/* Finally, it's the last time they'll be using "John" hopefully… gosh that name doesn't suit dearest Kratty AT ALL. -_-

Oh, and to answer Cataclysmic Eclipse's question- I am indeed writing these chapters as I go. Sorry if they're too soon after each other, but I feel silly stockpiling them too. For some reason I tend to write in binges, so when I'm in the mood for it I write a lot and when I'm tired of it I just re-read what I have so far. I tried to work out a way to make my posting more spaced out, but I generally write one or two chapters every day and save them up for when I can't write, so that I end up posting a new chapter just about every day (there are exceptions, of course). Although I did start school back up again, so it might be a little longer in between chapters if I have a lot of homework that week or something. Sorry if it's too much to read at once, but I can't really change the whole binge thing. haha xD

If it's easier, you can just take it at your own pace. You don't have to stay up with the newest chapter if you want to take more time with each one. I know I do that sometimes, for stories that are already complete or that have a lot of chapters already. Sometimes I like to just read one chapter and think about it for a while before I read the next one, stuff like that. =)

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A/N: PS. If it's not too much trouble, I'd like to ask readers to maybe go back and re-read the last half of chapter 14 (skipping my comments) so that it flows together with this one… this chapter is more like "Chapter 14 and a Half" and isn't really as enjoyble when read on its own… don't want to lose the emotion in the moment =)

If you don't want to it's fine, but if you do go back I think that everything will make a little more sense, maybe. Up to you, though =)

Enjoy! */

Chapter 15

Kratos listened closely from behind the building where he had cast Judgment- he didn't want to draw attention to himself right after the spectacle he had just caused. Most of the townspeople had scattered, probably out of terror at the beams of light. Others who were more brave were now encircling Anna, trying to decide what to do with her… they didn't bother to whisper. Kratos had to fight down his anger so that he wouldn't lash out at them. She had just been willing to give up her life for them, the least they could do was respect her… he hated these weak humans. He could hardly stand them. They were absolute dogs.

He turned around the corner of the building, and pushed through the circle more roughly than he really needed to. He wanted to see her, to save her… but he had to take her away from here. It wouldn't be long before the next shift of Desians would arrive, seeking to replace their comrades only to find them dead.

"Anna…" he gasped when he saw her, and waved his hands brusquely to move the other people out of the way. She looked much, much worse than when he had first taken her into the forest. But could he risk giving her a first aid charm here? In front of all these people?

He kneeled in the dirt and cradled her head in his hands. His hair fell into his face and he remembered that he was still bandaged and messy as well- he hoped that none of the villagers would be able to give an adequate description of him to the Desians… not that he really cared anymore at this point. He took a long look at her face, and saw that she was still conscious when she turned her head to focus on him. One of her eyes was extremely swollen, and he realized that she must have taken a lash on her face… he felt so angry at himself for not stopping the whip-wielding mongrels sooner. Blood was oozing from sharp cuts everywhere on her body, mostly around her arms and chest. Luckily, miraculously, the ring was still hanging from its cord around her neck.

"Anna, why…" Kratos whispered, his heart still racing. He hadn't gotten over the panic stage yet. He knew he wouldn't until she was in a condition to yell at him again. He wanted to hear her condemn him a Desian, he wanted to hear her tell him to leave, anything at all if it meant that she was feeling well enough to do so. He felt like he deserved a good telling-off, once he was able to fix her up again. Something in the pit of his stomach clenched tight and he had to think harder about breathing. Again, he knew it wasn't any physical problem… can it really be emotions that are doing these things to me? He didn't care to find out.

"It's not safe for her to stay here. I would ask that you allow me to take her with me, for now. I will see to her full recovery." He was speaking to her father and mother, now.

"John, I know I said I trusted you before, but…" Pete looked agitated, probably at the sight the two young people made together- one injury right after the other.

"Yes, John, that's our daughter. We can't just let some stranger…" Anna's mother looked quite uneasy as well. Pete suddenly looked horrified that his wife had spoken so bluntly, and tried to cover for her with bumbling words. It was quite clear they didn't want Kratos to take her.

But the townsfolk began arguing heatedly with the two parents. They seemed to feel that the town would be ravaged again if more Desians came- they seemed to want to be rid of the troublemaker as soon as possible. They didn't realize that Anna had given up herself for their sake, they just saw her as a creature which brought misfortune upon their town…Kratos could hardly bear to hear any more. He had been thinking it for a while, but every time it came around again he felt even worse. He wondered if he was going to have to run off with her by force. The medicine they had available in Luin would never be enough to save her. And if by some miracle it could, he knew it would leave scars… he didn't want her to have scars. She was so… beautiful. He looked down at her face, felt her hand lift up slightly and land on his chest. Her delicate fingers curled around his borrowed shirt, her blood staining it red. Kratos felt hot, suffocated. The people were still arguing. There just wasn't time for this. He felt his eyes beginning to sting- he wondered if he had gotten dirt in them.

"Look, I'm going to take her to another town and see that her wounds are properly treated. I swear upon my word as a swordsman, I swear upon Martel, and anything which you hold dear- I will not allow this person to die. If she wishes to return after she is well again, I will bring her back. You can settle this matter then."

It was the most he could remember saying in a very, very long time. Nobody spoke after that- they didn't dare. Even her parents just stared at him, dumbstruck. The backs of his eyes started burning, and had to close his eyes. He stood up with Anna in his arms, looking down so that hair was covering most of his face, and a small boy handed him his forgotten brown bag with bread, cheese, and his old outfit. Kratos couldn't look at the townspeople anymore- he thought there might be a tear on his face now and he didn't dare shift his hands to wipe it away.

"Thanks" was all Kratos could choke out, before he turned and started walking towards the town gate. Nobody tried to stop him, they didn't dare.

…

A faint whisper woke Kratos, and he was startled to find Anna still in his arms. It didn't seem real at all. But he regained his composure quickly, and leaned in closer to show he was listening now. He must have nodded off. It was night, and they were deep inside a forest. He had walked down the path out of the city for show, but as soon as he was sure that nobody would see, he had darted into the trees and started to run. It was no wonder that his legs ached now, he hadn't moved in hours.

"Kratos…" she breathed, so very quietly. Even with his sensitive hearing, it was on such a low register…

"Anna? It's okay. I used a little bit of magic to heal you. I'm… sorry…" his voice broke slightly and he dared not continue that sentence.

Even though he had used first aid many times since they had stopped to rest, she still seemed to be in a lot of pain. And even though he knew the wounds were closed, and the dirt was expelled from her body, he hadn't been able to let go of her except that once to heal her, and to build a fire from the tree branches around him. He couldn't stand to put her on the ground for too long. He wondered if that was what she was trying to say, to ask… he wondered if she would rather be back at her parent's house. It was silly, of course she would be wishing that. She hadn't agreed to come out here with him, after all. He didn't want to hear it if that was the case she was trying to make. But he couldn't well ignore her, either.

"Kratos…" she sounded a little stronger this second time, although her voice was still very faint. It was more of a hoarse whisper- the Desians had managed to whip along her neck. First aid charms were supposed to help with every part of the body, but perhaps these more serious wounds would take longer to heal… Kratos had never encountered something quite like this before. He wished he knew stronger healing magic, but without elven blood, it had taken him years to master what little he had....

Anna finally opened her eyes, or rather just her right eye- the left one was still swollen almost shut. She moved her hand, which had been resting on her middle, and lifted it to lightly touch his arm. It was like being touched by a butterfly, so delicate and fragile… he wondered how she could have allowed this to happen to herself. He cursed that he had allowed her to do this to herself.

"Don't try to talk too much, okay? Just hold on."

Kratos thought he detected the faintest trace of a smile on her lips. But he dismissed it, because why in the world would she be trying to smile at a time like this? He ran his fingertips through her long hair, starting at the roots by her scalp and carefully avoiding the injured parts. He hoped it would feel nice, but he was worried that he might hurt her without knowing, so he stopped quickly.

"Thanks" she whispered. He wondered if she was thanking him because he had stopped threading his fingers through her hair, or for something else. But there was no way of knowing, so he just kept holding her. She hadn't said he couldn't . His arms were tired, but he didn't want to move. She looked comfortable enough… it was the least he could do for her.

…

But eventually he did have to shift her- his arm was completely numb and he was afraid he would drop her. Kratos gently touched her face, to let her know he was going to move. She lazily opened her eye, and focused on his face. He moved slowly so that she would not be shifted too suddenly, and he was extremely careful when he lifted her to sit vertically. He liked the feeling of having his arm back, and it was a nice plus to have her head resting on his shoulder. She was sitting in his lap still, but the only bad part was that he couldn't see her face this way. Anna had been laid out in his arms like a hammock for most of the day, so he decided that it was about time she ate as well now she was sitting up. Kratos held her to his chest while he reached into the sack next to him with his other arm, and pulled out the bread he had smuggled that morning.

"You hungry, Anna? I'm sorry I don't have much for you right now, but I took some bread from your parent's house this morning…" He felt uneasy all of a sudden, talking about her parents. He wondered if she really had been against leaving, if he had taken her away from her family wrongly. He wondered what right he had to make such decisions for her. But he knew that he was the best person for the job of healing her properly, so he couldn't regret his choice either. It was a toss-up, really. He hoped she wouldn't resist eating- she had to be hungry by now.

She tried to turn her head to look at his face, but he felt her jolt and realized it was probably because the tissue on her neck was still healing. He shivered, but tried to keep it as low-key as possible.

"Anna, please be careful. I don't know how long it will be before I can use magic again right now…" he sighed heavily, wishing that weren't the truth. "If you're hungry, could you reach for the bread here?"

She rested the top of her head against his jawbone and he felt her fingertips brush his hand as she took the bread, and he felt himself smile for the first time in what felt like days. Although a thousand years had gone by without feeling anything at all, somehow here on Sylvarant each day was different, and stressful in its own way. And he smiled much more often during these times than he would have been able to imagine two months ago… he felt like he had been through a lot, whereas before so many days had felt like nothing. He wondered what was different, but it seemed like a silly question- he definitely knew the answer to that one. But it made no sense that happiness could be linked to bad experiences, or that feeling happy could be so simple. It was a flat out paradox. And he wondered how it was even possible that in the midst of it all he could really be sitting in a forest outside Luin, with a runaway exphere who had driven him to madness in a single month calmly picking at her dinner and sitting casually in his lap.

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A/N: Wow, I never expected to get this far... 30,000 words down, and the story's just beginning really =D

Thanks so much to all my reviewers, you really keep me going! And thanks to everyone else who reads it too =)

There's plenty more to come, I'm probably just as curious as you are to find out what's going to happen. haha. See you in Chapter 16!