Chapter Text
“Come on Aki, just a little further and we can rest,” the violet-haired centaur murmured, clinging on tightly to her younger brother’s hand. He relapsed into a bout of coughing before he steadied himself and nodded.
“I’m okay, Emi, let’s go.”
Emi’s heart clenched at the sight of her brother, suffering from being on the run for more than a week, and the damage caused by stray arrows. She had done her best to get most of them out of his body but the untreated wounds were festering and causing an alarming discolouration around his blistered skin. His dapple-grey coat was smudged with dirt and blood. He was barely six and yet…
Shaking the thought out of her mind, the ten-year-old broke into a run and tucked a stray strand of lavender hair behind her ear, gripping Akihiko’s hand as he struggled to keep up with her. Sweat coated them and trickled down their chins as the two rushed past the trees, paying no heed to the damage they were causing to the plants around them.
They needed to get away, and fast.
“Rei, we need your help!”
When Rin ran into the dwelling, out of breath and panic written all over his face, Rei knew something was up. He rose on all his hooves and discarded a half-prepared herbal potion to the side to follow his mate out. They hurried to the Chief’s dwelling as Rin tried to explain the situation, his voice quavering.
“S-Something’s wrong with Miho. She’s not feeling well and she keeps saying something in the Language of the Stars. And Gou! Gou doesn’t look that well either.”
Rei grasped Rin’s hand and gave it a comforting squeeze before lifting their clasped hands up and placing a light kiss on the back of Rin’s hand.
“Don’t worry Rin. Everything will be alright. Trust me.”
Biting his lip, the redhead nodded and they walked into the dwelling where Gorou lay next to his mate, holding her hand tightly and head bowed. Rei felt a twinge in his chest as he saw Miho overcome by slight tremors, her breath coming short. Gou was sitting on her other side, as white as a sheet and clutching her mentor’s hand. Her colt of five years, Hana, was standing behind her, pressed to her father’s side as he gently ran his hands through her vermillon hair.
Rei pulled away from Rin to kneel by the Mystic’s side. He nodded to Gorou and the Chief shifted to let Rei take his place. It had been nearly six years since Rei joined the clan and it had been a unanimous decision to appoint him as Head Healer. While he had protested that it would be disrespectful towards Aiichirou as a fellow healer who had been around longer, the grey-haired centaur had firmly pushed him forward and told him that he was more worthy of the position.
Over the course of those six years, the clan had enjoyed peace and quietude. Rei exhaled. He had hoped the tranquility would continue for many more years to come. Miho gripped his outstretched hand for a moment, her eyes focused on him before her head rolled back and she began muttering something again. Rei stood up and looked around him.
“I need all of you to move out. It’s not good to crowd around the two of them. Everything’s going to be alright so I’ll let you know of their condition.”
The others nodded slowly and began filing out. Rei held Hana’s small hands in his own before she left, squeezing them gently to let her know her mother would be fine. She gave him a teary smile and left with Seijuurou. Rin took one last glance at Rei before leaving with the others, anxious about the situation.
Rei turned back to the Mystic and her apprentice. He stood up and gathered some moss to create a more comfortable space for them.
He began to talk quietly to the two, his voice unwavering. He had to make sure they remained conscious and it would help clear their minds. Rei had seen it happen to his birth clan’s Mystic once, right before a landslide had struck. If it hadn’t been for her Vision, they would have long since perished.
Slowly, Miho’s eyes opened, her irises a kaleidoscope of purple and blue. “Rei,” she rasped, gripping his arm. “Oh Rei…”
As expected, her gaze was on something far beyond Rei. He gently pried her pale hands off and held them in his palm. “What do you see, Miho?”
“Hunters.”
Rei’s breath hitched, a sudden cold gripping his heart. “Humans, capturing us, cutting us down…! Murderers!” Her whispers turned into panicked gasps and Rei reached into his pouch and placed a poultice on her forehead.
“It’s alright, we’re all safe right now,” Rei murmured, still holding her hand. Next to her, Gou twitched and moaned in pain, a few tears slipping down her cheeks. He scattered some of his soothing herbs around the two, adding water to release a fragrance that would ease their nerves. He knelt back down and lay them down in their sleeping position. Their shudders ceased and a while later, Rei breathed out, thankful that they had fallen asleep.
When he walked out of the dwelling, the rest of the clan was milling around, ill at ease. Rin immediately bounded up to him, his eyebrows pinched together. Before he could speak, Rei lightly pressed a finger to his lips.
“They’re sleeping now. Relax.”
The tension left Rin’s shoulders. He sighed and rested his head on Rei’s shoulder for a moment and the blue-haired centaur gently rubbed circles on Rin’s back. The rest slowly approached, brightening up at Rei’s smile.
Gorou nodded to Rei. “Thank you.”
“I didn’t do much,” Rei shook his head, abashed. “And,” he dropped his eyes as Rin pulled away, “It’s because they were having a Vision.”
A low buzz broke out amongst the centaurs.
Gorou held up his hand, his shoulder pads glinting in the sunlight.
“There will be a meeting tonight, if Miho and Gou are feeling better. It is a matter of extreme urgence so make sure to rest up.”
They nodded and drifted apart, back to whatever they had been doing before the Mystics had had their Visions. Gorou, Seijuurou and Hana went back into the dwelling and Rin pulled Rei towards their dwelling, silent.
“You don’t want to see Gou, Rin?”
Rin patted the spot next to him as he sat down. “It’s fine, she has Sei and Hana.” When Rei settled down, Rin entwined his tail with his mate’s, reaching out to touch Rei’s Symbol.
“Ah,” he breathed, lying down on Rei’s shoulder. “I can’t imagine what we’d do without you and Ai. Thank you, Rei.”
“I’m happy I can help all of you out,” Rei replied. “It’s the least I could do for all you’ve done to help me. And I know you were worried about Gou, especially.” He lifted Rin’s head up and thumbed the reddened corners of the centaur’s eyes. “She’s going to be alright. Mystics are probably the toughest of the lot,” he smiled.
Rin nodded, for fear his words would fail him and that a sob would escape him. He pulled Rei close and they sat together, their very souls entwined in an unshakeable bond, a connection that had been moulded under the Stars where they frolicked, long after the urgent bouts of passion and arduous words had dulled.
“We have to move,” Gorou announced, his expression grim. Miho held on to his hand, melancholy dancing across her features.
“It’s unbearable to even think of parting with this land, but we must move,” she nodded. “The hunters are approaching and if we do not make haste, then our lives will be forfeit!”
“Why can’t we fight the humans?!” Momotarou stood, his eyes flickering with anger. “Why must they invade our land and hunt our kind?” Aiichirou gently tugged on his hand and had him sit.
“Fighting them is dangerous,” Gorou addressed Momotarou. “They use underhanded methods and while we might be physically stronger than them, there is no guarantee every single one of us will come out unscathed. We must think about our young, too,” he glanced at Hana. “It seems the Gelkis clan left this afternoon.”
Momotarou seemed hardly convinced but he remained silent, gazing at his niece.
“We move tomorrow morning. Get all your necessities ready. Makoto, Rin, I’m going to need the two of you to prepare all our warriors before we set off.” The two Head Warriors nodded, having been appointed their posts after a long series of duels.
As they scattered, Rin planted a kiss on Rei’s forehead before heading off with Makoto to prepare the warriors. “I’ll be with you in the morning.”
“Aww, Rin, stop monopolising Rei,” Nagisa whined, pushing Rin away and grabbing Rei’s arm. “Shoo, go do your work.”
“I’ll be watching,” Rin warned, pointing a finger at Nagisa. Rei laughed and walked towards his dwelling with Nagisa still clinging to his arm.
“Hey, Rei…”
Rei fixed his focus on his best friend, detecting a hint of gloom in his usually bright voice.
“What is it, Nagisa?”
“Do you think we’re all going to be okay? I mean, it’s just… This sort of thing’s never happened before and I don’t know, it’s really scary.”
“As long as we’re cautious and move fast, we should be able to lose the hunters,” Rei assured the palomino, giving his shoulder a comforting squeeze. “And we have Rin and Makoto at the frontline, protecting all of us. That’s very reassuring, don’t you think?”
“Mm,” Nagisa nodded, breaking into a small smile. “Thanks, Rei.”
“Anytime, Nagisa.”
“Alright!” Nagisa ran forward, turning so that he faced Rei. “Time to make Rin regret leaving you alone for the night! Let’s go!” He pointed towards Rei’s dwelling and dashed in. Rei chuckled. He was truly blessed.
“Rei, Rei.” Insistent taps on his shoulder. Rei blinked and sat up drearily, feeling the exhaustion from the previous day weighing him down. Rin helped him get his glasses and he smiled sleepily at his mate as the latter helped Rei up on his hooves.
Rin’s bow and quiver were strapped securely around his waist. Rin nosed the tip of Rei’s ear where his cornflower hung before helping the roan slip on his herbal pouch.
“Ready?”
“Probably,” Rei made a face. Rin laughed and pulled him out into the early morning, the air saturated by the smell of pinecones and the late night drizzle. Despite the sun edging over the mountains to the east, the surroundings were shrouded in the darkness. They glanced up at the indigo-hued sky, hands interlinked.
They stood together in the silence, save for the distant croaking of frogs. That was, until they both sensed a disturbance in the air and something came crashing through the nearby bushes. Rin immediately pushed Rei back, bow and arrow out in a flash. What they saw, however, had the pair absolutely and utterly bewildered.
“Oh,” whispered Rei, instantly pushing past Rin to approach the trembling colts. The older colt held on tightly to the smaller one whose legs seemed about to give out. His flank was coated with dried blood and both had suffered visibly gruesome injuries. Rin’s grip on his bow tightened. He’d recognise those arrows anywhere. The same kind that his father had perished to.
The female colt reared weakly when Rei approached and he slowly settled on his knees, hands by his sides.
“We won’t hurt you,” he murmured. “You’re safe with us.”
Rin put his weapons down on the ground and slowly sat next to Rei, careful not to startle the high-strung colts. They were severely injured and even the slightest form of aggression would surely cause them to bolt. The wide-eyed colt glanced back and forth before them before collapsing with the younger one. A choked sob escaped her and Rei held a vial before her.
“Take a small sip. You’ll feel better, I promise.”
When she attempted to hold it, her hand quivered so much she could barely keep a firm grip on it. Rei uncapped the vial and held it to her mouth, lightly tilting her chin.
“I’ll help you, alright?”
She swallowed, cringing at the bitter taste.
Rei fed her brother in the same manner, although he was far too weak to even lift his head without support. Within minutes, the two had fallen asleep.
“It’s terrible,” Rei whispered, looking over their injuries. “Is this what the hunters do? Even to children as young as them?”
Rin gritted his teeth. “It’s not the worst they could do. They’re the reason why…!” He took a deep breath in and exhaled. “Nevermind,” he stood. “Let’s get them patched up first.”
Rei nodded and the pair carried the colts back into the dwelling where Rin watched his mate busy himself with treating the injuries. He winced when Rei pulled out the multiple arrows embedded in the younger colt’s flank. His pained whimpers filled the dwelling and it wasn’t long before Rin had to exit and explain the situation to the rest of the clan. While the female stirred occasionally, her brother’s pulse seemed to be getting weaker.
“He won’t make it if we move,” Rei told them. “The strain on his body is too much.”
“What should we do?” Gorou turned to Miho, his face drawn in with worry and a hint of exhaustion.
“I’ll stay.” Rei’s voice rang loud and clear. “I’ll take care of them.”
“No,” Rin trotted over to his mate. “We’ll stay.”
“But-”
“Don’t worry about us, Chief,” Rin flashed his dashing grin. “With an impeccable warrior like me around, there’s nothing to trouble yourself over.”
“Really,” Gorou sighed, smiling. “Promise us you’ll take good care of yourselves. We’ll be expecting you when the seasons change.”
A few hours later, the clan had left, their figures dotting the distant horizon. Rei popped his head into the dwelling, lips curving into a smile as he took in the sight of Rin curved protectively around the colts. If they had guessed accurately, the hunters would only arrive a month or two later. Within that time, he would make do and ensure that the colts healed up enough. He fingered the cornflower and lay down on the other side of the colts, sleep overtaking him.
It was barely a whisper in his ear, softer than the wind caressing his hair.
Don’t let your guard down. They’re coming.