Between the dense trees and the overgrowth, Lynx slashes a clear path for the rest of her team following close behind. Wendy is careful not to get her horns caught on any branches, and as per usual, the twins ditz around and care little for the path that Lynx has created for them. The destination is a secluded church beyond the other side of the forest. Back when the lost souls first began to spread across the earth, people flocked to churches, synagogues, and mosques-- to repent, to pray, to be cured of their condition. Many came out of the church in question saying they were “rid of their demons”, meaning something inside taught them to live with their newfound souls. It’s a reach-- banking on faith can only get you so far-- but it’s one worth taking.
Allegra follows Lynx closely, considering she’s the only member of this team that’s held a lengthy conversation with her. “Do you guys settle anywhere for long?” she asks.
“No matter how long I spent there, I don’t consider my days of hopping around cities and flirting with townspeople ‘settling’,” Lynx says. “This is probably the longest I’ve stayed anywhere.”
“People have this stupid dream,” Calamity says, jogging ahead of Lynx once the forest grows less dense, “that they have to fall in love, settle down, have a family, and then die. I’d rather just die early than spend half my life sitting around like that. They think that they need to “be someone” to be fulfilled, but I’d much rather be no one-- it lets me get away with whatever I want.”
Calamity pulls out a pocket knife, but before he can throw it, Chaos grabs his wrist. Despite their equally lawless behavior, Chaos seems to be the voice of reason. He flashes his brother a threatening scowl. “You are not “no one” anymore,” he says. “Stop being reckless.”
“You’ve got a lot of nerve, taking the high ground.” His sly grin shows no ounce of remorse. Based on his brother’s statement, Allegra assumes that Calamity has always had a disregard for his own life; but now that he has somewhere to belong-- a family-- he’s no longer bold, but impulsive. Losing Chaos has never been at risk, but he could very well lose Lynx and Wendy. Habit gets the best of him, and he forgets that he finally has something worth holding onto.
Allegra fills the silence by extending her question to Wendy. Wendy huffs out a dry bit of laughter-- that’s new. “Once,” she says. “I tried the gentle, cottage life once. Before I met Lynx and the twins, I met a girl. A swordswoman with lost souls, someone who wasn’t keen on going back to where she came from-- just like me. She didn’t have a nickname herself, so she’s the only person who knows my real name.”
“Why’d you split?”
“The quiet life wasn’t for us. I hoped we could make it work, but I don’t think I’ll ever be ready to “settle”. There’s a lot of work I have to do-- if not for me, for these souls.”
“It’s a miracle I wasn’t Wendy’s rebound relationship,” Lynx comments. “Dirty blonde hair, small face, broad shoulders-- I look just her.”
“I could never date someone who takes their coffee with bone broth.”
After nearly an hour of trudging through the overgrowth, the group stumbles upon a clearing. A small meadow, similar to the one behind their home in the woods, gives way to open skies and soft grass. Chaos collapses into it, letting his body sink into the greenery. He breathes a sigh of relief. Lynx runs her fingers gently over the earth while Wendy eyes the area cautiously. Calamity laughs excitedly as he stumbles into the clearing; his voice carries across the forest, but he hardly seems to mind. He touches the yellow flowers that sprout up between the blades of grass. Within the rotting, the overgrowing, the density of the forest, it’s nice to know something still manages to bloom. To survive.
Just as Allegra settles down on the ground. A quiet, low groaning noise echoes from the trees. She can’t quite make out the direction; it’s all around her, yet nowhere at all. The rest of the team shares this sensation as they rise to their feet. Instinctively, the team seems to close into the center of the clearing, eyes watching in all directions. Glowing eyes appear between the branches, followed by the bodies they’re attached to. Bipeds with wings, furry quadrupeds with dozens of teeth, beasts with six eyes and twitching necks-- they all stare down at the five humans. This clearing is theirs, and these visitors are not welcome.
Wendy pulls her sword from its scabbard and curls her fingers around its crimson handle carefully. Lynx’s hands lay idle at her waist, but the machetes in their grasp are ready to strike on the drop of a dime. Chaos spins a knife between his fingers. Gripping her pistol with both hands, Allegra carefully eyes the trees. Dozens of eyes stare back at her.
“This is one of those moments where I really wish I picked up swordfighting,” Calamity mutters, curling his fists.
“You always said you prefer to face your problems head-on,” Wendy says. “I just hate that you mean it literally.”
Seconds before the beasts reel up, ready to strike, Allegra sings a note-- middle C. Followed by a G, G sharp, and a D. The beasts stand still for a moment more. She continues, singing a tune out of those first four notes. Gradually, the beasts either approach the group passively, or disappear back into the forest. Those that stay eye her curiously, letting their shoulders relax and their eyes soften. Chaos chuckles as one pokes its beak into his pocket.
“How the hell did you do that?” Lynx mutters.
“It was a song my sister used to sing idly all the time,” Allegra explains. “I guess this is why. I didn’t know what else to do, so I just… sang it.”
Wendy eyes Allegra with both wonder and confusion. The tune is familiar to her, but finding out why is something that can wait. Through the dense forest, they can barely see its end; their destination is hardly a mile away. She sheathes her sword and continues into the overgrowth.
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