Tales of the Epitaph 9

[Hayate]

Tales of the Epitaph

Chapter 9: The Forest of Pain

~ Arche Haokar, the City of Elves ~

~ Sayaday, Gorre-Lunae 23, AC2038 ~

*within Sins Ran Badhi, Kazuto, Shiro, Saber, and Kaori make their through the density of the forest*

Kaori: …

Shiro: …Miss Kaori?

Kaori: *gasp* …O-Oh. *turns to face Shiro* Y-Yes? What is it?

Shiro: Are you alright? You seem…unnerved.

Kaori: Oh, no, not at all. I’m perfectly fine.

*as the wind picks up, a thin tree branch leans over and brushes against Kaori’s shoulder with its leaves*

Kaori: Aah!

*spinning around rapidly, Kaori fires an arrow in a random direction*

Kaori: … *sigh*

Kazuto: …Are you scared?

Kaori: Huh? N-No, don’t be silly. I know this forest like the back of my hand. C-Come on now. The Badhi root should be just past this clearing.

*Kaori walks ahead of the group, her fear apparent in her manner of walking*

Saber: …She’s a terrible liar.

Shiro: Heh. Got that right.

*the group progresses forward in search of the Badhi root; unfortunately, despite Kaori’s somewhat assuring words, the party loses itself among the nearly infinite paths of trees*

Kaori: W-Wait… Was it this way…or…that way…? Um… Oh, dear…

Shiro: You don’t know the way!? I thought you knew where we were going!

Kaori: I-I thought I did…! Everything looks different than last time…!

Saber: …We’re lost then… Is that it?

Kaori: …I’m sorry…! And after promising not to let you down… I’m so sorry, everyone!

Shiro: … *sigh*

Saber: *looks up* …This doesn’t bode well. Sundown is slowly approaching.

*hearing Saber’s words, Kaori’s eyes widen*

Kaori: …S-Sundown…? Oh, no… That’s when the really ferocious Badhi beasts come out…

Saber: Then there’s no helping it. We’ll have to retrace our steps and go back to Arche Haokar so we can start fresh in the morning.

Shiro: But how are we supposed to find our way back if we don’t even know where we are?

Kaori: …Uh… Excuse me?

Saber: The important thing is that we keep moving. We can’t fight monsters all night, especially if it’ll be too dark to see.

Kaori: E-Excuse me?

Shiro: What? What’s the matter?

Kaori: We, um…seem to be missing someone.

Shiro/Saber: …Hmm?

*glancing around, Shiro and Saber come to the realization that Kazuto was not with them*

Shiro: …Kazu?

Saber: Sir Kazuto?

*no response*

Shiro: …Oh, crap…

*elsewhere in the forest, Kazuto is seen wandering around by himself*

Kazuto: Oh, man… I turn my back for one second, and everyone else disappears… Just great… *calling out* SHIRO!!! SABER!!! MISS KAORI!!! WHERE ARE YOU?!?

*just then, there’s a rustling in the bushes to Kazuto’s rear; turning around, Kazuto comes face-to-face with a pair of wolf-like Badhi beasts*

Badhi Wolf: *growls*

Kazuto: Oh, perfect… *draws sword* Well, come on then! I haven’t got all day!

*jumping forward, the wolf-like monsters pounce onto Kazuto; meanwhile, after another hour of searching for both Kazuto and the Badhi root, Shiro, Saber, and Kaori manage to get themselves even more lost; Saber slays yet another Badhi beast*

Shiro: *puts dual swords away* Dammit! They’re starting to come at us in even larger packs now!

Kaori: Ul Repth!

*pointing her hands forward, Kaori envelops Shiro in a warm, greenish-white light, healing his wounds*

Shiro: *sigh* Thank you.

Kaori: My pleasure. It’s the least I can do…after getting us lost in this place…

Shiro: That’s enough of that. We hold nothing against you, Kaori.

Kaori: B-But I…

Shiro: We know you’re afraid. There’s nothing wrong with that. But hiding your fear and masking it with false bravery only makes you seem more of a coward. Accept the fact that you’re afraid, and you can start to overcome it. …Okay?

Kaori: …Mr. Shiro…

Saber: …I hate to interrupt…but it appears we aren’t alone.

Kaori: *gasp*

Shiro: Tch! *draws blade* More monsters!?

Saber: …No.

*from amongst the trees emerges a figure; the first thing that could be seen was the figure’s shimmering orange hair; then the figure’s thin physique comes into focus; before long, the person completely comes into focus: Sumomo*

Sumomo: …

Kaori: …Who… Who is that…?

Saber: …Hmm?

*looking closely at the girl’s face, Saber notices the symbol carved into her forehead protector*

Saber: (…This girl bears the crest of Dol Dona…)

Sumomo: …You are…the ones traveling with the prince of Mac Anu…?

Shiro: !!!

Sumomo: …Please forgive me…but I’m afraid that…

*reaching behind her, Sumomo draws several thin daggers*

Sumomo: …I’m afraid that I must ask all of you…to die!

*Sumomo shoots forward to attack*

Saber: She comes!

*as she dashes, Sumomo flings her daggers forward; Shiro spins his dual swords skillfully to deflect them; Sumomo then comes in close range to Shiro, wielding daggers in the fashion he wielded his dual swords, and the two meet in close combat*

Shiro: (So fast…!)

*Saber thrusts her broadsword towards Sumomo, but she nimbly evades the attack with a backward flip; while airborne, Sumomo flings more daggers towards the party; as Shiro deflects them again, Kaori fires a volley of arrows at the airborne Sumomo; to avoid the arrows, Sumomo clasps her hands together and vanishes in a puff of smoke*

Kaori: W-Where’d she go!?

Saber: (Dammit! A Dol Dona shinobi, of all people!? If only Ren were here…!)

Shiro: … *gasp* Kaori, behind you!

*spinning around, Kaori sees Sumomo sprinting towards her; raising her bow quickly, she fires a pair of arrows; Sumomo deflects the arrows with her daggers and continues her dash towards Kaori*

Kaori: Aah!

Sumomo: Take this!

*Sumomo swings a single dagger at Kaori; just then, Shiro jumps in front of Kaori and takes Sumomo’s dagger attack to his left arm…*

Shiro: Argh!

*…but with Sumomo in close proximity, Shiro seizes Sumomo’s arm…*

Sumomo: !!!

*…and slams her body onto the ground with a judo-type move*

Sumomo: Oof!

*then, with his blade risen, Shiro thrusts his arm down; just before the strike, Sumomo clasps her hands together and vanishes yet again*

Shiro: Grrrr…

Saber: Above us!

*as Shiro, Saber, and Kaori look up, they notice Sumomo standing atop a tree branch; putting her hands together, Sumomo forms a series of seals*

Sumomo: Daunian Arte: Vak Hazan!

*then, pointing her palm forward, Sumomo rains hot flames upon the party; the group scatters in three separate directions to avoid the blast; shortly returning to her feet, Kaori aims her bow upward and fires off an arrow towards Sumomo; upon deflecting the arrow, Sumomo counters with another volley of daggers; the party fends off the daggers with their respective weapons while Sumomo motions another series of seals with her hands*

Sumomo: Daunian Arte: Zan Kazeha!

*swinging her arm in an upward motion, Sumomo then conjures a powerful gust of wind; the party stands their ground in order to keep from being blown away by the wind*

Shiro: (Kazu… Wherever you are…I hope you’re doing a lot better right now than we are…)

*meanwhile, at another point in the forest, Kazuto -- exhausted from battle -- walks into a clearing and rests against a tree trunk*

Kazuto: *panting* Those damn beasts…just keep coming… If I could just…rest for a minute… Huh…?

*glancing around the clearing, Kazuto notices strange herbs jutting out of the soil; walking over, he kneels down and picks up a single stalk*

Kazuto: Is this…Badhi root…?

*assuming the strange herb to be Badhi root, Kazuto picks several more stalks out of the ground*

Kazuto: Alright… Now to find Shiro and the others--

*just then, the swift sound of a sword being drawn echoes through the silence, and a blade’s edge is positioned just adjacent to Kazuto’s neck*

Kazuto: *gasp*

: …Don’t move.

Kazuto: (W-Who… Who is that…? I-I don’t recognize the voice…)

: …I’ve finally found you…

Kazuto: …

*slowly reaching his hand back, Kazuto grabs the hilt of his sword*

: !!!

*having detected this, the mystery voice moves its arm back and swipes its blade towards Kazuto’s neck; Kazuto swiftly bends downward to dodge the attack and spins his body around with his sword drawn to meet the other person’s blade; a loud clash of steel echoes through the clearing*

: Tch…!

Kazuto: Grrrr…!

*looking up to see the face of his attacker, all Kazuto could make out in the shadows was the attacker’s long blond hair*

Kazuto: Who are you!? Why are you attacking me like this!? Are you with Atrum Neux too!?

: Hmph! As if I’d be caught dead cavorting with those murderers-for-hire!

*their dialogue completed, Kazuto and his mysterious attacker continue their unexpected battle*

Kazuto: (What the hell is this?!? There are people other than Atrum Neux who want to kill me?!?)

*as the clash of swords persists, Kazuto finally gets close enough to his attacker to make out the person’s face*

Kazuto: …!!!

*the person with long blond hair was a girl who appeared to be about the same age as Kazuto and even had a facial structure similar to his; the girl glares back at Kazuto with bright blue eyes*

Girl: Blonde hair and green eyes… *clenches teeth* It is you…!

Kazuto: W-What…!?

*after determining Kazuto’s identity, the girl steps up on her assault; a series of quick blade swipes takes Kazuto by surprise, and the girl slices upward into his shoulder*

Kazuto: Agh!!!

*falling back from the strike, Kazuto drops his weapon and stumbles into the grass*

Girl: …The first of many… I’m gonna enjoy watching you bleed from every orifice in your body… Little by little, I will take back what’s rightfully mine…

Kazuto: What…the hell…are you talking about…!?

Girl: …So she hasn’t told you yet… Hmph. Like it matters. All I care about is bringing you to your knees and making you beg for your life. …But there’s no fun in that, is there…? *points blade at Kazuto* …Now raise your sword!

Kazuto: …

*reaching over to pick up his dropped sword, Kazuto returns to his feet and assumes a battle stance*

Kazuto: …

Girl: …

*with a firm refusal to die, Kazuto dashes forward with his sword in hand, and the two meet in combat once again; meanwhile, Sumomo continues to give Shiro and company trouble on the other side of the forest*

Shiro: HAAAAAAH!!!!!

*Shiro dashes in towards Sumomo at full speed; Sumomo momentarily closes her eyes and forms a seal with her hands*

Sumomo: Daunian Arte: All-Seeing Eye!

*as Sumomo reopens her eyes, they turn from orange to red; as Shiro comes within range, he swings his dual swords at Sumomo in a flurry of swipes, but with her All-Seeing Eye, Sumomo manages to dodge every attack Shiro throws at her*

Shiro: (W-What the!? She can predict my movements!?)

*as soon as an opening in Shiro’s assault appears, Sumomo thrusts her palm forward…*

Sumomo: Hah!

*…and sends Shiro flying back*

Shiro: Grrrr… Dammit! How the hell are we supposed to win this!?

Saber: The Daunian style requires the use of both hands to form magic seals. If we can prevent her from making seals, her powers will be useless.

Sumomo: Daunian Arte: Gan Tsugou!

*with another series of seals, Sumomo conjures roots from underneath the soil to seize Shiro and Saber by their ankles*

Shiro/Saber: !!!

Kaori: Mr. Shiro! Miss Saber!

Sumomo: Now… *draws dagger* …you’re mine!

*Sumomo shoots forward to attack Kaori head-on; Kaori raises her bow and fires a volley of arrows, but Sumomo swats them away effortlessly; once within range, Sumomo grabs Kaori by the shoulder…*

Kaori: *gasp*

*…and shoves Kaori onto the ground; now positioned above Kaori, Sumomo raises her dagger to deal the killing blow*

Kaori: …

Sumomo: … (Come on, Sumomo…! Just do it and get it over with…!)

*Kaori looks up at Sumomo with fear-filled eyes*

Kaori: …

Sumomo: W-Why are you…? S-Stop looking at me like that…!

*Sumomo’s hands begin to tremble*

Saber: …She’s stopped.

Shiro: Now’s our chance!

*with their weapons, Saber and Shiro free themselves from their root binds and charge towards Sumomo; Sumomo, having picked up on the two’s movements, hops to her feet and defends herself against them when they come within range; however, Sumomo finds she’s unable to take on Shiro and Saber simultaneously, and they eventually overpower her; Sumomo leaps several feet away and discovers a small wound in her right arm*

Sumomo: …Tch!

Shiro: …Did you see, Saber? She was trembling. She had the perfect opportunity to strike Kaori down, but she hesitated.

Saber: Indeed. …Excuse me! Dol Dona girl!

Sumomo: !!!

Saber: Why are you doing this? Judging from your actions, it’s clear to see that you don’t want to kill us. So why?

Sumomo: …You’re right… I don’t want to kill you… But I… *clasps hands together* …I have no choice!

Shiro: *gasp* She’s making hand seals!

*in an effort to stop Sumomo’s next attack, Shiro dashes forward with blades in hand; just before Sumomo could form her last seal, Shiro swings the blade and slashes into Sumomo’s left arm, causing her to collapse to her knees*

Sumomo: GAH!!!

Shiro: *sigh* That was close…!

Saber: *extends hand to Kaori* …Are you alright, Miss Kaori?

Kaori: *takes Saber by the hand* Y-Yes. Thank you, Saber.

*Shiro gazes down at Sumomo, who he notices was being eerily silent*

Shiro: …?

Sumomo: …Heh… Hehehe… They always wanna do it the hard way…

*turning her head back, Sumomo glares up at Shiro with purple eyes and a malevolent grin*

Sumomo: …Well, that suits me just fine!!!

Shiro: *gasp*

*clasping her hands together, Sumomo vanishes in a puff of smoke yet again*

Shiro: Saber! She’s coming your way!

*assuming a defensive stance, Saber glances around for where Sumomo might attack from; all becomes quiet, and the whole thing that could be heard was Sumomo’s menacing giggle*

Saber: …

Kaori: …

*just then, as Saber hears something whoosh almost soundlessly through the air, she spins around and notices Sumomo flying towards Kaori*

Saber: Miss Kaori, watch out!

Kaori: *gasp*

Sumomo: Hahahaha! Gotcha now!

*acting quickly, Saber leaps before Kaori, and Sumomo swipes her dagger across the area of Saber’s back that wasn’t covered by armor*

Saber: Agh!

*Saber collapses to the ground and Sumomo vanishes once more*

Kaori: Miss Saber! Are you okay!?

Saber: I-I’m fine… But I think…that dagger was tipped with a…m-muscle-stunning solution…

Shiro: *runs over* Kaori! Saber!

Kaori: Mr. Shiro! Miss Saber can’t move!

*Sumomo’s malicious laughter covers the air again*

Sumomo: Hehehe… Daunian Arte: Ani Bunshin…!

*then, out of the darkness appear dozens of Sumomo clones; the group’s eyes all widen at this sight*

Shiro: …Aw, hell…

Sumomo(s): I hope you’ve all enjoyed living…‘cuz it’s time to die…

Kaori: *falls to knees* …This is it… We’re all really gonna die here… There’s no way we can win now…

Shiro: Quit talking like that!

Kaori: …I don’t wanna die… Help me, Aylia… I don’t wanna die… Aylia…

Shiro: …Grrrr…!

Sumomo(s): Hehehe… Hahahaha!

*meanwhile, Kazuto continues struggling to hold his own against the mysterious blonde girl*

Kazuto: *panting*

Girl: …Hmph. You’re tougher than I thought. After living a sheltered, pampered life all these years, I thought for sure you’d be a pushover.

Kazuto: Heh. Well, I have Shiro to thank for that. He taught me everything he knew.

Girl: Tch. Like I give a damn about that. All that matters right now…is me…and you.

Kazuto: *raises sword* You can come at me all you want, lady! I’m not gonna lose! My friend Ren’s sick, and I’m gonna help her get better no matter what!

Girl: *gasp* Ren’s sick!?

Kazuto: …You… You know Ren…?

Girl: *grits teeth* Even now, she continues to get in my way… *raises blade* Whatever! This doesn’t change anything!

Kazuto: W-Wait! How do you know Ren!?

Girl: ENOUGH TALK!!! *dashes at Kazuto* HYAAAAAAAH!!!!!

*meanwhile, back at Aylia’s residence in Arche Haokar, Aylia continues to look after Ren; she submerges a small folded-up towel in a bucket of cold water, wrings the water out, and places the damp towel on Ren’s forehead*

Aylia: *sigh* Her temperature’s still rising…

Ren: *wheezing*

Aylia: Don’t worry… They’ll be back soon, I promise…

*glancing out the window, Aylia notices it getting darker and darker outside*

Aylia: …Everyone… Please hurry…

Ren: *wheezing* …Ka… Kazu…

TO BE CONTINUED…