Hurried footsteps raised the dirt on the ground as drops of blood betrayed the scent of life. A elongated snout sniffed the air as a raspy voice echoed. "Where are you little lamb?"
A cloud calvary soldier with a missing arm had not realised that his drops of blood had betrayed him. He ran and ran as his breathing became more intense.
He hurriedly crouched behind the wreckage of a starskiff and held his breath.
His eyes shrunk in fear as a soft blow of warm wind tickled his face. It was then a large waft of canine scent perfused through the area, lupitoxin.
The borisin had found him.
Its sickening grin showed its sharp teeth. As a voice slithered like death through the area.
"Found you~"
The atmosphered seemed to freeze as the sound did not come from the borisin but rather someone behind the borisin.
A dirtied but jade like hand placed itself upon the borisin's furry arm as he gazed at the slit eyed looking man. He looked almost like a Xianzhou noble with his looks. He looked more foxian than a foxian with those shut eyes.
However his smile was anything but.
In an instant his claws were snapped off and used as daggers. His very own weapons were seized and pierced into his own body. Each one landing with deadly precision.
Numerous wounds were carved into his chest as he struggled to respond. His other set of claws attempted to tear flesh and render the soul apart only to feel a surge of pain as he realised his other set of claws had been broken off.
Two of the fangs were pierced behind his leg joints as he could no longer stand.
One pierced the heart and the other two pierced his temple.
In an instant the borisin fell dead ass the Xianzhou soldier stared in shock. He had never seen someone use a borisin's claws as weapons. "Thank you!" The soldier chokes out as he clutched his bleeding arm.
Quickly the grandmaster used a cloth from the borisin to staunch the bleeding.
"I've called for back-up! I'll lead you to the location!" The soldier sounded desperate but it made sense.
Kill after kill.
Gain after gain.
Claws, trashcan lids, poles, chainmail, helmets, rocks and discarded weapons. Each method took down another borisin.
Each kill only made him stronger.
However, now he was feeling hunger. On a battlefield, food was scarce. The solider had already finished his available rations by sharing them with him.
"I still haven't asked, what's your name?" The soldier asked. The young man thought for a bit, he had lost his own name but perhaps he could honor what he knew of his origins.
"Taigong, but just Taigong is fine." Taigong spoke at last.
The pair continued to walk through the battlefield as Taigong continued to fight using numerous "weapons" each continuing to shock the soldier.
Eventually nightfall came and the fighting slowed.
"Hey, do Borisin eat normal foods as well?" Taigong asked the solider. The soldier thought for a bit before he spoke, "I would have assumed they would... Why? Oh..."
His voice trailed off as they realised there was a borisin camp on the way to their pick up spot. And even worse he could sense his partner's mood getting worse since they had ran out of food.
Despite his polite nature and seemingly unbothered look. Something about those slit eyes told him that Taigong was annoyed and hungry.
"Alright, we'll raid the camp." Taigong declared. He sifted through the nearby wreckage before grabbing a fire extinguisher.
~~~~
A hint of metallic smell of blood and unrest hung in the air. Sounds of fighting drew even nearer as shouts and howls of the borisin in the camp echoed.
A white teal-tipped haired foxian huddled together with another brown haired foxian.
"Neergul..."
She gently pats the trembling partner by her side, "I smell... A chance for freedom. Tonight is the night."
The foxian beside her shook her head in fear.
"Saran, the bodies of the three foxian slaves that tried to escape are still hanging on the gates..."
"No, tonight is different." Saran denied with a firm expression.
She raises her head as her ears twitched, I think someone has come to save us. From the sound of the fighting in the near distance, they're strong.
"Quick let's run and meet them."
She takes her companion's hand in hers,"It's okay. Just keep looking forward and don't look back."
The pair brought up their courage as they ran towards the sound of fighting rather than away.
As the fighting drew nearer and nearer, It was a sight that shocked the both of them. Numerous wounds appeared and disappeared on the man fighting and protecting the soldier behind him.
He was unarmed, or he was until he grabbed the nearest thing which happened to be the tail of a borisin.
A fountain of blood splurt out as the tail was ripped out with the spine still attached.
In an instant the man found himself armed with a jagged whip which he used skillfully before it soon broke under the stress.
Finding himself unarmed the man seized the fang of a borisin attempting to bite him and broke it off before it lodged into its skull.
Tent poles and sheets were used as weapons as well, the entire camp was being upended by a single person.
The two hid behind watching in a daze as the hope of rescue was kindled in their hearts. Saran held it in but her companion gasped as the dead body of a borisin fell right beside them.
The camp was silent as the two emerged to greet their rescuers.
Taigong's head turned to view the two kids before lowering his guard just slightly. "Foxian slaves?" The two nodded, the soldier beside Taigong spoke for him "You can come with us, the Xianzhou have a rescue squad coming to a point further ahead."
Taigong knelt down beside the two and politely asked, "I hope this doesn't come off as inconsiderate, and Im sure you would appreciate it too." The two foxians didn't seem to think they would care anymore.
Whatever it was it could not be worse than what the borisin treated them like.
"But where do the borisin keep their kitchen or food storage?"
For the first time, in their miserable lives. The two foxian girls let out a giggle. The question combined with his shut eyes broke the atmosphere and confirmed reality for them.
They were free at last.
"Lead the way~ Also what should I address you as?" Taigong asked. "Saran and Neergul." They replied.
Soon the group had their fill at a small area that had not yet been reached by the devastation of the Arms Grandmaster.
In the distance the shining light of a shooting star fell down. "Look a shooting star!" The two foxians exclaimed.
The solider chuckled, "That is no shooting star, that is a woman who can fly. That is the general of the Xianzhou Yaoqing and her name is Yueyu."
Taigong viewed that shooting star and a found a new admiration for strength as he gazed at the two smiling foxians. Such strength by itself can bring about miracles and hope.
He simply chewed on a piece of jerkey and waited for rescue.
[Chapter Lightcones]
[Hope Chases After Suffering] [⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️]
"In the heart of a battlefield soaked in blood and despair, two foxian slaves huddled together, trembling at every roar and scream but filled with dreams of freedom.
Then came the man with strange shut eyes — unarmed, yet unstoppable — tearing through their oppressors with nothing but scraps and sheer will.
For the first time, they dared to run toward the sound of fighting, not away from it. And when they saw him, unstoppable yet gentle, a strange warmth filled their hearts.
In his presence, the world of cruelty and suffering shrank, and hope — fragile, trembling, alive — finally found them."