The light of flame danced across Shikiria's eyes, illuminating rose colored Irises in the black of night. She stared wordlessly shocked at the building before her, the building she'd' just slept in, alongside all those children, as harsh flame danced around it. Consuming all who were left inside. A snicker distracted the mage from the firelight, her eyes darted to the right where the sound originated, She spotted four guards, sitting around the damnable flame that slowly destroyed those eyes she'd seen not yet an hour ago. Inexplicable rage began to suffuse Shikiria's being.
Hasty footsteps from behind her signaled the return of Tatio, who's feet found themselves unwilling to move any further at the sight of the burning home ahead of him.
In shock the Thief could do naught but fall to his knees, suddenly, the emotions struck him all at once, and his mouth opened, to release raw, and primal anguish. His tears splattered the ground as he, and Shikiria both watch it burn to a crisp, knowing they wouldn't be able to do anything to stop it.
But also knowing that they could have. If they'd just been a tad faster
As Tatio's cries joined the roar of flame, Shikiria couldn't help but think of what led to this point, and how she'd inevitably played a part in it all.
That in mind... She too started to well with tears.
Suddenly.. the images started to form, and she realized how big a part she'd played in it all...
"Ey! Lookee 'ere!" Sounded one of the drunkards somehow qualified as law enforcers. " It's the rat!"
That voice sounded familiar to Shikiria, it was the guard from earlier. Whom abused and battered Tatio during their first meeting. "How's it feel ya bugger? Cap'n might'a protected ya but 'e ain't 'ere now is 'e?" The drunkard slurred, providing the perfect clarity for Shikiria to realize what had happened this horrid night.
Mutiny.
Tatio looked up from the ground, his eyes now unable to tear away from his second home. Until they forked directly to the drunken bastard who started the blaze. A new fire was born in that instant. Not one of heat, but of unwavering hatred for all that was evil. The Thief dashed forward, ripping himself from his sullen posture, brandishing his knife and screaming with all that his voice would allow all the torment, all the pain, welling into a single heartfelt cry that echoed for miles, allowing all to partake of his suffering.
In an instant Tatio had tackled his tormentor, and in another his knife was plunged deep within his neck, twisting, and turning, making sure he felt even a fraction of the pain the Thief and his kin had so fervently endured these long, arduous years. He ripped his blade from the contusion, before plunging it inward again and again, shouting until his throat felt as though it were bleeding, and shouting more, unable to contain the pain of loss that continued to well within him to no end.
The other guards by this point were too shocked to do anything, only viewing Tatio as nothing more than a body for them to kick, which occasionally kicked back.
They quickly left their stupor however, as they realized the severity of what had just transpired. " ALVIN!!" One shouted furiously, drawing his sword to strike the street rat down, until he was quickly disarmed, and he found a sword through his own stomach instead. Shikiria coldly pulled her blade from their aggressor, who fell at first to a knee, and then onto his back.
The other two drew their swords. As Tatio finally removed his knife from the so called "Alvin" for the last time. blood dripping from his knife, and different parts of his body where it had splashed in his passionate stabbing.
Eyes full of nothing, the boy walked forward, dagger in hand. Golden, rage-filled light in the other.
Shikiria joined him, wishing she'd never gone to this town... Those children had done nothing but survive.. and they were punished for it, because of her...
"...and thus did they descend... wreaking havoc and writing love filled tragedies wheresoever they managed..." The words she spoke were hollow to her, but were a staggeringly important proverb to the Phortean family to which she'd been indoctrinated. Though Phortea was not her true name. The house Volencula had long since been missing in it's entirety.
Tatio said nothing in response to her ramblings, not that he should have.
He briskly walked forward, before going for a half-assed slash. Which was easily parried, and which he received a harsh pommel to the forehead for. Not that he felt it. He fell to the ground, a slight trickle of blood oozing from his wound. Not that he cared.
Shikiria parried her own incoming attack, using the momentum of her blade to carry through her own horizontal slash. Which was frantically blocked, The guard lost his footing in his drunken state, and fell on his ass, footwork and booze didn't go together. He grabbed for his sword, but Shikiria's pierced his head before he could make a defense again.
Tatio on the other hand was receiving a harsh beating. Fist, Pommel, Foot, Blade, each grazed against his uncaring form. As the last alive guardsman, stomped, punched, and punctured the thief in an effort to vent his frustrations and pains. "If you hadn't been born! None of this! NONE of this!!!" He shouted desperately. Before Tatio thrust his knife through an incoming kick, causing the man to shout in pain and fall, the blade being pulled, as Tatio thrust his blade into his knee next, causing another shout of pain, and used it to pull himself closer to the man, who fought against his fate. Bludgeoning the boy with fist and stone alike.
Neither of which served to help him, as Tatio relentlessly pulled himself closer. The guard spoke one last idiotic line.
"They were my family!!! All I had!! You robbed me of!!"
At this, the boy smiled sadly, and spoke finally, in a hoarse, quiet voice.
"Glad you know the feeling then."
If the guard had something else to say, it would never be heard, as Tatio slit his throat right after.