Author's notes:

As promised, double update.

Enjoy!

Chapter 27 - Iris

Appalledly Lisa made step backwards. 'That's it' she thought. During the past ten months there had always been a shadow lingering above the peaceful life she had been able to lead. She had always known that everything was bound to end abruptly. And she knew that reality had finally caught up to her – in shape of the woman right in front of her: Jacqueline.

Lisa's brain desperately was trying to come up with something to do to somehow escape the situation she suddenly was in, but encountered one error after another.

'Of all people... her?'

She was torn out of her thoughts as she heard Jacqueline ask: "Won't you invite me in?'

Puzzled at first her manners knocked in and, without thinking, she did ask Jacqueline in.

Her heart was beating like crazy and all she could think of was how her life was probably about to end.

"A guest?" Matthias asked as he stepped into the corridor, instantly recognizing the visitor's silver eyes. "Get behind me!" he instinctly shouted and instantly Lisa followed his order. He, through Lisa, knew very well how Awakened Beings were treated by the Organization's warriors and hence was already expecting the worst. He did, however, also know, that they were forbidden to kill humans no matter the circumstances. He knew, too, that sooner or later someone would have come for Lisa. More than the former warrior herself he had always been prepared for that day and had long before decided that he would act as a shield for her once that day would come.

"Leave!" he demanded loudly, getting not the slightest reaction from Jacqueline. The latter calmly observed the two of them. The man was clearly protecting the Awakened Being behind him. The Awakened Being was scared out of her mind and shocked to the bone. For a moment Jacqueline closed her eyes and, while taking off her hood, said: "Tattletale Lisa..." and, after having taken it off, added: "and Matthias, if my memory is not fooling me?"

"You?" he asked in recognition of the tall, black haired warrior.

The blacksmith ground his teeth. He remembered well that day he had first met her. Around three years before he had met another warrior, Hitomi, keeping watch at a grave south of Arnea. He had taken care of her human needs during that time. One day, Jacqueline appeared, sent to execute Hitomi, as she had stated. Later that day he had found Hitomi beaten up in an inn, together with Jacqueline, who had advised him not to get attached to her for it would have been him to suffer from that. He hadn't met either of them after.

Though he did not think of Jacqueline as a bad person – she had spared Hitomi who he thought she had been meant to execute, after all – but he also had the itching feeling that the matter with Lisa, an Awakened Being, someone seen as a monster even by their former comrades, would be vastly different.

"Would you please step aside?" Jacqueline asked of him.

"Never!" he shot back angrily, and not leaving her time to react, added: "I do not care whether it is your job or not, I won't let you harm Lisa!" That led to the Awakened Being's heart skipping a beat.

Jacqueline closed her eyes again and sighed audibly. "Really," she complained, "why is everyone always so eager to jump to conclusions like this?"

Realizing that neither Matthias nor Lisa knew how to react to what she had said, she made herself more clear: "I am not going to kill her. Not necessarily, that is. So, how long will you let your guest stay standing in the corridor?"

The man gulped and looked at Lisa for a moment. Hesitatingly she nodded.

###

Minutes after they were in the kitchen. The tall warrior and Matthias were sitting at the table, opposite of each other, while Lisa was supplying them with tea.

The atmosphere was tense. Completely stirred up inside Lisa took a seat next to Matthias. Her heart was still pounding and she wasn't feeling well at all. It was her demonic nature that gave her nearly more trouble that Jacqueline's presence. Her body was burning for her to go berserk and tear her predator to shreds, a desire that she was desperately trying to suppress. She could, despite not feeling Jacqueline's Yoki at all, clearly tell that a fight with her could only end in her death. She was inwardly cursing her unique skill to see into other warrior's past and future to fail her at a crucial time like back then.

'Not necessarily...' she mused, sweat running down her temples, 'what exactly does she mean by that?'

Jacqueline took a sip of her tea, placed the cup on the table again and, regarding Matthias and Lisa for a moment, began to explain the situation:

"First of all, I am not associated with the Organization anymore; hence I am not obliged to act like a warrior of theirs would. Second thing is that I usually leave Awakened Beings alone if I don't happen to be close to them. Saying that, I had business around here and picked up a familiar Yoki. Not only was it familiar, it was also strange: it clearly was neither a warrior's nor a Yoma's and, even though it felt similar to an Awakened Being, it did not completely feel like one. I got curious and decided to drop by. I admit that killing you was an option I considered right away, but I first wanted to check on you from close up. Having seen the both of you, the thing that I noticed first was the strangely deep care you, Matthias, seem to have for her. You even acted as a shield for her right away. If she was a Yoma, that would be understandable, since she probably would have acted as a family member of yours. She isn't, however, so she could not have done that. The only way for a bond like the one you seem to have is to be together for a long time. In other words, I assume she has been around for quite a while. Also, the moment you saw me you instantly assumed that I was here to kill her. So, let me ask you, Matthias: Do you know what she is?"

"I do" he stated thruthfully.

"I see" she answered, and then asked: "So, do you understand the grave danger you and everyone in this town are in?"

Lisa's gaze went down to the table upon hearing that.

He closed his eyes. Of course he did! However, he exclaimed: "I do! But I do also trust her!"

A faint blush appeared on Lisa's cheeks. Yet again her hearth skipped beat and suddenly she felt reassured, so she looked at Jacqueline again and spoke up herself: "I may have awakened, that is true, but..."

She paused and turned even redder. Her hearth began to beat faster again. A short glare at Matthias, who was looking right at her, was enough for her to muster all her courage, and she declared: "I have got plenty of reason to stay human in spite of that!"

With her saying that her eyes changed: thin, silver lines, looking like lightning, appeared on her eyes' iris.

"Now that" Jacqueline, caught by surprise, said, "is interesting!"

Author's notes:

All I can do is quote Jacqueline: "Now this is interesting!"

What will the conclusion of all this be? Is it even time for that already? Stay tuned and you'll get to know more!

kstefan88