Io"s thoughts regressed back to her capture almost immediately. Back to when she was sitting in that cage watching those men, no those monsters. If Io had had the opportunity, she would have killed that poor child to save her what would be her last hours, and Io… Io looked down at her right hand where three of her fingers used to be, her brows scrunching together. If she had chance maybe she could have taken the kid if an opportunity had presented itself. The child had been too young to understand the world they had lived in and wouldn"t understand that Io was imperfect and not worthy of living in human society and that the only way to contribute to their species progression was to die for them in the name of science.Instead, fate had been cruel forcing the both of them to suffer. Though what that child had gone through, Io had to stop her thoughts there. Madness lies that way. She took a deep breath and looked back at the two tiny forms huddled on the icy ground and pondered. Io straightened up and slid her bone sword back into its sheathe and turned to walk away. She"d made it about three meters when a weak whimper sliced through the air. Io flinched, memories from the past roaring out of their Pandora"s box tempting her with insanity. Her breathes came fast and her knuckles whitened from the grip on her sword.
If she"d had an opportunity, she would have spared that child her death.
That thought lingered in her mind. Fine, if that was the case then this time, she could do something about it. Io drew her bone sword as she turned stalking back to where the two little ones had huddled. "Be grateful little ones, this is a mercy I do for you. Better that you pa.s.s quickly and painlessly than suffer by the fates or at the hands of another." She said tonelessly, eyes blank with memories of past horrors. As her bone sword swung downwards, the one child that had wrapped itself around the other opened its eyes. Seeing the incoming sword, the child somehow managed the roll the itself and the other child out of the way.
The child quickly let go of the other child, dragged it further away, and position itself in front of them. Eyes wise before their time burning with rage practically glowing their fury from the dirt ridden face met Io"s gaze. "Get awwaaay us!" The child screamed, its voice hoa.r.s.e and fracturing across the words. The child grabbed a rock from the ground and threw it Io. Io shifted slightly to the side and the rock went harmlessly by her. Cold blue eyes met fiery green eyes. Io took a step forward, her sword lifting up and sliding quietly back into its sheathe once more. This child was not dying and could be saved. Io"s hand swung out and grabbed the child"s wrist before it could do anything.
"Come." Io ordered her voice rusty from disuse. When was the last time she had spoken? Io wondered as she dragged the child away. Io only managed a couple of steps before a sharp pain dug into her wrist. Io reflexively threw the child away from her, drew her bone sword, rivulets of red flying through the as Io swirled to face the enemy. She"d been foolish. Trying to create a family for herself was already making her weak. Those books she read long ago were nothing but tales of old, best forgotten before she too became dust due to carrying such antiqued thoughts.
Io was already swinging her bone sword at her attacker when the child that she had thrown was on her, sinking its little teeth into her thigh. Shuddering from the feeling of teeth in her flesh once more, Io grabbed the child, ripped it off her and threw it at her attacker which ironically happened to be the other child. With an oomph, the children collided and fell to the ground. Both children got up, the healthy one pushing the sickly one behind while the sickly one grabbed onto the healthy one trying to keep them away from her.
Io narrowed her eyes as she held her sword in a lower level position. She was angry that she"d been bitten without a doubt. However, the fact that the second child was alive as well. She could easily take care of one child, but taking care of two. Her gaze on the two cooled. It would be difficult. There was only one of her. She could only do so much. What if… Yes, she could just take the healthy one and grant the sickly one a quick and painless death.
"Come." She demanded raspily of the healthy one.
"No. Go away!" The child responded as it backed the other further away.
"Come now." She demanded again.
"Get away from us!" The child yelled back.
Io furrowed her brow again and her gaze turned resolute. This was not conducive. Io walked over towards the scrambling children and yanked the sickly one away. Just as she was about to slice its throat. Screams so much like the night that child had died rang through the air slowing down Io"s movement. Io almost dropped the struggling sickly child. The sickly child had tears in its eyes as the healthy child clung to it. At the last moment the healthy child had at the sickly child and impaled its shoulder on the bone sword piercing its own shoulder through in the process, but shifting the trajectory enough that the sword away from the sickly child altogether.
Io dropped the sickly child and quickly sat the other on the ground. She ripped off her coat and laid it down on dry dust and gently slid the sword back far enough for the healthy child to lay down on her coat. She glared at the sickly child. Fine point taken. She will keep the sickly child. Not like the child would live for long with how fragile it was. If it made the healthy child happy, she"d deal with it. That was what you were supposed to do in a family right? Compromise?
"Ahhhhhhh!" The sickly child screamed in shock from seeing its companion hurt. The child threw itself at other only to be caught by the back of shirt.
"You will stop or you"ll kill your companion." Io stated coldly as she stared down the frail figure dangling from her grasp. The only response she got was a kick to the face.
"Do you want to die right now?" She demanded. Another kick was her response.
"Do you want this child to die? After all they are only injured because you are so weak." Io told the child. Her voice practically frosted over.
The sickly child froze and looked at Io with a mutinous expression as if to say that that was how things went down. Io was shocked, perhaps the healthy child had been right to defend this one. "Such loyalty and fierceness even in circ.u.mstances where one cannot win is… Admirable." Io thought to herself. Fine. She"ll take on this child too. Io gestured the sickly child to come closure. She ripped a strip of cloth from her shirt with her right hand as her left was busy trying to the keep the bone sword from moving too much and handed it to the sickly child.
"Hold it against the wound." Io commanded as steadily pulled her bone sword out in one smooth swift motion. Blood immediately bubbled up but the sickly child did as she was told. Io dropped her sword to the side of injured child and pulled her scarf off from around her neck and lower face exposing her scar. Thankfully though it was night, and this was the Ruins. No lit nights here. Just darkness, thanks to the thick clouds that hung ever presently in their grungy sky.
Io scooted the sickly child to the side glaring at it when the child made to attack her to get back to injured child. She lifted the injured child up enough to bind the scarf around the child"s should and chest, before tying it firmly to keep the blood from spilling out. "The rest they"d have to leave to nature." Io thought before an idea came to mind.
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