Pulling her blade from the ground, she was able to stabilize herself on one knee before staggering up. Two broken metal plates half inscribed in runes fell from her leg shredded, as she used her sword stabbed into the dirt to keep herself standing.
With the space to focus on something other than herself, she turned to watch the horror they failed to stop. Coming towards her away from the beast's slaughterhouse, a man with a crimson-stained mustache hauled another armored soldier to the tree line.
"Don't stop until it's dead quiet," he said passing her into the grey trees.
"What about the village populous, we just leave them?" She asked out of breath and now with the taste of iron filling her mouth. Halting in his tracks just as he passed the first pillar of wood, he was silent.
"It's not possible, Miruna," he spoke sternly as if he finally accepted the fatherly role they placed on him. Looking out at the structures missing color, then at the purple wavering sky, she closed her eyes.
"It was always about honor, right? 'Bravery can make a warrior, but honor is what defines them'," she said turning to look at the red-covered man. "Tracio wouldn't like us abandoning them," she finished solemnly. More silence followed as he walked back around to face her.
"In your state, are you willing to go back in again?" He questioned.
Slowly getting accustomed to the jolts of lightning in her leg, she lifted her blade from inside the ground to stare at him at eye level. Freehand moving to pull a steel necklace from underneath her chest plate she answered "yes," without hesitation. Eyes widening to match the color of his natural hair he sighed, then smiled.
"I've taught you too well." Stepping forward he placed the barely breathing body on her shoulder briefly staggering her backward. "You're in no shape to do anything but run. I will uphold our honor, so make it your mission to get our hunting party back to Hyglecia for me." Smile fading as he put his broken back plate to her and began forward, she couldn't understand.
"Then why ask me?" She wondered out loud, heart of steel cracking. Continuing forward, he turned so she could see the half of his face not smeared in scarlet.
"Because if you still had it in you, I could too," he answered without stopping. Engraved pendant still in her hand, she let go of it to sheath her sword, then put her remaining strength into holding the body slumped onto her shoulder. Shaking her head as warm liquid slid down her cheek, she dismissed finding her helmet, and pushed forward into the grey of the forest.
She didn't know how she'd tell the rest, but Tracio would know they upheld their honor till the end.
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Bite Sized Story's Chronicles
Historia Corta"I had a family, I had a wife and kids... Think think, then it clicked. He killed them, he did it so long ago and now he could remember it clearly". -#52 Shattered "Through the gag their screams were muffled, deeply disturbing him as he noticed the...
