankly ahead and not moving. Blood surrounded both him and the perforated body at his side. It was only the lack of any visible wounds that gave them hope.
Signum was on one knee next to Yuuno in a flash, checking him for signs of life and injury while Vita hauled the corpse out of the way. The Knight sighed in relief as her charge showed no signs of significant injury and was very much alive. She patted his cheek lightly whilst calling his name, "Yuuno. Yuuno, the battle is over. You are safe now." As she spoke Laevatein was returned to its sheath.
Yuuno's face slowly turned towards Signum and then to Vita, who had taken a knee on his other side. "C'mon, wake up, bookworm. No one's gonna hurt you."
Both sisters had to move back when the scholar sat up suddenly, horror written all over his face. "...I killed him," he finally said in a haunted voice, "I killed someone." The blonde's lungs started drawing in air with short, rapid breaths that brought a look of alarm to Vita's countenance.
"I think he's gonna blow!" warned the redhead as Yuuno staggered forward on hands and knees before emptying the contents of his stomach a violent heave. Signum approached his hunched form and placed a steel clad hand on the man's back, causing him to flinch before another wave of nausea hit. She then grasped his hair so that it would not fall into the mess that was forming in the snow.
"You have never taken a life before, have you, Yuuno?" asked Signum, receiving a shake of the head that confirmed her suspicion.
Vita kept her distance, knowing that Signum was better suited for this kind of thing. For her sister, being a Knight had meant seeing and dealing a lot of death on the battlefield. It was an uncommon sight for a new recruit to start losing their senses after their first kill, but hardly rare. However those recruits were Knights, trained for battle and all that it entailed. Yuuno was no such person.
Whenever a recruit fell to this state, it was often shouting at and physically striking the recruit until they returned to their senses, explaining the reality of their situation in the process. It worked for a soldier, at the very least. Signum herself had nearly suffered the same means of returning to reality after her first kill, but held her reaction in check. It was quite a feat in the Knight's opinion. When she had returned home, Zafira had explained things to her plainly and without sugar.
She would do the same fore her charge. When the heaving finally stopped, Signum grasped Yuuno's shoulders and forced him to face her. His eyes were bleary and red while thin trails of bile ran from the corners of his mouth. "Listen to me Yuuno," she commanded, looking him straight in the eyes, "You have killed a man. However, he would have killed you had you not done so. He made his choices in his life and you should not regret having defended your own."
Vita recalled what Signum was saying, having heard it from her as well. Zafira had not been present to speak with her after the first time she had taken a life and if fell into Signum's hands to explain things. She had done so, conveying the same blunt words of her father. Though the redhead had at least managed to keep her food down in her situation.
"LIfe is not cheap, but do not devalue your own or those of your companions in the face of death. Do you understand what I am saying?" she finished bluntly. Signum did not expect him to suddenly spring up, stating that everything was fine, but it should at least give her charge a frame of reference in dealing with what he had done.
It took a while for Yuuno to eventually nod, "I... understand, Signum..." His reply was slow and gravelly.
"Are you able to stand?" she asked while standing up herself, extending a hand to Yuuno. He took it and Signum pulled him to his feet. The blonde wobbled a bit on weak knees, but did not collapse. Signum nodded in approval and released the man's hand.
Vita chose that moment enter the scene and gave Yuuno a rough pat on the back, "So, you ready to ge- Kaiser!" she exclaimed suddenly upon fully seeing Signum's visage, "Signum, your face! The bags. We've got some bandages and stuff." They'd known Signum had been hit by something, but not what, nor how severe it had been. In Vita's haste to ensure the safety of the man they were both charged with guarding, she hadn't fully processed her sister's wound, nor gotten a really good look at that side of her face.
Signum seemed to realize this as well as she touched the side of her face. It was a jagged gash a few inches long and had bled profusely, as any head wound was wont to do. The cold and adrenaline reduced what was likely a great deal of pain to a dull throb. She would have said something in agreement, but Yuuno stepped in.
Though still feeling shaky, Yuuno wouldn't let Signum's condition remain. They had saved his life, even though it was their duty to do so, and he would do what he could. Unless treated properly, deep wounds could become easily infected and lead to far worse problems. "I'll... I'll take care of that," he spoke, trying his best to sound strong, "It will hurt though..."
He removed one of his gloves before reaching over to Signum's face and running a finger over the clotting wound, forcing it to remain open. She hissed in response to the sudden increase in pain. "What're you doing?!" exclaimed Vita, ready to deck the man for his action.
"Healing her," stated Yuuno evenly, preventing the redhead from interrupting him. Signum only gave the man a sharp look. With her blood on his hand, the blonde concentrated on it and let the magic within him flow. The Knight's red life fluid pulled away from his hand and coalesced into a small sphere that turned darker and darker shades of crimson as the power flowed into it. Yuuno then placed the orb against Signum's wound and spoke, "Sos Wahl Slen."
The sphere seemed to turn completely black before melting into Signum's cheek. She felt a sharp, burning pain, but was unable to give in to her body's natural reaction to pull away. Then, just like that, it was over. The pain was gone and when Yuuno pulled his hand away from her face, she felt only the cold mountain air.
"...It will still leave a scar, but it won't be as bad." Yuuno stepped back as he spoke, letting Vita examine her sister's face.
"Wow... He really fixed you up good," Vita stated with a bit of wonder. The blood remained, but the once severe looking tear in her sister's face had been closed up and only a jagged line of healthy pink flesh remained.
Signum touched the now closed wound with a gauntlet encased hand and felt the cool smoothness of metal. It was no healing magic she'd ever come across before. Perhaps this was the magic of the Scrya then? Still, it was effective, if not painful. "...My thanks, Yuuno," she said before the lightheadedness of blood loss returned, causing her armored body to sway slightly.
Vita held her sister up by placing Signum's arm over he shoulder and forcing the Knight to lean on the redhead. "I don't think we'll be getting to Dawnleaf before nightfall. We'd better make camp somewhere and rest up," she stated while looking at the state of the party. She was the best off out of the three and could probably make it to the village in time, but Signum had lost a lost of blood and Yuuno wasn't in any decent emotional condition.
"I apologize..." murmured Signum, feeling quite vexed with her situation.
They made tracks back to the sight of the ambush and collected their belongings. Yuuno ended up carrying both his and the Wolkenstein sisters' satchels as Vita had her hands full with Signum. He came across the dagger that the redhead had loaned him. It was dented slightly, but in overall good condition and not damaged enough to prevent it from fitting back into the sheath. The scholar said nothing of its condition and quietly sheathed the weapon.
From there the three began making headway towards Dawnleaf once more, keeping their eyes peeled for a decent area to stop and rest. Up above, the sky began to darken, hearkening the arrival of another storm of snow.
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Interesting to read. At the moment I'm rather sick so can't think of much to say, but it seems like a traditional setting suits your style of writing well. Unlike your previous stories this one has almost no er, break of flow in it.
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