I DON'T OWN IT! NOW PUT THAT SHARP SHINY OBJECT DOWN...OK?????
Well here's chapter ten. It's been a while but I've been incredibly busy with the semester wrapping up and everything (tons of essays being thrown at me at once!) Remind me once again why I took to English courses! Thank you to mastersam and StreetPoetJehosaphet for the reviews they were very helpful. And now on with Chapter 10!
Day 12
Lilith's POV
I awake to the sounds of birds chirping, morning coming sooner than I thought it would. It isn't even light out yet. I stretch and make my way over to the washroom, getting ready for the day ahead of me. Walking out on the deck I notice the sun is just starting to rise over the endless waves of the ocean, a beautiful sight to behold. So many times people take for granted the beauty of nature…Although I can't help but hope that we reach land soon. I wonder how close we are to the Azure Knight. Naomi, I will avenge your death.
I still cannot believe my Naomi is dead. It seems like just yesterday she was alive and well, training me to become a skilled assassin. Then again that yesterday is far away now. Sometimes I wish that I could just travel back in time. I would like to see her again…I would like to prevent her death but I know that is impossible.
The wind picks up, causing me to shiver. I can hear the sound of footsteps making their way across the deck. I hear some passengers chatting idly amongst themselves about the dance last night. After the dance…he called me beautiful…I just don't understand it at all. I don't want to understand it. Trying to forget about last night, I focus on today, trying to avoid the sailors as much as possible in case any of them are ones who would try to harm me. I will not let myself be put in such a helpless position ever again!
Peering over the edge of the ship, I notice what a lovely shade of blue the water is here. Suddenly, to my surprise, I see a dolphin jump out of the water followed by another. The sight is amazingly breathtaking! I watch them jumping and playing in the distance until they become tiny specks. I sigh and inhale deeply, the fragrance of freshly brewed tea and freshly made pastries filling my nostrils. Breakfast must be ready.
I walk down the deck until I reach a merchant who is selling tea, coffee, and pastries. I purchase a cup of tea and a pastry from him and sit down at one of the tables nearby. Pulling out my notebook from my pocket, I begin to write while I eat my breakfast.
Upon finish my breakfast I notice that the sun is has finished rising. Tucking my notebook away, I head back to my room, seeing Adele as I approach my room. She waves to me, motioning for me to come over. Wondering what she wants, I approach her slowly.
"Good morning, Lilith!" Adele says, greeting me warmly.
"Good morning, Adele," I reply.
"Would you like to go for a walk around the deck with me?"
I hesitate for a moment. She is asking for my company. No one ever does this. I feel a bit…touched. Nodding to her, we begin to walk down the deck together.
No POV
The women walk down the deck together, chatting idly about many different things ranging from how pathetic the men are to how the dance was last night.
"You and Raphael were amazing last night on the dance floor…" Adele says as they walk by a few merchants who try to sell them various oddities.
"Oh…thank you…" Lilith says, blushing softly at the compliment.
"You both looked so beautiful together…everyone was watching you."
"I didn't know that we were that good…" Lilith says, crimson creeping up on her cheeks.
"Oh you two really were. Edmund, however, had two left feet…" Adele says, laughing and fake-limping.
Lilith laughs softly in response, at first startled that she even managed a laugh. "Oh dear…hope he didn't step on you too much."
"Well he did…but it's ok. He's a nice man…not very graceful though…"
Meanwhile Edmund and Kain are at the other end of the deck, staring at each other with fire in their eyes. It isn't long before the two are sparring once again. The sunlight glints off of their blades as Edmund swings his short sword down at Kain only to have him step back, the sword only getting to cut off a few of his dark black locks. Tsubaki walks towards them, sighing in dismay upon seeing them sparring once again.
"Don't you two ever do anything else when you're together?" Tsubaki asks, hands on her hips, slightly annoyed.
The boys stop sparring, Edmund turning towards her shrugging. Kain quickly sheathes his blade, sheepishly blushing in embarrassment only to unsheathe once Edmund challenges him again. Sighing, Tsubaki sits down, watching the two of them spar while basking in the warm sunlight.
Meanwhile, Taki wakes up in an unfamiliar room. Shifting her gaze around the room, the ninja suddenly realizes there is a man next to her in bed. Her eyes dart to the figure on the bed and only when they come in to focus does she realize it's Mitsurugi. Taki gasps, suddenly recalling the night before. She and Mitsurugi had a bit too much to drink, eventually ending up in Mitsurugi's room and things happened. Completely humiliated and annoyed with herself, Taki quickly scrambles off of the bed and hurriedly puts her clothing on. Mitsurugi wakes up upon hearing her hurrying around.
"Oh shit…" He mumbles, realizing what happened last night.
"Not a word to anyone…if you ever tell anyone I will silence you for good! Understand?" Taki warns.
Upon seeing the samurai gulp and nod his head, Taki hurries out of his room, hoping no one will see her. Still feeling a bit hung-over, Taki makes her way to her room, slamming the door shut and crashing on her bed, trying to forget about what happened last night.
Lilith and Adele sit down next to Tsubaki who is still watching the two men spar with each other. The girls sigh out of boredom, idly talking about the dance and other things. Lilith snickers as both men trip over a loose bottle that somehow managed to roll out to where they were sparring. The other women soon notice it too and begin to laugh. Both men stand up, trying to hide their embarrassment while glaring towards the direction the bottle came from.
Back in his room, Raphael is finally done getting ready for the day, taking extra time to look presentable. He makes his way down the deck to the spot where Lilith normally stands as she watches the ocean. To his surprise she is not there. Feeling slightly disappointed, the Frenchman walks down the deck, wanting to talk to her.
Raphael's POV
For some reason, when I woke up this morning I wanted to talk to Lilith. I normally don't want to talk to people but for some reason I can't get her out of my head. The way she danced last night matched me perfectly. I have always been fond of dancing, being quite skilled at it and Lilith's skills border my own. Dancing with Lilith made me feel…whole. Not finding where she normally is, I decide to take a walk around the deck in the hopes of finding her.
Then I notice something out of the corner of my eye, moving fast. Mitsurugi runs by me, smelling strongly of alcohol and begins to puke over the side of the deck. To my horror and utter disgust, I realize that he is completely nude. He must be having some hell of a hangover. With a sigh of disgust, I approach him once he finishes vomiting.
"Mitsurugi!" I shout and he turns around to face me.
"Oh good morning, Raphael!" His says, flashing a tired smile.
"Mitsurugi…you're naked…" I say motioning to him. As much as I dislike the man I am not going to let him wonder around nude on the ship.
It slowly dons on him as his face warps into a look hybrid of bewilderment and embarrassment as a cool breeze blows against his bare body. Covering certain parts, Mitsurugi dashes off to his room. I hold off on laughing until I know he is holed away in his room, hopefully getting dressed. He must have gotten together with someone last night. Although it is unlikely, I hope that it isn't Lilith. I highly doubt that she would ever do something like that and she does not socialize with Mitsurugi that often. However I cannot help but worry for some reason.
Immediately I begin to roam the deck, searching for Lilith. I bump into a few passengers and sailors on the way, not even bothering to excuse myself, receiving angered looks from them. I eventually come across Lilith in the company of Adele, Tsubaki, Kain and Edmund. The five of them are sprawled out on the deck playing cards. I could join them but I would feel awkward playing cards with them. Watching Lilith play, I can tell she is quite good at it but I can sense her uneasiness by the look in her eyes as she smiles at her companions. Then there's that laugh again, a laugh that seems so strained coming from her. Rising to her feet, Lilith bids them farewell and begins to walk towards the spot where I'm at.
To my horror I realize this seems like stalking. Not wanting to seem like a stalker I wait until she passes me to follow her, taking a different route so that it appears that I unintentionally bumped into her. Upon seeing her, my eyes lock with her enticing hazel ones. I beckon her over and she meets me halfway.
"Hello Lilith…" I say, smiling softly to her.
"Hello…" she replies, not keeping eye-contact with me.
"Lilith…what did you do last night after we parted?" I ask rather bluntly, cringing at how obsessive that sounds.
I just want to know if Mitsurugi took advantage of her. She appears rather confused at my question and looks at me with a perplexed expression plastered on her pretty face.
"I just went back to my room…why do you ask?" She raises one of her nicely shaped eyebrows.
"I just…" I begin trying to think of a good lie, "wanted to make sure that no sailors came after you last night…"
I can't believe I'm lying to her. She smiles softly to me and her hazel eyes seem to sparkle. Those eyes…every time our eyes meet I feel completely breathless.
"Thank you for your concern…"
No POV
The wind picks up slightly and blows Lilith's golden locks gently. Feeling guilty, Raphael gives her a weak smile, unsure of what to say. Suddenly he feels horrible about lying to her but relieved at the same time. He was so worried that Mitsurugi might have done something to disgrace her. Suddenly he feels a single tear slip from his eye and roll down his cheek.
Noticing the tear fall, Lilith looks to him with concern and takes a step closer towards him. Lifting a hand to his cheek, Lilith gently brushes the tear away.
"Why are you crying?" She asks him, confused and concerned for she never saw him do this before.
Raphael gently takes her hand that is still on his cheek into his own, unable to meet her gaze. He lowers her hand while keeping a light grip on it, knowing he cannot tell her he lied. A few sailors walk by, causing him to tighten his grip on her hand instinctively when they look towards her.
"Raphael?" Lilith asks, breaking the silence, feeling extremely awkward.
He looks at her once more and notices the confusion in her beautiful hazel eyes. "I…err…there's just a lot on my mind…" He says absently, looking away once again.
Mitsurugi walks by and eyes them oddly, noticing their entwined fingers. Raphael notices the samurai's gaze and looks down at his hand entwined with Lilith's. She is looking away from him, her gaze focusing on something in the distant ocean, her hand slowly slipping from his. Unconsciously his hand grasps hers tighter.
A breeze blows bringing with it a rather cold feeling. Noticing Lilith shivering, Raphael pulls her close to him in a warm embrace, suddenly having the urge to keep her warm. Lilith looks up to him in confusion, blush creeping onto her cheeks as that awkward feeling takes over once again. Gazing back her, Raphael is unable to say anything as he holds her close until he notices a change in her facial expression, as if she remembered something.
"Lilith?"
"I turn nineteen today…" She whispers. "I almost forgot…"
"Happy birthday Lilith…" Raphael says, smiling softly to her.
"Thank you…"
Suddenly Raphael has her hand in his and is pulling her down the deck of the ship.
"Raphael what are you doing?" Lilith asks, confusion present in her tone.
"I'm getting you a birthday present and you are going to pick it out," he says, smiling to her as they reach the merchants on deck.
"Absolutely not! I'm not allowing you to waste your money on me Raphael!" She says, immediately putting her hands on her hips in a childlike fashion.
"You don't get a say Lilith. I'm buying you a birthday present and that's final," he says, then adding jokingly, "You know most girls would love to have people buy presents for them."
"I am not like most girls…remember?"
"I don't care. It's your birthday and I'm getting you a present," Raphael says, leading her over to a merchant.
"Pick out anything Lilith…" He says, as they approach the merchant's stand.
"But Raphael-"
"No buts!"
Lilith refuses to look at anything that he shows her, telling him again and again not to buy her anything. Frustration begins to grow in the young nymph's body as she wonders why he won't abide by her request. Eventually they reach a jewelry stand and a necklace catches her eye but she instantly tears her gaze from it. Noticing her interest, Raphael smirks, knowing that he's won and buys it from the merchant. Looking to Lilith, who has her back turned to him, he sneaks up behind her, putting the necklace on her.
"Raphael!" Lilith exclaims, upset that he has spent money on her but realizing that he is just too stubborn to listen.
"It's a present…relax…"
Looking down at the necklace, Lilith realizes it was the one she was looking at earlier.
"Thank you…" She says while smiling softly to him.
Raphael returns the smile
"Happy birthday Lilith…"
Raphael jumps at the sudden feeling of her thin arms wrapping around his body. Slowly relaxing, he returns her embrace, glad for her company.
"You didn't have to buy me anything…" Lilith whispers, gazing up at him.
"I know…but I wanted to…" He says softly, holding her close.
Edmund looks out at the ever churning waves of the sea, tired from sparring with Adele, who is standing behind him while sheathing her sword. Snickering to herself, the young woman reflects on how easy it is for her to win a spar against Edmund. It's no wonder Kain is able to win against him so easily. Turning around, Adele finds Edmund staring at the ocean, still as a statue.
"Edmund?"
He doesn't respond for a moment but then turns to face her, a huge grin on his face. "Land! Adele, I see land!" The brunette exclaims happily, hugging her tightly.
"That's wonderful Edmund…I can't breathe…" Adele says, gasping for air.
After being released from Edmund's death grip, Adele looks out into the distance to see land.
"Finally…I'm tired of this ship…" she mutters.
"Aren't we all?" Kain asks, approaching them from behind with Tsubaki.
The ship lands on Japanese shores, the group packing all of their belongings up. Lilith smiles as she finishes packing everything, taking one final look at her cabin in the ship. No more sea…She happily thinks to herself. The young nymph quickly makes her way off the ship and joins the rest of her group. Soon everyone is off the ship, making their way into town. The town seems to have an uneasy atmosphere just like the last town they were in. They didn't need to ask the inhabitants that it was the Azure Knight's doing, their faces said all.
The sun was beginning to set so they would have to rest at the inn for the night. As they reach the inn the owner tells them that there are only four rooms left, meaning that it would have to be two to a room.
"Well Adele and I will be sharing a room because I want to make sure no one lays a hand on her," Kain says defensively.
"I'm rooming with Taki…" Tsubaki says annoyed, wanting to room with her friend.
This left Lilith, Raphael, Mitsurugi, and Edmund to duke it out as to who would room with whom. Lilith looks to the three of them, cursing her luck. She would much rather room with another female, although she had already roomed with Raphael once before so rooming with him would not be a big deal for her. Lilith and Raphael find themselves unconsciously moving closer to each other, neither of them wanting to room with Mitsurugi.
"Looks like you're rooming with me, Eddie!" Mitsurugi says, thumping Edmund on the back rather roughly.
"It's Edmund…" The brunette corrects him.
Adele shoots him a sympathetic look as they head up to their rooms. Entering their rooms, the cries of battle can already be heard ringing through the hall.
"ONE BED?!?!?! YOU'RE SLEEPING ON THE FLOOR MITSURUGI!!!" Edmund hollers.
"I AM NOT!" Mitsurugi bellows back.
Everyone else can't help but snicker to themselves for they had all chosen rooms with two beds. Smiling to herself, Lilith sets her bags down, choosing the bed near the window. Upon hearing even more shouting, Lilith and Raphael exchange amused looks.
Lilith's POV
I laugh as I hear either Mitsurugi or Edmund hit the wall in the room next to us. Probably Edmund…Raphael has gone to the washroom, leaving me alone in this crummy hotel room. As I sit here, thinking to myself, I become rather bored. There's absolutely nothing to do but rest until tomorrow, when we can continue our journey.
I just want this to be over. I want to kill that bastard for what he did to my Naomi. I want to kill him just like he killed her. A life for a life…that's fair…right? Was she really your Naomi? That thought echoes through my mind a lot. Why would I suddenly start to develop feelings towards her after a few years of knowing her? It wasn't even a developing relationship. It just suddenly struck…like lightning. I mean before that Naomi was my best friend. She wouldn't try to seduce me…no…maybe that night…I wasn't myself.
There's also the mystery of that fragment of Soul Edge. How on earth did it get implanted in my back? I've often pondered this but not long enough to think of answers. I mean how could someone implant that in my back without me noticing? The only person who's ever been close enough to me to even try to do that was…Naomi. She would never do something like that! This is normally the time I stop pondering these mysteries, not wanting to come to the most logical conclusion.
Flopping onto my bed, I notice that the sun is starting to set and figure I might as well try and get some sleep. This isn't my normal bed time but there's nothing else to do and I'm too drained to read. I rest my head on a pillow and close my eyes. Maybe I can actually fall asleep somewhat easily.
In the back of my mind I register that my ears have picked up on the sound of the door opening. I don't care though. All I am thinking about is sleep at this point. Suddenly I sense that there is someone leaning over me. Maybe if I ignore them they will go away… nope. Slowly opening my eyes, I see Raphael leaning over me. I lazily make a shooing motion with one of my hands before closing my eyes again, hoping he will take a hint. Of course he doesn't! I sigh and open both my eyes, rubbing them viciously before glaring at him for pulling me from my sleep.
"What?" I ask groggily, although I haven't even been sleeping. I was just getting into the sleep mode and it's rather annoying to be disturbed.
"Why are you asleep, it's not even that late at night?" He points out.
"So? I'm bored and I'm a bit tired…" I reply, somewhat annoyed that he would wake me up just for that.
"But it's your birthday…"
"It's like any other day of the year…" I sigh, flipping some of my hair away from eyes. I hate it when my hair does this!
"Lilith, I'm taking you out to dinner…" Raphael says, grabbing my wrist and pulling me up into a standing position.
"Absolutely not! You've already gotten me a present. There's no way I'm letting you pay for dinner…" I protest as he drags me across the cheaply carpeted floor of the inn.
"Lilith…you're my friend and I want to take you out for dinner…"
My friend? I'm not use to people saying that. I'm use to having no friends. I'm use to having people dislike me. And this is…Raphael we're talking about. Raphael is more of a lone-wolf than I am…and yet…he thinks of me as a friend…I guess it makes me feel a little happy inside to think of at least one person as a friend.
THUD!!! "GOD DAMN YOU MITSURUGI!!!" Edmund shouts from next door.
I chuckle softly at this and I notice Raphael smiling softly to me. "Get dressed Lilith…I'll meet you in the lobby in ten minutes."
"But Raphael I am dressed," I say, gesturing to my clothing.
He laughs at me for a moment and it takes me a few seconds to realize that he is dressed up. I can't say I'm the most observant person right now. Just what kind of restaurant is he planning on taking me to?
"I mean formal wear…if you don't want to dress formal that's perfectly fine too…" He adds.
"No! Sorry I got confused…" I stammer, slightly embarrassed.
"Good…ten minutes Lilith," he says before leaving the room.
Formal where? Where is he planning on taking me? I would rather not go somewhere formal but I'd rather not hurt his feelings. Sighing in defeat, I begin to rummage through my luggage for appropriate attire.
Raphael's POV
"Good…ten minutes Lilith," I tell her as I leave the room.
Sometimes I second guess myself as to why I'm doing this but I want to. I want to do this for Lilith. She's my…friend. It's hard to think of me having friends but Lilith is my friend and I want her to have a nice birthday…even if she doesn't think much of them. Besides I've already invested a lot of my time in her so I might as well be her friend. I just feel…different around her as opposed to being with others. Maybe it's because we're both lone-wolf types but then…why would we like being together?
I make my way down the stairs, past the hotel rooms, noting the violent sounds coming from Mitsurugi's and Edmund's room. The two of them do not make good roommates. I see the door almost open on its own as one of them, probably Edmund, goes flying into it. I don't really care. It is amusing but if it keeps me up tonight I am going to make the two of them pay.
Waiting down in the lobby for Lilith, I find myself anxious to see what she wears. That night at the dance she looked…incredible. She was the most beautiful girl at the dance. Those other girls really did a good job dressing her up but she's always had that shine that's all her own. There's just something about her…
I think it's been ten minutes and I anxiously look towards the stairs she will most likely be coming down. I'm hoping she is just taking her time and not backing out on me. I mean…I did go out earlier while she was still settling in the hotel room to make reservations at the nicest restaurant I could find, not that I'll let her know.
Suddenly my attention turns to a few people who begin to look towards the top of the steps. I smile as I see Lilith, descending the stairs, looking like an angel. Her long golden locks are hanging down and her hazel eyes seem to shine. I note that she is wearing the necklace I bought for her which makes me feel…happy? She's wearing a beautiful white dress and matching heels. Wait…can she walk in those? Last time she tripped…
No POV
Slowing descending the stairs, Lilith looks graceful but in reality she is trying not to trip. "Just one step after the other…" She says quietly to herself. One foot and the other foot.One foot and the other foot.
Suddenly her heel catches on a nail, poorly hammered in the step and she falls forward. Raphael is instantly at the bottom of the stairs, catching her as she falls, knowing that she would trip. Instantly she blushes as she tears her gaze away from him to focus on the floor. He only chuckles softly and braces her up against him.
"You didn't have to wear heels…" He whispers softly into her ear.
"But you said formal wear…heels are formal!" She protests.
"But you can't walk in heels," he jokes to her, referring to the night of the dance when she tripped going back to her room.
Lilith says nothing and looks away from him, hiding her blush. He only smirks and wraps an arm around her waist, leading her out of the inn.
"Let's not go somewhere too expensive…ok?" Lilith says as they walk down the street.
"Of course Lilith…" Raphael lies as he leads her to the most expensive restaurant on the street.
"Raphael…this place looks expensive…"
"Oh nonsense Lilith…"
They are greeted by the male host, who appears to be eyeing Lilith up. Raphael shoots him a glare and the man gulps and takes a step back.
"Your ta-" The host is about to tell them their table is ready but Raphael shoots him a warning glare and the man suddenly remembers he's suppose to keep it a secret.
Raising an eyebrow, Lilith stares at him suspiciously for a moment as the host leads them to their table. To Lilith it seems oddly set up. Their table is in the back, away from everyone else and there are candles.
"You set this up…didn't you?"
"Of course not Lilith!" Raphael lies, blushing slightly.
"RAPHAEL I TOLD YOU NOT TO SPEND ANYMORE MONEY ON ME!" Lilith exclaims, rather upset.
"Lilith…calm down…I wanted to make this nice for you…and I don't care about the money…you're worth it…" He says as he pulls a chair out for her to sit down in.
"But Raphael this is so expensive…" Lilith protests.
"I said I don't care…I wanted to do something for you on your birthday…"
"Th…thank you…" Lilith says, stuttering slightly, not use to people doings things like this for her.
"Of course Lilith…"
"But I must admit…fancy places like this…make me a tad uncomfortable…" She frets, looking around the room.
"Oh…I'm sorry Lilith…I want you to enjoy this…" Raphael says, frowning slightly.
"I will! Don't think that I won't. I'm just not use to fancy places like this…" She laughs slightly.
"Alright…you had me worried for a second…" Raphael says, sitting across from her.
"Umm…Raphael?"
"Yes Lilith?"
"Could you tell me what these foods are?" Lilith asks, staring at the menu as if it were in a complete other language, although it is the European side of the menu.
"Of course," Raphael says, surprised that Lilith does not know much about fine dining.
To him, Lilith seems like an elegant woman who would at least know a little bit about noble life. But then again…Lilith is one surprise after another. The waiter comes over and asks them if they're ready. Lilith nods her head and orders water and a salad, earning an odd look from the waiter.
"Umm…I guess I'll have the same thing," Raphael says, shooting Lilith an equally disturbed look.
"What?" Lilith asks, totally oblivious.
"You could have had wine and steak you know…"
"I don't drink alcoholic beverages and I try not to eat meat," Lilith says, staring at her napkin, blushing slightly.
"Oh…I never knew…I'm sorry Lilith…"
"It's alright…I'm just different…"
"But different isn't necessarily a bad thing…" He tells her, reaching out and resting his hand on top of hers, causing Lilith to look up at him as he smiles warmly to her.
After dinner Raphael receives the bill and chuckles to himself. Lilith raises an eyebrow and looks to him curiously.
"You're a cheap date Lilith…" He smirks, looking over the bill.
"Well that's good for you then, isn't it?"
"Yes but you could have gotten anything you know…"
"I know…" Lilith says, standing up slowly relieved that he didn't end up paying too much money on her.
Raphael immediately walks over to her, making sure she doesn't trip in her heels. He smiles softly to her as he leads her out of the restaurant. Lilith walks along side of him, being careful not to trip. As soon as they exit the restaurant, Lilith turns to him.
"Thank you Raphael…" She says, smiling softly to him.
"You're welcome Lilith…I was glad to take you out…" He says turning to face her.
Lilith hugs him tightly and he smiles down to her, returning her embrace. Breaking away from him, Lilith heads back to the inn, not wanting to be held for too long. Raphael walks along side of her, making sure she does not fall.
As they are walking, something catches Lilith's eye, causing her to stop without warning with a strange expression on her face. Walking just a few feet away is a woman with short red hair and emerald green eyes, just like Naomi. She opens her mouth to speak for a moment but can find no words. Raphael taps her on the shoulder, and she turns to look at him.
"Lilith?"
Lilith ignores him and turns to look back at the woman only to see her gone. She then turns to Raphael and shakes her head.
"It was nothing…" she says, seeming out of it.
"Alright…" He says softly, gently grasping her hand, walking her back to the inn.
By the time they get back it is already late at night and everyone else is sleeping…well except for Mitsurugi and Edmund. Lilith goes in the washroom and changes into a thin white nightgown, sleeve-less, and sits on her bed. Was that really her? No…it couldn't have been…Naomi's…dead… Raphael looks over at her, already changed into his sleepwear, noticing the forlorn expression her delicate face.
"Is something wrong, Lilith?"
Lilith is snapped out of her thoughts and looks at him, giving him a half-hearted smile.
"No…I'm just thinking about…things…"
"Alright…I'm going to try and get some sleep…if you need me…wake me up…" He says before lying down in his bed.
Lilith nods and stares out the window sadly. Why were her eyes playing tricks on her like that? Naomi couldn't be alive…could she? Slowing rising from her bed, Lilith opens the door to the room, going out into the hallway. She can't sleep and she does not want to wake Raphael up. Walking down one of the hallways, she finds a window with a beautiful view of the town. Suddenly she feels like she's being followed. Slowing turning around, Lilith finds…Naomi?
"Hello Lilith…"
"Naomi?! But…I thought you were dead!" Lilith exclaims, running over to her and hugging her tightly.
"I can't die that easily…" Naomi laughs, hugging Lilith back but not before noticing her companion's hazel eyes.
"Lilith…your eyes aren't red anymore!" Naomi gasps.
Why would she be so surprised that they aren't? Lilith thinks to herself, something not quite right. Then it hits her, Naomi was the one who placed that fragment of soul edge in her back…but why? Tears start to form in Lilith's eyes and she quickly blinks them away without Naomi noticing. Deciding not to tell her the truth for it could put her in a dangerous situation, Lilith comes up with a lie rather quickly.
"Oh! I am able to control the shade of my eyes. I much prefer hazel."
"Good…good…" Naomi says, stroking Lilith's hair. "Listen…you can't tell anyone you've seen me, ok? I have to get going now but I'll see you again soon. Until then…" Naomi says, pulling Lilith into an intimate embrace as she kisses her deeply, slipping her tongue into her mouth. "We'll be together soon." She says before leaving Lilith in the hallway, alone.
Lilith just stands there, shocked, as Naomi leaves. How is she still alive? The young nymph thinks to herself. And the kiss…it made Lilith feel slightly uncomfortable and she even finds herself wiping her mouth in disgust. Of course she valued Naomi's friendship but over the past few weeks she was beginning to wonder if she just felt a slight infatuation towards Naomi. When Naomi kissed her, Lilith felt nothing, not even one single butterfly. Maybe I'm not in love with her… Lilith thinks to herself. After all, up until Naomi, Lilith had always been interested in men. She even found herself feeling slightly disgusted when Naomi kissed her. Sighing to herself, Lilith heads back to the room.
Lilith's POV
I can't believe that Naomi's alive. I can't believe that she was the one who placed that fragment of Soul Edge in my back. And why didn't she want me to tell anyone I saw her? Something just doesn't seem right. It's like Naomi is hiding something from me, something she doesn't want anyone to know. How can she even be alive? She was dead when Raphael pulled me away from her. She was dead when I lost consciousness. Wait…the Azure Knight…does he have something to do with this? Oh…I'm so confused. All I know is that I can't trust Naomi right now.
I slowly bring my fingers up to my lips, touching them gingerly. Naomi kissed me so that must mean she's still interested in me. But…why don't I feel excited over it? Part of me even feels sickened…I thought I loved her but I guess I don't. Perhaps it was just a passing infatuation or…she could have seduced you…A voice whispers in the back of my mind. I violently shake my head no.
"She would never do that…" I say quietly, trying to reassure myself.
But…if she asks me to be with her…what will I tell her? I don't love her in that way at all but I do value our friendship…what if she becomes angry with me? What if I hurt her feelings? I sigh sadly to myself, this is just too much to for me to handle. And what if she did try to seduce me? I don't even want to think about that question.
I make my way back to the inn room, quietly shutting the door behind me. I turn around to find Raphael standing in front of me. I jump back, startled and hit the door knob. I groan and rub the spot on my back that made contact with it. I glare slightly at Raphael, wondering why he is standing so close to me.
"What?" I ask him, slightly irritated.
"Why did you leave the room? It's very late at night! Do you know what kind of perverts are out at this hour?!" He says, almost shouting at me.
"I can take care of myself, thank you!" I angrily snap at him, trying to push past him.
I feel his hand wrap around my wrist as he gently turns me to face him, a stern look on his face.
"No…you can't Lilith…remember that night on the ship?"
I look at the floor for a moment, remembering that horrid night when those sailors almost…when they almost…I sigh sadly, not wanting to remember that experience as I feel my eyes starting to grow teary. Perhaps he's right but we're in a hotel. I slowly look up at him and notice a slightly hurt expression in his icy blue eyes. Does he…really care about me?
"I'm sorry…" I whisper, looking down again.
"Just don't…leave again this late without telling me…alright?" He asks a hint of pleading present in his voice.
I nod to him, my gaze still on the floor. He slowly tilts my head up to look at him, cupping my face in his hands.
"I don't want you to get hurt…" he whispers.
No POV
"Th…thank you…" Lilith stammers.
Raphael smiles softly to her, wrapping an arm around her waist as he pulls her close, silently wondering why he has grown so soft towards her. You mean more to me than you know…he thinks to himself as he holds her. I don't want anything bad to ever happen to you…
Lilith looks away from him, feeling slightly uncomfortable in his arms. To her it felt right but that also made her feel very uncomfortable. Why does this feel…right? She thinks to herself, slowing pulling away from his embrace and turning her back to him to stare at the wall.
"I'm a bit tired…" She says, walking over to her bed. "Goodnight Raphael…" She says turning to him, a soft smile on her face.
"Goodnight Lilith," Raphael says, smiling back to her.
Unable to sleep, Adele sighs as she sits up in her bed and looks over at her brother who is lying down with his back turned to her. Sometimes she wonders why they are doing this. The Azure Knight destroyed their hometown but how could they, two young warriors, do anything about it? They had allies now but still…they were only eight people.
"Kain?" She whispers to her brother, wondering if he's awake.
Kain slowly rolls over and stares at her, groggily. "Adele, get some sleep…we have a busy day ahead of us…"
"I can't sleep…I'm scared Kain…"
Kain immediately sits up and begins to look around the room. "Scared? What for? I see nothing here that's the least bit frightening…"
Adele gives him a weak half-smile. If she was truly frightened about something immediately near them she would have woken him up with a much more frantic method. Kain is right in the fact that there is nothing there that is fear-provoking but in the near future which Adele is beginning to dread there will be something to be quite fearful about.
"Kain…you know what I mean…Soon…we will have to face Nightmare…There are rumors he has an army of unearthly demons and the most wicked of men following him. There are only eight of us…how can we…" Her words trail of for a moment, the thought of eight humans against an entire army mixed with demons did not seem to produce a good outcome on the human-side. "How can we ever expect…"
"Adele stop it!" Kain says, instantly getting up from his bed and sitting next to his sister. "Don't think so pessimistically…It's not like you and it's not very becoming…We're traveling with some of the strongest people I have ever met, not to mention that we too, are also very formidable. Some of those demons probably don't even have the cunning that we possess. Sure there will be others like us who follow Nightmare but it won't be a problem…just have faith, Adele…we will…I swear we will be the ones who stand strong against the Azure Knight…Light will prevail over darkness."
Adele says nothing, a slight feeling of doubt still lingering in her heart. Kain looks helplessly to his sister's ever worried face. He wanted to continue reassuring her but he was coming short of things to say. Perhaps, he, himself, also felt the hopelessness of the situation. Finally, he just gives her a warm smile and kisses her forehead.
"You should get some sleep Addy…" He whispers softly to her before rising and going over to his own bed.
Agh…I found this chapter a little fluffy! Don't worry there is a lot more action coming up and it will be slightly morbid. Hang in there please I promise it will get less fluffy although there will be some fluffy scenes but oh well I think a mixture is needed. Sorry for the lack of action in this chapter but don't worry it is coming! Please review if you want, I'm open to constructive criticism I find it very helpful! Or you can just tell me what you think of the story. If you don't want to post a review you can always email me at Please let me know and have a great day everyone!