Of all the Monoke she could get for backup...

  The way back up was a tad troubled, with the Amikiri wrapping around the captain and then flying her upward with too much effort. He should work more on his core strength.

  What was she thinking? She didn't have the time to play teacher with these miscreants. Helpful or not, Tash would never forget how they risked her daughter's life. If they ever became Lien's packmates, she'd swear she would roast them for dinner!

  Slowly, the pain subsided by the combined efforts of the Human and Baku's healing magic. Great, now she was just wholly depleted of Saniya.

  The Knight turned to her annoying savior. "Could you transfer some of your Saniya to the captain?" he asked, rubbing the back of his helmet with a sheepish expression on his visor. "I am not great at that spell. Besides, my Saniya reserves are not in a great state, either."

  The Baku scoffed, crossing his arms and bearing an insufferable smirk. "Keh keh keh! It seems the great Gentō must save the captain's life more than once!"

  Tash rolled her eyes. "Don't push it, Baku. You're still on my radar." She stood up, her eyes burning with defiance. "Keep your Saniya to yourself. I can hold myself just fine with martial arts alone." She smirked. "Something I doubt you can say about yourself."

  "Come on, ma'am." The hulking Oni made thunderous steps towards her. "Those two saved your life. Show some respect."

  Tash was not in the mood for taking shit from a petty criminal. But before she could give her a piece of her mind, the Human stopped her, placing a warm, gloved hand on her shoulder.

  "Please, Captain. Accept his Saniya," he implored. "We NEED you in your best possible shape."

  "DON'T TOUCH ME!" she snarled, swatting his hand away.

  This small gesture lighted the captain's short fuse, causing a brief yet powerful reaction inside her mind, like a tiny spark in a storage room filled with tar barrels. How dared HE to act like he was a pillar of reason?! As if he didn't lie about his identity for a YEAR! As if he wasn't a member of the species who caused her such grief, even long after the war!

  ...

  ......

  Still, the fleeting, murderous wrath only left Tash with... emptiness, even guilt. Her eyes were downcast at the thick, snowy layer that smothered the natural green of Chikukei's vegetation. She could relate.

  "Alright." She sighed, straightening her posture. "Hit me with some Saniya, please."

  The Baku hadn't struck her with any snide remark, only transferring a considerable piece of his Saniya to her through his glowing, tiny paws. A wave of warmth coursed through her body, mind, and soul. She felt the fog clouding her rationality, slowly clearing up.

  "Thank you..." She gave the Baku a short bow. "...Gentō."

  Still, the rotund Monoke didn't inflate his chest at the minimal gesture of respect. Her outburst clearly made him more cautious, for better or worse. Even the Oni was unwilling to focus her black, beady eyes on her.

  The Silver Knight clapped his hands together. "Well! What a glorious save, Gentō and Kreef! I am pleased about your heroic streak!"

  The Amikiri, who coiled around his buff bodyguard's arm, stuttered. "W-Well! It wasn't THAT impressive..." He forced a laugh. "We just put into practice what Mr. Hōkō taught us."

  "Not that impressive?" Tash thought. Previously, she knocked him out with a weak lightning spell. Now, she wasn't sure he would let himself be caught without a LOT more effort. That old coot might be senile, but he was one hell of a tutor.

  Rather than focusing on them, her eyes lingered on the scenery. The blizzard, Yuki-onna's first wave of attack, has long since passed, giving her an ample view of the whitened hills and the rows of bamboo encased in a blueish shell of frost. The Sun barely shined through a thick cluster of darkened clouds, a perfect visual for the helplessness she and countless other soldiers felt. To top it all off, it was complemented by the towering ice wall, which served as their cage, barely visible in the distance, covered in jagged spikes at the top.

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  That sentiment was quieted when three snowflakes fell from the hopeless sky, a little thicker than they should have been.

  Actually... They were flying in a strange pattern. Not on a straight line, but not chaotic enough to be pushed around by the winds.

  ...

  They were coming in their direction, weren't they? They... were not snowflakes, were they?

  Yep. The captain's Saniya sensing was back on business. These were Monoke and not just any Monoke...

  "Everyone!"

  Their conversation ceased immediately, their attention solely on the Wolf.

  "We have Weasels to take care of."

  Tarb:

  Dark. Suffocating. Prickly.

  Those words described both the prison he was in... and his ex-wife. In all honesty, the veteran preferred the former.

  However, unlike his failed marriage, he could brute force out of whatever vine cocoon he was trapped in... or so he thought. His teeth could loosen the prison's hold. However, the material was so thick and elastic that his jaw ached agonizingly after a few minutes of unwavering defiance. Not to mention that his bite strength wasn't at its peak for a long, long time.

  Still, he opened a hole wide enough to poke his head out and see the wintery battlefield again. The Daien bard made the courtesy of putting him to face the sky. He would not have appreciated an intimate encounter with the snow.

  The blizzard still raged on, but he still saw the blur of what appeared to be a cocoon like his, moving at the same speed. To his dismay, the prison slithered through the forest, winding around the bamboo trees in nauseating haste like a snake on a sugar rush. That wouldn't do.

  His teeth were a no-go, but that didn't mean Tarb was out of options, especially after he made a hole in his bindings. Tash could tease him all she wanted, but the results of his unique technique spoke for themselves.

  Gathering all the drool his mouth could produce, then converting a piece of his Saniya into more, the veteran guard spat and commanded his thin, frothy fluid to cover every inch of his body and armor. He proudly sneered as the hold of the vines loosened by the second, reminiscing of what inspired his technique in the first place - when he was stuck in a male Spider's tunnel. His sisters had to free him by slathering him with butter.

  Inspiring memories aside, Tarb squeezed through the cavity, the consequences of his unusual magic crashing upon him when the harsh, freezing winds made direct contact with his drenched fur. Nevertheless, this wasn't the time to cower like a novice. Who knew how many of them were captured by Hibagon - everything might be resting solely on HIS shoulders, for all he comprehended. His limited Saniya sensing only detected the twins imprisoned on each side.

  Slowly but surely, Tarb freed himself enough so his arms were freed from incarceration. It was only a matter of time before he could force his exit, sinking his claws into the thick vines to support himself as he crammed out of the cocoon, landing face-first on the cold snow.

  Even as his entire body shook to the bone, Tarb slowly stood up in a WAY less inspiring manner than he had hoped, unable to muster himself to straighten his posture.

  "D-Damn you, Yūrei..." he muttered, facing a tree.

  A shiver coursed down his spine as a Saniya signature popped into his short radar. His years of experience cried at him, prompting his legs to instinctively sidestep just in time to watch a black, sharp tendril pierce through the plant's thin bark in his place.

  The veteran looked back. His weak heart raced like a young pup's.

  "Why don't you say it to ny face?" Hari-onagu hissed in a low, menacing tone, slowly hovering above the snow. "Oh, what an unlucky day you have. The ditch wasn't cattured. So that neans..."

  Tarb jumped back a few inches, less than expected, courtesy of the thick, frigid layer that dragged his feet.

  "Listen here, you crazy lady!" He conjured enough courage to shout to reinforce his authority. "I'm not interested in whatever quarrel you have with my sister! I'm still a proud member of the Dragon's Guard, and I ain't pulling my punches on YOU!"

  The hairy maiden ceased, her eyes slowly widening at his words. Ha! Of course, she would be shaking on her feet after he showed who's boss around-

  "The cattain..." She whispered, still loud enough for his deafening ears to pick up. "She's your sister?"

  Oh.

  "That look on your face..." A sinister grin tugged the corners of her lipless mouth. "That's everything I need to know..."

  Oh no.

  A horrifying giggle echoed through the ceasing storm, her chest uncontrollably heaving as she practically hyperventilated.

  What has he done?

  "That. Is." Her bony hands clutched her sickly pale, sunken cheeks, stretching her white skin to a disconcerting degree. "TERFECT!" she squealed, her bulged eyes locking on his.

  That was it. Tarb saw no other way out but another serving of the old-school brute force.

  "You think you scare me, you broom?!" He raised his hands close to his chest, claws unsheathed. "Come and get a piece of good ol' Tarb!"

  A piercing screech, followed by the Yūrei flying at him with incredible speed, was the starting cry of what he knew would be the fiercest bout of his profession. And so close to retirement, too! How poetic!

  At least he had some drool left in the tank.