Strained Thoughts

They agreed on leaving Skoupa, but it certainly didn’t mean that they agreed on everything else. Silence became the method for voicing the discontent in the group. Both sides knew that the other disagreed as strongly as they felt, so not speaking turned into the simplest solution.

Only Yori’s sister and Haruo looked like they were in a third party (though it was unlikely Haruo actually felt that way). She thought that once they left the village everything would sort itself out. The arguments before she solved by taking command of the situation, but the same method didn’t work for her again. Her silence came more from unease in the tension and waiting until she found a solution to their problem.

Chapter 112 – Strained Thoughts

Late morning finally came with the first spoken word by anyone, from Yori’s sister naturally. “…anyone hungry?” Tension among the group reached a new high as she regretted even considering speaking. All of them stopped to look at her as though accusing her of interrupting something far more important (even though they simply stared at her).

The longer they glared the worse she became, sweating from the heat of being the entire focus for everyone. ‘…I shouldn’t have said anything after all!’ Unease dragged on even further, almost seeming like they were doing it on purpose out of malice (still making things appear worse than they actually are).

As though the torturer had his fill, Yuki broke rank and mood with a typical cheerful response. “You have no idea! I’ve been wanting breakfast for hours!” Rather than waiting for any reaction from the others, he started in on the pack he carried plopping down in the grass. Not knowing what his pack carried, he searched through pulling out anything that stood in his way or might be considered edible.

The rest of the group fell in line almost immediately. They spoke between each other about finding the food and sorting out what was meant to be eaten or saved. She stood on the outside sweating a little in confusion. ‘What just happened?!’ Her mouth hung agape staring trying to understand what happened.

With a stick of something like bread popping out of his mouth, Seiji leaned around seeing that she remained out of the group. “Hey why the hell aren’t you eating?! I thought you were hungry?”

“Huh?”

“Yeah, the food’s great, Yumi! I’m not familiar with Greek food, but if it is all like this I might have to find a restaurant when we get back!”

“W-well…yeah I…”

“Then come and sit down with us!”

“Alright…” Hesitating still, she folded up her legs carefully taking up an uncertain seat next to her brother. All of the food laid out was dried goods not needing cooking. She was certain that all of the food Eudokia picked was like that, which made more sense to her as she thought about it. It still confused her watching how everyone changed suddenly. Eudokia remained distant, but ever since revealing her true self that had been the way she acted around everyone. But the sense of thick foreboding disappeared. ‘Is it like they say, food washes away worries? I just hope this lasts…’

Next to her, Yori quietly munched on a strip of dried meat. Nothing measured fully the scale of Yori’s thought, whether the slow repetitive chewing of the difficult meat or the spaced out eyes. Most of the happenings around him went mostly ignored. He didn’t even realize that the group had a fight. The trouble in the village consumed all of his attention, his fight with the soldier who tried to kill him and his sister.

Yori’s mind remained fixated on what happened in the village. He couldn’t break free from the hold that it had on him, though no sense of wanting to stop dwelling on the matter laid within him. Questions surfaced for him frequently causing his memories to replay the scenes in the village by instinct.

Long had he decided that what he saw from her had to be powers like the others. After viewing his memories so many times, it came as the only conclusion. However, he realized his suspicions about her even before the incident in the village. Her unusual intuition stood out as strange to him, one that she didn’t seem to question. He wondered if the others had taken note as he had. Initially, most of it he passed off as being lucky, but the more accurate she became the more he questioned it. ‘I can’t deny anymore that she has some power. It was so clear back then, but I ignored it.’

Chewing still on the endlessly resistant meat, Yori’s hand tensed up a little responding to his thoughts. ‘I ignored it, because she’s Yumi. She’s my sister. If she was normal, she wouldn’t have to follow…him. If she didn’t have any powers she’d be out of danger. She’d be safe…’ Fighting and violence did not suit her. Neither of them had any experience. ‘I simply agreed to go along with her… I just saw that look…’

Finally, the meat accepted its fate and allowed Yori to finish it off. A long quiet sigh escaped Yori’s lips as his thoughts buried himself deeper. ‘…when…’ For the first time in hours, his eyes came to focus clearly for a brief moment. Only her sister filled his vision. She laughed along with the others enjoying the meal. ‘…when…’ Yori started to lose his focus on her. ‘When did she change…from the little sister I knew?’ What he witnessed in the village from his sister suddenly triggered him to relive the scene again.

‘Was really my sister back there? Is that what happens when she uses her power? She becomes someone else?’ He hoped that her power never activated again. She looked consumed by her own power and acted out violently. This wasn’t the girl he knew. Such a form didn’t suit her. ‘But she only did that because of me… It was because I was unable to protect her… I promised her! I said that I would protect her and I failed!’ Yori clinched his fists, starting to feel the numb void that had surrounded him slowly evaporating leaving behind only a deep stabbing pain in his heart. ‘What sort of big brother am I?!’

Sitting at what seemed kilometers apart, his sister tried to keep up an outward appearance of nothing being wrong. However, a persistent confusion hovered over her head. Ignoring it worked for her when she had more pressing troubles immediately at hand, the group’s unity. Breakfast and the brief, hopefully lasting, reprieve from the tension gave her mind time to wander away from her.

So much of last night seemed to have happened in a short amount of time that it had turned into a blur for her. She struggled to put the night together for her. Everything felt so foreign. Even seeing Yuki fight in front of the school and witnessing all of the destruction, the chaos in the village still weighed on her. It mixed up her thoughts, confusing her.

Waking up in Yori’s arms came as her first clear memory. She remembered deciding to follow after Yuki to help him when the village came under attack, but everything in between turned into a haze for her. She hoped that while they walked they would fill in the blanks that she had questions about, but in everyone’s silence she only remained in turmoil. Yet she understood the importance of them needing to leave the village when she woke up. The certainty amidst her confusion stacked upon her like a poorly balanced pile of chopped wood waiting for the worst possible time to collapse.

She took a small bite into a baked bread filled with nuts. The others around her still seemed oblivious for the moment and enjoying themselves. ‘Yuki has so much on his mind already and I feel that the others have their own similar problems that make them dwell. I shouldn’t bother them with my problems. I need to sort it out on my own.’

Out across the fields of grass, Simonides stood in front of the small group Abeiron had under his command. A pair of binoculars rested over his face getting a view of the band of intruders that they chased. He recognized Yuki and Seiji out of the group, but half of them had their backs to him. So he had no clear sight on the entire party. ‘Nine in total. I was right in my feeling that there were more. How many are MP users?’ He lowered the binoculars down and turned back to his soldiers.

Amongst the group were three White uniforms this time and ten Black uniforms. He knew quite well that the squad stood no chance in success against the intruders if a fight dragged out. It had to be swift. No hard facts proved him to be correct. His impression told him not to believe in what he saw simply with his eyes. However, the battle was important and very necessary. His men knew well the dangers that they faced.

Abeiron stood in front of his team, the extra Whites added for the mission, but otherwise all his team from the initial search. During their march, he got briefed on the nature of the Captain’s plan. The young Commander looked ready and determined to carry out the orders given to him.

Simonides returned the binoculars back to their specially fitted leather pouch at this lower back. “The enemy is within sight, breaking for a meal. We’ll use this opportunity while they’re resting off guard to strike.” Slowly stepping forward, he impressed his authority upon his men. He carried himself with strict, confident steps to instill strength to them. Fear had to be removed.

“You all know what you face down there. Never underestimate them for a moment. They may appear like children to you, but remember what they were capable of doing to Skoupa. We know more about the enemy this time. The same mistakes will not be made. Use what we’ve learned against them. Make them understand that their rebellion will not succeed! You are all soldiers of the South Gate and we always catch our prey! Be proud of who you are! I expect you all to come back alive!”

“Yes, sir!” echoed everyone’s voice in trained unison. They all came to quick attention and saluted their Captain.

“Commence the operation! Move out!”

All of the soldiers fanned out into their assigned groups passing around Simonides with their destination down the plains. Once his men began to grow more distant to his ears, he turned around to follow the lines of battle beginning to form. With his eyes, he scanned the field setting up marks in his mind of the plan and tactics. He retrieved his binoculars once more turning into a spectator. ‘The first stage begins…’

“Don’t you think you’ve had enough already?!” snapped Saki. She ripped the dried fruit piece out of Yuki’s hand just before reaching his mouth. The fruit found its way back to the small tied pouch. “We can’t over indulge. Do you want to keep making trips into villages for food and risk getting them caught up in our troubles?”

“…no…” Yuki pouted a bit with disappointment.

Fumiko let out a tiny laugh amused with the scene between the two. “You sounded like his mother for a moment, Saki!” The others smiled a little as well before most of the group broke out into laughter, especially seeing Saki’s reddening face reacting to Fumiko. She tried to deny it, but fell upon empty ears.

Suddenly, the light mood shattered like glass crashing to the floor. Blood sprayed up everywhere from all directions. It all happened so quickly that they stared in confusion not understanding what happened. Pain pierced them all as they found blades pierced through their chest. Yuki collapsed first, his eyes turning lifeless as blood pooled out. Yumi fell last desperately reaching out for Yuki as she felt her own life fading, crying as the empty shell of Yuki before her.

Appearing from what seemed like the very air, Abeiron and his men with dripping swords looked down pleased at the quick completion of their mission.