These Broken Hands

Chapter 5

From his hiding place Yuin could hear the alarm and the scatter of guards. She had been caught! He stared into the darkness, his heart beating heavily as he thought over what he should do. If he ran then he could get away without being seen, thanks to Erol's distraction.

But then... She may reveal his involvement and his family would be dragged down in his foolishness. If he went to help them, he would have to leave behind his family for their sake. If he did not, then the Shiera would likely be killed.

He covered his ears and tried to drown out the alarm's ringing. It fell silent for a moment, only a moment, until a scream shattered his silence. His chest tightened and the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. Suddenly he could hear it all again, the sound of guards shouting, the howling, the roaring, the screams. He could see the guards slicing and stabbing Erol, killing her mercilessly.

Yuin tried harder to ignore it, humming loudly, closing his eyes and covering his ears. In his futile attempts to ignore the situation he had not noticed the light radiating from his hands. It burned its way up his arms, pulling his attention. Yuin stood and tried to wipe away the effects. "No! No, they'll find me! Stop it!" he cried.

The effects ceased but as it stopped, a thick, leather-like material formed over his arms.

"It is a very potent energy that flows from deep within you."

Aela's words echoed in his mind as gloves formed over his skin. Yuin looked at his hands and released a breath he had not been aware he was holding. The sounds of conflict echoed behind him, surely waking the townsfolk from their slumber. Yuin took a deep breath, giving his mind only a second to think over what he was about to do. "Aela," he sighed then ran from the alley towards the holding block.

He ran along the gate and stopped where he heard the most noise. He climbed the gate and fell on the other side, right next to the commotion. Erol was in her wolf form fighting off the guards. Her clothes were ripped and filthy now.

Yuin took another deep breath and ran into the mayhem. His body seemed to move on its own now, blocking Erol from swinging swords and pushing the guards back a distance. She watched as a visible wave of green light moved from his hands to the guards and sent them flying back several feet.

"How are you doing that?" she shouted over the screams of the guards.

"I have no idea but now is not a good time to figure that out," he replied. "Where is Kyunho?"

Erol pointed to the small holding and Yuin turned his attention to it. He walked up to it and pressed his hand firmly against the wall. It turned green and Yuin removed his hands, pulling out the wall as he did so. You Kyunho could barely lift his head. Yuin easily broke his restraints and struggled to get him on his back.

"You should not have come back...human," he whispered in Yuin's ear.

"Tell that to Erol," he replied then turned to the gate. He waved his hand and in a flash of green the gate was split open. "Hurry up Erol!" He ran out of the gate and toward the edge of town. Erol kicked one of the unconscious guards then ran after him, laughing triumphantly the entire way.

Yuin could not help smiling. What he had done was nothing to be proud of but it had felt amazing. They had reached the edge of the town and gone a ways out before Yuin's legs gave out.

Erol howled and raised her fists. "That was pretty impressive human," she said as she knelt beside Kyunho. "How did you do all of that?"

Yuin shook his head. "I still have no idea but, I think it is...time..." He laid down on the ground and went to sleep.