A Wanderer

Chapter Nineteen

The wind tossed brown leaves down the path Ochaco traveled. The girl and Deku had finally left Kin Machi and were well on their way north. As Ochaco walked a slight frown kissed the side of her rosy cheeks. Ever since they danced under the pale moonlight Deku had been unusually distant. The little jabs and jokes he would throw Ochaco's way had vanished and were replaced with careful stares and straight lips, no smiles. After the second day, she tried bringing it up to him, but he just played it off like he always did. He would give her a fabricated curious look and claim,"I'm doing fine; just preoccupied with trying to map out where to next." She knew it was lie, but she'd didn't have the courage to call him out on the bluff, all she could ever muster was simple nod of the head. Uraraka let out a big sig as she worried about the man trailing behind her. Everytime Deku's wall came crashing down, he'd always build right back up, thicker than the last.

Deku shuffled behind Ochaco with his head hanging low. His face was grim as he studied the grass below and how his feet would sink into it. He was trying whatever he could to get his mind off of Ochaco, he didn't believe in having any other option. The nightmare he experienced days ago was taking its toll on him, but that alone would not have broken his spirit. He had seen a lot in his long life, more than any other man, and a dream would never break him, however the same could not be said about memories. Memories make a person who they are, define them, and his always stung like a hot prod. The first night was rough, but with each day passing by they seemed to worsen, grow more real. The second night he had the same exact dream, but he could feel everything : the woman's soft skin, her lips pressing to his rough bare skin, and most importantly, how lifeless her body felt atop the hill as his village was burnt to a crisp. Deku took a gulp as once again his mind drifted to his worst fear. His eyes began to dampen at the idea and he rubbed his nose. A sniffled sounded out from his nostril and Ochaco turned around. Her eyes were soft as she gazed to Deku with his head low, she could tell he was suffering. She bawled her fist as she tried to saw something, but her cottonmouth was too much to overcome. She let out a huff and turned back around and focused on the path ahead as Deku continued to fall further and further behind her.

They had been waking for hours now and not a single word had been muttered. Deku's green eyes still dimly looked at the soil below his feet. The light breeze turned savage as the soft push of the autumn leaves transformed into something much more relentless. Deku's eyes were clenched shut as he walked, but they snapped open as he felt something brush by his shoulder. He stopped in the middle of the grassy field they traveled down and slowly raised his head. He turned as he examined his surroundings thoroughly and held the handle of an object tucked into the waistline of his pants, and lightly traced his thumb over the knob of the leather strapped hilt."We're being followed," said Deku

Ochaco stopped rotated to face Deku. He stood with his hand on the inside of his sunbleached cloak and she curiously narrowed her eyebrows as she peered in his direction."H-How do you kno-why are you just sayin' this now ?"

He explained,"It never seemed to come up, so I kept to myself. But now it is of the most importance that we hurry up and make it to the next town. There's a shortcut about fifteen minutes from here that will keep us safe." Ochaco gave the man a nod and watched as he took the lead.

.....

Ochaco and Deku stood at the base of a giant hill. The girl placed a foot on the mountain of green and began to walk up the steep mound. Deku followed suit, however only after checking his backside. Ochaco's legs burned as she walked up the formation and she felt sweat began to run down her forehead. Uraraka felt a hand wrap around her arm and simultaneously she was popped into the air."We've got to get going their close," explained Deku."Hold on."

Ochaco held onto the man tightly and was amazed by the speed he moved at. She had seen Deku in action before, but now he felt different, like there was a sense of urgency to him. His feet dug into the hillside as he ran and Uraraka felt spark of electricity pop against her thigh. He stopped at the apex of the hill and gazed down at what waited in front of them. The first thing Ochaco saw as large hill far out in the distance. She could not make out what stood on it, but the faint outline was erect. Her eyes then traveled down the hill and to a small village prospering below. From the far distance the small intricacies of the town were naked, but she could decipher a few smokestacks and even a something that resembled a cemetery. Deku stood still longer then he expected as he gazed towards the hilltop. He bit the inside of his cheek in reaction and clinched his eyes shut for a quick second before taking off. As they ran down the mound Ochaco spotted a thick forest ahead of them. That must be the shortcut, conclude Ochaco. The thick wall of towering trees was accompanied by an increasingly uneasy atmosphere as they neared it. The trees' trunks seemed to be five-feet round, and the gray bark layering it was slowly peeling off. Its sturdy limbs reached down and grazed the knee high grass below it.

.....

Deku looked at the wall of trees in front of him and took a gulp."You need to go on ahead without me."

"No ! If we're goin' in there than it's together." Ochaco grabbed Deku by the back of his cloak and held onto the fabric tightly."We are in all of this crazy crap together, so we do everything as a chaotic team. If you want to fight whoever's trailin' us then we'll do it together."

"This isn't some game Ochaco or a story where the good guys always win, this is the real world, where people die. The people behind us will kill you without hesitation, and I'm not going to worry myself about you while I'm fighting them. And don't give me any shit about you getting stronger, cause you're not strong enough for these guys." Deku let out a sigh," I don't even know if I can take them anymore."

"T-The we can go through the shortcut together !", cried Ochaco."What is stopping us from doing that ?"

"Me ! I can't go in there Ochaco; I'll never come out," said Deku. He turned and looked with dim eyes at the woman standing next to him."This place does things to people, brings out what the truly feel in their heart, and if someone is unwilling to accept the truth then they're damned to an eternity in there."

Ochaco wanted to smack Deku on the spot for being an idiot."You knew you wouldn't be able to go in there," said Ochaco.

Deku took a deep inhale before grabbing ahold of her. She rapped against the man, but it had no effect on him. Deku pushed the woman into the shrubbery of the forest and she fell backwards onto the ground. She quickly scrambled to her feet and tried to escape, but the trees long limbs built an impenetrable wall. She watched as the wall close and the last sliver of Deku's jade jewel eyes that was taken from her.

Deku watched Ochaco as the barrier closed between them and slipped his hand to the inside of his cloak. He gripped the blade sheathed into the waistline of his pants.

"I see even after all of these years you still want to save the world on your own." Deku turned around to see a group of six men and women surrounding him. They all varied in shapes and sizes, but one thing did remain constant, their devilish grins as they prepared to pounce on the man.