Chapter 283: No Words

Kat was standing next to the most injured of all the bandits. On one hand, he was still breathing. On the other, he certainly wasn't conscious. On the tail, his arm was not in good condition. *Hmm… on one hand that is a good deal of blood… on the other… he doesn't seem to be losing any more blood?*

To be safe Kat grabbed both sides of the bandit's shirt ripping it in two and then tied it around the arm where it was thoroughly destroyed. *Surely that's fine right? Let's go with that.* 

Kat found that she just didn't really care all that much. The guy was alive, and they did attack people for a living with swords. *It's not like I have medical training either, so I can't exactly fix this up any better anyway. I feel like I should maybe feel a bit worse about this though…* Kat shrugged and moved onto the other bandits that she had attacked first.

The guy that she poked with her finger already had a nasty bruise… but he wasn't bleeding anywhere she could see. *Guess I can call him good? I really have no idea what I'm looking for here. I mean… that's a nasty bruise and I'm certain I heard the bone crack… maybe it isn't broken just fractured though?*

She heard a groan from the pile of bodies. *Yeah yeah everyone's a critic.* Kat quickly checked the rest of them for damage. They all seemed to be breathing… and the ones she struck with her energy field around them seemed to be dotted with bruises in random areas… but everyone was certainly still alive, and Kat found she could accept that.

That was, until she heard Xiang scream out. Kat whipped her head around and was shocked at what she found. Xiang had clearly just finished standing up, except now he was twisted over like a pretzel with a sword sticking into the leather he wore across his chest. The bandit leader clearly had taken his defeat well.

Kat could almost see how it happened. A quick overhead strike from behind that was really more of a side strike coming from a halfway standing bandit. Xiang was dropping, and seemed to be in pain but that wasn't the real surprise, it was the retaliation.

Xiang's sword had come down hard on the bandit leader. It was unclear what Xiang had been aiming for. Perhaps it was to intercept the bandit's sword, or maybe landing his own cut across the bandit's chest…

But for the kneeling bandit it was a death sentence. Xiang's slightly glowing sword went straight through the bandit's neck and the body collapsed where it stood. Kat let her mouth drop open. *Well what the fuck am I supposed to do here.*

It was shortly after that thought that Xiang collapsed as well. He at least was clearly still breathing though he made no effort to stand up. Kat swiftly walked over to him and asked "Are you alright?" with genuine emotion in her voice for once.

So of course, Xiang didn't take it well at all. "Don't patronize me demon. It's just a flesh wound" said Xiang.

Kat's eyes narrowed. *I finally try to show you some concern and now you think I'm patronizing you, you little shit? You just killed a man in… well I guess it wasn't cold blood because he attacked first, and then he attacked after the fighting was over but… I… I don't know how to feel about this to be honest.* 

Kat turned her back on Xiang and walked away as she tried to get herself in order. Things didn't exactly feel real. She'd been attacked by bandits, honest to god bandits… and now one of them lay dead on the ground behind her. Kat felt her throat go dry, and she purposefully looked away from anything.

*Fuck.* Thought Kat, and let the words hang in her mind. She wasn't normally one for real swearing, it just never seemed necessary. Until now. *Fuck.* Kat really wasn't sure what else to say either. Her emotions seemed to have decided that leaving temporarily was the best course of action, and she just felt… normal was wrong but… close… like she was slightly left of centre.

A groan sounded out behind her as Xiang brought himself to his feet. She purposefully didn't turn to him, but he spoke anyway. "Let's continue for a bit. Get away from them" said Xiang.

Kat nodded, and started walking, pointedly not looking behind her, or at Xiang. She kept an ear on him to make sure he was following, but nothing more than that. Kat just couldn't find it in herself to look at his gash and a reminder of what had just happened.

They walked in silence. Even the steps on the cold stone bricks seemed to have been halved in volume. Kat could still hear the sounds of the forest, and knew it wasn't just her hearing dulling. The mood was somber.

Eventually, Xiang spoke out. "I need to rest now demon. We camp here"

Kat bit her lip but paused. *Is this ok? The angel said three days of walking… and I guess I've somewhat managed that… but not completely. Did the angel know about the bandits? Does it matter?*

Kat turned to find Xiang moving off the road. Once he made it to the first tree, he slumped down against it and started looking through his storage. *Dammit. I just wish I had a sign this was the right way or something!*

"YES" shouted Xiang.

Kat froze, looking at the boy who wasn't bleeding as much as she'd expect from a chest wound. *Did… was that what I think it was?* Xiang pulled out a box from his storage item and began to open it. Seeing he was occupied Kat turned around and sunk back into her thoughts. *I mean… there is no possible way right? Sure Hashi could guess our walking speed but bandit attacks and even the outcome should be beyond anything's capability right?*

"NO!!" shouted Xiang slamming his hands into the ground.

"What?" asked Kat, keeping her voice from shaking. *Ok fine angel or God, or whoever Hashi was. I admit it. You win.*

"I found a lunchbox that I forgot I packed. I was looking forward to some good food for once… but it's all empty. I must have eaten it already" said Xiang.

Kat opened her mouth. *What.* "What?"

"I just explained it to you? What else do you want?" asked Xiang

"I just… I thought it was a box of medicine? You know for your chest wound?" asked Kat

"I'll be fine. It's just a light gash" said Xiang smiling, as he did so, he twisted a bit clearly breaking the scab over his chest that had formed and a bit of blood dripped out. Kat narrowed her eyes but decided that if he didn't want help, she wouldn't offer.

So, Kat nodded and jumped to the top of the nearest tree. It required a bit of help from her wings, but not much. Settling in, Kat hoped to let the bottled emotions she was sure she had wash over her… but nothing was forthcoming. *Fuck.*

Kat sat there, unmoving for over an hour, completely still. At a few points in time she slipped into meditation, but it always shattered before her mind could spread out and relax. The first sign of movement from Kat came after an hour and a half… and she wasn't even responsible for it.

She was so still that a bird came in to land on her unmoving form. Kat felt the corner of her mouth trying to rise up at the sight but she forcibly pulled it down. *I don't think I should be enjoying nature right now. Then again. I guess I don't really know what I should be doing at all.* 

*I… I guess I'll send off a message to everyone?*

Kat looked at the short message she'd written out. It had taken her another thirty minutes just to eek out a few words. It seemed so wrong to write anything else. Despite the fight being such a huge thing… all that was said was.

"Someone is dead. Xiang killed them"

Kat bit her lip and dismissed the message. *I can't just tell them that. I mean… there is so much context. Xiang didn't have a choice? No… well… I mean… maybe he did but… dammit. I didn't see what happened… and that's part of the problem. I should have been paying attention… but everyone… well I THOUGHT everyone was out cold.*

Kat chewed the words over in her mind. She still didn't know what to think… and that only made the fact that she had to report in to everyone back on Earth even worse. *I don't think I can hide something like this… I don't think Sylvie should know… I need someone to talk about it… I don't know what to do.*