Will Always Be There

Ch. IV

Even hours later, the siblings couldn't get the girl out of their minds. The poor girl has been waiting years for her brother. He then suddenly shows up out of no where, and now he's gone because of them.

Right now, they have set up camp in the woods to rest up. Looking at their companion, maybe it wasn't a good idea. Hyakkimaru was suffering badly with his new hearing ability. He could hear everything and it wasn't pleasant. The hoof beats of a deer. The flapping of wings. The croaking of frogs. The scurrying of animals. Everything was just too overwhelming for him at the moment.

"Aniki!" Dororo called as he tried to touch him

"Wait Dororo-" Before (y/n) could stop him, Dororo had made Hyakkimaru drop to his side still trying keep the noises out.

"Hey" Dororo called but covered his mouth when his sister put her pointer finger to her lips "oops, sorry. It's still too noisy for him, huh?" He said as he looked around, "but it's so quiet for me here, it creeps me out"

(Y/n) stared at the poor man and sighed as she got a cloth out of her bag, "he's just not used to it like us" she whispered, patting his arm lightly and got him to sit upright, "we just need to give him time. He'll get used to it at his own pace" she said as she wrapped it around his ears and tied it above his head.

Dororo tried not to chuckle as he stared at the man touching the cloth, earning a glare from his sister. "Maybe he should give up on going after the next monster" Dororo said, "the reward is handsome, but you're just not fit for it"

"Dororo" (y/n) warned. Hyakkimaru then looked to the side in alert. "What is it?" (Y/n) asked then heard a bird. Just as she heard it, a giant bird burst out of the trees and aimed to grab them. Luckily, (y/n) pushed Dororo down and Hyakkimaru moved out of the way. Hyakkimaru unsheathed both his blades.

"The bird monster! It's huge!" Dororo yelled

Hyakkimaru blocked its attack and the bird flew up and turned to come back down. Hyakkimaru looked confused for a second before getting hit. The bird flew around again, hitting trees all over. Hyakkimaru looked even more confused as he looked around.

(Y/n) eyes widened, "it's the sound! The sound is confusing him!"

"Aniki, don't worry about the sound!" Dororo yelled as he looked at the bird "to your left!"

Hyakkimaru turned and got his blades ready. When the bird came down to try and grab him, he slashed and hit it. But it was strong and managed to grab Hyakkimaru.

"It's in your reach! Get him!" (Y/n) yelled

Hyakkimaru then slashed at its legs and it body, making it drop him.

"Aniki!"

"Hyakkimaru!" Dororo and (y/n) ran to him.

"He's hurt" Dororo whimpered

(Y/n) turned to look at the bird as it came down for a final attack. (Y/n) covered Hyakkimaru as Dororo hugged his sister, glaring at the bird. Before they knew it, the bird was cut to pieces. A figure stood behind the bird.

"It's the priest!" Dororo gasped

"Oh it was you three? What a coincidence" he said

(Y/n) and Dororo nodded to him in thanks and quickly turned to look at Hyakkimaru, who looked like he had a terrified look in his eyes.

"Aniki! Are you okay? Come on, snap out of it!" He shook him, "what's wrong with you? Hey!"

"Dororo stop" (y/n) quietly said as she lightly pushed Dororo away from Hyakkimaru, "you yelling at him isn't gonna help him" (Y/n) had laid Hyakkimaru down on her lap while the priest tended to his wounds. Dororo had explained how Hyakkimaru had gotten his hearing back and that's why he was acting this way.