While the Winds Whisper Through Empty Streets

Distant howls, snarls, and screams grated against Winds' ears, the cool night air stained with sweat and blood circulating through his nose as they left Brei with another group Gedahr's people had formed, Seih stirring only briefly.

His quietness was concerning, but something Winds appreciated as they slipped through the carefully-tended gardens along the outskirts. Safer than the direct route to the rolling platform. Too many people, there—too many Shadows.

|Winds.|

He flicked his attention towards Ged, Seih’s breaths rapid and shallow.

|We'll have to make it quick. He's fading fast.|

Focusing on the man’s face, he could see the tension in his jaw, dark blood seeping through the improvised bandage on his upper arm, likely sapping his own strength. |We'll make it.|

The breathing of his human charges pulsed in his ears like a timer winding closer to silence, howls and screams growing closer. One broke out over the screen of glowbushes as they slipped low through a silent clearing past slumped bodies, baked goods scattered across the ground. Ged startled, Seih letting out a low moan in his arms.

Winds gestured sharply for the man to hush him, a clicking roll of a growl floating over the brush replacing a dying whimper. For a moment, they waited in near-silence, Seih’s breaths stifled by Ged’s vest.

A soft rustle, the whisper of padding feet/paws dying away—they were clear.

He rose off his haunches again, gesturing for them to creep onwards—

A dark form leapt with impossible speed over the hedge, landing lithely and sweeping him off his feet.

He flew back, tumbling across the grass, clumps of it tearing in his hands as he twisted, rolling up. Launching himself forwards just as it made a swipe for an already-dodging Ged, he slashed his blade across its side.

A roar shattered the silence, a sound he did his best to cut off by slicing half its head off in a messy swing. That seemed to stop it.

Howls abruptly rang out all around. Not soon enough to stop the rest.

|Run.| He pulled Gedahr up into a mad dash, Seih just conscious enough to cling as they dove down another path, snarls pursuing them.

He cut the corner, slashing an opening through the bush and pulling the humans through, the slope rolling down ahead of them, rocky and studded with wilder brush and low trees.

|Aim for the platform.|

Wheeling around, he pushed off and slashed with deadly precision at a lunging Shadow, cutting off its advance and its head.

Others, though, launched from the side, a pair blurring for Ged as he dropped behind a rock and skidded along a steeper part of the incline, grabbing at a gnarled bush to swing himself around. Too many.

He ground his teeth as he ran, drawing light towards himself and gathering it under his skin, releasing a short, sharp yell.

Instantly, they turned, spinning with remarkable speed to leap at him.

He ducked under one, slicing it from muzzle to shadowy tail, twisting away from another slashing set of claws to flick his blade across the arm and the neck, rolling with the motion to yank through the flank of another—

A heavy weight slammed into him, throwing them both down the same incline Ged had skidded through, and he twisted as they tumbled, lashing out with both blades to cleave its head from its body.

In a moment he’d caught up with the humans just as they reached the rail, his call bringing the platform sliding down in front of them. More howls rose behind as they climbed on, careening through the darkness.

Lights glittered in the city below, but he heard more howls echoing across the valley, ringing through the streets. More screams, flickers of movement and chaos shattering previously joyful celebrations.

He eased the platform to a smooth halt, hopping off into the square, an echoing crash coming from the Ripple. More howls. They’d have to cross quickly—this space was too open.

|If only we could use the gondoliers,| he commented as they ran, Seih’s ragged, hitching breath almost as loud as Ged’s.

|Supply tracks should lead right to Copax.| The man flinched as a Shadow dashed to intercept them and Winds made a quick detour, punishing its recklessness. |They come up to the Ripple.|

He shook the blood off his blade, pulsing an affirmation and bringing up the supply route. |Down this street.|

Narrow stone walls blurred past, thorned vines twining across the walls catching at his tunic. Howls followed and faded as he cut a zig-zagging path through crowded back-ways. 

They exited to the stifled cries of another group, Ged sparing only a moment to snap at them to stay quiet and hidden as they cut across to the track, running along its length until they found a cart. Helping the man up, Winds directed it to move, lurching into motion beneath their feet.

As it did, he spared a glance at Seih, his eyes clenched shut, his arm wrapped under his armpit, teeth clenched. His aura seemed strong enough. |How is he?|

|Probably in pain from all the jostling.| The man rolled his shoulder gingerly from where he kneeled on the roof. |I can relate.|

|At least he’s alive.|

A vaguely amused huff. |We’re both doing better than I thought—|

Sudden weight rocked the cart, Ged clutching at the central ridge as Winds whirled. There had been no sign of—

A dark pair of claws slammed up over the side, pulling up a grinning maw that peeled back to show fangs. One that seemed... familiar.

He lashed out, aiming to cut across its eyes and send it tumbling back, only for it to sway easily away. Nearly stumbling, he froze, ice crackling through his bones as it clicked.

Hafest.

His former master snapped up and over, deadly fangs glinting, and he twisted aside. No edge of a spar, here, no holding back, only the intent to destroy. Jaw tightening, he lashed out across its shoulder as it spun on the slate, only a thin line cutting across shadowy flesh. And near-instantly pulling back together.

He ducked a swipe over his head, a crackle racing through him. They could heal that easily?

Hafest had been good before—one of the imprints influencing his own fighting skill. If he’d retained that and added these new abilities—

Light warping around him, he lunged forward, eyes narrowed, twisting just enough to let the flash of its claws slip past his shoulder, his own skin pulling easily back together. His blade stabbed up under that dripping chin—

And it grinned at him.

That cold sense encased every whisper of his instincts as dark digits seized at the sword, its other hand catching the second, a gurgling, inhuman laugh bubbling from its mouth and drizzling in a black stream down to his wrist.

Baring his own teeth, he jerked back, spraying its blood out the side of its head, sending it slumping as the cart passed into open air lit only by glowing flowers, stone wall rushing past on their right. He swung to make sure—

And it snapped up with blurring speed. Yellow eyes flickered back to full strength with a wide slash, forcing him to step dangerously close to the edge. Ducking beneath its following lunge, he whipped out with both blades—

It charged into the blow, bowling him off the edge into empty air.

Wind whistled past his ears, twisting as he clutched with steely desperation at its currents, the ground rushing up. Branches and rock pummelled him, slapping against every part of his frame they could reach. He tumbled into a roll, yanking on the cart's brakes— too fast, Ged and Seih lurching off, the Shadow disappearing with them as the transport screeched, sparks flying up.

He cursed himself vehemently, skidding down a short, grassy slope, leaping the low wall at the back of Copax’s grounds and racing across dark cobblestones towards it as it ground to a halt. Had they fallen on the track? There was no sign of them or the Shadow—

A snarl roared out behind him.

He whirled barely in time to catch both blades against its claws, and its head snapped back, jaws opening wide like a striking snake—

Only for the tip of a dagger to appear between its eyes.

With a quick, savage jerk, the blade carved down, yanking free of its spine. In a moment, Winds took advantage of the frozen judder, his eyes flaring as he sliced its head from its body and stabbed deep to its core.

It slumped, the dark aura finally flickering out, the last remnants of what had once been his master dying, and he raised his eyes to the sight of Seih standing there, panting for breath, clutching at his wounds with a dagger gripped tight in his hand.

The man gave a wavering smile. “I think a part of me’s always wanted to do that.”

And he collapsed.