Rangers Endgame

Chapter 90: Wolves In Sheep’s Clothing

Yakeru waited patiently on the front door steps, snacking on bread and the thorn berries Akari had brought home a week prior. The twinkling lights spread throughout the night sky kept him company as the hours went by.

A gentle breeze ruffled his hair and stirred the leaves of nearby trees, casting soft patterns of moonlight across his face. The other kids had long since retired to their homes in his village so the light chorus of crickets filled the gaps of silence. His attention turned to the faint glow of the Capital bathing the horizon in a golden hue as he shifted restlessly.

His thoughts drifted to his sister, speculating what kind of tale she'd return with this time. Each story had gotten more exciting than the last. Last time, she'd spent two weeks in Starfrost Burrows battling giant serpents. Before that, she and her party were exploring the uncharted lands of the outer rim crawling with unrecorded monsters.

Before she departed for another adventure, she mentioned she was headed to the mid-rim. She'd promised to return around this time so each night, he'd watch the winding path that led out of the village in anticipation. The distant sound of an owl's hoot brought him back to reality as he reached for another peeled thorn berry only to find his bowl empty.

He sighed as he took his bowl and stood to his feet but before he turned to head back inside to refill his snacks, a figure down the road caught his eye. Straining his sight, the silhouette began to shape into a familiar, elegant form as the veil of darkness gave way to the moonlight.

A woman clad in light battle armor with a katana sheathed at her hip strode towards him along the path leading to his home. Her elegant armor gleamed softly under the starlit sky, and the moon’s glow caressed her head of billowing burgundy hair.

Yakeru beamed as she drew near, dropping his bowl and rushing to her. She knelt down, arms wide, as he collided into her with a tight embrace.

"You're back!" Yakeru exclaimed, his voice metallic against her armor.

"Sorry I'm late. There was…an unexpected snag," she stroked his hair apologetically. "But nevermind that. What are you still doing up?"

He looked up at her, his eyes brimming with excitement. "I was waiting for you, obviously. You have to tell me everything!"

She smirked, tousling his hair. "I haven't even stepped foot in the house yet, and you're already making demands?"

"Hey, stop that!" He pouted, swatting at her hand.

She chuckled as she stood up and guided him to the house. "Let's get inside first."

Yakeru ran ahead of her excitedly, retrieving his bowl that he'd dropped earlier and hurried inside. Akari shook her head, smiling. Although her occupation had some of the most exhilarating experiences, she always looked forward to returning home to her brother. The way he glowed with elation always brought a smile to her face.

Eager to reunite with her cozy sanctuary, she followed after Yakeru. Stepping inside their home, she was welcomed by the familiar and comforting scent of lavender. Lamps illuminated the interior with a soft glow, casting a warm ambiance.

Walking to a weapon rack along the wall, she removed her sword and shed her armor to put them aside. Yakeru had just thrown dishes into the sink which she assumed were just scattered on the dining table.

Walking over, she noticed the bread crumbs and juices stuck to the plates and bowls. She looked at him suspiciously and he gave her a nervous grin. Turning to the snack cabinet, she opened it only to find it barren of the thorn berries, bread, and other light foods she'd stored in there.

She turned back to her brother who was scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "You do realize we have actual food, right?"

"Well, there's only so much I can do without my favorite cook." Yakeru quipped back.

"Oh, aren't you a charmer. Did you spend the whole week coming up with that one?" She teased, shutting the cabinet door. "Just know that that's coming out of your allowance."

Yakeru pouted regretfully again as he wouldn't be getting his silver coins anytime soon. Akari turned him around and urged him to his room. "Now go. I'll be there soon."

Yakeru's mood lifted again as he sprinted to his room. After washing up and settling in, she went to Yakeru's room. Her brother was already under his blankets, impatiently awaiting her story as she sat on the edge of his bed.

She tapped her chin, feigning thought. "Now, where should I start? Perhaps with our journey across the treacherous Dark Ember Swamp? Or maybe our encounter with phantom orcs?"

"Ohh, what are phantom orcs?" He inquired, his eyes gleaming with intrigue as he sat up.

"Well, on the outskirts of the mid-rim, there lie hidden ruins of an ancient town." She gestured widely with her arms to give the sense of a grand scale. "But one day, the townspeople disappeared without a trace. To this day, no one knows what happened to them. Some say they fled after numerous monster attacks. Others say they fell victim to a mysterious disease. But the most common theory is that a curse swept over its people like a veil of darkness, turning everyone into hideous, hulking creatures neither living nor dead—trapped somewhere between the plain of life and death. We call them phantom orcs."

"Woah...and you saw them?" He asked, his expression giving way to fascination.

"Oh, we did more than just see them. We fought them. And they were just as strong as they were ugly," she shivered dramatically, feigning disgust as her brother laughed. "As we ventured through the ruins, suddenly, we were ambushed. Phantom orcs barrelled towards us from all sides, their smokey hides flaring as if they were peeling from the shadows. Their jagged tusks framed their misshaped heads and their brutish bodies reeked of death." She exaggerated her expressions to emphasize her encounter with the ghoulish creatures, further absorbing Yakeru into the story.

"Woah, then what happened?"

"We were pinned, our attackers coming from all sides." She swept her hands around her. "Chaos erupted and the air filled with bestial howls and clashing metal as we fended off wave after wave. We fought with every ounce of might we could muster but the orcs' onslaught was relentless and the endless horde put our meager numbers to shame."

"Oh no. But you won, right?" Yakeru worried.

Sensing his concern, she chuckled to disperse the tension. "We got our butts handed to us, I admit. We weren't proud of it, but we had to retreat after our teammate—” she caught herself before she revealed too much, quickly mending her train of thought with “—cleared a path for an escape. Once we regrouped and formulated a strategy, we challenged those phantom orcs to a round two, and came out on top.”

"So you didn't get hurt?" He asked, unconvinced.

She shook her head and rubbed his hand to relax him. "We were fine."

Yakeru looked down at her arm. "Then what's that?"

Lifting an eyebrow, she followed his gaze to her forearm. She must've disturbed the fit of her nightwear while making animated gestures because the scar she'd gotten from the adventure was exposed. She fumbled with her sleeve to pull it down and put on a well-practiced, reassuring smile.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it, okay?"

His worry only deepened as he stared at her. It was the smile she wore every time she came home. "Those monsters hurt you, didn't they?"

Guilt swelled inside her chest for hiding her injury. She didn't think much of it since it was hardly life-threatening and she packed health elixir anyway but she knew he'd make a fuss over it. Injuries weren't uncommon in her line of work but she usually didn't come home with them which fed into her brother's belief that she was some invincible figure.

"Not exactly. Not the monsters you think, at least." She scratched the back of her neck.

"So phantom orcs weren't the only ones? What happened?" He pressed, holding her hand.

She hesitated but ultimately relented, realizing he wouldn't be at ease unless she told him. Letting out a breath, she shifted closer to him to make sure he heard her more clearly. "Yakeru, you know by now that there are many monsters that make up this world—most of them feral and unrelenting. But there are some that don’t operate in the same sense.”

Yakeru tilted his head with confusion, his young mind struggling to comprehend. "What do you mean?"

Her face turned serious as she continued. “These monsters are masters of deception. They take human form and will lead you into a false sense of security to fulfill their agenda. If your gut is telling you to stay away, listen to it. They may follow the herd like sheep, but once your back is turned, they will seize that opportune moment to bare their fangs. Be careful of these kinds of monsters, okay? Beware of wolves in sheep's clothing."

He wasn't entirely sure what wolven monster was capable of shapeshifting, but he dismissed it with a nod. "Okay."

"Good..." Her lips turned upward as she snaked her fingers to his sides. "Because I'm the only one who can pick on you!"

The lighthearted mood returned as he was suddenly overwhelmed with bright laughter, Akari wriggling her fingers into his sides.

"No, stop! That's not fair!" He begged, tossing and kicking the air wildly, completely at her mercy.

When she eventually relented, she pulled his blanket over him that had been tossed during his futile attempt to escape her.

"Alright, it's time for bed." She stroked his hair before getting up and walking to the door. Before she left, she glanced over with a smirk. "Now, lights out, or the vamp crawlers will get you." She warned playfully as she closed his door.

He flinched, his fingers fumbling with his lantern before the light went out, plunging his room into darkness.

*****

'I remember now...'

Yakeru lay in silence in the heap of debris as he warded off the blackness threatening to consume his vision. His mind swirled with scattered thoughts as he struggled to move.

'How could I have been so gullible?'

He didn't know if it was by coincidence or if this particular memory was his instincts trying to warn him but it didn't matter now. He'd already passed it off as something irrelevant at the moment like the fool he was.

A boiling hatred rose from the pits of his core. Hatred aimed, not at his betrayers, but at himself for throwing himself into this situation. He hadn't been thinking clearly until now.

Time and time again, he'd explored different dungeons and forged many bonds through shared hardships. He'd gotten complacent, unknowingly adopting a dangerous mindset that those around him would have his best interests at heart. He loathed himself for falling into this immature mentality.

He wished he'd heeded his sister's words at the time, to guard himself against wolves. Perhaps that's why they chose him as a target. And now he was staring into the hungry eyes of death once again, its cold grasp eager to claim that which had escaped its clutches one too many times. And now it had him cornered again, the product of his own doing.

Daichi, Kai, and Haruki approached the boy, their eyes reflecting red glows.

He wriggled his fingers, torn between his body urging him to stand down and his mind ordering him to stand firm. His lip trembled at the realization that he might be forced to spill the blood of his own kin. However, if he failed to act, death would certainly have him.

Death gazed into Yakeru, impatiently awaiting his response as the weight of his decision bore down on him. A maelstrom of conflict stormed within him, reason warring with remorse.

His thoughts snapped to Akari and the unspoken promise he made to her and himself. If he shrank into himself now, he would never grow stronger. He simply couldn't allow himself to fall prey again. But for that to happen, he knew deep inside that he would need an unshakable resolve, a hardened mind to withstand impossible odds.

Throughout his journey, he'd already seen glimpses of his unwavering will. Now he simply needed to draw it out.

Taking a deep breath, he slowly pushed away the blackness from his vision. Turning his attention inward, he allowed his cold reason to freeze over his guilt that would inevitably surface. He bottled his panic and dread that encroached on his mind to kill their influence and suppressed the scattered thoughts that threatened to overwhelm him.

He was left with a simmering anger that granted him the strength needed to stare back at death defiantly. Pressing down on the debris to lift himself up, a comforting numbness enveloped his very being as he welcomed the frigid air that clung to his bones.

"That armor can really take a hit, eh?" Kai remarked. "I'm more of a defensive fighter anyway, so..."

"Stop making excuses and stay on guard," Haruki warned, drawing his sword.

Yakeru took a step toward his adversary, his aura secreting a frost that chilled the cavern and halted Daichi and his two lackeys in place. Their once smug faces gave way to a hint of wariness.

“Since you aren’t afraid to throw away lives, I’m assuming you aren’t afraid of the consequences either. Whether it's you or some beast, it doesn't matter,” His voice took on a more baritone quality as it sharpened into an icy edge. He shifted his eyes up toward them, his gaze burning with silent rage. "Since I'd be disposing of monsters either way."