This is the second time someone's wronged his scarf within the past twenty-four hours. The first was Cairo setting it on fire. Of course Cairo had apologized, showing how cool he was. But her? Yuna? She was doubling down.
Naren glared at her as she pushed him forward. Readjusting his scarf. This time, it was just a verbal strike, so he could worry about it later. Instead, the more pressing matter now was his new label.
"You're soldier? Me?!"
"Who else? Go fend them off for me."
"Why in the hell would I do that?!"
Yuna shoved her fingers in her ears, closing her eyes.
"Will you stop shouting I can hear you just fine."
Naren drew closer speaking louder ears.
"Sorry! I'll be quieter princess!"
Yuna grabbed Naren's nose, squeezing it.
"Shout again, I'll rip it off."
"Ow! Ow! Ow."
She let go pushing him towards the open doors.
"Now finish the job, soldier."
Naren sat down exactly where he stood. Crossing his arms.
"Don't want to."
He turned his head back at Yuna, a mocking smile etched onto his face.
"Princess."
By then, the entire barracks were awake and observing the two bickering, illuminated by a recently lit lamp. At least fifty women, all adorning the weapon they slept with. This time, none had time to put on their masks. Naren turned his gaze back at the women, who were getting ready to tear them limb from limb. Anger embellished onto their faces for ruining their sleep.
"At least this view is prettier than behind me."
Yuna kicked Naren in the back, letting him tumble further into the room.
"Oops, I tripped."
Naren whipped his head back, but by now the first of the women began attacking. An arrow just narrowly missing Naren's head spiraled through the air. Naren rolled to the side, as another arrow buried itself into the floor where his head had been.
He sprawled out on the floor, leaning on one hand.
"Come on Princess, they look angry."
When an axe was swung down on his body, he suddenly disappeared. Bare feet walking out of the wall on the second floor. Naren whistled down, waving at Yuna.
"I'll watch from here princess."
However, after uttering those words, Naren's eyes widened. Yuna stared back at him, with a subtle smile on her face, her pitch black eyes cold. In her hand was a red fabric, stretched long. Dirty and ragged with a new burn mark.
"Be my guest, soldier."
Naren's eyes followed as Yuna wrapped the scarf around her neck, standing right in front of the doorway. She didn't move, nor look away from Naren. Instead she held an arrow in her hand, holding it close to the scarf.
"With haste, unless you want this scarf minced up."
Naren's golden eyes glared at the girl. He was going to beat her ass right after this. But this came first. He jumped down from the second floor, right into the middle of the mob.
He didn't have time to think. A woman lunged at him with a spear, thrusting low. He sidestepped, grabbed the shaft, and yanked her forward. She stumbled past him. He shoved her into the woman behind her.
Two more came from the left. One swung an axe. The other had a club.
Naren ducked under the axe, felt the wind from the blade pass over his head. The club came next — aimed at his ribs. He twisted, caught it on his forearm. Pain shot up his arm but he ignored it.
He kicked the axe-wielder's knee. She buckled. He grabbed her shoulder and used her falling body as a shield, shoving her into the club-wielder. Both went down in a heap.
Three more rushed him from different angles.
"Man I'm popular."
A sword came at his throat. He leaned back, missing the point of the blade by inches. But he had no time to reposition, a dagger followed form his right as he fell back. Then the women tumbled down onto the floor. A little girl's leg having tripped her.
A grin slowly appeared on Naren's face.
"Long time no see Vera."
The little girl's face was petrified in fear, but she forced on a crooked, obviously forced smile.
"Don't...worry...about...me."
"Good, I wasn't planning on it."
Naren grabbed Vera, throwing her towards the door where Yuna was.
A fist came at his face.
He didn't block it. Just tilted his head. The punch grazed his cheek.
He countered with a jab to her stomach. She doubled over. He shoved her back into the crowd.
But they kept coming.
A woman with a mace swung wide. Naren dropped low, letting it pass overhead. He swept her legs. She crashed into two others behind her.
Another arrow whistled past his ear.
Naren sidestepped the arrow, narrowly letting it pass. Whistling past it went right towards Yuna. She shouldn't have been able to dodge, but somehow she did. Already moved out of the way before the arrow passed Naren.
He clicked his tongue. So much for trying that.
Yuna leaned against the doorframe snug in the crimson scarf. One arm holding onto Vera's.
"You're doing great, soldier. Cheer him on Vera."
"Uhm, who are you?"
Yuna tilted her head before pointing at Naren.
"His master."
Naren barely dodged a spear thrust aimed at his chest. He grabbed the shaft, yanked it toward him, and drove his elbow into the woman's face. She staggered back.
A blade came at his side. He twisted, felt it graze his ribs. Not deep. Just enough to sting.
He grabbed the wrist holding the blade, twisted it sharply. But instead of yelping, she grabbed onto his own hand. Holding tight.
Naren shook her, trying to get her off him, eventually raising her into the air, but she held tight. Just then, a blade dug deep into his side. He threw the girl clinging to him at his new attacker before backing off near the door.
He held onto the dagger, blood seeping through the clothes. Naren grabbed the dagger, ready to pull it out when another hand stopped him.
"Don't pull it, you'll just bleed out faster."
Without thinking Naren, immediately snatched the scarf off Yuna's neck, wrapping it around his own, while glaring at her.
"Well, you've done enough soldier."
"So now we're buddies, princess?"
"No, it's just times, up."
"What?"
A low vibration caught wind in Naren's ears. It was close. Too close. He whipped his head in front of him looking at the group of women, but all were backing off. Scared.
A small breeze of air blew in from behind. Artificial air, created by something. Something big.
Naren's head turned slowly to see two big beading yellow eyes.
The creature loomed above him, hunched but impossibly tall. Its body was covered in patches of matted fur — gray, black, brown — growing in clumps across raw, exposed muscle that glistened wet in the dim light. Where there was no fur, the skin was translucent, showing the outline of ribs expanding and contracting independently, like multiple lungs breathing out of sync.
Its limbs were wrong. Six arms jutted from the torso at uneven intervals — some thin and skeletal with fur hanging loose, others thick and malformed, ending in clawed hands that twitched and grasped at nothing.
The snout was long, canine-like, but split. Not down the middle like you'd expect, but into four sections.
When it opened, the snout peeled apart like a grotesque flower, each piece pulling back to reveal rows of jagged teeth lining the interior — and behind them, deeper in the throat, human fingers. Small and pale flexing like it wanted to get out.
The most disturbing part were it's eyes. They were human. Wide unblinking yellow irises betraying the beastly appearance. They wept constantly. Thick, dark tears ran down the exposed muscle of its face, dripping onto the ice with a faint hiss. Tears of joy.
Its breathing wasn't a sound. It was a vibration. Low. Rattling. It made Naren's chest tighten, his teeth ache. His eyes grew wide. How come he didn't hear it before. Was he too focused on the fight. How could he have let something so fiendish sneak up on him. Then, a small whisper from Yuna, muttering to herself: "So it's Chrys."
With one swift movement, the werewolf took a bite. Of Naren, of Yuna, of Vera. Naren and Yuna's body were split in two while Vera's vanished into it's mouth. With a thud the two halves fell onto the ground, lifeless.
The creature let out a low rattling vibration. It's eyes fixed on the rest of the warriors. For whatever reason, Naren could still hear it. Despite his sight disappearing, he could still hear that vibration of the beast.
"Yo!"
The rattle shaking his bones.
"Wake up, dawg!"
His entire body shaking. Then a warm feeling on his face.
A warm hand pressing down. Pressing down on his nose. Naren's eyes jolted open, to be met once more with complete darkness.
"You won. Just take the food dawg."
Naren blinked. What was he thinking about? He felt like he had forgotten something. Something important. He took a bite of the food. Then began scarfing it down.
"Ish sho dark'n here. An wha am eahin ih ghoss."
"Wish we had a light."
Naren swallowed. He looked over at Cairo. Then at Cairo's hands. Then back at Cairo.
"Cairo, I'll hold your hand when I tell you—"
"Dawg move ya feet."
"My feet? It's all the way over here."
"Hold on."
A small glow emanated from Cairo's fingers as a low flame burned. Illuminating Yuna, laying right between the two of them.
"Are the two of you idiots?"