<TW> Death, Gore, Blood, Weapons, Fighting, Character death

<CW> angst, minor fluff(?)

  Grian led his friends around large rocks and up small hills, walking around aimlessly while he searched for a place for the powerful trio to hide in for the time being.

  BDubs was bouncing along beside Etho, his hand anxiously fidgeting with the chain of his pocket watch as he strained his ears and scanned his surroundings for anyone who would be watching them.

  Etho appeared the most calm as he trailed behind Grian, his hand on BDubs' shoulder to keep him close and safe.

  Grian stopped after he led them over another hill, he saw something, something his friends didn't see, but maybe they heard.

  "Walk quietly and quickly, I think I know where we can hide." Grian said, looking back and forth before continuing to walk, as if he were a child about to cross the road.

  Etho and BDubs quickly followed behind their feathered friend. "Where, G?" BDubs whispered. Grian's wings fluttered as they came to the center of the field, Etho reacted the quickest, pulling BDubs back and kicking Grian down.

  BDubs gasped as two arrows hit the floor where they were just walking. Etho's ears twitched, and Grian's eyes widened as he raised himself to a crouch.

  "Thank you.."BDubs muttered to Etho, focusing on what he heard around him.

  They formed a sort of protective triangle together, each of them facing a different direction. The Listeners immediately turned when they heard Grian let out a pained and angry cry.

  BDubs quickly turned and pulled Grian away from a brunette wearing a brown vest over a green sweater with rolled up sleeves. Iskall. His diamond sword had blood on it, Grian's blood. His expression was dull and cold, his eyes icy and lime green.

  Grian winced as he tried to move his wing as he pushed BDubs a bit away, Iskall cut along one of his wings when he had raised them to protect himself. "I'm fine," he mumbled and watched as Gem and Impulse moved to stand beside Iskall. All of their eyes hard and lime green.

  Etho got out his sword first, BDubs hesitantly following suit as he studied his old friends. The two trios stood there for what felt like ages, staring each other down, daring one another to make the first move.

  Then Gem struck.

  She raised her hands quickly, drawing back an arrow in her bow and letting it fly. She hit BDubs in the temple, her magically and chemically enhanced arrow immediately taking a negative effect on BDubs.

BDubs crumpled to the floor, desperately fighting to keep his consciousness as he held his hand to his bleeding head. Everything hurt. Everything hurt so much, and his eyes saw dancing black spots no matter where he looked.

"BDubs!" Etho cried out, but before he could rush to his friend's aid and do something, Impulse lunged forward and sliced at Etho's face. The white haired Hermit barely avoided a fatal injury to his face, instead an old scar on his face happily opened up and dripped red with blood when Impulse requested it did.

Grian glanced worriedly at his two friends, but he knew he couldn't get distracted. He turned to Iskall and pulled out a sword, prepared to fight him. Prepared for a little revenge considering his wing.

Gem approached BDubs, and the dark haired hermit worriedly looked up at her, his mind all jumbled and confusing his logic. He held up his sword weakly, but Gem snatched it out of his hands and threw it to the side.

BDubs didn't want to die. He wasn't ready, he had so much more to do. So many more years to spend with his friends. He felt tears welling up in his eyes, he let them fall. He welcomed the hot burning sensation of his salty tears.

BDubs didn't want to die, and yet, he still felt the pain as Gem hit him again. Splattering a bit of blood on his clothes and the nearby grass, staining her sword. BDubs fell, his eyes unbelievably heavy as they fell closed, tears still staining his cheeks.

Then everything was black for BDubs, and the pain didn't feel so horrible anymore.

  Grian's sword clanged against Iskall's as he drove him back for a few seconds. He watched in horror as he saw BDubs fall lifelessly before Gem out of his peripheral vision.

  BDubs was dead. 

  That one thought rang through his mind as Iskall approached again, a great pain and fear stabbed through his heart. He shook his head, he couldn't get distracted in a battle. He focused back on the fight a little too late however.

  Iskall sliced at him, and Grian desperately flapped his injured wings to escape. His cheek got a cut on it, and pain lightninged through his wings. He cried out and stumbled when his feet made it back to the grassy ground.

  Iskall raised his sword again, but someone else deflected the blow and defended Grian. "Are you okay, G?" Etho questioned as he pushed Iskall back. Grian glanced at where Etho was, and he saw Gem on the ground, she was breathing unevenly, so she was alive. Impulse wasn't in sight. Where had he gone?

  "Yeah, thanks Etho." Grian replied and he regained his composure. Neither of them looked back at their fallen friend, they knew that it would distract them. And possibly cost them their lives.

  The two attacked Iskall, they almost got him. They could get out of here! Maybe they could still save BDubs, somehow.. Etho heard some footsteps behind them, Grian didn't hear, and Etho warned him too late.

  "Grian!" Etho shouted, slashing at Iskall blindly as he turned towards his shorter friend. Impulse swung, and he slashed at Grian's head while the winged Hermit was unaware.

  Grian's eyes widened as he felt the burning pain on his head. His wings reacted first to the attack, folding around him protectively, but it was too late. The damage had been done. Grian fell, his ears ringing and his wings and head screaming in pain internally. He heard his white haired friend yelling, why was he yelling?

  Grian's eyes felt heavy, all he wanted to do was sleep. But he couldn't, Etho and BDubs needed him. But.. if it was just a quick nap, it would be okay, wouldn't it? Yeah. Just a quick nap, Etho wouldn't mind. Grian would just sleep by BDubs.

  Etho wouldn't mind.

  Iskall kicked Etho in the back and he fell. Etho's vision blurred with tears, both of his friends were dead, weren't they? Etho quickly raised himself to a crouch and gripped his sword tightly, he slashed at Impulse and stood.

  The three contributed in a deadly dance for what felt like ages to Etho, Iskall swung or kicked, Etho fell or stumbled, then he attacked either Impulse or Iskall. Etho was sure his insides were damaged, because he was in pain, but he couldn't see where. Perhaps internal bleeding? Impulse attacked first this time, slashing at Etho's arm, quickly being followed by Iskall kicking Etho to the ground.

  Etho hit the ground hard and he hissed in pain, everything hurt, he knew he shouldn't give up. But, the grass seemed so inviting. Etho could see his friends from where he lay on the grass, Grian looked so peaceful, so comfortable wrapped up in his wings. BDubs was stained with crimson red, and he had tears mixing in with the blood. Etho wanted nothing more than to comfort him, he wanted nothing more than to join them and escape from the pain of losing them.

Etho didn't get back up, instead he focused on the pain he felt. He dropped his sword and he held his hand out in front of him, there was a red line from how tightly he had been gripping the hilt of the weapon. He reached out to his friend's as his mind slowed, knowing what Etho chose to do. A heavy boot crushed Etho's back, and the white haired Hermit finally gave up, letting the cold embrace of death take him.

And then everything was black, and sounds weren't sounds. For BDubs, for Grian, and for Etho, all that feeling was just a numb sensation.

Iskall lifted his boot from Etho's back when he went motionless, and he approached Gem. He kicked her lightly on her side to test if she was alive, Gem was. "Get up, we have to report back." Iskall said coldly, walking away to Impulse, not bothering to help her.

Gem carefully picked herself up, she glared at the backs of the two brunettes walking away and she glanced at the bodies that were left behind. She walked to each one, grabbing their weapons for later—or for an improvement from her current one. Then, after giving Etho a vengeful kick to the head, she jogged up to her partners.

The two Listeners and one Watcher were left behind, their blood staining the grass and dirt around them. They stayed there until a friend found them.

FULLY IMPROVISED CHAPTER! This one was all me and whatever my mind decided it wanted, I hope you enjoyed, and I'll see you in the next chapter! :D

(I smile casually after elaborating on three deaths- xD)

1555 words