Disclaimer: I do not own Avalon Code or its characters in any way.

Ah chapter two already? Hmm… I think I'm speeding things up. I'll try to make it slower. Well, here's the next chapter :) enjoy!

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Anwar's POV

I had searched most of the eastern desert, and I still hadn't found her. The question would occasionally come up as to why I'm doing this.

Olly needed her alive.

I was told to abduct her for Olly's desires. The witch normally called on me when she needed something done. But whatever the girl was brought here to do, I would make sure she would be alive to do it.

I stopped all movement when I saw the corpses of five or six monsters. I walked towards the area ever so slowly. They looked as if they had been slain by a sword.

And then I saw her.

She was lying on the ground with her big book in arm. She was alive and breathing, but she was breathing slowly. I knelt down beside her to check her pulse. I could feel a frown take over my features.

That tight feeling in my chest was there again. I pulled my water pouch from my belt and lifted her head.

Pouring the water slowly into her mouth, I scanned the area. I was wrong. There were a lot more than five or six. There had to be at least twelve or fifteen.

My gaze traveled down to the fighter below me. She had slain this many monsters by herself? She seemed like an airhead but I didn't think she was stupid. Was she ambushed? Did she ambush them?

I almost spilled the water when I saw her open her eyes. They looked straight up into mine. That feeling was in my chest again.

"Why are… you here?" she whispered.

I was planning on telling her what I told myself. Olly needs her alive. This isn't about feeling.

"What did you think you were doing ambushing those monsters?" I had avoided the question without realizing it.

Her cheeks were getting a shade darker. I really should get her out of the sun. As I tried to pick her up to move her, she stopped me.

She picked up her book, set it in her lap, and opened it. When she got it to a page with a desert flower on it, she skimmed her hand over it. The picture came off the page and a flower formed in her hand. I almost dropped her at the unexpected… movement.

She moved the flower in my direction and smiled.

"I…I heard that you like these." That irritating thump in my chest stopped. I couldn't bring myself to say anything. My whole body had gone numb.

She moved her delicate hand to mine and slipped the flower in. I released a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.

"You almost got yourself killed to get a flower?" she looked at the green object in my hand for a moment and then laughed.

"Yeah, I guess I did." She lifted her gaze up to mine. She left me, once again, speechless. I tried to find my voice to ask the question that's been bugging me.

"Why?" She looked off into the desert again- as if seeing something no one else could. She smiled and looked back to me. She started to stand up, and I held her shoulders as she did that.

"It's a secret." She lifted her left index finger and placed it over her lips.

She did it again. She caused that irritating, tightening sensation in my chest. I would have to ask one of the nomads about this later.

Aria's POV

"Stupid! Why in the world did you do that?!" I flinched at the sudden loudness. Rempo was raising his voice again.

"'Cause he got me back to the town safely." I replied.

"That was after your stupid stunt!" I huffed and pulled the covers of the bed over my head.

"I don't know. I wasn't thinking."

"Damn right, you weren't!"

"The most important thing is that Aria's okay." Mieli spoke up in my defense.

"Okay? She almost got herself killed!"

"(…but she wasn't.)" Rempo froze, speechless.

"I hate you." Neaki smirked at his violent, but empty threat.

"Quiet. I'm trying to sleep." I thought I heard something from Rempo about "dreaming of the heartless brick wall" but I ignored it.

The next morning

"Can't we take a break? I'm exhausted!"

"But we're really close, I know it! I can feel Ur's presence!" I sighed and plopped down onto the ground, losing the grip of my swords. Rempo was looking off into every direction, as if sniffing him out like a dog.

"That's great and all, but we won't have any energy to free him if we're exhausted."

"She's right, Rempo. She's probably still sore from yesterday." Mieli once again, argued in my defense. What would I do without her?

"Yeah, Rempo. I'm probably still sore from yesterday." Neaki smirked and Mieli giggled. Rempo sighed and plopped down right next to me.

"Fine. But just for a few minutes." I smiled and bent down to give him a peck on the top of his head. He immediately turned red and when Mieli questioned it, he claimed that it was the heat.

I found myself thinking of the void swordsman. That's what they called him, at least. Void; lacking a heart. But everyone had a heart. I have a heart; the spirits have hearts, the citizens of Kaleila, Weisen, and yes… the void swordsman.

I felt it myself when he held me in his arms. I felt its thump against my shoulder. I could see it through his golden eyes. If he himself thought he didn't have a heart, I'll just have to prove it to him.

Anwar's POV

"Excuse me." I can't believe I'm doing this. I can't believe I'm doing this.

The nomad I had spoken to seemed taken aback.

"Uh… me?" I stared him in the eyes and gave a faint nod. "Oh… well… yeah?"

How was I supposed to ask? I wasn't used to talking to people.

"I have a question I wish to ask you." He looked around for a few moments before telling me to continue.

"The female that we were ordered to abduct has caused strange feelings in my chest. I worry for her safety and she treats me kindly. I never know what to expect from her. How do I stop this inconvenience?" The man stared at me before laughing out loud, earning us a few confused stares.

"Are you serious?"

"I will not tolerate being laughed at."

"No, no, that's not it. What I mean is, like… you seriously don't know?"

"If you tell me I will." This man was seriously working on my last nerve.

"Well, it's quite obvious, actually. Do you get a weird feeling in your stomach, too? How about your face heating up when she smiles at you? Do your palms get wet when she stands close to you?" I looked back at the time when I held her in my arms. I remembered a slight dampness of the hands.

"Yes." The man gave a knowing smile and simply stated,

"You're in love with her."

Haha Anwar's so cute asking for advice! :) Who would've thought he'd go to a stranger on advice about girls? Hee hee!

Don't worry. If you do like my story, you'll see lots of updates because it's the summer and I live very far away from my friends from school so right now I have no life :)

I might do a one-shot of the two but Learning How to Love is my main priority right now. Well, stay tuned for chapter three!