Hurt and Heal (Arknights)

Chapter 19: Lungmen part 5

A young lupo with red hair was sitting in front of a campfire. Dawn had already been breaking for a few hours and the reunion troops were about to leave. Moving the embers of the campfire to keep it just a little longer. She put down her stick and sighed removing her hood leaving her wolf ears out in the open. Both appendages stirred, the ears finally feeling free. Hearing movement on the gravel and sand in front of her she lifted her gaze from the embers to the young ursus in front of her.

Misha frowned and gritted her teeth, her hands bound with a pair of cuffs. She noticed that the girl was trying to tear her bonds with her claws discreetly, but luckily for the reunion leader, these special polymer handcuffs given by the mysterious sponsor of the reunion would resist the assaults of the girl's hands without flinching.

Crownslayer: Don't try to free yourself. I don't want to chase after you pup.

The young ursus frowned as she felt her anger rising...

Crownslayer: And don't try to attack me either. I've been ordered to keep you safe but if I break your leg and make it look like an accident don't blame me.

Soon all the girl's excitement was calmed. But a question popped into her mind.

Misha: What do you want from me? I don't know anything...

Crownslayer: Orders are orders. I just follow them...

Tired of the desert heat, Crownslayer lowered her scarf, revealing black crystal veins along her throat, a sign of her oripathy. Misha saw this and widened her eyes, realizing that the young woman in front of her was also infected.

Seeing her eyes wide open the lupo just raised an eyebrow, as if to ask her what the problem was.

Misha: You are infected too...

Crownslayer: Yeah. So is everyone else in reunion.

Misha: But you were fighting against Rhodes Island... Why are the infected killing each other...?

The young girl was surprised to find herself asking the question more to herself than anything else. And yet Crownslayer came up with an answer.

Crownslayer: Rhodes? Tch. Let me laugh. Rhodes is just a bunch of fools and dreamers who think they can make the world turn out the way they want it to by helping those who hurt them-

In her speech, wanting to demonstrate the endless animosity that the soldiers of the reunion had for Rhodes Island, Crownslayer stopped and heard a sound that the young ursus quickly began to hear as well, but behind her back. The girl turned around behind her to see a gargantuan and frightening man behind her. She fell backwards and crawled backwards in fear away from the wendigo that had stood before her eyes.

Crownslayer: Patriot.

The wendigo did not immediately look at the young woman and instead bent down on one knee and looked up at the young ursus to be more at her level.

Patriot: Don't be afraid little one...

He looked at her for a few seconds but his attempt to comfort the girl had as much effect as if he had pointed his gun at her. Then the wendigo sighed as he got up.

Patriot: It worked better... When he did it... Crownslayer. I see you... have succeeded in your objective.

Crownslayer: You could say that. The distraction you gave me was enough. Those poor bastards at the L.G.D. didn't see it coming. How did you do?

Patriot: I succeeded in my mission. But I was slightly injured.

Crownslayer: Then everything is fine-