Chereads / Retribution / Chapter 18 - A Lone Arrow

Chapter 18 - A Lone Arrow

"Fine! Have it your way!"

Tallory grinned, her finger laying to the top of the trigger as she pulled it back. Yuki had bitten her bottom lip, drawing blood to her mouth. Her eyes were fierce and determined. Lizbeth turned away, Rox still giving all his attention to the events before him.

Mugen on the other hand? There was but one thing plastered on his face. It was a smile. 'A bullet can't kill me. You can't kill me.' Mugen's arms were numb. So too were his legs. He couldn't escape anymore. He lacked the power to do so. The endurance of the pain had ultimately weakened him, tiring him out more than any form of exercise he's ever committed to.

Rox's eyes flicked to the side. 'A glint!' His heart accelerated. In an instant, he drew his rifle to his arms, "Get dow-" A loud whistling had pierced the air. Rox's eyes had just followed the glint. As the object approached them, he squinted, pupils following the burden. 'It's an arrow...' He couldn't move, infact only his eyes were fast enough to track the speed of it.

Tallory turned her head swiftly and saw it herself. It bolted towards her. It came at her like a strike of lightning, closing the distance in mere seconds! "Tallory!" Tallory fell to the ground screaming loudly as blood gushed from her shoulder profusely. God-Goddamnit!" She howled.

"Bingo!" A few trees in the distance, Tsuki smirked, hidden amidst the leaves within the trees. Mugen flicked his eyes to the side, narrowing them at the glance of the man. Although the average eyes were incapable of spotting Tsuki, Mugen and Yuki were different.

Tsuki drew hold of another arrow, taking aim of the head. "Dodged me once, let's see you do that twice." His heart skipped a beat. His legs gave out as he fell backwards, his body going limp. *Bang!* As he fell from the tree branch, his nerves went haywire. 'I didn't get shot?' He thought to himself.

'That gun... I was sure of it...' Before he fell, he flipped around, landing onto his legs. "Tch! Squadron Red! Move out!" Rox raised one arm and stomped forwards, loading his rifle once more.

"Huuuraaaaahhhh!" A plethora of boots came clashing against the grass, crushing daisies and shattering the distance between them. Tsuki hissed and ran deeper into the forest, trying to escape the pursuers. "Damn! I almost got shot!" He comments, peeking behind him to make sure his enemies were far behind. Then that's when it happened. A surge of pain rushed into his shoulder. It felt as though the socket had been completely shattered. The young man slowed his movement and collapsed against a tree, holding his breath whilst succumbing to the pain.

'Damn, I did get shot didn't I?' He thought to himself, taking sight of a massive gaping hole within his shoulder blade. The bullet went straight through his bone, carving a hole in his left clavicle. "Think!" He howled to himself, "Their guns and artillery grew. Back then, their bullets were average. I could've dodged easily! But now? How fast are they?"

He stood to his feet, struggling to stand as he took each breath. "Over here!" Rox took the lead of the squadron, his red hair making him stand out like a sore thumb as he traversed through the forest. The squadron was approaching Tsuki's tree, a silence and cautious manuever finding it's way. Slowly, the men had split in two sides, one side taking the left, the other side taking the right. Upon covering their ground, Tsuki was gone. Not a single sound to be heard. Not a single man to be seen.

"Split up!" Rox commands as his men took to the whole forest, wielding their advanced weaponry whilst scattering about the forest. Tsuki had bit his lip. He was in the trees, hiding within the branches as he wraps his wound with a torn piece of cloth. 'Never thought I'd be the hunted. How exhilarating. Though it's a pain I can't fire back anymore.'

"Gag the fucker and bring him under." The remaining jailors approached the weakened Mugen. One of the jailors raised his rifle and repeatedly bashed the male in the skull, refusing to stop until blood was drawn and he was unconscious. "Sora!" Yuki screamed before receiving a blow to her head.

...

..

.

'Where am I?' Mugen had slowly opened his eyes. He felt weak. Something was off. "Am I... Bleeding?" His vision came to. He couldn't move. Yet, he could identify the situation. "Good... He's awake." A familiar voice rang through his head. It was the voice of the woman he hated the most. Acting like a smelling salt, her voice had brought him to his senses. His arms were shackled above his head. He hung from the ceiling with his legs binded together with many chains. His body, torn apart with possibly hundreds of new scars to be found. Whether it be by knife, whip, needles? It was hard to tell. He could only feel the intense stinging of his wounds. One could only see the red layer of blood over his broken and bruised body.

"Not once... Not once did this dog howl. What? You think your better than me huh? You think your so great don't you?! Haha! Well good for you. I was going to kill you and all. But unfortunately I don't have my hands anymore. So instead of killing you. I'll make you suffer. Even if you don't scream." Tallory's voice rang through his head. He brought his face up and saw two people. One of which, Tallory. The warden had one arm. Her right arm, from the shoulder down was completely gone. Her left arm was missing a hand. She was incapable of doing anything that required fingers. As such, that's where the other person comes in hand. "Well? What are you waiting for?" Lizzy frowned, pulling her face up to his.

She outstretched the whip, closing her eyes before opening them once more, 'Apologies for causing you pain. I have no choice.' Seeing this sight, memories had came back. He hadn't just awoken, no. He woke up earlier. Mugen was awake upon his arrival in this cell. Though, he passed out after getting struck by her expert whipmanship. He closed his eyes, tensing his body as another slash wailed against his body.

His skin had ripped away, the clacking of the whip echoing throughout the prison. He felt like dying. Not only was he getting struck by a whip, not only did she know her way around it and made his flesh ripple with each touch; But she was trained to strike the same area over and over again. Another strike, the flesh on his chest would've been eradicated, exposing his very sternum.

Yet, throughout all of this. He refused to make a sound. His anger could only build. In his dazed and weakened state, he couldn't do much to counteract this assault. His only option was to sit back and take the full blunt as it happened. He closed his eyes, regulating his breathing as blood splurted furiously from his chest. His body grew pale and he felt death knocking at his door.