Snake dragged Yuze for what felt like an eternity that passed in a minute. The passage of time was strange in his wounded haze. The shock of new pain had worn off, and now it was just the constant pain as his nerves accepted their new normal.
His heart was another matter entirely.
Fox was gone. Kai Low's shriek of rage was echoing over and over in Yuze's mind. Yuze had only known the young tribesman for a short time, but that level of rage had surprised him.
It was far beyond what Yuze had seen towards the tribes. In that moment, it had seemed so deep, so personal.
Had Fox killed someone Kai Low loved?
…
But they'd fought for several minutes before Kai Low had reacted like that, and Fox's mask was distinctive. If Kai Low hated him that much, it was unlikely it had taken him that long to recognize him.
It wasn't surprising that Fox had enemies. In their line of work, they all did. They even had enemies they'd never even worked against; the job itself had enemies, never mind who was doing it.
And now Fox was gone.
And Yuze had never….
He hadn't done anything. Because he'd let his fears rule his decisions. The same thing people always warned you against, but always did themselves because they couldn't help but be human.
Snake didn't slow down, didn't speak, until the village was out of sight. Yuze didn't have the energy or strength to help her, and he'd never been so useless since he was a child and his parents had sold him off.
When Snake finally stopped and let Yuze slide to the ground, there was nothing but wheat and the night sky for miles in any direction, and Yuze's cheeks were wet with tears.
He lay on the hard-packed dirt and stared up at the stars, recalling that night he and Fox had spent under the same stars.
"We need to keep moving." Snake's voice cut through the darkness. She didn't give any indication she was upset at what happened, but then, Fox and Snake hadn't exactly been friends.
And Snake wasn't an ally.
She was an enemy.
Did it even matter? The chances that Yuze was going to make it out of this field alive were minimal. It was only Snake's confused feelings for him that had inspired her to save him. There was no way she hadn't figured out that they were onto her.
"I don't think I can walk," Yuze admitted.
"I'll carry you." Snake didn't sound concerned, but Yuze certainly was.
Something told him she wasn't going to carry him back to the Camelia.
"Where?" He asked, but before she could answer and they could fight, something moved through the nearby grass.
They both fell silent. Snake drew her daggers, crouching to conceal herself in the wheat as Yuze waited for death. He had no chance of fighting off anyone.
And then he didn't have to.
Fox walked out of the darkness, and the relief was instant, so powerful that all of Yuze's pain disappeared.
He was limping, and there were more pieces missing from his mask. His clothes were torn, and Yuze could smell blood, but that might have been his own. He was almost like a wraith as he moved through the wheat.
Snake stood when she saw him, and Yuze tensed and pushed himself up as much as he could. "You survived." She didn't sound particularly pleased.
Fox shrugged, and Yuze could see one shoulder rise above the other. He was injured. "Give me the First Eye."
Snake's daggers came up. "Send him off with a traitor like you? Not a chance."
A blade appeared in Fox's hand, and Yuze's heart started to race. "You're hardly one to throw that accusation around."
Snake snarled. "I'm more trustworthy than you. At least I don't want to burn the whole world."
Fox didn't respond, so still it was almost impossible to see him.
An ugly smile grew on Snake's face. "Does Lord Rong know the truth? Why you came to the Camelia?"
A single golden eye gleamed through one of the holes in Fox's mask.
Yuze struggled to his feet, swaying a bit from the sudden rush of blood. "I know the truth."
Snake smirked, and Fox tensed.
"About you." Yuze finished, staring straight at her.
Snake's expression turned to one of confusion. "What?"
"You're selling out the Camelia." Yuze had to wrap an arm around his chest to relieve some of the pressure on his broken ribs. "You've been stealing from the Vault."
Snake snarled. "I'm not selling out the Camelia. You've got it all twisted around. I'm loyal to the Camelia. He's the one who's-"
"Enough!" Yuze wasted energy he probably couldn't spare yelling. "We have the evidence, Snake. Even witnesses. If you agree to return and identify your buyers, Lord Ye will be lenient."
Instead of responding, Snake turned on Fox. "You! You did this!" Without warning, she launched herself at Fox. "Trying to put the blame on me."
Fox shifted, moved to brace, and Yuze saw his knee give out, sending him down and opening him up to Snake's attack.
She was too good to miss it.
Yuze moved without thinking, throwing himself between them and shoving Fox clear of Snake's dagger.
He saw his mistake a second too late, that he'd lined himself up for the blade in Fox's place, and found that he wasn't all that upset about it.
At least Fox would live. The thought was surprisingly comforting and more selfless than Yuze had ever been before. Fox could have a long, happy life.
Except that Fox moved.
Faster than Yuze thought was possible, catching Yuze around the waist and rolling him as they hit the ground.
Unfortunately, Snake was good enough to catch it all too and twisted so her dagger went deep between Fox's ribs.
Fox's breath left him in a surprised woosh.
"No. No, no, no, no." Yuze chanted as the other man's body slumped over him. Yuze managed to roll him to the side and sat up, pulling Fox into his lap as much as he could. "Fox. Don't breathe too deep, I think it clipped your lung."
"What are you doing?" Snake snapped. "Leave him, we have to go."
"I'm not leaving him!" Yuze seethed, tears already coming to his eyes as Fox weakly clutched at his hand.
Snake let out a cry of incandescent rage and frustration. "You're picking him? I came to save you!"
Fox's body sagged against Yuze's chest, and he could feel the other man's breath slowing. "Of course," Yuze murmured, swallowing against the knot of terror and sadness growing in his throat.
"Then you deserve what you get." Snake hissed, and she was gone into the darkness long before Yuze managed to look up.
Blood was soaking Fox's clothing around her dagger, and Yuze could hear the blood in each breath he took. That gastly wheeze that signified a damaged lung.
A fatal injury.
"Fox? Can you hold on for help?" Not that there was any coming any time soon, and they both knew it. Holding him close, Yuze carefully removed Fox's mask and got his first and last glimpse of the man who'd come to mean more to him than he'd ever realized.
Bright golden eyes were slowly dimming as blood bubbled between lips that were going blue.
Tears spilled down Yuze's cheeks as the light went out completely.
~ tbc