Apathy's Achilles

Duty Declared Pt. 1

Miharu's POV

Kotaru stood in front of me with his right hand placed lazily on his hip as many other Fuuma ninja surrounded him. Most of them were girls, but I saw a few boys in the mix.

“Look at this place you boys did quite a number on my yard didn't you? I think you've done enough damage, you should leave now.” Kotaru suggests to Yoite.

A gust of wind blows past us as Kotaru sends Yoite a pointed glare. Yoite enters the stare down with his blank gaze and makes no sign of moving.

“We are not handing over the girl nor the boy if that is what you are implying. Now leave.” Kotaru demands a little harsher.

Yoite's hand moves out and the Fuuma ninja bear their weapons ready to defend themselves if necessary. Turns out that wasn't necessary since he just bent down and picked up his fallen hat. Placing it neatly back on his head he turned his back towards us. I stared at his back when suddenly he looked over his shoulder toward Monique and I. His eyes had a mix of emotions that I couldn't read.

“Goodbye for now,” He said blankly and then disappeared in a small tornado.

We all kind of stared for a second until a tall woman with long brown hair, wearing a kimono that didn't cover her shoulders, and was holding a long hammer like tool snapped out of it.

“All right let's get moving!” she directed the others. “Get the wounded to the infirmary now!”

“Yes Ma'am!” a multitude of voices cried out.

I looked down a Monique to try and get a feel of how bad her injuries were and my breath got caught in my throat. She was battered and bruised with a waterfall of blood coming and covering her right eye and random cuts and bruises everywhere. The frail girl in my arms look broken and lifeless. What horrified me most was her eyes. While one was closed and covered in blood the other was half closed, but completely blank. I knew she had completely lost consciousness, but I worried. What is she never wakes up? I clutched onto her tighter and my head bent down as my forehead rested on top of hers. I shook a little as I tried to hold back any tears that dared try to escape my eye.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned my head only to find myself face to face with Kotaru Fuuma.

“Let's get you two to the infirmary. Alright? We can fix you and your friend up there.”

I nodded my head blankly and shift Monique in my arms placing one arm behind her back and hooking the other beneath her legs. Standing up I proceeded to carry her bridal style towards the infirmary. Kotaru offered to carry her, but I refused with no consideration whatsoever. I let go of her once, that is not happening again anytime soon.

Before too long we had reached the infirmary and Monique was whisked away out of my hands.

“Hey!” I exclaimed reaching out towards her.

“She needs medical attention! Let us take care of her you go clean yourself up!” They retorted rushing her into a different room.

I ended up sitting on a kind of stool as a young Fuuma with short blue hair named Juuji took care of my eye. She swabbed my face cleaning away all the blood, then applied some gauze, and finally wrapped my head in bandages.

“There we go,” She said in a soft voice. “That should do it for now. I don't think that it is going to leave a scar, but we should probably check your vision later.”

I stood up quickly eager to find the room where Monique was being kept, “Thanks a lot Juuji.”

Koichi sat on a bench against the wall of the room we were in when a door opened and another Fuuma ninja, this one with short boy-cut hair, stepped out sighing. Koichi stood up and we looked at her expectantly.