Chapter 26

Autumn and Ember hesitantly stepped towards Rui, still not comfortable being so close to an adventurer.

Rui flashed a smile and waved them over. "Don't worry, I don't bite," he said reassuringly, "the others are waiting outside."

"There are others?" Autumn asked in a small tone. It was wondrous to think that just a few hours before they were on the run from the exact same adventurers they were currently traveling with.

"Of course. You didn't think we ran all the way to Dawnbreak with a two person team?"

"…yes?"

Rui shook his head. "Nevermind," he replied before turning and leading the way down a series of twisted dungeon corridors and rows of cells.

"Did you hear? The bandits were killed!"

"Moron. We're still in these cages. We will rot to death before we escape."

There was silence.

"Hey! Let us out!"

"Heartless! You'd really let us die in here?"

A chorus of yelling, begging, and complaints followed. Then, a voice shouted, "Traitors! You leave your kind in the dust while you prance after those filthy adventurers!"

One was all it took.

"Disgraceful! A disgrace to all Spirit Animals!"

"We raised you. We all did. As a community. As a family."

"Look at us. Remember our faces. I hope they haunt you every time you close your eyes."

Autumn shifted nervously, her eyes welling up with tears. Ember wasn't so far off, her eyes shining in the dim lighting. It was one thing to be hated by another species, but when even your own kind turned their backs on them, blaming them…

"It was not our mission to save you. We were to exterminate the bandits. Perhaps instead of blaming pups, you could question yourselves. Why weren't you stronger? Why did you get caught? Why are we not saving you? The answer is clear as day," Lapis hissed, her words harsh as they echoed around the heads of everyone there.

Lapis stood in front of them, her strong figure causing Autumn to pause as a memory played out before her.

…

Beaten and bloody, Lupine still stood tall, her figure blocking the door of the den. A small black shadow was crouched in the corner, large emerald green eyes peering over with worry.

'It's…me?' Autumn thought, 'No. This is Eclipse, and these are her memories.'

Lupine, her mother, was fighting against a team of adventurers.

"Four against one is hardly fair. Cowards, why don't you come at me one by one?" Lupine snarled, grateful for Eclipse's dark pelt which allowed her to stay hidden. 'They can't find her,' she repeated in her head.

"As if we would give up our advantage. Lupine, is it? This is your last warning. Form a contract with us, or die."

"A contract? Why didn't you just say so?" Lupine faked a shocked expression. "As if I would ever!"

With a snarl, she lunged towards the nearest adventurer, shifting midair into a large black wolf. Glowing forest green eyes locked onto her target as she tore into flesh.

Blood splattered, and Eclipse craned her head, needing some verification that it wasn't her mother's. When her lean wolf form dashed towards another adventurer, Eclipse sighed in relief. However, the surprise had wore off, and the adventurers were experienced.

With a glance towards their fallen teammate, they quickly pulled themselves into formation.

A quick dart forwards and a slash adorned Lupine's flank. She spun around to counter, but her teeth snapped air and another cut decorated her shoulder.

Lupine gritted her teeth, hissing in pain.

Blood splattered, and this time it was Lupine's. Eclipse's eyes grew wider, "Mother!" She called out, forgoing her hiding place and dashing towards her fallen figure.

"A pup? How were we not aware of this? Yet…who has need for a sickly bag of bones when we have a healthy young pup?"

The adventurer brought his blade down. Eclipse stopped in her tracks. "No…nononono…"

With a last heave of strength, Lupine turned her head towards Eclipse. Her gaze conveyed so many emotions, love, resentment, regret…and she whispered, "Run."

The memory paused, leaving Lupine collapsed on the ground, surrounded by a pool of her own blood. Eclipse was left frozen in time, running from the same monsters that murdered her mother, father, and would do the same to her.

Eclipse turned, facing Autumn. Her shape faded and became transparent. "That's how it went, after all. I've been playing this memory in my head since the day my mother died. And now, she's yours too. I killed my mother. She died, because I couldn't keep myself hidden."

'You didn't!' Autumn wanted to cry out, yet her voice was stuck in her throat.

Eclipse smiled knowingly. "You don't understand yet, but you will. You see, I never really left. This body is just as much mine as it is yours…I couldn't leave, after all. I couldn't face my mother after what I had done. I couldn't leave you, a stranger thrown into a strange world cope with all of my problems."

Autumn finally found her voice. "You didn't. You gave me another chance. I couldn't thank you before, but now I can. Thank you. You're giving me another chance to live my life the way I should've, and in that case, I'm willing to shoulder any problems you left or want to throw at me."

Eclipse grinned. "In that case, I guess it's time for me to move on. Do what you wish. There isn't anything left for me in this world anyways. Most of my memories remained with me, but now that I'm leaving, they should slowly start coming back to you. You aren't just Autumn anymore, you're Eclipse too."