Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ My Naga Knight ❯ Chapter 6 ( Chapter 6 )

Jin lied out on the cool grass within the misty foliage with his arms crossed before him so they could suffice as a pillow for him. To use for a blanket for his body, he gathered some branches from nearby bushes and trees he could reach as well as used the snake demons' scaly bodies to keep himself warm. The large serpent halves of the snake demons coiled about one another to help keep the members in their family warm that cold night. He, as well as the others, was too weary to press onward so they stopped just a few miles away from Lunar Lake to sleep for a little bit before pressing onwards. The crickets chirped their nightly song rather loudly though it did not awaken the slumbering snakes. They slept well until Dustin aroused from his nap later in the night.

 

Raising his head off of the cool soil he was upon, he sniffed the air about him to determine the time of day it was as well as if any dangers were nearby while they were sleeping. He could see that the sky was just a bit lighter than usual, hinting that the sun was beginning to rise. He knew that they could get to Lunar Lake close to night fall that day if they left now. Turning his attention to the other sleeping snake demons, he shook Aland and Finlay first so they could work on the other two. “Aland, Finlay,” Dustin began silently with a slight hiss, “wake up. It is time we continue onward.”

 

Moaning a bit at having to be stirred, Aland opened one eye to look at his leader before attempting to shake himself awake. His deep red eyes looked about the dark area he woke up within before erecting himself on his yellow and white combined scaly body to stretch for the sky. From where he was standing, he could feel Touya's cold, scaly body touching his own prompting Aland to look at the ice snake demon with a weary raise of his brows. Placing his pale white hand upon Touya's messy, sky blue tresses he shook the demon gently to try and get him to wake. “Wake up, Touya. It's time to get up,” he called to his fellow friend.

 

Touya's narrow eyes blinked awake and he gradually moved his chin from off of Aland's albino scales to look up at the night sky. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes before turning his attention to Jin whose serpent half was resting upon his own. His hand resting upon the shoulder of the redheaded snake demon, Touya shook it gently. “Jin,” Touya almost whined, “it's time to get up.”

 

Jin was exhausted and refused to move at that moment. Before he went to bed that night, he dabbled in his diary and he wasn't exactly ready to wake seeing as he was tired from staying up a lot later than the others. Moaning at the shake, Jin merely moved his head as if to get better situated seeing as he wasn't used to getting up so early.

 

The ice snake demon could only roll his eyes before shaking Jin once more with a bit more force or rather whatever he could muster at that moment. “Jin, it's time to get up! So get up!” He demanded this round.

 

When Finlay saw that Touya wasn't getting anywhere with his method of trying to wake Jin, he reared his tail back and smacked the demon on the back of his head. “Get up already, Jin!” Finlay hissed irritably once he delivered the blow to on top the demon's head.

 

Yelping from the impact on his fiery red hair, Jin quickly cupped the sore area with a growl to the one responsible as he looked wearily up at Finlay. “What's the deal? I was tired! I didn't get much sleep last night!”

 

“Well, that's your fault, isn't it?” Finlay snapped as he pulled himself away from the sleeping redhead to join Dustin or at least get a bit ahead of him.

 

Dustin watched as Finlay slithered on past him while Jin was threatening to rise into a fighting stance. “Enough,” he hissed at the two as he glided in between them so nothing would happen. “We have to focus on making it to Lunar Lake. I am just as irritable as the rest of you considering that we haven't had much food lately, so stop your griping and let's get going. We have a few more miles or so before we get to Lunar Lake.”

 

Jin continued to rub the back of his head before looking back in the direction whence they came, still worrying over the girls he had to leave behind. He was hungry too and knew that if he tried to go back then he would die of starvation but he couldn't help but threaten to move off back towards the Cormac Farm.

 

Dustin caught Jin about to bolt off back in the direction of the farm they came from and he slithered over to the demon to try and show him the right way. His hand gracing Jin's broad shoulder, Dustin met the confused demon in the baby blue eyes of innocents he held. “Jin, we are almost there. Now, come on with us so you won't starve out there.” The demon knew as well that Jin would die of hunger if he went alone seeing as Jin couldn't take care of himself too well without a companion at his side.

 

Sighing irritably at what was going on Jin nodded to his leader before turning around to follow his friends to Lunar Lake. His red and pink scales crunching against the leaves and twigs beneath him, he could only show his discomfort in being moved still. Jin's fingers wrapped tightly about the spine of his diary as he was pretty much pushed forward with Dustin's hand resting upon his back.

 

 

 

The sun finally rose later on that morning just beyond the mountains. The cock crowed to announce the coming of the sun so as to cue the rest of the villagers in Kalrune to wake. Blythe remained under the covers of the comfortable bed she was granted in The Griffon Inn until the constant crowing of the rooster finally roused her. Pushing the covers off of her body, Blythe situated herself over the side of the bed for a moment to try to think back on what had happened thus far. Sighing through her nostrils, she got to her feet and grabbed her attire she removed to sleep.

 

“I guess I might as well get ready for the day and sell this stuff so I can hurry back to Neda,” Blythe said to herself as she put back on her dress before reaching for the belt to put on next.

 

Blythe eventually got herself ready as she gathered up her belongings and headed down the stairs to the front desk where she could leave and thank the people for allowing her to stay. Her shoes tapping against the wooden stairs before her, Blythe kept the basket of eggs and milk in front of her as she made it to the front where a young woman was awaiting for anyone entering or leaving The Griffon Inn.

 

The woman behind the desk stood there looking rather bored as she supported her cheek in the palm of her hand. Her wavy blond hair was pulled back halfway thanks to a little braid. She wore a plain white dress with brown boots and a brown belt. Hearing the floorboards creaking nearby, she opened her blue eyes to the young Blythe coming her way with a welcoming smile. “Did you enjoy your stay?” Her soft, kind tone asked.

 

Blythe stopped in her tracks feeling she was the one the woman behind the desk was addressing. Offering a smile in return, she nodded to her, “Yes, I did. Thank you for allowing me to stay here for the night.”

 

The woman behind the desk opened up the book before her that she doodled upon to say who was in what room and who paid coming in and who hadn't. Her finger scrolling down the names, she checked Blythe's name with her ink quill before noticing that she didn't pay yet. “Miss. Cormac, before you leave,” she began seeing as Blythe was heading for the front door oblivious that she didn't pay before hand, “you need to pay me the one hundred coins for the one night stay.”

 

Blythe never felt her heart drop into a panic as it did at that moment when she heard she didn't pay and had to. Turning around with a spin of her dress as she kept the baskets in her hands, Blythe stammered over her words in attempts to find the right ones. “I—I am not sure I have that kind of…money.”

 

Thane was just outside The Griffon Inn, to check on the young girl last night that he helped there before he was to head home to sleep for the hours he was given. His hand pressing against the wooden door, he offered himself inside to find that Blythe was awake and looking rather upset as well as the woman behind the desk who didn't know what to say to the farm girl when it dealt with Blythe not having enough money to settle her stay there. His armor clanking with his walk, Thane's blue eyes caught the woman that was in charge of The Griffon Inn that day. “What appears to be the problem here?”

 

The elder Cormac sister was a bit relieved to see it was the Eytherian Knight she met last night. She prayed he would help her or at least remember her as she stood there on the sidelines, afraid to speak on her behalf.

 

“She doesn't appear to have the money necessary to cover her stay here,” the worker answered with a bit of disappointment in the matter. She felt bad for Blythe but she couldn't let her leave without paying for the stay. She could get in trouble for that and it was bad for business.

 

Thane looked over at the innocent Blythe before heading towards the check-in counter with his pouch of money. Pouring out the 250 he had, Thane pushed the coins towards the woman to clear the problem. “There, that should settle her time at the inn as well as taking care of her stallion that is in the inn's barn area.”

 

Blythe released a breath of relief at Thane coming to her rescue as she stood there, trying to settle her body from the horrible feeling rushing through it. Walking towards the knight, she smiled to him as they both turned to leave The Griffon Inn. “Thank you for that. I am afraid I don't have much money lately and that is why I came here to sell a few things in hopes of supporting my sister and me.”

 

The Eytherian Knight's hand rested upon Blythe's back to guide her out of the inn entirely so they could grace the cool morning atmosphere. “Don't mention it. I kind of figured I should check on you and so I did.” Thane guided Blythe towards the stable that held Midnight, Blythe's stallion she arrived in before questioning a few things. “You take care of your sister? What about your parents?”

 

Having to be reminded of her parents that died recently, she couldn't help but remove her smile in place of a frown as she looked down at her feet. “They…died…not too long ago.”

 

Thane furrowed his brow at hearing such saddening news. “I apologize. What happened?”

 

Blythe managed to get the stable that was attached to the inn she was recently in with the knight. She waited on the side as Thane worked on getting Midnight for her so she could work on selling her products. “A fire erupted in our stable, killing some of our horses and cattle. My father was in there and so were snake demons.” Blythe paused a moment as she looked off to the side where the wind was blowing gently. Feeling it upon her face was refreshing at that moment as she continued her story. “My mother went in there to save him and both died thanks to the raging fire and to the snake demons that were about to drag them off to devour them.”

 

Thane grabbed onto the reins of Midnight once he was saddled back up, guiding the large beast out of the stall he was granted that night. “I am sorry to hear that,” Thane replied sympathetically. “Snake demons are a big problem in Eytheria lately. I have tried to keep them out of Kalrune at night seeing as I despise them.”

 

Grabbing onto Midnight's reins, Blythe mouthed a `thank you' to him seeing as she was too lost for words at having to remember her parent's death she was trying to forget the moment it happened. “Our stable was destroyed completely in the fire and so now the barn animals that survived have to be locked up in the corral. I hate to leave them there, especially concerning how unpredictable the weather can be. We cannot afford to lose anything else at this moment…”

 

His arms crossed over his chest with a sigh of disappointment in what he was hearing as he tried to think of a solution for the young girl. Attempting to smile regardless of the situation, Thane snapped his fingers once he caught an idea. “I will tell you what, I will send a reconstruction team to the Cormac Farm later tomorrow and they can rework your barn. I will pay for it, so don't worry about that.”

 

Blythe blinked in surprise several times. She couldn't believe a knight she met last night was willing to do so much for her when they hardly even knew one another. “But—I couldn't ask that of you! That's why too much! That barn would take quite a bit of money to rebuild.”

 

“Nonsense,” Thane chuckled softly in the back of his throat, “I don't mind doing so. I earn quite a bit working as an Eytherian Knight in Kalrune. Besides, you are used to relying upon your parents for all you're taking on now and that's a lot to try and take on at your age which is—seventeen?” He asked, trying to pinpoint her age.

 

Blythe shook her head though flattered he felt she was that old, “Fifteen. My sister Neda is ten, soon to be eleven this coming week.”

 

Thane rubbed the back of his head, looking further worried for the young sisters. “Goodness, a lot younger than I expected of you two. I can only offer so much.”

 

“It's alright, we have two people who are watching over us,” Blythe explained with a slight shrug. “We got a note a day ago as well as breakfast from unknown people who promised to watch over us and feed us. Though I am saddened to say, we don't know who they are and what they look like. Neda and I just assumed they are friends of our parents.”

 

The young Eytherian Knight sighed as he gathered his thoughts whilst lying against his spear. “Well, I will send for people to rebuild your barn so at least that will be settled. As far as food going, I hope you can handle that as well. If not, I can always find you someone who wouldn't mind helping you learn.”

 

“Thane,” Blythe began with a bit of a shy smile as her reddish brown hair covered a bit of her face thanks to the wind. “Thanks for your help. That is all I can say right now and I hope one day I can repay the favor.” Handing her basket of eggs and jars of milk over to Thane for him to hold, she helped herself on top of Midnight.

 

The horse threw its head back for a moment, chomping on the iron bit before craning his head downward to hit a spot on his chest that was annoying him slightly. His powerful hooves raked against the ground for a few moments as he waited for his master's signal to move from where he stood.

 

Seeing she was situated just fine, Thane handed her back the items she was carrying with her when she arrived in Kalrune. “Don't mention it,” he promised with a charming smile before backing away in case she felt the need to take off. “I patrol Kalrune every night so you know where to find me if you ever need me.” Pausing a moment, the young knight looked off to the side at the village that was outstretched before him. He could tell it was going to be another nice sunny day and her ride about Kalrune shouldn't be a problem. “The weather appears nice so you should be able to sell things just fine around here. Right now I need to catch some sleep and head on home.”

 

“Do you live in Kalrune Village?” Blythe asked from where she was sitting on top her stallion.

 

“No, I live behind the castle walls on the east side of the Eytheria Market Place,” Thane explained. “So, as you can tell, I have quite a bit to go before managing to sleep in my bed tonight.” Bowing slightly at Blythe to show his respects to a young lady, he excused himself. “Nice meeting you, Blythe. Good day to you, and I pray all goes well.”

 

“Same to you, Thane,” Blythe responded with a nod in return. Staying on top her stallion, she watched as Thane took off towards the Eytherian Castle Market. She could only hope he would make it okay seeing as he looked awfully tired to her. Shifting her attention back down to the basket in her hand, she sighed a bit. “Well, I guess I better hurry up and get this finished with. I have to get back to Neda.” Nudging the horse's side gently with her heels, she edged Midnight onward. “C'mon, buddy, we have to get to work.”

 

Neda remained asleep, ignoring the rooster that crowed upon their farm the several times he did so. She was exhausted and for some reason, she couldn't pull herself out of bed. The energy wasn't there until finally she managed to beckon to the gentle breeze making its way through her window. Feeling her hair getting tossed around a little bit thanks to the wind sneaking through the crack of her window, Neda steadily opened her eyes to take in her bedroom. Pushing herself up on her forearms, she looked at the foot of her bed as if expecting someone to be there before remembering the day before.

 

“That's right, Blythe went to sell the eggs and stuff,” Neda sighed as she got to her feet to head downstairs. Her bare feet caused the floorboards to creek every step she took as she made her way down to the kitchen expecting to find at least food. “Blythe?” She called when she noticed her sister wasn't there. Neda embraced herself as she headed for the dinning table only to find nothing on it before heading towards the living room to find nothing there as well. “Where is Blythe? I thought she told me she would be back by now…”

 

Embracing her torso, Neda headed out onto the porch to look out at the enclosed barn animals from a distance. From the look of things, Midnight was still missing and Blythe had obviously got caught at her destination. Neda knew it was only her and she couldn't very well relay upon Blythe to make it back in time to feed the animals. Not really wishing to do such a thing with all things considered lately, Neda knew she had no choice and had to attend to the creatures for their sake so they wouldn't die of hunger. She pushed herself off of the porch railing to go back inside to get ready for the day. There was obviously no breakfast ready, but she could live with that. Lately she hadn't been too hungry anyway.

 

The young girl reappeared later in her white shirt with sky blue dress that had aqua colored designs upon the bottom. A brown belt held her dress in place as well as kept her shirt tucked while her small brown boots crunched against the twigs and leaves that littered her path to the chicken coop first. On her way there, a dull glimmer off to the right near the trees and bushes caught her eye and Neda stopped to take a peek at what it was. Putting the pails down first, she squatted in front of the item that was dirty thanks to mud sticking to it and being left out in rain and shine for days now.

 

“What's this?” Neda wondered aloud as she pulled the item from the dirt it had been embedded within. Scratching some of the dirt upon the red item, another red scale that Jin left behind glistened with a dull gleam thanks to the neglect and months it had been there. Neda recognized it from the one she found in the house and couldn't help but show a bit of excitement in the matter. “It's another one of those shiny red pieces.” Getting back to her feet, Neda pocked the scale before heading onward to the chicken coop so she could take care of them before tending to the horses and cows.

 

After littering the feed to the chickens and rooster, Neda helped herself to the hay and horse feed they, thankfully, had enough of to tend for the animals that were saved. Pulling the large bags of oats from the top shelf of where all the food for the barn animals was kept, Neda grunted as she heaved it down upon the dirty floor. It was much too heavy for her but she had to manage without her parents and without her sister's help at that moment. Eventually she managed to pour the right amount in different buckets for the assigned horses waiting outside for her before taking each individual pail for them to eat. It took quite a few trips, but Neda got the horses their feed to satisfy them before working on moving the hay into the enclosure for the animals shortly after.

 

Closing the main gate for the last time, Neda leaned against it before wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. The sun had risen and was beaming down upon her and making her get awfully hot while doing the chores she normally shared with Blythe and her father. Leaning her head back against the white wooden plank directly behind her, Neda sighed as she looked upward at the sky.

 

“I sure hope Blythe comes home soon. I can see where doing this by yourself makes you tired,” Neda almost complained before hefting herself off of the door behind her. Dragging the pitchfork back to the little house that held the food, saddles, blankets, and reins for the animals, Neda put it back in its spot before dragging herself back towards the house. She was exhausted now and wanted to at least rest. Besides, she had no motivation to do much of anything at that moment as she closed the door to the house behind her.

 

 

 

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The sun threatened to set soon enough that day as the crescent shape of Lunar Lake was finally in view. The snake demons watched from where they hid within the brush nearby where a raging waterfall was thundering not too far away. The large stone house of the Mallow family stood upon the hill that rose slightly from the lake down below. The barn was not too far away and it's equally large size brought possibility for the snake demons who were content to watch the scenery nearby.

 

Dustin could smell the humans out and about and was fearful to set out for food at that moment. He could spy the eldest daughter walking back and forth between the small view he was granted between the house and the barn. His group was antsy and eager to taste anything at that moment. He could tell in their behavior. But he couldn't risk one of them getting killed. “Just hold still awhile longer,” Dustin begged with an irritable sigh of his own. “They should be going to bed soon enough.”

 

“How can we tell from this distance?” Touya asked aloud as he hefted himself on top of a nearby boulder to get a better look at things. “I cannot see if their window candlelight will burn out from here.”

 

“Give it time,” Dustin ordered with a slight hiss as his forked tongue make itself known for that split second.

 

Jin merely huffed as he tore himself away from the group for a moment so he could write in peace to keep his mind off of the hunger and anger he was feeling. Wandering not too far away, the crimson scaled snake demon lied out between a few Paluu Trees to get his thoughts down on paper. Scratching his head in wonder at where to start with the writing item he stole from the Cormac Farm, Jin eventually pressed it to the blank page before him until spoken to.

 

I still don't know what I am going to do. I left the girls at the Cormac Farm behind without giving them anything to eat. My hopes at this moment are with them. I wish I could tell Dustin the truth, but I know how he feels about humans. He doesn't like them but I guess you can't blame him when you look back in his past. There were at least twenty of us but now we're down to merely five. It was all thanks to the Eytherian Knights that our numbers were shot down and now he acts like the father I never had. Scratch that—Touya was the father I never had before Dustin.

 

Touya told me to think of ways to get from the Mallow Farm back to Cormac, but there is no way I can lessen the walk from here to there. It sure seems hopeless right about now. I can't even keep a promise to the humans I had to watch die. I still feel bad for it, but I know it wasn't my fault because I tried all I could. Didn't I?

 

Well, there is one another option but it seems way too drastic. I won't go there just yet unless I have to. And there is no way I am going back to Suzaku, my half brother, to live with him as Dustin suggested. That guy really gets under my skin and has no morals whatsoever. I guess all I can do is keep my eyes wide open for any answers. I hope they will come soon enough.

 

“Can we go now?” Finlay whined eagerly as he paced back and forth nearby on his scaly body.

 

Dustin merely sighed as he threatened to bolt from where he was it seemed. “I think they went back inside, but I am not sure.” Turning to his group, he pushed against nothing in particular to signal for them to remain where they were. “Stay here and let me check.”

 

Finlay and the others waited on the sidelines as Dustin separated from their group to check on how the situation was with the Mallow family. From the woods where they were hiding just beneath the foot of the towering mountains, there was a vast open plain and it was too easy for any demon to get caught within. Dustin kept low to the ground as he slithered quickly and quietly up to the back of the barn to check on the windows at the stone built house.

 

Peeking out beyond his blowing russet hair, Dustin spied one of the windows at the very top having one candle lit still. Regardless of the other three windows being without a lit candle, it showed that someone was still awake and he couldn't afford a human coming out to take what he nearly lost not too long ago. He kept his eyes upon it as he remained hidden in the darkness that was starting to spread about the Lunar Lake. His dark colors helped him stay hidden for the time being as he waited impatiently for that one candle to either be blown out or dissipate on its own.

 

“Come on, come on,” Dustin urged almost angrily as his stomach growling was making him want to override his judgment on the matter.

 

After a few minutes of waiting, the candle finally went out and didn't relight for several minutes afterwards. Finding it to be okay, Dustin looked to the others that were lying in wait in the forest several feet away and motioned to them with his hand. Finlay and the others erected their bodies in attentiveness, realizing that their alpha was calling them over.

 

“He's signaling to us,” Aland announced ecstatically. “Let's go!”

 

Finlay and Aland wasted no time in taking off quickly towards the area where Dustin was eagerly awaiting. Touya on the other hand, stopped when he realized that Jin wasn't nearby. Halting for a moment in joining the two, the ice snake demon turned around to spy the young spirited one writing away in his diary.

 

“Jin, come on!” Touya insisted as he slithered up close to the oblivious demon. “Dustin is waiting for us to eat.”

 

Hearing his friend come a little too close, Jin quickly shut his diary so that whatever he had written couldn't be seen by Touya. “He is?” He asked before bringing the two items close to his chest.

 

“Yes, now come on unless you wish to starve that is,” Touya insisted as he hurried after the others without another word to Jin.

 

Jin glided after Touya as he kept the dairy within his hands as well as the writing tool he kept on him at all times. The two of the snake demons finally making it up to the barn where Dustin was waiting with the doors of the barn already broken into thanks to Aland, he waved the two on inside.

 

“Hurry up, already,” Dustin ordered. “I cannot afford to baby-sit you two all the time!”

 

Jin let himself inside to look at the new horses and cows that weren't too happy with the snake demon's appearance and smell. His soft red underbelly glided easily upon the straw beneath him as he tried to make his choice of what to take. One of the Mallow family's cows came up on Jin's right making the snake demon shift his attention towards the large beast in interest. Erecting himself on his serpent half as if to look intimidating, Jin slithered over the door to drop his diary and such in the stall before lunging at the black and white colored animal with a loud hiss. His body wrapped about the creature from head to tail as Jin worked on suffocating the animal and breaking its bones so it couldn't put up a fight any longer. It seemed inhumane but that was what he did to live.

 

Wrestling with the creature for awhile, the cow eventually stopped moving. Feeling that the animal had finally died and given in, Jin quickly started working on devouring it though his mind continued to wandering during his meal making it difficult for him to really care for eating. At times during his meal, he would stop and look off at the wooden walls as if to remember the raging fire not too long ago. He kept venturing back there and before too long, the thoughts of the fire and the smell of scalded human flesh overwhelmed him and he quickly exited the stable, leaving behind the cow he killed.

 

Dustin was the one to catch Jin hastily leaving the barn. Slithering out of the stall that wasn't too far from the one Jin was recently within Dustin noticed that the slightly torn apart cow Jin had been working on was barely even bitten into. He could tell that what was taken wasn't going to be anywhere near satisfying for a glutton snake demon such as the wild redhead. But the fear pheromones he could detect worried him as he quickly headed after Jin in fear of the demon doing something stupid. “Jin!” He called out to the frightened snake demon.

 

Jin didn't stop for Dustin as he hurried down the hill towards the lake. Having to think continuously back on that moment, he embraced his head while shaking it before collapsing on his front there just inches away from the water nearby. “I am so weak…” he muttered to himself, his voice threatening to crack on the words he spoke.

 

The alpha snake finally made it to the petrified, young hearted snake demon at the lake's edge. Hefting his body over Jin's so he could look at his face, Dustin grabbed onto the redhead's shoulders to get his attention. “Jin—Jin, what is the matter with you? You didn't even eat anything!”

 

Jin knew Dustin was worried but he couldn't afford to tell him what was wrong. It was a common thing to see among demons, to see people dying or dead, but he wasn't all that used to it anymore concerning that one moment. He had killed many demons as well as a few humans himself with Touya if they bothered to intercept their path and get in his way, but for that one time, he couldn't afford for humans to pay for his irresponsible behavior. “I am…I am sorry…I can't go back into that barn…or any barn for that matter.”

 

Having to hear Jin say that and mean it made Dustin sigh as he looked back up the hill at the barn upon it before turning back to the petrified demon. “Why?” he asked, “What is the matter?”

 

“I can't tell you,” Jin responded almost inaudibly. “You'll think I am stupid…and spineless…”

 

“So now what, you just plan on starving?” Dustin wondered as he furrowed his brow in worry. “Jin, I know that fire that almost killed you frightened you to some degree, but understand that's not going to happen again.”

 

Jin overlapped his arms upon the ground before resting his chin upon them with a sigh of uncertainty. He didn't want to starve but having to be reminded of that night was too much for him at that moment. He felt trapped and knew now it wouldn't matter where he lived because he couldn't face the reality of that blazing night.

 

Not receiving an answer, Dustin looked back up at the barn before dropping the diary and writing tool Jin neglected to bring with him earlier. “There—at least take that back. I will go back and get you the cow you slaughtered so you can finish it out here. Just promise me you won't move.”

 

“Promise,” Jin mumbled as he grabbed onto his diary to hold close to his chest.

 

Dustin made sure that Jin wouldn't move as he slithered just a bit away from him before looking back at the upset snake creature. Seeing the redhead didn't have any energy to care for moving, he headed onward towards the barn to drag out the cow his group member had left behind.

 

Once Dustin was gone, Jin placed his head in his hand with a shake of his fiery red hair. “I am so pathetic,” he sighed, his chest aching in pain he never experienced at that moment. Resting his chin back on his arm, he locked his lidded blue eyes upon the ripples in the lake before him as exhaustion and hunger nearly overtook him.