Resistance

Beyond the Veil

Sunlight seemed to shine brightly past closed eyelids, an earthy smell reaching his nose...If he were to open his eyes, he would see the gentle sway of leaves overhead, the light from the sun filtering through, almost sparkling.

Morning. As that sparkling light continued to filter down, he realized he had been dreaming. Dreaming a nostalgic dream...He wondered if this had come to him as a result of his conversation with Cai the previous evening.

“You’re finally awake.” A voice called from overhead.

Speak of the devil, Aaron caught sight of Cai, who had been sitting atop a branch on the tree he had dozed off underneath...It was also within that moment, that Aaron realized he had gone and conked out when they were supposed to have been rotating the night watch.

“s**t, I’m sorry-” He hastily apologized, rising to his feet.

“Don’t worry about it. It was your turn to rest anyhow.” Cai reassured him, eventually leaping down from his branch. “Anyhow, why don’t you wake Syrus so we can get a move on?” He suggested, glancing around somewhat cautiously. “...I don’t like the notion of lingering in any one place for too long.”

“Agreed.” Aaron nodded, turning his attention to Syrus before giving him a slight shake.

It took a few tries to rouse him, but soon enough, Syrus was up on his feet, though he looked exhausted...Admittedly, this made Aaron a little concerned, but they truly couldn’t afford to linger any longer.

“You alright?” He questioned, helping him to his feet.

“I’m fine.” Syrus reassured him, giving his body a bit of a stretch, feeling somewhat stiff from sleeping on the ground.

Perhaps it had been his imagination, but Aaron couldn’t help but notice Syrus seemed a bit more like his peppy, usual self today...If that were the case, he felt relieved.

The three of them spent some time removing any traces of their campsite, in the likely chance that they were being pursued.

“...Listen, I…” Syrus began out of the blue, breaking the silence that had passed between them. Needless to say, both Cai and Aaron’s attention had been fixated on him the moment he spoke up, and Syrus’ ears folded back reflexively. He felt particularly self conscious when he met Cai’s gaze for only an instant, recalling the state he had seen Syrus in the evening before.

So blatantly exposing his weakness like that...It had certainly been unlike him.

“...I’m sorry.” He finally finished his previous sentence, averting his gaze. “...I...I know both of you are just looking out for me, so I’m sorry for being so inconsiderate and irrational the other day.”

He truly felt the need to apologize, knowing that both of them were putting themselves at risk for him...As much as he would have wanted to take on all the burdens by himself, he knew deep down that he couldn’t.

“You don’t really have to apologize.” Aaron was the first to speak up. “Your reactions had been understandable enough, considering what you’ve been through...Not that I know what that might be, but that’s besides the point.”

“Aaron’s right. I think anyone would have reacted the same way.” Cai agreed, though it was anyone’s guess as to whether he picked up on that sense of awkwardness Syrus directed towards him.

Rather...Since when did these two agree on anything? Syrus couldn’t help but notice they even seemed to be getting along for once.

Naturally, he was curious, but he decided not to press his own curiosity.

“...If you both insist, who am I to argue?” He finally replied with a flick of his tail. “At any rate, do we actually have a travel plan going on here??”

“Well…” Cai began, looking ahead as they gradually began making their way forward once more. “I figure so long as we keep going forward without backtracking, we’ll end up somewhere sooner or later.”

“...Brilliant.” Syrus sighed, somehow not feeling very surprised that there wasn’t exactly a solid plan they were going by. Just how long would this be? Days? Weeks?? Months??? None of them knew how far this forest extended. None of them had ever stepped beyond the boundaries of the city to this extent...None of them knew what to expect. The city was all they had known, after all, but... “...I guess it’s better than nothing.”

No point in going back now.

However, the days would continue to pass by, one by one. Their pace was constant, traveling by day, and camping at night, using whatever they could find within the forest to get them by.

Whether they were still being followed or not, they didn’t know, and none of them wanted to stop to try and find out either. The more distance they could put between themselves and the city, the better.

But the forest seemed to continue on endlessly...Syrus began to wonder if there was even an end to this massive ‘jungle’...However, there came a point in their traveling, where the air seemed to grow thicker, ever so steadily. A fog, it seemed, began to cloak the air, growing thicker the more they pressed on, until it became difficult to even see what was right in front of them.

Soon enough, the path ahead of them seemed unclear. It was difficult to tell which way was what.

“...We should stop.” Aaron finally spoke up, squinting as he attempted to see through the dense fog, but to no avail. He could barely see his own hand in front of his face. “….If this keeps up, we’re going to get lost.”

“I’d say we’re already quite lost.” Cai chimed in, glancing around to make sure his companions were both still there beside him. “As things are right now, I’m not even sure we can backtrack.”

“...Well that’s just great. I always wanted to spend the rest of my days wandering through the woods until I wither away.” Aaron replied with a dejected sigh.

Syrus couldn’t help but roll his eyes in response, looking to see if he himself could make anything out through this fog. Even a general idea of where to go would be helpful. A scent...Anything.

“Calm down for a moment, will you—Hmm?” Syrus tried to hush them before a strange scent did indeed begin to tickle at his nose. Something different from the damp scent the fog gave off.

The scent of moisture, but not from the fog...The scent seemed to resemble the same as a body of water, yet that wasn’t entirely accurate either. There was something else about it…

The scent was somehow...Salty? Yes, that was the strange hint he was picking up on. He couldn’t resist the urge to walk ahead, following his nose towards that odd scent, one which grew stronger the more he pressed on.

“Syrus?” Cai’s voice echoed after him, but Syrus simply continued on. Neither of them had any idea what he was doing, casting eachother a questioning glance before they had no choice but to follow after Syrus.

The more they walked, the more the fog gradually began to thin out. Even the amount of trees seemed to be lessening, the amounts becoming patchy at best. If the group were to look on ahead, they would be able to make out the glimmer of natural light in the distance.

And then...They finally reached a clearing, the sun shining brightly overhead, and a scene spread before them that was absolutely mesmerizing.

A massive body of water reached out from a seemingly endless range further below the forest, the surface glistening brilliantly as it reflected the sun’s light...In fact, it was only those glittering waves that separated the water from the sky, looking as though they were nearly as one.

Was this...The ocean?

Syrus was enamored by the sight of it all, his eyes lighting up.

The sky...It was so open. So blue...So much more than the sky he knew back within the city.

In that moment, he realized the world outside...Must have been a beautiful place, a more grand place than he could have possibly expected...Just how much more was there to see if this sight alone, the first sight of the world beyond the city, was so amazing in itself?

“There’s a city down there…” Aaron’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts, looking farther down the grassy hills to see there *was indeed a city along the shoreline...Or...Rather than a city, it seemed smaller. Much smaller than their own...Were they usually this small outside?

“Hmm…” Cai crossed his arms in thought, amber eyes looking down at the ‘city’ while he seemed to be considering something. “...I wonder if we would be able to take a boat across the ocean from there?”

“A boat?” Syrus echoed, looking down to see there were a few along the waters, their white sails almost seeming like triangular clouds across the blue waves.

The idea certainly wasn’t a bad one. If they were to cross the ocean, surely it would make things far more difficult for their pursuers, if they still had any.

...No. Syrus was certain they did. At least one.

The thought loomed in his mind like a dark shadow, but he shook his head to clear it. One step at a time. They wouldn’t know anything if they didn’t go down to the city themselves….However, there ran the risk that the Diou’s control could have spread even here.

They had to tread carefully.

“Well...It’s worth a shot. We won’t know til we go down there and try, right?” He nodded, the tip of his tail flicking somewhat nervously.

For now, the three of them descended down the grassy hills, and towards the ‘city’ below.

Even though it had already looked quite far from the boundaries of the forest, Syrus was surprised with just how far that little city was. Surely if they hadn’t been at such a high vantage point, they may have not even seen the little city at all.

At least a couple hours passed before they finally began to approach that very city.

There were no guards along the entrance to try and stop them from entering. Buildings littered the interior, made of either straw or wood, entirely different from their own back in the city. They were small, not really towering as high as those that they were used to, and the roads laid bare with dirt.

Syrus could hear the sounds of shop owners vigorously calling out to passerby, the entire energy of this city vastly different compared to their own.

“...Wow…” He mumbled out loud before he could even stop himself, absolutely in awe at the sight of it all, but...Nothing could have prepared the group for what would have happened next.

A sudden scream ripped through the air, startling the group as they looked for the source of that scream.

A young woman wasn’t too far away from them, having fallen to the ground as it appeared, a woven basket on the ground, it’s contents of miscellaneous herbs and berries scattered about. Perhaps she had stumbled and dropped it??

“Hey, are you alright—“

Syrus reached his hand out to her, however….

“Stay away, beast!” She screeched, scooting back in fear, terror reflecting in her brown eyes...Terror directed at him, him and the others.

What...Was this reaction?

The sound of her screams attracted the attention of others, more and more people gravitating towards the commotion, and their gazes too, turned towards him in either aggression or fear.

“Demons?! How did they get here?!?!” One of them hissed.

“They must have come from beyond the forest!!” Another replied, a wave of anxiety and panic rippling throughout the crowds of people.

Syrus didn’t understand what was happening, but even if he wanted to understand, he couldn’t approach the panic stricken crowd.

“Stay back!!”

The shouts came before Syrus flinched as a sharp pain shot out from his forehead, something small having made an impact against his skin, the blood trickling down his forehead.

He only had enough time to realize it had been a small rock before several more came.

Followed by more shouts. Words full of aggression. Emotions Syrus couldn’t grasp. Shouts for them to return. Shouts of hateful words. He didn’t understand a single one of them, but the pelting of stones didn’t lessen for even a moment, until Aaron had stepped in front of him, attempting to shield him from the onslaught.

...The group finally had their first encounter with the world outside...The people outside...And this was their first taste of it.

Treatment and accusations that not any one of them even understood.

They had no choice but to retreat when the rock rain continued to grow in aggression, trying to put as much distance between themselves and the little city as possible.

As night fell, the group settled, left to gather around their campfire, confusion and shock gripping them.

They were left trying to grasp what had just transpired...Not that any one of them had the slightest inkling.

Syrus himself just sat in a stupor, staring listlessly at the flickering flames, not even knowing how to react.

“...Syrus, your head.” Cai’s voice was the first to break their shocked silence before he let out a small sigh, pushing himself off of the ground and making his way over. “...It’s bleeding.”

“...Huh??” Syrus didn’t understand right away, not until he reached up to touch his forehead, a painful throbbing burning throughout a specific spot just above his temple. As he pulled his hand away, the tips of his fingers were coated in red. “...Oh.”

Cai tore a piece off his own sleeve before pressing it against the wound, silence once again seizing the group.

“...Does anyone have any idea of what just happened??” Syrus decided to question.

“...No, but I couldn’t help but notice they all looked rather plain.” Cai answered. “None of them really looked very different from eachother. Brown hair, black hair, brown, or hazel eyes...There just didn’t seem to be any sense of diversity.”

“So? There’s plenty of people like that back home too.” Aaron rose an eyebrow, not understanding what point Cai had been trying to make. “What does that have to even do with anything? There’s nothing odd about plain hair and eyes.”

“Perhaps not, but for everyone to be like that??” Cai interjected. “Perhaps to them, we look very unusual.”

“Unusual enough to call us Demons and Beasts, and then throw rocks at us??”

“Well—“

However, the sudden sound of rustling nearby had the whole group immediately on alert.

Syrus’ fur puffed out, immediately thinking of the worst case scenario as he kicked dirt onto the fire to put it out. Both Cai and Aaron were on the defensive, and then...They were silent.

They held their breath, listening for any sound, any sense of the slightest off feeling...And the moment that rustling noise sounded off again, and out of the bushes…

None of them even gave the poor fool a chance as they all pounced, pinning their surprise ‘guest’ to the ground.

“Ow, ow, ow, ow!!” A voice called out form underneath them, and Syrus was able to make out his features.

His hair was a grayish black, but perhaps more curiously than that...Were the pair of cat-like ears that sat atop his head.

“Who are you?” Cai demanded, his amber eyes locked fiercely on the man, refusing to let him out of his sight. “Speak now or you’ll be losing a lot more than your fur.”

“Geez, calm down. You kids sure are jumpy, aren’t you??” The man frowned, yet despite his situation, he somehow managed to give all three of them the slip before they could even stop him. “A bit foolish too, to be waltzing right into Human territory without hiding your ears or tail.”

“...Human territory…?” Syrus echoed, looking flabbergasted, and wondering just what exactly this man was going on about...Much less how he managed to escape having been practically pig-piled on by all three of them.

However, the man was silent in response, a long, black tail swaying behind him.

“...I knew it.” He spoke up, his lavender colored eyes finally visible as he looked up at the group. “...You three came from within the forest, didn’t you??”

The situation only seemed to give rise to more and more questions. Even if they were to get answers, Syrus felt as though even those answers would give way to even more questions.

“...Nothing you people have been saying has been making any sense.” Cai spoke up in response, crossing his arms and looking clearly skeptical.  

“The world outside of the city is completely different than what you’ve been led to believe. Your entire world as you know it is nothing like the reality.” The man answered. “Out here there are only Humans, those you would consider as more ‘normal.’ Those like yourselves are few and far in-between. In the world outside…” He began, his eyes narrowing. “...There is little room for those who are considered ‘Inhuman’ to belong.”

“...Did you...Come from inside…?’ Syrus questioned, appalled with the notion, but putting everything into perspective, that only made sense.  

“...I suppose you could say that.” The man admitted, almost a bit hesitantly. “...But like I said, you can’t just be waltzing into Human territory, looking like that, especially you.” He pointed out, more specifically towards Syrus. “Do you not know how to hide them??” He added in, pointing to his own ears when Syrus didn’t seem to understand. “Your ears and tail.”

“I...Wasn’t aware that I could??” Syrus blinked, stumped by the thought of ever being able to do so...His ears and tail were a part of him, to the point where he wondered if he could even function properly without them.

Rather, the thought of not having them just seemed outrageous.

“…” The man rubbed at the back of his neck, letting out a small sigh as he cast his gaze to the side, contemplating. “...You kids, come with me.”

“Why should we?” Cai interjected sharply, not bothering to hide his distrust.

“Do you have any better options? Waltzing right up into the village worked so well the first time, why not try it again?” The man shot back, disregarding the harsh look Cai gave him in return. Despite how skeptical he was, even Cai couldn’t come up with a plausible retort to that.

He had a point, Syrus had to admit. They certainly couldn’t go back into that little city, and backtracking wasn’t an option either. There wasn’t a better option lined up for them, and on top of that...Somehow, Syrus was seized with the feeling that they could trust this person. He felt that in his gut.

“...Let’s go then.” He ended up speaking out, looking back at Cai and Aaron, who had no protest with his decision, seeing as how he had come to one.  

Wherever Syrus would go, they would go.

And so...They followed after him.