Zero No Tsukaima Fan Fiction ❯ Zero No Tsukaima Darkness Rising ❯ On the Way ( Chapter 7 )

On the way

 

After some discussion the Holy Knights decide it best to leave early in the morning so that they don't have to worry about sneaking away in the middle of class for Louise and Tabitha. As Saito and Louise reached the norther wall of the academy the rest of the group is waiting.

“Sorry we are a little late,” Saito scratches at the back of his head and chuckles a little while Louise's face turns an shade of red.

The others find the situation weird enough already and decide to start walking towards Germania.

Saito walks ahead of Louise to catch up with Seth who is a the head of the group, “Hey, are you sure that after what happened to you guys we should be leaving, are you all okay.”

Seth smiles and nods while a “no problem” is shouted from behind them, “See we are all just fine, that old man sure is handy with the healing magic.”

Saito smiles and nods, then drops back so that he is with Louise who is still not making eye contact with him.

As the group reaches the top of the first hill Saito and Louise both look back at the academy for a second.

Seth who is still at the front of the group shouts back to them, “You know we all really apreciate you guys helping us. We know this already hasn't been very fair to either of you two.”

“The headmaster gave us the concent to help you, this is just like any other mission away from the academy.” Louise voice is full of confidence like she know what to expect.

Rain looks back at her and smiles, “We're glad that you understand.” Seth swerves so that he is walking next to Rain and puts his arm around her shoulder.

The gesture though obviously from earth and not here but Rain accepts the gesture and even rests her head against Seth's arm.

Its really cool to see someone from earth, I haven't really asked him any questions about it since I left but he's from the USA and I'm from Japan, I don't think he'd know much

Saito's intial happiness turns to saddness and though he tries he fails at hiding it from Louise.

“What's wrong Saito?”

“...............”

Louise leans in so she can see his face. His face is full of emotion and through experience she knows that he doesn't like to let her see when he is sad, “Saito......”

“.........................”

Louise slowly nerviously takes his hand, the only thing she can really think of doing. The action does absolutely nothing for Saito's current condition so she let's go and looks ahead of her, and sees how Seth and Rain are walking. With no grace at all she takes his hand and pulls him closer to her and puts his hand on the other side of her shoulders.

“Louise?” Satio looks at Louise, now she can't look up at him, he smiles and moves his hand from her shoulders. She looks in his direction, more at his shoes than anything, “Thanks Louise.”

“S-s-s-s-s-sure......”

After a while the group stops for a rest by a row of trees on the side of the road they are using. Seth sits down under one of the trees and Rain cuddles up next to him. Zion and Tabitha are sitting on the other side of the tree Zion leaning against the tree and Tabitha sitting between his legs leaning against him, reading one of the books she brought along. Airo and Hina are both lying in the grass looking up at the clouds. All of them look like a scene from a painting as they are now all so more openly loving then they were before.

Saito sits down on the other side of the road, “Hey Louise,” Louise walks over to him and sits down beside him, “Sorry about before.”

“Saito?”

“I miss home a little that's all, seeing someone from earth just brought back so many memories of home and my old life.” Saito smiles and leans back using his hands to prop himself up, “I wonder if anyone is looking for me, I did just disapear, did the summoning magic make them forget I even existed?” Saito lets his arms give way and he falls back into the grass, “I guess it's a good thing that I didn't really have any family or friends.” The last comment make Louise feel very sad for Saito and she even starts to cry. Saito sits up really quick when he notices the tear fall from her cheek, “Hey I'm sorry I didn't mean that I want to leave here, this is my home, with you.” Louise turns and hugs Saito, her crying stopped but her eyes are still teary. “I couldn't think of any place I'd rather be than with Louise.”

A bug suddenly makes its way up Saito's shirt and he starts freaking out and eventually falls back down with Louise still clutching to him. As they lie in the grass looking into each other's eyes they both lose themselves and begin to draw closer to each other until their lips are almost touching.

Unfortunately for Saito his hand has come to rest on Louises lower back half of it anyway. Louise moves her face back quickly at the sudden feeling of Saito's hand touching the upper part of her behind and slaps him across the face, “Pervert!”

She gets up and joins the rest of the group that is preparing to start moving again.

What bad luck, if she was half an inch taller that wouldn't have happened.........

The group starts walking again until the sun is starting to set and they finally reach a small town.

Seth turns to the group, “well we can camp or get a couple of rooms.

The females of the group all agree that getting rooms would be the best idea so Seth goes into the small establishment and returns with two room keys.

“Two?”

Seth shrugs, “This place is only a five room inn, the others are being used already. Rain takes one of the keys and Seth keeps the other and they head into the inn.

The inside of the building is reminicent to Seista's uncle's bar except he isn't there, which Saito and Louise both agree is a good thing. An old man well into his seventies is behind the counter and nods at Seth as he passes with the rest of the group.

Rain whispers to Seth as they are going up to the second level of the building, “You don't have any money do you, how did you get these rooms?”

He keeps walking but she can tell he is smiling by the way he is talking, “That old fella is a friend of mine.”

As the group reaches the two doors to the rooms Seth turns to Saito and tosses him the key, “What are you doing Seth?”

Seth smirks at the question, “Saito, I'm married, I'm gonna sleep in the same bed as my wife.”

Saito blushes as he realizes how silly the question must have sounded, “Oh....” his response make him blush more as he unlocks the door.

The room is about the size of Louise's back at the academy but there are two beds, Saito gulps and turns back at Seth who is smiling a victories smile and give Saito a thumbs up as he, Rain, Zion, and Tabitha go into their room.

Louise and Saito being the only non-married couple in the group find this to be rather conspiquious that the room didn't have more beds. Louise has of course taken the bed and Saito is simply on the floor lying on some straw that was meant as fuel for the rooms personal heater/stove.

As the night continues the temperature gets colder to the point that Saito is asleep but he is shivering in his sleep and wakes Louise.

If he tries anything......

She gets up and shakes his shoulder until he wakes up.

Saito looks up at Louise though he is still half asleep. She helps him up and brings him over to her bed on the way she unzips his cold over coat and lets it just fall to the ground and then gets into bed. She holds up the covers as Saito slips into the bed. Saito trips and ends up on top of her. She almost yells except she knows it would wak everyone else up including the people on the other side of the room who are hidden behind a sheet that is attached to the ceiling. She looks up at Saito's blue eyes and he whispers “I can't,” and lowers his head to her neck and begins to place small kisses on her neck and shoulder.

His lips and warm breath on her bare skin makes her begin to take in more shallow breathes. He continues to kiss her as she begins to let out small sounds giving her feelings verbal understandings. Saito pulls back away from her and looks down at her again.

This is just like before,

Saito doesn't grab the golden emblem holding her shirt together he just looks at it and takes in a deep breath like he is trying to stop himself from continuing. Louise reaches up and runs a hand across his cheeck tenderly feeling his skin on her finger tips.

 

 

Seth exits his room his face flush, and he is out of breath, but abnormally happy. He makes his way quietly past the other rooms and down the steps. He notes how cold it is inside the building, though he is wearing a white tank top and sweat pants that he had from earth. As he reaches the bottom floor he sees the old man and he smiles and nods, their usual greating.

Seth sits down at one of the empty tables only two other people are in the room besides the old man. One is a woman with shoulder length lavender hair and the other from what Seth can make out a guy, though he is wearing a stocking cap kind of hat. A young girl, the oldman neice walks up and sets a glass of water down in front of him.

“It's been a long time Seth.” her voice is as cheerful as he remembered.

“Well we haven't had any....business in this area resently.” his serious face turns into a smile, “How are you Sakura?”

She sits down beside him her blonde hair, not as short as it once was now rests comfortably on her shoulders, “I've missed you.”

Seth takes a drink and releases a sigh after taking a big glup, “I missed you guys too.”

“What have you been up to?”

Seth looks at her his face isn't stern but she realizes that she crossed a line, “Sakura, you know...”

She smiles and waves her hands in front of her face, “No, no, no, I'm sorry, I just.......I've thought of so many questions about your adventures and what the world is like, but I can't ask you any of them huh?........”

Seth feels bad because she is so nice about having her dreams stepped on, “I'm sorry, I don't like to keep secrets from my friends, but I find that I don't have very many, so if secrets means more friends than I guess I'll keep the secrets.” He takes in a deep breath and after a long pause looks back at her, “One question, ask anything.”

The young woman practicly jumps out of her chair, “Okay how about.....”

A glass suddenly shatters on the ground the woman sitting by herself knocked the table as she stood and cause the glass to fall. Sakura smiles at Seth and mouths “one second” to him and goes to clean up the mess.

The woman without saying a word drops a coin off at the old man's counter that would pay for much more than the cup and continues up the steps and out of sight. Seth gets up and goes to help Sakura. As he passes by the other man wear the stocking cap he notices his face.

Seth stops and spins around, “You!”

The man looks up and reveals his face to that of Griffin's, “What?”

Seth brings his fist back, “You bastard!”

Before Seth brings his fist down on him Griffin pushs on the back of his chair and falls backwards and rolls up to his feet. He then quickly runs for a side door with Seth right behind him.

 

 

Louise moves her head back from Saito's, his lips where so soft against hers. She puts her hand on the gold piece hold her shirt together and pulls it off leaving the buttons as the only thing left holding the shirt closed. Saito smiles down at her and goes back to kissing her neck and begins to undo the buttons.

Is this really happening, please don't let this be a dream.

Saito undoes another button and thanks god that this is finally going to happen.

The door suddenly burst open and a woman in all black steps into the room, her lavender hair flowing even with no wind.

Airo and Hina both quickly get out of the bed but with a snap of her fingers they are both frozen in place. Saito jumps out of bed and tries to reach Derflinger but the woman takes him by the neck and pins him against the wall. Rain, Airo, and Tabitha runs into the room but once again the woman snaps her fingers and they are frozen in place.

“SAITO!!!”

The woman looks at Louise who is reaching for her wand. The lavender haired feind wips her hand toward Louise and a sudden force blows the whole wall behind her to piece and sends her wand out into the darkness.

“Louise run!”

She turns her attention back to Saito. She lifts his hand and runs the backside of her hand against his face tenderly. Her fingers suddenly grow and turn into some kind of metal.

“LOUISE RUN!!!!”

The woman brings her hand back far enough that the blade tips are resting against Saito's shoulder.

“NOOO!!!!!!” Louise tries to pleaed with the woman, “Please whatever you want please don't hurt him, please, PLEASE!?!?”

The woman lets out a blood chilling laugh, “You are in no place to negotiate,”

With a grunt the blades are through him and are pinning him against the wall without her holding his neck. She looks back at Louise, her lavender hair smeared with Saito's blood and in one swift motion she pulls the blades from Saito's body and watches his body, limp, fall to the ground and slump over.

“You're coming with me......”

 

 

Griffin keeps running but with Seth rigtht behind him he can't get away as Seth dive forward and trips him. Griffin falls face first to the ground and Seth quickly gets up before Griffin has a chance to draw the sword.

“Please don't hurt me, I don't know who you are,” Seth brings his arm back and prepares to bring his fist down on Griffin's face, “I don't know you!” Seth stops, the teens whole body is shaking.

“Who are you?” Griffin doesn't answer so Seth takes him by the collar and yanks him up closer to his face, “Who are you?”

The terrified teen answers with a trembling voice, “c-c-c-c-c-c-Cole, my, my name is Cole.”

Seth looks at this kid, with a mix of disbelief and confusion, “No your name is Griffin.”

“Griffin, I don't know anyone named Griffin, I t-told you my n-name is Cole.”

Seth slams the kids body back into the ground and steps back, “Cole, Griffin, who ever you are why'd you steal that sword!?”

Cole looks at the sword secrurly attached to his belt at his hip, “I didn't steal this sword,”

“If you didn't then who did?”

“.................”

Seth grabs him by the colar again, “Aswer my question, who stole the sword?!”

Cole looks up at Seth, “I did.....”

“What...”

Cole headbuts Seth making him stumble back and Cole gets back to his feet, “I'm glad to see you are still alive, the last time you weren't very much fun.”

Seth brings his arms up to defend himself is needed, though he doesn't have his gauntlets to block the sword, “So what is it, Cole or Griffin!?”

“Well Cole is in here, but he is a little busy,” He leans forward and whispers, “He's napping.”

Seth runs at Cole and swings at him with a cross right but the attack is blocked. Cole smiles at and jumps up and kicks Seth in the gut. Cole lifts his leg and brings it down slamming his heel against the ground as Seth barely dodges the attack.

My runes aren't working right even without the gauntlet I shouldn't be so easily blocked

Seth tries to summon a fire blast but nothing comes out and he gets a kick to the side of the head for his trouble.

“I see you got some new runes, what's the matter don't know how to use 'em?” Cole laughs and draws his sword, “You know what this blade is called, the godly devil Excamasa.” He brings the blade down and the swings causes a shock wave that sends Seth into the air and he comes down into and tree and after falling through lands on his side. “I'm not gonna kill you yet, I belive in fair play, and my name is Griffin, don't mistake that weakling Cole as me.”

He turns and walks away and Seth, powerless, doesn't try to follow him.

“Great, runes of the Seer huh, can't use my runes now?” Seth gets up and walks back to the old man's inn only to find it choatic.

Seth runs into the building and goes right past Sakura and up the steps into a room that is missing the whole back wall. Seth turns around and Sakura is standing in front of him, “They are in the other room.”

Seth walks past her and into the other room they purshased, “Is everyone okay?” The room is filled with his knocked out friends except for one. “Zion what happened?”

“Some woman with lavender hair, she put a stop spell on us and then stabbed Saito. That's not all, she took Louise.” Zion goes back to working on what appears to be five sword wounds from his shoulder to the middle of his chest, “Its a good thing the spell wore off on me quickly or Saito would be dead now.”

Seth falls back against the wall and slides down.

“What do we do now?”