Out on the porch of her house-turned-shelter, Kaede looked out into the storming blizzard that has engulfed her village, just thinking. Thinking about how her father was doing, if Miuson was safe, why the Oni has confronted them so suddenly.

Before she could try to answer any of her own questions, she saw multiple shadows take form in the distance. While at first blobs, they soon came into view, all taking their own individual shape. There were three in particular that caught her attention.

The first figure Kaede recognized was the build of a Briarstone guard, their trademark armor pieces on the body giving it straight away. For who, Kaede knew it was Ryuu. Jr from not only how tall he was, but also the fact he was the only guard she knew that wore a sash tied around his waist.

Next to him was a figure of small stature—she immediately knew it was Dama, especially with how his right sleeve was blowing erratically in the wind.

But then, there was the figure walking next to Dama: a large one that had the shape of nothing even remotely human. It looked like one of the totems dotted around the village if anything.

All three and the others were running towards Kaede, and before she knew it, they were in clear view. The third shadow she couldn't recognize? It was Nini with multiple, smiling children riding on her back. The other figures were either adult guards or villagers.

"Kaede!" Dama waved, his expression a bit shaken yet determined.

"Madam Kaede," Ryuu stopped and bowed, "we've finished evacuating the north, south, and west quadrants, and the rest of the villagers from the east quadrant are being rounded up."

Kaede smiled as her face softened. "Thank you, all of you." She said, a grace of gratefulness in her tone, before her face hardened back, pointing at the guards behind Ryuu. "Get everyone inside, checked, and identified!"

"Yes ma'am!"

As the guards began funneling the villagers inside, Ryuu helped the small children off Nini's back—with varying difficulty of course, as some stopped to pet Nini, and even one holding onto her body, not wantign to let go. With some persuasion though, this was rectified.

When Ryuu got to the last girl, who was looking down, he gestured with his hands for her to lean into and be hoisted to the ground.

However, she just continued to stare down at Nini's back.

Confused, Ryuu opened his mouth to say something, only to be interrupted by Kaede, who pat his back.

"I'll handle her." She said with confidence. She then gave another pat on Ryuu, but this time on his arm. "Please go and help the in any way you can in the eastern quadrant. Keep my father and everyone safe." With a smile and a head cock to the side, Kaede cutely giggled at Ryuu for a moment.

While it was the princess' trademark, Ryuu could tell it was a bit forced—a hint of fear in both expression and tone. With a sharpened look, yet empathic compassion in his eyes, Ryuu simply bowed in response. "Yes, madam."

With Ryuu's departure, Kaede went over to the girl still on Nini's back. "Edia," she said, the one word making the girl perk up and her breath to hitch, "we have to get you down. Here, let big sister Kaede help you."

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The shellshocked girl, named Edia, turned her attention to Kaede, who had her arms open for her.

Before Edia knew it, she was in Kaede's arms, the chief's daughter running her fingers through her snow covered silver hair. "Everything's going to be alright, I promise, little Edia."

The one sentence alone broke through Edia's shellshocked state. New tears began to form as she buried her face into Kaede's chest, small gasps muffled into her big sister figure.

Dama stepped closer, cocking his head to the side. "You never said you had a little sister, Ms. Kaede."

Kaede opened her eyes lovingly, still stroking Edia's hair. "Not by blood, you dunce. As daughter of the village chief, I take pride in the fact all the children look to me as a role model—especially the little girls. It's why I have taken up the mantle of the village wide big sister."

A small smile etched itself on Dama's face hearing the pride and love in Kaede's voice. He could tell when she said she took pride in that fact, she meant it.

Kaede then shot him a mischievous grin. "I bet you can relate, huh 'village wide errand boy' of Enohay~?"

Dama physically reeled back with his hand in the air before steeping forward, his face reddening. "W-Who told you that?" He inquired even though he already knew the answer.

Kaede shook her head, "Now's not the time," before pulling back a bit and looking down at Edia, "something's telling me you're not scared about the Oni. You're worried about your father, Sinolto the headguard, aren't you?"

Edia looked up a Kaede, sniffling with big silver eyes that seemed to wobble from her tears, and nodded. "Uh-huh... Will daddy b-be okay?"

"I thought so," Kaede sighed as she patted Edia's head, "I'm worried about my daddy too. But, I also know they'll be just fine. Both of them are super strong and dependable, with others backing them up. They'll defeat the Oni in no time!" She exclaimed, pumping a fist between her and Edia whilst giving the widest smile she could.

Stunned for a second, Edia gave a bright smile of her own while wiping her own tears, then pumping a fist in the air and nodding.

Kaede gave her own nod. "Good, now that we have that settled, come on, lets get you inside and pay a visit to our helpful pair od doctors, shall we?"

"Yeah!"

Kaede & Edia both giggled at each other and rubbed Nini's chin as they passed by. Nini readily welcomed the touch as she lifted her chin for better rubs.

"Thank you both, Dama and Nini." Kaede waved as she climbed the steps of the porch. "I'm really am glad you two are here, you've helped so much!"

"Bye!!" Edia copied Kaede's wave before they both entered inside.

Strangely though, Dama didn't do anything. He just stood there as the near-arctic winds blew his hair and right sleeve any which way.

"She looks to be the same age as her..." Dama quietly muttered to himself as he looked down.

Nini turned her head to Dama, cocking her head to the side like her wild counterparts, curious as to what Dama meant.

Dama sighed with a distant smile. "Edia... She looks to be the same age as Mari, doesn't she, girl?"

As Dama's gaze became distant, the image of Kaede & Edia waving bye at him replayed in his head. At certain times, they were entirely replaced with Mary & Mari back in Enohay, who did the same thing right before he left on this very journey.

The thought made Dama clench his fist. Not out of anger, nor sorrow—but determination. "Giona isn't the only one I want to keep safe. Giona's smile may be as radiant as the sun, Mary & Mari's smiles shine almost just as bright." He grit his teeth as he squeezed his fist even more. "If anything were to happen to those smiles..."

Nini whined as she cocked her head even more. The expression she could see on his face wasn't the happiest one, but it also wasn't one of sadness or distress. She could tell her master was thinking deeply about something.

Before she could make a move though, her eyes went wide when something—an invisible force—began to act on Dama's hair. At first, his hair stopped mid-air mid-sway, then the outer strands began swaying up & down instead of left & right from the wind.

Dama then turned towards the eye of the storm—where the battle was. His eyes didn't reflect the erratic white around him nor its usual green complexion—they reflected a faint gold mixed with green. "I have to protect them—I will protect them all!"

The last shout in his mind was accompanied by something that made Nini's ears perk straight up, her eyes opening up even wider than before: a translucent, golden aura exuding from Dama.

But the moment was short lived, as both Dama & Nini saw numerous figures coming their way.

All of them wore the armor of Briarstone.

-

Next: (Chapter 99) Two Doctors, One Icy Revelation

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