Tales Of Syphona Fan Fiction ❯ Adbertos ❯ Chapter 5- Past ( Chapter 5 )

As Anna lay sleeping she tossed and turned, completely unaware of her surroundings. The wild thrashing had alarmed Kratos at first, but his attempts to restrain her had only caused her more distress. He had been a bit distressed himself when the girl had swung out at him, nearly clipping his temple as she fought her invisible demons.

“Maribelle!”

He frowned as she cried out, backing away and taking his seat beside the window once more. As he watched Anna gradually settled down, whimpering softly in her sleep.

“Maribelle….”

***

The small girl had woke in a bright room, laying on a soft bed. She was distressed, not knowing where she was, and immediately began calling for her mother.

“Mama!”

She heard footsteps echoing towards the room in response to her cry and eagerly watched the door for her mother to appear. The person who entered the room however was not her mother. She did not know this strange young man who smiled kindly at her.

“Where is my mama?” she asked, looking at him with tear-filled eyes.

The man was silent for a moment, looking down at her in pity. “I do not know child. I found you near the fountain and brought you back here.”

Memories rushed in like water pouring from a broken dam; frantic searching through crowds of panicked strangers, the Desian soldiers taking her mother away with the others, screaming for her only to be stuck by the blunt end of one of their spears.

“They took her,” she whispered, a tear escaping and running down her cheek.

“I was afraid that was what happened,” the man mused, looking at the girl regretfully. “The Desians took quite a number of townspeople away.”

The girl stared at him, determination replacing the tears in her eyes. “Then I will go and get her back.”

“What is your name?” he asked, sitting in a chair beside the bed.

She studied him a moment before replying. “Anna.”

“Anna,” he repeated, nodding. “It would not be a good idea for you to go to the human ranch.”

“But I have to find her!” Anna cried, distressed.

“What if she comes here looking for you?” the man asked. “No, I think it would be best if you stayed here.”

Anna shook her head.

“You can stay here with me if you have no where else to go,” the man told her. “When your mother comes looking for you I would imagine she would find you here easily enough.”

She looked at him, her eyes determined. “No. I have to find my mama. I have to go to her!”

“Anna. Would your mother want you to come for her if it meant that you could get hurt?”

Dark brown hair swung about her face as she shook her head reluctantly.

“Do you know about the Goddess Martel?”

She nodded her head eagerly, “Father Tomas told me that the Goddess will save our world when she wakes up. Me and Mama pray with him, but we can’t anymore cause he has to go away and teach other people how to pray to the Goddess…. And Mama is gone now.”

The man smiled. “You can still pray. You can pray to the Goddess to help your mother.”

“But Father Tomas is gone too!” Anna cried.

“Yes, Father Tomas has been asked to go to Palmacosta,” the man smiled. “But I have been sent here to pray with the people of Luin. I am Father Gregori.”

Anna looked at him, wide-eyed. “You are the new Father? But you are too young! Father’s are supposed to be old and wrinkled!”

The man chuckled. “The Goddess willing I will be some day.”

“So, I can stay here?” Anna asked, looking around the room. “What will I do?”

“I’m sure we can find something for you here,” Father Gregori smiled. “You will go to classes and learn more about the Goddess. You can assist me in the church and help the people of Luin. There is plenty for you here Anna, and you can wait for your mother to come find you.”

***

Anna woke suddenly, blinking in the sunlight that streamed from the windows. She slowly sat up, looking around the empty room. An empty chair sat facing the window and she vaguely wondered where Kratos was. Her eyes skimmed over the table, noting the packages and tray sitting there.

She stretched, feeling the stiffness of her muscles and wondered how long she had slept. Standing she crossed to the table, eyeing the food on tray. There was a questionable looking sandwich, which she ignored, an apple, a cup and a pitcher of water. She pocketed the apple and filled the cup with water, sipping it as she crossed to look out the window.

The lake sparkled in the mid-day sun, shining as brightly as any diamond. Anna smiled at the familiar sight, elation filling her. She turned back to the room, eager to be outside, and found a pair of slippers sitting beside the bed. Pausing long enough to pull them on her feet she made her way out of the room and downstairs.

The inn was busy today, guests filling the small space and keeping the innkeeper and his wife busy. She doubted they noticed her as she slipped outside. She paused on the doorstep, looking around the town as she decided on a destination. The lake beckoned to her and she started in that direction, following the road along the shore and behind the inn, wandering aimlessly.

She smiled at the townspeople she passed, looking for a familiar face and finding none. Her footsteps became quicker as she continued on. She could not understand this, not recognizing a single person in this town. Where were all the people she had known during her life here? Where was William, the innkeeper that should have greeted them on their arrival? That home on the corner should have belonged to Paul and Mary, but the woman tending the garden out front was unfamiliar.

Anna slowed as she walked across another bridge, looking up to see the small church ahead. Would Father Gregori be there?

***

After the sun had rose on the second day Kratos had decided that he could no longer sit in the room at the inn. He told himself that he needed to check on Noishe, who had remained outside of the town to avoid drawing any unwanted attention. Noishe was perfectly well, he knew, but the thought of venturing out to check on his long time companion was too tempting.

He had replaced Anna’s tray, evading the innkeeper’s wife and her questions, then headed across the bridge and out of Luin to where Noishe hid. He grimaced as he recalled the innkeeper’s wife.

The woman had a good heart, that he could tell, but her concern for Anna annoyed Kratos. He did not like the attention she gave him whenever he would venture out of the room, the questions she peppered him with relentlessly. Was Anna awake? Where were they headed? How long would they stay in Luin? Had he seen the shopkeeper about some proper clothes for Anna?

Shaking his head he continued along, heading back along the path they had followed into Luin and finding Noishe by the lake lapping up water. The animal whined as he noticed him, trembling with excitement. Unable to contain his enthusiasm he launched himself towards Kratos, knocking the man to the ground.

“Enough Noishe!” Kratos smiled, patting the creature on the head. “I’m glad you’ve missed me.”

Noishe whined again, looking up at him as Kratos picked himself up off the ground.

“I promise you have not missed anything,” he assured the creature. “Anna has slept since we arrived. I’ve laid a couple of false trails and as soon as Anna wakes we’ll leave here.”

He frowned as he said this, coming back to his dilemma of how to get Anna to leave with him. Kratos wasn’t sure if she would be willing to leave Luin now that she was home and he knew that he had to get her away from the town as soon as possible. He had spent the past two days on edge, waiting for Kvar’s soldiers to show up.

Noishe whined again, nudging his hand. Smiling he stroked the dog-like creature, staring out at the lake. The best way he knew to gain Anna’s trust was to answer her questions, he only hoped she would not ask any he was unwilling to answer.

He had decided that he would tell her about Kvar’s Angelus Project, and about exspheres. With luck she would not ask about his involvement or question how he knew so much.

Still frowning he gave Noishe a last pat, “I should be heading back to the town now. If Anna is awake we will leave in the morning.”

Noishe yawned up at him, laying down with a great huff of boredom.

“It won’t be much longer my friend.”

***

Kratos was back to in the inn before he realized it, maneuvering through the throngs of people and up the stairs. Opening the door to the room his eyes immediately settled on the empty bed, where Anna should have been.

“Anna?”

Silence answered him and he searched the room, looking for the woman. A glass half-filled with water sat on the small end table by the bed, the apple from the tray was missing as were her shoes and Anna herself was nowhere to be found. Turning he went back downstairs, eyeing the crowd of guests as he looked for a familiar brown-haired head.

Damn! Where had she gone?

Hurrying back outside his eyes roamed the street, pausing as he spied a blue dress… worn by a woman with long black hair. Inwardly seething Kratos turned and headed into the town, ever searching for Anna.

He could not fathom the reason she would leave the room. He had told her upon their arrival that it would be best for her to remain in the room where no one would see her. What if the Desians arrived today?

Kratos narrowed his eyes, angry that she would endanger herself. If she was captured then Kvar would win; Mithos would win. He could not allow the twisted ideology to continue.

“Sir?”

A young man stepped forward, concern etched on his face. Although he did not wish to slow his search Kratos had little choice but to stop as the man blocked his passage.

“Are you lost?” he asked, “Can my sister and I help you find something?”

A small girl stood behind him, looking up at the mercenary shyly. “We know where to find anything in Luin.”

“Thank you, but I’m not looking for anything.”

“Someone perhaps?” the young man continued.

Kratos stared at the two, what could it hurt?

“A young woman with short brown hair,” he held his hand slightly below shoulder level. “About this tall. She wears a blue dress.”

The girl tugged at her brother’s shirtsleeve. “What about the girl at the chapel? I’d never seen her before.”

“Yes,” he smiled at his sister before turning to Kratos. “The chapel is just there, to the right at the end of this bridge. There was a girl there earlier, about my age perhaps.”

Without another word Kratos sped towards the end of the bridge, leaving the siblings behind.

“Good luck sir!”

“I hope you find the girl you’re looking for!”

The chapel was easily discernable, a small stone structure with blue banners. It sat on top of a small rise, the lake shimmering behind it. He entered the structure without hesitation, pausing as the dimness of the interior enveloped him. Voices echoed ahead, the words clear.

“No one has come?” a familiar voice asked, trembling slightly.

“I’m sorry Anna.”

His eyes adjusted quickly and relief flooded through him. Anna stood, back to him, just a few feet ahead. She spoke to a priest, who looked up at Kratos briefly before turning back to Anna.

“It has been awhile,” the priest told her. “But you are still welcome here.”

“T-thank you.” Anna looked down. “I appreciate your offer Father, but-”

“Anna.”

The woman tensed, her head jerking up, as Kratos’ voice reverberated through the small room. She turned, glancing at him sidelong with a look full of… was that anger?

“How long have you stood there?” she asked, her voice leaving no doubt in his mind that she was angry.

“Not long,” Kratos told her, defensive. “Why did you not stay in the room like I asked you?”

Anna turned around, glaring at him. “Why didn’t you stay and wait for me to return?”

“How was I to know you were safe?”

“Am I your prisoner now? Must I ask permission before I do anything?”

“Is this the man who released you from the ranch?” the priest asked, looking between the two.

A blush crept onto Anna’s face as she turned back to the priest. “Yes Father.”

“And this how you speak to a savior?” the older man shook his head, frowning sadly. “Anna, I thought you were taught better.”

“I’m sorry Father,” she muttered, her face fully flushed. “If you’ll excuse me I think I will return to the inn.” She turned to Kratos, an edge to her tone. “If that’s alright with you.”

Without waiting for a response she stalked past the auburn-haired man, the door of the chapel closing with an audible thud.

“I apologize for Anna’s behavior,” the priest said, a bemused look in his eye. “And I thank you for freeing her.”

Kratos turned from staring at the door to face the priest.

“Where are my manners?” the man chuckled, extending his hand towards the mercenary. “I am Father Gregori.”

Kratos stared at the hand, reluctantly taking it when it became apparent that the priest was not going to allow otherwise. He studied the man before him, calculating his age to be between forty and fifty years. The man’s face was kind, slight winkles around his mouth told that he often wore a smile. He was clothed in a simple habit of course white cloth tied with a knotted blue cord shot through with stands of silver.

“Anna has always been a bit testy,” Father Gregori continued, looking towards the door sadly. “Although it is no excuse for her behavior she has not had the easiest life.”

“You have known her for some time then?”

“Yes, yes,” the priest turned, heading towards the front of the chapel. “I found Anna when she was a small child, after a Desian raid.”

Kratos watched the man as he sat in one of the front pews. “You raised her?”

“The Desians captured her family so I took her in,” he replied. “She was raised by the church.”

The mercenary was quiet for a moment. That would explain why, of all things, she had asked him to swear an oath to Martel.

“Anna has a lot of faith,” the priest continued. “When she stayed with me she was very committed to the church. Hardworking and strong, always willing to help her neighbors. She followed Martel’s example.”

“Her capture by the Desians must have been difficult for you,” Kratos mused, watching the priest closely.

Father Gregori nodded in agreement. “Yes, I was quite surprised to see her. She has been gone nearly ten years now; I did not expect to ever see her again.”

“Ten years?”

The priest nodded. “Yes, she was barely fifteen when she was taken by the Desians. They attacked while we were out ministering to the people and Anna…” he broke off, bowing his head and closing his eyes as he remembered. “Anna had always harbored intense hate for the Desians. When they attacked the people we had set out to help she was quick to take up arms and fight alongside the others who tried to defend Luin.”

“And thus was taken with the other captives.”

Father Gregori nodded, looking up at Kratos. “Yes. I always wondered if she had meant to be captured. When she was a small child she would try and sneak out of the town, to rescue her mother. After she was taken away I could not help but question if she had allowed herself to be captured so that she could look for her.”

“If she were fighting against the Desians there were only two possible outcomes,” Kratos told the priest, his eyes narrowing in disgust. “If they are unable to capture those who resist they cut them down.”

“Then it was by Martel’s blessing she was taken alive,” Father Gregori muttered. “Though I shudder to imagine the horrors she has experienced these ten years. Though some good must have come of it. If she remained true to Martel then I know she gave what aid she could to her fellow captives.” He looked up at Kratos curiously. “Tell me, how did you happen to free Anna from the ranch?”

“…”

The priest sighed wearily. “I will respect your wish to leave my question unanswered. I am only curious if it would be possible for others to free those held at the ranch. Perhaps if we knew how to go about it….”

“It would be foolish for anyone to make such an attempt,” Kratos interrupted. “It would only end one of two ways: in capture or death.”

“But there is a chance that it would not,” Father Gregori insisted. “Your and Anna’s presence here attests to that.”

“…” Kratos bowed his head, eyes closed. “Perhaps it was the will of Martel that allowed us to escape.”

“Yes,” Father Gregori started at him. “Perhaps.”

“I should return to the inn,” Kratos said, turning to leave.

“Yes, Anna will be waiting for you.”

“Hmph,” Kratos paused on the threshold, turning to glance sidelong at the priest before stepping out into the bright sunlight.

Yes, Anna would be waiting. And it was time that they came to an understanding.