Rangers Endgame

Chapter 114: Smile

Fuyumi relaxed knowing it was Yakeru with her. As her consciousness strengthened, the distant murmurs of voices gradually came into focus. Her sluggish senses began to rouse again; the earthen air, mixed with the faint scent of metallic blood, became more noticeable.

"Thanks." She said. She tried to lift herself upright, but the world tilted in response, and she stumbled.

"Easy," Yakeru eased her to sit. "You're still anemic."

She took a moment to collect herself. Though the pain had receded, the health elixir did little for the blood she'd already lost. Her lightheadedness still lingered, and the air, despite warming the last time she was outside, felt cold on her pale skin. Unfortunately, she was still cursed by the unspoken promise she'd made to Ella.

When she looked around, she noticed injured rangers being rushed to the infirmary tents nearby and realized she and Ella had ended up beyond the perimeter. Healers charged the air with lime green as motes danced around the wounded. The gentle squeeze of her hand drew her attention back to Ella, Yakeru following her gaze.

"And who's this?" He asked curiously.

She glanced over at the timid girl who was watching Yakeru warily. "Ella, a helpless little damsel I ran into by chance. Now she clings to me like some baby koala." To Ella, she said, "Ella, this is Yakeru. He's a party member of mine."

He gave the girl a soft smile. "It's a pleasure, Ella."

Though his air was friendly, Ella retreated further behind Fuyumi, her grip on her hand tightening with uncertainty. Fuyumi's face softened ever so slightly. After what the child had experienced, she must've had a hard time trusting anyone. And rangers surrounded her, the very same people who had attacked her home.

Fuyumi rubbed a reassuring thumb across the back of her hand. "He's harmless."

Ella leaned into Fuyumi further, and a part of her wanted to push her away but didn't for a reason she didn't know. The clanking of metal made them turn to find four rangers, all bearing the Saberclaw emblem on their armor, transporting a prisoner in the center of the formation. It was Yuurei.

The assassin's wrists were bound with suppression cuffs. His hair spilling over his face swayed as he practically dragged his feet along. Fuyumi figured he'd either taken a health elixir or a healer had tended to him because his wounds were gone.

She could still feel the guilt gnawing at him as he kept silent while everyone around them shot him uncertain and surprised looks. Given how savage the enemy was from the apparent battle that occurred there, she could see their disbelief after a Third Grade was captured.

"Papa!" Ella exclaimed with worry.

The girl ran up to the escort but stopped. Her face flashed with immediate regret when the imposing Saberclaw members' gazes bored down on her, almost in warning, making her shrink into herself.

Yuurei lifted his head, his nose parting his mop of hair. "El..."

A Saberclaw member with gold accents on his armor, the leader of the escort from the look of it, glanced back at Yuurei, then at Ella, seeming to now understand their relationship. With a quick gesture, his teammates relaxed, and he stepped aside just enough for the girl to get through.

Ella kept her eyes on her feet as she nervously stepped through, only raising her gaze when she reached her father. She tugged on his torn battle robes to let him know she was there, and he knelt down.

He gently felt for her face and brushed hair from it. His finger nudged against her bow, and his expression changed to curiosity. "What's this?"

Ella took his bound hands and placed them on the bow. "Mama gave it to me. It's light blue with black polka dots."

Yuurei mustered a smile. "I'm sure it suits you well." His hands then went to the pendant around her neck, the red liquid swishing at his touch, and he let out a breath that seemed like a sigh of relief. "No wonder you and that young woman had no trouble moving through the tunnels."

Ella tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing," he patted her head affectionately. "I'm just glad you decided to take it with you."

She frowned, almost as if offended. "You gave me this, so I'm going to wear it."

"And that makes me happy to hear." His head turned slightly, his honed hearing likely picking up the impatient huff from one of the Saberclaw members. He turned back to Ella and embraced her. "I never got to spend as much time with you as I would have liked. I'm sorry, El." Regret leaked into his voice. "But I'm afraid Papa's going to be gone for a bit longer than expected."

Her grip around him tightened in refusal. "You're always leaving. Where are you going this time?"

He rubbed her back consolingly and pulled away to place a kiss on her forehead. "Papa loves you."

Gently prying himself from his daughter, he stood to his feet. The Saberclaw member directly behind him subtly pushed him forward as the girl was still watching. Tears infused with loneliness welled up in her eyes as her father was taken away.

Fuyumi couldn't help but pity the poor girl as both her parents were excluded from her life in moments. "Come on, Ella." She gestured for her to come closer. The girl approached, sniffling and wiping her tearful face.

Yakeru glanced over his shoulder, looking beyond the infirmary tents. "Where's her mother?"

"That's why we're here," Fuyumi replied, moving to stand as well, but her lack of balance left her grounded.

He nodded in understanding before standing and outstretching his hand to her. "Then we'd better get moving."

Surprise flashed across Fuyumi's face as she stared at his hand. Her initial instinct was to reject it and go off on her own. But a part of her wanted to take it. "You don't have to come with me."

He narrowed his gaze as if scolding her with his eyes. "Am I not obligated to look after a friend?"

Her lips parted, but no words came. The uncomfortable feeling of warmth fluttered in her chest, and she had to consciously control her features to keep it from influencing her expression. "Okay," was all she could manage as she took his hand.

He spotted her as she put her feet under her. Ella held her hand while pressing herself against Fuyumi. She didn't bother giving herself space, as she instead put all her focus on staying upright. It felt as if the air became colder when she started walking, and goosebumps pricked at her skin, but she didn't let herself shiver.

Once they'd passed the infirmary tents, she'd come to the realization that Yakeru was much further back behind the perimeter than she thought. She wondered if the south end was pushed back to the infirmaries. Then remembered this was Yakeru, and he tended not to leave any battle unscathed.

She slowed her pace and looked him over, making him raise a brow at her. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously when there weren't any obvious signs of struggle on him, but when her gaze trailed down to his ankle, she found a decently sized slit in one of his pant legs by the ankle. There was a scar within the opening.

"The southern perimeter was hit hard." He explained simply, following her gaze.

She continued walking. "One visible injury. What a drastic improvement. I'm almost convinced you aren't the same person."

He didn't reply, and his eyes went distant. She could tell he was recounting every event up to this point. The truth was, it was hard to believe that the outgoing kid, brimming with a sense of adventure from months ago, was the calm and almost aloof young man who walked beside her now. The only connection she could find was his sense of duty to help others, the idiot who would put his life on the line for people he hardly knew. Now that she thought about it, he and she were more similar than she would've liked to admit.

"What's troubling you this time?" He asked without looking, a teasing note in his voice.

Fuyumi suppressed mild amusement. "Shut up."

After half an hour of trudging, and Yakeru keeping Fuyumi upright whenever she lost her footing, the three of them made it to the makeshift encampment filled with the Sotiri villagers. The rustling of bamboo leaves and distant calls of wildlife came together in a symphony of nature that emphasized the silent tension of the scene.

Villagers of all age groups took refuge in temporary encampments that stretched beyond what the eye could see on either side. The evacuees, their faces etched with worry and weariness, took shelter under makeshift tents, woven from bamboo and draped with simple cloth.

Rangers, most of whom were Fiends, guarded and tended to the needy. It was strange to see the Fiends adopt a protective role. It was only around a month ago that they were bent on banning Yakeru from the guild and the Capital.

Yakeru's expression was unreadable as his gaze swept over the encampments to absorb the sight. Fuyumi's observant eyes scanned the crowd, hoping someone from within the huddled villagers would acknowledge Ella. Though some looked their way, no one showed any sign of recognizing her.

Fuyumi looked down at Ella, who seemed to be more relaxed at the sight of her people. "Do you see anyone you know?"

Ella shook her head regretfully.

"Let's take a look around," Yakeru said.

The three of them moved through the improvised shelters; Fuyumi and Yakeru received mixed looks from the evacuees. Some watched them warily, not bothering to mask their distrust for ripping them from their home, while others gave them weak but grateful smiles for keeping them out of harm's way.

Occasionally, they'd pause to speak with the villagers to inquire about Ella's mother but got no useful information. They weren't sure how long they'd been looking for, and Fuyumi grew increasingly sluggish. The world bobbed and tilted much more than earlier, and Yakeru eased her to the ground to rest.

"Are you okay?" Ella worried, kneeling beside her.

"I've gone through worse punishment before. I can handle a little dizziness." Fuyumi reassured.

"Ella?" A child's voice cut through the villagers' murmurs.

They turned to see a girl around Ella's age wearing a simple handcrafted blouse jogging up to them. Her braided hair waved behind her as she approached. Ella's eye flashed with recognition, and she jumped to her feet.

"Sara!" She ran up to her, and the two crashed into a tight embrace.

"When your mother came here alone, I got so worried!" The girl, Sara, cried. She pulled back and looked at her with a relieved but scolding gaze. "Where have you been?"

Ella's eyes fell as it seemed like she recounted the haunting events. "I ran. I ended up in these weird tunnels and..." She looked back at Fuyumi. "She found me and helped me get out and brought me here."

Sara looked over Ella's shoulder at Fuyumi and nodded gratefully. Something Sara said had just registered in Fuyumi's head.

"Sara, right? Do you know where her mother is now?" She asked.

"Oh, yes. Follow me." Sara responded as she took Ella's hand.

Fuyumi's senses complained as Yakeru helped her up and followed the two close behind. It didn't take long for them to arrive at where they assumed they'd find Ella's mother.

They approached a group of women gathered around a cooking fire. They shared their portions with one another, idly chatting amongst themselves. But one person stood out. She sat somewhat isolated from the rest, her food hardly touched as she pushed at it with her spoon. Her blonde bangs hung over her downcast eyes, and a cloud of melancholy shrouded her.

Fuyumi recognized the woman from earlier in the day, before the southeastern perimeter was ambushed. The same woman who pleaded with the rangers to save her child as they took her away.

Ella's hand slipped from Sara's, and she stepped forward. "Mama?"

The woman flinched and raised her head. Tears welled up in her widened eyes as her gaze met Ella's. "Ella?"

She stood and staggered toward her disbelievingly. She dropped her bowl, spilling its contents, and sprinted to her. Ella abandoned Fuyumi, Yakeru, and Sara and threw her arms around her mother in a tearful reunion.

"Oh, Ella! I'm so glad you're alright." The woman's face became drenched with relief as she knelt to gather Ella in her arms.

"I thought...I would never..." Ella hiccupped, clinging to her as if afraid she'd lose her again.

"I know, baby, I'm sorry." Her mother caressed her hair.

The two seemed to have forgotten the world around them as they stayed like that for a long while. The woman then lifted her head to acknowledge Fuyumi and Yakeru.

"Thank you. Thank you so much for looking after her."

Ella disentangled herself from her and ran to Fuyumi, surprising her with a tight hug to her leg, nearly toppling her. Stunned, Fuyumi instinctively looked at Yakeru for help, but he only smirked with amusement.

'Useless.' She thought, feeling betrayed.

"Thank you, Fuyumi. I won't forget what you did." Ella's voice was muffled in her leg.

After taking a few seconds to gather herself, Fuyumi knelt to meet her eye.

"If you tell anyone I went out of my way for you, I'll find you." She responded, but there wasn't any real weight to her threat.

Ella pulled back to look at her, but instead of looking intimidated, her eyes sparkled with hopeful excitement. "So you'll come visit me if I do?"

Her audacity made Fuyumi go speechless for a moment, and she tried playing it off by adjusting her bow one last time. "Cheeky brat." She then gestured with her head toward Ella's mother. "Go on. Don't keep your mother waiting."

Ella gave her one more quick hug and waved at Yakeru and Sara before rushing back to her mother. Fuyumi carefully stood up. A warm feeling bloomed in her chest as she watched Ella and her mother walk hand in hand. It reminded her much of her relationship with her own mother, how she always found herself by her side.

Sensing eyes on her, she turned to see Yakeru staring at her with an expression akin to bewilderment.

"Are you...smiling?"

Fuyumi shifted her attention to her features, now realizing that her lips were curled. She let her guard down.

She turned forward again, unable to meet his eye as she felt heat rise to her face. "So what if I am?" She tried to inject an artificial edge of defiance into her voice, but her words filtered through her embarrassment instead.

She didn't hear him say anything for a while, and she wondered what he was thinking. For some reason, she resisted the urge to look. Perhaps his opinion of her plummeted after showing such emotion.

"You should do it more often," he said unexpectedly. "It suits you."

She hung on the sincerity in his voice, averting her gaze further when the heat in her face deepened. “Idiot…”