Dessert Run

Chapter 6

"Since we're being more honest with each other, can I ask you a question?"

Ever since he had agreed to be more honest with her Kratos never stopped hearing that question. It fell from her lips almost every other second, as some random and crazy question popped into her head. Some of them had been golden, "were those angel wings or a fairy's?" he actually had laughed at that one. Others had been very dangerous. She had asked him if he was connected to the church of Martel. The look he had shot her made her stop mid question. She didn't bring up the church again, which he was grateful for. He showed that gratefulness by telling her about Origin, and the old stories about how he crafted the world.

"You saw it?" She had such a child's wonder sometimes, and he found himself smiling, and nodding his head. When he had told Yuan this story the wizard had only yawned. Telling the tales to Mithos was rather stupid because the half elf had been there, he had watched as Kratos defeated Origin singlehandedly to form the pact. "You saw a four armed man, who is supposedly the creator of all, but he's not a man, but a spirit."

"More or less..."

"And you shared it's memories?"

"When a pact is made, a soul pact, not one a summoner makes... The souls and minds merge into one being. It... was strangely pleasant, Origin was an innocent in those times. A being who gave birth and life to everything that life is made of, an artist in the purest sense. In that way he is not so much different from a human. But instead of say making art pieces with words, or paints, he makes them out of mana. I imagine my own mind was not a pleasant experience for him. My childhood was rough Anna, born to poverty I knew many things he did not. I knew starvation, hatred, suffering, and in those days I was still dealing with my racism. Martel made me choke on my "natural" hatred until I felt as if I was choking on my own blood. She ripped it out of me, made me see myself as I was."

Anna's hand slid on his shoulder, and for once he leaned onto her, drew strength from her strength.

"That wasn't all this Origin saw Kratos. He saw your bravery, your sacrifice, and despite what you think... he saw beauty in your soul. No one else could have made it through all you have and remained sane. You said you had a rough childhood, how many other people let that break them. You've hinted at so many other things, so much more darkness, and to fight darkness you need light."

"Anna you are my light." He drew her to him. She wormed her way out of his grasp.

"No offense but it is far too hot to snuggle!" She kissed him. It wasn't the same, but it was close, he'd take what he could for now. "It must be nice, not feeling this blasted heat."

They were to have gone to Triet in the local native's attire. They had scratched that thought after a fight between them had ruined Kratos' old man costume. So he was dressed in his typical tunic, cloak, pant combination, save that he wore midnight blue in stead of his favored black. Anna on the other hand wore a set of robes that a couple on a pilgrimage had given to them. They were too big or his wife's svelte frame, but they served better then his clothes, which was all she had after her escape from the Ranch. They had wisely burned her older clothes before leaving the territory of Iselia Forest. "Old man costume" was Anna's words, not his. He had thought that the grey hair and false beard would make him look more dignified. Anna's assessment wasn't as kind.

"As my brother loved to tell me, it makes you look dorky!"

"Dorky?" He had asked in a wounded tone. She had snorted, then rolled her eyes.

"Yes, dorky. It's a good you haven't aged all that much, you'd have done it badly."

If only she knew the truth of that statement.

"Ahh, did I say something that I wasn't too? Again?"

"No, actually it's rather funny... Tell me Anna, would you believe me if I told you I was older then I looked."

"I'd say yes, you're much older then you look."

"Humor me, try to guess my age."

Surprised she had done so, and had kept doing so. It was a game for them, or rather for her. And it kept her mind off of the heat, which was a blessing of sorts. Poor Noishe, the sands were too fine for his paws, and rubbed away at the pads of them until they bleed. It was Anna who had made the horrible discovery, she had first seen the crimson paw prints, and had kept the whimpering dog off the round while Kratos had wound up the little feet. Now Kratos held the sleeping protozoan over his shoulder like a hunters trophy, rough bandages were made from one of his spare cloaks. Anna would make them stop every hour or so to check Noishe's bandages, and apply there ever dwindling supply of alcohol to the little ones wounds. Triet, which had once been an option was now a nessecity. They needed more disinfectant, they needed some more medical supplies, and there water was almost gone. It wasn't a serious worry for Kratos, if he had been traveling by himself he'd have passed Triet by without a thought. Anna, though good spirited, was showing signs of dehydration. As was Noishe. They had no choice, they traveled in the hottest hours of the day, there would be no water in the morning. Much to his worry, Anna finished his last water skin that afternoon with her lunch that consisted of a piece of bread.

"You should rest more, you are with child and..."

"When you find a place close by to do so only point me to it Kratos." Her wolfish grin made his blood run cold. That was the closest Anna ever got to saying that things were bad. She'd draw from deep within herself her courage, make a few jokes, then silently trudge forward. Which was more or less what she was doing now.
"If we aren't there by nightfall I'll leave you for a bit to re-stock our suplies."

"Is there an oasis nearby?"

"No."

"Then how?"

"You don't want to know."

"Kratos, we went through this before, I'm not a child! Don't make me knock you out again to prove a point."

"How does your capability to wreck violence on me prove that you have superior maturity over me?"

"I knew you'd ask that, you are so predictable!" She rolled her eyes to the heavens, and sighed. "It doesn't. But I swear it's the only way to get to you sometimes. I guess that has to do with your gender..." She smiled at him. "Kind of makes me hope we have a girl. One boys bad enough, two, I shudder to think about it." She mock shuddered and it was his turn to roll his eyes.

"Concerning genders I was wondering, what name would you like?"

She looked at him, it was the first time he ever initiated a conversation about there soon to be born child. Well there was about two months before there child was to be born, he didn't consider it too long. Anna always talked as if they had all the time in the world. But then his view on time verses Anna's were radically different.

"Well if it's a girl I was kind of hoping we could name her Kala. As a mix of both of our names..." Kratos smiled, touched by the gesture. "That or Samantha, that was my mom's name. What was your mother's name Kratos, maybe we could work both of them in?"

"Bark!" Noishe chirped in, Anna laughed and reached over to give what she still ensisted was a "dog" a scritch behind the ears.

"No Nosihe, "bark" isn't a good human name, thank you for offering though."

"Illan." Kratos sighed, and gave Nosihe a thankful pat. He'd known why Kratos had hesitated so long. He hated how long it took him to remember sometimes.

"Ellen?"

"No Illan, it's the archaic root for the name Ellen."

She rose an eyebrow in question, but he ignored the gesture. As that night not so long ago, he took her hand and lead her to top of the nearest hill. Now awake Noishe became more of a problem. He insisted on getting a better view, and nearly fell to the sands in his squirming. The moment, which had seemed a shard of the past was gone, but somehow, as Anna adjusted his "fur coat" and smiled at both of them, it seemed better. There was little fear in Anna, yes there was a fear of death in the heat's killing power, but it wasn't so great as her near mind-less terror of the Desians. As they crested the last hill hand in hand they came to the sight of Triet. All they had to do was go down the hill and follow the ill kept road for a mile. Then they could rest. She caught his eye, then with a smile released his hands and ran down the hill. She stopped halfway down, then looked up to him, a smile on her face.

"Oh come on Kratos, you're too slow! I'll beat you there, and you'll be paying for supper if you lose!"

"Impossible, with Noishe and half our gear on my back you expect me to..."

"There's always hope Kratos, but if you're going to stand there all day with Noishe... And remember I have half the gear on my back too. Come on oh powerful warrior, certainly ten pounds isn't all that much..."

"For that, consider your head start time cut in half! You have a minute to run ahead Anna." As he watched her half slide, half run, down the hill Kratos gave Noishe an absent scritch. "Hope hmm..." Yes he had that if nothing else, as for winning her little bet Anna had none. Gripping Noishe's paws above the ankle to make sure he would not lose the protozoan Kratos leapt, into sunlight, into sky, and after the one he had so generously given that head start to.