Raven slaps my face with a grimace. “Yuki,” they hiss. “Wake up. Wake up!”
I frown, then rise, then feel the pain in my muscles, then flinch away from their touch.
The mafia boss, to their credit, pulls away. Still, they seem pissed. “What in the fuck happened?! How did those falling bastards know what was happening? How did all of us get so thoroughly trounced by one person??”
Slowly, I blink. My mind feels muddled, but already, I feel myself regain focus. Within seconds, I reapply my attunement loop, keeping my mana emissions low. And, of course, I put the cruncher back in place - even as the resistance makes a bit more blood leak from my wounds.
Grimacing from the pain, I look at Raven. “I… don’t know,” I rasp.
“You don’t know?!” they demand, angrily. The spear I, myself, made, is placed at my throat. “Yuki. Yuki… you promised me a healer. And now I find myself empty-handed. I have a worthless old lady. I was able to get her back, at least. But the healer is nowhere to be found. How in the Tower’s Wrath will I make up my losses?!”
I swallow drily as I stare them down, silently. I don’t deign the question with a reply, and Raven gives a noise of fury, before picking me up and throwing me against a wall. Luckily, Owl catches me in her soft wings before I slam into the stones. That could’ve hurt.
Raven stalks through the den angrily. Aviary birds stare down at their tables, not speaking a word. Then, the sumeen fixes their gaze on me, again. “Go,” they hum with fury. “Go. You owe me. You owe me! Falling weakling. Shouldn’t have taken you along… she knew… how did she know?!”
After a moment where I blink at them dazedly, Raven roars again. “Go!”
Not needing to be told twice, I rise to my feet from Owl’s wings, staggering as I walk. No one laughs this time. The atmosphere is somber. But, despite it all, I am allowed to just walk off.
“Twice the weapons tomorrow, Yuki,” Raven hisses as I leave.
I don’t need to fake the grimace that’s on my face, that time, but just nod. That’s a fine price to pay to save Jean. For a moment, my eyes linger on Isabelle’s unconscious form, but then I hurriedly get out. Slinking through the streets, I hold my wounds and limp along. My leg has a hole in it, so does my shoulder and my abdomen. They’re barely scabbed over - and currently being held closed by Kuro, underneath my cloak.
Still, once I’m out of sight, once all the birds watching me have disappeared, I collapse into an alleyway… and laugh to myself. For a short moment, then a longer one, I laugh. Raven suspects me. There’s no doubt about it… but he also suspects the rest of Aviary. It’s almost beautiful.
Sylves’ illusions did their job perfectly. She stalled them, fought, and Anna got Jean out. We still need Isabelle, but I can see Raven cracking. He’ll have drawn the ire of the guards, too. Never once did I trigger my authority during the clash with the guards - but Raven did. Never once did I use a skill, but Raven did.
For all they know, I’m a nameless rat in a cloak. And for all they know, I’m just a random member of Aviary. But, better to be safe.
“Tower… I’d like to use a minor request to ensure that Respitia cannot link any of my identities other than Yuki to the crime,” I whisper.
[Request Accepted.]
I give a low chuckle, then wince in pain. This leaves me with three minor requests and two lesser requests. The tower probably only accepted so readily because Respitia got hasty. She interfered herself, drawing the Tower’s Wrath.
Which helped me. Because she broke Raven’s authority, and hurt Owl’s. Which led to them being wounded, making things even easier for Sylves. I smile.
Ambushes truly are wonderful.
Gentle flakes of snow sail to the ground near me, and my breath fogs in the air, when, finally, my escort walks in. A tall young woman, with dark hair, dark skin, and wearing a set of shiny armor. “Well,” she said quietly. “You look rather crappy, Snow, dearest.”
Despite her chiding, I look at her happily. “Hey Inu,” I whisper. “Sorry, my leg kinda gave out. Do you think you could…”
Rolling her eyes, she nods, then scoops me up in her arms, holding me carefully. I wrap my arms around her neck, and she looks at me. “Will you be okay?” There’s some genuine worry in her voice, which is adorable.
Gently, I nod. “Yes. I’ll be alright. Raven tried to follow me, but I shook off the ravens. I’ll speed up my healing once we’re home, Kuro is keeping the wounds closed for now.”
“Good,” Inu smiles underneath her cloak. “You had me worried.”
Smiling softly, I nod. “So you worry for me, how sweet.”
Again, she rolls her eyes, even as she rises to her full height and begins walking through the thin layer of crunchy snow with me. “Of course I worry. If only my best friend stopped being so stupid and almost dying…” she looks to the sky and gives a longing sigh. “How much easier my life would be.”
“One can dream,” I say, snickering, and Inu breaks into a smile of her own. “But y’know, I have to give you all opportunities to save me, too.”
Inu chuckles. “Sure, Snow. We’ll save you when you need it,” she replies.
And I know it’s true.
- - -
When Inu places me down in my bed, Thatch also sits in the room. His face is ashen, even as he smiles when he sees me. “Finally back, Snow?” he asks, a painting in front of him.
Inu gives him a worried glance, but says nothing. I watch the sweat on his face, and I [Observe] the way his mana swirls under his skin.
[Observation 18 > 19]
“Made it,” I say with a smug smile. “Everything went according to plan. Mostly,” I amend at the end.
“Mostly?” Thatch raises an eyebrow.
With a small sigh, I shrug, using my healthy shoulder to do so. “Well, Raven has Jean’s grandma. He’ll probably try to use it as leverage against us.”
“Bloodline is moving in, too,” Thatch says quietly.
I tilt my head. “Are they both coming for our territory?”
“Yep,” Thatch confirms.
“Why?” I ask.
He gives a weak shrug at that. “Same reason any gangs want territory, to take money from the people there. To ingratiate themselves to the guards.”
My lips tilt downwards, just a little. “How much is a mono-token?” I ask. “When getting it legitimate, I mean.”
“One platinum chit,” Inu provides, blowing on her fingernails.
“Yikes,” I say. “Doable, I guess, but… well.”
Thatch nods. “Yeah, pricey.”
“So we’re stealing it?” I ask, smiling.
Instantly, Inu pinches her nose, but it fails to hide her snicker or her smirk. Thatch manages a smile, too. “Yeah,” the girl in armor says. “Yeah, we’re stealing them.”
By the Tower, I love theft.
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