Fateless
Chapter 11 - Retrieve

Hana stumbled through the cloaked cave opening, only to have her fall broken by what felt like a firm bundle of fine fabric. Still feeling part of the tumble against her back she let out a groan of pain, rubbing the ache in her spine before turning away from the glamour-tinted entrance.

It was warmer inside, but the air was stagnant and smelled stale.

Once Hana’s eyes adjusted to the cave’s darker contents, she realised the fabric was actually that of a glamourous kimono. And the occupant wearing it had long dark hair, porcelain skin, and an impressive large bruise swollen at her hairline.

“Akira-sama?” Hana called out to her in shock.

Hana touched her face in a panic. Her skin was cool, but a soft breath was still coming from her thickly glossed lips.

“Hana-san?”

Hana froze at the sound of a familiar voice.She peered up from Akira’s motionless body as a figure walked towards her from inside that cavern. The first thing she noticed was the glint of a hairpin from the flow of light flooding from the entryway.

“Megumi-san!” Hana shouted as the girl came close enough to reveal herself. “What happened? Are you all right.”

Megumi seemed startled to see Hana at first, but then her shy smile gathered upon her lips.

Hana sighed with relief, but before she could speak again Megumi’s face suddenly transitioned into something sinister. Her eyes narrowed and her mouth twisted into a scowl.

Finally noticing the scene at the very back of the cave caused Hana’s heart to drop.

Four young women lay motionless, piled on top of each other and dressed in their nighttime attire.

Hana took a nervous step back to decipher the situation only to feel the firm warmth of another body behind her. She let out a shriek as she sprung away.

“It’s me”, Mizuiro’s voice responded.

Hana’s body untensed at the realisation. Another reliving sigh escaped her.

“What are you doing here?” Megumi snapped aggressively at the lord. She did so in a demeanour Hana did not believe she was capable of. “You shouldn’t be here. This land belongs to the Kitsune clan.”

Mizuiro’s gaze shifted from Megumi to the still spellbound girls behind her. There was a light dusting of snow that had settled in his hair and shoulders. His upper lip twitched upwards and Hana was surprised by the large canines doing so revealed.

“As I recall, I have a peace treaty with the kitsune clan.” Was his amused response.

“Not with all of us, you don’t.”

Hana’s jaw hung slack as Megumi’s voice dropped much lower than it should. Her eyes blazed a golden yellow. And in a matter of seconds that fire in her eyes spread to engulfed her, and it was flung outward.

Luckily, the Hirano lord was just as quick. He scooped Hana up and managed to dodge the attack.

They were both unscathed by the fireball, but Hana felt the steering heat rush past her and she let out a scream in fright.

One moment Hana was gawking at the fizzled-out flames, and the next she was being hauled out of the way as another blast came their way again.

“Hana, some power from you might be the best option for us right now,” Mizuiro said with his blue eyes still locked carefully on the flaming opponent that was Megumi. “Do you think you can manage to not freak out if I transform?”

Hana barely computed what he said, but nodded vigorously.

Mizuiro smiled hesitantly, releasing Hana to let his coat slip free to the cave floor.

She let out a surprised squeak as another huge flame came at the pair as Mizuiro’s body began to transform into a much larger shape.

Hana covered her face as she was surrounded by a blinding yellow, only to have it almost instantly extinguished by an opposing blue light.

When the flames settled Megumi let out a frustrated scream and stamped her foot.

Once a man, Lord Hirano was now a massive intimidating beast. His long grey hair had transitioned into the fur of a mane, his feet were clawed dragon-like paws, and producing fangs jutted from his snarling maw.

The light of the shield he had shrouded him and Hana in was as deep blue as his unique eyes.

Although it was a lot to take in, Hana felt the glow of light emulating from the taudog was a reassuring safety net.

Megumi tried again to use a fire attack, but as it slammed against Mizuiro’s protective barrier it deteriorated ineffectively.

“How could you Hana-san!” Megumi’s warped voice yelled out. “How could you pair up with that thing!"

Hana was lost for words as Megumi angrily scratched at her face, her nails had become sharp and cut into her flesh.

Suddenly she bolted towards Hana, her arms outstretched to lunge for her. Mizuiro adjusted his body to block her intended target. A fearsome growl rumbled threateningly in his throat.

But Megumi did not manage to get close as another fire blast came out of nowhere and collided straight into her.

She was thrown against the side of the cave wall by the force. It hit her so hard that her cherry blossom hairpin dislodged and skittered along the rocky ground.

“Not nice when fox fire is smacked at you, now is it?” Akira exclaimed as she stared down at the fire that was beginning to extinguish.

Akira had not only recovered, but she was now sporting a supernatural appearance. There was no denying she was a kitsune now, with her bright amber glow encasing her and multiple semi-transparent bushy fox tails poised high in a god-like fashion.

Megumi’s howls of pain were horrific. So much so, that Hana had to cover her mouth to stop herself from vomiting.

“Please, Akira! Don’t kill her!” Hana begged frightenedly through the nausea.

“Oh. Don’t you worry, consort. I’m not going to kill him.” Akira replied with a gleam in her eyes. “He’s fireproof for the most part, but it still stings, now doesn’t it?”

When Akira walked over to grab and haul up Megumi, who was still writhing in pain, it did not look like her at all.

The scorched clothes were Megumi’s, but the short hair, darkly clustered freckles and masculine facial features were not.

His brachium was bright red where it had copped the brunt of the fire, but he did not appear severely burned as Hana had expected.

“That’s not- where did Megumi-san go?” Hana stuttered.

“There never was a Megumi, now was there, little brother?”

The boy hanging in Akira’s hold snarled angrily.

“Someone has been practicing their kitsune spells very hard, now haven’t they?” Akira seethed sarcastically at him. “The enchanted hairpin was a nice touch. You need more practice hiding your freckles though.”

“Shut up! I fooled you, didn’t I?” The boy hissed

With the threat subdued, Mizuiro’s protective light dissolved and he made his way over to check on the hypnotized girls. They had still not moved in the slightest.

Hana ran over to the person she had once called Megumi.

“You have a brother?” Hana whispered to Akira.

“Oh, I have many,” Akira replied with a sour snarl. “But only one of them is foolish enough to beat me unconscious with a rock and think they’re getting away with it unscathed.”

Hana gulped at the rage emerging from Akira's voice.

“Why did you do this?” Hana asked the boy with a crackle of sadness in her voice.

“Yes. Delight us will you, Shuu? Why are you kidnapping the Taudog’s guests?” Akira hissed menacingly. “Are you attempting to ruin the peace I have dedicated to keep? Are you insane? Are trying to start a war against a damn Taudog!?”

“Peace? For what?! For the sake of the stupid humans? Look at you parading around like a whore with them while the rest of us hide in the shadows. You’re as bad as that stupid taudog! We shouldn’t have to protect them! We should slaughter all of them like cattle!” Shuu spat as he ranted. “But we can’t touch them because that taudog is-”

Akira cut her brother off as she slammed the back of his head against the wall.

"Mizuiro, it is against our clans’ agreement to deliberately harm humans in your territory. What was the punishment for that again?”

“I didn’t harm them.” Shuu snapped. “They’re still fine!”

Akira raised her eyebrow at him.

“For now.” He finished with a sneer.

Hana flinched as Akira slammed her brother into the wall again.

Hana grimaced as he let out a colourful array of cusses, he squirmed violently in this sister’s grip.

Mizuiro bared his massive teeth as he regarded Shuu distastefully.

“Take him home, Akira.” Was Lord Hirano’s response. His voice rumbled out of his beastly form. “Your clan can take him into custody and decide his punishment. My current priority is to treat the girls that are under the wisp spell before it completely drains their life force.”

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