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Anxiety pulled at Yone's heart as he entered the training hall. Night embraced his small village like a cold black blanket. The young teenager moved through the building's halls with haste, his eyes on the door to the armory.
His brother had gotten into trouble with a group of bullies. Yone wasn't made aware of the situation until a few minutes ago when his mother had told him Yasuo had come home with a cut on his lip. When she asked what had happened, he had stormed off toward the forest, cursing the names of the kids who often taunted him.
Yone cursed himself for not being there for his younger brother this time. He knew Yasuo struggled to fit in on his best days, and was berated or got into fights on his worst. He needs to learn patience and humility, Yone thought as he retrieved the swords he and his brother practiced with during the day. Frustration made Yone's grip on the hilts tighten. Yasuo had only recently been accepted into the village's sword school. The boy had waited outside in monsoon rains until the teachers let him in, determined to train beside his brother. Yone knew Yasuo looked up to him, and the two loved each other dearly; Yone just wished his brother would listen.
The young man turned and raced out of the training hall. He had been training for months now, whereas Yasuo had only attended his first few lessons. Yone ran with practiced grace, his long, dark bangs waving in front of his face and the swords steady at his sides. The rest of his hair was kept on top of his head in a small bun.
Yasuo often went into the forest to escape criticism and be alone with his thoughts. Yone had taken the blades for one reason: there had been sightings of a koumei near the village recently--a large furry beast with a long tail, rabbit's ears, sharp horns, and a bear's paws and teeth. One could never be too careful.
Yone entered the forest cautiously, following the path he knew his brother had taken. He had followed him plenty of times before. But this time, something was off. As Yone rose up into a clearing, he noticed broken branches and upturned stones. The footprints in the damp dirt at the other side of the area were far apart, leading up to the top of the hill. Someone had been running.
On high alert, Yone picked up his pace. "Yasuo!" The voice of the young teenager rang out in the cold, eerily quiet night, accompanied only by the soft whisper of the wind in the leaves of trees above him. Not even a cricket dared to make a sound.
"Yasuo!" Nervous energy radiated from the boy as he climbed up the small hill, straying deeper and deeper into the forest, following a path of flattened grass and broken twigs that veered away from Yasuo's normal trail. Concern made his brown eyes heavy and desperation sharpened his tone. The hushed crackle of dead leaves nearby caught his attention and he whirled around. "Yasuo?" he called out, staring at a bush a few feet away. He leveled the blade, pointing its tip, his hands steady, ready for anything.
"...Yone?"
The whisper was full of fear and uncertainty. Yone recognized the voice instantly. "Yasuo!" he gasped, relief and worry hissing in his voice simultaneously. The teenager dashed over to the large bush, pushing through its slender branches and peering down through its leaves.
Beneath a cluster of tightly woven branches sat a much younger boy with his long hair in a disheveled ponytail full of small twigs and leaves. His brown eyes were wide in fear as he looked up at his brother, holding his knees close to his chest.
"I'm here, Yasuo." Yone set his swords down and knelt in the damp dirt and grass, reaching for his brother's chin to check for injuries. "What happened?"
"S-Something else is here," Yasuo murmured, looking away as his cheeks were investigated. He had small cuts on his face like he'd been pelted with small stones. Yone hoped that it had been from running and not from the bullies earlier. Yasuo's voice and hands were shaky as he pointed behind Yone.
Yone pulled away and looked over his shoulder, his hands falling to his swords. As if on cue, a low growl rumbled in the shadows behind him. The two boys were hidden from sight, but Yone could see the large body of a creature nearby, its tail sweeping over the ground as it pressed its long nose into the dirt and sniffed. It was searching for its lost prey.
The koumei. Yone turned back to Yasuo and held one of the swords out, offering the hilt to the other boy. "Here," he whispered. A scared boy with a weapon was in a better position to defend himself than a scared boy without. Yasuo took the sword, uncertainty in his brown eyes. He knew how to hold it; if nothing else, he had been taught that much, and Yone hoped he remembered how to block with it from the lessons he had spied on. "Stay behind me. I won't let it hurt you."
Yone rose to his feet, turning slowly, his eyes settling on the black shadow several feet away. He offered a hand down and Yasuo took it, stepping up behind him. The koumei snapped its head in their direction, nose twitching. It had caught their scent. Yone raised his blade and pointed the tip toward it, preparing his stance, ready to charge if necessary. Fierce determination burned in his eyes like a fire. Behind him, Yasuo held his sword close to his chest with very little expertise, tip pointed at the sky. He peered around his brother with wide eyes, trying to get a good look at what lie within the darkness while fear fluttered in his chest like a trapped moth.
Two large bright yellow eyes shimmered behind the branches. The koumei growled again, creeping closer, tail lashing angrily. It knows we're here.
With a roar, the koumei lunged. "Behind me, Yasuo!" Yone leaped out of the bushes and into the clearing, keeping his blade between himself and the beast as he retreated, careful not to trip over the shorter boy. To Yone's relief, his brother had obediently attached himself to his hip. Yasuo stumbled, but he kept up with the movements well enough.
The koumei crashed into the bush the boys had been hiding in previously, trapping its horns in the branches. It flailed, its long ears swinging like whips.
"Yone?" Yasuo murmured, watching the animal struggle to free itself.
Quickly, Yone lowered his weapon and grabbed his brother by the wrist. He turned and ran, pulling Yasuo along until the younger could match pace.
The two boys raced down the hill. Yone let go of his brother's arm and instead pushed him ahead so Yone could keep himself between the boy and the beast. "Run!" he hissed when confusion made Yasuo hesitate.
Yasuo had always had a natural gift when it came to running. The boy flew over the earth like a bird, large, pointed boulders, fallen logs, and even subtle fallen branches or loose vines proved no match for his agility, even while terror pumped through his veins and filled his ears with thunder. For this, Yone was grateful.
The koumei was lost in the forest behind them, and soon, the brothers broke out of the treeline and into a small field. Yone came to a stop and called out to his brother to do the same. The older, breathing hard, looked over his shoulder to make sure they had truly lost the pursuing beast. No sound came from the woods. He turned back and moved forward, catching up to Yasuo.
Anger replaced the concern that had bubbled up in Yone's stomach, but he stopped himself from lashing out at the younger child. They had been through enough already, and they needed to get home to make sure their mother didn't worry any longer.
Yone glanced at the sword he had given his brother. He placed a hand on Yasuo's shoulder and started to walk. "Come on. Let's go home."
"Are you mad at me?" Yasuo followed him without resistance, looking up to try to meet Yone's eyes.
The village cast dim light down on the grass ahead. There were light clouds on the horizon, promising a brief drizzle overnight. "No," Yone eventually replied. "But you shouldn't have gone out there."
"I'm sorry."
Yone knew that Yasuo didn't believe him; he caught the subtle hint in the tone. Admittedly, yes, Yone was angry. And disappointed. But a lot of that was toward himself. He was trying hard to guide his little brother, but it didn't seem like anything he said or did was getting through to Yasuo. "Please be more mindful, Yasuo. Mother's been worried sick."
"I will. I promise."
"Thank you." Yone knew this fright wouldn't change much, though. He knew that right now, Yasuo was only so apologetic because he was still rattled. If anything, it may stop Yasuo from running into the woods at night, but he would always fight his bullies head-on, or act out of impulse in other ways if he couldn't. It was difficult being the older brother. It would always be difficult.
"I love you, Yone."
Yone paused, looking down at Yasuo, whose eyes were full of stars and absent of any of the fear he had shown beneath the bush in the forest. Within that sea of rage and obstinacy, Yone knew that adoration and love swam in Yasuo's heart. It was difficult, but it was worth every moment. "I love you too, Yasuo."