Chapter Six:Bothersome or Not
Footsteps thumped steadly behind him and all he could do was close his eyes in an effort to keep his temper in check.
That troublsome girl was persistant, that was for certain, and her capability to annoy grew with such a gift.
Yunsung turnd to look behind him, catching a glimpes of her literally sprinting in his direction, her speed knociking the air out of him. The recklessness of it was the more surprising factor.
"By what witless choice and illogical energy can she do soemting like taht..." h whispered, blinking in steady shock.
Stubborness bloomed to life in his midn and he turned away, his brow growing dark with irritation as he started away.
He would not bother with such foolishness. If she could fight him off and then chase after him then she had enough stregnth to keep hersel falive on her own.
Despite it, the splinter of uncontrolable curiosity still lingered in his mind, and he wondered though briefly, how she had known his name. The thought though was quickly pushed aside and he continued to make his way along the dangerous cliff ignoring the incoming nuiseance heading his way.
"Wait!" Talim calle,d her partched throat complaining colorfully as she strained her voice. The young man ahead ignored her, but she wasn't particularly unsettled by this show of indifference. He didn't see to have taken a liking to her.
Gasping, she caught up to him, her whole body feeling much like an aching throbbing bruise.
"That shard, in your pack. Where did you get it?" she whispered through the steady panting making her limp along beside his steady pace.
He, however froze at her words and turned slowly to look at her, brown green eyes narrowd suspiciously.
Talim stopped, facing him, too tired to care to even acknowledge the steady threat he seemed to want to pose.
Idly she wiped blood from her ripped lip and pressed her hand against the blooming blue bruise spreading across her torsos. It seemed, her rib or several of them had been shattered.
"how do you know I have that?" he snapped, simply aware of how much of a surprise it was that she could walk, though deadly determined not to show it.
"I... saw it as you left..." she mumbled, before she coudl actually think of an answer. It took a moment for her to realize she had actually replied.
Yunsung however was having a silent fit. "You 'saw'?" he stated, through clenched teeth.
Talim looked up at him, extremely large eyes midly confused. "I... Well... yes, that's... actually no, that's not what i meant-" she began, working stubbornly to explain, despite her vision growing hazy.
He glared death at her silently, fuming while trying to understand what she mean.
Sighing, she let herself tumble and fall tot he ground, letting out a small whimper of pain that spread from her torso to her arm.
Yungsung's steadily growning rage shrunk to simple irritation as he ralized her troubles.
Rolling his eyes he crouched down beside her, muttering random complaints.
She's going to pass out again, then what am i going to do?
Quietly, Talim let out a hardly audible sigh and did as he had thought.
Catching her out of reflext, the young warrior allowed himself and irritable groan.
"Curse it all."
Sighing heavily, he slipped an arm under her knees and lifted her up easily, a frown clearly stating how much against his better judgement this sudden event was.
But of course... Only a Goddess would know better.
Several hours later, he had passed through the destroyed woodland, carrying the unconcious worn Priestess on his back, her thin arms loosely draped over his shoulders.
Though she weighed little, she was still enough to slow him down and though he was over all a 'good' guy it was still tempting to simply put her down and forget about her. He could after all be heading in the opposite direction of her travels.
This of course was a weak excuse for it seemed she too was interested in the shards of Soul Edge. He had found, not long into his long trek through the desolate woods, a small red shard clenched in her small hand. One very simular to the one he had and sparkling just as evilly.
Theses thoughts flashed through his mind as evening drew closer and the desolance of the destroyed land began to fade away, and he found himself once more in full flourishing forests.
A glance at the setting sun was all he needed to set the sleeping girl on a moss covered patch of ground and loo about curiously, examining his surroundings.
The woods were very much like a mix of jungle-like european woodland. The soft calls of birds and big leafed plants spotted the are colorfully. Roots, grasses, flowers and mosses were blossoming steadily all around, crawling around the trunks of thick trees, two men wide and beyond.
Yungsung sighed softly, deciding it was a safe spot as any Before reaching up and stretching his worn muscles.
He studied the girl in silence, as he stretched, slightly disturbed by how long she had been sleeping. He'd figured that she would wake soon because of the lack of food she had had for the last four days.
her skin was pale under theg rime and blood, and she looked sick, her she was sleeping soundly.
He could't decide if that was a bad thing or a good thing.
Letting out a hardly audible sigh he stood up smoothly, glad to feel his muscles stretched and no longer aching.
his brown eyes carefully scanned the surrounding woodland, brows furrowed in thought.
Night was creeping steadily and though he felt he needed rest, had the girl not been with him he could have kept going well into the night.
But, she 'was' with him and she needed heat as well as warm food.
Yunsung closed his eyes momentarily. Oh so now i'm going to cook?
Grudgidly he stood and began to gather fire wood. And the trees could only thank thes tars for being awarded a lack of ears, for had they heard what poured for his mouth they would have been throughly depressed.
Perhaps it was the heat, or the smell of food... or the whisper of an apologetic whimpering breeze that coaxed her gently back to reality.
But, Talim couldn't help but wonder why, when she woke she saw him frowning in her direction. A heavy tidal wave of dark grdgy energy crashed towards her, as steady as the waves.
Such a wake up call is hard to understand let alone recover from.
The priestess pushed hersel fup slowly to her elbow, wincing at the complaint of her muscles and ribs, the grit that clung to her skine and her suffocating dirt clogged pores.
Yunsung didn't bother looking away, but continued to frown steadily at her.
He was couched across from a flame happy fire. The shadows of the woods and thick powerful trunks surrounded him like a frame.
It was not a welcoming scene.
"You're awake." he stated after finding her innocent brown eyes unaffected by his cold glare.
Talim foudn herself tempte dto be sarcasting, but bit her tongue carefully, disappointed in her self control.
"...yes." she finally managed, her throat raspy. It hurt. She winced and looked away.
Yunsung's frown deepened. Giving a dislikeable grunt he reached into thed hadows behind him and threw a skin flask in her direction. The girl caught it without even bother to look at the in coming thing.
The dojo trained warrior found himself frowning again disturbed by her expirience and ability, though for some reason he couldn't figure why.
"Thank you." Talim muttered, unaware of ruffling up the young man's ego. Without looking at him she threw her head back and drank deeply, her sore aching throat thankful for the liquid.
The water aroused the sleeping hunger within her and soon a dull pain nawed at her middle.
Breating heavily, she put the water down and looked around. Yunsung nodded towards a small packet of leafs near her.
"You should eat."
Without bothering to object she took the food and began to eat the rice and cooked fish, chewing with haste but forced control.
Too sick and dizzy was she at the moment to realize he had been staring at her until she finished. The comfortable feeling of a full stomach however made her other senses perk up.
"I don't understand you." he claimed slowly, hist one of voice almost accusatory.
Talim stopped in the middle of wiping her mouth with her wrist, blinking midly at him. Giving a worn sigh she frowned slightly.
"I don't see a lot of reasons why you should." she admitted, settling down with her legs crossed in lotus position.
he scoffed.
"Other than my saving your life?"
Talim cocked her head, frowning thoughtuflly. "I don't know how i knew your name." she returned.
Yunsung allowed himself the grace of looking insulted. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"i'm not after you."
"Why shouldi care if you're after me?"
Talim blinked at him. "I fgured that's what bothered you so much about me."
He shook his head firmly. "Not that."
This was puzzling, if not vexing. "Then what?"
"The fact that you know so much and yet seem incapable of caring for yourself." he retorted a note of disgust in his voice.
The priestess shrunk, not exactly put down, but defensive. "I beg your pardon?"
"You're too... uptight to be a good fighter." he stated., yet again witha tone of superiority.
Talim frowned, a lodged complaing of dislike beginning to bring memeories of their last chat back.
A branch broke behind him and he looked back sharply, only to watch an owl jump to another tree.
The priestess foudn herself cocking an eyebrw at him in slight disbelieve. "And that accusation coming from you?"
Yunsung scowled. "Was that an insult?"
"An insult is only an insult when the insulted wishes it ot be." Talim replied calmly, her posture growning straighter.
He sulked openly, throwing a branch into the fire. "Philosophical nonsense." he grumbled.
Talim actually smiled at that. "Oh indeed..."
Rolling his eyes he waved a hand at her. "Sleep. The morning is coming. Once the sun is up you should go to the river to bathe those wounds." he muttered, changing the subject.
Frowning she looked to her arm and worn body sighing. "ALl right."
Without another word, she lay down and slept.
There's the next chapter. I'm so sorry for not updating sooner, i promise i will try my best, but things are rather tight in my schedule of late.
To Keigojin: Thanks for putting this in your faves. I don't have any actual plans to make 'em end up together, but I think that seems to be where this is going... though next chapter you might be a bit surprised at what happens. (foreshadowing, mwuahaha)
Veronica: Yeah, not evil Raphael, but it's gonna be a while before he comes along. Talim has to end up somewhere in Spain... somehow, beats me how.