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- Fantasy, modern and magical.
[ Lightning Country | From the cold, far North to Okino! | Part 2 ]
[ Reyna Azuma and Asami Sanosuke - A collab between @ChromeHound and @Aliceee | Reyna accompanies Asami, as the latter decides to venture with the Saemund-Sanosuke fleet to the south. The offensive of the northern clans of the Sanosuke lash out with their Saemund ally in a bid to keep the northern seas dominated. But only time will say if their efforts will pay off. ]
[ Reyna Azuma and Asami Sanosuke - A collab between @ChromeHound and @Aliceee | Reyna accompanies Asami, as the latter decides to venture with the Saemund-Sanosuke fleet to the south. The offensive of the northern clans of the Sanosuke lash out with their Saemund ally in a bid to keep the northern seas dominated. But only time will say if their efforts will pay off. ]
“I'll try...” Reyna said, the uncertainty clear in her voice. Muttering a quick prayer under her breath, Reyna watched how Asami leapt over the edge of the ship, landing gracefully on the water. Glancing over the side, Reyna muttered again before gathering chakra under her own feet and jumping out. Landing awkwardly, Reyna stumbled forward, off balance. Releasing one of her swords, she quickly gathered chakra in her hand, managing to stop her fall partially as one arm plunged beneath the surface of the cold water. Recoiling from the cold, Reyna realized her other sword had fallen into the water and let out a curse. Reaching back into the water with the hand that was already soaked, Reyna managed to find her blade and retrieve it.
Pulling herself to her feet, Reyna quickly made her way to the beach, desperately hoping nobody had witnessed her embarrassing escapade.
For a moment, Asami just stared at the girl. This was the jinchuriki of the three-tails. The girl that wanted to face a conflict to help her family. In a way, Asami felt the need to walk back and drag the girl to the ship. For what she kept witnessing was that the girl was anything but going to be an useful asset on any kind of combat situation.
Throwing a quick look, others were starting to secure the beach. More ships landed as the majority seemed to be Saemund. Waiting for Reyna to catch up, Asami spoke up.
”Try a bit harder,” Asami managed to push the words from between her lips, the tone being an odd mix between friendly and stern. Turning once more to face landinwards, it soon became clear that there were no enemies awaiting them.
”Come with me,” Asami instructed as she would start to walk. Various groups started to work on setting up small tents. But it became clear that certain groups were given order to push more into the land and make sure that no enemy force would just overwhelm them at the beach.
The cold, biting wind together with trudging through the sand didn’t make the walk any easier. Reaching a dune, Asami threw a look around. In the distance were some woods that obscured the horizon. In between the various dunes and the perimeter of the woods were a mixture of smooth plains and a few, small hills.
”Seems nobody has spotted us. Or no enemy force with enough numbers to contest us,” Asami began, her hands resting on the heads of the axes that lightly dangled at her hips, ”with some luck, we will have a camp set up before the night falls.”
When it became clear that Asami had, in fact, witnessed her accident, Reyna’s face flushed a deep shade of red. Lowering her head, she followed the Jounin up the beach and towards the tents. She was relieved that they were not immediately engaged in combat, but there was a small part of her that felt uneasy. She had managed to muster up the courage to run into battle and now… now she would have to try and find that same bravery if and when the time to fight came again…
Shivering as her damp clothes were hit with the freezing wind, Reyna hoped they’d be able to find warmth soon. She followed Asami up the dune, glancing out over the forest. The uneasy feeling grew and Reyna looked at the Jounin, still trembling from the cold. “What if they’re hiding in the forest? Waiting for us to let our guard down?”
The question was followed by a cold breeze that swept over the dune. Asami had considered the same but didn’t want to say it. But there was no avoiding it as Reyna brought it up. ”Then I hope it is a small force. Else? We are kind of fucked,” the woman said as she let her gaze move over the edge of the woods. From their position, they could see various formations of friendly troops moving about. Most were busy to prepare to dug in and set defences for the camp that had to be established. Others were already moving out to the forest.
Clearly not satisfied, Asami patted Reyna’s shoulder lightly. ”I want to see something for myself. Come with me,” the woman ordered as she started to descent from the dune. Reaching more solid ground, Asami also had an uneasy feeling about the woods. Yet there was no sign of danger or a cause for her to worry - other than the mere void of anything to confirm her suspicions.
Reaching the edge of the wood, Asami peered into it for a moment. Then she walked straight into it. Up ahead she could see a band of Sanosuke moving. The group seemed lighter armoured and less armed than most that accompanied the large fleet and host.
”We will follow them for a bit. I want to see if we can get a landmark or anything that helps me understand where we are exactly,” Asami said, glancing at Reyna, ”Also, sheath those swords before you’re going to hurt yourself or me.”
Asami’s response certainly did not inspire confidence and Reyna cursed inwardly. Why did she have to open her mouth? Keeping an eye on the forest, Reyna tried to descend the dune with Asami but was struggling to keep her balance with the blades still in her hands. As if on cue, the Jounin told her to sheath her weapons and Reyna quickly complied, blushing again.
“Do… do we have to enter the forest?” she asked quietly, glancing between Asami and the dark woods. The shadows between the trees would make it incredibly easy for someone to hide and Reyna shivered again, this time no longer certain it was just from the cold… The girl contemplated summoning her armadillo to scout ahead with them. He had a way of calming her down, but Reyna didn’t know whether or not Asami would appreciate the animal.
”Yes, unless you want to stand out in the open. A good shot with a bow and you’re falling to the ground. Likely grasping at your throat while suffocating in your own blood,” Asami calmly said. She was well aware that it was a quite intense answer. But she felt like that Reyna needed it. So far, the jinchuriki hadn’t shown anything to prove that she had either the experience or fortitude yet to deal with a nasty situation.
”Besides,” Asami gestured around them as they continued to walk, ”now we are less out in the open. While somebody can hide in here, so can we if we need to.”
For a few minutes, Asami was content with the situation. She didn’t mind to spend time on a ship. But neither on dry, solid land. The absence of a ship rocking and crashing through the waves was certainly not bothering her.
When Asami wanted to say something, a loud sound pierced the air. It came from their right at first, quickly followed by their left. The sound of horns blowing in the wind, an ominous omen of impending danger.
Halting in motion, Asami narrowed her eyes for a mere second. Then she turned around rapidly. A hand would move towards Reyna as Asami wanted to almost drag the girl back to the beach.
”Move!”
The word was followed by a soft rumbling, as if the earth was awakening from a deep slumber. The rumbling was faint but steadily started to increase in intensity.
Her eyes widening as Asami gave an incredibly visual description of the current risks, Reyna’s hand unconsciously traveled to her neck.Gulping, the girl nodded slowly and looked back at the forest. Asami was right though, the forest would hide them just as well as it could their enemies. Their walk was interrupted however, and Reyna panicked, looking to Asami for instructions.
The woman’s reaction filled Reyna with dread and the steady rumbling all around them only enhanced her fear. “SHIT!SHIT!SHIT!SHIT!” Reyna’s screamed internally as she got pulled back by Asami. Turning quickly, the girl followed behind Asami, her full effort focused on getting back to safety. “Where are they coming from?” She asked, her voice strained from the effort of running at top speed through the sand.
”Doesn’t matter, run!” Asami shouted as she would run as fast as her own legs could carry her. More horns started to ring but the tone seemed much different. The different horns that bellowed through the air was accompanied by the ground starting to shake heavier. Shouts started to become faintly distinct, mixed with various sounds.
Throwing a look over her shoulder, Asami cursed underneath her breath. The signs were all there but up on the horizon she thought that she had seen what was coming.
”Come,” Asami said as she increased her speed. Moving to a nearby tree, the woman gestured Reyna to hurry over. ”Climb in there and use the basic camouflage technique. Quick,” Asami instructed her as she would offer some help for Reyna to move up in the tree quickly. Luckily the pine hadn’t shed its leaves, hopefully allowing them to hide efficiently from the coming storm.
The noise around them grew even louder and Reyna tried to push the fear from her mind to focus on running. When Asami guided them towards a tree, Reyna stopped running and glanced up, doubt filling her mind. She didn’t even know what they were hiding from, let alone where they were coming from.
There wasn’t time to sit around asking questions, however, so Reyna followed Asami’s instructions and gathered chakra at her feet and hands, making her way up the tree as quickly as she could. When she had reached a high enough point, Reyna glanced down, waiting to see if Asami was going to join her. The foliage managed to block most of her sight and Reyna wasn’t sure whether or not that brought her comfort.
Forming the necessary handseals, Reyna used the camouflage technique to blend in against the branches and pine.
Following Reyna, Asami would halt at a branch lower than the jinchuriki. She was confident that the pine provided enough camouflage but was feeling a bit more at ease as Reyna followed the suggestion of using the camouflage technique.
Throwing a look at the direction that they had run from, Asami saw the tide of riders. On top of tall mounts, the shouts became more distinct as the horses rushed between the trees. The thundering of many hooves threw up flakes of dirt and snow as the cavalry moved in quickly. The foliage did somewhat provide a hindrance but not enough to temper the charge.
There was no sighting of the previous troops that they had seen before the realisation that an enemy charge was imminent.
The sound of the passing cavalry made it near impossible to verbally communicate. Throwing a glance up, Asami signalled that Reyna should remain quiet or in any case to not move. Though Asami doubted that Reyna would be eager to get the attention of the enemy thundering below.
When Asami joined her, Reyna felt a slight comfort, but it faded soon as the sounds of the enemy grew closer. Clinging tightly to her perch, the girl was scared to even breathe for fear of discovery.
When the enemy came into view, Reyna bit her lower lip to avoid letting out a gasp. The cavalry passed below and beside their tree and she didn’t dare move. Closing her eyes, Reyna waited for the enemy to pass, making a silent prayer that the would not be discovered.
What was actually not longer than a minute, seemed to be a hour. As the cavalry rushed past, their thundering charge could still be felt. Though a certain silence followed, Asami didn’t give any instruction that they could climb down. For soon enough, individuals could be spotted. They moved as fast as their gear allowed and though less impressive as the thundering stampede, the silent troops moving through the woods had something more menacing.
Observing the various footmen Asami’s right hand traveled to one of her axes. Softly the woman whispered something in her native tongue, the words likely odd and perhaps even crude to Reyna. And despite the meaning lost on the jinchuriki, there was an angry tone residing in the words.
Then Asami spoke softly to Reyna. ”Time to wet your steel. Stay if you are scared. If you want to live, however, stay close and don’t hesitate.”
Without waiting for Reyna’s reply, Asami would slowly climb down. A few footmen creeped below the tree, heading towards the beach. Asami halted at a thick branch, high enough to stay hidden in the pine foliage. But yet close enough to prey on the various hostile individuals.
When the sounds had subsided, Reyna opened her eyes, hoping that the horror was over. Unfortunately, however, it did not appear to be the case. There were still enemy troops moving through the woods beneath them, though these were not riding on horses. Feeling a tightness in her chest, Reyna looked at Asami for instruction but the woman did not move at first. Once the men had moved past, however, Asami gave her two options and Reyna hesitated. Before, when she had chosen to be brave… she hadn’t actually seen the enemy. It hadn’t been quite as real. But now…
Looking down, the girl did not move. She just watched as Asami made her way down the tree and towards the soldiers. Cursing inwardly, Reyna did not know how to react. If she followed Asami, there was a good chance they’d be overrun and killed. She had no idea how far they were from the other soldiers, and Reyna was not the most experienced fighter. If she stayed, however, she would have nowhere else to go. If Asami was killed, who would take her home? Who could keep her safe?
Biting her lip again, Reyna felt tears of frustration welling up and tried to force them back. Now was not the time.
Making up her mind, the girl shook her head and slowly began to move. Pulling out one of her blades, she lowered herself through the branches, keeping an eye on the troops below. She got down close to Asami before her foot caught a weaker branch. With her attention on the enemies, Reyna had not been watching as closely where she was going and she paid the price. The branch broke below her weight and Reyna felt a moment of terror as she thought she would tumble down the rest of the way. She managed to keep herself attached to the tree with one foot and hand, however, and looked down in fear as the small branch fell to the earth. If the enemy didn’t know where they were before, they certainly would now…
Closing her eyes and uttering one final prayer, Reyna released her grip on the tree and dropped. She had not dropped from too high, but even still she felt the tremors reverberate through her body and had to grit her teeth. Pulling out her second blade, Reyna charged towards the first person she saw.
Counting the enemy, it was clear that the infantry that followed the cavalry charge was light. Likely intending to clean field of those who would be unlucky enough to be alive after confronted with the cavalry charge. Up to a dozen were in the nearby vicinity, so far Asami could detect. Hearing, however, something above her Asami was experiencing a sense of satisfaction that Reyna decided to come with her. Even if the options were nothing more than an ultimatum.
But the moment of satisfaction was shattered when Reyna slipped to the ground. Watching the jinchuriki moving to the ground, Asami’s eyes narrowed. Her satisfaction of before turned into a black-pit rage.
The action of the jinchuriki alerted the dozen of footmen. Despite their armour being nothing more than padded jackets and armed with a few weapons, they seemed enough trained to respond in a controlled fashion.
As Reyna charged a nearby soldier, another attempted to flank and stab Reyna in the side. Before the man could push his weapon forward, an axe would slam into the man’s neck - avoiding the steel helmet and gambeson.
Dropping from the branch, Asami reached for her other axe as she saw how the remaining soldiers started to form a net around them.
In her haste to try and attack the first person she saw, Reyna had forgotten about the others that surrounded them. Her life was saved, however, by Asami who launched an attack of her own with deadly precision. Making a mental note to thank the woman later… if they got out of this… Reyna focused her attention on the soldier in front of her. The man was wielding a sword of his own and Reyna swung the blade in her left hand, attempting to use her second blade to come around and catch him when he blocked her attack. Instead, the man simply shifted his stance to avoid her first attack and parried the second with ease.
Cursing silently, Reyna realized this was not going to be as easy as she’d hoped. Catching movement in her peripheral vision, the girl realized they were steadily being surrounded and cursed again. This was getting worse by the second.
Stepping forward again, she feinted with her right blade and stabbed forward with the left. Instead of putting all her strength behind the second attack this time, however, Reyna would pull back her right arm slightly and separate the right blade into its chain form. Whipping it forward, she attempted to catch the man off guard.
As expected, the soldier ignored her feint, focusing on the second attack. His eyes widened slightly in surprise however, as one of Reyna’s blades became a chain-whip. Trying to shift his sword to block the unexpected attack, the soldier was caught by the blade in Reyna’s left arm and was unable to get his sword up fully in time. The chain-whip wrapped around his neck and Reyna winced as she flicked her wrist to pull it back. The result was rather messy as the blades in the chain-whip sliced through the man’s neck like butter, severing his jugular and sending a stream of blood shooting out that splattered across Reyna and made the girl reel backwards, trying desperately not to vomit.
The first opponent that Asami faced wielded a spear. The longer reach of her opponent didn’t allowed Asami to fight on even ground. Her opponent launched quick jabs while keeping his distance. Narrowing her eyes Asami would step aside to avoid a jab. Her free hand grasped the shaft of the spear and grabbed it tightly. As expected, her opponent attempted to yank his weapon loose. Using the force to slightly move herself forward Asami raised her axe and let the sharp edge bit into the man’s neck. The steel carved easily into the skin and teared the flesh. While the man’s eyes widened and a gasp escaped his lips Asami yanked her weapon loose and kicked the man backwards.
Scoffing she would quickly turn to deflect a sword strike. The new opponent was more than eager to face her in close quarters as he readied for another slashing motion. As Asami’s foe would launch his fierce strike Asami moved underneath it. Hooking the man’s ankle with her axe Asami managed to quickly topple her foe while she straightened herself.
In a quick succession Asami would move forwards and raise her right foot. The last sound that the man produced as his lips parted was likely a plea. Before the words could be formed into something coherent the boot of Asami violently stamped down the man’s windpipe - creating a soft cracking sound.
Turning around Asami’s nostrils widened as the woman inhaled. The other soldiers seemed wary but still confident to take the two on. Noticing Reyna’s situation, Asami cursed something softly in Chonobi. One of the soldiers attempted to move in on the girl.
Before the man managed to close enough to pommel Reyna’s head with a mace, another axe flew through the air and would bite into the man’s back. The sharp steel teared through the gambeson and wound the man.
Noticing that the soldier was wounded but not yet dead Asami wasn’t capable for providing more aid for the jinchuriki, as two more soldiers started to close in on Asami.
Wiping the blood from her eyes, Reyna gasped and moved to the side just in time to avoid a plunging spear. Whipping the chain-blade around, she managed to wrap it around the weapon. Trying to pull backwards, the girl realized all too quickly that the man holding the spear on the other end was much stronger than her. Not to mention, he had two hands on his weapon…
Thinking quickly, Reyna’s Lightning Aura kicked in, surging through her weapon and down the shaft of the spear. The man grimaced and dropped the spear, stepping back and pulling out a large knife. Before she could launch an attack on the man, however, Reyna was forced to react to another soldier who came at her from the opposite side. Raising the sword in her left hand, Reyna tried to block the incoming strike from a scythe-like weapon. The enemy was clearly quite skilled with the strange weapon and Reyna just barely managed to parry the attack, though it knocked her off balance. Shifting to try and regain her balance, Reyna saw the other soldier coming at her again as well and cursed inwardly. Whipping her chain-blade around, she caught it around the man’s ankle and pulled back, trying to trip him up.
The attempt managed to pull the man off-balance as well, but he was too heavy for her to drag him all the way to the ground. She didn’t have time to try and trip him again as she was forced to parry the man with the strange curved blade once again. The soldier managed to smash her sword aside and Reyna winced as the blade cut into her arm. It was not a deep cut and her Lightning Aura would begin healing it immediately, but it caused her to wheel backwards nevertheless, trying to put some distance between herself and the two soldiers. Her chain-blade was still wrapped around the one man’s ankle and Reyna sent another charge of lightning through the weapon, stunning the man temporarily.
This wasn’t good...
Pulling herself to her feet, Reyna quickly made her way to the beach, desperately hoping nobody had witnessed her embarrassing escapade.
For a moment, Asami just stared at the girl. This was the jinchuriki of the three-tails. The girl that wanted to face a conflict to help her family. In a way, Asami felt the need to walk back and drag the girl to the ship. For what she kept witnessing was that the girl was anything but going to be an useful asset on any kind of combat situation.
Throwing a quick look, others were starting to secure the beach. More ships landed as the majority seemed to be Saemund. Waiting for Reyna to catch up, Asami spoke up.
”Try a bit harder,” Asami managed to push the words from between her lips, the tone being an odd mix between friendly and stern. Turning once more to face landinwards, it soon became clear that there were no enemies awaiting them.
”Come with me,” Asami instructed as she would start to walk. Various groups started to work on setting up small tents. But it became clear that certain groups were given order to push more into the land and make sure that no enemy force would just overwhelm them at the beach.
The cold, biting wind together with trudging through the sand didn’t make the walk any easier. Reaching a dune, Asami threw a look around. In the distance were some woods that obscured the horizon. In between the various dunes and the perimeter of the woods were a mixture of smooth plains and a few, small hills.
”Seems nobody has spotted us. Or no enemy force with enough numbers to contest us,” Asami began, her hands resting on the heads of the axes that lightly dangled at her hips, ”with some luck, we will have a camp set up before the night falls.”
When it became clear that Asami had, in fact, witnessed her accident, Reyna’s face flushed a deep shade of red. Lowering her head, she followed the Jounin up the beach and towards the tents. She was relieved that they were not immediately engaged in combat, but there was a small part of her that felt uneasy. She had managed to muster up the courage to run into battle and now… now she would have to try and find that same bravery if and when the time to fight came again…
Shivering as her damp clothes were hit with the freezing wind, Reyna hoped they’d be able to find warmth soon. She followed Asami up the dune, glancing out over the forest. The uneasy feeling grew and Reyna looked at the Jounin, still trembling from the cold. “What if they’re hiding in the forest? Waiting for us to let our guard down?”
The question was followed by a cold breeze that swept over the dune. Asami had considered the same but didn’t want to say it. But there was no avoiding it as Reyna brought it up. ”Then I hope it is a small force. Else? We are kind of fucked,” the woman said as she let her gaze move over the edge of the woods. From their position, they could see various formations of friendly troops moving about. Most were busy to prepare to dug in and set defences for the camp that had to be established. Others were already moving out to the forest.
Clearly not satisfied, Asami patted Reyna’s shoulder lightly. ”I want to see something for myself. Come with me,” the woman ordered as she started to descent from the dune. Reaching more solid ground, Asami also had an uneasy feeling about the woods. Yet there was no sign of danger or a cause for her to worry - other than the mere void of anything to confirm her suspicions.
Reaching the edge of the wood, Asami peered into it for a moment. Then she walked straight into it. Up ahead she could see a band of Sanosuke moving. The group seemed lighter armoured and less armed than most that accompanied the large fleet and host.
”We will follow them for a bit. I want to see if we can get a landmark or anything that helps me understand where we are exactly,” Asami said, glancing at Reyna, ”Also, sheath those swords before you’re going to hurt yourself or me.”
Asami’s response certainly did not inspire confidence and Reyna cursed inwardly. Why did she have to open her mouth? Keeping an eye on the forest, Reyna tried to descend the dune with Asami but was struggling to keep her balance with the blades still in her hands. As if on cue, the Jounin told her to sheath her weapons and Reyna quickly complied, blushing again.
“Do… do we have to enter the forest?” she asked quietly, glancing between Asami and the dark woods. The shadows between the trees would make it incredibly easy for someone to hide and Reyna shivered again, this time no longer certain it was just from the cold… The girl contemplated summoning her armadillo to scout ahead with them. He had a way of calming her down, but Reyna didn’t know whether or not Asami would appreciate the animal.
”Yes, unless you want to stand out in the open. A good shot with a bow and you’re falling to the ground. Likely grasping at your throat while suffocating in your own blood,” Asami calmly said. She was well aware that it was a quite intense answer. But she felt like that Reyna needed it. So far, the jinchuriki hadn’t shown anything to prove that she had either the experience or fortitude yet to deal with a nasty situation.
”Besides,” Asami gestured around them as they continued to walk, ”now we are less out in the open. While somebody can hide in here, so can we if we need to.”
For a few minutes, Asami was content with the situation. She didn’t mind to spend time on a ship. But neither on dry, solid land. The absence of a ship rocking and crashing through the waves was certainly not bothering her.
When Asami wanted to say something, a loud sound pierced the air. It came from their right at first, quickly followed by their left. The sound of horns blowing in the wind, an ominous omen of impending danger.
Halting in motion, Asami narrowed her eyes for a mere second. Then she turned around rapidly. A hand would move towards Reyna as Asami wanted to almost drag the girl back to the beach.
”Move!”
The word was followed by a soft rumbling, as if the earth was awakening from a deep slumber. The rumbling was faint but steadily started to increase in intensity.
Her eyes widening as Asami gave an incredibly visual description of the current risks, Reyna’s hand unconsciously traveled to her neck.Gulping, the girl nodded slowly and looked back at the forest. Asami was right though, the forest would hide them just as well as it could their enemies. Their walk was interrupted however, and Reyna panicked, looking to Asami for instructions.
The woman’s reaction filled Reyna with dread and the steady rumbling all around them only enhanced her fear. “SHIT!SHIT!SHIT!SHIT!” Reyna’s screamed internally as she got pulled back by Asami. Turning quickly, the girl followed behind Asami, her full effort focused on getting back to safety. “Where are they coming from?” She asked, her voice strained from the effort of running at top speed through the sand.
”Doesn’t matter, run!” Asami shouted as she would run as fast as her own legs could carry her. More horns started to ring but the tone seemed much different. The different horns that bellowed through the air was accompanied by the ground starting to shake heavier. Shouts started to become faintly distinct, mixed with various sounds.
Throwing a look over her shoulder, Asami cursed underneath her breath. The signs were all there but up on the horizon she thought that she had seen what was coming.
”Come,” Asami said as she increased her speed. Moving to a nearby tree, the woman gestured Reyna to hurry over. ”Climb in there and use the basic camouflage technique. Quick,” Asami instructed her as she would offer some help for Reyna to move up in the tree quickly. Luckily the pine hadn’t shed its leaves, hopefully allowing them to hide efficiently from the coming storm.
The noise around them grew even louder and Reyna tried to push the fear from her mind to focus on running. When Asami guided them towards a tree, Reyna stopped running and glanced up, doubt filling her mind. She didn’t even know what they were hiding from, let alone where they were coming from.
There wasn’t time to sit around asking questions, however, so Reyna followed Asami’s instructions and gathered chakra at her feet and hands, making her way up the tree as quickly as she could. When she had reached a high enough point, Reyna glanced down, waiting to see if Asami was going to join her. The foliage managed to block most of her sight and Reyna wasn’t sure whether or not that brought her comfort.
Forming the necessary handseals, Reyna used the camouflage technique to blend in against the branches and pine.
Following Reyna, Asami would halt at a branch lower than the jinchuriki. She was confident that the pine provided enough camouflage but was feeling a bit more at ease as Reyna followed the suggestion of using the camouflage technique.
Throwing a look at the direction that they had run from, Asami saw the tide of riders. On top of tall mounts, the shouts became more distinct as the horses rushed between the trees. The thundering of many hooves threw up flakes of dirt and snow as the cavalry moved in quickly. The foliage did somewhat provide a hindrance but not enough to temper the charge.
There was no sighting of the previous troops that they had seen before the realisation that an enemy charge was imminent.
The sound of the passing cavalry made it near impossible to verbally communicate. Throwing a glance up, Asami signalled that Reyna should remain quiet or in any case to not move. Though Asami doubted that Reyna would be eager to get the attention of the enemy thundering below.
When Asami joined her, Reyna felt a slight comfort, but it faded soon as the sounds of the enemy grew closer. Clinging tightly to her perch, the girl was scared to even breathe for fear of discovery.
When the enemy came into view, Reyna bit her lower lip to avoid letting out a gasp. The cavalry passed below and beside their tree and she didn’t dare move. Closing her eyes, Reyna waited for the enemy to pass, making a silent prayer that the would not be discovered.
What was actually not longer than a minute, seemed to be a hour. As the cavalry rushed past, their thundering charge could still be felt. Though a certain silence followed, Asami didn’t give any instruction that they could climb down. For soon enough, individuals could be spotted. They moved as fast as their gear allowed and though less impressive as the thundering stampede, the silent troops moving through the woods had something more menacing.
Observing the various footmen Asami’s right hand traveled to one of her axes. Softly the woman whispered something in her native tongue, the words likely odd and perhaps even crude to Reyna. And despite the meaning lost on the jinchuriki, there was an angry tone residing in the words.
Then Asami spoke softly to Reyna. ”Time to wet your steel. Stay if you are scared. If you want to live, however, stay close and don’t hesitate.”
Without waiting for Reyna’s reply, Asami would slowly climb down. A few footmen creeped below the tree, heading towards the beach. Asami halted at a thick branch, high enough to stay hidden in the pine foliage. But yet close enough to prey on the various hostile individuals.
When the sounds had subsided, Reyna opened her eyes, hoping that the horror was over. Unfortunately, however, it did not appear to be the case. There were still enemy troops moving through the woods beneath them, though these were not riding on horses. Feeling a tightness in her chest, Reyna looked at Asami for instruction but the woman did not move at first. Once the men had moved past, however, Asami gave her two options and Reyna hesitated. Before, when she had chosen to be brave… she hadn’t actually seen the enemy. It hadn’t been quite as real. But now…
Looking down, the girl did not move. She just watched as Asami made her way down the tree and towards the soldiers. Cursing inwardly, Reyna did not know how to react. If she followed Asami, there was a good chance they’d be overrun and killed. She had no idea how far they were from the other soldiers, and Reyna was not the most experienced fighter. If she stayed, however, she would have nowhere else to go. If Asami was killed, who would take her home? Who could keep her safe?
Biting her lip again, Reyna felt tears of frustration welling up and tried to force them back. Now was not the time.
Making up her mind, the girl shook her head and slowly began to move. Pulling out one of her blades, she lowered herself through the branches, keeping an eye on the troops below. She got down close to Asami before her foot caught a weaker branch. With her attention on the enemies, Reyna had not been watching as closely where she was going and she paid the price. The branch broke below her weight and Reyna felt a moment of terror as she thought she would tumble down the rest of the way. She managed to keep herself attached to the tree with one foot and hand, however, and looked down in fear as the small branch fell to the earth. If the enemy didn’t know where they were before, they certainly would now…
Closing her eyes and uttering one final prayer, Reyna released her grip on the tree and dropped. She had not dropped from too high, but even still she felt the tremors reverberate through her body and had to grit her teeth. Pulling out her second blade, Reyna charged towards the first person she saw.
Counting the enemy, it was clear that the infantry that followed the cavalry charge was light. Likely intending to clean field of those who would be unlucky enough to be alive after confronted with the cavalry charge. Up to a dozen were in the nearby vicinity, so far Asami could detect. Hearing, however, something above her Asami was experiencing a sense of satisfaction that Reyna decided to come with her. Even if the options were nothing more than an ultimatum.
But the moment of satisfaction was shattered when Reyna slipped to the ground. Watching the jinchuriki moving to the ground, Asami’s eyes narrowed. Her satisfaction of before turned into a black-pit rage.
The action of the jinchuriki alerted the dozen of footmen. Despite their armour being nothing more than padded jackets and armed with a few weapons, they seemed enough trained to respond in a controlled fashion.
As Reyna charged a nearby soldier, another attempted to flank and stab Reyna in the side. Before the man could push his weapon forward, an axe would slam into the man’s neck - avoiding the steel helmet and gambeson.
Dropping from the branch, Asami reached for her other axe as she saw how the remaining soldiers started to form a net around them.
In her haste to try and attack the first person she saw, Reyna had forgotten about the others that surrounded them. Her life was saved, however, by Asami who launched an attack of her own with deadly precision. Making a mental note to thank the woman later… if they got out of this… Reyna focused her attention on the soldier in front of her. The man was wielding a sword of his own and Reyna swung the blade in her left hand, attempting to use her second blade to come around and catch him when he blocked her attack. Instead, the man simply shifted his stance to avoid her first attack and parried the second with ease.
Cursing silently, Reyna realized this was not going to be as easy as she’d hoped. Catching movement in her peripheral vision, the girl realized they were steadily being surrounded and cursed again. This was getting worse by the second.
Stepping forward again, she feinted with her right blade and stabbed forward with the left. Instead of putting all her strength behind the second attack this time, however, Reyna would pull back her right arm slightly and separate the right blade into its chain form. Whipping it forward, she attempted to catch the man off guard.
As expected, the soldier ignored her feint, focusing on the second attack. His eyes widened slightly in surprise however, as one of Reyna’s blades became a chain-whip. Trying to shift his sword to block the unexpected attack, the soldier was caught by the blade in Reyna’s left arm and was unable to get his sword up fully in time. The chain-whip wrapped around his neck and Reyna winced as she flicked her wrist to pull it back. The result was rather messy as the blades in the chain-whip sliced through the man’s neck like butter, severing his jugular and sending a stream of blood shooting out that splattered across Reyna and made the girl reel backwards, trying desperately not to vomit.
The first opponent that Asami faced wielded a spear. The longer reach of her opponent didn’t allowed Asami to fight on even ground. Her opponent launched quick jabs while keeping his distance. Narrowing her eyes Asami would step aside to avoid a jab. Her free hand grasped the shaft of the spear and grabbed it tightly. As expected, her opponent attempted to yank his weapon loose. Using the force to slightly move herself forward Asami raised her axe and let the sharp edge bit into the man’s neck. The steel carved easily into the skin and teared the flesh. While the man’s eyes widened and a gasp escaped his lips Asami yanked her weapon loose and kicked the man backwards.
Scoffing she would quickly turn to deflect a sword strike. The new opponent was more than eager to face her in close quarters as he readied for another slashing motion. As Asami’s foe would launch his fierce strike Asami moved underneath it. Hooking the man’s ankle with her axe Asami managed to quickly topple her foe while she straightened herself.
In a quick succession Asami would move forwards and raise her right foot. The last sound that the man produced as his lips parted was likely a plea. Before the words could be formed into something coherent the boot of Asami violently stamped down the man’s windpipe - creating a soft cracking sound.
Turning around Asami’s nostrils widened as the woman inhaled. The other soldiers seemed wary but still confident to take the two on. Noticing Reyna’s situation, Asami cursed something softly in Chonobi. One of the soldiers attempted to move in on the girl.
Before the man managed to close enough to pommel Reyna’s head with a mace, another axe flew through the air and would bite into the man’s back. The sharp steel teared through the gambeson and wound the man.
Noticing that the soldier was wounded but not yet dead Asami wasn’t capable for providing more aid for the jinchuriki, as two more soldiers started to close in on Asami.
Wiping the blood from her eyes, Reyna gasped and moved to the side just in time to avoid a plunging spear. Whipping the chain-blade around, she managed to wrap it around the weapon. Trying to pull backwards, the girl realized all too quickly that the man holding the spear on the other end was much stronger than her. Not to mention, he had two hands on his weapon…
Thinking quickly, Reyna’s Lightning Aura kicked in, surging through her weapon and down the shaft of the spear. The man grimaced and dropped the spear, stepping back and pulling out a large knife. Before she could launch an attack on the man, however, Reyna was forced to react to another soldier who came at her from the opposite side. Raising the sword in her left hand, Reyna tried to block the incoming strike from a scythe-like weapon. The enemy was clearly quite skilled with the strange weapon and Reyna just barely managed to parry the attack, though it knocked her off balance. Shifting to try and regain her balance, Reyna saw the other soldier coming at her again as well and cursed inwardly. Whipping her chain-blade around, she caught it around the man’s ankle and pulled back, trying to trip him up.
The attempt managed to pull the man off-balance as well, but he was too heavy for her to drag him all the way to the ground. She didn’t have time to try and trip him again as she was forced to parry the man with the strange curved blade once again. The soldier managed to smash her sword aside and Reyna winced as the blade cut into her arm. It was not a deep cut and her Lightning Aura would begin healing it immediately, but it caused her to wheel backwards nevertheless, trying to put some distance between herself and the two soldiers. Her chain-blade was still wrapped around the one man’s ankle and Reyna sent another charge of lightning through the weapon, stunning the man temporarily.
This wasn’t good...