The Dream Shifter

Chapter 197

Abeiron forced his eyes to narrow to hide his surprise at the scene before him. He hardly believed what he saw and he still did not know what happened. His men laid before him unconscious in a far too familiar scene for him. 'Another MP in their group? This is going to make things more difficult…' Off in the distance, he already noted that the other battles have concluded. He knew what the meant for him, but with all of his men out, he had to change the plans.

Waiting, Saki gave the remaining man a chance to run away. She hoped that the resounding defeat of the rest of the men would make him rethink his plan to stay. However, the more that she looked at him it became certain that he did not intimidate easily. 'Had hoped that this would make them think twice about coming after us and leave us alone for the rest of the journey. Guess I'll have to make a bigger impression…' Saki disappeared suddenly again.

An explosion of dirt blew into the air along with smoke only centimeters away from Abeiron. The blast was strong enough for him to feel the earth shake through his legs. He took a step back trying to hold his body's support, while understanding what happened. Another blast sounded off to his left flank and then to his right. All around him smoke flew up masking out the green fields. 'What's going on?' As much as he tried to keep his stoic and steadfast stance, it crumbled from all of the quaking. He fell back to the grass only propped up by his hands.

Soon the pounding stopped and the smoke began to clear out. Through the thinning gray veil a shadow appeared. The girl from before with a deadly serious expression chiseled into her features. A little smoke seemed to be rising from the back of her hand as well, still held tight in a fist. 'What she doing?' Abeiron looked down at her feet where the clouds of dust seemed to be coming from. His eyelid widened a little as he fought his surprise.

'It can't be…' A small trench ran a semi-circle at his feet. All of the grass held a deep chasm cut straight through. '…she did that? What sort of field trick is this?'

Saki did not wait any longer in her foreboding stance. She leaned down and gripped the Atlantean by his neck. The lack of a sturdy appearance in their uniform forced her to go for something she knew would hold. Her hand did not squeeze, simply held him. She lifted him off his feet and into the air until his head was much higher than her own. "Understand?"

"It's a bit disappointing…I would have thought you'd finish them all off a long time ago," remarked a young voice from behind Saki.

Still holding onto the man, she turned her head bothered by the snipping tone. "I would have taken them all out if I had been allowed to go first!" shouted Saki not even taking note of whom she spoke to anymore. "But because I was left for last I couldn't do anything! I swear someone is conspiring to make things more difficult!" A heavy breath exhaled from Saki as though she had been holding it all in for some time. She blinked once finally seeing the person in front of her. "Chiharu? I thought you left."

"I did," she quickly replied. Chiharu cast the b****y body of Seiji at Saki's feet without further word.

The sight of an utterly broken Seiji made Saki lose her breath for a moment. She dropped the man that she held no longer thinking about him. "What happened?" Saki looked back at Chiharu demanding an answer.

"He lost."

"He lost? How?" Saki jumped over at Chiharu. The short unhelpful answers grated against her skin. Seiji was hurt and Chiharu did not even look concerned. "Speak, damn it!"

Chiharu remained with the same flat emotionless features. The height and presence of Saki did not make any impact on her. "I'd suggest tending to his injuries rather than yelling at me."

A quick glance down caught all the blood that covered Seiji. He needed help quickly, but she could do nothing for him. Saki looked around the area trying to find her. "Where's Ayumi? Why isn't she here? She should be with us!"

"She disappeared after the initial attack."

"What?" Saki frantically cast her head around the area in desperate search for Ayumi. She could not believe that she disappeared leaving them to fight. However, the coughing from Seiji pulled Saki back. She knelt down at his side trying to figure out where to start. 'There's so much blood!' Her hands tried to stop the bleeding from the numerous wounds, but none of it mattered. Saki lifted her head back towards horizon looking to the distance. "Yuki! We need you!"

Saki's panic filled voice carried over the fields and found its way to Yuki as a distant weak voice. He did not understand the words, but the emotions made it to him. While he ran back to his friends, he saw the situation changing. The forms shifted and new ones appeared. He felt an uneasy pull in his stomach that made him run faster. 'I'm coming everyone…'

It took him another minute or more to reach their camp. He felt as though it had been a year since he had seen everyone. "Is everyone safe?"

"Hurry, Yuki! Seiji needs help!" Saki presented Seiji's body with the blood that covered her hands and cloths. A weak cough came up from Seiji spraying some blood into the air.

The sight of Seiji made Yuki freeze for a second. 'How'd this happen?' A moment past where he thought back to the school and to Kazuhiro. His memory made him panic and rush over to Seiji. "Seiji!" Yuki looked over at Saki, equally scared as him. "Don't worry! I'll heal him immediately!" His eyes closed for a moment before he activated his field. A glowing hand from Yuki rested on Seiji's chest spreading out over his body. 'I won't lose another friend! Not to them!'

Seiji coughed a little more in response to the healing, but his color looked better. The tears, wounds and broken bones began to mend and close up. His blood remained behind, but his body no longer shook. A long sigh came from Seiji before his eyes opened fully. He looked around from the ground seeing Yuki and Saki staring down at them. "That sweat or tears I see?" he smirked weakly, still feeling lightheaded from the blood loss.

Saki coughed a little through a pale grin. "Sweat, who'd cry for an i***t like you!"

"Yeah…"

Yuki fell back to rest on his folded legs. He looked around taking in all of his friends to see if any of them had injuries. However, two still were missing from the group. "Where's Ayumi and Yumi?"

"Ayumi hasn't been seen for a while," commented Saki.

"The other one is over there," Chiharu reported, pointing her finger out across the field.

He saw Yumi's small figure alone in the distance. Yuki did not know if she was hurt or fine, but his eyes looked back down at Seiji. He quickly turned back to Chiharu. "Bring her over here, please. I'll heal her injuries, if she has any."

"Tch." Chiharu crossed her arms immediately disinterested in the conversation. She looked away from the ground. "The girl's fine. She can walk back on her own."

Yuki's hands closed tightly into fists. His head tilted forward blacking out his eyes as his body shook. Saki reached out for him, but he stood up ignoring her. He marched over behind Chiharu and grabbed her shoulder. "Get her now!" yelled Yuki. His voice rang so deep and heavy that none of them had ever heard him so serious.

Chiharu threw off his hand with her arm and spun around throwing up her leg at his head. Her eyes widened a little seeing that he stopped her with his arm. He glared down at her casting a stern and unyielding presence. He made her feel small and weak for the first time for him. A cold sweat built up a little on her neck as she kept staring at him. She lowered her leg and began to walk off. "…fine…" Chiharu disappeared from their sight.

"Yuki?" Saki stood behind him placing her hand on his shoulder. She could not believe that he raised his voice to Chiharu. 'I haven't seen him so…' The silence between them developed into an awkward lull where she knew nothing to say to him, but felt she had to say something. Anything she could find to ease his tension. "Yumi's fine, she said. She'll be okay, Yuki."

"I have to see…for myself…"

"Yuki?"

"Here she is," rang Chiharu, hiding the slight annoyance sprinkled in her tone.

Yumi laid in the grass with blood dripping from numerous small wounds, but still breathing strongly. She was unconscious, but only seemed to be tired. Yuki tended to all of her cuts received from the blades. Even after he finished he remained at her side waiting for her to wake up. Everyone said she was alive, but he would not agree until she told him herself.

A short time passed before Yumi stirred and groaned. Sore muscles snapped through her body making it difficult for her to move, but she opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Yuki staring down at her. She restrained the redness in her face mostly through the dull pain she felt. "Yuki?" It still did not stop her from jerking up in surprise before balling up in tightness. "I'm alive?" He gave her short nod.

All of the memories of her fight flooded through her mind. The emotions, desperation and fear all recalled to her. It made her body shake. 'I'm alive! I survived! I…' Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

"Yumi?" Yuki leaned in resting a hand on her wrist. "What's wrong? Are you still hurt somewhere?"

Yumi shook her head slowly smiling at him. "No, I'm not hurt. Everything's good." She saw that Yuki did not fully understand her, but she could only keep smiling. The darkness and pain faded away. Her hands wiped away the tears as she recovered. She looked around at everyone gathered around the camp, but she did not see one person. "Where's Yori?"

"Huh?" Yuki looked behind him and over at the others in search of him.

Saki shook her head. "I saw him here before!"

"He can't just have disappeared!" shouted Seiji.

A pale fear lifted to Saki's face as she stared back at Yuki. "In all of the confusion, you don't think he was…"

Terror gripped her face and body. "Where's my brother?"