"Whose journals?" I asked, squinting down at the shorthand. Jyri shrugged, shoving the crumbling books carefully back in the bag and brushing the ash from his hands. 
    "We'll see what Ronin has to say." Jyri shouldered the bag and straightened up, looking out towards the shadowy road. "Are you alright watching the gate while I take these inside?"
    "Of course." I also stood, feeling the telltale ebb and flow of the fire rushing through my veins. My heart beat faster and my skin prickled as sweat began to dampen my arms, prompting me to pull off my jacket and expose my bare skin. 
    "I'll be back soon." Jyri promised, trotting off quickly towards the front door. I sighed, tossing my jacket down by the front of the gate and taking a deep lungful of cool air. 
    I waited for several minutes, watching the treetops sway in the faint breeze. Their dark shadows danced along the darkened road, shifting and playing tricks on me. I turned to walk towards another section of the fence when a soft metallic clank caught my attention 
    I froze, my back ramrod straight and my ears pricked. There was another barely-there clank and then the whisper of footsteps over the ground, prompting me to wheel back around with a snarl already on my lips. 
    Blindingly bright light flared in front of me and I cried out, shielding my eyes with my forearm. I staggered back a step and struggled to get my bearings, shock and anger pulsing through me. Something clattered on the ground next to me and I wrinkled my nose at an unpleasant odor, coughing when noxious smoke filled my lungs. My foot scuffed against the plastic smoke bomb and I kicked it away, doubled over and gagging at the acrid fumes. 
    I forced myself to straighten and blinked furiously, dark spots filling most of my vision, and barely made out dark figures vaulting easily over the gate. Hunters stood in a line before me and I bristled, a low growl pouring from my throat and my hands clenching into fists. My eyes teared at the smoke and my throat burned, my breath rasping in my chest. 
    I coughed and struggled to straighten up fully, squinting to focus on them through the heavy smoke and the shadows dancing across my vision.
    "Get out." I ordered levelly, my voice pitched low from anger. The hunters didn't move and I took the time to count them, bracing myself for a fight. None of them were going to get past me. 
    My only answer was the smooth whisper of steel swords sliding from their scabbards. The hunters held swords ready, a few them skillfully drawing bows or adjusting grips on naginatas. I growled again in response to their intimidating looks, bending my knees and resting my weight on my back foot. 
    The hunters rushed me suddenly and I barely had time to slide under a sword towards my head. We dissolved into a tangle of writhing bodies, kicking and slashing to get the upper hand. Adrenaline pumped through my body and I couldn't help but smile, enjoying the chaos and excitement despite myself. 
    I was forced to weave around several arrows, one of the pointed tips catching my arm and tearing a long scratch in my skin. I winced, ignoring it and lunging for the hunter who had fired the arrow. I tore the bow from his hands and snapped it in two, driving my fist into his face. 
    A feeling of euphoria followed the gradual increase of a buzzing sensation, and I glanced down to see my skin knitting itself together. Satisfied, I looking up to continue fighting, scanning the area briefly to make sure none of the hunters were slinking past me. 
    I ducked under a punch and kicked out, sending the hunter flying towards the fence. I didn't give myself time to think, darting through the smoke and trying to take out as many hunters as possible. The few small cuts I sustained healed almost as soon as I got them, allowing me to focus simply on fighting.
    Most of the hunters were staying close to the gate now, only a few bold enough or determined enough to engage me. I mostly tried to just kick them towards the gate, not wishing to truly harm any of them, and found that my tactic was working. A few had already vaulted back over the fence and retreated, leaving their comrades to continue the fight. 
    I found myself facing a tall man and tried to duck away to kick him back, but his arm shot out and he grabbed me. 
    The hunter's hand gripped my shoulder tightly, his thumb digging into the soft flesh around my shoulder joint, and I raised my hand to punch him. He blocked my hit and drew a dagger fluidly from his belt, keeping his hold on my shoulder and stabbing quickly towards my stomach. The knife pierced my skin and the impact made me shudder, searing pain following a moment later when the knife scraped against my lowest rib. I could feel the point change course when it glanced off the bone, blood pouring hot and thick down my skin. The hunter twisted the knife quickly and I roared, staggering when he yanked the blade out and then plunged it in again. 
    I struggled to push him away, grabbing the hand on my shoulder and twisting it as far back as I could. The pain from my side was ungodly, a burning sensation that consumed even the skin around the punctures and made a sluggish feeling pulse through my veins. 
    The hunter grunted in pain and I felt brutal pleasure, cranking the broken bones even farther back and baring my teeth in a smile. The hunter yanked his hand away from me and leaned back, unleashing a kick that hit my chest and sent me flying backwards. 
    I rolled along the concrete dizzyingly, the ground claiming patches of skin from my arms and lower belly when the hem of my pants dragged down slightly to expose the vulnerable points of my hipbones. I stopped rolling and slid into the hard garage door with a dull thud, pain spreading dully across my back and shoulders. 
    My palm cupped my side instinctively and came away b with crimson, more blood streaked along the concrete in front of me, marking the direction of my path. I staggered to my feet and narrowed my eyes at the hunter, heat rising in my chest. 
    They came to my home, they threatened my family, and they hurt people I cared about. 
    They were going to pay for it.
    I filled my lungs with air, ignoring the increase of pain from my side and focusing on the strength thrumming through me. I threw my head back and roared with all I had, the sound sending chills down my own spine as it exploded into the night air. It was louder than I intended and the hunters all winced, some even dropping weapons to clap their hands against their ears. 
    They had doubled over and were stumbling around, dizzy, with blood running down from their ears. Some recovered better than others, shaking off their discomfort to focus on me with narrowed eyes.  
    I raised my arm purposefully, gathering every trace of anger, hurt, and warmth in my body and feeling the heat build in my bicep until the muscle fairly vibrated. I encouraged the buzzing feeling, sending it farther down my forearm until I was certain my arm would explode from the raw energy filling it. 
    I exhaled strongly, using my breath to focus the heat and shove it forcefully out of my palm. Fire burst forward in long streaks, flaring quickly through the air towards the hunters and leaping onto their clothes. 
    One hunter dropped his bow as orange tongues of flame up the wood, burning his hands and filling the air with smoke. The hunters all began to flee, abandoning burning weapons and struggling to get away from the flames sprouting from my hands. One hunter was nearly over the fence when I let go of the fire, letting it flicker out as I lunged forward and twisted my fingers in the back of his jacket. 
    I dragged him off the fence with a grunt, tossing him down onto the ground and leaning over him. He squeaked and covered his face with his arm, squinting his eyes closed. I swayed dizzily above him, my vision going dark for a moment before I steeled myself and focused on him. 
    I wrapped my hand in the front of his jacket, picking his torso off the ground and bringing my face right up next to his. He trembled, eyes blown wide with fear, and I could see my face reflected back at me. I looked gruesome with my shining eyes and scar, my brow weighted by a scowl. 
    "Can you hear me?" I growled, shaking him slightly. Blood trickled from his ears to slide wetly down his neck, but he nodded tremulously. 
    "Y-yes," he gasped, trying to harden his face against his fear. 
    "I have a message for your commander." I said, my voice strong and rough with purpose. "All of this could have been avoided. There's no more need for future conflicts if she follows one rule."
    "...rule?" the hunter whispered. I nodded, tightening my grip in his clothing and baring my teeth. 
    "Don't with my family." I hissed, feeling oddly like a mama bear and waiting for him to nod before abruptly dropping him. He fell back against the concrete and then scrabbled to his feet, pausing to grab a wounded hunter and drag his friend over the gate.
    He vanished and I looked down at the black scorch marks marring the concrete in front of me. There were puddles of blood and piles of charred weapons all around me, the air filled with the acrid smell of the smoke bombs and singed flesh. 
    I blinked numbly and then remembered to pull up the hem of my t-shirt, hissing through my teeth when the cloth stuck to my wound. It was too dark and too bloody to see much, but I knew it wasn't healing like it should. I carefully prodded around the skin, my confusion and pain growing when I felt what appeared to be blisters edging the sliced flesh.  
    I sighed and turned with difficulty, staggering suddenly. The world spun around me and I struggled to draw in air, the same sluggish feeling from before intensifying and filling my whole body. I sunk to one knee, bracing my palms in front of me, one hand reaching back to clutch at the streaming gash. 
    The adrenaline from the fight was gone, leaving me weak and shuddering. I forced one hand forward, trying to crawl through the carport, along the front walkway and up the steps to the front door. I realized immediately that I wouldn't make it that far; my arm was already giving out. 
    I sunk down, hoping distantly that the hunters were gone for good and curling up on my side. My muscles shook and convulsed, cramping painfully as they quickly locked up, my legs and arms paralyzed. 
    A voice cut through my hazy thoughts, a small flash of relief trickling through me when I recognized Aoi. 
    "Tao? Jyri? What the hell was that noise?" Aoi called. His footsteps scuffed closer and I struggled to raise my head, a moan falling from my lips. 
    "Aoi." I breathed, hearing him swear when he saw me. His steps pounded towards me and a hand rested on my shoulder, his face appearing over me. 
    "Tao! What happened? Where's Jyri?" Aoi asked. I winced and tried to sit up, crying out softly as my stomach muscles cramped viciously. 
    "Inside." I croaked. Aoi looked me over and pulled my shirt up, swearing again loudly when he saw the blood pooling stickily around me. 
    "Quiet." Aoi ordered, sliding his arms gently under my back and my knees. He stood, cradling me softly and running for the front door. "Why didn't you call me? You're not supposed to do everything by yourself."
    "Was....fine." I mumbled, light filling the space around me as we walked into the entryway. 
    Aoi carried me to the living room, both of us brushing past Jyri, who'd been hurrying towards the door. 
    "What happened?" Jyri asked, his eyes wide. 
    "Why were you gone so long from your post?" Aoi thundered. "The hunters came and went already and you were in here doing nothing!"
    "I was helping Kris." Jyri said calmly. "Why isn't he healing?"
    "I don't know." Aoi said, still agitated. "Something's wrong." 
    "Go get Kris. I'll stay at the gate." Jyri said. Aoi nodded, running up the stairs to the second story. He turned left and I clutched at his shirt softly, not wanting him to slip through my fingers and leave me alone. 
    "Kris!" Aoi called, gracefully maneuvering me through the doorway and up the stairs to the loft. "Tao's been stabbed."
    "What in god's name..." Kris trailed off, his face appearing above me suddenly. "Peach, take slow, deep breaths."
    I tried to tell him that I couldn't, that my muscles were working against me, constricting my lungs tighter with each passing second. 
    "How did this happen?" Kris asked, a deranged note of panic surfacing in his voice. Aoi explained he had found me like this in front of the house, his voice incredibly calm compared to Kris'. 
    I was laid carefully on the carpet, my shirt torn open to expose the wound. My eyes fluttered and Yoichi's face swum into focus above me, his eyes gently reassuring as he cradled my head between his hands. 
    "What was it?" Kris demanded, sounding desperate. "A sword, a knife, what?"
    "I don't know, I wasn't with him." Aoi said, their footsteps scuffling all around me. My head tipped to the side and I could see Ronin watching me with shockingly concerned eyes, his neck and shoulder swathed in bandages. 
    "You left him?!" Kris exclaimed furiously. 
    "Aoi wasn't supposed to be with Tao." Yoichi spoke suddenly, breaking into the conversation. 
    "Knife." I ground out, struggling to keep my eyes open. "It was a knife."
    "Ok, ok, baby." Kris breathed, peering at my stomach. He swore, making Yoichi and Aoi also lean in. 
    "The blisters..." Aoi trailed off, all of them exchanging glances. 
    "I don't...we don't have anything to stop dragonsblood." Yoichi said quietly. Kris swore and then bit down hard on his thumb, his eyes flicking towards me. 
    "Tao, can you move your toes?" Kris asked suddenly, disappearing and then tugging at my shoes. I tried but it was difficult, all the muscles knotted up against each other. 
    "He's not going to last another hour without help." Aoi said, pulling his familiar blade out of his boot and looking at me for permission. 
    I nodded slightly, trusting Aoi and willing to do anything to stop the sick feeling spreading through my body. Aoi set the tip of the knife against my skin, taking a deep breath and beginning to work. 
    "Wait!" Ronin exclaimed, making everyone pause and look at him. I coughed against a thick feeling in the back of my throat, blinking slowly. 
    "What?" Kris snapped crossly. "We don't have time."
    "The bag Kin left in..." Ronin said, sitting up and gesturing wildly towards the satchel. He faded from sight when my visioned darkened and then reappeared after a moment or two, his voice fading next. 
    My breath came fast and I let my head loll back against the ground, my mouth falling open. 
    "...has medicine." Ronin finished, the rest of his sentence lost to me. I coughed again, instinctively clutching at my stomach and finding Aoi's hands already there, stemming the blood. 
    "Thank you." Kris said, sounding slightly relieved as he vanished. 
    He reappeared with a tiny pouch that I recognized, pulling out the same vials Ronin had used to heal Kris so long ago. They slid against each other with a soft tinkling sound, filling my ears with music as I fought hard not to slip away. 
    The sharp scent of medicine cut through my haze, gentle fingers smoothing a cool paste over my wounds. I moaned and there were hands on my forehead, brushing my hair back, soothing me. 
    "You're going to be just fine, Tao." Yoichi's low murmur was fuzzy at the edges and I nodded slowly, letting my eyes fall closed. 
    I was going to be just fine. 

    I awake before my eyes were open, assessing my body for injury. My muscles were sore bu