Scaramouche x Traveler-- Fantasy AU

Long way down

I should've predicted that I'd become a magnet of misfortune. It wouldn't have hurt to be a bit more careful too... but we were both hasty and needed to escape.

"You don't have any more water??" Scara glared at the canteen as I shook it upside down. We'd been hiking down for ages and my feet felt like they were going to fall off. We'd passed a few clouds near the start- the air was thin and we ran out of breath quickly.

"I'll put snow in so it melts for later." I said, scooping some off the side of the mountain. "Need any food? How're your shoes holding up?" Yet another issue- I didn't carry spare shoes with me. So Scara was now wearing large, tough peels of bamboo shoots bound by rope.

"I'm fine." he said bitterly, crossing his arms with a shiver. Though sweat shone on our skin, the freezing temperatures sliced through our clothes whenever we stopped. "Just... need a minute..." he huffed. 

"I don't remember how much farther we have..." I groaned.

"That doesn't matter much now." A new, quiet voice sounded behind me and I leapt into the air, flailing backwards. 

"Who-geh!" Scara's words cut off with a yelp. I was about to twist around when enormous gloved hands clamped down on my shoulders. My heart skipped a beat as I looked up- into a face half-covered by a gray mask.

"Unhand me!!" Scara yelled. I looked over to see another bundled up figure begin to tie a length of rope around his torso.

"What-"

"All your valuables, hand em over." A figure wearing an identical mask and long coat stepped in front of me, casually swinging a crossbow around.

Oh great... treasure hoarders. I've seen these guys way too many times.

"I SAID, LET GO!" Scara screamed shrilly, thrashing around and kicking his would- be captor in a sore spot. The man in front of me turned and I twisted away from the hands holding me, unsheathing my sword from my bottomless bag and running.

"Scara!" I called his name and he whipped around, catching my gaze and running towards me.

"Stop now or we'll shoot you down!" Several loud footsteps crashed through the snow behind us. I spun around and slashed my sword through the air behind us. A gale force of wind shot towards them and sharp rocks jutted upwards at a deadly angle. The hoarders skidded to a stop and I turned back around, wincing as the sword's handle seared white hot.

"What-" Scara gasped, staring at the blade.

"Just run!" I said, shoving his back. But barely a single stride later, an arrow sliced through the air and landed in front of us. I swerved to avoid it, slamming my side into the mountain.  There must be more archers up above us. I saw another arrow shooting towards Scara and swung my sword, summoning a gust of wind to knock it away.

"Y/n- I-" Scara gasped for breath, stumbling and nearly falling as his feet sunk into the snow. Behind us, I heard a savage yell and risked a glance back. My eyes widened- one of the larger brutes had dug an enormous shovel into the ground and unearthed a small landslide of ice and rock.

"Faster!" I yelled, grabbing his hand. Matching pace, we sprinted down the precarious path. 

Scara glanced over his shoulder and his eyes widened. "DUCK!" he screamed, tackling me to the ground as a jagged rock sailed over our heads.

Not wanting to waste a breath, I yanked both of us upright again. My breaths were ragged and burned my throat. And the yells behind us were getting closer. Abruptly something slammed into my arm, knocking me sideways into Scara. I screamed in pain, flashes of black  obscuring my vision.