"I don't know what you guys want but we are only passing by. We will be leaving soon." Syaoran said and pulled Sakura behind him.
The man stopped in a distance in front of them and spoke, "Twice, we have crossed path. This can not be a mere coincidence. Even if it is, it is never bad to be safe. Madoka prepare to attack."
He was wearing a dark navy colored cape and the front was attached together by a clip.
"I love hot men. Thanks a lot Masuo." Madoka, the girl behind Masuo winked at Syaoran. Her hair was clipped up messily into a bun and the tip of it fell above her chest. A loose strand of her bangs was placed behind her ear. She wore a v-cut, black sleeveless shirt and a brown short skirt. Her skirt was so skimpy that more than half of her cleavage showing. She wore leather boots that stopped right below her knee and a rope was tied around her waist like a belt. A bag of arrows hung behind her left shoulder with a smaller arrow attached to it. She had red lipsticks with very heavy make up. Certainly, she is not as beautiful as Sakura, but ordinary men would definitely be allured by her.
She took out an arrow from the bag and aimed it at them.
Syaoran drew his sword and cut the incoming arrow in half.
"Hmmm." Madoka took out three arrows this time and shot it at them.
Once again, he was able to stop it.
"Pretty face with your hands I see. I'm liking you more and more." She winked at him and switched to a smaller bow.
Syaoran narrows his eyes. Smaller bow means she need more power to pull the string and even if it hits the target, it would do much damage. Isn't it better to use the first bow?
She licked her lips, "This one is especially for you."
Syaoran eyes widened when the arrows multiplied exponentially. He pushed Sakura down onto the floor with one hand.
Saber Slash! In one swoop all the arrows broke in half and fell beside them. But the attack did not stop their. It was like raining arrows.
Syaoran started to slice the arrows up. So the small bow enables her to release multiple arrows at once even though it is weaker. While the bigger bow can only shoot once with a stronger force.
He was too occupied in thinking and defending that he did not see Madoka shoot another one.
Thunk. The arrow hit the side of his sword and stopped his movement.
"Ack." Three arrows pierce his back and he fell on the ground with his face on the floor. The raining arrows stopped.
Sakura gasped and shook him lightly, "Syaoran! Syaoran!"
He groaned but did not say anything.
She looked at the wound and then glanced at the two enemies. The arrow didn't go too deep so it isn't fatal. And the arrow doesn't seem to be poisonous. As long as I treat him quickly, it should be no problem.
"Your turn woman." Masuo said to Sakura.
He flicked something toward her and exploded.
Sakura moved to the side and dragged Syaoran along with her so they didn't get hit.
"Dancing of the Leaves." Once again he summoned a tornado.
She was taken by surprise when it appeared right in front of her. She quickly took out a small wand that Yuuko gave to her to train. That man, Masuo, must be pretty strong since he created a huge wind that has such fast speed. This wand I have is for novice. If I put too much power into the wand, I will end up breaking it. There is no way I can summon something as strong as his tornado without a decent weapon. I don't want to do too much damage but there is no choice.
Masuo's eyes narrows when his tornado changed direction and went toward them. Suddenly, the whole thing was on fire. He quickly teleported far away and watched from afar as the forest in the surrounding area catch on fire. Wind is an element that support fire. With such a strong wind, even the slightest amount of fire can become deadly.
He sat on the tree branch and continued to watch. The direction of my tornado changed. That woman must have created a smaller wind and synchronized it with mine. But she must calculate the rotation perfectly to make it the same speed as mine. People normally wouldn't do that, but she did. And she managed to change direction of my tornado by controlling the wind near the eye. Then at the last second, she released fire in the wind so we would get caught in a tornado of fire. But how is it possible that she was able to cast two different elements, one right after another so quickly? I thought the man was dangerous, but the one I really need to be wary of is that woman.
"Master Masuo!" Someone called out.
He looked down from where he sat and saw a group of his men.
"We saw the fire and instantly came running here. Is everything alright?" That man asked. He was an underling whose name Masuo does not remember.
"Yea I guess." Masuo responded.
"Where is Miss Madoka?"
Masuo looked at the fire, "There...probably."
"Probably?"
Masuo jumped off the trees and landed in front of everyone. "Bring some magicians in to get Madoka out and send word to every member in the guild that there is a threat we must get rid of as soon as possible."
~Sakura's P.O.V~ Scene Change
Right after I summoned the fire, I quickly put Syaoran's arm over my neck and dragged him away. He was not fully awake so I don't know if he was moving his legs unconsciously. Either way I'm glad he did or else I wouldn't be able to move him at all.
I found a cave after a while and hesitated before going in. It was so dark and creepy. I hate staying in these places. I wish the other four are with me now. It feels so lonely without them. Suddenly, Syaoran's arm slipped off my shoulder and fell on the ground with a loud thud.
I gasped, "I am very sorry...but I guess you can't hear me since you're unconscious."
I kneel beside him and poked his shoulder.
He groaned and grabbed my hand, "I can hear you."
I laughed embarrassingly, "Sorry."
His eyes were half open and I can see the pain reflected in his eyes.
"I need to pull the arrow out. Stay here. I need to go get something." I ran outside and came back quickly.
I stuff a wooden stick in his mouth, "Bite on this so you won't end up biting your own tongue when I pull out the arrow. I'll count to three and pull it out okay?"
He nodded his head tiredly.
"One, two…" I yanked it out without counting to three. He grunted and mumbled something but I couldn't hear it clearly.
He repeated again and while he was talking, I yanked the other two out the same time.
He spit the stick and turned to look at me, "You don't have to treat me like a kid you know?"
I laughed, "You know my trick now. It won't work on you the second time."
"I can't believe I got shot. That was such a stupid mistake." He started sulking.
I couldn't help but think that that was really cute, "Everyone makes mistakes. At least you didn't die."
"Tsk." He faced the other way, "That doesn't make me feel any better."
I helped him sit up, "Perhaps you were too busy staring at her." I started teasing him.
"What?! Of course not!" He quickly exclaimed. "The only person I like is y-."
I covered his mouth with my hand before he can finish it.
"Please do not say that." I looked at him sincerely. Our face was very close to each other.
I continued, "Those are not the feelings I can respond to. If you say it out loud, I will need to give you a reply. Either respond I give will put us in a difficult situation. So at least right now, I wish that we can stay as good friends."
He pulled my hand away from his mouth but didn't let go, "I understand the position you are standing in since you are a married woman. But that won't affect the feelings I have for you."
He brought my hand up to his lips and kissed it, "I promise I won't trouble you during our journey so if anything is wrong just tell me."
I blushed and pulled away, "I should be the one saying it. You are taking care of me and Faust. We will do our best not to be your baggage. Now rest up before your wounds worsen."
I helped him take off his top and my face was super close to his chest. I could feel his gaze on me but I did not look up.
"I'm going to kill the bacteria with fire. Do you want to bite on something?" I asked him.
"No." He answered and closed his eyes.
I went to his back and with the tip of the fire, I started burning his wound. He did not make a sound but I can hear his breathing become louder.
"You...You've done this before haven't you?" He asked.
I was startled by his question and started to think of something to say to him. My hand must have unconsciously stopped because he started talking again.
"A normal girl wouldn't know how to tend to wounds like this. And you actually know how to use fire on these injuries."
I stayed silent as he continued.
"When I was shot at first, I did not completely lose consciousness. I saw what you did. Masuo casted a strong wind and you took advantage of that by using his power against himself. You are weak but you found a way to defeat the two who are stronger than you. This means you have some battle experience. Just who are you?" He turned around to look at me in the eye.
I pushed the side of his shoulder so he would turn back with his back facing me. I began to speak, "I…"
"Before you tell me…" He interrupted, "I want you to know that you don't have to tell me if you want to keep it a secret. So please do not lie to me."
I started to tend to his wounds again, "I can not tell you about the situation I am in right now, but the most I can tell you is that I mean no harm to you or Lady Izumi. It was just an accident that we meet."
"Accident or not, I am really happy to have met you. I could even die."
I frowned even though he could not see it, "Don't say something like that. Especially not when you really almost died."
He chuckled, "A wound like this can't kill me. I've gotten worse before."
"Sure. Sure." I mumbled.
"What you don't believe me?" He asked and turned around and I took a glance at his nice body.
I turned my head away, "I trust you, now stop moving so I can finish this."
His face inched closer.
"Wha...What are you doing?" I scoot back.
He laughed, "You're turning red. This can't be your first time seeing a man topless right?"
I looked down at the floor shyly. It definitely isn't the first time, but I don't know why I'm getting all embarrassed about it.
He crossed his arms and thought for a bit, "I guess it's not since you have a husband. Well...whatever. It'll be stranger if you're not shy since we only met not long ago. I've been thinking maybe you were a mercenary before you married your husband."
I kept quiet and didn't say anything.
After a while, I finally finished tending his wounds. I helped him wear his shirt and he laid on the cold floor.
He quickly grabbed my arm and sat up when he saw me stand up, "Where are you going?"
"We haven't eaten for the whole day. I'm going to try to look for something." I answered.
"It's so dark right now. We'll survive without eating a day." He tugged on my sleeve to urge me to sit beside him.
"You are sick. It's not good if you have an empty stomach. I saw some wild fruits when we came here. I'll come back quick."
"No! I'm cold! Stay with me." He pulled me into his chest and I fell on his lap. He hugged me around the waist as look up. Our faces were inches away.
"S...Syaoran." I stammered and he was smiling happily.
I tried to push him away but he did not budge. He embraced me and I felt one of his hand on my back while the other was on my neck. He pushed my head to his neck and I gave up struggling because he was simply too strong. When I looked up, I saw his eyes sparkling.
His hand on my back slide to my waist and I felt myself heating up. It felt comfortable in his arms but I suddenly felt my heartbeat quickening and my breathing became unsteady.
I shifted in his arms, "Umm...Syaoran?" I whispered. It surprised me when I felt him shudder and he instantly released me. I got off his lap and faced him.
"Are you cold?" I asked and placed my hand on his forehead. He should be having a fever, not a cold. Then why did he shiver?
His legs shifted uncomfortably.
"You need to rest up. If we walk quickly we may be able to get to the city tomorrow so a doctor can look at your wounds." I took off my cloak and wrapped it around him, "I'll be back quick."
I left hastily before he could say anything.
I inhaled deeply and welcomed the cool night breeze on my skin. It felt really nice.
In the past, I never associated with many men because of Sora and Tadao. So this is my first time being embraced like that. It got me quite nervous. I need to try putting some distance between us. If he keep being so nice to me, I'm afraid I really will fall for him. But I shouldn't be thinking about something like that now.
What I'm worried about is that man name Masuo. He was trying to prevent us from going near the gravestone. And before they came, I caught a glimpse of a spell on the stone. Someone had placed a spell, Apporo, on it to absorb its spiritual energy. This must mean what Kero said is right. Someone is trying to unseal Reiton, and Masuo is part of that group.
Therotis is a process which concentrates large amount of spiritual energy in an area, and it has the power to undo any magic. It will take them awhile to collect enough energy if they want to undo Incantores (For those that do not remember, it is a spell used on Reiton in chapter one intro). But I shouldn't let that get to my head. I need to race with them and stop them before they can release Reiton. That means I need to stop idling around and really start training so I can go look for the others.
I am in a bad position right now since I don't even have any time to train at all. Not to mention I am trying to hide my true powers from them. If the worse comes, I can just separate myself. I can survive in the forest but the problem is Faust. I cannot just leave him with some random people. The only thing I can do now is send Kero to gather information on Masuo.
That is probably the best possible choice now.
I stopped in front of an apple tree. The apples were shiny red and they looked super delicious. I immediately shot the branches with water and a bunch of it fell on the floor. I picked them up slowly. I hope these will last until we reach the city.
~Meanwhile at the Cave. Syaoran's P.O.V~ Scene Change
"Damn." I whispered and rubbed the back of my neck. Does she really not know the effect she has on men or does she think I have really good resistance?
I was playing around when I pulled her in for a hug, but when she whispered my name, I felt her blow against my neck. How can I resist something like that especially when she was staring at me so tenderly. There is a limit to how much I can hold in. It's a good thing she left or else she would've found out that I was a bit aroused.
I leaned my back on the cave wall and welcomed the stabbing pain on the wounds.
"Oh crap." I cursed. I just remember I have her cloak on. I might've bleed through it and left bloodstains on them. I grab the side of the cloak and placed my head on it. I glanced at the entrance and made sure she wasn't back yet. I brought her cloak up to my face and I can sniff her scent on it.
"Ughhh." I groaned and threw the cloak on the floor. "She is going to make me crazy."
I leaned on the side and waited for her to come back. Few minutes later, I saw her running back with some apples. She handed me one and started to eat one herself.
~ Tomorrow. Regular P.O.V~ Scene Change
Sakura opened her eyes and instantly sat up.
Syaoran grinned happily and greeted her, "Good morning!"
"I...I thought I was leaning against the wall when I slept last night." She stuttered.
"You look very uncomfortable so I placed your head on my lap."
"Ohhh." She said embarrassingly, "Thank you."
He chuckled, "The sun rose. Let's get going."
"Ok." She gathered the food and followed after him.
Without stopping at all, they managed to get to the city by sunset. Surprisingly, Kero was already waiting for them in his mini form. Through Kero, they found out that Ty was already in the city.
They got a room in a big tavern. Many men were sitting on the bottom floor, chatting idly while drinking to their hearts content. Sakura pulled her hood over her head while walking pass them and helped Syaoran up the stairs.
"I will report to Ty that we're here." Sakura said and left the room with Kero on her shoulder.
"Good thing there is the still room in this inn. It's more convenient if we're living in the same place as Lady Izumi. Is everyone in the city already?" She asked Kero.
"No. Ty and the lady was already here when I got to the city. They must've carried her and the young prince here. I got here second with the young princess and Faust." He responded.
Sakura smiled, "I knew it. You were with him. Did you carry both of them here with your true form?"
"Yea, those stupid kids got caught in the tornado and I had to get them out. I carried them to the city walls while they were still unconscious so they didn't know it was me." Kero responded, apparently annoyed by how they got caught by something so weak.
Sakura walked slowly across the hall to the room Ty is in, "Is this his room?"
"This is Lady Izumi's room. Before you go in let me tell you Ty is not in a good mood."
She stopped in her tracks, "Why?"
"The lady was not kidding when she said the twins get sick easily. I don't know what sickness they have but it is making their body super vulnerable. Princess Kasumi chased after Faust and got herself caught in the tornado. Both of them got sucked into the whirlpool and got many cuts on their body. Faust is fine and is walking, but the princess is not in a good condition. She got a fever and it doesn't seem like it's getting better anytime soon." Kero explained.
She frowned, "Is it that bad?"
He sighed, "I heard Lady Izumi say that it may take more than a month for her to recover. Every time something happens, it is like a death match between her and the sickness. That's why they have been very careful about trying not to get the twins sick. It sounds to me like it's a possibility that she won't make it this time."
Sakura patted his head lightly and knocked on the door, "I'm sure she'll make it. She have been fighting this battle ever since she was born and never lost to it. You say there is a possibility that she won't make it, but that just means there is also a chance that she will."
"Always so optimistic." Kero mumbled and jumped in her pocket before the door creaked open.
When she walked into the room, she saw Princess Kasumi laying on the bed, breathing very loudly. It was like she was gasping for air every time she breathe. The doctor was on the left side of her with Faust behind him. Lady Izumi was on her right side with Prince Kiyoshi behind her. Ty was standing at the end of the bed with his arms crossed. All of them have a very grim expression on.
