Chapter 9

Wood shattered into blown pieces, the metal parts clattering to the floor with sharp tings.

The wooden bits flew everywhere, and I shook my head to rid of the dust landing on fur and ears.

The cross-bow was thoroughly destroyed, burned and ruined. The weapon’s owner gasped as she knelt to scramble up the bigger pieces.

My eyes darted to the new appearance, a familiar cloak steadily walking into the road with a smoking gun laid on his back. Pale eyes blankly stared ahead as he approached, not a single word given nor explanation.

It is then the ring-leader of the rag-tag group of teenagers turned heel to glare at him with a scowl. “Hey–! Ivory! How dare you! I don’t care if Prince Rook likes you, are you defending the enemy?” She accused, and the smell of blood tickled my nose. The destroyed weapon may have injured her hands. “They’re clearly the reason as to why security ramped up in our kingdom! This is supposed to be a happy day. If I shoot this interloper, the festival can go on as it should!”

Ivory wordlessly walked past her and offered me an arm. I took it in silence, mint claws quivering as he pulled me to my feet effortlessly. It feels silly, especially with how tall he is compared to my shorter height. I’m supposed to be the one protecting him.

“Why didn’t you try to dodge?” Ivory inquired.

Huh? I wanted to say but the words were caught from disbelief.

“I see. You’re scared of dying again. Even with strength, you froze up.” Ivory observed with a sluggish long blink. “Neither Ebony nor I will allow you to break, Shepard. Do not worry.” His assurance was delivered with solid confidence, in mimicry of the absent twin.

“Do you see me as pathetic?” I managed a shaky grin, fangs tasting metallic. Did I bite my tongue earlier?

“Not really, no,” Ivory told me gently. “If anything, I am happy you took your own path.” He tapped the gun against his shoulder. “You hear that, Niko? I can’t let you shoot this person.” Ivory raised a foot and gave a hearty stomp of rebellion.

It is then I remember we have an audience, the embarrassment flooding my veins. I side-stepped closer to Ivory, grabbing at my tussled cloak. For two seconds I eyed the wolves, who wisely stayed out of this dispute. But why were they still here? They didn’t have to wait for us. I already told them how long to run for and which place to hide!

“…Ivory. That’s not a Dulling.” Niko lowly chastised, voice scorched with betrayal. The other members of her group were wide eyed and staring.

“I know.” Ivory simply affirmed, and unhooded himself. Pale fluffy ears flicked. “Neither am I.”

The air grew heavier than the rain. For a moment, all my ears could hear were deepening breaths and the distant sounds of fighting. Ebony would keep at it until a signal was given. I worried about his endurance and the fact the trick would be revealed as time went on. In fact, I could hear the fighting grow louder. Were they finally coming this way?

Niko clicked her tongue, rubbing a hand over her wet blue hair. She was clearly bothered, conflicted, but unwilling to back down. Niko briefly looked over her shoulder before focusing on my form.

“It means harm to the kingdom.” Niko pressed, gritting her teeth.

“She means the world to me.” Ivory defended.

“Nines, I just knew I didn’t like you! You were too pathetic to be harmless.” Niko’s eye twitched as she swore. “You’re lucky the Prince isn’t here. No, of course I’ll be saddled with the task of telling him why his new buddy ran off with terrorists.” Niko eyed her comrades, who looked avoidant and nervous.

I wonder if Ivory is bothered by how often the group and Niko kept looking at his wolf ears.

“You’re pathetic, Ivory,” Niko sneered. “If I see you again, I won’t hesitate to shoot you. Got it?” She threw the leftovers of the crossbow onto the ground. “Let’s go, we’re wiping our hands clean of this. The Queen’s Guard is coming this way.” Niko squinted at Ivory before turning around. “The Prince is gonna be devastated on his birthday. Great.” Niko waved two fingers.

Ivory stayed still as the group fled into the alleyways. “I’ll have to apologize to Rook later.” He doesn’t turn away even as the others vanish.

Were those your first friends? I wanted to ask him, but this wasn’t the time.

I rubbed my eyes with the back of my claws, licking my lips from raindrops. “You believe you’ll meet again?” The Dullings he’s met here?

Ivory nodded solemnly.

We then broke into a sprint, rejoining the wolves and dashing out of the kingdom’s unguarded walls. The Gem Wolves were quick to trail behind us, I can feel Opal stuck closer to my side. I dismissed their quiet whines for concern. I did not want to deal with it.

A twenty minute run later, and we briefly paused because of our missing party member.

“And? Where did you get the gun?” I started the questioning as Opal howled, echoing in the distance.

Ebony would surely hear the cue and come running.

“Prince Rook brought it for me.” Ivory admitted without shame. “He promised to give me a weapon to defend myself with because there were a few Dullings who wanted to take advantage of my lack of sight.” Ivory gave a light shrug.

“You have a scary shot.” I complimented, eying the gun, picturing myself shooting at unwanted gnats.

This was a very old fashioned gun, I’d almost call it a hunter’s rifle.

“Thank you, Shepard. I find it easy to hit a target when everything makes noise. How was your quest?” Ivory traced a finger on the metal of his weapon.

“Considering I found Kazo’s wards, fine.” I turned back to the wolves. “Ebony was pissed at me.” I offhandedly complained, and moved to sit in the grass.

“He would be.” Ivory agreed without a pause. “I’ll admit, it took me ten minutes after you left to understand. You did not want us around, and it hurt.” Ivory’s nails clicked against the gun. “We were created to help you. How are we to do that if you don’t want us?” His thinly veiled frustration felt the most hostile I’ve ever heard from him.

My stomach ached, hollow and heavy.

“That’s,” I hissed into the back of my claws. “Thats not true, I simply didn’t want either of you hurt. I deemed it better to take on the main issue by myself. You two were better off collecting information.” Far away from the danger, from accidents, from maliciousness.

“Isn’t that,” Ivory began, toneless. “What dragged your soul here in the first place?”

My claws slip to the ground as I stared at this cruel version of my younger brother.

The youngest, the brainiac who often struck with daggered words without thinking.

Ruby nosed my wrist, I hardly noticed them. I hardly noticed the world.

The grass is cold. The sky is cloudy, as if it were nighttime.

Would anyone hear if I screamed? Could they if there was no voice left to exert?

Ivory stiffened, grasping at his own wrists as white ears lowered by an inch. “Wait. Shepherd, I did not mean—“

In a blur of shadow, Ebony leapt into the open with a confident smirk, dusting off his shoulders. “Shall we find a new place to live? We’ll have to enchant it to make sure intruders won’t try to re-capture the wolves,” Ebony cut himself off with abrupt silence. “…Ivory, what in Kazo did you do?” The low rumble was close to a growl, a snarl struggling to stay put.

“I didn’t mean it,” Ivory murmured. “I was sick of being treated as fragile. I didn’t mean to snap my fangs at her. Shepherd…? Please respond.”

Something is nuzzling my furred wrist. Cold and wet, I hope it not to be worms ready for a feast. It’s not like my opinion matters in the slightest, I am dead. Oh, to hear the voices of my brothers. My Mom always told me hearing is the last sense to go.

I can hear the sound of bristled animals. Their agitation came in the form of low growls and pacing pawsteps.

“You and I will have a talk, Ivory,” Ebony sneered. “Do you smell the smoke? The Queen and her loyalists are pursuing us! Shepard cannot run in this state. Fix your mistake and at least strike correctly with that gun of yours. Do not slow us down further.”

“Yes, Brother,” Ivory lamented bitterly. “Shepard? Rest well.”

The world tilted but I did not fall. My body felt heavy and limp as I am shifted against the back of someone taller. They smelled nostalgic, but I could not place the scent.

The world is continuously fuzzy.

Yet the surrounding colors of shining hues were the prettiest I’ve ever seen. A rainbow of blurred orbs of color. If I had died with this being my last sight, then perhaps, I could be more accepting of death.

Just a little.