Dodge it, The Voice Yelled.
Takabi grabbed Anna's hand and leapt over the Hound. It looked back at the two as they soared above. Anna looked at Takabi, speechless at the height he effortlessly took them to. They were at least twenty feet in the air.
Takabi touched the ground first, catching Anna on his back as he began to rush through the bushes once more. In his mind, he whispered a silent goodbye to Carrie, and kept his eyes focused ahead. Anna wrapped her arms tightly around him, closing her eyes and crying silently.
The Hound was hot on their tail, snarling loudly and erasing the silence of nature. They passed by multiple deer and rabbits, animals that would be simple pray for the beast, yet it left them alone. It wanted the two of them specifically.
It wants us, The voice said suddenly. Takabi grit his teeth and mentally told the voice to get lost and leave him alone. He knew it wouldn't happen, but he was too frustrated to really say or think much else other than run and try to gain as much distance as possible.
Takabi mistepped, slipping down a deep ditch. The pair tumbled and rolled into the dirt, falling over a small cliff and landing in a shallow pond below. Takabi picked his head up, water dripping from his hair tips and seemingly unphased. He exhaled the breath he held as the Hound rushed past the opening over them.
Anna's wimpers caught his attention, and when his gaze fell on her, he noticed her ankle was twisted. "Damn it. Give me a second." He ripped off his shirt, and split it down the center. Scanning the dark, and feeling around, his hands brushed past two rocky rectangular plates. Quickly, he grabbed them and moved next to Anna, adjusting her ankle so it was in the proper position. She cried in pain, but bit her tongue and kept silent as he wrapped and dressed her injury.
It wasn't the perfect support, but it was better than nothing.
"I can't believe this," Anna finally said.
Takabi looked at her, but didn't speak.
"How could this happen? Why Carrie? Out of everyone in the world, why my sister? Why us? And what the hell is that thing?!" Tears began to well in her eyes when he never said anything. His gaze was just on hers, and she slowly began to shift her thoughts elsewhere. "Why… No, how aren't you freaking out right now? Why are you so quiet?! Don't you care?!"
"Anna." His tone was strong. Quiet, calm and slightly dark. It made Anna freeze in place. This side of him was something she hadn't seen before.
"I'm gonna tell you this once, because it's the only way we're going to get out of this alive. Shut the fuck up. I understand, your emotions are all over the place. You literally saw your own sister decapitated, but if you don't keep your mind strong, at least until we get help, you're going to be the first one of us both to die." He stood, eyes scanning the cave. It was larger than he thought initially, about eight times the size of a football field if not more. "I'm going to do what I can to get you to safety." Slowly, he held his hand out to her.
Her heart was ramming against her ribs. She was angry with him, with everything she had right now, but Anna knew he was right. So taking his hand in hers, she slowly got to her feet and leaned onto his back for support, before he cupped and brought her legs up to carry. Arms around his neck, and Anna's chin resting softly against his shoulder, Takabi took his few steps forward, careful to mask the sounds of his shoes against the rocky floor.
------------------------------------
He had been walking for, what he could tell, half an hour before he flicked his eyes to his left. Anna fell asleep, so she remained undisturbed by the slight shifting and what sounded like crunching leaves. The cave stirred slowly, stalagmites and stalactites bending slowly. "What now?"
A huff of hot air brushed against the right side of the back of his neck. His body stiffened, and slowly he turned, face to face with Hound's bloody, jagged teeth and orange eyes that pierced the dark.
Anna's eyes opened slowly, then widened as she screamed and the Hound howled. It rose its right paw, claws of fire surging, before swiping down and cutting Takabi's chest deep, the force of the blow knocking the two to the floor a good few feet away.
Anna groaned, rubbing her head and looking up quickly. The Hound approached Takabi, drool dripping. The boy remained unmoving, a pool of dark red running from his turned over body. The darkness of the cave retreated due to the flames that remained from the Hound, and gave Anna a clear view of the area.
There was a small light, the entrance Anna assumed. She had to get out, wanted to get out, but she couldn't just abandon him. She lost one person, and she'd do what she could to avoid losing another.
"Get… Get away from him!" Anna picked up a small stone, and tossed it hard at the Hound. It bounced off its fur, and the Hound slowly looked at her with its orange eyes. The orange glow pierced through Anna's very being, petrifying her with fear.
Is this how Carrie felt? The sudden realization she was actually on Death's doorstep?
Anna picked up a slightly bigger stone, and chucked it harder than before. This time it struck the Hound's face, and it began to growl. "Come on.. You fucking mutt… Get away from him…"
One paw moved towards her, then another, until the Hound was casually strolling towards Anna. The blonde placed her back against one of the cave pillars, sucking in a lungful of air when the Hound closed in on her face. It didn't kill her right away. It sniffed her, examined her, and took in the scent of her fear.
Then it spoke.
"Why do you care for this boy?"
The voice was deep. A surge of powerful hate was behind each word, the foul stench of blood and burned flesh coating its breath. Anna held back her gagging, unsure of what to really say.
Stay calm, Anna. She tapped her finger against the rocks nearby and said, "That… That boy is someone dear to me… I don't want to lose him too."
"Too," The Hound repeated in question. It sniffed Anna again, deeper this time and moved its head back. "Ah. I see. You're a relative of the other one I ate. You humans all look the same to me." It turned away and began to walk back to Takabi. Anna's voice suddenly roared out, "Where are you going!? I said leave him alone!"
"And why, do tell, should I listen to what a human says? You're not even fit to wash my ass." The Hound laughed, "Where is this sudden confidence coming from? Enlighten me."
"He's… He's important to me. I'd die for him, and there's no way in hell I'm going to just let you kill him!"
"Kill him?" The Hound looked at Takabi. "Oh no. I do not wish to kill him. I wish to bring him back to where he belongs. Back home."
"His home is here! You have the wrong guy, because he's as human as they come!"
"Human. You truly believe he is human?"
"I do."
"And you're willing to die, to throw away your worthless life, for him?"
"I would."
The Hound sighed, shaking its head. "You're all the same. Having the silly idea, that in the grand scheme of things, your righteous choices truly matter. In the end, you will still die. I will still take him with me, so it'd all be for nothing." It closed its eyes. "How would you, or him, be able to get out of this situation? He doesn't even remember who he actually is."
Anna bit her lip, mulling over a response. Nothing would intimidate or change this thing's mind. What should I say? What can I actually even do? My ankle still hurts like a bitch so I can't run.. The second I move, it'll rip me to shreds like Carrie. Her thoughts paused.
Carrie.
What would she tell Carlos and her mother?
"Well," The Hound pressured for a response. "I'm waiting."
"I… I don't know." She lowered her head, messy bangs covering her eyes.
"Exactly. You don't know. Humans NEVER know, or understand how truly inferior they are in this existence. All life, in this world, in this universe, is meaningless before actual beings like myself. Demons, Angels…" It looked at Takabi again. "Fallen Angels. We exist indefinitely. We have a purpose. You humans, mortals to generalize, have nothing worth living. Your lives are worthless, to everyone and anything that is a higher power."
The Demon cackled and licked its teeth. "Even amongst yourselves, you fight for your views of what you think or feel is right. Or even, just because you simply want to take something to benefit you. Your ideals of morality, of good and evil, it means nothing because it's all what YOU feel or acknowledge as the right thing to do."
Anna bit her lip harder, drawing a bit of blood.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other matters to…" It sniffed. The sound of soft sizzling filled the cave. Anna picked her head up, noting the light steam streaks in the air. "Hot."
"Damn it, I was too late! You tricked me to buy time, eh!?" It snapped its teeth at Anna. The girl turned her head aside, whimpering silently.
Takabi touched the floor, slowly raising himself with both his arms. His shirt had claw marks and dried blood, but otherwise had no wounds. No injuries. His eyes scanned himself as he got to his feet, looking between his palms and opening and closing his hands.