Opened Wounds

Since this eventful day, the group's coordination is at an all-time high. The same goes for their mood, except Dorian's who still feels guilty about what he inflicted on Isa. At least, clingy as she acts, always glued to his arm or back when they have nothing more to do, it seems that she forgave him. She even chatter about anything that catches her interest and asks unending questions, exactly as she did before they came to Elder Albert's village. Garm, ever attentive to them, smirks defeatedly when he listens to Isa's question choices. She carefully, and masterfully, avoids any theme linked to the teen's past.

One of those days, as the trio travel to their next sleeping spot, Isa feels Dorian's arm tensing. She immediately lifts her head to look at his face while trying to keep her own neutral, at least. She shouldn't have said something making him react like this, right ? When her gaze meet's his, he is smiling softly and uses his free hand to pat her arm, still entangled on his own.

— I just thought of a bad memory, sorry to have worried you.

She pouts but doesn't say more. How could he lie like this, his arm is even tenser now ! After that, she has to steal glances at him again while continuing to ask her questions in order for him not to notice, and it works. While answering her absentmindedly, she can see that he tends to look more often at the tree's top. Garm doesn't miss this exchange and, with the change in their conversation, begins to look more attentively around too. Doing this, he sees Dorian's actions and understands that something, something near, has to have spooked the boy's shadows. He lowers his pace, readying himself, until a sound finds his way to his ear. It is not, however, an animal's one.

— Isa.

On cue, she lets go of Dorian's arm and places herself between both men. Dorian's past tension, his attentiveness to the trees, then Garm follow up actions are enough hints that something is about to go wrong. Of course, she is proven right seconds later when five men get out from behind the trees around.

— Seems like we're found, guys. So we'll do everything quick. Give us everything valuable, and you live.

The talker then looks at Isa, grins and adds another close.

— Lend her for the week, too.

Isa shivers, then tenses with disgust, while Dorian and Garm only do the second. Of course, they had to stumble upon the very same kind of men that Albert believes Garm is. As their only answer, both unsheathe their weapon and face their aggressors. Isa, protected by their backs, closes her eyes while staying tense. She knows that no one, in those five, will be able to touch her as long as they are here, it can't be otherwise, she saw how hard they train, how strong they are after all. Her eyes closed, she chooses to help by listening instead. If someone isn't seen, if someone stays in the wod, she should be able to alert them.

His breathing kept steady, Garm waits for the enemies' first move. Usually, or if only Dorian was with him, he would attack first, but that would create a gap, leaving Isa open to abduction. And that, precisely, is absolutely forbidden. Seeing this, three of them, the three nearest to him, decide to engage. Steel rings as they begin their assault, Garm parrying the first slash and redirecting it on the second's trajectory. He sidesteps to narrowly evade the third one. A heartbeat later, his left hand flies out of his weapons hilt, closes and goes to meet one of the monsters' disgruntled face. A feminine gasp sound from behind.

At the same time, Dorian faces the last two bandits. Unlike his mentor, his breathing is erratic, his shoulders tense and, worst of all, his hands shiver slightly. He nearly died against only one not long ago, and now two gangs on him. He can't falter, however, as Isa's safety, Garm's too, is on the line. With a grunt, he sends a horizontal slash, at waist height, from left to right. The first enemy blocks it, while the second's sword surges to Dorian's right temple. Without thinking, the teen crouches as a gasp is heard behind him.

Covering her mouth after letting out this sound, Isa keeps her eyes on Dorian. At the first metal sound, she understood that she would never be able to hear anything, but the first thing she sees is Dorian narrowly escaping a sword. Her body instantly begins to shake, her heart beats so loudly that she has difficulties even hearing the swords clash. Despite this, after seeing him still unharmed, she forces herself to look away, focusing her gaze on the woods. She has to help, in some way, and she can't see anything else but to keep watch. Suddenly, a metallic scent invades her nostrils.

Unwilling to stay crouched, Dorian uses his movement of standing up to elbow his right assaillant on the arm. Using his momentum, the other lifts up the boy's sword and follows up with a vertical slash. Dorian tries to sidestep but is body-slammed by the first one. As the blade enters his arm, he grit his teeth and ignore the scent of his blood. Now's not the time.

Garm frowns. He knows this scent all too well. Parrying another attack, he steps on the foe who previously met his fist. He can't look, he can only hope that Dorian isn't the one whose blood is out. His opponent, not caring about their fallen comrade, take the same position as Dorian's. One right, one left. A coordinated attack follows. Two horizontal slashes, one at head level, one at leg's. He crouches and, in a flash of steel, opposes his own blade against the low one, followed by a hilt smash on his left enemy's face. Always hit their face, they can't recover well from this. A breath later, Isa's voice rings.

Wounded, his left arm more of a weight than anything now, Dorian grunts. The pressure is intense, worse than he should be able to bear, but he won't falter. In front of him, two seasoned fighters. Behind him, Isa, Garm. Steeling himself, he forces his wounded arm to move, to grip his sword again. When his right opponent approaches to attack once again, he delivers a roundhouse kick to its legs. One down, one to go. Now able to focus on a lone opponent, the boy feels more confident. However, each parry left him reeling from the arm. Then he hears Isa.

— Five more !

She can't believe her eyes. When everything was ending, when both of her allies were finally getting some breathing time, another wave comes. Worse, they're as numerous as the first and fresh while Dorian is hurt and Garms breathing begins to feel less controlled. Unwilling to lose them both, not caring about her own safety, she joins Dorian and, with her little fist, strikes a leg. Despite her training, despite the adrenaline coursing her veins, she let a little cry of pain. The other grunts in pain, too, at the very least.

With heavy breathing, Garm deflects another attack. If only this guy was the last, it would still be manageable, but now, with five more, he understands. The boy won't resist way longer, he'll do it. With a dextrous move, Garm disarms and beheads his opponent, only to be assaulted by three more. He won't last, he knows it. All he can do is buy time for the little ones. When he hears Isa's pain, he roars, only to hear Dorian talk, and everything changes. The boys shadows, they come from everywhere.

Despite her pain, Isa keeps her fists clenched. She hears Garm's roar but doesn't even think about looking at him. Two more bandits come on their side, making her despair. Then, she hears Dorian's ice cold voice, when a sword comes to her head, only to see black after that. Nothing but black forms all over, animals and humanoids.

— Not. On my. Watch.

Dorian sees Isa's fist connect with his opponent's leg, but his weakened arm leaves him unable to end him. Her cry makes him shiver with rage. She shouldn't have to take action, not with him here. Garm's roar makes him understand. The older warrior thinks the same. Then the two enemies announced by Isa arrive and one of them threatens the girl. That's when he loses it. That's when he talks. That's when he unleashes hell.

Under the bandits' unbelieving eyes, shadows jump from under Dorian's feet. The first one, a humanoid, parry immediately the attack against Isa. The others, two humanoids and a full menagerie of animals, form a protective circle around her. Then, from the very same woods where they were first hiding, others come. Under the shadowy rampage, all bandits meet their end in seconds, leaving nothing but unrecognisable corpses.

After a very short time, Dorian's eyes widens with horror. He did it. He revealed his power to the two others. Without thinking, without looking, his full body shakes. They will leave him, now. As Belle did. They will say sweet nothings but, little by little, they will take their distance until full disappearance. No. He can't let this happen, not again. Might as well tear the band-aid right now. Before any of the two others can react, Dorian jumps on his shadow horse and flees at full gallop.

Isa, unable to understand at first, falls on the ground when she sees the shadows disappear and Dorian's form fade in the woods. She wails even more than in the village, because she knows; She knows that he won't come back now.

— LIAR !

Garm sighs while looking at Dorian's back, before walking to Isa, sitting near to her and taking her in his embrace.

— He… He promised… He… Liar…