Tales Of Syphona Fan Fiction ❯ Adbertos ❯ Chapter 7- Complications ( Chapter 7 )

Through the lake, he said.

Anna grumbled to herself, becoming distracted for a brief moment from the perilous task at hand. That split second of distraction was all it took for her to lose her footing and slip again.

“Focus!” Kratos hissed in her ear, catching her from behind and hoisting her back on her feet.

Anna desperately wanted to retort, but merely nodded, setting her mind to finding sufficient footing beneath the surface of the lake. Her only reward for a snappy comeback would be a mouthful of lake water anyway. The rocks beneath her feet were unbearably slick and it was almost impossible to find any traction.

It had been simple, in comparison, to slide down the embankment and into the lake; both Anna and Kratos had managed without attracting any unwanted attention. After a brief discussion of how they were going to reach the opposite shore Kratos had initiated complete silence; that was when the hard part began.

“The waters are deep and it would not be wise to attempt to swim across,” he had told her, taking a cloth from the pack he carried and wrapping it around his sword. “The Desians would surely spot us if we took that route. We will stick close to the bank and make our way towards the bridge. The water should not be as deep underneath and it will provide adequate coverage for crossing. However we should remain completely silent. The smallest sound could reveal our presence.”

The water had been cold and Anna had clenched her teeth to keep from chattering. It had annoyed her that Kratos did not seem to react to the temperature, his only concern seemed to be keeping his sword and the pack out of the water. And to keep Anna from frequently submerging herself.

Now they were almost halfway across, Anna clinging to the pylons under the bridge. Kratos had been correct about the water being much shallower but it still came up past Anna’s shoulders, which meant that every time she slipped she was plunged into the murky lake. She slipped several more times before they reached the opposite shore and by the time they had crawled along the bank to a place Kratos deemed safe enough to emerge from the water Anna felt as if she’d been drowned.

Kratos stood, sloshing through the shallow water to the shore. Anna attempted to stand, only to fall back to her knees as a small wave crashed against her. Grumbling she crawled forward, turning to sit as she reached dry land. Looking back she could see Luin burning across the dark lake, a vivid orange and red glow against the gray predawn sky. Black smoke billowed high into the heavens, trailing the story of destruction for all to see.

She sniffed, swiping at her eyes as she felt the onslaught of tears threatening to escape. It had been a mistake to come here. She had selfishly involved the innocent people of Luin in the schemes of the Desians. If only she had stayed away the town wouldn’t be reduced to ashes now.

“I know you must be weary, but we have to keep moving.”

Anna didn’t budge, only turned her head to glare at the speaker.

“We are in danger if we stay here,” Kratos pressed, coming towards her. “As soon as we find sufficient shelter you can rest.”

“What kind of person are you?” she hissed, resting her chin on her drawn up knees. Her eyes narrowed as she stared across the lake at the raging fire. “Don’t you feel anything?”

“We don’t have time for this,” he replied, his tone calm.

This only incensed her further. “Don’t have time for what?” She stood up, whirling to face him and pointing towards the burning town behind them, “That is my home. The people there were all I had. The man I thought of as my father betrayed me. I saw innocent people murdered because they tried to protect me. And you are telling me we don’t have time? Is it really so much to ask for a few moments to mourn their sacrifice? To honor them?”

Kratos stared at her levelly. “Yes, that is what I am saying.”

Anna’s eyes widened and she gaped at him, words failing her.

“If you really want to honor their sacrifice you would do better to flee than stand here and pray at their pyre. The Desians will not waste time in widening their search for you once they realize you have escaped their net.”

Anna turned her back to him, trembling with rage. What he said made sense, it was rational and perfectly valid. But it was also devoid of any emotion. How could she run without showing the least bit of appreciation for what the people of Luin had sacrificed? How could she live with herself by acting so ungrateful?

But his words still rang with the harsh truth; if she stood here for long all the efforts of the townspeople of Luin would be for naught. Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes Anna calmed her mind. As much as she hated to admit it Kratos was right… this time. Still, there had to be some compromise; perhaps she did not have much time, but she could at least offer up one prayer to the Goddess.

She sank to her knees in the shallows of Lake Sinoa, offering to Martel all that was within her in spite of Kratos’ objections. “Within my heart are forever locked memories of the sacrifice you paid. I will always honor and remember the cost of liberation. May Martel bless those who paid with all they owned and welcome those who paid in blood.”

Kratos snorted behind her, turning his back. With a last look at the dying town Anna stood, dripping with lake water as she joined him.

***

They had traveled quickly through the misty pre-dawn haze. Both remained silent; Kratos had nothing at all to say and Anna did not have the breath to spare. Both were wrapped up in their own thoughts, seemingly preoccupied but actually highly aware of their surroundings.

Every shadow became a phantom waiting to ambush them in Anna’s eyes. She desperately kept up with Kratos, fearful of what would happen if she fell behind. As the sun rose the mist thickened, rising off the surface of the lake, filled with the scent of smoke from Luin. It was blinding, but thankfully brief. The mist dissipated within moments; their surroundings became visible and Anna realized that she had no idea which direction they were traveling.

As they crossed the plains she looked around, trying in vain to find something she recognized. This continued for hours, Kratos keeping the pace brisk while Anna hurried after him, both in complete silence. As the sun passed its zenith though Anna could no longer take the uncertainty.

“Wh-where are we?”

“Hm?” Kratos paused, turning to look at the woman struggling to keep up.

Anna stopped, panting as she asked again. “Where are we heading?”

“East.”

Anna frowned, “East? Why? There isn’t anything to the east. Wouldn’t it be better if we traveled towards Hima or Asgard?”

“The Desians will think we’ve fled towards Hima,” Kratos told her. “I made several inquiries in Luin about Hima and the route.”

“But why are we heading this direction?” Anna persisted. “Why did you want them to think we were going towards Hima?”

“There is a place that may hold an answer to how to remove that exsphere from your hand,” Kratos explained. “It will take awhile to get there, but I think it will be well worth our time.”

“And what is this place?”

“The Balacruf Mausoleum.”
Anna stared at him blankly. “And why do you think we will find something useful in a mausoleum?”

Kratos declined to answer and Anna did not seem to take any notice. She continued to chatter on, asking multiple questions without pausing for an answer. Perhaps she did not expect one; but then, why ask? It was pointless to ask questions without expecting answers, was it not?

He found that he was getting tired and her incessant prattle was becoming increasingly annoying. That thought gave him pause: he was tired?

The brief concern did not even reflect in his eyes. They had been walking since before sunrise and it was well past noon given the position of the sun. On top of that the atmosphere was tense, the knowledge that Desians would not be far behind drove them on without rest. Most humans would be exhausted by this point, it would make sense if he were beginning to feel the effects of their journey.

“Mausoleums are full of dead people,” Anna’s voice intruded on his thoughts. “Surely you don’t expect we’ll find anything useful in a place for the dead?” She paused, looking at him curiously. “You’re not going to try and talk to them, are you?”

“We should stop here and rest for awhile,” Kratos told her, ignoring her question. “We will carry on in a hour and keep going until we find a suitable place to camp for the night.”

“How far is it to your mausoleum?” Anna asked, collapsing gratefully to the ground.

“Two, perhaps three days to reach the coast,” Kratos told her, setting down the pack he carried. “After we cross it should take another day to reach the mausoleum.”

“We have to cross the ocean?” Anna sat up, her eyes wide.

“Just the inlet.”

Anna laid back down, staring up at the sky. “I grew up next to Lake Sinoa, but I’ve never seen the ocean.”

Kratos remained silent, eyeing the surrounding land for signs of trouble.

“Where did your dog go?”

“Noishe will find us,” Kratos told her.

“You aren’t worried about him?”

“No.”

She became silent and Kratos prayed it was the end of her questions.

“Most people would be worried about their dog,” Anna mused. “How will Noishe find us?”

Kratos sighed heavily. “Are you hungry?”

Anna turned her head, looking towards him. “Do we have any food? I could make us something.”

“There is enough for sandwiches,” Kratos informed her, tossing her the pack. “Make something for yourself; I am not hungry.”

Anna dug in the bag, not bothering to look up from the task, “Neither of us have eaten all day. Surely you’re just as hungry as I am?”

“I am used to going for days without supplies,” Kratos told her, looking back out across the plains.

“There is plenty here for both of us,” Anna informed him, raising an eyebrow as she studied him. “Are you afraid I’ll spit in your food or something?”

Kratos looked at her sharply. “Worry about yourself. I promise that I will be fine.”

Raising her other brow she turned back to the pack, pulling out a loaf of bread. “Well, suit yourself.”

Thankfully the task of preparing lunch and then eating kept the girl quiet. Kratos sighed thankfully, turning his back to her as he continued to study the plains with sharp eyes. Sadly the silence was all too short lived.

“It must be lonely.”

Kratos closed his eyes, praying for his slowly dwindling patience. “What must be lonely?”

“Pretending all the time.”

He turned to her sharply. She was stretched across the ground on her back, her hands cradling her head and her eyes closed. She had not bothered to change into the traveling clothes he had purchased for her. Anna still wore the thin cotton dress; it draped around her, a size or two too big, but strangely flattering.

“Hmph.” Kratos shook his head, looking away from her and back out along the way they had traveled. She was a strange girl, sometimes a bit too perceptive. Her uncanny remarks left him feeling… strange.

“You never did tell me what you think we’ll find at this mausoleum.”

Kratos blinked at the sudden change in topic, surprised but grateful. “You understand that we are searching for a dwarf?”

Anna snorted, rolling on her side, her expression torn between amusement and mockery. “We’d have better luck finding a unicorn.”

“While you were recovering in Luin I spoke to several travelers who were passing through. Two separate times, from two different sources, I heard accounts of what could possibly be a dwarf. Both agreed that this possible dwarf was seen near the Balacruf Mausoleum.”

Anna sat up, her eyes wide and bits of grass sticking in her short hair. “Do you think we’ll find the dwarf?”

Kratos shrugged. “Perhaps.”

“You said it would take another three days to get there?” Anna bit her lip, staring at the ground. “Can’t we travel any faster?”

“We are already traveling as fast as possible,” Kratos told her. “It will do no good to push ourselves to exhaustion. We may very well need our strength when we reach our destination.”

Anna nodded. “Yes, you’re right. But why can’t we head off now? I’m not tired at all anymore and maybe we can make it a bit further if we try.”

Kratos looked at her. Her eyes were bright with determination and renewed vigor. Knowing what they were heading towards had filled her with impatience, however Kratos knew that she was likely only running off adrenaline. He did not want to push her too far and have her collapse from exhaustion. Constantly he was having to remind himself of human limitations, something he had not had to do for a very long time.

As he watched Anna repacked the bag, standing suddenly. “Come on, let’s go!”

Looking towards the sky she found the sun, then sprinted off away from it, chasing after her shadow. With a heavy sigh and one last look behind them Kratos followed, albeit at a more dignified pace.

***

Anna did not run for long. The pack was heavier than she had anticipated and her muscles were not used to this type of exercise. She made it a few hundred feet before she slowed to a walk, Kratos easily catching up with her.

“You should reserve your strength,” he told her, eyeing her in disapproval. “You never know when you may need it.”

Anna rolled her eyes, panting slightly and smiling. “You’d run too if you hadn’t done so in a long time.”

Without a word he took the pack, swinging it effortlessly onto his back. “Conservation. We have a long distance ahead of us and no guarantee that we will find what we seek. Do not foolishly deplete your energy. We will only have to stop more often and will arrive at our destination much later.”

“You don’t know how to lighten up, do you?” Anna scoffed, shaking her head. “I know what I’m capable of-”

“Do you?” Kratos argued. “You’ve been locked inside that death place for how long? When were you last allowed to make a measure of your stamina?”

Anna narrowed her eyes, glaring at him. “I think I know myself better than you know me.”

“You must build your endurance,” Kratos met her glare for glare. “You have wasted away in that place. A blind fool could see that.”

Anna looked away, muttering darkly.

“You endanger our mission by behaving so recklessly,” Kratos continued. “I would think I am correct in saying that you have never been on any journey of consequence.”

“You think you know everything, don’t you!” Anna yelled, glowering.

“I know about traveling long distances,” Kratos told her, his tone malicious. “You would do well to take heed of my advice.”

“Fine!” she shouted, tears in her eyes. “I won’t run, I won’t prepare your meals, I’ll go where you say and sleep when you tell me. I won’t pray or honor those who helped me and I won’t thank those who may in the future. I’ll be a prisoner again - your prisoner! - and you can take back the freedom you gave me!”

Kratos stared at her, at a loss for words. Her eyes and the set of her mouth said that she was angry but tears flowed freely from those same incensed eyes. He did not understand her at all.

“Anna, I never said that I wanted to take back the freedom I granted you,” Kratos started, eyeing her carefully. “And I most certainly do not expect you to behave as my prisoner.”

“But that’s just it, isn’t it?” Anna fumed. “You want me to obey you. You want-!”

Anna gasped, clutching her hand and hunching over. Kratos was immediately at her side, pulling the wrappings from her hand and examining the gem beneath. The brilliant blue was veined through with shots of ruby, the skin around the gem swollen, irritated. He gently touched the back of Anna’s hand, exciting another gasp of pain from her.

“That hurts!” she cried, yanking her hand away.

“How long has your hand been like that?” Kratos asked, ignoring her protests and grasping her wrist firmly.

“I don’t know!” she shouted, pulling against his restraint. “Let go, you’re hurting me!”

He only held tighter as she struggled, studying the exsphere closely. “Hmm.”

“It’s never hurt like this before,” Anna muttered, becoming quiet.

“You’re lying to me,” Kratos glared, meeting her eye. “You’re not telling me something about this exsphere.”

“Why would I lie to you about this damned thing!” Anna shouted, swinging her free hand in an attempt to strike him. Kratos easily deflected the hit, his eyes glued to the gem on Anna’s hand. “I’ve told you-!”

“Interesting….”

“You jerk!” Anna began pulling away from him again, trying in vain to free herself.

“I apologize for accusing you of deceit,” Kratos said suddenly, looking at her apologetically. “I was merely conducting an experiment.”

“An experiment?” Anna questioned, glaring at him. “What were you trying to do? See how long it took me to hit you?”

“Not exactly,” Kratos replied, looking down at her hand. “But I did learn something interesting about your particular exsphere.”

“What is that?” Anna asked, her voice skeptical yet still betraying her curiosity.

“It seems to be reacting to your emotions.”

“And that means?”

“We have a complication.”