SFS - Chapter 18 (Patreon)

AN: As you can see, the cover’s finally done! I might come back and add a couple more details, but this is it.

Also, this chapter kicked my tail. Heh. Anyway, this is like the third chapter in a row that’s gone up over 3000 words. I go edit, and I end up writing way more than I intended. Oops. Next chapter’s also half written because I’m an idiot and didn't check word count till I was at 4500. Probably be out tomorrow? I’m super tired of editing at the moment.

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At least this human could walk. I was really worried I’d have to drag him all the way to somewhere safe after I first saw him. Sure, he was a bit slow, but that was manageable.

I glanced over my shoulder and eyed the tall human. Hopefully, this would be my chance to finally get some answers. Answers about what was going on, about this cursed place, and maybe even some answers about myself if I was lucky. Or he’ll be like Zeteoh and tell me absolutely nothing useful. There’s always that.

My tail dipped lower between my legs, and I huffed a sigh. Was this even smart in the first place? Even just being around the guy left me a little on edge. Zeteoh was fine since he fed me, and Graft had treated me. Meilin even looked more scared of me than I was of her. This guy, though? I knew nothing about him.

Humans…. I didn’t trust them…. Why? Why didn’t I trust them? A bolt of confusion filled my head. So far the ones I talked to—Zeteoh, Meilin, Old Zhou, and even Crane—had been nothing but kind. So why was it that I felt an innate distrust toward them?

I forced the thought away. I could worry about that later though. Before anything, I needed to ensure we got out of here safe and sound. I dropped down onto a pile of rubble down a level and looked up toward Crane.

”I don’t think I can do that.” He groaned and shifted his weight fully onto his good leg. He took a deep breath, and then whipped out his sword. The blade had a chilling edge that seemed to catch the light just right to be menacing. He jumped down through the same gap on the floor that I targeted, though slammed his sword into the wall to slow his descent.

Wouldn’t that dull his blade—? I activated Eye of the Recorder, and the world washed out of color. His blade had a white flow of qi around it, protecting it from harm as it cut through the wall and slowed his descent. He still slammed down a little hard, and stumbled while ripping his blade free. The qi flow abruptly stopped. 

[Collecting Record… 0.01%… 0.03%…]

[Partial Record: |Sky Splitter Sword|]

Woah… that sounded intense. My imagination bloomed into Crane standing on top of a cliff with his sword held out like an aloof master. With this one blade, I shall split the very skies asunder!

“Why’s your tail wagging, little guy?” Crane immediately drew me out of my thoughts and sheathed his sword once more. “My technique catch your eye?”

”Kakakaka…” A noise suspiciously similar to laughter erupted from above me. Heizen had made his way into the building, and watched carefully from above. He didn’t get too close though, as if he was scared of the human.

I looked away and felt heat rush to my face as I got my sporadic tail back in order. It was a good thing I had such dense fur. It kept my noble appearance as a wise and grand Spirit Fox. “Yip…”

”I don’t think it’s suited for you.” He ran a hand along the pommel of his sword. “Who knows? I’ll teach you what I can as thanks for saving my life.”

Fire blazed through me. A teacher? Yip, I couldn’t let this hummie die anymore. He was absolutely not allowed to die. If I could just learn some more techniques—or even how to control Qi in general—I wouldn’t be at the mercy of every blighted peasant in the streets.

“Yip!” Let’s keep moving then. I dropped down to the next level and looked up to ensure he was still following.

Just like that, we slowly made our way to the bottom floor. The man fell from the last story, and slammed hard into the ground. His broken leg gave out below him, and he collapsed to his knees. 

At that very moment, the fur along my spine shot up. The door of the place caved in with a loud thunk, and a blighted staggered into the room. The sharp scent of rot and wet scales erupted across the room. A low growl burst out of me, and I moved in front of Crane.

The blighted’s attention snagged on us, and it shuffled forward—

Shing!

A flash of silver erupted just over my head, and Crane appeared behind the blighted next second. Blood burst out from a clean cut across the scaled chest of the Ophidian. It let out one last groan and then collapsed. Half of its body split, and gooey scale covered entrails dropped out in a wave of rancid heat.

Crane took a ragged gasp of air and clutched at his chest. “I—haah—I don’t know how many more of those I have in me, little guy. Is the healer close?”

No, she isn’t. I bit my tongue and eyed the freshly slayed Ophidian. I had trouble with just avoiding one of them, and yet here he was making it look so freaking easy to take them down. My tail stilled and curled around my back hind leg.

”Yip!” I shook my head and darted for the freshly opened entrance. More were coming. Sticking around longer would just push us into further danger.

”I’m right behind you.” Crane pushed himself back up, and used his sword as a cane. The man carefully hobbled after me.

I poked my head out the door and then waved my tail at Crane. For the moment, we had a straight shot to the exit. That moment was quickly closing though. The gathered Ophidian were quickly loosing interest without a target dangling from the building anymore.

The three of us, two on land and the last in the air, moved across the courtyard quickly. A shriek went up somewhere behind us, but I didn’t dare to look back. We crossed through the space quickly, and moved out through the door. 

“Wait.” Crane flashed out his sword once more and cut apart the gate. His sword split the stone work, and the gate partially collapsed. “That should hold them for a bit. Where to?”

I paused for a moment, and the Record flowed out of the silver band around my paw. The thorn tome opened up onto the map of Dragon Vein Village. Graft’s place… it was a long, long walk to get there. We’d have to fully wrap down through the south of the village to reach the path winding up along the far side of the mountain to the Forlorn Temple.

I narrowed my eyes and focused on a potential shortcut. Instead of following the main roads down and around, we might be able to cut through Dalang Manor to the southeast. It sat exactly on the other side of the mountain from the Forlorn Temple. It’d cut down the time drastically… but there was a warning label from Zeteoh spread across it.

His warning labels weren’t for no reason… I glanced at Crane, who was breathing roughly behind me. There was a chance he wouldn’t make the trip down through the south of Dragon Vein Village. Not to mention there were more hummies down there too. They might offer help, but they might very well attack us since Crane was weakened. Dalang Manor was our best bet.

The stirring snow across the street drew me form my thoughts. Now wasn’t the time for this. Once I had it memorized, I turned down the street. “Yip!”

”Lead on.” His breathing evened out and he stuck close to my tail.

I led him down toward the road, avoiding several hotspots of gathered blighted using my nose and ears. The sun was starting to get dimmer, and the storm intensified with each step toward the south. I checked occasionally with Eye of the Recorder, and that murky grey aura was starting to rise once more. The Ophidian all over the streets were starting to make more noise. It was only a matter of time till they flooded back onto the streets.

We crossed a street, and the snow abruptly vanished. Instead, the street was filled with slick mud, and the snowstorm cut into a harsh gale of rain. The freezing rain soaked my fur, making each soggy step heavier.

Up ahead, a steam pipe whistled as if in alarm. Rubble shifted all around us, making my fur stand on end and my paws slow ever so slightly. Shadows danced through the windows and doorways of buildings all around us. They were deep, and rapidly deepening with the setting sun. 

Behind me, Crane naturally noticed. His voice softened to a whisper. “What is it, little guy—?”

He cut off as a shambling Ophidian charged out of a building just ahead of us. It slipped slightly in the mud, though its eyes locked onto us a moment later. “GRAHH!”

As if a war cry was sounded, more and more Ophidian slipped out of the streets. It was like a tidal wave of broken bodies and blighted blood. Each one left ragged trails in the mud, and their heads turned to us with a ravenous hunger in their eyes. 

I felt tears build up in my own eyes as I stepped forward with my injured paw. This—this can’t be happening. I was so careful! Why? Did Heaven wake up and decide to smite me in particular?!

“Yip!” Run! I darted forward, though held back ever so slightly so that the human could keep pace with me. 

Up ahead, one of the four-legged blighted moved quicker than the rest and blocked the street. I skidded to a stop, with my paws scrambling against the slick mud. The blighted lifted its head, and a pronged tongue flicked out—

Shing!

Crane danced ahead of me once more, his sword flashing like the last light of the sun. His sword caught on the blighted’s scales, and jaggedly lopped off an arm. Only—it wouldn’t go down so easily. It didn’t seem to even notice and slashed back with ragged claws. They caught his broken arm and cut deep troughs through the fabric.

”Damn it!” Crane side-stepped away and flicked his sword, killing an Ophidian just behind him before it could ambush from behind. 

“Rahh!” The four—three-legged blighted jumped forward with a powerful flash of its legs, and lunged at Crane.

Crane dropped to his knees and rolled underneath the lunge. His sword flashed up, and sliced through the Ophidian in one clean sweep. By the time it landed, black blood bloomed across its chest and it collapsed.

Ophidian circled us. Soon, every way would be filled by them if nothing changed. We couldn’t be encircled. Being encircled by them was a death sentence. I couldn’t fight, and Crane was too injured to hold out against the waves for much longer.

Something needed to change, and soon. My mind whirled, and the instinct to just run and ditch him filled me. I blinked and focused on one of the nearby courtyards. Sounds empty enough. Should only be a couple more in there. If I can lead them into a dead end—

“Yip!” I barked to catch the attention of the approaching blighted and darted across the mud, leading a group of Ophidian away from Crane to buy him some space. Just as they were about to close in on me, I crossed through an open door into a small courtyard.

The blighted I heard immediately noticed me. They weren’t the issue, though. One that I hadn’t heard outside since it’d been standing absolutely still next to the door, twitched. She stood like a scarecrow with arms outstretched. Her limbs creaked, and sharp spines broke off as her broken body lunged at me.

“Yip!” I dodged backward, avoiding the lunge. She slipped in the mud and slammed into the back wall. I moved closer to the wall and activated Wraithwalk to escape—

“Yow!” Pain bloomed across my nose, and blood filled my senses. I pulled away before it could gouge out my eye, but its claw still dragged up along my ear and cut a light line of red into my brilliant fur. The satchel that’d clung to me all this while was flung off as the straps were cut by the blighted’s strike. It vanished amongst the waves of scaled monsters.

I staggered back away from the creature. My entire world narrowed onto the thick blood-stench emanating from my nose—my own blood-stench. Everything grew muted like one of my senses had just been cut off. 

”Grah!” The blighted sloshed through the mud toward me, and lunged forward for another brutal blow—

“KRAW!” Heizen dive bombed the blighted right before it could go for a second swipe on me, and stabbed his talons deep into the thing’s eyes. They cut deep grooves into the thing’s face, and he pulled back just as quick.

”ARGH!” The Ophidian let out a horrid shriek and dropped to its knees. Mud splashed up everywhere, bringing some level of cool to my injuries. It seemed some pain could still filter through its rotted brain, and it completely gave up on attacking me. 

Thank you, my friend. I took a blood-filled breath and forced my trembling legs to move. Fire laced up my snout and criss crossed my ear. A muted feeling filled my ear from where crimson stained my white fur. My majestic white coat was ruined—it was ann absolute tragedy. Blood dripped out of me, mixing with the mud. And I might be dying.

I surged through the wall with Wraithwalk. My sense of positioning, usually so perfect, was entirely thrown off and I exited out into an alley. I habitually took a breath to reposition myself, only to catch only the sickening scent of my own blood. A cough left me, and I instead looked around for the man with dreary eyes.

Just down the alley, Crane swung his sword and felled a blighted holding a broken chair like a club. He was surrounded by them, and a small mound of corpses was slowly being built up around him. We’re going to die here. Damn it! I lost my satchel! We’re definitely going to die here.

Should I leave? I—I don’t even really know if I could trust him. I can walk through the walls and just get out of here. My instincts screamed at me to run. I couldn’t fight, so flight was only natural. No one would know I left him to die… I swallowed, and a rush of blood flowed down my nose.

The temptation to flee and save myself rang in the back of my head like a drum. I took a step away—only to immediately move back toward him. This guy owes me. I can’t leave him to die before extracting all of his value, yip. 

I dropped Wraithwalk once more and moved for him. One step after another, I grew a little more confident in my decision. I shifted into a dash, and charged out of the alley toward Crane. 

“Over here!” Crane called and flashed his sword, killing another blighted just before it could attack him. He kept a space around him clear, but more and more were circling by the moment. The fresh scent of blood in the air drew them like locusts to a field.

“Yow—“ A weak cry left me as I put too much pressure on my injured paw. My steps fell heavily in his direction while dodging another Ophidian’s crazed attack. Everything seemed to swim dizzily for a moment. My ears lowered to my head, and I charged out toward him.

“Hold your breath!” Just as I got close, Crane pulled something from his belt and slammed it into the ground. Pink tinted smoke blossomed out around it, and enveloped the entire section of street. 

It wasn’t normal smoke, though. My sense of direction vanished as soon as it hit me. Left turned to down, and down to up. I lurched through the smoke, feeling completely lost. The blighted all around me seemed to be equally lost. 

”I got you.” A warm hand picked me up, and my head swam with confusion. The ground vanished underneath me, and Crane carried me away from the swarming mass of corrupted humans down a back alley.

By the time the confusion from the smoke cloud cleared, we were quickly approaching Dalang Manor. It was just a street away now. I shook my head to clear it, scattering flakes of blood everywhere. “Yip!”

Crane slowed down, and paused in an empty alley several streets away from where we were ambushed. He carefully set me down on a crate, and leaned against the wall of the alley. His leg, held upright by a flow of Qi, abruptly gave out below him and he collapsed to the mud while breathing raggedly.

Heizen dropped down onto the crate just next to me and leaned forward to check on me. “Caw?”

Fine—I’m fine. I waved a paw and shook out my head to try and clear the muted feeling in my ear. It didn’t work. My vision swam, and I checked the map of my thorn tome once more. 

“Yip… yii-yip.” I called tiredly and pushed myself to my paws. 

“Just—haah—just give me a moment.” Crane winced and clutched at a fresh injury on his side. He hadn’t gotten out of the encirclement unscathed, and being forced to fight like that while injured made him even more drained than before. “I-I’ll be good to go in just a minute.”

I eyed him and shook my head. I should go scout ahead, anyway. I wasn’t sure what the danger up ahead would be, but we wouldn’t survive another encirclement like that again. I could get away if I was by myself. If he was with me, that’d make things all the more difficult.

I nodded my head and came to a decision. I jumped off the crate, staggering into the alley as my paw pulled awkwardly with the impact. My nose was still clogged with my own blood, but scouting while he rested would be for the best. Besides, I already rested for the short time he carried me.

“Yip!” I announced my plan, and then raised a paw for him to stay. Before he could put up a protest, I shuffled down the alley toward Dalang Manor.