Little Flower |Scaramouche| ✓

◤XXIV |Help Me, KURAAAA!!|

If you get the chapter title reference I applaud you.

We're going to be taking a little detour from the (Y/n) and Scaramouche action in this chapter. It's time for Bryn to shine because this shapeshifting, nonbinary person needs more love <3

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The bullet that was lodged in their stomach hurt like a bitch, but Bryn kept on running and running as fast as their tiny rodent legs could go. At first, the plan was to go directly to Fontaine where Kuragari was still stationed. He'd know what to do as he was the chief of the Cerise Praelia after all.

Bryn had been running towards the nation of hydro before it dawned on them that they should be going back to Sumeru instead! Cyno and Collei were bound to be at the Akademiya and plus, it'd be easier and faster for them to see the duo first before they died out in the middle of nowhere on the path to Fontaine. And so, with a sudden change of plans, Bryn scurried back towards Sumeru while ignoring the pain of the bullet inside them.

If they were gonna die soon, then they wanted to at least let Cyno and Collei know what happened to the heir and her protector so that the end of the world wouldn't come.

It felt like many hours had passed and still they were running through the deserts of Sumeru, desperately trying to keep pushing themselves towards the city where the Akademiya lay. The blood from the bullet had dried by now, but the trail of the crimson liquid was left behind as Bryn stumbled in their steps. So many thoughts ran through their mind. Bryn needed to think of what to say when they eventually found Cyno. There was no time to tell him and Collei an entire story! And it didn't help with the fact that Bryn doesn't speak and uses sign language. Nothing was wrong with that at all, it was just that they couldn't move their hands that fast. Oh well... they could always just wing it and keep the explanation as simple as possible.

Finally, the familiar building of the Sumeru Akademiya came into view. Due to being in their rodent form, Bryn felt as though the structure was ginormous and about a thousand times their current size. Luckily they didn't have to stay in the form for long. As soon as they were close to the doors of the Akademiya, they transformed back into their regular human form. The pain was still there and from the transformation came more blood being spilled from the bullet wound.

Wincing from the pain, Bryn quickly put pressure on it before rushing through the doors in search of Cyno and his green haired companion. They received a few odd looks from some of the scholars who were roaming around the library and a few glares, otherwise Bryn was ignored which was fine by them. They didn't need any attention drawn to them anyways for the sake of saving (Y/n) and her friend.

"I-I'm sure about my decision! I've enjoyed being by your side Mister Cyno, but I don't want to be a bother after you graduate... I'd like to go on my own path and continue learning," the voice of a girl caught Bryn's attention. There was no doubt that that was Collei and so, the shapeshifter made their way towards her. They didn't really care what sort of conversation they were having and they apologised silently for interrupting them.

"If that's what you'd like to do, then I'll support you. Have you talked with any of the forest range..." Cyno trailed off, forgetting to finish his sentence because of a strange person frantically bursting in. Raising a concerned brow at the way this stranger was clutching their stomach, he motioned for Collei to stop talking.

Relieved to see two familiar faces again after what had just transpired outside the borders of Natlan, Bryn begsan moving their hands around to communicate with the duo. After making the first sign, Cyno had stopped them as the scholar was feeling wary of them, not knowing that Bryn had been the raven he'd caught observing the heir's conversation with him prior.