Heading Up Stream (4)

The air had changed.

It wasn't just cold anymore—it stirred. Thick. Heavier. Like the world itself had paused to hold its breath.

Kaela's hand began to glow.

A soft gold radiance pulsed from her palm, and in the next instant, the glow twisted, stretched, and then solidified.

A short sword appeared.

Warren's eyes widened.

'Where did that come from?'

Kaela glanced back at him, the sword gripped tight in her hand.

"Just stay behind me."

Warren felt a sudden warmth in his chest.

"I'll leave it to you then," he mumbled, cheeks coloring.

He looked toward Vin.

A longbow now rested in his left hand. In the right, a thick-bladed straight sword. It was longer than Kaela's and clearly heavier—yet Vin held it with the ease of lifting a pen.

'How the hell is he moving that like it's weightless?'

"Hey!" Warren called out. "Can I get a weapon too?"

Vin didn't look his way.

Eyes still locked on the forest.

"If I die, you have no chance of surviving. You best bet wouldn't be fighting it would be running. Not that you would get far."

The words hit like ice water. No hesitation. No warmth.

'That might be true... but he didn't have to say it.'

"A no works too," Warren muttered.

Vin raised his bow.

"They've caught our scent. Closing fast. A hundred meters."

Kaela's stance shifted.

"Two vanguard types. Might be tough. Just hold them off until my weapon finishes summoning."

Warren blinked.

'Wait, isn't his sword already summoned?'

He looked again at the thick blade in Vin's hand.

"Are you going to summon arrows, or...?"

Vin didn't answer.

Instead, he lifted the sword—and nocked it onto the bowstring like an arrow.

Warren's brain stalled.

"I already did," Vin said, drawing the blade back with a smooth motion.

He narrowed his eyes at the forest, then released.

The sword flew.

A faint shockwave cracked through the air as it launched into the trees, moving faster than Warren's eyes could follow.

Silence.

Then—A low, guttural cry echoed out of the woods.

'Did he just... kill one in a single shot?'

Vin's bow lit with a soft blue glow for just a moment before fading.

Then a new glow appeared.

Gold.

It emerged from Vin's chest, the same hue as Kaela's before she summoned her weapon.

'So that's what he meant by waiting for his weapon.'

Before Warren could think further, something burst from the tree line.

A wolf.

It wasn't like the one from the cave.

This one was smaller although not by much the wolf near the cave was about 3 meters in height this one seemed to be about 2 or so.

Its fur was a deep red, glossy and unmarred—clearly not dyed by blood. Its head, pitch black. Its eyes, wild and foaming.

Kaela met its charge.

Her blade moved fast, catching the wolf mid-lunge. The clash of metal and muscle rang out. The beast was forced back but quickly circled, stepping to place her between it and the others.

Warren realized too late—

'If she misses even once, it can get past her. And I'm standing right behind her.'

Then Kaela did something strange.

With her off-hand, she pointed at the beast.

A chain burst from her chest—right through her armor—and slammed into the creature's ribs. It didn't cut. Didn't tear. Just... connected.

'What kind of weapon is that? She summoned it... without the light?'

Before he could finish the thought, the beast lunged again. Kaela jumped back, letting it hit the spot she had just been. Then her blade darted forward—just a poke.

A stream of blood trickled from the wolf's shoulder.

The beast growled, aiming to swipe at her sword arm.

But she moved in instead of dodging. Closed the gap. Rammed her blade into its side.

The beast howled.

She had hit something vital.

But she was too close now.

The wolf's massive jaws opened, aiming for her neck.

Time seemed to freeze.

Then—A CRACK.

Something massive slammed into the beast's side, flinging it sideways like a ragdoll.

A kanabō.

Vin's.

The kanabō had been swung just before the beast could bite into Kaela timed perfectly. 

'I don't care how weird this world is no way these two are normal'

The blow launched the creature across the rocks, but the chain still anchored it.

Its body jerked midair, caught by the tether, the chain ripped out of the beasts chest with a sharp snap.

It landed hard.

It didn't move.

'What the hell... are these people human?'

The chain slowly retracted into Kaela's chest, disappearing without so much as a shimmer of light.

She turned, sweat on her brow.

"It's okay now. It's o—"

A blur.

A claw.

Kaela's body lifted from the ground as a second red beast struck her clean across the torso.

She flew backward—past Warren—then crashed into the river.

Warren turned, eyes wide.

He wanted to run to her, but—

The second beast stepped into her place.

Its black-eyed gaze locked onto him.

A thick, straight sword was buried deep in its shoulder.

Vin moved quickly.

His kanabo swept forward, aimed to crush.

But the beast was faster.

It lunged.

Fangs closed around Vin's arm. The sound of tearing flesh filled the air. Blood poured. The sheer force toppled him.

The kanabo began to glow faintly in Vin's hand, blue energy dancing across the iron.

'If something doesn't happen soon... he's going to die. Then Kaela if shes not dead already... and then... me.'

'Should I run? He told me to run if he fell right. Maybe that's the smart move.'

Warrens body began to move getting ready to run for dear life. 

Then—

A voice.

Soft. Calm. But firm.

[Don't let your comrades die.]

It wasn't Vin's. Or Kaela's. Or even his own.

It was... comforting.

Like a sister telling a younger brother what must be done.

Warren's body moved before he could think.

He dove for the kanabo.

It was heavier than anything he had ever lifted.

Even in this new body, it strained his muscles.

But he lifted it.

Screaming, he swung wildly at the beast.

The impact rang out as metal met flesh.

The wolf hardly moved, but its jaw loosened.

Its focus turned toward Warren now.

It glared.

Raised a paw.

'Too slow.'

But then—Vin's hand moved.

The one still working.

He reached up and yanked the straight sword from the wolf's shoulder.

Then, with both legs, he kicked upward.

The beast flew back, sword tearing from its body in a spray of blood.

It hit the rocks hard.

Tried to stand.

Collapsed.

Silence.

'Is it... dead?'

Warren trembled. His chest burned from the effort. His arms barely holding the kanabo.

He turned toward Vin.

Vin lay against the rocks, bloodied, breathing shallow, the straight sword across his lap.

"Kaela," he whispered hoarsely.

Warren blinked.

Spinning, he ran to the river.

Kaela lay at the edge, her body soaked and trembling. Her armor had been shredded, revealing a skin-tight underlayer beneath—torn in three deep slashes, blood pouring freely.

"Sh-she's alive!"

He pulled her up, dragging her to the camp. She groaned softly, still conscious.

Vin limped over a few minutes later, clutching his injured arm.

They had survived.

But now both of them—his only allies—were barely standing.

'And I don't even have a real weapon.'

Warren looked out at the quiet forest, wind still blowing across the water.

'How long can we last like this?'