Fear in the Dark

Akari was panting hard as she looked at the creatures around her. Some were on her side, others were her attackers. The stupid bush-faced mayor. He sent out a child in the place of an adult. She was a sacrificial lamb to these monsters in a sense, because she was an orphan. Very few would miss her. She knew it to be true. Her sword was covered in the blood of the monsters before her, both parties still standing despite injuries. She swung her sword once more, clearing a path for her dog and herself to run. She was a beast tamer, but sometimes, beasts didn’t want to be tamed.

Akari and her hound ran as quickly as they could. The shadow beasts were following them though. She had been banished by the mayor because of something she couldn’t control; the sky turned dark. It wasn’t an eclipse or anything, but it was dark, and the sun hadn’t moved in days. Akari was a prominent beast tamer, having been brought in from the wilds one day. She had suddenly appeared there, and couldn’t figure out how she got there. One of the elders had been kind enough to bring her in. He was a scientist. He had taught her what he could about building weapons and tools to deal with the beasts, and she took to it like water. He was like a caring parent to her. When she was banished, he cried out and was taken back to his home. They treated him like a crazy old man. He was one of the few who saw her as a child.

“AKARI!” The sound of a rifle shot rang past the girl’s ear, blasting a beast that had come too close to getting her. Akari looked up. “Over here!”

“Captain?!” Akari’s voice was a whispered awe as she and her hound rushed towards the woman with a rifle. “Captain!” Akari cried in relief.

The captain took down the rest of the beasts chasing the child. “Let’s get you out of here.”

“Wh…what are you doing here?” Akari cried.

The captain, Cylena, looked the girl over, checking her for injuries before hugging her. “I can’t take you back to the village, but I can take you somewhere to hide out for now, at least.” She breathed deeply. “I don’t have much time though. Mayor Drago will figure out what I’m doing if I don’t get back soon.”

“Whatever I did, I’m sorry!” Akari sobbed into Cylena’s shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

Cylena held her close. “You did nothing wrong, Akari. Drago is just being an idiot, wracked with far too much fear, and asking the impossible of a child. You don’t have to worry about stopping all of this or saving anyone. Drago is just…” Cylena didn’t have the right words to say for this, not in front of a child at least. “He’s just stupid.” She felt bad saying that about the mayor who had done what he could for his city, but his fear had gotten to a point where he threw an outsider, a child even, to the shadow monsters that plagued the land.

Akari closed her eyes and took deep breathes before calming down. “We need to get moving.”

“Right.” Cylena nodded and released the girl. She looked at the hound. “How did you get him out of the shadows, anyway?”

Akari looked at the black hound with red eyes that looked up at her, wanting to protect her. She smiled softly and patted his head. “I just talked with him. He was scared.”

“What?”

“That’s all those shadow beasts are… fear that absorbed creatures, and even people.” She explained. Cylena’s eyes widened. “The ones attacking me just now… they’ll reform soon. We need to move.”

“R…right… I have a campsite set up with another village that you can stay at, and managed to get your supplies sent there. Even your weapons and tools.”

“Really?” Akari’s eyes widened while Cylena’s softened.

“Yes. Drago’s an idiot, and the village does still care about you. We just worry about what he’d do if we all joined in to support you. I’m so sorry that this is all we can do now though.” The two trudge through the forest with the black “Devil Hound” by their side, as Drago would call it.

“I… thank you… this… thank you.” Akari held Cylena’s hand as a child clinging to her mother would.

“Of course. Now come on, the twins are waiting for you.”

“The twins?”

“Of course. You didn’t think someone wouldn’t get out here to help you? I had to do a bit of paperwork, but Drago doesn’t pay attention to the twins anyway, so only a few people would notice they’re missing.” Cylena smirked as she led her ward to safety, her rifle always in hand for dealing with those shadow beasts.

“Thank you.” Akari cries. Drago was only in control because of his military experience, but this? Apparently his people’s loyalty didn’t include throwing a child to the shadow beasts after she had calmed so many, just because of the sky. Cylena was the true leader in the city, running everything properly behind the scenes. Akari was a child soldier, having taken on the shadow beasts since appearing out of no where. Cylena respected her and the fact that she had made it so far with so little help. Drago was out of his mind for this.

It doesn’t take long to get Akari to the camp. Cylena has to leave so that Drago doesn’t send the army after them just to kill the poor girl. Cylena wouldn’t put it past him. Akari greets the twin brothers who worry over her as though she was their own, but quickly goes back to fixing her sword and checking on her dog. Drago’s words still hang over her like a guillotine. She needs to fix whatever is happening. That was his order to her as an outsider. She could only return if she fixed everything. Drago didn’t even care, but… that girl… she’s only 12. Somehow though, she’d find her way. After all, Akari was a rather stubborn child, even if Drago insisted on being a coward.