FeatherWings: I would like to apologize for the lack of description. -bows-

Hypothermia chapter 9

Mannen held his hand over the cut he had received from the battle. It was worse then thought it had been. Blood trickled down his arm and dripped onto the ground now leaving a trail that stained the ground. His back began to ach again and realized that the wounds hadn't healed yet.

"Reki, are we almost there?"

"Not really. Does it hurt bad?"

"No, no I'm fine." Mannen lied out of his high pride. He didn't want to show weakness toward the injuries.

They were walking on a dry dirt road that seemed to go on forever. Mannen thought back to the battle. The dark monster that was like a night storm; its' terrible claws that had caused Reki grief and him to get hurt. She had almost run into a battle out of rage. A thought then popped into Mannen's mind.

'Is Reki really a prétear or is she something else?' Reki then noticed Mannen was spacing off and walking slightly behind her. She turned around quickly to face him and shouted.

"Boo!" Mannen was startled and jumped up. He looked at her and blinked a few times before she turned around and darted down the dirt road. Mannen soon ran after her.

"Hey! What was that for? I'm the one who should be doing things like that!" He yelled though he wasn't watching where he was going a tripped over a rock sending him face first into the dirt. "Ow..." Unfortunately the arm with the cut had slid across the dirt as well leaving a bloody mark on the dry dirt and getting dirt in his cut. "Shit!"

Reki heard him fall and quickly turned around and ran back to him. She began to help him up. "Are you ok, Mannen?" She asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." But he winced several times while he was getting up.

"I am sorry." Mannen looked up at her when she said this.

"Why?" He seemed surprised that she was apologizing.

"If I had not done that while you were hurt you wouldn't have-" She was looking down at the dirt when Mannen interrupted her.

"Dummy! It isn't your fault! I wasn't looking where I was going!" She seemed surprised at this and had her eyes opened wide with curiosity and confusion. She then looked at Mannen's cut that had gotten dirty.

"Let us keep going." She said and turned around to continue. Mannen soon caught up to her.

Somewhere in Leafania-

The members of the group that had met up were still fallowing the typi. The typi had led them to a dirt road that they were now fallowing.

"He must not be too injured since he went so far." Hayate said.

"You know, we haven't seen Kei yet." Takako added.

"I wonder where he is..." Sasame put in. "Maybe he's with Mannen?"

"Maybe but I think Mannen would more likely run from Kei then stick with him sometimes." Go told them.

After they stopped talking, the green typi (which Shin named Mori) suddenly up and flew away leaving them on the dirt path to find Mannen on their own. Luckily it wasn't as hard now when they noticed a blood train that had stained the light colored, dry dirt and rocks that covered the road.

"Maybe one of us should go ahead?" Himino suggested.

"Good idea. But who?" Sasame asked the group. Go was the one who spoke out.

"I'll go." And he held his hand out to Himino which she took knowing he was the most protective of the younger knights. After a flash of light the fire prétear emerged. They flew just above the path to fallow the trail Mannen left behind.

The Town-

They had finally made it to the town to Mannen's relief. He had grown tired and now wanted a place to rest. The blood on his arm was drying and the cut had a newly formed scab where the blood clotted. His back pain had grown worse however. It felt as though the skin was being ripped from the inside out.

"Hey I just thought of something, Reki. I don't have any money. Do you?"

"Money?"

"You know, to pay for things."

"Pay?"

"If you don't pay for things, what do you do?"

"Steal." Before Mannen could say anything more she rushed off only to appear moments later carrying some things while running. He soon saw that a man, probably a shopkeeper, was chasing after her. When she reached Mannen, she didn't stop but grabbed his arm and after momentarily dragging him he ran on his own with her.

Somewhere else in the town-

Kei was searching for anyone he knew in the crowded streets of the town he was currently in. He came near an alleyway and looked in to see it went to more shops. It was then when he saw two kids run passed the alleyway and soon after them, so did a shopkeeper who was yelling: "Stop! You thieves!"

Kei didn't think the shopkeeper was going to be able to keep up with the ones he was chasing too much longer. He seemed old and large and just as he suspected he saw the shopkeeper soon walk passed again very pissed off.

Then it hit him. 'Could that have been Mannen?' Kei thought to himself before rushing down the alleyway and into the streets in the direction that the kids had gone.

In another alleyway-

"The other bandages, I had stolen. I kept them for when I needed them." Reki told Mannen while they sat and she cleaned his arm. But when she looked at his face she could see he was falling asleep and trying to keep his eyes open.

"Mannen!" Mannen became wide-awake at the sound of his name being yelled. Reki was as well startled because it wasn't her who had called out for him. They both looked over at the entrance of the alleyway to see Kei.

Kei observed Mannen. He was covered in bandages and his clothes were torn and dirty as well as his skin in several places. He then looked at the fox girl who was next to him. Ever since he had come near them he felt as though his power had increased but why?

Mannen spoke up. "Reki, this is Kei and he's another leafe knight. I told you I'm the leafe knight of ice. He's the leafe knight of light." Reki nodded. "Kei, this is Reki. I met her in the forest."

"I see." Is all Kei said for several minutes. It had grown awkwardly silent. Kei was trying to figure out why he felt stronger. 'Could this girl be-but I've only read about them in ledgends.' He thought before he said to the two, "Come on. Lets find the others."

Somewhere else in town-

"Shit, the trails gone." Go said. Him and Himino had unpreted.

"Now what?" Takako asked.

"Hey, isn't that Kei?" Hajime asked.

"And Mannen!" Shin yelled.

"And someone we don't know." Sasame said while pointing to the fox girl briefly.

Go noted that Mannen looked extremely tired and that he had several bandages. He almost looked like he was still sick but he didn't have any of the signs when he was sick besides the tiredness. It shouldn't be the snow spirit because Tsumetai was gone.

"Hey! Kei! Over here!" Hayate yelled to the other leafe knight. He soon joined up with the rest of the group. Most of them suddenly felt stronger and more powerful then just a few minutes ago.

"Yay! We're all back together! Hey Mannen, who's this?" Himino asked implying Reki.

"This is Reki. She helped me." Mannen said quietly. He seemed like he was about to fall asleep while standing up or pass out. He wavered slightly side-to-side.

Hajime and Shin tugged on Go's sleeve so he looked down at them. Their eyes were half closed and they looked like how Mannen was acting even though they were just fine seconds ago.

"Go, we're really tired." Hajime said while Shin yawned. Go held them up while he felt them lean on him more and more till they were asleep.

"Hey, what's wrong with them?" Himino asked now coming over.

"I dunno. This is strange. They both just got tired all of a sudden." The two looked down at the young knights who were fast asleep. They turned toward the rest of the group when they heard something hit the floor, which was soon followed by Sasame calling Mannen's name. Himino and Go looked from where they were standing so Hajime and Shin wouldn't fall. The others were around Mannen now along with Sasame who turned Mannen on his back since he had fallen forward.

Takako went over to Himino and Go to help them with Hajime and Shin. Go handed the sleeping Shin to Takako and Hajime to Himino before hurrying over to Mannen. Himino kept thinking about the incident with Tsumetai and how Mannen had become sick because of it. She wondered if he hadn't healed completely yet. It wasn't so far after still.

"I have seen an inn. Should we take them there?" Reki suggested. The others nodded. Go picked up Mannen and they all fallowed Reki to the inn.

The inn was a clay building away from the busy streets. There were steps surrounding it that slightly went down like a small valley. There were a few plants and flowers hanging from poles that extended from the inn and some pots on the ground against the walls. The door was old, wooden and very heavy but they were able to open it with not too much effort.

There was a desk with a woman who had her hair tied up in a bun but didn't wear a uniform. She was wearing a plain, red dress and was young. The lady seemed to be sleeping in a chair when they walked up.

"Excuse me." Sasame said and she shot open her eyes to reveal yellow, cat-like eyes. She stood up and bowed.

"Welcome to our inn. Please forgive my rudeness." Sasame nodded at her and she looked up at them. Sasame turned around to ask everyone something.

"Anyone have leafanian money?" he whispered

"What's leafanian money look like?" Himino and Takako ask each other then directed the question to Hayate.

"It's looks like little silver or gold coins with three holes in a pyramid formation in the middle."

No one had any money and were now determining what to do when the woman at the desk spoke up. "1,2,3,4,5,6,7...are you...The leafe knights?" They nodded. "And you must be prétear. She pointed to the girls. They nodded. "In that case, you can stay for free. Inn policy." Everyone gave a sigh of relief. "Come on I'll show you to your rooms." She said while walking out from behind the desk and to some clay stairs that lead upward.

The hallways were dark but had some sunlight show in from a window at the end of the hallway. She opened several doors before speaking.

"These 5 rooms shall be yours. They each connect to each other with a door so feel free to open them. Each room has two beds not including the fifth, which only has one. Please tell me if you need anything." She bowed then walked off to return to her post.

They walked into the rooms that had wooden doors. The rooms were mostly made of clay, like the rest of the building, but also had glass windows with white, translucent curtains. The beds were regular white sheets and pillows that was laid on a wooden frame. Each room floor bore a small red carpet that only took up a small portion of the floor.

Go, Himino, and Takako walked over to separate beds and placed their charge down. They were limp and did not wake from any of the moving around. The others all met in a separate room except for Reki who seemed to stay in Mannen's room.

"So...what the hell is going on?" Go asked.

"The incident with Tsumetai must have some clues." Sasame said.

Hayate came into the conversation, "You mean there's another person who's doing this?"

"Probably. When Reki showed up, I felt stronger." Sasame put in.

"So did I." Go said and the others nodded in acknowledgement that they too felt stronger.

"There's a creature I once read about in legend. But I never thought they actually existed." Kei spoke.

To be continued-