Deus Didymus: Rend

Pt2Ch18: New Face

"Unnie!!"

Eunchae sprinted through the knee high snow, panting. Wisps of condensate rushed from her mouth with every breath as trees snapped behind her. The ground rumbled, shaking both Eunchae and the mountain itself.

The cold air bit at the feathers coating her wings, sending shivers through her spine. Vibrations in the air shook the red plumes, telling Eunchae the exact position of her chaser--right behind her.

A spear whirred through the air sticking itself into the giant ogre. From its origin, Garam reached for another. She aimed her next shot for the ogre's eye, but before she could throw it, lightning snapped through the air. Flashes of blue and white flickered followed by a resounding boom as a bolt of lightning struck the ogre from above.

The large being fell to its knees before crashing into the ground. What snow surrounded it melted, carving a downhill stream into the remaining powder. From the cliffside Yunjin descended, forming clouds below her feet with each step.

"You okay?" she asked. Waves of blue hues pulsed through Yunjin's eyes and hair, dispersing once she deactivated her allele. She lifted the bow in her hand over her shoulder, glancing toward the ogre, "I told you to be careful in the forest."

"I'm sorry, Unnie... I dropped the food that I found," Eunchae frowned.

Yunjin patted the maknae's shoulder, "What matters most is that you're alive. I can send Kazuha out to find us something when we get back."

"But I want to learn how to do it too!!" Eunchae pouted.

"And that's okay. But these things have to be taken slowly--especially since you don't want to use your allele," Yunjin reasoned. Her voice soothed Eunchae's racing heart, allowing the youngest to regain her composure.

The trio trekked through the snow and back to their cabin. The simple building held nothing more than a raised floor with a cobblestone center where the girls' futons and storage containers remained.

Kazuha greeted her group mates with a soft smile. She stood up from her bed, rubbing Eunchae's head, "I'm glad you're safe."

"Can you find us some food?" Yunjin asked.

From her bedside, Kazuha grabbed her sword. Its winged cross-guard glistened in the light that seeped through the cabin walls. "Of course."

As the sun began to set, Yunjin rubbed her fire-starting stick between her hands causing smoke to rise from the tinder below. She blew on the smoldering flames, before burying it below a pile of sticks. The resulting flames casted dancing shadows on the walls, prompting Eunchae to make shadow puppets with her hands.

"Yunjin unnie! Look!"

The maknae smiled brightly as her shadow rabbit danced along the walls. Kazuha and Garam joined in, making an elephant and a bird respectively. Laughter filled the air, keeping the crackling fire company. With a smug grin Yunjin scooted next to the fire. She casted the shadow of a giant wolf onto the wall, howling as she did so.

"Run away!!" Eunchae giggled.

The younger three moved their shadows energetically. As Yunjin's shadow enclosed upon her prey, Kazuha's elephant transformed into a camel.

"You wouldn't eat me, right?"

Yunjin burst into laughter, breaking her shadow puppet, "What is that?!"

"Unnie! Show me how to do that!!" Garam exclaimed.

Slowly, the moon made its course. It peeked through the trees, giving Yunjin enough light to see her sleeping groupmates. Kazuha slept on her back with her hands resting on her stomach. No matter what she did, the second eldest held a certain grace in her actions; sleeping was no different.