Falling

Bonus 1 - Rencounter in the Forest of Death; Part 3 - Departure to the End

Night. Dark, yet peaceful and calming night. Star-littered, black cloak above their heads reminded them once again that only one day had fallen. Cold crust behind and warm fire before had awoken a slight feeling of comfort and calmness. Quiet crackling of the fire was so sonorous yet so soft, having the power to lull them in a peaceful slumber. In a soft slumber without dreams, because dreams are so scary. But sometimes, even like that, they are better than reality.

Dazai stared at the fire, fighting against the urge to close his eyes and fall asleep. Eyes of his stung and hurted when he rubbed them after staring at the fire for too long. Scrunching his eyes hard while doing it, he wanted to get rid of white dots and yellow fog disarranging the lenitive darkness behind his closed eyelids.

Blinking a few times after the session, Dazai noticed that an urge to sleep finally relented. Sighing, he raised his head and looked at the endless sky through the branches. Stars were truly beautiful that night, sparkling despite the light of the fire that was supposed to conceal their vibrant shine.

Just then, Dazai's eyes shone strangely, stars reflecting in his eyes.

Merely two things in this world verily amazed him - stars... and sunsets. With a confidence he could claim that he will never get tired of watching them. Natural phenomenons so frequent and seemingly plain, but if one would look deeper, they would find an endless landscape never the same and so beautiful, calming and enchanting, never haunting nor ugly.

Dazai couldn't quite explain why himself, he was never good with words, but if someone would look closely at his face while he observes those phenomenons, they would understand, without Dazai having to say anything.

By the deepness of the blackness and characteristic spots the constellations had gained, Dazai could certainly say it was around midnight.

"Chuuya," he whispered and elbowed his sleeping partner gently.

"Hm?" Chuuya hummed, eyes closed, head leaning on the hard crust of the three.

"I have to tell you something important."

"About what?" Chuuya said, opening his eyes and turning to Dazai.

Their captors were around ten meters ahead, sitting around their own, bigger fire and chatting something between them. Sometimes they would whisper confidentially, sometimes talk normally like it was an ordinary day or laugh like someone had pronounced the funniest joke in the world, but they had never looked in their direction.

Chuuya and Dazai were sitting beside each other, leaning on the tree with their own fire to give them warmth and light. At each side of the three was one armed man to secure them, like they could flee from them in their state.

As an additional insurance they had appointed ten men to secure the surroundings. Now six of them were around the fire, which makes it 18 in total. A small, but an effective bunch.

A bunch well trained and synchronized in everything they were doing, without a single mistake. By such a professional conduct, it was as clear as day that this was a long and well planned operation.

They must have started planning it after the Dragon Head's Rush, Dazai thought.

"Do you see that man on the right? The one who's sitting beside the leader?" Dazai said, staring at Sakio whose face was more relaxed than he remembers, but still holding that outlandish stiffness and heedfulness.

"What about him?"

"He's the one who tried to kill me today, the one we have to fear the most."

"What did he tell you?" Chuuya asked quietly, stopping when he heard rustling beside him. The man on the right was dusting off his shirt casually.