8 Golden - 4

That weight… so proud and heavy upon my shoulder. Like some sort of responsibility, some rage that would never… never leave me. Yet as the blood dripped down my shoulder, as the wound stabbed deeper into my psyche.

Inflicting pain… oh how it inflicted so much pain. Nerves numbed by adrenaline, yet moments later only suffered. Sending the full brunt of my wound into my brain. A scream that wanted to echo through my mouth.

Only to be stifled by the blood within my mouth. Filling it from the fierce bite I had inflicted upon myself. I had chewed through my lips, through my cheek. Splattering fresh blood within my mouth.

A muzzle to the scream.

But when I touched that weight over my shoulder. Feeling the soft fur against my fingers. The invisible hide that whispered within my ear.

My eyes turned to pinpricks, a gasp falling through my mouth as I finally pulled. For it was my only option. The only alternative to death.

Yet when I did so… when I pulled it and threw it over my shoulder. I felt a force so heavy impact me… I felt…

I felt it… truly I did… The strength within my muscles tightening. And the bow… a gift from… from…

It felt so heavy within my hand. But it wasn't truly. For the weight was conceptual. A heavy price that broke the laws of the world. Creating a new energy.

Where the stamina… no, the energy within my body coalesced with the energy swirling around me. Creating an unholy mix that rose through my body.

Reinforcing me conceptually. The best version of me… that this energy could create.

Yet when I crouched low to the ground, feeling a rumble within my chest. A growl that echoed through the chamber. Purple hair falling through the middle of my eyes. Barely noticeable.

But when I looked down, tilting my head, I found claws that stretched against my bow. Plucking the strings in some unorthodox way.

An arrow made out of that same energy. So heavy upon my soul. A transformation that I could not control. It was like watching some outsider control my body. Yet I knew… that for every movement I made. As the war shadows dodged and creaked with effort.

As they found gaps between my arrows, closing the distance with pitiful effort.

That every move I made was truly my own. As I snarled and lay low to the ground. Only absently sending one more arrow.

Made of that same energy. Yet when it impacted, when it was created. It was different. I knew that tool.

For it created an explosion of blue and green. Energy that destroyed the very being of that war shadow.

And when the other closed in, with power that cratered the ground. Multiple times stronger than even I. I knew that he was done. 

My crouched form snarled, jumping towards the ceiling and within the second trailing a claw among that black substance that made up its body.

Clawing through its body and tearing its soul within my hands. Howling against the gods. Eyes barely able to control who I had raged against.

And when I was done, when their fluids stained me for the last time. When I was well and truly safe. My manic eyes caught sight of another. Her golden hair shimmering in the faint light.

I advanced, snarl still on my face.

No…

Why?

Why wouldn't my body listen to me?

I grew closer, my hand reaching towards her neck. Claw gleaming with untold sharpness as it tried… oh how it tried… to kill my only companion here.

Yet when my feral eyes looked to her own lidded ones. Absolute trust within those golden orbs of hers.

As she weakly pronounced my name.

"Inari…" 

My own thoughts stilled, my hair growing green once more. Eyes turning back to what they once were.

A breath. Another. And then I fell, my body impacting the ground. Completely exhausted, not able to move even a muscle. For I had exhausted every source of energy imaginable.

Yet even if it was that… even if I was upon my last legs, feeling the energy fade from my soul. I felt that I would still be able to stand and walk towards that last bit of safety. But as my eyes fell heavily against the fading light.

I knew…

Knew that this was something different.

An awakening maybe. Or was it something different. That source of energy, that brought me towards that berserk state.

…

[Ais pov]

Was this fear? My hand shaking, not in rage, but… but… 

I turned, my eyes lidded, looking at Inari, at the claws that he held, that purple hair that seemed to flicker back to green. His ears and tail puffed up like some sort of angry cat.

Watching as he hobbled over to me…

Then as his claw reached over to my neck, only then did I truly feel fear. 

'I trusted you…' 

I thought to myself. Squinting my eyes and preparing my strength to retaliate. 

But when I saw that struggle in his eyes.

"Inari…" I muttered out once more.

He fell onto my lap. His small frame snuggling against me. His hair, once flickering between green and purple.

It finally settled.

And I could feel his warmth as he entrusted to me his body.

I sat up, tilting my head and placing his arm over my shoulder. Carrying his almost nonexistent weight.

Only then, once he was in my arms, held tightly to me. It was only then that I started the perilous walk through the dungeon.

Towards the surface.

I jumped at the slightest sound, knowing that we weren't far from the staircase to the fourth floor. Knowing that at least there I would be safe. Able to fight off any of the goblins or kobolds easily.

But what wasn't easy was actually getting there.

My hand gripped my sword tightly. Trying and failing to run faster than a walk. I knew we were close.

But the exact distance was lost to me. It was the first time that either of us set foot on this floor.

A growl echoed next to me, and for a second hope failed me. A certain rage filling my body. One that I knew I had to suppress.

As if I didn't I would not be able to bring Inari back to the surface.

I would be consumed. As he was.

And I didn't want that.

No, I shook my head. I really wanted to do this with him. Not by myself.

Not after I had found someone so similar to me.