𝑺𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑾𝒂𝒓: 𝑬𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑷𝒂𝒔𝒕 (𝑹𝑬𝑾𝑹𝑰𝑻𝑬)

𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝟗- 𝑶𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑾𝒂𝒚 //𝑻.𝑾. 𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅//

"So we're...what? Scheming to kill this Ardoni group?" Apexis asked, furrowing her eyebrows. "Precisely. I suppose you can try to help, but try your best to avoid Thalleous for me- and for you." Tygren rolled his eyes at the last part, though he figured adding it was necessary. They walked most of the way in silence before Tygren's ears flicked twice and he stopped in his tracks. Apexis opened her mouth a few seconds after he'd stopped walking.

"Wha-"

"Get down!" Tygren shouted breathlessly, pushing Apexis away. She only got a glimpse of what'd happened before she hit the ground face-first. Apexis' wrist was grabbed as she stumbled to her feet. "What happened?" She asked as she spat snow out of her mouth. The female Voltaris noticed he was limping slightly. "Shh!" Tygren took a sharp turn left and hid both of them behind a bush.

Apexis heard footsteps crunching through the snow.

Tygren quickly slapped a hand over her mouth, just in case she spoke. He tried to silence his panicked breathing as well.

"Search the area- they couldn't have gone far." It was Thalleous Sendaris.

"Why? We'll get that after we wipe the others out," A clear deep-ish voice replied.

"No, Zulius. That male Voltaris is dangerous and we must find him immediately before we let our guard down."

"Fine. Galadar, come with me."

Apexis looked back at Tygren, who was hiding the hint of fear in his eyes by simply shutting them tightly. She looked down to find the source of his limping and was met with three arrows sticking out of him- one in his thigh and the other two in his lower abdomen. She quickly fumbled to unwrap the bandages around her wrist to give to him. Tygren shook his head before taking his hand off her mouth.

"I'll be fine, for now, we need to find somewhere safe. Take my sword for now." Apexis had never heard the harsh Ardoni talk so softly. His voice was almost soothing at that volume. Apexis nodded stiffly, taking the sword and peeking around their hiding spot to see if Thalleous was near them. When her back was turned, the Sendaris struck. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of cyan blue and gold.

Thalleous grabbed Tygren by the shoulder and shoved him to the ground. Tygren ripped an arrow out of his leg and stabbed Thalleous above the collarbone. He retaliated by slicing down Tygren's neck- possibly deep enough to kill him. He bit back a loud wince of pain.

Tygren used the last of his strength to wrench the arrow's tip upward and across Thalleous' face, missing his left eye but hitting his right. Cyan blood spurted from the gash, spraying on Tygren's face. Apexis had frozen. She'd hesitated. She'd hesitated so much that her clanmate was in this alone. Thalleous bashed Tygren's head into a tree. The Voltaris fell unconscious.

Apexis snapped out of her trance and raised Tygren's sword above her head, bringing it down upon Thalleous' back. The iron blade tore through the Sendaris' torso. Heavily breathing, she fell to her knees and held onto the hilt of the sword for support. Her pants were soaked with cold, watery Sendaris blood and her knees went numb at the cold.

Tygren let out a cough of blood before a raspy breath escaped his mouth. Apexis rushed over to him. She knelt down and used the bandages that were previously around her wrist and wrapped them around his leg. After snapping out of her trance, Apexis felt like she'd seen something similar to that situation before.

When she or someone else had frozen in front of a conflict and someone had died. It felt so familiar yet so...strange all the same. Almost like a strange sliver of her past echoing through her mind.

"Wake up," Apexis murmured, feeling tears gather in her eyes. "Please..." She lifted Tygren's motionless body and clung to it desperately. "I know I said I hated you, and that I wished I never knew you. I know I thought I wanted you out of my life for good...I was so selfish...I wish I could take it all back. Th-this isn't what I wanted...not whatever thought I'd have to see or endure...P-please come back to me..." Apexis shakily sobbed into his chest.

Blood that spilled from his mouth trickled onto her face, staining her cheeks a scarlet red. The red liquid seeped into her cloak, becoming sticky on her skin as she was draped over him in a distressed attempt to hold onto him. Apexis sat with Tygren's body for several minutes before she felt his hand twitch.

Tygren's eyes fluttered open as he glanced at Apexis in confusion. "What exactly are you doing?" He kept his voice quiet to avoid using much of the little energy he possessed. "Oh my Rendor, you're alive." She wiped his blood off of her face, only for it to smear further. "And why were you all over me? Personal space is one of the few things I appreciate in life," Tygren said tiredly as Apexis stood up and took a few steps back.

"Do you need help-"

Tygren, using the support of the tree he was leaning on, pulled himself up. Only then to feel the pain of those two arrows in his stomach. He flinched slightly as he bit his lip in agony. Apexis picked both Thalleous'(as well as his Mobillium Song) and Tygren's swords up. She then offered to help him walk.

They made their way back to the clearing, only to discover the group of Ardoni attacking the Voltaris. "Shit. I cannot fight like this. I'll...as much as I hate to...hide." Tygren grabbed his sword and turned around. He glanced back at Apexis. "Do not get yourself killed. Consequences will be met," He threatened. "Whatever you say," Apexis smiled, "but no promises." She turned to the battlefield and activated Thalleous' sword.