6 VI

Samty, without a second to waste, scurries away as he frees himself from the hold of the huge man who stares down at him with red blazing eyes. The bone in his wrist felt like it was smashed with a heavy hammer that it threatens to break out their joints or just, literally, into pieces. He can feel a bruise already painting his pale skin and the slow throbbing of his somewhat blocked veins made him wince.

"Didn't I specifically told you I'm with someone?!"

"I guess you forgot to add it was a human!"

"Well, do you expect a pureblood wandering out here?!"

He made himself as small as possibly as he can behind the tree where the unconscious man was leaned on. The beating of his heart spikes up as the roaring voices not a meter far deafens him mixed with the loud chatters from the town. His head quickly welcomes a pulsing headache that spreads across the entirety of his head. Trembling hands went to clutch its side as his left arm began to burn together with the skin on his nape.

It's too loud, too painful—too much going on in his head that he failed to notice the voice that returned to his head not until it repeatedly resounds in his mind.

' Deep breaths. Calm down. You're safe. Just deep breaths. You're safe. Try to calm down. '

Samty listens just like the other previous times. He pulled his knees to his chest and hides his face to his folded arms. His father once said that if you have troubles on breathing or any kind of panic attacks, hole up to yourself and try to gain what you have lost in a slow, patient manner.

So he closed his eyes, block all the noise, he breathes, he calmed down and he felt safe. The gentle caress of the wind on his greasy locks and to his bare feet gave him the calmness he needed together with the warmth the tiger-skin is giving him still. The burning sensation he felt on his skin seems to fade too. But the serenity he created to wrap his self in was cut short when a hand softly touches his aching wrist. Soon, it wrings itself on his bony arm and rubs the part were the purplish color is beginning to be visible.

"It's fine...you're fine"

His head came out at its hiding as his eyes looked down at the man who's unconscious most of their walk, though he's pretty much awake at the moment. A frown immediately made its way to his face when he hears the still arguing voices of the two but the noise of the town thankfully sounds dull against his ears. Samty only stared glumly, not very much happy for being interrupted, at the now pale man as he lie on his side where his wounds wouldn't meet the soil ground. His half-lidded eyes lazily looking up at his slitted ones.

"I'm...hungry"

He drawled over, continuously rubbing the pad of his thumb on Samty's bruising skin. As if trying to soothe it yet the pain he felt isn't subsiding neither the burn that made an appearance on his arm again. But it seems to him that he can endure it this time around.

Samty nods over after a second passes to tell him that he extremely understands the latter because he too felt his stomach growl once the topic of starvation sparks up. He haven't eaten, not a single bite or drop of water, since lunch yesterday and now it's evening meaning his mouth didn't got any food for a day and a half. Although his body didn't really begs him for food throughout the long walk that he had completely forgotten about it. So he wonders what had gotten to his stomach to behave after such long suffering of no ration.

He was once again cut short on his thinking when the other pulled close his wrist. Surprising Samty as he is also pulled from the force making him sit on his knees, sending him to hover to the latter. His heart immediately landed in slow beats in a deafening manner since the strong scent of metallic iron wafts his nose from the close proximity. However, his mind is in complete control of himself as his eyes dilated and seems to be interested on watching the other.

On how his hair sways with the leaves as a gush of wind passes through. Or how the paleness his face had gotten that went in a very contrasting view with his black locks. Or how the purple lines that travels around his temple down to his jaw that seems like a painting on a white canvass. Or the lidded eyes staring down at his hurt wrist with a bright light edging its irises—but his eyes manage to catch the unknown. The blankness of his mind filled with questions as he watch with furrowed brows when the other closes his lids to block his bright eyes and seems to smell his skin on his wrist.

"What are you—"

"We gotta go"

Samty quickly pulled his arm back as if burnt on something when the same man from earlier who almost crush his bones held the half-conscious man's hands away from reaching him. His immediate reaction sends him sitting on his buttocks on the cold ground behind the tree. His eyes not leaving the other who refuses to look back and instead manhandled the wounded man. His nose caught a strange smell that his mind tells him it was anger and he didn't know why strange things continuously happens to him.

"You go first, we'll see if we can get food"

"Hmm...just make sure no more addition, we can't have another mouth to feed"

With those parting words exchanged by the two, the other quickly rushes off down to where Celo had gone by earlier. Carrying the wounded man on his shoulder like an immobile sack of potato. Samty was still on the ground butt frozen looking at the long-gone back of the huge man. He only shifts his gaze to the figure standing meters away from him when he heard the sounds of footsteps.

"Come, we need to find food for the others"

Samty quickly scampers his way up onto his feet as Celo walk up to him to hand over the knife his hand was holding earlier. He must of have dropped it from the scene that unfolds and of course forgot about it all. He stood still beside the tree holding the weapon tight with both hands. His eyes watching his companion's shoulder for any sign of her being cold in the night since he still have the warm thing draped on his body. But he saw no shivering nor gritting teeth so he is left to also watch their lightless surrounding just as how she does it a couple of steps away. Looking frantically from left to right, back to front, and even above the thick layer of leaves. Yet all Samty can come up with are rows and rows of trees and the sound of the wild. His eyes went back to the dressed warrior who's furrowing her brows as she's now only looking at one part of the forest, hands holding a bow and arrow at ready for a target. Samty ponders for a moment on where did she got it considering he didn't saw the big thing clinging on its owner on their walk before his mind fills him that the other head back somewhere and that's where she probably had got it. With his question got answers, he steps pass the tree to see what interests her. Squinting his eyes to see what he can far back the shadows and his head snaps to his side as he gave a surprised sound when his eyes did saw something.

"What? What is it?"

He heard her whisper along the dead silence of the night

"I...I think I saw some kind of—of light?...there?"

He said in a low tone as his neck is still craned to look at his left and pointed that way, a completely different direction to where his eyes were actually looking into. No one speaks after that and the silence that follows rings in his ears. He wasn't even sure how his eyes manage to caught it when he was really not looking that way but he did and said it and now he can feel the eyes of her looking at him. Eyes seemingly shedding every skin he have to look further more inside.

Samty definitely didn't shudder.

He stared more on his side, arms ready to swing the sharp object in his hands, waiting to see if the light will appear again. Though he doubt to the small seconds he only have to see the light that it may be harmful seeing it can only be a firefly or some other insects with lights on their bodies. But when did they burn bright red? Samty didn't know.

He soon relaxes when nothing happened after a minute of quietly waiting and was about to take a step forward towards his companion to carry out their task of getting food when his ears caught a silent rustle. His body tenses when it was something familiar as the sound travels to his hearing range and he immediately crouch down as it became louder and louder over them. He knew it wasn't the dancing leaves in the night or the flaps of the bird's wings—he knew that sound but what is it!

"Now what?!"

The woman crouching in front of him whispered as she copied him and also look up above their heads. Weapons on their hand at ready for the worst that will come. Though they're too far to each other for his hearing to capture it, he didn't have the time to point this out when the sound continuously increases its volume before two feet emerged from the canopy of the leaves then comes a body who landed with a soft thud on the ground. His eyes immediately zeroed on the long cloak—the wide end sprawled on the ground while the wearer seems to drown underneath it. A high pitched voice confirmed that it was a girl behind the huge fabric as he can only see two petite legs peeking out the black ordeal.

"Celo, look! I found this near the clearing abandoned—"

"Why do you have that?!"

It seems like there's no other emotion inside the warrior woman but anger and madness when she quickly jumps up to her feet and raced down to the newcomer who is looking down with mirth in her eyes at the very huge cloak for her. The girl, if he's right considering the distance between them, is just only centimeters shorter than him and looked very much smaller to the tall woman. He can see from his still crouched position how she look up to the furious woman with fear clear on her doe eyes as the other harshly pulled off the fabric that was loosely hugging her small frame once she was close enough.

"What did I tell you about going out of the house unless we're with you, Onpil?!"

"B-but—"

"Onpil?! There you are! I thought I lost you—Ce-Celo! What a coincidence!"

Samty look at his left, to where Celo had been looking not a long ago, as another voice welcomed itself to the growing crowd. A tall slender man, even taller than Celo and that bone-crushing man, emerged from behind a tree with a strained smile while struggling to free himself where a branch had caught the sleeve of his clothes. His frantic eyes seems to be staring pass the two figure right in his front as he blindly tug  on the branch. Samty quietly remains on his position, keen on not be acquainted with the upcoming argument, on the ground as he watch the scene unfold before his very own eyes.

"Dowem?! What are you two doing out here?!"

"Well you see if you have been left with six heads to look after, the task includes feeding"

When there is no answer from the latter the man quickly followed up on his words.

"And these six heads obviously have six stomachs that needed all to be satisfied—"

"Amtari was there!"

"Indeed he is, yes, very much. But when I look for him at the backdoor just earlier—"

"Oh! For the love of—! I asked for help for a small time and now—!...Why are you far at the clearing when you're only looking for food?"

Even if he wasn't the one who is in the receiving end of her calm voice that radiates a cold bite in every words, he still felt a crawl under his skin. Sending goosebumps all throughout his body. And he felt bad for the poor girl as the woman directed her piercing gaze back to the her who's by now trembling under her grey short overalls. The cloak that adorns her shoulder earlier was now thrown on the ground inches away from them

"She just got excited, come on, don't be like this—"

"And so did Tarim! Now, where is she?!"

Dead air immediately envelopes the crowd when those words were said The eyes of the two unknown-for-him newcomers were cast down on their feet as Celo continued to glare knives on the black cloak. It was too quiet that when Samty's stomach decided at this crucial moment to protest from the lack of food it is getting and made an ugly sound of rumbling, much alike to a roaring thunder, the sound travels through the air and resounded loudly on everyone's ears. Samty hugs his stomach from where he is now sitting crisscrossed on the ground, face flushed from so much embarrassment and eyes not daring to look up to the others.

"Home. Now."

Samty pushed his self off the soil in full height when these final words was said. Only footsteps were the answer of the two as they reunited before heading to the way where the two men also went. But before they even go far, Samty jogs up towards them as he takes off the tiger-skin against his body. Handing it to the girl, ones they were in arm length, who's trying not to make her shivering in the cold visible.

"Here, you need it—woah, be careful!"

Samty is once again supporting a body against his arms as the guy who seems like a meter tall to him suddenly fell directly to where he is. Though his knees already touch the ground, Samty still go for the trouble of holding him up. Hands holding his forearms as the chin of the other digs on his hungry stomach.

"Sorry! I didn't see the slanted root! I'm a human, I can't properly see in the dark"

Samty helps the other up to his full height and almost cower out when he's only just above his shoulder. If this guy decides to beat him, even without the muscles like Celo have, he sure will see the light. But after this thoughts, he eyes the man in a questioning way. Wondering what is he talking about being a human and not seeing properly when all of them here are just the same creatures and all three, that includes him, seems to just doing quite well on the dark. Well it wasn't really that dark because Samty still can see pass the shadows, so why can't he? But before his mouth ask out this question, the girl—yes, she definitely is centimeters smaller than him, is already thanking him for his kind gesture and quickly ventured off on the same route his saviour and the bone-crushing man had taken earlier. Samty was then only left standing there to look at their retreating back with confusion marring his face. But when his organ bit him inside, he remembered that he needed to look for food or all the other organs will be gone if his stomach decided to eat them instead. He turned to look back on the woman that was so intense to the two and almost curse her out when she was already taking a different route, seemingly abandoning him on the once again cold night. Maybe giving the wild thing was a bad idea after all seeing they were headed to the house now.

Samty gritted his teeth.

Throughout their voyage in the forest, the somewhat looked like a blanket inside the satchel Celo have is by now occupying his shoulder and back. He was actually about to grab the cloak earlier for it to be the one to carry all what they can get but he wasn't even a meter close to it when he felt the cold stare Celo is giving him so, in the end, he gave up on that idea and silently accepts the one given to him. Now the blanket all carrying various kind of fruits they managed to see under the limited vision of the bright moon above their heads and trees. Dead meat of some lost small animals around where they walk were hanging upside down on the stick the woman briskly walking in front of him have. He almost felt like a murderer on how he only just watch as the other aims her arrows on their target if only he's not prioritizing his grumbling stomach who haven't eaten meat since forever.

Samty sighs as he divert his gaze somewhere else and not mournfully stare to the opened eyes of the dead rabbit lifelessly looking at him in front of him. He's sure the woman was doing it on purpose to trigger him since he was about to bawl his eyes out over it when it was still trying to breathe back in life. Samty shook his head to erase the image in his mind of it bleeding right at the center of its furred chest. The red liquid oozing out its skin as it colors the white spotless of a fur it have. At the process of doing it, his solemn eyes caught a dull color of red far in front of their way to, hopefully, the place where they rest as the lights from the town is currently reflecting on his eyes.

It is located just at the last row of trees before they step on the pavement of the town. Almost near the ground as the small tree of it is being towered by the sturdy tree in front of him, looking as if it was hiding it away to the people's view. It seems like the other isn't paying attention to him nor in her front as she was busy fumbling with the belt on his legs where most the weapons she used for hunting is in there. He chance this opportunity to have the round deliciously looking fruit on his hand as they pass by it. Celo didn't really wants him to get food the she didn't told him to get. Saying it might be poisonous or not edible at all. But this one seems to be safe so his arm swiftly swings by on his side, away from the the other's view, and his hand immediately felt the round shape of it. So he grab, pulled and swings it in front of his mouth to go and have a big bite. His tongue had many to identify such unknown taste from their quick tour for food inside the forest and this one have a unique taste amongst all.

The outside part of it was smooth and hard but the inside is rough on his mouth and the water it gives between every munch he made is sweet to his taste buds. There's a touch of metallic taste on it and something else that made it much more enjoyable to eat. And so he happily swallowed, opened his mouth to take another bite—

"Where did you get that?"

A strained low tone of voice made its way to his ears. His mouth opened wide and hand holding the fruit is in front of it—clearly halfway on getting his second bite. His eyes drifted up to only see the look the other have on her eyes as she stared on the thing he was holding between his mouth and hand. Samty also gave it a look before getting his postponed second bite. Swallowing first the portion he ate before giving her an answer.

"Just there, near the outline—C-Celo?"

Even though hesitant to address the other on her given name, he still did as she took a step back away to him and look around, with something dancing in her eyes, the area as if waiting for something. He too look around in confusion as he once again tried to capture her attention because there was nothing around on the area. Nothing looked suspicious nor eyes from the town folks looking at them.

But something happened that he unwillingly lets go of the luggage behind his back as he scratch raw his throat that seems to close on its own. He coughs out dry that is achingly difficult as he punched his chest when his lungs suddenly gave out on inhaling air. He gasps and heaves and sucks but no amount of effort paid. His ears muffling the noise around but his bleary eyes still saw how his companion's lips are moving franticly, probably calling his attention. Next he felt is the sting on his knees as he collapse on the ragged pavement and his nape burns as his blurring eyes partially saw how his pale skin begun to turn reddish. His whole body is making an ugly sight of trembling limbs and his eyes almost rolls back behind his head when as everything happened quickly, it also vanishes in a snap of a finger. Eyes widening in focus and his ears immediately caught the clear and loud rustling of the billowing cloaks behind him.

' Run! '

"Celo! Run!"

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