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koijikido · 10 months ago

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🩸death

Lost in thought, he sat there. His blue eyes moved slowly but with control, surveying the land that stretched out before him. It was quiet. Here and there one could hear the trees rustling, but it was quieter than usual. The animals that lived in the forest were barely audible. As if something was about to happen. A few days ago, there had been loud explosions not far from their border. Everything seemed to be on alert. Even the thinnest blade of grass remained still, as if it knew something was approaching. A tension could be felt in the air, the smell of burning was heavy. The snow, which still covered the ground a little, lay silent and frozen, making every step sound treacherous if you didn't know how to move in it.

Koiji sensed all of this as he sat here, keeping an eye on his home, as was his job. And yet his thoughts wandered from time to time. Lost in a maelstrom of questions and feelings that he could not silence. He should push all this aside and concentrate on the fact that intruders were possibly already here - or would try to penetrate further into the forest.

He looked to the side for a moment and heard a rustling in the bushes, but it was only a mountain hare fighting its way through the branches blocking his path. The soft fur at the tips of Koiji's ears moved gently as the wind picked up more, making the fine ends dance in it. He hadn't seen Arun and Oruro for a while. Not even after the explosions. Were they all right? They were stronger than him, he realized, but that didn't exempt them from danger or potential trouble. He would love to have them with him again, it had been too long since he had last seen them.

Lost in his thoughts, however, his gaze darted forward when he heard the hissing sound of an arrow cutting through the air and causing it to whistle. The arrow had not been aimed at him, they did not seem to have noticed him. But it seemed to be a marker they had placed. Damn. He should have paid attention! Why hadn't he run further ahead? They had already made it this far! Laying his ears back, he drew his bow and an arrow and repositioned himself slightly to keep the intruders in sight. They were a group of men fighting their way through what was unfamiliar territory for them.

Koiji felt himself tense up. He had already fought many times. But he was not a fan of killing someone. It was difficult for him, even though he knew that his task made it necessary. And the protection of their homeland made it unavoidable in the long run.

The smell the men had on them was the same as when the explosions had occurred. So they had been responsible. However, the way they acted and looked did not bode well for him. Koiji tightened his bow, aiming at one of the men from his hiding place and a safe distance, before his arrow was aimed and skillfully cut the air almost silently, hitting said target in the leg to immobilize him.

"Agh!" a cry was heard before the man held his leg. Everyone immediately stopped and looked at the injured man. "That arrow, so it's true. Men, watch out, we've got one of those Warders around us! Find him and take him out!" he ordered. Koiji's eyes fixed on the group before he changed his position. Quietly and quickly, the Viera ran through his familiar territory before drawing and firing another arrow. It hit one of the men in the arm, who also gasped in pain. But another one of the troop immediately looked in his direction. "He must be there!" he shouted and pulled out a firearm. Koiji widened his eyes for a moment and scurried off to change position again. He hadn't seen him directly, but the man decided not to take aim, instead firing several shots wildly in his direction. The bullets whizzed past Koiji as he dodged, but one hit him in the thigh and shot through it. "Gh...!" He gasped softly and looked up, trying to be quiet.

"There!" shouted another man and immediately sprinted at Koiji. The Viera drew his bow and fired the arrows, but in the heat of the moment he could only fire grazing shots that would not immobilize the others. Ignoring the pain, he hurried through the bushes, closely followed by one of the men. But he heard the footsteps of the others, who also took up the chase. He would get no further with the bow. He put it back on and pulled out his long dagger. He couldn't. He could not run away. This was not his job! This was not what would protect his home! This thought flashed through his mind. Tensing, he tightened his grip on the dagger before running towards a tree, jumping against it, bracing himself with his feet and using the force of the movement to push himself away from the tree before knocking his pursuer over and ramming the dagger into his shoulder.

"Aargghh!" the man cried out, but before Koiji knew it, hands grabbed his arms and held him in that position. What the-?!

Contrary to the fact that he would let go if he was hurt, the man used this moment to tie Koiji to him. The Viera now squirmed under his movements, feeling the firm grip clinging to him like a crab whose claws dug into his skin and only let go when he wanted them to.

"Here, quick! I've got him!" the intruder shouted to his group, who quickly caught up with them.

Koiji was flexible. So he lifted his leg and braced his knee against the man's injured shoulder, who cried out in pain, which was why he let go of him with at least one hand. The Viera rolled to the side to escape the grip and used the resulting movement to release the other grip as well, otherwise his opponent would dislocate his arm completely. He hastily stood up and reached for his dagger before he was struck in the stomach. Filled with pain, he gasped and backed away before a sword came hurtling towards him, which he managed to parry with his dagger. A fight broke out between Koiji and the group, who encircled him further and further.

His mind was racing. All he could do now was to keep them at bay for as long as he could. Either until reinforcements arrived or until they gave up and left. To render them all harmless, that would involve a great deal of effort on his part. That was clear to Koiji. But the will to live and persevere was not broken. Nevertheless, it became more difficult as time went on. The intruders' blades caught him again and again, leaving cuts and injuries that made it increasingly difficult for him to remain steadfast. Even if Koiji wounded them and fought them back, their numbers were simply too great to take them all out alone.

"Let me shoot!" shouted one of them. A tall man laughed. "What? No! Look at him! He's a rarity! Maybe we can cut off his ears and sell it for a lot of money when we get back! Or better still, we can just take him with us and he'll be our slave! That would be something!" he laughed.

"I mean, look at him! And he's got a lot of stamina, the way he's stood up to us for so long. I think that can be put to good use in many things!" the other men laughed and probably agreed with him.

<< You are a forest guardian. It is your duty to protect our home. And if it is with your life, then you are willing to give it, for it serves the higher purpose and survival of the community. Our ancestors will welcome you with honor and open arms.>>

Suddenly his mentor's words flashed through his mind. Was that what he wanted? Was it an honor for him? Koiji became careless as his strength left him and his wounds became increasingly troublesome. A fist hit him again in the stomach area, causing him to fall to the ground. Supporting himself with one hand, he gasped in pain and looked into the snow, which was stained with red drops of his own blood. "At last. We've got him so far! What a tough guy!"

The man directly in front of him reached for his ears and grabbed him, pulling him up, Koijis face towards him. Koiji gasped in pain and opened his eyes, gazing into the deep dark eyes of the man in front of him. Into the face of a horrible man, whose mouth formed into a broad and disgusting grin of satisfaction.

"Annoying, isn't it?" he now asked the ironic question to the Viera and knocked the dagger out of his hand. "Really really annoying. But we found you, so we'll find others like you as well." He pulled Koiji all the way up so that he was almost standing again, but this was accompanied by a painful gasp as he continued to pull him up by the ears. Koiji's hands grabbed the arm of the man. His fingernails dug into the other man's skin as he tried to loosen his grip.

"Hahaha!" But his enemy only laughed contemptuously. "Go to sleep, little bunny. Being so cheeky won't win you any points." With a swing, he threw Koiji to the ground before the leg swung out and pushed him over the edge of a small embankment into a ditch with a powerful kick. His body rolled down before his back hit a tree. "Agh!"

Filled with pain, the otherwise gentle voice now rang out, battered by pain and exhaustion. He realized that he had no strength left. He could take no more. Was this his end? Like this? In a ditch?

Overwhelmed by a group of intruders? Miserable, weak, unable to do his duty? Would they hate him? Would Orun and Aruro miss him? Slowly, he closed his eyes, exhausted. Oh how wonderful the cool snow was under his skin. Cold. Icy. Numbing. Quiet.

Koiji almost drifted away when he noticed a commotion. The men seemed to be in an uproar and many footsteps followed. Shots rang out from the firearms they were carrying. But Koiji could also hear arrows cutting through the air again and seeming to hit their targets. "Come on, spread out!" one of the men now shouted.

"Do you see him anywhere?" shouted one Viera to another. A blond and a gray-haired Viera had burst out of the trees, almost like an ambush out of nowhere, and had skillfully pushed the men back with a surprise attack. Since there were two of them, it was much more efficient to fight against a larger group than alone. Orun and Aruro quickly pushed the men back and aimed skillful shots directly at the deadly spots. They quickly took out a few of the men, while others were able to evade their attacks better than expected.

"There's blood back there!" Oruro called to Arun. He nodded to him in understanding before Oruro ran to the spot. Kneeling down briefly, he took hold of the blood-red snow before his gaze quickly wandered over the land. It was hardly long before he noticed the embankment. He quickly ran forward and discovered Koiji lying there bleeding from wounds. "Koiji!" he shouted. He jumped to the embankment and slid down it before examining the Viera. His hand went to his neck. When Oruro was sure that Koiji was still alive, he nodded with relief. "Come on. You've held out well. It's over now." he spoke to him calmly.

Koiji opened his eyes cautiously. Oruro? Was that really possible? "I ... was ... I was too weak." he spoke softly, ashamed of himself even in this situation. Oruro smiled at him. "Weak? You weren't weak. You alone against so many ... you were very strong and you held out well." Oruro's words were calm as he carefully helped Koiji up. Taking Koiji's arm, he put it around his own neck before supporting Koiji and climbing up the slope with him. "It's almost over." Was that it? Was it really almost over? Koiji felt a great sense of relief. Oruro's smile had seemed so confident and reassuring. Surely he was right. Now that they were there, it would surely be over soon. At the top of the embankment, Oruro carefully set Koiji down before standing up. "Stay right here. And don't move."

Koiji surveyed the scene before him. He saw Arun still fighting one of the men. The others were already lying on the ground, not moving or barely moving at all. "I've got him, Koiji is here with me!" Oruro called out to Aron. Then Oruro turned to Koiji once more and knelt down in front of him. "You did it." he smiled at him and carefully ran his fingers through Koiji's hair.

DANG!

"....!"

Koiji flinched.

DANG! DANG! DANG!

Loud bangs. Gunshots. Again and again. Out of nowhere.

Koiji flinched several times. Then he raised his hand and grabbed his cheek. Blood had splattered on his face, several times all over. The blue eyes looked up at Oruro almost slowly. Oruro looked at Koiji, widening his eyes. Then they both looked down. Oruro's clothes were turning red. Deep red. Quickly. Bitterly. In the chest, where the lungs and heart lay, and in other places. Oruro looked up once more into Koiji's eyes before his body fell forward powerlessly. Koiji caught Oruro in his arms. He looked at his friend in disbelief as he lay in his arms, no longer moving. He carefully turned him a little and saw how the blood continued to stain his clothes. The eyes were empty and fixed. The lifeless body weighed heavily.

"...O-oruro.....?"

Stunned, Koiji looked at the dead body of his friend in his arms. His eyes wandered almost mechanically up and down to Arun. Striking down the last man, Arun turned around before widening his eyes. "NO! NO!!! NO!!!" he shouted loudly, full of anger and desperation, before running off in the direction of Koiji and Oruro. "A-aruro wa-" but before Koiji could speak any further –

DANG!

DANG! DANG! DANG! DANG!

With each shot, with each bang, the white-haired Viera flinched and pressed Oruro's body against him. But then he looked up hastily. Arun, who had been running until a moment ago, almost fell to the ground like a statue that had been knocked over. Koiji's eyes widened. His gaze fell on the intruder who had fired. It was the man who had grabbed him by the ears and spoken to him. His face had a satisfied and so repulsive grin before his hand fell powerlessly to the ground, letting go of the gun, and the last breath of life finally left his body.

Silence. No rustling. No wind. No animal could be heard. Nothing.

A loud whistling sound caught Koiji's ears as he stared at Arun in disbelief. Almost like a puppet, Koiji began to move, pulling Oruro with him as he crawled to Arun. He carefully put Oruro down before pulling Arun into his arms.

"A-arun..." he whispered softly, seeing him struggling to breathe.

Arun slowly opened his eyes and looked exhaustedly at Koiji. But he was smiling. Arun smiled. It wasn't easy for him. But he seemed to put all his strength into speaking. "Koi."

Koiji shook his head hastily, but Arun ignored it. "... Go." Arun could be heard speaking. Almost just like a breath. Koiji stopped shaking his head. "N-no!" Arun smiled. "Yes. Now... you can... be free. I k-know that... you stayed here for us." He closed his eyes briefly and coughed a little, blood running down the corner of his mouth. But he opened them again and shakily lifted his hand to lay it on Koiji's cheek.

"Go. b-be brave. Always be brave. You can do that. We are always ... always with you." He gasped for breath. "Follow your dream and don't die alone here. T-the w-world has so much better f-for you to .... to offer." Koiji's gaze was full of pain and disbelief as he heard Arun's words. His hand lay on Arun's. "B-but..." Koiji sobbed. "You can do that. I k-know it. Do... do it for us too. Please. Be... brave ... be ... brave." Large tears flowed from Viera's sky-blue eyes, which seemed so cold and dull when they were otherwise so warm and bright. "...I... o-okay... I'll do it." he whispered to his friend.

Arun smiled at the answer. "Thank you," he breathed, saying it heavily and quietly. Slowly, the other's eyes closed before Koiji felt the last of his strength leave his hand, which fell lifelessly from his cheek. The Viera's chest heaved one last time - just a little, barely enough for a full breath. Then he lay motionless.

Koiji sat there staring at Arun. He stared as if he would never want to or be able to blink again. His head lifted and turned to the side before his eyes also looked at Oruro. He shakily raised his hand and pulled Oruro towards himself before pressing the two Viera close to his chest.

All of his own physical pain was numb. Unimportant. Insignificant. Everything was so insignificant and numb. The whistling in his ears grew louder and unbearable as his eyes stared at the two dead Viera in his arms.

A trembeling suddenly seized the Viera's body, strong and uncontrollable. But not because of the cold, but because of what he realized. They were dead. They were gone. Gone. They had died before his eyes. In his arms. They had given their lives.

The trembling increased even further. His own heartbeat, which had almost stopped, now skyrocketed, beating as fast as if it wanted to let the pain burst out of his chest. In terror and shock, he couldn't take his eyes off them. Where the tears had dried up for a moment in disbelief, they now welled up in his eyes and flowed down his cheeks unstoppable.

Silence in the forest. Silence in the mountains. Not a sound to be heard. But a loud, bitter cry full of pain, despair and infinite agony seized every corner of the forest. It echoed off the walls of the mountains, resounded through tree and bush and made the leaves tremble as they watched the helplessness that enveloped the Viera. He screamed as loud as he could, as loud as his body would allow, while the tears did not stop and the bodies of Arun and Oruro werepressed close to him. Alone. Life taken. Everything lost. And it had been his fault.