The cries behind them rang in their ears as they ran away from that place. Kuronue felt a weight being lifted off his shoulders as they seemed to be left far behind them, becoming nothing but a mere whisper that soon got lost with the wind. Of course that did not mean they were safe of all dangers already, but it was definitely a good sign.
Kuronue, while always trusting his acute hearing the job of keeping track of the fox and their tail at the time as his eyes focused on the path before them and on any potential traps that could be hiding there, made sure to look at the fox every now and then out of the corner of his eye, making sure he was alright, especially ever since the distinct smell of blood had made it presence clear around them. Kuronue himself had a couple cuts on him; blood trickling down them in thin threads only. Nothing seemingly serious, luckily.
The bat youkai’s grin remained on his lips for a while longer until a loud thud suddenly rang in his ears, making the ravenette turn his head in the direction it had come from.
The fox was gone. Or more exactly, out of his sight. He stopped to a halt.
“Kurama…?” He called his name as he quickly went back a few steps. His essence and youki were strong still, indicating he was around somewhere, and just a moment later he came across the pit along with the fox trapped within. He was relieved when he saw the fox, standing, even though with a little trouble (it could have been much worse, he thought). There was little time to do something before their enemies reached them. Kuronue soon summoned one of his scythes. Holding the blade by it’s handle, he dropped the weighted end of the chain down the pit for Kurama to grasp.
“Hold tight! I’m helping you out!” There was a chance Kuronue would have to make use of his fog if the enemies managed to reach them before they could resume their escape.
It was a foolish error, one he could have easily avoided. Kurama’s mind was buzzing with outcomes as the guards called out in the distance. More alert after a few seconds of labored breathing, a quick glance-around revealed a few old skeletons half buried in the mud. He didn’t linger on them, figuring Kuronue and himself were not the first two to make an attempt on the fortress.
Kurama tried to stand but to no avail. His head swam as black dots flitted into his view. Dizzy, he palmed the back of his head, coming back stained, red fingers. Bleeding, then. A slight inconvenience to maneuver through.
Kurama tried to stand again, this time much more successful. His ears twitched as he heard footsteps, thankful it was Kuronue and not a few guards ahead of the rest of the platoon. Shakily, he grabbed hold of the handle end, producing a few plants beneath him to help is ascent. When his feet touched the ground again, he wobbled, using Kuronue’s arm to steady himself.
“Much appreciated.” He said gruffly. “We need to move, I will not last at this pace.”
Better to know the limits with his injury than have Kuronue dragging his body.