Chapter 10

Punishment

"Is it just me, or are we spending a lot of time in here?" Shadow muttered to Midnight who was standing beside her with her hood covering most of her face.

Shadow was sure that their first priority would be to get hers and Midnight's wounds fixed by Ramankila, as even now they were still bleeding and caked in dry blood and mud, but Aqua had insisted that they report to Mazchna first. Shadow just figured she couldn't wait to see them get yelled at for their second failure.

Now Aqua, Troll, Midnight, and Shadow stood in Mazchna's office. Shadow was staring at the floor and Midnight's face was rigid, obviously with rage. Troll was staring out into space and Aqua's face was hard and her jaw was tense.

"Shadow, Midnight, you both failed once again. You both will be on dining hall duty, serving food to slayers and apprentices. This reminds me we need groceries to be picked up. Shadow, you will go in town to Canifis and buy some. I'll have the dining hall staff write up what they need." Mazchna was in a rage that they had failed a second time. But Shadow was at least grateful he wasn't yelling so much as he did last time.

Shadow still felt distraught. She had no idea how to get out of the labyrinth that was her new home. This was the second time that she had almost died since she'd been there. Only this time she was soaked, shivering, muddy, dirty, and bloody. She wanted to wash all this gunk off so bad that it hurt…of course that could be the cuts that she was sure were infected by now.

"You expect us to be allowed into a kitchen looking like we just rolled around in a dead monster?" For once Midnight's calm monotone had a little bit of a waver in it. Even though she had no soul she could apparently feel pain just as much as Shadow could. And Shadow knew that she was dealt extra pain that she wouldn't have had to endure when she saved Shadow's life. Shadow still hadn't thanked her for that, she realized…

Mazchna sighed deeply. "Very well. I see your point, Midnight. Head to Nurse Ramankila to get your wounds checked on and then wash up. I'll inform the dining hall staff of their new kitchen hands. As for you two," He turned to Aqua and Troll, "you may continue to give me your full report."

"Of course, sir. So, as I was saying…" Shadow stopped listening as she followed a limping Midnight through the office door.

Once they were outside Midnight muttered under her breath, "Kiss-ass."

Assuming she meant Aqua, Shadow laughed quietly to this. On the way while riding on Troll, Shadow was able to remove most of the pieces of glass stuck in her skin without inflicting too much more damage on her and Aqua was watching her critically.

Midnight had chopped up her arms pretty badly while she was leaning against the broken window trying to help Shadow up. Everything had gone horribly wrong. Shadow was sure that no one was prepared for hundreds upon hundreds of Bloodveld attacking them out of the darkness. What was happening to the monsters? Where were they all coming from?

Shadow's mind snapped back to reality as she heard heavy labored breathing coming from Midnight. Her limping was beginning to look more obvious and she was bleeding again.

Shadow opened her mouth to ask if she needed help but then closed it again. She wanted to help Midnight, but she would have to go a different way at it for the proud Soulless.

She had an idea after a few seconds of pondering and she suddenly coughed violently. Midnight looked back at her with a raised eyebrow and stopped beside her. Shadow hunched over and forced herself to cough harder and start wheezing.

"Need help, human?" Midnight asked her, even though she could barely stand herself. But as she asked she kept her head held high and Shadow could tell she was trying to keep the pain she was feeling from showing on her face.

"Yeah…I think the crash affected me more than I thought. Here, can you help me up?" Shadow looked up at her and used one of her many voices to speak like she was feeling terrible.

Midnight nodded and crouched down beside her, putting an arm around her shoulder. Shadow put her own arm around Midnight's shoulder as well and helped her up more than she helped her.

Together, supporting each other all the way with Shadow helping Midnight just a little bit more without her realizing it, they went through the winding tunnels to Ramankila's nursing room.

Shadow and Midnight sat on the same table in Ramankila's nursing room. Shadow was swinging around her dangling feet like a child while Midnight stood absolutely still with her hood still covering most of her face. She was pressing a cloth against her deepest wound a long cut on her right arm, and was breathing harder than ever. Shadow was really starting to worry about her.

"Ramankila, can you hurry up with those potions?" Shadow asked the old healer impatiently. Midnight was all but dying and Ramankila was still putting one stinking potion together.

"Keep your pants on, young one." Ramankila snapped at her. "I'll have this potion ready in a jiffy. I'll have to borrow some herbs from the kitchen in order to make another one, but I still have one for your friend. So you're the famous Midnight? The same who brought Madusa to her knees?" Midnight opened her already open mouth wider to answer but Ramankila cut her off. "Don't talk child you need all the air you can get."

Midnight glared at her before looking over to Shadow in a questioning glance.

"Yeah, she does that all the time. Get used to it." Shadow answered her silent question in amusement.

Ramankila sprinkled one last herb into the bubbling potion before finally turning to them with the potion in her wrinkly hand. She handed the potion to Midnight and snapped the order, "Drink, young one."

Midnight eyed the gross looking liquid suspiciously and swooshed it around in the vial before lifting it up to her lips.

"Just a warning," Shadow stopped her awkwardly, "it tastes like dragon dung." She shivered as she remembered only that morning that she had drank the same substance.

Midnight raised an eyebrow at her before chugging down the whole vial down her throat without any further hesitation. Shadow watched in amazement as she swallowed without making any expression of disgust whatsoever.

"How the-DO YOU HAVE A STOMACH OF STEEL?" She couldn't help asking.

Ramankila chuckled softly at this and watched closely as Midnight's wounds began to close, not leaving a scar behind. "It's not the same potion, child."

Shadow glared at this before turning to Ramankila, "Question," She began, "why didn't she have to have something pressed to her wound like I did, and THEN have to drink something?"

"You had a fatal wound on your neck." Ramankila answered the muddy human in front of her as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. "Midnight's wounds were not fatal, the only reason she was dying was because of the massive blood loss."

"So it depends on the degree that your dying from that decides whether you get to drink dragon dung or not?"

"Now you've got the idea child. You two young ones wait here and don't move. I need to borrow some more herbs from the kitchen which, incidentally, you two are going to work there anyway, correct?" Ramankila asked them smugly. "I warned you to take it easy only today." Ramankila continued before either could answer. "See what happens when ye don't listen to old Nurse Ramankila?"

"It's not like I had much of a choice." Shadow muttered bad temporally under her breath, scowling down at her legs.

"Watch your mouth, young one." Ramankila scolded. "I don't know how ye parent's taught ya and I know it's none of my business but they could've afforded to teach you to respect your elders I'm sure." Ramankila sniffed crossly, not noticing Shadow flinch noticeably as she continued, "I'll be right back."

Without waiting any longer she went through the door with a basket in hand, shutting the door tight behind her.

Immediately, Midnight jumped down from where she was sitting. Her breathing had gone back to normal and her scars had healed, not including the ones she had already. Shadow watched as she walked over to Ramankila's supplies. She rummaged around for a few second before coming back over with a white cloth in her hand. She held it up to Shadow without a word.

Shadow frowned at it. "What's that for?" She asked her dumbly. "My wounds already stopped bleeding."

"So you're sure they won't start bleeding again when you take out the rest of that glass that's been poking me this whole time?" Midnight asked her slowly, still holding out the cloth.

Shadow looked at the still remaining glass in her arm in surprise. She had nearly forgotten they were even there. Her whole body felt numb, cold, and dirty.

Midnight rolled her eyes before sitting beside Shadow on the table again. She put the cloth on her lap and grabbed Shadow's arms with her left hand to steady it, while gripping a piece of glass in her right hand.

Shadow grimaced at this action. "Shouldn't we wait for Ramankila to do this? You know the expert? Who most likely won't kill me doing this-OW?" Shadow let out a sharp cry as Midnight plucked out the glass without hesitation. A huge stinging sensation followed and Shadow shivered as she felt a warm, sticky liquid start to cover her arm from where the glass was taken out.

Midnight quickly grabbed the cloth on her lap and pressed it firmly onto Shadow's wound. Shadow felt slightly uncomfortable and confused as she watched the Soulless focus on the cloth on Shadow's arm with no emotion on her face except determination.

"Why are you doing this?" Shadow asked her boldly. "And don't say because you feel sorry for me because I know you can't."

Midnight shrugged. "The sooner you get better the sooner we can do our 'punishment' and the sooner we go to bed."

Shadow averted her eyes from the cloth and looked at Midnight's face. She watched her movements and the veins in her forehead, but it was still impossible to tell what she was really feeling. Then she remembered her ability to read people's eyes…but would she risk it?

She looked down slightly until her gaze rested on the girl's black eyes, with the exception of the red in the center of them. She noted that the usual fire in them seemed to be lit dimly, like she had let her guard down, like she wasn't angry anymore…but Midnight seemed to always be angry.

"OW!" Shadow hissed and nearly jumped off the table in surprise. Midnight had plucked another piece of glass without warning.

"Maybe now you'll stop staring at my eyes like some sort of desperate male." Midnight growled, pressing the cloth onto both of the wounds now. "If you want to say something, then just say it."

Shadow blinked rapidly. She did want to say something. She wanted to say something to her since she saved her life on the side of the tower, even though she knew she would be putting her own life at risk.

"Why did you do it?" Shadow asked her bluntly, sitting up straighter as the stinging sensation came back. "You didn't have to save my life, but you did. You could have just let me fall to my death. Then you wouldn't have had to deal with me and my questions anymore. You could have gotten your room back to yourself. Isn't that what you wanted since I came to this place?"

With her hand still holding the cloth over Shadow's wounds, Midnight looked up. "Yes, it was what I wanted-"

"Was?" Shadow interrupted her in shock.

"-but now I'm not so sure. I've known you only for a few days and yet you know more than what most creatures that have known me for years know about me. I don't know if that's by pure nosiness or fate but that's the truth. And the worst part is you're a human. I'm…confused." Midnight blinked and sat up straighter, letting go of the cloth that was still glued to Shadow's arm.

"You know secrets about me that I've worked hard to hide." Midnight stared at the wall now. "And you're a human." She repeated. "I don't understand it."

Shadow looked away as well. "So…in your own words. Your saying I'm like a friend to you?" She dared to ask.

"I don't know…I've never had one."

Shadow whipped her head around back to her. "NEVER? You've never had a friend before?" She asked in disbelief.

Midnight looked back at her, the fire in her eyes glowing brightly again. "I said too much. There are a lot of things you know about me, true, but there are still many things you don't know. And I'd rather it stay that way. I'm going to find Ramankila." She tried to get up, but Shadow grabbed her arm with her free hand.

"Don't. I'm sorry I shouldn't have brought this up. I just wanted to say thank you…for saving my life when you could have let me fall. No one's done that for me, knowing that their risking their own life, since…since my brother and I were running together." She couldn't believe she said that.

Midnight had seemed to tense up at Shadow's touch but now seemed to be relaxing again as if she sensed that Shadow had let one of her own secrets slip. Shadow was sure that she would ask more about this so that they would at least be even with their secrets, but to her surprise Midnight spat, "I'm not interested in your own secrets. If you start to share your own past then I'll be expected to share more of mine. I'd rather keep that part of it locked up tight."

Shadow sighed deeply and rubbed her temple in frustration. "Just…forget I said anything and accept my thank you."

Midnight held her glare for a few more moments before nodding. "You are welcome. You saved my life just before, after all."

Shadow blinked as she thought about this. It was true. And she had done it before, she realized. Then just after, Midnight would save her life. It was a pattern, as if it was destined. Shadow smiled softly and looked up at the stone faced girl. "We make a pretty good team don't we?" She asked her, knowing very well to expect a scathing reply.

Midnight shut her eyes and huffed, turning away slightly. "I suppose we do…but tell anyone I said that and I'll personally throw you off that tower and not be around to catch you this time." She said in a more threatening tone.

Shadow smiled wider. She was sure that if Midnight could show any emotion she would be saying that in a teasing tone…then again you never knew with her.

Shadow sighed in frustration and ran a hand through her freshly cleaned hair. After the exchange between Midnight and herself, Ramankila had returned with an already prepared potion and had healed Shadow's wounds. After which, Midnight and Shadow had gone to the washing room to wash off all the dried mud and blood.

Shadow had reported back to the kitchen first and was now outside of the guild on her way to the town of Canifis with a long list of supplies in one hand and a stack of money in a sack in her other hand. This will be the second time she's actually stepped foot into the odd town since she first came here.

Shadow glanced over the list again, sidestepping a tree stump while doing so. The list consisted of many disgusting items including bat blood and zombie brains. Did zombies even have brains?

Shadow still had her head buried in the list when she suddenly heard a long drawn out hiss that came from behind her. She whipped around in surprise, nearly dropping her sack of coins, and looked around the trees wildly. Nothing was there except a couple of bats and leeches.

Shadow shivered and kept walking. She remembered Mazchna's warning about vampires when she first came to the slayer guild. She had never seen one herself and she didn't intend to.

The hissing had stopped and Shadow finally saw the town looming in front of her outside the Haunted Woods. Shadow hated the name herself. But it defiantly fit the place.

Shadow sighed in relief as her boots finally felt hardened dirt instead of mushy swamp grass. She walked farther into the small town and looked around at the signs, searching for the general store. She bit her lip as she tried to read the old scratched out signs but found that this was impossible. She spotted an older woman with a cloth wrapped around her head and ran to cut her off.

"Excuse me," She began as she ran in front of the woman, who flinched in a startled manner, "can you tell me where the general store is here?"

The old woman blinked in obvious confusion before she shook her head and her eyes lit with understanding. "You must mean the inn. It triples as a bar, a store, and a place to sleep you see. It's right over there." The old lady pointed a crooked finger toward a large building to Shadow's right.

Shadow said her thanks and walked toward the building. The woman replied in a low growl but Shadow didn't seem to hear it. Shadow walked through the already open door and looked around. There were a few men sitting around in tables with beers in their hands but other than that the place was nearly empty.

A bar tender with a long, black top hat on top of his head was behind the booth cleaning out a glass beer cup. When Shadow walked over he looked up from his work. His glazed gaze immediately cleared up and he sat up straighter. "Well lookie what we have here." He said in a slightly southern accent. "What's a pretty young thing like you doing in a place like this?" The inn keeper smiled a toothy grin at her.

She resisted the urge to barf and replied in the most polite manner she could muster, "I'm looking to buy these items." She said, pushing the list toward the inn keeper. "Do you have them?"

The inn keeper took the list and looked it over for a few second before looking back at Shadow, his eyes only looking at her face every now and again. "I do have these, missy. But mind ya; I'll need the payment first." He puckered out his lips but jumped back as Shadow threw the sack of money in front of him.

He frowned. "Oh…ya have money." He said in an almost disappointed tone. "Very well, just give me a minute and I'll have your items faster than a rabbit can chase a-"

"Yeah, yeah, just hurry please?" Shadow tapped her foot impatiently. She hated this town and wanted to get out of it as soon as possible.

The inn keeper nodded curtly and turned around, sorting through his shelves of stock, glancing at the list every now and again.

Shadow crossed her arms and was shuffling her feet impatiently before she suddenly felt hot breath on the back of her head, and then a voice spoke that seemed familiar.

"I know you! You were with those freaks"The voice said. As soon as he mentioned the word 'freak' Shadow knew in an instant who was behind her.

Shadow turned around with her arms still crossed to see that her hunch was proven to be true. The cocky slayer that had made fun of them at the Bloodvelds, Xethos, was there with his so called friend that he pushed around, Kratos.

"What are you doing here if you don't like to be seen with 'freaks'?" Shadow addressed the arrogant slayer with her head held high.

"Truth be told, I was looking for you. You see, Kratos here didn't believe me when I told him that I thought you were a human, being that humans don't tend to hang out with those freaks." He waved a hand at his vacant-expression friend as he said his name. "So my suspicions were right, right? You're a human aren't you?"

"Congratulations, you stated the obvious. Reward yourself with a beer. You came all this way just to prove a point? How bull headed can you get?" Shadow lashed out at him. She didn't like him one bit and she wasn't making any effort not to show it.

The red haired slayer chuckled and crossed his arms, seeming to stand taller as he said, "You're even sexier when you're angry."

Shadow put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow. She didn't know whether to slap this pervert or feel flattered. It had been a while since anyone made a comment about how sexy she was. Guys her own level anyway.

Xethos smiled smugly and moved closer to Shadow. He knew he had said something to his own advantage. He put his arm around her and proceeded to put his face close to hers while Kratos walked over to the bar as if nothing was happening.

"So what's a beautiful girl like you doing here anyway? Anyone with eyes could see that you don't want to be a slayer, especially not for one led by a cranky demon." Xethos's voice was now lower and seemed to echo in Shadow's ears…but she refused to fall for this guy's seducing techniques

She grabbed his arm and un winded it from around her shoulders, stepping away from the slayer. "You're wasting your time." She growled. "I'm not some random vulnerable girl in a bar just waiting for some guy to sweep her off her feet." She crossed her arms once again with her jaw clenched firmly in place.

Xethos looked around obviously and swept his arms around him in a dramatic motion. "But look where we are."

"I'm only here to pick up supplies." Shadow defended herself, looking over desperately to see if the inn keeper had gotten all her items yet.

"They're having you work as a servant girl? Is it because of the way you screwed up with the Bloodvelds?" Xethos laughed cockily. "That was what really gave it away that you were a human, by the way. Though I was surprised when you fought back again and even a little impressed…that died away when you were thrown out the window." The red haired boy in front of her recalled her embarrassment clearly as if it was permanently scorched into his mind.

She clenched her fists and shot back at him, "Well what about you? Screaming like a girl just when the Bloodvelds hit isn't very attractive you know." Shadow thanked the gods that she had recalled that.

Xethos's smile faded and he stepped back. "You can't prove that was me!" He snapped. "If you-"

"Items are ready, missy!" The inn keeper's voice boomed from behind the counter and cut off the rest of Xethos's protest.

Now it was Shadow's turn to smile smugly and she nodded curtly at Xethos. Barging past him she picked up her basket of packages and walked toward the door while saying, "I'd love to stay here and watch you make a jackass out of yourself, really, but I need to get back to my slayer guild which is what you really should be doing as well."

Shadow stopped inside the doorway and turned to look at Xethos, whose eyes were now glowing with humor and most likely lust. "I'll be looking forward to our next encounter, miss…actually I didn't catch your name."

Shadow raised an eyebrow and had half a mind not to give him her name…but she knew that would be a form of weakness if she didn't. "Shadow." She told him. "You can remember that name as 'the one who shot you down.'"

Xethos smiled wider and nodded. "Shadow…" He repeated. "I defiantly won't forget that name."

She turned around pointedly and attempted to go fully through the door before Xethos stopped her again, "Oh, and Shadow?"

Even though this was against her better judgment, Shadow turned around again to look at him. "What?"

Xethos raised an eyebrow and smiled widely while saying, "Nice ass."

Shadow raised both eyebrows in surprise and looked at her back. Fine day to forget to wear her thieving cape…

"Glad you enjoy it because this is all you'll ever get to see of it." Shadow said with an edge of authority in her voice. "Get bent." She added before walking out the door without looking back.

Xethos smiled even wider and whispered almost to himself with a slight cheery tone in his voice, "I intend to."

~To be continued~

You have no idea how fun it was for me to write that scene :D

I mostly wrote the whole thing this time but still thank you Jessica for giving me plenty of ideas.

I'M SO SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG! I came back from the camping trip last week and was pretty wiped out and plus I had a lot of writers block. Anyway, it's here now and I promise the next chapter won't take as long.

21 REVIEWS? THANK YOU GUYS! (You're a little late but thank you :P)

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