The Past Leaves Scars

Chapter 4

Akira

Akira looked up to the clock and the realisation they'd been drinking, dancing, and wasting time away in the tavern all night hit her as hard as she could punch. Normally Belva would kick everyone out at two in the morning, but guess she got caught up in the fun. A group of musicians had stumbled in at one point and begun playing Aratky drinking songs. People immediately started to dance and drink, singing along to the music. Neyco had jumped at the chance and dragged Akira out to join in.

They'd eventually crashed in the booth they had originally been in towards the back before Neyco had staggered drunkenly to the bar. Him returning with a beer bottle in hand, dragged Akira out of her thoughts as he flopped onto the seat next to her. He reclined in a careless man-spread and propped his arm up on the velvet top of the booth seat, unintentionally going behind Akira's head almost knocking her horns.

Neyco took a swig out of the bottle, "Y'know how you're jealous that I flirt with other people?" he began.

"Aaaand that's enough alcohol for one night," Akira stopped him taking the glass bottle out of his grip.

He gave her an offended look, a slight smile tugging at his lips. He watched Akira take her own swig of the bottle before placing it at the far edge of the wooden table so neither of them would be tempted by it.

"Anyway," Neyco started again, "As I was saying," He shifted so he faced her, he looked almost sober with how serious his eyes were set.

Akira just stared up at him, waiting expectantly for him to say something about how he couldn't find any people in the tavern that were his type. Why does he look nervous then? Maybe all his drinks and the dancing are catching up to him.

"So, listen," Neyco swallowed, his eyes darting towards the musical clutter by the tavern's fire pit for a second, "I have something I've been meaning to tell you."

"Mhm?" Akira was beginning to get curious, why was he so serious about this?

"I-" he cut himself off like he wasn't sure if he should say whatever he was trying to, "I lo-"

Loud shrieks and the banging of heavy items hitting the floor viciously cut into Neyco's sentence. Akira jumped out of her seat and ran to the front of the crowd that was hurriedly shoving each other toward the back walls of the tavern. "What's going on?!" Neyco tried to grab a hold of Belva who looked scared out of her mind.

"Neyco!" Akira called to her friend as she laid eyes on the cause of all the chaos.

"Shit," Neyco breathed out as he came up beside her, he froze.

A Sanistery soldier stood before them. She had a short blue bob, short, spiral horns that were white and faded darker towards the top and white freckles covering her nose. Her eyes possessed no pupils and were a plain sky blue. She wore the signature uniform of a Sanistery soldier, though a silver cross was embroidered into her collar.

She looked guilty.

Why?

It didn't matter why.

She's here to distract us.

Akira wasted no time. She whipped her knife out of its sheath and lunged at the soldier, going straight for her throat. The other made a panicked noise as she stumbled away. The soldier tripped over her own feet and couldn't get up in time.

Akira pounced onto the soldier's back digging her knees into the girl's shoulder blades, pinning her to the ground. Akira pressed the sharp tip of her knife to the back of the soldier's head. She didn't struggle, feeling the blade dangerously poised to sink in if she tried to lift her head. "Stop! Please! I am not here to hurt you!" the soldier's muffled cries could barely be heard.

"Bull. Shit." Akira snarled through gritted teeth.

"I swear on my life!"

"In what fucked up world are you living in to think that anyone would trust someone like you?"

"Yes, I know it's a stretch, but please!"

"What are you waiting for?!" A stranger from the tavern's original party called out.

"Kill her before anything else happens!" A woman yelled.

Akira pushed the knife down ever so slightly; she wanted this soldier to feel the pain she had. To suffer for everything the Sanistery had done. This soldier didn't deserve a quick, painless death. A small whimper escaped the blue-haired girl's mouth as Akira applied a little more pressure.

"What in the name of Arank is going on?!" Adalric's voice roared.

It distracted Akira. She lifted the knife from the soldier's head and her body weight lessened in her knees. A searing, sharp pain in her thigh brought her back, only to see a large cut stretching from her knee almost to her hip. Blood spilled from the cut relentlessly.

She hissed in pain, dragging the knife across the soldier's jacket as Neyco ran over and hauled Akira off of the other girl. "You okay, Sun Bear?" he asked.

He untied the maroon sash around his waist and retied it tightly around the gash on Akira's thigh. He was trying to catch her attention, but Akira wasn't listening. She was staring past him as the soldier sat up on the floor and looked up into the face of Adalric. Akira didn't do as much damage as she wanted to, the knife had only cut through her soldier's uniform, not the Sanistery girl's skin.

Adalric barked out orders. "Tie her up!" he yelled, "Varian, Tenya! Take a group and check everything's alright in the city!"

"Neyco!" The pair's attention was switched to Adalric as he called Neyco, "Go home. Make sure Akira gets medical attention."

"I'm fine," Akira said.

"It wasn't a request," Adalric said firmly.

Neyco put Akira's arm around his neck and helped her to her feet. Akira scowled one last time at the soldier who was now being tied in chains. Her hands were cuffed in steel gauntlets so she couldn't use her magic if she had any.

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"You sure you're, okay?" Neyco asked again as he lowered Akira so she could take a seat on their sofa.

"I said I'm fine," Akira replied.

"What happened? I didn't see a weapon," Neyco asked getting bandages out of their medical cabinet.

"Magic probably," Akira began to untie Neyco's sash from around her leg.

She stared into the gash; it was like a giant mouth had opened in her leg. The blood flow had slowed down, but it still would make anyone's stomach churn. Neyco made a noise of agreement and came back over to Akira with the supplies he'd gotten out. He knelt down in front of her and began wrapping it around the wound.

"Do you think we'll be okay?" He asked quietly.

"I hope," Akira said just as quietly, "I can't hear anything outside of here. No one's come in to get us out...or kill us. The only question now, I guess, is why she's alone."

Neyco finished tying the bandage around her leg. Akira would keep it on until she showered later when she'd tie it so it would be under her clothes. Neyco face-planted into her knee and sighed. Everything from the day, plus however many drinks they'd had, had finally caught up to the pair.