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<-- Chapter 3: The Tradition | Chapter 5: The Savior -->

!!CONTENT WARNING!!
[Death, Violence]

Word Count: 2045
————

“Rin.”

“Rin, wake up.”

Whining softly at being shaken awake, the kit rubbed his eyes. His birthday was tomorrow, so why was he getting woken up early the day before instead? An odd mix of cacophonous sounds echoed distantly, making the kit wonder where he was for a moment. That didn’t sound like home…

Opening his eyes and blinking the sleep away, Rin discovered his room bathed in a bright orange light from the window. Was it sunrise already? “Mama..?” He mumbled blearily, turning his gaze to Ginny. “What’s…” He trailed off, the sight that he landed on making him freeze firmly in place, ears flattened against his head. Ginny was crying and she looked… scared. He’d never seen her look like that before.

“We have to go, sweetie. Right now.” Her voice quivered slightly as she pulled the covers off of him, hurriedly moving around the room to gather whatever essentials she could.

“Why?” The kit’s voice cracked as fear gripped his throat, eyes darting to the window as a distant bang erupted from somewhere outside.

“GINNY.” Elin yelled from downstairs, the force in their voice causing Rin to jump. “THEY’RE ALMOST TO THE BARN, WE NEED TO GO. NOW.” At this, Ginny snatched Rin’s hood off of his nightstand and ran downstairs, the kit right on her heels.

The sight of Elin standing in the living room with a sword strapped to their waist, bleeding from a wound on their shoulder, gave Rin pause. They owned a sword..? Some folk shouted in an unfamiliar language outside, prompting the adults to hurry to the window. “Oh my god…” Ginny croaked, covering her mouth with a hand as the ghostly orange glow grew brighter, bathing his parents in light.

“Get the first aid kit.” Elin instructed, sword clicking against the wooden sheath as they gripped the hilt tightly.

Frantic, Rin’s mother turned to her partner. “Elin, I can’t leave the quilt-” Ginny cut off as their partner took her face in their hands, a terrified glint in their eye.

“Ginny.” Their voice was firm and unyielding, clearly doing their best to remain grounded in place. “It’s gone. I’m sorry.” They softened. The shorter folk closed her eyes and nodded. Rin didn’t understand. Why was Elin saying it was gone, it was in the barn! Couldn’t they just go in and get it?

Rin’s parents started to dart around the house, looking for the rest of their essentials. Whatever was happening, it was clear that they weren’t prepared for it. Feeling confused, scared, and frustrated, Rin rooted himself to the spot. Everything seemed wrong, like it was all just some bad dream.

Rin’s ear twitched as his parents whispering reached him.

“Who are they?” Ginny asked in a hushed voice, trying to keep the volume low enough that Rin couldn’t hear, but it was no use. With his senses on high alert due to the fear that pulsed through him, Rin had no trouble making out the conversation.

“Travelers. I heard them speaking in town.” Elin responded as another explosion sounded outside, startling Rin. What was happening? What were travelers?

“Don’t they know about medusa syndrome!? They’re all going to… ”

“They’re travelers, Ginny.” Elin spat, a sense of disdain in their voice. “Who knows what’s in their heads…”

“Why are they attacking in the first place?”

“I don’t know.”

A chill went down Rin’s spine. Hearing that even Elin, the smartest person Rin knew, had no idea why the village was being attacked… he didn’t know what to do with that.

Determined to find out what was happening, to understand absolutely anything about his situation, Rin stood up on two legs and marched to the front door. Turning the knob, the kit swung it open. Behind the fence and the rolling fields of grass sat the barn.

Completely consumed in flames.

The windows and doors glowed bright, like the eyes of some evil creature bathed in darkness. He swore he could feel the heat that radiated from the building from here, the smell of burning wood filling his lungs. Rin couldn’t tell if the mere sight of the massive plume of smoke billowing into the sky was what stung his eyes, or if it was the tears rolling down his cheeks.

“RIN!” Ginny shrieked in horror, darting forward. In one swift movement he was scooped into her arms and the door slammed shut. “What were you thinking!? What if they had seen you!?” She shook him lightly, tears flowing freely down her face, landing on the bright red bow around her neck. The kit whimpered pathetically as he began to cry, face contorting with confusion and grief. Were they really losing everything..? Pulling his hood over his head and hugging him close to her chest, Ginny darted to the back door, Elin’s hooves clicking rhythmically behind her.

“Rin, close your eyes.” Elin instructed softly before darting ahead to lead the group. The kit tried to listen, but his eyes were locked onto the giant flaming beast that used to be their barn. A sickening cracking sounded from it, making Rin think that somehow it really had come to life, and was moving to stand up, intending to burn everything else he knew and loved to the ground. But instead it fell, roof collapsing, a massive burst of flame bursting from the gaping wound.

Dark figures darting about, caught his eye, the folk shouting in words he didn’t understand. One pointed to the house and they all sprinted toward it. Rin wanted to yell, to protest, to get them to stop and turn back. But no matter how hard he tried he couldn’t get his mouth to work. It felt like his mind and body had been disconnected, heart and soul left behind in the burning fields of madder behind them.

Something was lit aflame and thrown through a window. Before his eyes his house came to life, just like the barn had. With greedy tongues lapping at the sky, the house was consumed.

Finally, his mind returned to him as it fled from the blaze. Back in control of his body, Rin buried his face into his mother’s shoulder, chest heaving with sobs.

————

No matter where they turned the travelers seemed to appear. Despite their efforts, the family was forced into town. Around them burning buildings collapsed, heat radiating from each glowing tongue of flame, making the air feel thick and suffocating. Rin had kept his head down for the majority of the journey, but he’d chanced a glance every so often, regretting it more and more each time. The kit recognized every building, every street, every tree, all set aflame by folk he still didn’t understand.

Faster than he could process, an arrow flew by his head, bringing with it a swift WHOOSH of air that brushed over his hair. “ELIN!!” Ginny screamed as the projectile found its mark, the sound of a body hitting the ground following just moments after. Terrified, Rin spun around in his mother’s arms to see Elin lying there, an arrow sticking out of their back like a giant evil quill.

Travelers closed in as Elin struggled to their feet, clumsily drawing their sword. Growling, the folk snapped off the tail arrow and lowered themself into a fighting stance, eyes fixed on the nearest traveler. “Take Rin and go.”

“I’m not leaving you to die, Elin!” Ginny protested in desperation. Elin cast a glance back toward them, a deep unknowable sorrow shining in their gaze.

“I’m already gone, Gin…” A small phylakardia colored crystal peered out from between the scales on their cheek, catching the light of a nearby flame. Ginny seemed to notice it as well, freezing in place. “Let me go.” Elin smiled mournfully, having accepted their fate before they’d even left the house. Before Rin could protest or ask questions, Ginny turned and ran.

“NO!!” The kit wailed, reaching helplessly over their mother’s shoulder at Elin. Their parent bowed their head to him as they slowly shrank with the distance, the action loaded with words unspoken. Rin shoved against Ginny’s powerful grasp, sobbing through bared teeth. “WE C-CAN’T JUST LEAVE THEM, TH-THEY’LL-”

“There’s no saving them, honey, I’m sorry… They have Medusa Syndrome.” Though each word came out wobbly, Ginny’s voice took on a determined quality, holding tighter to her son as he writhed in her arms.

He didn’t know how long he fought, refusing to believe that there was nothing that could be done. Maybe they hadn’t been blighted. Maybe they were wrong, maybe there was a cure! If they could all just get out of here, if they could find a doctor-

The two remaining members of the Dhal family turned a corner and Ginny gasped audibly, skidding to a halt. Blocking the path directly in front of them stood two folk Rin had never seen before.

Travelers.

A quick series of explosions sounded out from the place where they’d just left Elin, forcing the air from Ginny’s lungs as she spun to look in that direction. One of the travelers shouted something as Ginny tried to make a break back toward her partner. The bulkier of the two tossed a crudely made bolas at her feet, the rope spinning around to lock her legs in place. Ginny spun as she toppled over, ensuring that she took the brunt of the fall and not the small kit in her arms.

“Keep your eyes closed, Rin.” Ginny snarled and grabbed a fistfull of dirt, keeping her eyes locked on the travelers above her. The kit did as instructed and Ginny threw the fine sandy soil at the other folk, causing them to shriek in anger and surprise. With her opponents at bay, Ginny tossed Rin away from her with as much force as she could manage. The kit went flying, flailing helplessly as he made a desperate attempt to cling to the ground and find his footing.

“RUN! AS FAST AS YOU CAN, JUST GET AWAY FROM HERE!” She bellowed, the forcefulness of her voice startling him, like she’d become someone else entirely, fueled by the desperate need to protect her son and sole remaining family member.

He gave his mother one last look.

Then bolted.

Rin kept his eyes squeezed shut as he barreled down the street, heat hitting him in waves as he passed half standing structures consumed in flame. He didn’t stop, even when an blast sounded behind him.

Something smacked into him, a solid metal orb striking him square between the shoulders. The rope connected to it spun around his body, catching a paw and securing the limb to his chest. Now unbalanced, Rin stumbled forward, little gray form sliding helplessly in the dirt.

One of the two folk he and Ginny encountered stood over him and planted their foot firmly on his phylakardia, a sword in their hand. It was only now that Rin realized how young they were. They weren’t an adult, nor were they a kit, their dark phylakardia glinting in their chest, just half exposed.

Rin met their eyes, pleading wordlessly as they stared back, the folk locked in a state of limbo.

The older of the two walked into view, sneering down at him like he was a bugterra squished on the bottom of their paw. They pointed to him and spoke. Though it was in a different language, Rin didn’t need to know it in order to comprehend what was said.

“Do it.”

The younger folk seemed to protest, looking at the other with fear in their eyes as they pleaded, wringing their hands over the hilt of the blade. They argued back and forth, but Rin stopped paying attention.

The kit just squeezed his eyes shut and cried. He didn’t care what happened now. He’d lost everything. His home, his tradition, his friends… His family.

There was nothing left.

Just him.

The shouting above him stopped. Rin prepared for the cold sting of metal between his ribs…

A shriek sounded into the air, but it didn’t come from him. Eyes flying open, Rin watched in horror as the younger folk staggered backwards, a hand gripping their face, an arrow poking out where their eye had once been.

… TO BE CONTINUED IN THE NEXT CHAPTER

:] He's fine.

MAN i haven't done a painting in literal years this took eO N s but was worth it...

+ Colored Beans - [X ] [BEANS ]

20/158 Acorns

Description

<-- Chapter 3: The Tradition | Chapter 5: The Savior -->

!!CONTENT WARNING!!
[Death, Violence]

Word Count: 2045
————

“Rin.”

“Rin, wake up.”

Whining softly at being shaken awake, the kit rubbed his eyes. His birthday was tomorrow, so why was he getting woken up early the day before instead? An odd mix of cacophonous sounds echoed distantly, making the kit wonder where he was for a moment. That didn’t sound like home…

Opening his eyes and blinking the sleep away, Rin discovered his room bathed in a bright orange light from the window. Was it sunrise already? “Mama..?” He mumbled blearily, turning his gaze to Ginny. “What’s…” He trailed off, the sight that he landed on making him freeze firmly in place, ears flattened against his head. Ginny was crying and she looked… scared. He’d never seen her look like that before.

“We have to go, sweetie. Right now.” Her voice quivered slightly as she pulled the covers off of him, hurriedly moving around the room to gather whatever essentials she could.

“Why?” The kit’s voice cracked as fear gripped his throat, eyes darting to the window as a distant bang erupted from somewhere outside.

“GINNY.” Elin yelled from downstairs, the force in their voice causing Rin to jump. “THEY’RE ALMOST TO THE BARN, WE NEED TO GO. NOW.” At this, Ginny snatched Rin’s hood off of his nightstand and ran downstairs, the kit right on her heels.

The sight of Elin standing in the living room with a sword strapped to their waist, bleeding from a wound on their shoulder, gave Rin pause. They owned a sword..? Some folk shouted in an unfamiliar language outside, prompting the adults to hurry to the window. “Oh my god…” Ginny croaked, covering her mouth with a hand as the ghostly orange glow grew brighter, bathing his parents in light.

“Get the first aid kit.” Elin instructed, sword clicking against the wooden sheath as they gripped the hilt tightly.

Frantic, Rin’s mother turned to her partner. “Elin, I can’t leave the quilt-” Ginny cut off as their partner took her face in their hands, a terrified glint in their eye.

“Ginny.” Their voice was firm and unyielding, clearly doing their best to remain grounded in place. “It’s gone. I’m sorry.” They softened. The shorter folk closed her eyes and nodded. Rin didn’t understand. Why was Elin saying it was gone, it was in the barn! Couldn’t they just go in and get it?

Rin’s parents started to dart around the house, looking for the rest of their essentials. Whatever was happening, it was clear that they weren’t prepared for it. Feeling confused, scared, and frustrated, Rin rooted himself to the spot. Everything seemed wrong, like it was all just some bad dream.

Rin’s ear twitched as his parents whispering reached him.

“Who are they?” Ginny asked in a hushed voice, trying to keep the volume low enough that Rin couldn’t hear, but it was no use. With his senses on high alert due to the fear that pulsed through him, Rin had no trouble making out the conversation.

“Travelers. I heard them speaking in town.” Elin responded as another explosion sounded outside, startling Rin. What was happening? What were travelers?

“Don’t they know about medusa syndrome!? They’re all going to… ”

“They’re travelers, Ginny.” Elin spat, a sense of disdain in their voice. “Who knows what’s in their heads…”

“Why are they attacking in the first place?”

“I don’t know.”

A chill went down Rin’s spine. Hearing that even Elin, the smartest person Rin knew, had no idea why the village was being attacked… he didn’t know what to do with that.

Determined to find out what was happening, to understand absolutely anything about his situation, Rin stood up on two legs and marched to the front door. Turning the knob, the kit swung it open. Behind the fence and the rolling fields of grass sat the barn.

Completely consumed in flames.

The windows and doors glowed bright, like the eyes of some evil creature bathed in darkness. He swore he could feel the heat that radiated from the building from here, the smell of burning wood filling his lungs. Rin couldn’t tell if the mere sight of the massive plume of smoke billowing into the sky was what stung his eyes, or if it was the tears rolling down his cheeks.

“RIN!” Ginny shrieked in horror, darting forward. In one swift movement he was scooped into her arms and the door slammed shut. “What were you thinking!? What if they had seen you!?” She shook him lightly, tears flowing freely down her face, landing on the bright red bow around her neck. The kit whimpered pathetically as he began to cry, face contorting with confusion and grief. Were they really losing everything..? Pulling his hood over his head and hugging him close to her chest, Ginny darted to the back door, Elin’s hooves clicking rhythmically behind her.

“Rin, close your eyes.” Elin instructed softly before darting ahead to lead the group. The kit tried to listen, but his eyes were locked onto the giant flaming beast that used to be their barn. A sickening cracking sounded from it, making Rin think that somehow it really had come to life, and was moving to stand up, intending to burn everything else he knew and loved to the ground. But instead it fell, roof collapsing, a massive burst of flame bursting from the gaping wound.

Dark figures darting about, caught his eye, the folk shouting in words he didn’t understand. One pointed to the house and they all sprinted toward it. Rin wanted to yell, to protest, to get them to stop and turn back. But no matter how hard he tried he couldn’t get his mouth to work. It felt like his mind and body had been disconnected, heart and soul left behind in the burning fields of madder behind them.

Something was lit aflame and thrown through a window. Before his eyes his house came to life, just like the barn had. With greedy tongues lapping at the sky, the house was consumed.

Finally, his mind returned to him as it fled from the blaze. Back in control of his body, Rin buried his face into his mother’s shoulder, chest heaving with sobs.

————

No matter where they turned the travelers seemed to appear. Despite their efforts, the family was forced into town. Around them burning buildings collapsed, heat radiating from each glowing tongue of flame, making the air feel thick and suffocating. Rin had kept his head down for the majority of the journey, but he’d chanced a glance every so often, regretting it more and more each time. The kit recognized every building, every street, every tree, all set aflame by folk he still didn’t understand.

Faster than he could process, an arrow flew by his head, bringing with it a swift WHOOSH of air that brushed over his hair. “ELIN!!” Ginny screamed as the projectile found its mark, the sound of a body hitting the ground following just moments after. Terrified, Rin spun around in his mother’s arms to see Elin lying there, an arrow sticking out of their back like a giant evil quill.

Travelers closed in as Elin struggled to their feet, clumsily drawing their sword. Growling, the folk snapped off the tail arrow and lowered themself into a fighting stance, eyes fixed on the nearest traveler. “Take Rin and go.”

“I’m not leaving you to die, Elin!” Ginny protested in desperation. Elin cast a glance back toward them, a deep unknowable sorrow shining in their gaze.

“I’m already gone, Gin…” A small phylakardia colored crystal peered out from between the scales on their cheek, catching the light of a nearby flame. Ginny seemed to notice it as well, freezing in place. “Let me go.” Elin smiled mournfully, having accepted their fate before they’d even left the house. Before Rin could protest or ask questions, Ginny turned and ran.

“NO!!” The kit wailed, reaching helplessly over their mother’s shoulder at Elin. Their parent bowed their head to him as they slowly shrank with the distance, the action loaded with words unspoken. Rin shoved against Ginny’s powerful grasp, sobbing through bared teeth. “WE C-CAN’T JUST LEAVE THEM, TH-THEY’LL-”

“There’s no saving them, honey, I’m sorry… They have Medusa Syndrome.” Though each word came out wobbly, Ginny’s voice took on a determined quality, holding tighter to her son as he writhed in her arms.

He didn’t know how long he fought, refusing to believe that there was nothing that could be done. Maybe they hadn’t been blighted. Maybe they were wrong, maybe there was a cure! If they could all just get out of here, if they could find a doctor-

The two remaining members of the Dhal family turned a corner and Ginny gasped audibly, skidding to a halt. Blocking the path directly in front of them stood two folk Rin had never seen before.

Travelers.

A quick series of explosions sounded out from the place where they’d just left Elin, forcing the air from Ginny’s lungs as she spun to look in that direction. One of the travelers shouted something as Ginny tried to make a break back toward her partner. The bulkier of the two tossed a crudely made bolas at her feet, the rope spinning around to lock her legs in place. Ginny spun as she toppled over, ensuring that she took the brunt of the fall and not the small kit in her arms.

“Keep your eyes closed, Rin.” Ginny snarled and grabbed a fistfull of dirt, keeping her eyes locked on the travelers above her. The kit did as instructed and Ginny threw the fine sandy soil at the other folk, causing them to shriek in anger and surprise. With her opponents at bay, Ginny tossed Rin away from her with as much force as she could manage. The kit went flying, flailing helplessly as he made a desperate attempt to cling to the ground and find his footing.

“RUN! AS FAST AS YOU CAN, JUST GET AWAY FROM HERE!” She bellowed, the forcefulness of her voice startling him, like she’d become someone else entirely, fueled by the desperate need to protect her son and sole remaining family member.

He gave his mother one last look.

Then bolted.

Rin kept his eyes squeezed shut as he barreled down the street, heat hitting him in waves as he passed half standing structures consumed in flame. He didn’t stop, even when an blast sounded behind him.

Something smacked into him, a solid metal orb striking him square between the shoulders. The rope connected to it spun around his body, catching a paw and securing the limb to his chest. Now unbalanced, Rin stumbled forward, little gray form sliding helplessly in the dirt.

One of the two folk he and Ginny encountered stood over him and planted their foot firmly on his phylakardia, a sword in their hand. It was only now that Rin realized how young they were. They weren’t an adult, nor were they a kit, their dark phylakardia glinting in their chest, just half exposed.

Rin met their eyes, pleading wordlessly as they stared back, the folk locked in a state of limbo.

The older of the two walked into view, sneering down at him like he was a bugterra squished on the bottom of their paw. They pointed to him and spoke. Though it was in a different language, Rin didn’t need to know it in order to comprehend what was said.

“Do it.”

The younger folk seemed to protest, looking at the other with fear in their eyes as they pleaded, wringing their hands over the hilt of the blade. They argued back and forth, but Rin stopped paying attention.

The kit just squeezed his eyes shut and cried. He didn’t care what happened now. He’d lost everything. His home, his tradition, his friends… His family.

There was nothing left.

Just him.

The shouting above him stopped. Rin prepared for the cold sting of metal between his ribs…

A shriek sounded into the air, but it didn’t come from him. Eyes flying open, Rin watched in horror as the younger folk staggered backwards, a hand gripping their face, an arrow poking out where their eye had once been.

… TO BE CONTINUED IN THE NEXT CHAPTER

:] He's fine.

MAN i haven't done a painting in literal years this took eO N s but was worth it...

+ Colored Beans - [X ] [BEANS ]

20/158 Acorns