Anubis never felt a sense of responsibility as much as he was when he heard the voices of children. Even if he couldn’t understand what they were saying, the fact that there were children was enough proof that he would need to be ready to protect them, even if he couldn’t see. He could fight, and he wanted to help, so no one would comment on the rationale of deploying a blind person into a conflict.

As the blind Jackal prepared himself, he didn’t sense or hear anyone approaching him from behind. Thus, he let out a yelp when someone did embraced him from behind. He only knew who it was when he felt the soft, leathery skin that could only belong to a Fuzandre’s wing.

Instead of being surprised, however, Anubis felt elated, especially when the Fuzandre kissed him in the cheek. Arnulfe’s and Anubis’s relationship started to bloom when the blind Jackal made the furless Fuzandre knew that he reciprocated Arnulfe’s feelings towards him, given that Arnulfe was the more direct one of the two.

“(Hey),” said Anubis with a smile. He wasn’t facing Arnulfe’s direction. “(Doing alright out there?)”

“(Pretty much),” said Arnulfe. “(Well, not really. I don’t exude a certain authority like Rhynsa over there. To them, I’m just an ugly, bald bat who happens to be rather pudgy, not to mention small).”

“(Hey, don’t criticize yourself, Arnulfe),” said Anubis.

“(Well, good thing you can’t see me).”

“(I really wish I can see you),” said Anubis as he touched Arnulfe’s face. “(I know you have a weirdly shaped snout and ears as tall as a Jackal’s. You’re also…bald, so your skin’s smooth to the touch. Yet…I longed for the tenderness of your…uh…).”

“(How about a taste?)”

Then, to Anubis’s surprise, Arnulfe embraced him and started kissing him. The Jackal was surprised by how forward the Fuzandre was, but he did not mind. He was already close to Arnulfe and expected the Fuzandre to do this since Anubis was too shy to ever be the instigator. In fact, he expected Arnulfe to be the one doing it, since he was practically more direct.

The kiss was more like a make-out session, but something that even he wasn’t accustomed with. He never thought Arnulfe would have such a long tongue. It almost felt like a snake was playing inside his mouth, salivating it, and threatening to jam right into his throat. It was hot, intimate, and most of all, exotic.

“(Wow),” said Anubis. “(Your tongue’s…something).”

“(If you’re into that sort of thing, yeah, it’s something),” said Arnulfe. “(Maybe we can try and do something a bit more…personal. Maybe after we’re done with this whole thing).”

“(When will it be, I wonder?)”

“(Heh. Someone’s pretty impatient),” said Arnulfe cheekily. “(Maybe we could try and…loosen up in one of those--).”

Anubis then heard someone clearing his throat beside him. To his embarrassment, he forgot that Wepwawet was sitting beside him and saw what happened between the two. The awkwardness of a kiss between males, especially if Anubis forgot that his brother was sitting just beside him, made it even more embarrassing.

“(Maybe try not to flirt while I’m beside you?)” he said with a tone of annoyance.

Anubis realized that he never told Wepwawet about his sexuality. Again, he assumed Wepwawet was disappointed of this.

“(Wep, I know you won’t approve of this, but--)”

“(I’m fine with that, to be honest),” said Wepwawet with a smile. “(Just consider the time and place. We are on the surface, and everyone is watching).”

“(Nah, don’t worry about them),” said Arnulfe with a shrug. He then sat beside Anubis. “(Anyway, Wepwawet. What’s your next plan? You’re reunited with your twin, so now what?)”

“(Find my other relatives, hoping we’re not the only ones left),” said Wepwawet. “(Probably go home and rebuild the family, maybe even seal the gates of hell properly this time. It’s our duty, after all).”

“(That’s still a long way to go).”

“(Still better than having short-term plans, right? With my physical capabilities severely limited, I have more time to think than others, so I started thinking about how to proceed. Reuniting with Anubis is not something I expect, but I am nevertheless grateful. So, thank you for giving him the happiness he deserves, Arnulfe).”

“(Oh, come on, Wep! Don’t tease me like that!)” said Anubis while prodding his twin’s side, causing Wepwawet to chuckle.

“(He’s a fighter, too),” said Arnulfe. “(You should see the way he handled demons).”

“(I heard from Anubis of what happened to him before meeting Ifrit. He’s been through a lot. I can’t imagine how bad it is. I should’ve been there for you, Ani. I should’ve tried more than my best effort).”

“(It’s not your fault, Wep. I’m just a little too gullible, that’s all),” said Anubis.

“(Too gullible to be tortured and traumatized by it? I doubt you can recover that quickly, Ani. It’s good that Arnulfe here is willing to help you with that).”

“(You okay with me and Arnulfe),” said Anubis. “(He isn’t exactly that kind).”

“(What?!)” said Arnulfe. “(After all my efforts flirting with you?! That hurts, you know).”

“(No, it doesn’t. Besides…I think I found my niche).”

“(What?)”

“(I like bad boys),” said Anubis cheekily. “(But a well-meaning, foul-mouthed bad boy who happens to be a bald, pudgy bat. Don’t try and say it’s not true. I trust my touch more than anything else).”

“(Oh, fuck you, Ani).”

Anubis let out a hearty laugh, one that surprised even his twin, though he was amused. He had always known Anubis as the shy one, though frankly, Wepwawet was separated from Anubis when they were very young. The Jackals who cared for him assured him that Anubis was alright. Wepwawet couldn’t believe their words until he was reunited with his brother. He held on with the belief that his twin survived. He always knew that, even though he wasn’t sure how he knew it. Maybe it was what Anubis said about twins having a certain connection that was different from any other connections.

“(Having a fun little chat?)” asked Rhynsa, who approached the three. “(Don’t let me interrupt you. I’m just checking in).”

“(Oh, wait, Rhynsa),” said Wepwawet. “(I’ve been meaning to ask you something. I noticed the roadblock in front of the tunnel. It doesn’t look very sturdy to me).”

“(No, but there is a reason why),” said Rhynsa. “(The Demon Hunters who elected to stay used a cleansing shield and decided to stay on the other side to keep the shield up. Of course, they were also protected by a different barricade).”

“(But that won’t be enough).”

“(The last communication they got regarding the Hunters were that the demons were retreating, but I doubt it’s that straightforward. In any case, we have no choice but to prepare for an attack).”

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“(I don’t see the refugees evacuating),” said Arnulfe.

“(Maybe they’re planning to turn them into a meat shield or something).”

“(Even if that’s a joke, it’s not funny, Rhynsa),” said Anubis.

“(Are you always this cynical or you just have a morbid sense of humor, Fuzandre?)”

Rhynsa turned around to find Kasker. He had a serious expression, clearly not appreciating what Rhynsa recommended.

“(It might end up being the case if they start panicking. It might end up working against our defense),” said Rhynsa. “(Seriously, if you don’t want people to get bad ideas, they need to stay away from the tunnel).”

“(There’s nowhere else to go),” said Kasker. “(Not a lot of Dusdolfians know Tragorian. Also, a lot of them prefer to stay instead of risking their lives and end up encountering demons out there. We are really boxed into this town).”

Rhynsa let out an exasperated sigh. “(It’s a wonder they survived this long).”

“(You can say that again).”

Anubis’s ears perked up, along with Rhynsa and Arnulfe. All three looked at the tunnel. The Fuzandres, with their echo senses, caught echoes coming from the tunnel. They could faintly hear roars and creaking noises, along with movements from a big group of attackers.

“(You hear that?)” said Anubis.

“(Yeah),” said Arnulfe. “(They’re here).”

“(I didn’t…wait, did you say they’re here?)” said Kasker.

“(Guess I don’t need to wonder anymore).”

Rhynsa ran towards the big group of refugees, many of which were unaware of the noise or even any sense of danger. He did not mince his words and said, “If you wanna live, get the hell away from the tunnel, now! Come on!”

Without hesitating, Rhynsa pulled out his gun and shot to the air, causing many of them to become alerted. The Fuzandre repeated his command, and this time everyone listened. They promptly left their belongings and retreated to safer area while the town’s bell, undoubtedly alerted by Rhynsa’s shot, mustered all the soldiers and volunteers to the tunnel, all with their weapons ready.

As Kasker helped coordinating the defense effort, they could hear faint steps coming closer and closer to the tunnel, along with unearthly shrieks and roars that made some of them panicking. The refugees became chaotic as they hastily scrambled away from the tunnel.

“(Should’ve done this a while ago),” commented Rhynsa with a sigh. “(Well, good thing the don’t bother taking their belongings with them).”

After making sure that everyone was out of the way, Rhynsa put a bottle of oil near some of the most flammable objects and took aim. Kasker was quickly alerted by this action and said, “(Wait! You can’t burn their belongings! What will they do without them?!)”

“(They’ll survive without them. As for us, this gives us the advantage we need).”

“(Wait),” said Wepwawet, putting his hand on Rhynsa’s rifle. “(I’ll give you a compromise. Shoot the carriage furthest from the camp. It’s just as effective and you won’t get complains from angry mobs).”

Rhynsa seemed hesitant in doing this, feeling that this would not make a good defense. But, considering that these people already lost everything and whatever extreme measures he did would surely damage their relationship with them, he sighed, acknowledging that his original idea would not work in the long run.

Thus, Rhynsa followed Wepwawet’s suggestion and shot the carriage that’s well inside the tunnel, which was apparently put there along with several things used to close off the tunnel, albeit shoddily. The shot, however, caused the carriage to explode, turning the shoddy barrier deadly and impenetrable as the fire, while completely engulfing the barrier, did not burn through them as expected. It engulfed the blockade, causing a sustained fire that burn brightly. It was only when the whole area was illuminated by the fire did Rhynsa noticed a trench filled with oil that acted as firebreak, well away from the carriages.

“(Well, you could’ve told me you already set a trap),” said Rhynsa towards Kasker.

“(I was going to tell you that, but Wepwawet beat me to it),” said Kasker. “(I never told you about the trench, did I?)”

“(I saw them),” said the Jackal. “(I have a certain gift).”

“(Whatever that gift it, Wepwawet, I hope it’s useful in battle).”

“(Useful if you can fight).” Wepwawet then turn to Anubis. “(And I think that’s what you’re good at, dear brother. Be prepared).”

Anubis looked at the tunnel and saw a red aura that started to ‘light’ the tunnel up, just as shouts of hellhounds and unearthly shrieks and roars of demons. However, the sheer amount of demons and their corrupted servants made it hard for Anubis to focus on one individual. In his ‘vision’, the red aura converged, giving an impression of a body of red water.

“(There are too many of them),” said Anubis. “(My senses are not sharp enough to differentiate the demons. All I see is a sea of red!)”

“(That’s not what I’m talking about, Ani. That gift I mentioned is something far more powerful, and it is shared between the two of us. I believe you can already ‘see’ demonic auras, am I right?)”

Anubis nodded.

“(Now, Ani, try and concentrate. Take a deep breath and focus your vision. I know it sounds weird since you’re blind, but don’t think about it physically. You can do it, Ani. I know you can).”

Anubis wasn’t sure if it was the right thing, considering that he had no idea on how to control his eyes. But the adrenaline pumping caused by the demonic shrieks and his brother’s suggestions made him start to try and focus his eyes, even though he was very sure this was impossible. He never did this before.

However, to his surprise, he saw the outlines of the environment and the people, represented in his vision like a blue wireframe outline, but without the depth. Only after he started concentrating did he managed to make sense of the environment, with the blue outlines moving around his vision like wisps dancing in the darkness.

He turned, and now, he could finally see Wepwawet and Arnulfe’s outline. He was, of course, surprised by Arnulfe’s s unique and peculiar appearance, along with the pair of wings that also doubled as his arms. They were the source of the soft leathery feel that Anubis felt every time Arnulfe put his wings on him. As for Wepwawet, he was quickly drawn by his twin brother’s cane and previously mentioned disability. His left paw was inverted inward and deformed in such a way that it looked like it was broken. However, Anubis knew it wasn’t broken, for Wepwawet did not seem to be in pain.

“(Wow),” said Anubis. “(I didn’t know your leg’s twisted like that. No wonder you claim you can’t fight).”

“(I’m more surprised that my blind twin can fight),” said Wepwawet.

“(Yeah. Weird, isn’t it? But I’m still not sure if I can maintain this blue aura for long. It’s not as sustained as the red demonic one).”

“(At this point, I’m not sure, either. It’s all up to you now, since you obviously can’t see normally. Anyway, here).”

Wepwawet gave Anubis his curved sword. “(This is a khopesh. You know what it is, right?)”

“(Never saw it before. Then again, that doesn’t mean I never touched it),” said Anubis as he grabbed the sword. “(A Jackal taught me how to properly wield one. He told me to focus on my other senses and do a clean, killing strike, not unnecessary movements. His name is Hermanubis, similar to mine. He’s…very tender, and a great kisser).”

“(Did you happen to go even further than that?)” asked Arnulfe.

“(Beyond the flirts and kisses? No. So, yes, Arnulfe, you still have a chance. And besides. I never dated a Fuzandre before).”

Wepwawet could only smile as he heard how cheeky Anubis could be as his brother climbed down from where he sat, still adjusting to his newfound soul particle vision. Wepwawet could tell him more about the gift they both shared, but the Jackal decided that Anubis needed to learn about it himself That could come later, when they were in a midst of a heated fight, and he became desperate. While it made Wepwawet sounded like the cold-hearted twin, it was for the best of Anubis’s growth.

Anubis joined Sammael on the frontline alongside Arnulfe while Rhynsa stayed behind cover, rifle ready. The other Jackals were also taking cover as they readied their rifles and guns while some pulled out crescent swords from their hilts. Wepwawet wanted to stay out of the fight, but Rhynsa noticed him slowly limping away and said, “(Hey, what’s this about your gift)?”

“(Soul Particle Sight. I can see the outline of things regardless of light condition),” said Wepwawet. “(It’s similar to your echolocation, only it focuses on vision and it’s something far more specific than echoes. Anubis has the same ability, but being blind, he never learned how to focus his eyes until I pointed it out for him).”

“(You do realize that being blind also means he doesn’t even have any muscle movements on the eyes, right?)”

“(It all depends on how Anubis deal with that. At this point, I can’t help him).”

“(Well, that’s neat, but then I got an idea. Do me a favor. Get in cover with me and stay out of sight).”

Wepwawet did so as Rhynsa readied silver bullets, each already enhanced with demon cleansing ritual that could injure and kill demons. He loaded one magazine and pulled the bolt, readying it. He soon remembered something and gave Wepwawet a gun that looked very different from a revolver.

“(You know how to use a gun?)” said Rhynsa. “(That thing’s self-loading, so just aim and shoot. Don’t close your eyes when shooting and compensate for the recoil. Your aim might not work, but you’ll be fine. Use it only in the worst possible situation. You only got twelve shots before you need to change the magazine, so make it count).”

“(What’s the worst possible situation?)”

“(I’m dead and no one can help you, which I hope is not the case).”

“(Okay),” said Wepwawet with a nod.

“(But that vision of yours can be handy. I want you to be my spotter. It’s not as complicated as it sounds. Just tell me where to shoot and I’ll do the math. Those on the frontline need all the support they need, and I need to hit where they can’t see me. Your gift can complement my echolocation from this distance).”

“(You mean through a blind spot?)”

“(Think you can help me with that?)”

“(I’ll do what I can).”

“(Good. Now, get ready. Here they come!)”