Sidequest

Not Suzie... Just a villager. Kelsi thought to herself, tucking her knees up under her chin and leaning a bit towards Hiro’s sleeping form as if he, in his unconsciousness, could protect her.

The glass of the window creaked and shuddered as the Darkness pressed against it. Another scream, even farther away. Not Suzie, not Suzie.

Then there was a grunt of pain so close, right outside the window... Suzie. Kelsi threw herself onto the bed, scrambling up until she was straddling Hiro, her hands on his shoulders. She shook him, “Hiro! Hiro, you gotta wake up! They need you!”

She let him go and his head merely flopped to the side.

Outside the window, Suzie screamed.

*

Fighting the Darkness without a mage or priest or without a ridiculously expensive and overpowered weapon like the bow wielded by Luce was frankly suicidal.

Alphonse was not in the habit of doing things that were suicidal.

With all blessings that had been placed on his sword long faded and no big, Night-ending burst of divine magic coming from Hiro, Alphonse had taken refuge under one of the brightest Lanterns, idly swinging his sword at any shadow that came within range.

Distantly, a few Lanterns snuffed out, followed shortly by the screams of villagers. Alphonse tilted his head back and rested it against the Lantern pole, feeling the cold metal through the part in his hair. Why the hell did I agree to this? Hiro’s bright smile and sparkling eyes flashed in his mind. “Uuugh...” He pressed his head harder against the pole and lazily swung his sword when he felt something come close enough to brush his feet.

Then Suzie screamed. Alphonse was tempted to just let her lie bleeding in the bed she made. But he remembered Hiro’s pale, gaunt face as he overexerted himself healing her and he groaned, reluctantly leaving the safety of the Lantern’s glow and chasing after that sound.

*

Suzie’s back hit a wall. Just at the edge of a Lantern’s Light. Civilians were screaming, the sound squeezing her rapidly beating heart. She tried to take a step towards the sound but the injury in her abdomen pulled her back against the wall. She could vaguely feel blood dripping down her stomach, under her armor.

A claw scraped across her breastplate and half a second later the shadow was torn in two. And just as quickly two more were lunging for her face.

Was the Darkness stronger than the night before? Or was it her wound, or the lack of Hiro’s magic? She stumbled to the side, retreating deeper into the Lantern’s Light...

Only for it to snuff out.

She tried not to scream. She was too close to where Hiro was sleeping with Kelsi looking over him. To where Eli and his wife hid. She really tried. But when she only half dodge the tendril whipping towards her face, she couldn’t help but let it out.

*

The small hands around his throat weren’t very effective at choking him.

“You’re nothing but a dumb, useless, little kid.” The haughty girl sitting on his chest was hardly any bigger or more useful than him but Hiro didn’t bother telling her that. Hiro hadn’t spoken a word in a long time and he wasn’t about to start now... not when his head was leaking blood onto the broken cobblestones.

Hiro’s eyes slipped closed. The girl laughed, her voice sounding far away even though he could still feel her weight on his chest. “Ha! Serves you right! All you are is a distraction to Crimson! He doesn’t need you!”

“They need you!”

...Kelsi...?

Hiro tried to open his eyes but his eyelids felt sewn shut and instead he sunk deeper into the rocks.