Lovely (Ruby x Dyrroth)

seven

Standing in the shadows of the Black Forest's enormous trees, Ruby stared in dismay at her  village from afar. It was wholly lit by a blazing, roaring fire, the smoke it emitted making her cough. Her heart sank. It was very likely that she wouldn't be able to save anything at all.

Ruby heard a crackle of girly laughter nearby and dove behind a tree. 'Not too bad, little girl!' mocked a very familiar voice, and flames of loathing burned inside Ruby at the mere thought of who it belonged to. That idiot elf girl again.

Ruby peered around the tree at Selena, eyes narrowed, making sure she wasn't seen. She could already tell she wasn't going to like the sight that awaited her.

Selena was standing with a hand on her hip, a snide smile gracing her lips as she watched an injured human girl attempt to escape the wrath of several abyssal demons. The human girl, Ruby realised, eyes widening in horror, was Reina's elder sister. Ruby vaguely remembered waving at her just this morning, although she didn't know the girl's name and they had never spoken.

The monstrous-looking abyssal demons growled viciously as they advanced towards the defenseless girl, who took a few unsteady steps backwards, her eyes wide with uncontrollable fear. Ruby tightened her hold on her scythe, gritting her teeth and preparing to jump out and protect her when the demons pounced on the girl, baring their razor-sharp fangs.

Ruby inhaled sharply, immediately angling her head away from the poor girl. She couldn't bear to look at what was going on. And, besides, it was too late to save her now. Ruby forced herself to ignore the pity that welled up inside her, pulling her hood farther over her head. With one last disgusted look at Selena, who was rejoicing in the sight of the girl being mauled, Ruby dashed behind tree to tree, hoping to get to the other side of the village unnoticed.

She did. And it truly made her realise how little hope there was left that she could save even a single life from either being burned to death or pitilessly murdered. She had arrived far too late, and as much as she couldn't stand to acknowledge it, there weren't any people that could still be saved. Ruby's heart was crumbling.

She was such a failure. Her duty had been to guard her village from evil, and she'd failed terribly, somehow managing to doom them all in the space of a single night. A sudden urge to cry rose inside her, and she resisted with all her might. She couldn't be weak. Not now. She curled her trembling hands into tight fists.

Like Dyrroth had said, if she couldn't save them, she had to save herself. Fine then, she thought grimly, clenching her teeth. The only thing she could do now was inform someone about the attack, and she knew exactly who to tell.

With a sudden determination, Ruby turned away from the destruction of her village and began to jog swiftly towards the destination.

---

'Lesley! Open up!' shouted Ruby, her voice breathy with exhaustion. Panting, she wiped the sweat that had begun to bead on her forehead with the back of her hand. Ruby pounded on Lesley's door three more times. 'Open. Up!'

Yes, she had heard of doorbells, alright? But she couldn't be bothered right now. 'LESLEY, OPEN THE DOOR NOW OR-'

The door swung open so suddenly that Ruby jumped in surprise. On the other side stood an extremely grumpy-looking Harley. 'The fuck are you doing here,' he growled threateningly, 'at half past one in the morning?'

Ruby gasped. Gosh, Lesley would've been appalled. 'Language, kid!' she exclaimed. 'And let me in, I've got really urgent matters to discuss with your sister.'

She heard the sound of uncontrollable giggling being smothered with a ton of effort inside the house. Harley flushed, eyes flicking towards the source of the giggling. Ruby frowned in suspicion.