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CBK: Thanks again, you really get around. Here is the next chapter.
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Disclaimer: Namco owns Tales of Symphonia.
Chapter 4:
Kratos hated involving himself with problems. In most situations, it was avoidable or had a simple and logical solution. He never troubled himself by muddling through different possibilities and ways to accomplish something because he found it to be an unnecessary waste of time.
Anna was a problem.
When he had first decided to undertake the task of freeing some of the prisoners, he had never expected to be confronted with this particular challenge. To put it simply, he didn't like her.
He glanced back, checking to make sure she was keeping up and was earned by a glare. Kratos sighed, in both annoyance and frustration and turned back around. Even after his explanation of why she was with him, that girl was still determined to despise him.
Normally he could care less what she thought of him because normally they would have already reached Luin and he would have been rid of her. But the circumstances had changed as now Kvar had Desians trailing them.
The Desians. Another problem he didn't wish to deal with. It irked him that they had managed to catch up so quickly. They were easy enough to dispose of, but he didn't particularly like killing if it could be avoided. Besides, he was already injured and exhausted as it was.
Behind him, the woman had fallen, yet again and he stopped, and turned around to wait. He watched as she struggled to rise with her bound hands. Her leg was bleeding profusely again. Foolish girl, she should have said something.
"Wait," he said and she lifted her head, narrowing her eyes at him as he bent down beside her. "Your wound is bleeding."
"So what? It has been for the past hour." She grumbled, knocking his hand away as he reached for the cloth binding it. "Leave me alone."
"If you insist on refusing my help, I will be forced to knock you out." He held her gaze for a moment until she finally looked away. Taking it as an agreement, he reached again for the cloth and unwound it. As he pulled the material away, fresh blood poured from the deep hole. The skin was inflamed and he knew it was infected. "Does it hurt?"
"It did, but I have been able to ignore it." she winced as he placed the cloth back over the hole.
"Why didn't you say anything?" he grabbed her hand, "Hold it there." He commanded, placing her hand on the cloth. She did as he said and answered.
"Why are you so concerned? It is not like you actually care," She said bitterly, but Kratos thought he detected sadness as well.
He decided not to comment, and reached into his bag. He had hoped there was some type of bandage he could use, but couldn't find any. Sighing, he dropped the bag on the ground. "Take off the cloth."
She looked at him curiously and then lowered it. He stared at the wound for a moment, wondering if he was doing the right thing. If she didn't trust him now, she would never trust him after this. He lifted his hand placing it above the wound and lowered his head, incanting under his breath.
He could hear her breathing increase as he felt the mana flowing from his hand on to the wound. It was a strange sensation, like cool water trickling over your hand when you placed it in a running stream. He closed his hand, opening his eyes slowly. He avoided her face and instead focused on the injury. It was gone. Only a small, thin, white line left, barely visible.
"Try not to get injured again," He said, rising. He caught her expression as he passed her and saw anger and surprised.
"You lied to me," She hissed, rising to her feet. He stopped, allowing her to vent. It didn't matter what she thought of him. "You are a Desian."
A Desian… He hadn't thought she would continue believing that, yet she didn't seem to be the type of person who trusted anyone's word. Smart girl.
"Look at me when I am taking to you, half-elf!" she shouted. Her voice sounded hurt. Curious Kratos turned to look at her.
She suddenly appeared very vulnerable to him. Her Ranch clothing was torn and threadbare; her pale, white skin was out of place in the dark vegetation around her. Her legs, arms and face were thin and frail looking and he wondered how she had managed to last as long as this. "I am not a half-elf." He denied her accusation calmly, looking her in the eye.
Glaring at him, she seemed to consider his words. Then abruptly, she came up to him and brushed back his hair from his ears and then quickly moved back out of reach. The action caught him off guard and he didn't even move, but watched as her dangerous expression softened. "I don't understand. How can you… how did you heal me like that… if you are a human?" She appeared more confused than angry.
Kratos didn't reply. He had the answer, but he had never expected to have to give it. Until now, he had refrained from manipulating mana and using magic. He had even overlooked his own injuries in order to keep up the profile.
"Kratos?" she said his name slowly, with hesitation and he blinked, focusing on her again. What was he to tell her? The truth? Unlikely. He was not her concern and she wasn't his.
"I don't feel the need to explain myself to you. Anna." He said her name tersely and turned from her. "Once we reach a town I'll be leaving and you will be finding your own life."
She made no comment and he whistled for Noishe, who had disappeared again. The protozoan appeared among the foliage and instantly came up beside Kratos. He reached up and rubbed his head. "Would you mind carrying her for a ways? I'm going back to check on their progress."
Noishe stared at him then turned his head toward Anna. He growled, nudging his arm, but lowered himself to the ground. Kratos nodded. "Thank you, Noishe." He glanced back to where Anna stood quietly. "He will carry you for awhile, I will follow shortly."
Anna hesitated for a moment then slowly walked over, unconsciously limping before correcting herself. She waited, glancing up at him. He could tell she wanted to ask him something, but she was angry at him. They way she looked at him almost made him consider leaving her where they were, but she turned from him and climbed wordlessly onto Noishe's back, gripping the fur tightly in her hands.
Kratos stared at her then nodded to Noishe and turned around, heading back the way they came.
--
A strong wind had picked up and the canopy was twisting violently above him, sending leaves floating down to the ground around him. Even with the howling wind, he could hear the Desians' approach. Their armor chinks clinked together in a rhythmic pattern that was easily detected between gusts.
He kicked impatiently at a discarded branch by his foot, wondering why he was even here. The entire way back through the forest, he had been trying to give himself a reason to allow the Desians to reclaim her and rid himself of the problem.
He had come up with a number of reasons.
Sighing, he fingered his sword thoughtfully. It irritated him how dysfunctional he was lately, acting without thinking and involving himself in situations that he knew full well would draw attention to himself. Yet, for some reason, it gave him a satisfying thrill to risk his life.
His shook his head, dislodging the thought. It was that type of thinking that got people killed.
Kratos looked up just as the first handful of Desians broke through the trees. They couldn't see him hidden in the shadows behind the tree. He waited as they rushed past, slowing occasionally as they checked the trail. Kratos hadn't bothered to hide their tracks, knowing that it would be useless with Noishe's large size. Broken sticks and tracks in the ground would be difficult to cover and nearly impossible to erase, seeing as Noishe moved around so much. Once they reached the grassland again, they could easily disappear.
Kratos watched as the final Desian moved past him then stepped out of his hiding place and trailed them. His sword slid into the Desian's back effortlessly and the half-elf crumpled to the ground without a sound. The second solider fell with a grunt and the others spun in alarm.
He ripped his sword out of the body, studying the group before him. They all had their swords out, watching him. "Lord Kratos." The Captain of the group spoke with distaste. He was surprised they would still call him by his title.
When he didn't reply, the half-elf took a step forward. "Lord Kvar asks that you hand over the Angelus Project and come back willingly and he will overlook your previous actions."
Kratos lowered his head, shifting his weight from his wounded leg. It still bothered him somewhat. "And if I don't?"
The Desians gripped their weapons uneasily, glancing at each other. He almost smiled, knowing that were frightened. The Captain scowled. "Then we will take you by force."
Kratos lifted his head. "Try it then."
He didn't even wait for the Desians to move. Leaping over the body at his feet, he drove his sword into the Captain's stomach, pulling it out and swinging at the others. One managed to block momentarily, but Kratos twisted his sword and slashed open the half-elf's chest. The man stumbled back, shock and confusion on his face.
The others charged and Kratos ducked beneath their swing, grabbing the wrist of one and driving the Desian's sword into his companion. He then twisted the Desian's wrist, successfully snapping the bone. The man screamed and fell to the ground, writhing in pain.
He moved to kill the man, but grunted as a sword stabbed him in the side and pulled back out. Kratos stumbled, hand moving to cover the wound. "Lord Kratos, lower your sword."
He turned his head, feeling the point of the blade on his neck. The Desian stared up at him, his arm shaking as he held the sword at his throat. His face appeared like that of a boy. Kratos wondered how old he really was when the sword pressed harder against his skin. "Lower your sword!" his voice was still shaky, but more confident. The man on the ground was still groaning.
Kratos wasn't sure what he was feeling. He was amazed that he had actually been careless enough to get caught in this predicament. He felt light-headed, conscious of the amount of blood running through his fingers.
Lowering his sword slightly, he heard a scuffle behind him and realized there was a second solider and felt his sword being pulled from his hand. He tightened his grip on it, knowing that he couldn't allow himself be disarmed, but he was feeling unusually weak and felt it pried from his hand.
"Where is the Angelus Project?" The first Desian demanded, never taking his eyes from him.
Kratos didn't answer. If anything came out of this, at least he could say the girl got away, whether or not she deserved it. There was a snap and a grunt behind him and the Desian glanced towards the side when Noishe leapt on to him, slamming him into the ground. The Desian screamed beneath the protozoan, thrashing until he fell limp.
Kratos blinked in surprise and turned to see Anna standing with a thick branch in her hand and an unconscious Desian at her feet. "What are you doing here?"
Anna looked at him skeptically before tossing the branch onto the ground and pointed at him. "Are you planning to heal yourself?"
Noishe growled softly and nudged Kratos. Sighing, he shook his head and gathered mana, placing his hand over the wound. The spell left him drained and he swayed. Anna hurried to his side, steadying him. "Are you all right?" she asked.
Kratos didn't bother to answer. It was a pointless question that she could answer for herself. He reached for Noishe, shaking Anna off him. She scowled at him. "You are a real idiot, you know that? Did you honestly think that you could defeat these Desian's injured?"
He wasn't in the mood for this. "Before I answer your questions, perhaps you should answer mine. What are you doing here?" he asked, breathing deeply to clear his head.
"Saving you, apparently." She folded her arms. "Is this the thanks I get for coming back for you?"
"Perhaps. It's not like you showed the same courteous." Noishe nudged him and he placed a hand on the protozoan's muzzle. "Thank you, Noishe." He murmured. Unfortunately, she appeared to have heard him.
"So you thank the wolf? You know, I don't understand why you are 'saving me' anyway. As far as I could tell, you don't give a damn about me, so why would you risk yourself by coming back and fighting these Desians?" She spat.
Kratos turned his head to glance at her. Her face was flush and shortly cropped hair disheveled. It made him think of a child having a tantrum. He was not particularly good with children.
"Perhaps were can have this conversation elsewhere. Kvar will have more men searching and it would be foolish to remain here." He cast his gaze on the unconscious man at her feet. "Are you going to finish him off?"
From the expression on her face, he knew the answer and shakily moved away from Noishe, retrieving his sword from the half-elf's hand. Without a moments hesitation he drove the sword into the man's back; the body only twitching once.
"How could you…" she shook her head as he pulled the sword out, wiping it and sheathing it.
"Let's go." He called for Noishe and walked away from her.
--
He knew she was appalled at what he had done, killing a defenseless man. He guessed that race was only a concern when a person is awake. He doubted that Anna would think twice if the Desian was aiming a sword at her.
She hadn't spoken to him since, both walking in silence. He didn't mind, knowing it wouldn't last; his only hope was that he could reach Hima before she decided to question his motives again.
Questions… He didn't understand people's need to ask senseless questions, especially when the answer was obvious. People were too curious in his opinion, delving in situations that did not concern them. She seemed like that type of person at the moment.
The largest problem was she had a tendency to inquire on questions he had yet to answer for himself. He had yet to discover why he was going through so much trouble for this woman, especially now that she was healed. It would be simple to point her in the right direction and leave her to her own plans and move on. But something held him back.
He frowned and glanced skyward. Thin, dimming streams of twilight filtered through the branches, casting a golden hue in the air. The vegetation was diminishing quickly and he realized that they were nearing the edge of the forest. Noishe straightened stiffly, halting in his movement and Kratos glanced at him. "What is it?"
His nose twitched and a low rumble vibrated through the creature's throat. Anna gave him a worried look, but he ignored it. "Noishe?" he tried to gain the protozoan's attention.
Even as he spoke a thunderous crash resounded through the air. Through his feet, Kratos felt vibrations from the ground and spun just as a bulky, dark shape lunged at them. Noishe howled, leaping out of the way of the charging shape. Kratos turned and lunged at Anna, knocking her to the ground as it surged past them towards Noishe.
Anna was gasping for air as Kratos rose, drawing his sword. The sudden movement had made his head spin, still not fully recovered from his earlier wounds and fatigue.
He recognized the attacker as a large cave bear, its large, grayish-brown body unmistakable. Noishe's fur was bristled, teeth bared and snarling. The bear snuffled, grunting as it slowed its movements to a sway. Then the bear released a deafening roar and fell upon Noishe, who leapt up at the same moment, jaws closing on its thick throat.
The two creatures were locked together in a dangerous scuffle. The bear was at least twice Noishe's size, its massive paws encircling the protozoan in a death grip. Noishe's large teeth were latched on to the bear's throat, struggling to find a grip, pressing his forefeet against the cumbersome weight that threatened to suffocate him.
Kratos gripped his sword, advancing slowly on the scuffling animals. They were constantly moving, each trying to gain the upper hand. He couldn't find an opening that would deal a fatal blow to the bear and feared his intrusion would cause Noishe injury.
Suddenly they split apart, both animals falling back. A long gash raked Noishe's haunch, matting his fur with blood. The bear seemed unharmed, save for the heavy laboring breaths it was forced to take. Noishe snapped his teeth, growling before lunging at the bear's throat once again.
The bear roared, swinging its massive paw at Noishe as he grappled at its throat. It struck the protozoan with a thud, but Noishe managed to hang on, but a second blow threw him into a tree, earning a yelp.
Blood dripped steadily from the bear's neck where Noishe had punctured the skin, but it seemed to faze the creature little and he started towards the stunned protozoan. Kratos didn't wait. He rushed forward and ducked, ramming the sword beneath the bear's foreleg and into its chest.
Instinctively the bear reared, its massive paw catching Kratos across the shoulder, throwing him to the ground. Dazed, Kratos laid on the ground watching as the cave bear turned towards him, sword still stuck in its side.
"Kratos!" Anna screamed. He struggled to rise when he saw rock hurtle through the air and strike the bear in the side of the head. It growled in rage, swinging its massive head in the direction of its new threat.
Cursing beneath his breath, Kratos ignored his protesting body and moved to intercept the monster when Noishe crashed into the bear, bearing it to the ground. The protozoan had it by the throat again, forcing it into the ground. The impact caused the sword to drive even deeper into the bear and it groaned, falling limp before Noishe could even injure it further.
Kratos stood, staring at the limp form and then at Noishe who was still snarling, circling the massive creature.
Something gripped his arm and he spun to strike it when he realized it was Anna. His reaction caused her to stumble back with fear on her face, falling to the ground. Tears trailed down her cheeks, leaving dirty streaks on her face. She remained on the ground, sobbing silently.
He was confused. He looked for an injury, but didn't think she had been harmed. Uncertainly, he crouched so he was eye level with her. "Are you injured?"
She didn't answer, instead, much to his shock; she flung herself on him, burying her head into his chest. His eyes widened and he brought his hands out awkwardly. She was hugging him… He closed his eyes and turned his head. He could smell her, a dirty musky smell. It was to be expected, but nevertheless, not pleasant.
She was shaking as she cried. Lowering his hands to her shoulders he went to push her back when she spoke, her voice halting and cracked.
"I thought—I thought it was going to kill you. I was so scared. I didn't want to be left alone again. I don't want to go back…"
Kratos hesitated, marveling at the sudden change in the woman's personality. It struck him quite suddenly that perhaps he had been over assuming her strength. At this moment, she appeared more a child than ever. Her mask and defiance had broken loose, crumbling at the thought of losing everything again.
Glancing over, he noticed that Noishe was staring at him, head tilted. He glared at the protozoan, knowing the humor the creature found in the situation. He turned his attention back to Anna, regain his previous demeanor. "Anna," he said firmly, yet softly.
The reaction could have been similar to if he had shouted. She broke away as if he burnt her. Her hair was covering her face, but he could still see the flush spreading on her cheeks. She said nothing and he didn't press. As far as he was concerned, the situation was caused by an involuntary action. But even so, he couldn't help but feel pity for the girl…
He rose from the ground and moved to the bear, hoping to distract himself from the troubling thoughts. Managing to shift the heavy bulk enough to grip his sword, he pulled it free and cleaned it on the fur. He glanced back at Anna, and found her still in the same position. "Anna," he called.
She flinched at his voice, not looking up. "What?" she asked quietly.
"We should move on. We are nearly out of the forest." He approached Noishe, searching for any serious injury on his friend. She rose silently; waiting until he was satisfied that Noishe was fine. He studied her for a moment and shook his head and started walking, her following like a shadow.
In addition to Anna's condition, he knew that they were approaching Luin. Once they broke through the tree line the town would be visible and he couldn't know how she would react to that. She troubled him more than he liked to admit, but he found himself unable to decide on how to deal with her. He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. He would not let her disrupt his life and soon she would be gone from it.
Hmm…
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