Leading Saya

His eyes, turning over his shoulder, saw the impaling impact of the rocks of earth against their chests which distributed killing blows. An eyebrow perked, a smile slipping against his face.

“Finally, some progress. But still, no sign of leadership.”

His right hand balled up into a fist, left hand tucking his gun behind his belt, as its knuckles paled as the arctic snow. Air swirled, gathering invisibly over his hand as it pressured more and more. Suddenly, his feet grinded down into the dirt whilst his stomach spun him sideways, leaning over as his left hand reached down to catch his balance and his fingers dug into the soil in aid to pull himself to face the following vampires.

“So let’s start narrowing down the numbers!”

And in the same suddenness of his shift, his right hand punched in the direction of his closest chase. Like a baseball whistling through the air, he had thrown the pressurized-air for the ribcage which protected its dead heart. It was hard and solid like the rocks previously thrown but these were as transparent as his vectors.

But this was not all, it wasn’t enough. He had a whole crowd following him; one more down didn’t mean shit---unless he was the leader of the cult. If the vampires kept true to their rushing force, three solid vectors reached out to them with open, huge hands which would vice over their head. Their strength was unmeasured, needing not muscle or machinery to power to fuel or power them. Their crushing hands would try to not only crush their skulls but rip them away from their hosting bodies. Of course, he had left one vector behind for defensive measures, holding the lethal edge yet again.

The gun, a motionless weapon still and lifeless, started to collect dust from the debris that started and existed and above all, was created. Explosion of sounds of rock and earth dispeled and crumbled the vampires to death, crushing their lifeless organs, denting in bones as they finally succumbed to their official death, nonequivalent from their life before.

Fortunately, Saya missed out.

Eyes locked with Deimos; her hopeful gaze versus his insipid and lacking-life oculars. At the moment a bridge formed between the two, a long incessant, frail, bridge and Deimos had sprinted through the endless span in a quick second and brought forth a realism against her plead. Those tracing eyes that might've seen right through the woman. It exploited her to no end. One not so gentle, but completely opposite. A mere threat, dire felt.


As his tone sprung back to life, that smooth above bland tone, Saya respired the relieved feeling. A shrug slipped her shoulders, and thought about her words that was said; so desperate was she that anything could've been said. Deimos had simply put her in place, perhaps wanting to warn the woman of next time promising something so unwise the outcome of it.

She gave a nod to his command and thus, did what was ordered by moving behind him, standing close but kept a space of a few inches. Peering beside his shoulders and at Gene who by then stamped out more of the others, rather fashionably at that. The wincing of her eyes wanted to smear away the unncessary sight, however it seemed the only way would be the souly look away. She couldn't do it.

Gene, hang on just a little longer.

Deimos offered the world a twisted smile; finally, it seemed that the boy was catching on. He could not hope for incapacitation, as Deimos was sure the boy was taught that even some manner of mercy made his sins acceptable. No, it only made him weaker; had Gene been gearing towards annihilation from the get-go, Deimos suspected that their menace would have been dealt with long ago, but Gene’s almost subconscious desire to spare them the ultimate fate, with things such as subpar bullets and rock flinging, is what kept him from unleashing a mercilessly effective onslaught.

But he was getting there.

Deimos clenched his fist tight, the power that had been growing there all the more sinister was locked and caged, taken forcefully and buried deeper and deeper into his grasp; mental chains bound this power into place and made it bend to its wielder’s will as easily as a supple tree branch would. Saya could not see it, but Deimos vapid eyes had been brought to life now; they were shining, nearly, with the charge of his accrued power, with the promise of what would come soon enough.

The vampires, seemingly unable to learn from the mistakes of their felled brethren, continued to rush forward even as a number of prior beasts had been decapitated with nearly no effort wasted on their target’s part; maybe if they had been a bit better trained or could actually think on their own, they would not be so eager to meet their absolution. They fell like redwoods; thump, thud, and headless bodies were strewn across the ground.

Ah, but then they were halved and halved again, and by the time that there were only a total of 5 left, their tactics had radically altered; no longer needing to split his attention, his focus, between such a large number of groups, the leader was capable of controlling his little meat puppets with a greater degree of finesse.

The leader himself, surrounding by two creatures at his fore and two creatures behind him, was the only one among these hell-spawn that had glowing red eyes, a sign indicative of his otherworldly skill.

Granted celerity beyond the norm for these creatures, their potential unlocked by the leader’s will, the two vampires from his front all but vanished as they sped across the ground and would only slip into the acceptable frame rate for vision when they were mere feet away from Gene; one tackled high, one tackled low, and the leader chuckled deeply.

As Gene stood and waited the for moment given he mentally noted the defined different the center vampire expressed. The smile which lingered passivley grew, edges tugging up.

"There's my man, right there."

Although unseen, his vectors' lengths shortened and drew closer. The green definition encompossing his frame faded as it shifted colors into a golden-orange. The lightning streaks passing over his limbs ceased and the aura's radius widened, looking as if Gene stood in a bubble of color. Had the vampires followed their orders to tackle him, they would crash into this aura like a brick wall for the effect was to make a physical barrier. However, if they weren't going fast enough to just splatter against the wall, two of his edged vectors had dug through the earth and sprouted back up beneath their feet, lifting up to dig through bone and flesh to destory their already cold hearts.

Through this transaction, Gene stood still a focused, never flinching when they made their quick appearance in a blur. Instead, his head tilted over to actually look past the bodies, searching for the leader's eyes once more. He kept silent this time, thinking to himself.

Now, you'll have to try a little harder than that.

Could a mere man go through what's occuring, transpiring a gesticulation amongst creatures not meant to exist in the first place; vampires that hungered and filled with much deadly enthusiasm. But Gene was not any mere human, and this Deimos, also didn't fit to such a category. But no matter what species they were or powers they kept, how longer can one handle this?

Saya could only watch in yonder feeling the more insignificant and pitiful. A coward was she - at least it was how she felt; safe in 'the arms' of the man before her, whilst all the while a friend risks his life.

She heaved a loose clenched fist near her chest in worry and in hopes that it would soon be over. But when it is all over, then what? Obstacles have yet to be surpassed, and when this is done, over with and finished, there still was this 'true-name magician'.. this Deimos.

The vampires acted with a noticeable jump in their degrees of finesse and agility; when their bodies struck the barrier, they neither splattered nor bounced away, but hands cushioned the blow so that for a while thereafter their bodies were pressed wholly against the invisible shield, ropes of drool falling from their teeth. Gene had made a mistake; it was when his vectors were invisible that they were deadly, but in cutting through the ground they were made salient and, thus, rendered ineffective.

Like world class gymnast’s, the vampires gyrated in the air as the vectors cut through nothing but air and landed o the ground directly in front of the shield, their graceless landing kicking up a large cloud of dust that hung static in the air. Then they began to run around as if frenzied, with every intent to make their transition behind Gene and try their hand at his blind spot while their brothers came to pick up their slack, attacking his fore.

Their movements, blurred with such ample velocity, continued to kick up clouds of detritus that refused to fall; now that there were four of them, raining relentless fists onto the barrier that would, if left unchecked, would shatter the translucent dome into vestigial remnants that paled to its former glory. If left unchecked Gene would find himself already surrounded, only to be closed in by these, the Leader’s chosen.

Speaking of the Leader, now that all four were busily trying to tear Gene into stew, there was but one man that lay in the distance, with eyes that shone red like a bonfire and teeth all the more jagged and wicked than his inferior slaves.

“Don’t look away.” This was Deimos, and he was speaking to Saya; his tone, contrasting the previous two he had adopted throughout the course of this feeble and sinister night, was sober now. He was pensive; he was lost in thought. “What you see, this blood and the law of the sword, is what the world is made of. For every step you take towards the horizon, just wishing to see one wondrous thing so you can know that life is not empty, you will encounter one hundred horrors. Those of man. Don’t look away.”

It seemed Deimos had more in mind than to test a man, as he had to test a woman too.

The aura, thankfully for Gene, was and would always be equal in all sections---back, side, front, and even above. However, auras were very draining of power due to their constant needing of fuel to empower their area-of-effect. Gene, dispite standing still in the middle of his dome of protection, was breathing deeply whilst sweat broke away from their pores to gloss his flesh. He withdrew the vectors, pulling them from the outside world and let them rest as his focus turned to his barrier.

The barrier, however, shunk with every pound of their fist and pulled closer to Gene. It looked as if it was soon to fail him. His eyes closed, lips parting as a relaxing exhale fell from his mouth. His arms lifted, straight out with palms turned toward either side of the field. Still, their attacking fists would have the aura pull closer and closer in every result. And it was when the aura was small enough to just wrap around his body, it dropped. However, in that same moment the explosion of light ignited. The vampires were not breaking his defences, Gene was channeling the aura's effect in small amounts. The vampires were getting closer and closer, possibly thinking they were soon to reach him, but instead Gene was luring them.

Normally, Gene would use this aura one of two ways. The first, as a physical barrier. The second, a focused beam of accelerated particles. This, however was much like the second but more of a test of hope. His mind was focused on not to drive the enemy through with a single shot, but to incinerate all of those close enough in a powerful flash of light.

He was their sun, and they were playing with fire. If they stuck around, likely because it was their job to try and cut through his defence---which they did, sort of---they would instantly be burned to ash. Those else on the scene? The vampires had picked up enough dust to let the little rays of sunshine shine and warm the area so it was nothing lethal to Deimos or Saya---or the leader of the cult.

At the center of the cloud of dust, Gene had fallen to his hands and knees. His teeth grinded over eachother whilst he forced the four vectors to once more reach blindly through the static like tendrils, waving wildly as they cut through anything in their way. Anything left, or anything which dared enter his sanctuary.

She broke into a cold sweat. Yes, she had forgotten about the wickedness in the world; this disorder at the moment that not only lead her astray from what she wanted, but also took a toll on Saya's mentality. As if a jolt of reality caused by Deimos words, created by Gene's struggle, interpreted the woman's weakness all along. She cursed silently at her stupidity.. So long now the countless daydreamings of an unspeakable aventure which longed so badly, so desperately, that the unforeseen consequences became irrelevent. And now, fate would have it otherwise.

She gripped the floated fist and merely shook her head. She will neither look away nor run from it. And as all may seen hopeless, this woman was balancing on a fine thread of rope who's yet to walk across unfaded. She was merely stuck in the middle, the steadiness of the rope testing her, the sight of the other end, this safety destination, emerging hazily in sight.

"No," it was nothing more of a whisper that drowned in the noise.

"You're wrong, Deimos. I have trust in the world, in Gene, that all will be better. Just as night should fall, the sun will rise again tomorrow." Her words weren't chosen by anger. It was the anticipiation in her tone that spoke it.

Suddenly, with the light emitting from his central, Gene was this god. Saya blocked her sight. However, seeing the silhoutte of Gene failing to his knees, she stepped aside from Deimos's.

"Gene!"

The concern for him wanted to sprint through tendrils to help aid him, but how? She didn't care how.. In the distance, she ran towards him, approaching closer to this sanctuary of his, where in between them, besides the frantic waving lights were the four vampires remained.

Gene shone with the fury of the rising sun, and those few creatures unfortunate enough to be caught in his blinding wrath were instantly turned to dust; they were ashes now, strewn across the world by a wayward breeze, only the leader was far enough away to avoid instantaneous death, and even his flesh had begun to bubble and broil, forcing the thing to retreat further into the shadows in hopes of convalescing.

Oh…but this was hardly enough. Gene was on his hands and knees after dealing with just one group of the vampires; as Deimos had mentioned before, there were five more groups rushing to meet them and only then had they come within range. Their silhouettes, as they jumped sky high, made the moon disappear.

Deimos was not known as a particular gentle man; he was realistic. He did not let his black and withered heart still his hand whenever it came to the greater good, or more precisely put, the greater end to his grand schemes. He would not let Saya die simply because her death would have a negative effect on Gene’s psyche and, all in all, this would render Gene less effective at his craft than Deimos required. Saya took, and this was really nothing more than a rough approximation, two and a half steps before a stony hand found a resolute grip on her shoulder and pulled her back hard enough to send her sprawling across the ground.

The red-haired heathen stood before Gene, unaffected by the remnants of his diminishing power, and he held his right hand out like it was the barrel of a canon; in truth, the leveled right arm was far more deadly.

“Close your eyes.”

A winking star.

Deimos’ hand had unleashed a light so bright that it would blind the eyes of a greater man if he were staring straight at it, and a lesser man’s eyelids just wouldn’t be enough to block out the solid blue sunshine. There were no visuals to speak of, it was much too bright, but the ground shook in regards to this power and a it sounded like a thousand lions were roaring directly into one’s ears.

When all was said and done, Deimos’ arm smoldering as if it had been lit aflame, there was no sign of the phantom menace; for 100 yards to the front, to the left, and to the right, the entire area was blanched white, as if someone had turned the contrast on too high. The trees still sang their fruitful songs and the grasses still swayed, but it was all so bright…and this was Deimos’ power.

“You did a good job. How’d you like to do better?”

Gene!

He caught his breath, the tendrils ceasing their wild frenzy to keep the outside world at bay---good or bad. He jerked his head back, and found Deimos's hand already reaching out to take hold. He didn't exactly expect him to throw the girl, so he was quick to turn back to find the cult leader before it had a chance to make an unseen strike.

However, as Gene made a stand, Deimos had already moved before him and warned him.

Close your eyes.

His hand, rather, rose up and pressed the arm's forearm across his eyes from the blindingly light. Even with this and his lids shut tight, the bright flash was visible. When it dulled, the arm dropped slowly and his eyes peeled open.

"My god.."

He scanned the area, not sure what to think of the lack of color. Deimos, though, wasn't hesitating to question him. But, leaving the man, Gene turned away from the question and found Saya---on the ground?

He jogged, too tired to run, to her and kneeled down beside the girl. His hands took either side of her shoulders, pulling her to sit up.

"Are you alright?"

Her thoughts at the moment were far from the stance of her mind, occupying the vexation as well as the dwelling worry, dashed onwards, unstoppable, towards Gene. However, where her mind frightfully lingered, her body unfortunately wouldn't follow. It was quick; it was sudden, far too swift to be easily perceived within a second; the hand, she barely felt it, let alone the grip that handled her. And sooner than soon, she was sent adrifting air, the landing.. unaproximated.

She landed unnatural faced away from the hostility, not with the feet but with her body, roughly rolling an extra five feet before dully stopping. Her kimono which caught dirt and rock was tattered. Her hair, losing the clip that kept it all so neat. All in all it seemed.. that woman had lost consciousness.

This winking star..

.. if left aware could've very well blinded her without remorse. And if in someway that she could've very well endured such a brilliance, then Deimos and all the splendour that was his power would've been witnessed.

Pulled to sit up, it awoken her. Groaning softly, with the mild pain on her left arm, she would've rather went back to sleep. But the ability to think and comprehend came quickly, for at the sight of Gene she smiled, but beyond his figure and all around him, it was bright.. Far too bright.

Deimos countenance was painted over with a most disdainful grimace as he watched Gene leave his station, without so much as acknowledging the fact that his life had been saved, and rushing to the woman’s side. He rolled his eyes and scoffed, hands finding their homes in the depths of his pockets as he began to stroll forward.

This one is worthless. I don’t need honorable men; I need men that will win. If he can’t get over the woman, he will fall in due time; I won’t take a time bomb into my ranks.

“I suppose you can consider me your deux ex machina.”

A nonchalant shrug as his right hand came out and, with a majestic flourish, waved over their bodies. A simple principle came into play at his behest; matter could not be created or destroyed, it can merely be changed from one state to the other or, in Saya’s case, simply misplaced. A powerful mind targeted the scraps of her kimono and those bits and pieces came out of the woodwork, vehemently flying towards the woman and attaching themselves to the gaps and holes along her raiment.

For the two of them, all matter of clinging debris were shaken from their bodies and landed, almost with a desolate air, to the ground. As Deimos’ right hand disappeared into his right pocket, the left one came out; two rectangular pieces of iridescent paper were stuck between his fingers and, upon relaxing, they twittered to the ground. The front of each card had a lavish and ornate ~D~ impressed onto its fore with gold and silver gilding, while the back was completely empty.

“There’ll come a time when you’ll find no security in each other’s arms. You’ll think back to this day and realize that my arms were the only ones big enough to shield you from this world.”

He spoke to the two of them, no doubt, but his eyes were startlingly glued to Saya’s own.

“Enjoy each other’s company while you can.”

A wicked grin twisted the corners of his lips as he walked forward; the left hand found its home in its pocket, and the right hand came out once again. In hand, Deimos held a crystal-clear stone¹ the size of a marble that, without remorse, he chucked before him into the great expanse of blanched nature he had caused. It drilled into the ground, a testament to the red-haired man’s languid strength, and as if drawn in by a vortex, the contrast was drawn into the ground until all that was left was nature as it was meant to be.

Deimos vanished with the swoop of a fell wind.

[Exit: Deimos Barrett.]

----

1: Crystal Tree [Underground Variant]: Over the course of several days, crystalline roots will begin to sprout from the crystal seed and begin to burrow deeper and deeper into the ground. The roots will infiltrate any surrounding ley-lines and immediately begin to channel the energy through its own infrastructure.

It will then release bits and pieces of itself into said ley-lines, slowly but surely gaining dominant control over the mana of a considerable chunk of land. For the most part, the entire thing remains inert; the crystal grows naturally, so even to a druid it would appear as if nothing is wrong, and the pieces of its body remain inactive until remote-activated.

STILL KNEELING, THE SMILE HE FOUND ON THE GIRL'S LIPS TOLD HIM SHE WAS ALRIGHT.
AGAIN HE WOULD ASK, THIS TIME IN A WHISPER.

"ARE YOU ALRIGHT?"

CAUGHT OFF GUARD, THE SMALL CARDS FOUND THE GROUND AT THEIR SIDE'S.
KEEPING HER STEADY WITHIN HIS ARMS, GENE GRADUALLY TURNED TO FOCUS HIS ATTENTION BACK TO DEIMOS.
A FROWN TOOK HOLD OF THE BOY, LISTENING TO THE MAN PLEDGE HIS WARNINGS OF CHAOS-TO-COME.

GENE HAD OBVIOUSLY FAILED THE TEST BUT HE DIDN'T CARE.
KEEPING QUIET, HE'D LET SAYA DECIDE IF SHE WANTED TO COMMENT BACK.
IF SO OR NOT, GENE WAITED UNTIL DEIMOS'S HAND TOSSED SOMETHING HARD TO SEE TO THE GROUND.
STRANGELY, EVEN WHEN LOOKING INTENTLY, GENE COULD NOT FIND IT.
IT HAD... VANISHED?
VANISHED, JUST AS THE WHITE WHICH LAYED OVER THE LOCATION.
EVERYTHING HAD COME-TO... AND DEIMOS WAS GONE.
DEIMOS HAD LEFT JUST AS FAST AS HE HAD COME.
STRANGE, THAT MAN WAS.

SHAKING HIS HEAD TO STEADY HIS WONDERING MIND, GENE LOOKED BACK AT SAYA.
SIGHING AT THE SIGHT, HE REACHED A SINGLE HAND OUT TO SNATCH THE TWO CARDS BEFORE PULLING HER TO HER FEET.

"YOU MUST HATE ME. NOT EVEN TEN MINUTES OUT THE DOOR AND OUR JOURNEY FINDS HARDSHIP. I APPOLOGIZE, MISS DE'OMI. IF YOU HAVE ANY DOUBTS IN ME, AND SECOND-THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS PLEASE LEAVE NOW. I WON'T HOLD YOU BACK."

It was Gene's voice that elucidated her consciousnes. She smiled at the sight that he was indeed alright. She attempted to sit up on her own, crouched somewhat forward with the help of Gene's sterdy posture to keep balance. Her left arm was left scathed, with a scrape and mixture of dry blood and soil substance that layered the surface. But beside that, all was fine; including her kimono.

With the heavy lids that she tried to keep open, she looked up at Deimos, and with open ears listened to his words. Her eyes palled with the dullness of it's hue, watching the card in it's slow motion of falling gracely. Again, she looked up at him and heard his words, heeding the sentences of which he spoke aloud. Those eyes, they locked with hers.. again and again with those unsettling eyes. So frightening. I'm afraid. With little strength, she quirked her body in Gene's direction.. but her eyes remained at his. Until the breeze broke free, washing away all unsettling ambiance. The strands of hair followed, blocking momentarily, her sight and within that second.. Deimos was gone.

She didn't asnwer Gene for a moment, remaining silent with but the wind to accompany them, as well as the corpses. And she shook her head in disagree.

"I haven't changed my mind, surprisingly. You.. protected me; a stranger. You could've died. Why'd you do it?"

Thoughtful Gene. Had the question perplexed him that much? A rueful smile was aslight, bare noticeable underneath the moon lit sky. It shone brightly, high in its sphere, the esotoric pearl. Saya was foreshadowed.. by Deimos, who had left more than just his mark, but a memory all in all. So close was she from death, her and Bliss, that the taste was at the tip of her tongue, tasting of soil that would've been her grave. Evidently and surely, there was more to this journey than being accompanied by a merrimental flock of birds.. and so, was Saya infact ready?

"Follow your heart...." her voice was weightless and soft when she repeated him. Then she smiled, brushing off all unsettling anxieties. "It's a good answer, Gene." ..she too would as well.

Saya shifted from his hold, moved to her knees, and stood up. She eyed the scrape and grimaced.. "There should be a river not too far from here. You and I should get cleaned up."

Whilst Saya sat mirroring his words, his lips gifted her with a smile. With the gesture of a nod, he let her agree.

It wasn't predicted their trip would go smoothly. But for it to be interrupted in such a horrible manner at such an early stage, it came to mind of just how long it would last.. Or how soon it would end.

Regardless, his hands were focused and still. Although not touching, there were inches from her body ready to catch her if she were to somehow fall over. This wouldn't happen. And so, he too would climb to his feet.

"A river?"

His interested perked, but groaned when he remembered the bitter bite of the cold water against his flesh.

"I know I need washing most.. But I really hope there's a hotspring, rather than just river."

"Hmm.."

Saya needed to think. Infact, she does recall a hotspring but the distance would be too great to travel in the condition they were in. Besides, how longer could she last in this state of weary and fatique, surely not long.. and Gene, he must've felt even worst.

Saya shook her head softly, grimacing in due thought.

"There is.. Beyond that hill and past the woods. There should be an abandoned cottage off the path, near it should be a hotspring. But that is up to you if you're willing to walk an hours pace."

She looked to the ground and saw the belongings of sack beside the path and not too far was the gun Gene lended to her. After picking up the items, cradling the sack with the good arm, she walked over to Gene.

"I wasn't able to use it seems. It probably would've been better that way.." She teased at her own self, laughing softly.

Watching her return from picking up her dropped belongings, he offered her a smile to reply to her comment.

"I shouldn't have put such a burden on you, so fast."

Blinking, just once, a single brow lifted in curiosity as his voice was suggestive while he tested the water.

"Maybe I should teach you just how to fire that thing sometime?"

He grinned, but the thought of a hotspring being an hour away left his hopes and dreams sailing away in the cool breeze. And, as those hopes flew away, an idea struck him and hope caught his eyes.

"Well... There is one way to get there, much faster. It won't be the most... comfortable, or dignifying position but... you can get and on my back and I can run it. We could probably get there faster than you would ever believe."

He offered, again, a hopeful smile.

Saya giggled mirthfully when the proposition was made regarding his gun.

"Oh, I couldn't."

But would Gene insist? Afterall, it was not a bad idea that Saya should learn. She was not a fast learner, but she wasn't slow to learn either. It triggered a mere thought; imagining her to be one of the greatest samurai in a yellow garment. Oh, how silly the thought of a silly womans contemplation as it was easily sparked... and it was a gun, not a sword.

But her reflection of the subject was quick and harmless.. it was a but a thought.

Saya looked at Gene, and a wryed neck stated the woman's peculiarity.

"Eh, You want me to ride on your back?" It was not the thought about Gene not being able to do so at all that she questioned him.

"Is.. that alright? I mean, are you able to carry me, let alone run, in that condition of yours? Oh.." She looked down with pensive sadness, "I'm always such a burden." She muttered under her breath solemnly.

A smile crept up on him, hearing her laugh. He shook his head, in reply.

"It's easy, really. Much more simple than people think."

He, too, let loose a few laughs as he turned to walk away.

"Well, I asked you if it was alright. So, obviously it's okay with me."

As he let the gap between them grow, he eventually stopped and bent over to reach down and pick up his dropped sweater. Standing straight again, he flapped the material against the wind with both hands to rid it of dirt and soil. Acceptably clean, he turned and met back up with her.

"Yes, I've still the strength to carry someone and go for a little jog."

Again Gene laughed but stopped to contemplate. Sweater held tightly in his arms, eyes moved back and forth between it and Saya until, finally, he offered the peice to her.

"You can wear it, no need to ruin such a nice kimono just because of me. Besides, it's much too hot for me right now."

"Alright, only if you insist." Saya accepted the sweater from his lending and perused the peice before moving it towards her back and slipped both arm peices into the sleeves. It was much too large for Saya's petite figure, however, fitting snug around her.

Saya focused now on the bulged cloth. She placed it on the ground, untying the knot, and carefully examined her belongings. The sippy container filled with water was lifted and the white cloth of rice cakes just beside it was offered, "here. You should eat some before we go."

His head craned breifly sideways, watching the oversized sweater fit over Saya's head with an almost proud smile. His right hand, even, lifted up to rake its fingers through the chocolate tendrils of hair at the back of his head.

"Trust me, the winds are harsh when you get going. It'll be cold."

His eyes, however, grew curious when she bent down and rummaged through her bag to pull out food and water. Gene, in response, lost all expression and blinked as a single brow gradually pushed skyward. The hand at his head dropped to his side while he shifted attention from the offering to the girl.

"No, no. I'm fine. I'll get some water at the hotspring or river."

Saya didn't assume any offensivness since he did not accept the offer. Her smile did not lessen and she did not think that it was anything prodigious at all. But one thing she did thought about and it was that he was sadly missing out on those rice cakes.

She nodded briefly while placing everything back in order and tied the cloth nice and tight. She rose, dusting any unseen debris of dust and soil from the fore of her kimono from kneeling so.

"Alright then!"

She smiled in mirth as she looked on towards the horizon at which the path lead onto. It would lead to the thick woods where even the brightest of nights seemed near impossible to discern the entrance from where the two stood. Saya grimaced, but knew they would be safe, as she looked at Gene.

Gene, in fact, noticed the small but sudden pause before she reset the food into her bag. A palm rose and pressed flat against his stomach and thought for a moment.

"Maybe.. Maybe we can eat after we get there?"

His eyes lifted to her, hopeful her mood would not falter. Gene, although surprised, was pleased by her sudden urge to get going on the road once again. A laugh originated in the depths of his chest, escaping from his mouth.

"Well, ready?"

He turned, showing her his back before kneeling slightly, lowering his body so she could get on without the hassle. Both arms lifted to either side, so she could move her arms or legs around him.