Chapter Fourteen

One of the group his mortally wounded

Asha trudged through the woods, her sword yet again placed within its sheath at her side. Her mind was racing on the past battle, questioning her actions then answering those questions. Why had she charged Carrion like that? It was because he was the one keeping the soldiers alive. But was she really strong enough to fight him on her own like that? She did almost die if it hadn’t been for Drake and Haru. But then again, she was doing fine on her own before her powers had failed. Was Tygra right? Was she really unable to fight her own battles in order to save her own life?

Asha couldn’t answer that question. She went through the questions over and over again, hoping that maybe she would think of something within her other questions and answers. But nothing ever came to mind. Was she really that weak that she couldn’t even save her own life when the time came?

Damn you Tygra…

She stopped walking, her gaze falling to the forest floor, cloudy with newly formed tears. Why did you have to do this to me…?

“Why did you stop?”

Asha jumped at the sound of the voice behind her. She hastily wiped the tears from her eyes before turning back to face the one behind her. A sigh of relief escaped her lips once she saw Haru walking towards her. She laughed. “Are you following me or something?”

He stopped before her. “Yes.”

Asha’s jaw dropped open in surprise; he had so blatantly told her so! “W-well…uh…Why?”

Haru smirked as he crossed his arms before him. “To make sure you’re safe.”

Asha’s gaze immediately fell to the ground, a frown lining her features. That’s right; I can’t take care of myself after all…

“You shouldn’t scowl.” He said with humor in his tone. “It doesn’t suit you.”

She looked back to him, her brows narrowed. “How do you know what suits me and what doesn’t, pal?”

“Now that’s a look you are known for.” He laughed as she huffed turning her head to the side. “From the short amount of time I’ve known you, you’ve always seemed upbeat about everything or ready to tear someone’s head off.”

Her gaze fell back to the forest floor. “Well that type of thinking has been getting me into trouble lately.”

“Do not let what your friend said bother you. Everything that happens happens for a reason.”

She looked back to him. “Sounds almost like what Jade said.”

“She’s a smart girl; or so I’m told.”

Asha smiled. “Yes, she is…but,” she took a step towards him her smile fading, “Something doesn’t seem right about her lately. You don’t notice because you’ve only just met her. Jade is such a great person, a brilliant fighter, a tactical thinker…but lately…” She shook her head. “I’m sorry; I shouldn’t be bothering you with this.”

Haru smiled. “Why not? We are friends now, are we not?”

She returned his smile. “Yeah, I guess we are.”

He then turned from her, walking back in the direction he had came. “Come, we should be getting back to the others.”

She nodded, following after him. “Yeah, we should.”

“What a touching conversation.”

Asha watched as Haru stopped dead at the sound of the voice, his hand immediately grasping the hilt of his sword. She rushed to his side unsheathing her sword, surveying the area carefully.

Haru tightened his jaw as he pulled his blade from its sheath. “Katsuro…you coward! Where are you?”

The man named Katsuro walked out from behind a tree to their left. Haru placed a hand out before Asha, pushing her back behind him. Katsuro tsked. “Coward? I’m not the one who fled from our last encounter.” He unsheathed his sword holding it out threatening towards them. “Tell me, do you plan to do the same now?”

Haru stepped forward, lowering his hand to his side. “This is not like with Lady Katrina. I have a duty to protect the Guardians from whoever may wish to take their lives and now that I know which side you have chosen, Katsuro, I am well prepared to fulfill this duty.”

“Is that so?” He brought back it blade, placing one hand before him, waving Haru on into combat. “Then come.”

Asha lowered her sword, watching the two at their standstill. Soemthing doesn’t seem right here…

After a moment Haru charged towards Katsuro, bringing down his blade, making contact with his foe’s right shoulder and through it. His blade sliced all the way through Katsuro’s body down to the pelvic bone, before stopping. Haru studied him carefully before pulling out his blade, stepping back. “An illusion?”

The body before him grew hazy before vanishing into the air; laughter could be heard from all angles, surrounding him. “You haven’t changed Haru.”

Where is he?  Asha looked around their surroundings, searching for any sign of him. He just disappeared! She turned back to Haru and gasped. “Haru look out!”

Haru turned around however only in time to see Katsuro bring down his blade, slicing him deeply across the chest. Asha’s eyes widened as Haru stumbled back, dropping his sword. “Oh no…”

Haru placed a hand to his chest, his vision blurring as he looked to Katsuro. “You…tricked me…” he stammered as he fell to the forest floor.

Katsuro stepped towards him, his sword down at his side. “Battles are not as honest as what we were made to believe, dear friend.” He raised his sword.

“No!” Asha raised her blade, rushing towards the man threatening to take Haru’s life.

Katsuro turned towards her bringing up his sword, catching her blade on his. “I almost forgot about you.”

“Go to hell!” She screamed jumping back from him. “I won’t let you kill him!”

She brought down her sword again, and again he caught her blade on his. “You don’t stand a chance against me.” He brought up his leg, kicking her in the stomach.

Asha fell back to the ground, gritting her teeth painfully as she scrambled back up to her feet. She twirled, slicing her sword through the air towards him. Katsuro smiled as he brought up his blade to block the attack. His eyes widened, however, as the blade to her sword ignited in flames, and as her sword clashed into his, a devastating explosion sounded, knocking him back off the ground and into one of the many surrounding trees. Asha glared at him as she stepped forward, bringing her sword down to her side, extinguishing the flames.

Katsuro brought up his sword, protectively, when his gaze fell upon the blade. A large gash had marked the blade reaching almost to its center. His face felt hot and burned horribly due explosion from the clashing blades.

He lowered his sword, placing it back within its sheath as Asha came towards him. “I will have to deal with you another day.”

Asha‘s eyes widened as Katsuro‘s body slowly began to fade. She charged forward, raising her sword. “Get back here!” But as she brought down her sword, its blade came into contact with nothing but bark from the tree behind him. He had vanished. “Damn it!”

"Asha!" A familiar voice called. She looked back to see Rose and Gina running towards her. Rose gasped once she seen Haru lying motionless on the ground. She quickly put up her guard; her hands to her hook and chain. "Asha where are they?"

Asha shook her head as she sheathed her sword. "Never mind that; he's gone." She looked back down to Haru. "Help me get him back to the others."

"Wait a moment." Gina said bending down beside Haru as she rummaged through her knapsack.

"What are you-?"

She pulled out a thread and needle. "We have to do something to control the bleeding…" she began as she threaded the needle.

Rose's eyes grew wide. "You're going to sew him up? Right here? B-but Tygra-"

"Is too far away." Gina cut her off looking into her eyes. "He will surely die if we move him now."

Asha bit her lower lip before allowing herself to fall down to her knees. "Alright, we have to do what has to be done."

After Rose and Gina had left in their search for Asha and Haru, the others decided to stay behind to finish setting up camp. Two tents had been raised, one slightly larger then the other; the larger being the girls’ the smaller the boys’. A fire burned brightly between the two.

“I’m starting to get worried.” Drake said sitting before the fire, allowing himself to look off into the woods. “It’s been quite a while since Rose and Gina went to find them, hasn’t it?”

Tygra shrugged. She sat beside him, her gaze locked upon her hands folded before her. “I’m sure they’re fine.”

Drake looked back to her. “You know, you really should lay off of Asha.”

“Why should I?” She questioned, looking to him with narrowed eyes. “She never listens. One of these days she’s going to do something without thinking and…” she looked down to the ground between her feet. “I’m sure they’re fine.”

Drake looked to Jade, who was leaning against a nearby tree. Her head was tilted up her gaze piercing through the night sky. He could hear her humming lightly to herself.

Standing to his feet he walked towards her, stopping a foot before her. “What do you think? You think they’re alright?”

Jade’s eyes shifted down, eying him carefully, before she lowered her head to face him. “I’m not sure what to think anymore…they could be alright, but then again they could be in trouble…” she looked to the ground. “Anything could be possible.”

“Jade,” he began thinking of how to phrase what he wanted to ask, “is there something wrong? I mean, you haven’t been acting like yourself lately, and I was wondering if there is something you aren’t telling us.”

Tygra looked up from the ground. She had been wondering this too. Jade hadn’t been acting like herself. Was there a reason?

Jade shook her head briefly before allowing a small smile to cross over her lips. “You worry too much.” She looked back to Tygra. “You both do.”

“Jade! Drake!” The two turned to see Rose rushing towards them. She stopped before them, breathing hard. “Where’s Tygra?”

“I’m right here.” Tygra announced, standing from her seat before the fire. “What is it?”

Rose pointed back to the path in which she had come. Traveling up the path were Asha and Gina, each having one of Haru’s arms draped around their shoulders. “Haru was injured!”

Tygra’s eyes widened. “What?” She walked off towards the three making their way towards the campsite. “What happened?” She questioned looking between Gina and Asha.

They stopped before her, lowering Haru to the ground. “We were on our way back here when we were attack by this b*****d named Katsuro.” Asha answered her gaze falling upon Haru’s pale face. “That man used some sort of illusion to sneak up behind Haru and by the time I warned him it was already too late…”

“He‘ll be alright now.” Tygra said kneeling down beside him, pulling his bloodstained shirt from the stitched wound. She tsked. “I never healed anything that was stitched before…” she placed her hands over the wound. “But, I’ll try it.”

After a few seconds, her hands began to glow a pale blue. The haze moved slowly from her hand and onto his stomach, moving up to his chest and seeping deep into the wound. Within a short amount of time, the wound began to diminish, pushing the stitches up with every layer of new skin until the thread lay upon his chest in the outline of the wound; the wound now completely healed.

“There,” Tygra said, standing to her feet, “he should be alright now. Just give him time to rest.” She looked back to Drake and Jade. “Drake, can you help them take him to the tent?”

Drake looked up to her from Haru, before coming towards her. “Sure.”

Her gaze fell to Jade who had looked back up to the night sky, humming lightly to herself once more. This just isn’t like you…