Riding to Windsor [C/Kitty]

[Saber]

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[attr="class","nameBox"]Saber
Level 90 -- Assassin

[attr="class","statBox"]Words: [1330]

Tags: [kittygrey]

Skills Used: [N/A]

Notes: [Preparing for an Adventure]

[attr="class","titleBox"]This broken glass is all I've got left!

[attr="class","textBox"] The morning was young and the sun was just cresting over the distant horizon, but Saber was already awake and conscious. He sat in a comfortable chair, sipping hot chocolate as he nibbled at some deliciously tasting breakfast; eggs, pancakes, toast with butter and jelly, and some delicious apple crisp. It was a small feast for him, one that he rarely gave himself, and the elf savored every bite. As always, Saber was at his favorite café and they served him well. Their food was delicious, top notch, and the hot chocolate he ordered had been refined over his many visits until finally it was perfection; hot, extra chocolatey, and with three fluffy marshmallows floating in the center of it. The marshmallows he enjoyed over time as he nipped at them, but they were like floating markers, tracking how much of the drink he had left. By now, he was just about finished with the delicious food that had been placed in front of him and there was only one-half of a marshmallow left. A few moments later, the plates were clean and Saber drank up the remainder of his drink. Once he was finished, he took a few minutes to himself.

Today was a different day. He was going to be traveling away from Londinium and would be heading west once more. On his way, the Assassin would be picking off some Halloween monsters and would be performing quests on his way to the distant land in order to rack up some extra gold as well as to reestablish connections he had previously made. The adventure would be long and he would be gone for about two weeks from Londinium, six days out of that fourteen week span would be travel; three days out to the connection city, and then three days back once his wandering was finished. He had plenty of supplies this time and wouldn’t suffer like he had the first. No this time, Saber was going with information on the zone beyond. Surprisingly though, he was still a little nervous. Saber could bring all of the supplies and rations he wanted but the unpredictability of the world wasn’t something he could precisely calculate. Last time, he had been hit pretty hard by the new land and had fought a lot of new monsters. This time, it could be worse or it could even be easier. Since he had a little bit of knowledge of the distant land, he wouldn’t get screwed so badly.

Yet, Saber’s mind still threw ‘what ifs’ at him no matter how much he tried to justify it all. What if he got stuck, trapped, or dropped into a dungeon? What if he had to face a small army? Outlandish things that normally wouldn’t bother a normal person disturbed Saber greatly. He had seen much of the world and its terrors so there wasn’t a single doubt in his mind that something horrifying could be lurking beneath the ground as he walked. He also didn’t doubt that the world was out to get him. Through his past experiences, Saber was well aware of the world and its randomness, and he hated it. That would not stop him though. It never did.

After about ten minutes of sitting and just enjoying the view, Saber’s waitress finally returned; a pleasant foxtail dressed in a pink maid outfit. Saber spotted the funeral parlor emblem on the hem of the skirt, his lips curled slightly. She asked if he was finished and if he needed anything else, but Saber was indeed done. He paid the woman both the charge for the food, the drink, as well as a tip for her and the chef as he usually did. After he was released from the binding of payment, the maid bowed and Saber hopped off the rooftop. The area below was a bit rowdy in the morning and Saber didn’t want to be bothered, so he took the shortcut. Londinium was just waking up now so Saber walked all by himself for majority of his trip towards the city gates. Once he reached the main roads that changed.

People of the Earth and Adventurers mingled all around the space, either trading items and goods or exchanging information. Saber overheard some things as he walked, but it was all pretty much stuff he already knew; monsters, quests, places to gather, and information on Scotland as the expedition continued out there. They were all things that most Adventurers cared for, but Saber had his mind on other problems. Saber listened for weather, signs of oversized monsters in the area, and potential dangers to travelers. He didn’t hear much at first until he overheard two Landers talking about a potential rain storm. Saber wiggled his nose and glanced towards the sky; indeed, in the distance loomed the evidence of rain. Dark clouds covered the distant sky and they were approaching at a steady rate. If Saber was right, they would be overhead in an hour. He rumbled a little and tugged at his trusty cloak. It looked as if he was getting wet today, oh well.

Just as Saber was preparing to leave Londinium, a lander with a large cart pulled by two horses was also on the way out. He looked to be traveling alone and his cart was full of food and medical supplies; an important shipment it looked like. It also seemed that the man was preparing to go alone. Saber wiggled his nose and checked the clouds as well as his map. He sighed and walked over to the man with the cart, tapping on its wooden frame as he approached. The lander, already sitting on the wooden bench with a logbook out in his lap, looked over to the Assassin. At first glance, the Lander seemed quite distressed but the appearance of the Assassin relieved him. So, he was in trouble.

“Need a hand?” Saber skipped any formalities and got right to business, asking the man outright if he wished for aid. The Lander smiled and stood up, walking over and extending a hand towards the Assassin. Saber gripped it firmly, shaking it and sealing a contract.

“I need more than I have, if that answers your question. My name is Everick and I am traveling to Windsor to help out a scouting party. They are in need of supplies and I am in need of a guard. You look quite strong, what will you cost?” Everick stepped to the side and made space for Saber, but the Assassin waited for a moment. He looked into the cart and then at the Lander; no gold. Well, that wasn’t a terrible thing. Saber was going on his own expedition and he never had enough food. Ever.

“Got any food to spare? I’m traveling myself and I never have enough.” At his inquiry, the Lander seemed to be even more relieved. Most Adventurers asked for hefty gold fees for their work but Saber only asked for some extra supplies. That, he could do. The two men agreed to the exchange and the Lander even wrote out a small contract between the two. However, Saber signed not with the pen but with his blood. He used his blade to cut his thumb and then marked his finger on the page. Without being a scribe, his handwriting was atrocious. No one should be forced to read it.

“Give me a few moments, would you? I’d like to check on my wife once before I leave.” The man set down his log book on the cart and Saber nodded, taking up a guard position by the cart.

“Just don’t say good bye.” Saber said as he walked around to the back of the cart, his eyes glancing around at its contents. Everick thanked the Elf and then hurried inside of the small store the cart was parked beside. Yes, don’t say good bye old man… That was just a bad omen.

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[kittygrey]

Point of No Return

Ame was already up and about before the sun rose. She had recently joined a guild and moving in had been a slight pain, especially because she couldn't decide if she should sell or keep her personal house. What if she needed some alone time? She figured she would be spending more time at the guild house's cafe than anything else, making up pastries and the like. She had gotten used to her own kitchen though and feared learning another one, but she couldn't let her guild mates down. Nope, she wouldn't. They had become like a family to her and she truly couldn't see herself without them now that they had all gotten semi comfortable with one another. She had known Lavinia since nearly the beginning, but she had only recently met the others. They were a funny group and each person seemed to compliment the next. She loved where she was and couldn't wait for others to join.

She shook her head, shaking the thoughts along with it and left her guild room. As mentioned before, she had just moved in the other day so she had been unpacking. It had been a slight nightmare but she was feeling more and more comfortable with her living space. No one was up when she left, but she had made breakfast and left it in the fridge for everyone to share, she just prayed that Pio didn't eat all of the syrup and that Lavinia didn't eat all of the strawberries, else their waffles would be super plain. She couldn't help but giggle as she walked along the Londinuim strip. Yup, she felt like she belonged there. Once she had made and ate her own breakfast, she began doing an inventory check of all the departments stocks. She wasn't exactly sure why she had been up so early, but she figured she better make the best out of it. It was a surprise when she walked into the infirmary and found their medical supplies nearly diminished. She shrugged, figuring it would be a good time to see how the old man and his wife were doing.

As she continued down the strip, she stopped, her ears lowering and a glower appear on her face. She rushed to the small shop and barged inside, not seeing the male sitting in the cart. "Everick! How many times have I told you to contact me if you need to go out of town?! It's dangerous!" The fox tail stood with her hands on her hips and her tail swinging fiercely behind her. She watched as the back of the old man slumped over and his wife waved a hello. "Don't you just stand there! Turn around right now! Hello Mairy, how are you doing?" Everick held his stance as his wife said, "Kitty, it's wonderful to see you. I am well, but you know I worry about my dear old husband." She too, cast the old man a glare and the cleric watched as the old man turned to her, rather to face her than his wife.

"But, But I-" The man began but was quickly shut down. "I don't want to hear a single excuse, you hear? I'll be coming with you and that's final!" She huffed and looked to Mairy, not helping her smile as she watched the old woman smiling at her. "But I can't afford-" He was shut down again. "How many times do I have to tell you that I don't need anything from you! Mairy, when we come back, I'll need some suplies, could you have them ready?" The woman nodded with a smirk and looked at a list as it was handed to her. "I'll be sure to have them ready! Thank you again for looking after my stubborn husband!" Kitty shook her hand and it sent Mairy laughing as she dragged Everick from his own shop. "Now, let's get going. Mairy will want you back as soon as possible!"

She turned to the cart and began towards the spot she had sat in once before, but as she came up to it, she stopped. Her eyes widened and her ears twitched. Her tail hung itself flat with the surprise and she felt her body come to a stand still as she stared up at the passenger. "S- Saber?" Her voice was a whimper as she took a step back. Her face paled and then became a bright pink as the memories of her last encounter with the assassin came flooding in her mind. She swallowed hard and just stood there, staring at him. Her ears hung themselves low and she felt her feet shuffle. "Oh, you two know each other?" Everick eyed the assassin, and then Ame, awaiting an answer from either of the adventurers.

- Words -
800

- Tags -
Saber

- Skills Used -
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- Notes -
And the adventure begins!

Coded By Saber of L33T T3@M
Modified by KittyGrey

[Saber]

Do You Believe in Ghosts?

: Words : 2106
: Tags : kittygrey
: Skills Used : [N/A]
: Notes : Fire Squirrel is Rayne; [Team Misfit]

Being a bit nosy, Saber stuffed his curiosity probably where it didn’t belong as he loitered outside of the small store. He had been left alone by the cart and was essentially twiddling his thumbs as he waiting for Everick to come back outside, and the devils hands were doing their work. The Lander had just left, but Saber was already feeling a bit restless, naturally. He wanted to move and he wanted to leave the city as soon as possible so that he could get on the road. He had a long trip ahead of himself and this trip out to Windsor was just one however it would be a lot more comfortable than running the entire way out like he usually did. This way, Saber would be traveling at a more consistent pace while using minimal energy. Although, this choice also left him with a problem; there was a potential for monsters and angry animals to attack. That was the key to the pace of the cart; how often would it be attacked and by what. Saber never had that problem when he traveled alone.

If the cart were attacked by some little weasels, Saber could quickly dispatch of the animals without a second thought. However if they were targeted by something far larger, like say a field golem, then he might have a bit of an issue with collateral damage due to Area-of-Effect attacks. Normally, Saber didn’t have to worry about such a thing because normally he was alone. With a VIP behind him though, Saber would have to create a mental bubble. Anything which crossed into that bubble would need to be dealt with at increasing intensity depending on its proximity and he would have to determine that intensity on the fly. If he wished to be successful in this job, then the cart would be his lifeline. Should it be damaged or destroyed, then everything else would be affected.

Thus, Saber wished to determine how much collateral damage he could let happen. As in, how much could he let the cart get hit before it began to affect the mission? In order to determine that, Saber needed information on the cart. First, Saber checked the cargo and discovered that, unfortunately, almost everything was important (great). The load was comprised of various arms and armors, medicine, food, and other basic living supplies. Everything had its place and based on what the Lander said, each little item was priceless to the group they would be transporting these goods too. To Saber, this seemed to be more than just a regular delivery; it was almost as if this guy was bringing in emergency supplies or something. At the realization, Saber sucked his teeth; collateral damage was out the window. This damned cart was a brick of gold.

“This could get ugly…” Saber rumbled to himself and knelt down beside the cart, his eyes tracing the wooden frame as he looked for defects and cracks. The cart itself seemed to be in decent shape, but there were several spots that could prove crippling; the axels were rusted, there were a few splits in the wood base, and the wheels weren’t perfectly circular. That… wasn’t good. Saber huffed and opened up his menu, summoning forth a friendly creature he had recently met; the Fire Squirrel. The squirrel materialized out of the air and flopped down on the dusted floor in a huff, his dark orange eyes glowing slightly as his tail whisked behind him.

«I need your help.» Saber said, not even looking over towards the squirrel as he opened up his inventory. Swiftly, Saber began to summon forth his blacksmith tools and a few pieces of metal.

«Dat was obvious, Elfboi. Whatchu need?» The Squirrel crawled over to Saber as the Assassin twisted on his hips, laying down beneath the cart. He made a thumb motion and jerked his hand up; he needed the cart lifted. The Squirrel sighed at the order and shifted into its larger form, giving it a lot more strength so that it could lift the cart. Once it was raised, Saber got to work. With haste, the Assassin removed the wooden wheel from the main frame and then pulled the entire axel out of its hinges. Saber didn’t have any replacement hinges but he was able to replace the rusted screws that held them in place. Then, he shot a fresh axle through the loops and then locked it in place with an additional brace. Once it was set, he popped a circular piece of metal into the center of the wheels themselves to act as a bearing to free up the wheels and then pushed them back on, locking them in their places by putting a small metal cap on the end of the rods. Using some rough bark, Saber then smoothed down the edges of the wheels and used a thin metal strip to wrap around the wheels themselves. It only took him a few minutes to work it, as the master-blacksmith knew exactly what he needed to do and just as he heard yelling inside of the store, the Elf whistled and his Squirrel-ally dropped the cart back down.

«That was quick.» The Squirrel chimed as he shrunk himself back into his pint-size shape. The little critter peeked beneath the cart to see what Saber had done and the Elf wiggled his nose. A second opinion wasn’t necessary, but Saber wasn’t about to slap the Squirrel’s curiosity. Instead, he kept to himself. He sent his tools back into his inventory and then summoned forth an apple to munch on, satisfying the tight feeling in his stomach with a snack.

«What be the job today?» After doing his little inspection, the Squirrel popped out from beneath the cart and climbed up on top of it, its orange eyes now searching the contents of the cart. Unlike Saber, however, the Squirrel was much smaller and lighter. Thus he was able to actually go into the cart. Saber watched as the little animal moved about the items, its eyes curiously scanning the armors, weapons, and the jars of medicine. The Assassin only intervened when the Squirrel tried to take a vegetable from the sack; he released a high pitched whistle and snapped a finger. The Squirrel instantly moved away, following Saber up to the front of the cart. Saber glanced towards the inside of the building as the verbal back-and-forth continued, his ears twitched slightly as he recognized one of the voices. His eyes narrowed a little and he sighed.

“Perfect timing…” And to think, he almost got away.

«Escort. We’re going to guard the Lander on his way out to Windsor.» Saber made himself comfortable at the front of the cart and bit off a piece of the apple in his hand with the front teeth on his upper jaw, passing it over to his animal ally who eagerly took it from his hands. The Squirrel let out a soft hum as if the information bored him. Saber huffed and took a bite of the apple for himself. Based on the conversation coming from the building, they were going to have a plus one.

«I’m going to need you.» Saber muttered as he chewed. The Squirrel nodded and climbed around to the front of the cart. Once he was in front of Saber, the Squirrel stood up on his hind legs and whisked his red and yellow tail behind him, his orange eyes scanning the area ahead. Saber looked ahead as well, but only for a few seconds before he tucked his head down. His eyes closed and his ears opened; it was just about time.

«Aye. Dat will be fine, Elfboi.» The Squirrel lowered himself back down after a moment and then, Saber’s name was called out. The Squirrel turned about on his hands and looked up towards the Assassin, and then over towards the blonde Foxtail. Saber opened his eyes and turned his head over towards her, the corners of his lips curling slightly beneath his scarf; still as beautiful as always, that woman. Indeed, as his ears had confirmed it was Kittygrey. Out of everyone he had met so far, Kitty was the one person who had seen beneath Saber’s hard shell. Or well, at least part of it. Her kindness and beauty was something far more real than he could ever have hoped for and honestly, he was fine with that. Though after their last meeting, Saber found himself a little confused as well as concerned. He hoped that it wouldn’t interfere with their relationship now… but the memories of it made sleeping a bit easier.

“Long time no see, Kitty.” Saber sat up and rose to his feet. His eyes stared towards the woman, a brief memory of their beach encounter passing over his eyes as he looked at her. Yet he didn’t stare for long.

«Well, isn’t she a catch.» The Squirrel snapped his tail and Saber huffed as he stepped down from the cart, walking over to Everick and the blonde. He kept his hands to himself this time around, as much as he wanted to reach out and at least pull the woman into a hug. She looked at him with rosy red cheeks and seemed a bit embarrassed, which was expected. Saber felt a little weird himself but he kept that locked down tight.

“From what I’ve heard, you’ll be coming along. Take the seat beside Everick, I’ll stay beside the cart.” Saber declared as he approached. Everick nodded and Saber motioned for him to get to the cart.

“Whatever works! I will be relying on you two!” Everick said, laughing as he walked over towards the cart. Saber wiggled his nose as the man passed and then looked back towards Kitty. He smirked beneath his scarf, his secret playful nature burning; it was hard to resist. The Assassin leaned down close to the blonde and pulled down his scarf a little so he could whisper in her ear.

“I’ll keep my hands to myself this time.” After his words, Saber blew on the blonde’s ear lightly before he leaned away. He swiftly pulled his scarf over his nose and mouth to conceal the lower part of his face again, then turned and walked around the back of the cart, making his way to the other side. As he walked, Saber whistled again and waved his squirrel friend over to him as Everick prepared the cart to leave.

«We’re acting as guards, then?» The Squirrel said as he scampered along the edge of the cart, hopping down onto the dirt once he was in front of Saber. The Assassin nodded and watched as the little creature form shifted again, growing to almost six times its usual size once more as it prepared to be Saber’s steed. It was about the size of a small horse and Saber was easily able to climb on top of the creature because of its thick fur. Its flaming tails whisked behind it and its eyes burned red as the squirrel allowed the Assassin onto its back. Saber made himself comfortable and held onto the fur tight as the Squirrel rose to its feet.

«We’re guarding more than just the cart now.» Saber muttered as he glanced towards Kitty. The Squirrel let out a deep chuckle and marched forward, his clawed paws stepping softly into the ground as it moved. Saber took the moment to extend a party invitation to Kitty. Doing so would allow Saber to keep track of her with his mental mini-map and it would allow her to see his status as well. Not only that but if he was separated from her, she would be able to call out to him with ease and they would be able to maintain communications. He had no doubts that she would be able to handle herself, as the foxtail had achieved level ninety as well, but Saber tended to be a little extra careful when it came to her. It never hurt.

“Let’s go.” The Assassin called out, moving ahead of the cart as the other two got situated. Once they were set, Everick snapped the reigns on the horses and the group made their way out of the gates. Saber wiggled his nose and glanced over his shoulder briefly towards the foxtail, a sigh coming out of his lips as he looked forward again.

«Don’ let yer emotions get the bettah of ya, Elfboi.» The Squirrel spoke up, noticing the slight unrest in his Animal Tamer. Saber rumbled and kept his eyes forward.

Coded By Saber of L33T T3@M
Modified by KittyGrey

[kittygrey]

Point of No Return

Ame watched as the assassin got to his feet, staring at him, her face still a red blush. As he stared at her, she could only think of what had happened between them, but as his gaze left hers, she sighed out a breath of relief. She looked to the squirrel creature chippering away and wondered what he was saying. On instinct, she activated her Tongue of Nature skill, but it didn't matter, as what the sweet little thing had said was gone now. She nodded her response to his words but her shattered mind held no actual words, only the beach. She had found herself stuck there in her thoughts on more than one occasion and it was always for a long course of time. She had almost been killed once as the thought passed through her at random. They hadn't had the chance to talk about what had happened then and she wouldn't lie and say that she hadn't been avoiding him, because she had been. It wasn't because her feelings had changed, no, it was something far more complex, even she didn't understand the reason behind it.

Her eyes shifted to the Lander and she gave him a nod and a simple smile, but her eyes instantly glanced back to Saber, who was coming rather close to her. Her body felt as if it had stopped in time and upon hearing his words, a gasp escaped her lips and as he blew softly at her ear, it twitched and sent a shiver running clear down her spine. She looked back at him, his face covered and suddenly realized that she was longing to see it. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. She had a feeling that this was going to be a long trip, but she wasn't sure that she minded it. When she opened her eyes again, she blew out the breath and hopped onto the cart to sit beside Everick. She looked to him and say a strange gleam in his eye as he lightly shoved her with his elbow and tilted his head towards the assassin. She shook her head and huffed out a breath. "You, cut it out.." She wasn't sure if she was ready for this, to be near him again, but under the circumstance, she didn't have much of a choice. She just hoped they could get along well enough to protect the merchant and his wares.

She heard the shuffle of feet first, but when she turned her head, her eyes widened and her tail, pulled to the side, began swaying frantically back and forth. The cute, small squirrel was suddenly the size of a horse. She hadn't heard what the squirrel had said, but through Saber's words she had a pretty good idea. He would focus on protecting her too, then. She lowered her head and noticed her heart racing at an extensively quick pace. He had always protected her, but when she shut herself away from him, she had learned to properly protect herself. She was no longer a stand back support class, no, she was a level 90 tank of a cleric, always putting herself on the front line. She couldn't just stand back anymore. It was impossible. If he wanted to protect her, he would probably find it difficult, though she didn't doubt that he could keep up with her. She had come accustomed to her Anima Blade, and with her level so high, her mana rarely, if ever, dwindled away completely She had a few potions and snacks that would up her mana anyways if she really needed it, though she doubted she would ever have to use them. She glanced up at him, only to see him turn away and blew out a hefty sigh, jumping at the appearing screen.

She accepted the party request, knowing that it was essential, especially because, even after all this time, he still hadn't bothered to accept her friend request. She supposed it didn't matter, as she knew how the assassin was, but, that didn't mean it didn't hurt any less. She closed out her inventory and heard him call out. It was time to get moving. She glanced up to him, catching his eye once more before her turned his head. She lowered hers and settled into her spot. She knew he wasn't aware of her Tongue of Nature being activated as she had learned how to sneak about such things, but as his squirrel spoke to him, she couldn't help but let out a smirk. So, it bothered him that she was here. Was it just the fact that he felt that he now had to protect more, or was it something different. She knew she couldn't just outright ask him. For one, Everick would never let her live it down and two, she doubted she would get an answer and last, she didn't think she would like what she heard if she did. She knew that he wasn't the best at showing his emotions, but it didn't stop her from longing to see them either.

She laid her head back against the cart and closed her eyes. They had a bit of a journey ahead of them and she wasn't about to spend the whole time looking at Saber's back. If anything, it was his front that she wanted to see. It wasn't the same as in her dreams, she couldn't reach out and touch him there, feel the smoothness of his skin. She couldn't linger on the scent of him or long for the taste of his lips. Well, she could technically do those things, but they wouldn't be real, not like how it was now. She could still feel his breath on her ear. The thought of it made it twitch again and she instantly opened her eyes. This trip, she was damned by being here. Her emotions would get the better of her and there would be chaos between them once they did. She shook her head and jumped off of the moving cart, whispering softly to Everick that she would ride in the back for now. She waited for the cart to begin to pass her and gripped onto the wood, hoisting herself into the back of the cart. She sighed, looking around at the materials surrounding her. Yes, this was much better.

Though the cleric was ultimately the same, she had changed since that day. She had shut herself off from the world, from her friends and stayed locked up tight in the safety of her home. She hadn't come out until a few weeks ago when she was invited to join a guild. After Saber had disbanded his, she had felt as though it had been her fault. She had given everything to him and taken everything from him in an instant and then disappeared without a word. She couldn't face anyone and she began to wonder who she was, who she truly was. She hadn't been herself since then, or perhaps she had been. The her in the game was different from the her in the other world and in the time she had shut herself in, she began to do what she had always done, keep her distance and put up walls, but this new guild, it had been different for her. It was all support classes and already they were a family. It made her feel like her sweet, bubbly self and not the brooding, insecure girl she had been then. The guild had brought her back to life and she wanted nothing more than to go to Saber, to talk to him, to tell him that she had been wrong to go. She wanted to tell him that she still cared deeply for him, but now that he was here, feet away from her, she couldn't say or do anything. She was useless all over again. In that instant, tears began to run down her cheeks but she wiped them away quickly and balled herself up, laying among the supplies. No, she wouldn't let herself cry, not now. She would stay strong.

- Words -
1363

- Tags -
Saber

- Skills Used -
---

- Notes -
Uhm... kind of a deep post.. If it makes you uncomfortable I'll edit it..

Coded By Saber of L33T T3@M
Modified by KittyGrey

[Saber]

Do You Believe in Ghosts?

: Words : 929
: Tags : kittygrey
: Skills Used : [N/A]
: Notes : An Invitation

The air started to stir and the wind picked up a little as the group left the protective walls of Londinium. Saber glanced up towards the sky, his eyes scanning it warily as he did the math in his head; last he checked, the storm was approximately an hour out. Now, it was probably almost forty-five minutes away. Now, that was the time should the clouds release their stored water caches right after moving over head. They could be kind and simply keep rolling without a hitch but Saber was no fool. If Mother Nature barred her fangs, she usually meant to use them. The storm would hit, and time was short. Saber would be fine because of his layers of clothing and Rayne wasn’t exactly afraid of some rain, but as Saber checked behind him, the Lander and Kitty were both dressed lightly. Saber let out a huff.

‹We’ll be slowing soon. Keep aware.› Saber spoke to Rayne directly, sitting upright on top of the animal’s back. Rayne nodded and let out a light growl in response. It had only been a short while since Rayne and Saber had met on the Isle of Thames but their bond was already solidified. They had spent a few days fighting together and getting comfortable with one another around Londinium, working on their timing and reinforcing their teamwork. Without it, they would stumble over one another. It also allowed Saber to get to know Rayne a bit better and vise-versa. Rayne may have been Saber’s tamed beast, but he was a strong ally. Saber treated his beasts and monsters as family, not as tools. Rayne respected that and in return, gave Saber more than the Assassin could have ever asked for; strength and unbreakable loyalty.

‹Might wanna worry less about our speed, Elboi.› As he spoke, Rayne looked back towards the cart and whisked his tail lightly towards it. Saber looked back in time to see Kitty dismount. His eyebrows furrowed and he watched her carefully, wondering if she intended to bail. Though, thankfully, she was simply moving. Everick kept moving the cart forward at his steady pace and Kitty climbed up into the back where the supplies were. The Assassin narrowed his eyes a little curiously but then looked forward again. He could feel it, the uncomfortable air. He could feel it tugging at his back like a small child. To him, it wasn’t suffocating but it seemed to be quite visible to Rayne. The beast let out a soft rumble and kept glancing up towards Saber every few paces.

“What do you want me to do..?” Saber internally questioned and looked up, scanning the surrounding trees along the edge of the path. Rayne huffed and stopped in his tracks. Saber glanced down silently as the Squirrel glared back at him. They remained still, staring at one another as Everick’s cart slowly caught up. Once they were side-by-side, Rayne returned to moving and kept pace again.

‹The rain is already falling.› Rayne muttered quietly to the Assassin. Saber didn’t understand at first, but then he looked over towards Kitty. He was just out of the corner of her eye now but he could see it; the streaks on her face. Saber grimaced and gripped Rayne’s fur tighter. The Squirrel rumbled again, defiant. Perceptive little bastard, but he wasn’t as dumb as the façade he put on.

Saber had intended to keep his back to it all and planned on simply focusing on the mission, hoping things would go smoothly. No, he wanted things to go smoothly. He wanted to do this job without a hitch and wanted it all to start and end quickly without any hiccups. Saber would do his job as the mercenary for hire and Kitty would keep everyone alive while helping in the fight. Everick would reach his destination, pay Saber, and then the Assassin would continue westward after saying good-bye to Kitty again, like he always did. That was what Saber wanted, what he planned. However, that child tugging on his back was beginning to yank on it. Rayne was that child, and the Fire Squirrel had learned a lot more about Saber than just how to fight with him.

Saber let out a sigh and looked down at Rayne, a sign of defeat in his eyes. The Squirrel smirked and wiggled his body a little, the playful personality of the beast coming through. Saber chuckled softly and then pulled on his fur a little. Looks like the plan had been changed. Saber sat up and let out a sharp whistle towards Kitty, hoping to get her attention. Rayne moved closer to the cart and steadied himself further. If she didn’t respond at the first attempt, Saber would call out the foxtail’s name. Then, he’d hold out a hand in hopes that she would take it.

“It’s a lot more comfortable over here, if the cart bothers you.” Saber spoke giving her an option, even though he really wasn’t. He wanted her to join him on Rayne’s back and his extended hand would help her across if she accepted his invitation. If not, then Saber considered either dragging her over and kidnapping her or joining her. Though, there was a lot more room on Rayne’s back and they could talk there without Everick’s nosy ears. Yes, Saber caught him. Everick looked over his shoulder a few times towards the two Adventurers, a sly grin on his face. Saber ignored it and simply focused on Kitty, his hand remaining extended as he waited for her answer.

Coded By Saber of L33T T3@M
Modified by KittyGrey

[kittygrey]

Point of No Return

Ame slapped her cheeks softly and let out a sigh. What had she done to deserve what was coming to her. Well, she supposed she had made her own bed and now that she was out of hiding, she didn't really want to lay in it but the force was stronger that her will and the universe moved on it's own. It would bring Saber to her over and over, she was sure, just as she had went to him over and over. She didn't understand it, not one bit, but the assassin had her eye from the start. She had even left the man she thought she was supposed to be with for him. She had broken his heart and had probably broken Saber's as well. Was she a horrible person for doing what she had to? For keeping her distance? No, she knew it wasn't and she knew it wasn't what she had had to do either, she had chosen to run. She was never very good at facing her problems head on, so she chose to leave it be, but as she heard the whistling of Saber, looking up at him from the back of the cart, she knew that she couldn't leave this be. Not him.

She stared up at him for a moment, considering if she should accept his invitation or not. Finally, she stood up and made her way to the entrance of the back of the cart. She threw a leg over the small door and gripped the side, staring at Saber's outstretched hand. She jumped slightly and grabbed onto it, landing directly in front of him as he threw her up. Her bottom was instantly warmed with the feeling of the soft fur and the heat of the creature she now rode. She let her hands rub softly at the beast before she looked back to Saber. Slowly, she felt her head lean back. She wanted so badly to be coddled into his arms, like that day at the beach, but she didn't know if she could, she didn't think she deserved to be in him arms. She let out a soft sigh and pushed her back away from his. The warmth that she had felt made her crave more of it and the desperation was clear to her, but she wouldn't allow herself to come in contact. She couldn't allow herself any more harm to herself, or to him, so she put her hands to the neck of the squirrel and leaned forward, placing her forehead to her hands.

"I'm sorry Saber.." Her voice was the softest of whispers as she nuzzled her head against her hands. "I said I would never leave, but.." The tears escaped and dripped onto the fur in under her. Her words seemed to fall away with them and, though she had so much to say, not one thing would come out after. She wanted to cry out that she had made a mistake, cry out that she had been stupid, that she never should have left. She wanted to tell him that she was insecure and that he had done nothing wrong and that she hadn't meant for any of it to happen, aside for what had happened to turn her away. She had wanted that and would never regret it, but when it came down to it, she could only cry, feeling her hands caressed by the soft fur of Rayne. No words could even begin to muster up everything that she wanted to say, but she knew that she would have to say something. Maybe it wouldn't be right now, or even five minutes from now, but she knew that he had brought her up here for a reason, and it wasn't just to hear her crying. She braced herself for what was to come.

- Words -
642

- Tags -
Saber

- Skills Used -
---

- Notes -
Invitation Accepted..

Coded By Saber of L33T T3@M
Modified by KittyGrey

[Saber]

Compilation Post -- Rather than post several short things posts, we did it all in PMs. I'll be compiling them all and posting them accordingly with WCs attached to each convo post.

Tag: kittygrey

As Kitty took his hand, Saber sat up from Rayne's back and pulled her carefully over towards him. His hands slid down onto her hips, catching the woman as she came down on the animal's back right in front of him. He held onto her firmly for an extra moment, making sure that she was steady before his hands slid off and onto Rayne's back again. He leaned forward slightly but kept himself off Kitty, giving her a bit of breathing space. Yet, his arms wrapped around her and held onto the orange fur a short ways from her hips. The Assassin held back his breath a little as the woman in front of him seemed so close and he kept his mouth shut, using his eyes instead of his mouth for confirmation. When Kitty didn't adjust or say anything about being uncomfortable, Saber knew she was settled in. Though, after a few moments, Kitty leaned away from him. Saber wiggled his nose and didn't follow, but held onto Rayne carefully as he listened to her apology. He huffed for a moment and then stared at the slender back of the woman before him, listening to her words.

"Expected." Saber considered and then slid one of his hands slowly onto Kitty's belly, his arm wrapping around her lightly as he leaned down to her. He used his other hand to lower his scarf and then he put his lips to the back of her head, kissing beneath her hair gently before he whispered.

"You have no reason to apologize, Ame." Saber whispered, using the woman's real name in hopes to reinforce his words. Then, he placed one of his hands on her side, rubbing it gently.

"I've left plenty of times without a word to you, or anyone. Everyone needs space and everyone needs time alone. You're no different." Saber gave her another gentle peck and then sat up a little, lightly patting Kitty's belly in hopes that she would sit up too. If she didn't, that was fine. He kept caressing her side softly with one hand while holding her steady with the other.

WC: 355

---

Ame gasped at the touch of Saber's hand on her stomach and then again at the feeling of his lips on her neck. Her body suddenly became hot, but she didn't move. She could feel his breath on her skin as he spoke, telling her that she needn't apologize. She sighed softly, letting her tears dry on her cheeks. She felt him move a hand to her side and she nearly melted at the touch. She wanted to speak, but his words came first. She listened to them and gave him a nod. Perhaps it was the truth, but she didn't want to be like that. She felt the pat and the shift from him and forced herself up, leaning her body against his. She brought her hand to the hand on her side and touched it softly, laying it over top of his. She wasn't sure what she should say, but she knew better than to not say anything.

"I want to be different though. I should have at least told you or," she shook her head. She was trying desperately to get the words out, but it was hard for her, especially when it came to him. "Jake, I, I just didn't know how to handle.. everything that happened." She let out a sigh and turned her head to look him in the eyes. Seeing his face without the mask, she remembered their second encounter. He had hid himself away, but she had somehow caught him. Mamori was sneaky and she didn't doubt that the little fox had had it planned all along, but she wouldn't admit it to her. She had cried then, but it was different from now. What she had remembered was the cold, handsome man he had been back then. As she gazed at him now, he seemed a far cry from what he had been. "You look different. More at ease." She wondered what made him seem that way, but she wouldn't push for answers.

WC: 332

---

It seemed that Kitty was at least willing to listen to him and she didn't exactly curl up anymore either. Instead, she followed him. The little woman in front of him sat up with him and to his surprise, she leaned into him. The corners of his lips curled slightly and his eyes closed a little, a feeling of ease washing over him as he felt the warmth of the blonde against his chest. Saber's arm around her waist tightened a little and he pressed into her, his body shifting closer so that the two of them were nestled comfortably together. Rayne let out a huff and glanced back as the two beings on his back got all snuggly. The fire squirrel didn't say anything though.

As Ame placed her hand on top of Saber's, he spread his fingers a little, making space for Kitty to place her own in between. Then, she started to talk again. His eyes sharpened a little and his smile faded, but he stayed close to her, listening. The meaning behind her words was broken, making it difficult for him to put the pieces together. Yet he continued to listen, until she finally sighed and then looked at him. Saber didn't speak up and his grip tightened on the woman slightly from the closeness; temptation washed over him. She was so beautiful and being this close to her made him ache because of their prior encounter. Her sweet scent filled his brain, her warmth taunted his body, and her beautiful face filled his view. The Assassin's jaw clenched a little as he stared at her, a firm image being planted in his skull. It seemed like forever until she finally opened her mouth again. Her words though... they bit.

Saber grimaced as she mentioned the change in him and then kissed at her forehead softly, holding his lips against her skin for a second longer than he probably should have. It had been a while since he had seen her, and in that time Saber had seen a lot of the world, a lot which had changed his views of it. Before, he was focused only on what was in front of him; the blood, the anger, and the missions. After traveling and forcing himself to leave the confines of Londinium, the world showed him a different light. He didn't think it was that obvious, but then again; she knew him better than most people he had come in contact with.

"I've come to terms with a lot of things in the world. After leaving Londinium, I met a lot of people, saw a lot of things, and had a few enlightening experiences." Saber smirked and looked down into Ame's blue eyes. His heart pulsed against his chest; hopefully she wouldn't feel it.

"I'm still the same lonely Assassin, but I'm not as immature as I was before." Saber let out a soft chuckle and then he slid his hand from Ame's belly onto her waist, steadying not her but himself. He had started to lean into her on instinct because of his arm. He wanted to lean in and steal a kiss from her, badly, but he kept himself at bay even as his breath rose in temperature slightly. Maybe inviting her closer wasn't the best idea he ever had. Once he was comfortable, his hand slid back onto her midsection, his thumb caressing her shirt softly. He considered moving it so he could touch her bare skin, but he pushed it out of his mind.

"Don't worry about handling things that happened in the past, because that's where they are. Accept them and adjust. Learn from your experiences." Saber spoke softly and gently pulled Kitty into his chest, cradling her against him softly. He leaned his head against hers and spoke in a soft whisper, his eyes staring straight ahead as he did so.

"Running away won't make you stronger, and it won't solve your problems. It may be difficult and it may hurt to look at the scary things ahead of you, but you won't be able to move forward if you don't face them. Don't worry about hurting me or anyone else... Your happiness comes first, no matter what. And if you ever need help, I'm always nearby." Saber pressed into Kitty's back and gently kissed at her shoulder. Rayne rumbled and stirred, checking their surroundings for a moment but then continued on. Saber had noticed it too, but they weren't in danger. His eyes sharpened for just a moment though as he checked to the left, but then he let out a soft sigh over Kitty's shoulder, relaxing himself again.

"Though, I will say that I don't entirely agree with you..." Saber grinned a little and carefully slid his hand out from underneath Kitty's, placing it quickly back on top of hers as he snuggled her into him a bit closer.

"I'm never at ease around you. You're too unpredictable, sometimes." In the back of his mind, Saber kept the picture of Ame leaning away from him and quietly crying. It was just a few moments ago, but he knew that she was fragile. He wanted to mend that as much as he could, the best way he could.

WC: 879

---

As Saber put his lips to her forehead, her cheeks turned red and she gave him a small smile before shying away, looking out into the world beyond them. When he began to talk, however, she looked back to him, focused on his words. She couldn't help but let out a little giggle, her cheeks still flushed as he hinted at their experience together. She nodded her head at his first sentence, and shifted as he did to get into a better position. It seemed that he wasn't the only one leaning in and she knew the thought on both of their minds, but she held back. It wasn't the right time for such things. They needed to talk and they were already too much of a distraction for each other as it was without any added things to distract each other with. As he spoke again, Ame nodded and let out a soft sigh. "I know, I know. The past is the past. I need to move forward, look forward. It's hard to do that some times though. The way I used to be, it comes creeping over to me every once and a while, and as much as I try to fix it, it's still apart of me." She let out a sigh, but looked to the left as she felt a presence, much like the two with her now had as well. She knew it was safe, only because of Saber. She knew how he was. If he thought they were in danger, he would have struck, but as he let out a sigh and relaxed again, she followed.

Ame furrowed a brow at him, her head tilting just the slightest bit with question. Her ears twitched, not sure whether they should move up or down and her body froze. She didn't understand what he meant by saying that he didn't entirely agree with her, but when he continued, her ears dropped, as did her shoulders. "I don't mean to make you uneasy, but I know what you mean by unpredictable. Some times I even think that about myself and it's because I am, but you aren't a ride in the park yourself, you know. At one point you had me chasing you around like a puppy dog who had lost it's way home." She frowned at that. Some times she wondered if she had been too forceful with him. She had pushed him time and time again and even made him extremely mad at her a bunch of times, but eventually he had let her in. "Though I don't regret it, I'm sorry that I pushed for you so hard. I probably seemed super desperate to you, but I wasn't. I just, I just really liked spending time with you, though you would brood every time." She let out a giggle at that and looked back to him, threading her fingers through the hand on top of hers.

WC: 492

---

Saber caressed the woman's belly gently as she spoke to him, tending to her with a light touch as they made their way up the path. Saber smirked at her and then watched as she reacted poorly to what he had said. He was about to correct himself, but before he could Ame opened her lips; one of the few times she was quicker than he was. The Assassin closed his eyes and let the kind woman who sat pretty much in his lap explain herself. As she talked, Saber let go of her belly and pressed into her back, reaching down between her legs and a few inches up Rayne's back so that he could grab onto the animal firmly. His arms wrapped around Ame would keep her steady, and keep her back against him, but it would help Rayne out if they were actually latched onto him. The Fire Squirrel had slowed his pace and stiffened up a little to keep from shaking the two off, but as Saber steadied them, Rayne stepped a little quicker. Saber leaned his head over Ame's shoulder but kept his face out of hers, careful not to get too close to the blonde. He didn't want to get bit.

Though, he was getting bit with her words a bit more today than he thought he would be. Ame was unpredictable, as they both could agree on that, but not in the way she probably thought. Saber kept quiet though and frowned a little as she talked about him; words that he knew, but words he didn't want to hear. Saber knew he wasn't the best person in the world and he knew full well that he didn't play well with others, he also knew that he was extremely violent, volatile, and dangerous because of his temper. But hearing it from a woman he held dear was a bit more painful than he had expected. When she looked over at him, giggling, Saber didn't look back at her initially. It wasn't until he felt her fingers finally thread with his that he turned his gaze towards the foxtail. He was physically dangerous and could kill with his swords, but this woman might just kill him by just looking at him. Saber's lips pulled tight for a moment, and then he leaned into Ame, pressing his lips into hers. He squeezed her back against him for a moment, savoring the brief, deep kiss before pulling his lips away from her.
Devilish woman...

"Sorry for being such a spiteful man." Saber whispered teasingly, answering her giggle with a bit of a rumble. He kissed her shoulder softly and then lifted his head back up so he could check their path ahead.

"Don't apologize for being pushy, Ame. If I felt uncomfortable or if I didn't want you to be near me, I would have told you... Or not. Probably not." Saber smirked and kissed behind Ame's ear, taunting her and getting payback for her laughing at him.

"Probably would have just bailed and left you behind." Saber grinned and slid their hands slowly onto Ame's belly, allowing Saber to adjust so he could sit a bit more comfortably behind her. The ride was getting long and his hips were starting to feel it, but he would deal with it. He wouldn't say it, but he was in a place he knew full well no other person would ever be, and he was happy with that.

"Next time you're in trouble, or if you have something bugging you, you can message me or use telep...a...thy..." Saber's voice slowly trailed off as he spoke, his mind suddenly recalling a detail he had never paid attention to. It was a detail he had grown so used to, so comfortable with, that it was almost second nature for him to follow it; he never accepted from or sent a friend request to the blonde. The realization hit the man like a truck, and his eyes opened slightly as he looked at her; oh shit.

"Uh... Right. That. Uh..." Saber opened the menu in his mind and reached out ahead of himself, navigating the menu swiftly. In seconds, he sent the request towards the woman. Welp, there goes that.

WC: 711

---

Ame's body nearly shivered as Saber moved his hands and gripped the fur of the beast they were riding. She let a small, quick gasp come through her lips but she quickly cleared her throat to try and cover it up, though she doubted he hadn't heard it. She had tried to make a joke to him, though he didn't seem to take it well and it was only through her entwining their fingers that the assassin looked up at her. She blinked a few times as she realized how close their faces were to each other and and she took a sharp breath in, her face reddening as she watched him. Her eyes fell to his lips and she watched as they tightened, but then she noticed him lean in to her and her eyes widened and then closed as she felt his lips on hers. They were as soft as they had been when their first kiss had happened and she felt her body tingle with joy. She truly didn't think that she would have ever been able to do this again with him, but here they were. Her eyes remained closed for a few moments as he took his lips away, but she opened them and blinked a few times again, her cheeks flushed pink, but her ears were perked high and her tail was struggling to wag excitedly back and forth. Her tail dropped and her ears twitched, though, as he began to speak.

She listened to his words and looked forward, as if off in the far distance. His words rang through her ears but the things he was saying, the kiss behind her ear made her come back and she let out a small sigh and looked away from him. "You did, Jake." She tightened her own lips now and felt like she wanted to take her hand away, but she didn't, she let it stay there. "You told me to leave you alone a bunch of times, but I never listened." She jumped slightly as her interface popped up in front of her. She hadn't noticed Saber doing anything with his, but as she saw the friend request, she stared at it for a long while. Her back straightened and her ears twitched again, her tail didn't move from it's hanging position, out of surprise. She blinked quick blinks just to make sure she wasn't seeing anything and after a few moments of being lost, she hit accept. Her interface closed and she turned her head slightly to side glance him. "Took you long enough." She tried hard to to let it show, but the corner of her lip twitched and she burst out in giggles. "I'm glad I didn't listen to you, you know. I don't know who to thank, but I'm glad you've lightened up." She wished that she could have been the one to break down the hard walls of Saber, the great lone assassin. She had brought down a few, but the man was stone barrier with many, many layers. She was happy, though she felt a little jealous. She would keep the feeling to herself for a while, however, because she didn't want to ruin the mood they were having, regardless of the fact the half of it was severely depressing.

WC: 553

---

Saber grimaced as Kitty nipped at him a little bit, mainly for him rejecting her a few times, but he couldn’t recall. And that was becoming a problem, one he didn’t exactly want to be let known. It was one secret he didn’t even want Kitty to know; dementia. It wasn’t something bad enough where he was going to forget his entire life, but it was bad to the point where he was forgetting days. Staying up for several days on end and putting himself through high levels of stress were wearing on him, and Saber was losing a bit of his edge; his mind was becoming steadily duller. Though, as long as he could see the beautiful blonde sitting in front of him, Saber didn’t care . At that thought, the Assassin moved a little closer, putting his hips right up against Ame’s and kissed her shoulder, listening to her soft giggle as she accepted his request warmed him up a little.

“I’m glad you didn’t listen to me too…” Saber whispered and his lips curled into a light smirk. He pressed into her tightly, almost pressing all of his weight onto her slim back. He breathed softly and smoothly, leaning his head into the curve of her neck and let out a soft rumble. She smelled so nice, was so warm, and Saber felt that he was content. Content with his decisions up until now, but even more content with who he was. Because if he was anybody else, he doubted Ame would be with him… And that frightened him.

“Thank you, Ame… For staying with me and being here…” Saber closed his eyes and kissed her neck softly, relaxing and letting himself be a little selfish as he held her. He went quiet for a few moments, listening to her breathing as well as the sound of his heart thumping in his chest. Being this close to her always made him uneasy because of how unpredictable she was, and because how dangerous of a woman she was to him. One whisk of her tail and Ame could have Saber doing almost anything she wanted, but that was fine with him. Saber let out a soft sigh and rumbled.

"...Am I a bad person...?” Saber muttered after his few moments of silence. He gripped onto her a bit tighter, but tried not to hurt her as he waited for her answer.

WC: 402

---

Ame felt the weight behind her shift and she felt Saber's hips press into the back of hers. She sighed at the warmth he was giving off and felt her shoulder tingle as he kissed at it. She moved her hands from her sides and rested them on Saber's forearms, holding them gently. She felt her head press into the side of his face and suddenly, she felt happy. It wasn't that she hadn't been happy before that moment, but she certainly hadn't been herself. She wasn't sure what to make of it, though she was certain she was beaming, her cheeks a pink blush and her heart pounding with their embrace. She had missed this. Above everything that she had left behind when she had held herself up in her house, she had missed him the most. Though it had probably wrecked her more than she would ever admit, her thoughts were always on him. She had wondered if he would ever come for her, but when he didn't, she had forced herself out. It had been like this before, where she would wish to see him and suddenly he would be there. She dubbed it as fate and went with it, as she did at this moment as well.

She felt him press into her and it cause her body to shiver slightly. As he placed his head into the curve of her neck, she reached up one of her hands and held onto his head, gently rubbing her fingers through his hair. As he spoke, she let out a soft sigh, feeling his kisses on her neck. It made her tingle and her heart beat picked up. He was silent for a while and she was as well. She focused on the feelings coursing through her body as she felt his breath on her. She wanted to reply to his last words, but she kept quiet, letting her mind set on his words. She couldn't help but feel a tinge of fear in herself, but she couldn't run, she wouldn't. It didn't do any good and she knew that full well. She had been about to reply when his voice filled her ears and they twitched as she shook her head. "No. Perhaps a bit misguided, but not bad. Not to me anyways. And please, don't thank me. I left you, at a time that I should have been by your side. I should have been there to help you grow, to watch you become who you are right now, but I hid away. I won't make that same mistake again." She sighed and shifted. She wanted badly to look at him, to face him. "Would you mind if we walked for a bit?"

WC: 457

---

The answer Saber got made him grimace a little. Kitty had told him exactly what he figured he would here, but also something different; misguided? Saber had never considered that before. He never had been really guided or taught how to do things in this world except for when it came to Blacksmithing. Everything else from combat to living and even sleeping he forced himself to learn on his own. Maybe that was what she meant. Saber hadn’t been properly shown how to live in this world that he was in, so he formulated his own way to do it. Where others grouped up and made friends, Saber sealed himself away and kept to the shadows. The thought made him frown, but he didn’t regret his decision. He never had, and he still didn’t. As much as it pained him to be alone much of the time, he wouldn’t change anything he had done. In that loneliness, Saber had seen plenty of good things and had done plenty of ”good deeds”. But did those deeds really outweigh his wrongs? He still questioned that.

After his answer, Kitty didn’t stop. His frown remained as he listened to her and he considered trying to hush her, but he didn’t. Saber simply recollected his weight and slowly pulled himself off her back. He had become a bit weary with his thinking, and Kitty had provided a bit of support to hold him up in his few moments of depression. Though just as quickly as it came, it was gone. Saber slowly lifted himself from Ame’s back but not so far as to create distance. The Elf simply stopped leaning into her heavily. One because she had shared his burden long enough, and two because she wouldn’t be able to get off Rayne if he clung to her.

“Of course. Walking might be good.” At his words, Rayne read the situation and the animal stopped for a moment. The fiery orange body knelt down and allowed Saber to briskly dismount without much trouble. Once on the ground, Saber turned back and extended a hand to Kitty, helping her off the mount’s back. Should she not need he, Saber would guide her anyways by placing a hand on her lower back. When she was situation, Saber whistled up to their fellow companion, the one they were supposed to be guarding; Everick. He glanced over his shoulder and spotted the two now on their feet. Seeing such, Everick pulled on the reigns of his horses and caused them to slow themselves.

‹Rayne, head to the front and keep your eyes open.› Saber patted Rayne on his side as the Assassin started to walk ahead. Rayne let out a huff and stood up tall, his fluffy tailed whisking strongly behind him. The Fire Dog seemed disturbed.

‹De storm be closin’, Saber. We shud hurry.› Rayne spoke as he vaulted forward, crossing the large distance between the back of the cart and the front in just two powerful strides. Once he was there, the Fire Dog took up its sentry position and continued to march ahead. Saber rumbled a little and looked up to the sky, and then back towards Kitty.

“I hope you brought an extra change of clothes. We might get a little wet.” His eyes lowered to the Foxtail’s body, a thin smirk crossing his face as he tucked his mouth and nose beneath his scarf once more. After Saber had enough of the image in his mind, he turned forward and continued on down the road after the cart.

“We’ve covered a good amount of distance so far, not halfway there yet but we’re pretty close. Been lucky so far… Thankfully.” Saber sighed and adjusted his cloak and his equipment, almost out of habit. Riding on Rayne’s back had thrown his balance off slightly and fixing his clothes helped with that. Once he was settled again, Saber snapped his neck lightly and then looked back to Kitty.

“I hope this trip isn’t too long for you. Windsor isn’t exactly close by when you’re escorting.”

WC: 680

---

As he spoke, Ame nodded her head and took his hand, lifting her leg over and hopping off. Her face flushed pink as she felt Saber's hand on her lower back and she couldn't help but bite her lip softly. As she stepped away, she released it and nodded to Everick as she watched him, watching them. She grumbled low and looked to Saber, hearing the squirrels voice. She could tell that a storm was brewing and if you looked closely to the fox tail, anyone could tell. The fur on her ears and tail were definitely much more fluffy than the norm and the twitching of her ears came closer together than in any other situation. Though the rain never bothered her. She wasn't a big fan of the cold and she knew she would be cold when she got wet, but luckily she had many outfits to choose from in her arsenal, though she doubted Saber did. Still not wanting to reveal that she had activated Tongue of Nature, she nodded as he spoke. "I think we should try to find cover. There is a strong storm coming and though I do, I wouldn't want you or Everick or Rayne to have to sit in wet clothing and I definitely don't have any men's clothing in my inventory." She giggled softly at that and let her fox eyes wander to the road ahead.

Her eyes zoomed in to a clearing in the woods ahead and she squinted towards it. "There's a cave about 6 miles ahead of us, but it seems to have some inhabitants. We won't beat the rain, but it'll give us a chance to start a fire and wait it out. We'll have to deal with whatever is in there as well." She looked to him after he had spoken, being lost in her thoughts of shelter and smiled, her head tilting the slightest bit. "No, it's actually not that long at all. I've gone this way a few times with Everick before, a long with other merchants. Some I've taken even further, so don't worry about me!" Her smile grew wider even though in her mind she knew he would continue to. That was just Saber though, she doubted he would ever stop worrying about her. She didn't mind most of the time, but she knew that it usually caused problems in battle. They were both extremely high leveled however so she knew if she stayed back, it would put his mind at ease. They still had a distance to go though before they fought, unless they got ambushed or something and though she wanted to show him her skills, she knew it would only make him worry, so she would stand back and allow him to protect her this time. It didn't do well for either of them to fight over who was going to fight.

WC: 483

---

So, Kitty had been out this way a few times before. That thought made Saber grimace a little and he tucked his face beneath his scarf, concealing the slightly depressed emotion. His eyes softened a little as his eyelids drooped and the man released a slow, long breath. His shoulders rolled back and his hands opened. This wasn’t the first time Saber had been made aware of his distance from others and it was steadily becoming more and more painful. Kitty had been experiencing many things recently and she was growing a lot more on her own than he could ever have guessed, and she was doing it without him. He didn’t mean to be a controlling bastard and he never planned to always be with her, but the idea that he had missed so much had stung. This was his curse though, it seemed. Being a traveler, an adventurer, and the type of man he was, Saber was bound to just be a ghost to some people. That was fine though, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“You have no idea.” Saber thought as Kitty reassured him, telling him not to worry about her. She may not have been a thought on his mind all the time, but he always found himself worrying about her. Kitty was level ninety, a strong and independent woman, and there wasn’t any doubt in his mind that she could handle herself. Yet, his heart still twisted at just the slight potential of her coming across something terrible that he wouldn’t be able to protect her from.

Saber stole another glance towards the sky and wiggled his nose. He glanced over towards Kitty and let out a soft rumble. Without another thought, he took off his cloak and draped it over the woman’s blonde head, not even giving her a chance to tell him no. The hooded cloak would give her some protection from the rain that was on the way and would keep her warm for the duration that they would be out in the open. It wouldn’t be a perfect piece of protection, but it would help. Saber had many layers on of clothing so he could shed them once they reached the cave. Kitty on the other hand, he doubted she had more than the clothes she was wearing and some under garments.

“Put that on. It’ll help.” Saber said softly and just as he did, he felt the first few drops on his head. The man wiggled his nose and then looked upwards again; sooner than expected. He looked down towards the cart, and then caught Rayne’s eyes. The Fire Dog let out a rumble and the flames that sprouted from a few places on his body started to hiss. The rain slowly started to come down. The cave was still a good distance and their pace wasn’t enough.

“Bastards can’t let me get a break, can they?” Saber muttered under his breath, cursing the Gods that watched down on them from above. He really hated them sometimes.

“Time to move.” Saber looked over to Kitty and nodded for her to move forward. He turned away once he had and started to jog ahead, whistling towards Everick as he started to near the cart. The Lander was a bit busy though and was pulling a small cover over his head, protecting himself and his seat from the water.

“Everick! Kitty found a cave up ahead. We’re going there!” Saber shouted and pointed ahead towards the distant cave. Everick looked ahead, catching it with his eye and nodded.

‹Rayne! Scout ahead and check out the cave. We’ll catch up.›

<Hurry, Elfboi. Dah storm is strong.› With that, Rayne kicked off the dirt and bolted forward. His orange and yellow body shrunk rapidly into the distance as he sped towards the distant cave. Saber looked over his shoulder to Kitty and pointed for her to get into the cart.

“Hop in beside Everick.”

WC: 662

---

Ame had lost herself in her thoughts and hadn't noticed the grimace Saber had made before pulling his scarf over his face, nor had she noticed the gesture he had made. Even if she had, she probably wouldn't have known what to make of it and it would have started a whole new type of conversation, but since she hadn't seen, she continued on. She couldn't help but think of the way Saber was. She had distanced herself for a long while and not just from him either. It was probably greedy of her to think of what she did, but she wished he would have come to save her, say anything to her, but he never had. She knew that she wasn't really on his mind often and it stung, but he had his own business to deal with and she knew full well that he was a lone wolf. He had been that way since they had first me and no matter how much she pushed, it didn't seem to get better, until that one day. She had thought that it had been something that would bring them closer together and yet, up until this very moment, it had driven them even further apart. She didn't blame him, not fully, because what she had wished of him to do was something she could have also done, but she had made no moves either. She let out a soft sigh and felt her head drop, but her eyes widened as she felt something heavy drop onto her head.

She lifted her head and turned to look at Saber. She watched him looking up to the sky and she felt her face flush. Though she knew she wasn't always on his mind, it was things like this that he did that had made her fall in love with him. Among all of the yelling and pain that he had done, there were these times where it really did show how much he cared. These were the times she constantly yearned for. She wanted it more than he could give and she knew that, but she was just happy to be able to experience it a little more. She knew that once this mission was complete, she probably wouldn't see him again for a while. She was busy with her new guild and he was busy with, well, she didn't really know, but she knew he was busy. She hadn't noticed that rain drops were falling and that he had called out to Everick or heard much of anything else until he looked over his shoulder at her, her mind snapping back into place and looked to where he pointed. She shook her head a little and blinked a few times to bring herself back to life and then nodded. "Okay." Her voice was soft as she hopped up onto the cart, sitting beside Everick and holding Saber's cloak tightly to her. She looked to Saber and then to Everick, who seemingly had a shine in his eyes, but said nothing. She ignored him and faced forward, awaiting their arrival at the cave.

WC: 522

---

-- Total WC --

Kitty	Saber
2839	3689

[Saber]

Do You Believe in Ghosts?

: Words : 1337
: Tags : kittygrey
: Skills Used : [N/A]
: Notes : Suddenly a Monsoon.

As the rain started to come down, Everick snapped the reigns of the cart and made the horses leading it move faster, their hooves clattering on the hard ground as thunder rocked the clouds above. They had a good distance to cross still before they reached the cave, but Mother Nature would not wait for the group to reach their destination. She was never so kind. Saber grumbled at the thought of getting soaked, but it looked like he was stuck with it for the time being. The hail of water from above steadily increased in its frequency and Saber began to feel the weight of the water on his outer layer of clothing as he moved. It was still a light drizzle, but that was going to change very quickly. The skies above were growing darker and darker, steadily becoming closer to the color of the night sky as they threatened the world below with their tantrum. Saber stole another glance towards those clouds as he increased his own pace; he hated this.

His boots moved quickly, nonetheless, and Saber ran down beside the cart without any verbal sounds of discomfort. He had been through worse. All he had to do was focus; and so he did. The Assassin pounded the dirt and accelerated, his stride opening and his agility stat bearing his fangs as he moved ahead of the cart with strained ease. The horses moved quicker, Everick responding to the speeding Assassin as Saber worked to get himself out of the weather as soon as his body would allow. He could have jumped up onto the cart with Kitty and the Lander, but he wanted to be ready just in case they were attacked from the zone surrounding the road. With the clouds rolling in all of a sudden, that meant monsters would be able to come out of their caves sooner; the sun’s protective rays were gone now. Saber’s eyes moved from the right side of the road to the left, scanning the area constantly as he raced against the storm.

The wind picked up as thunder rumbled loudly overhead, lightning ionizing the air shortly after. The ozone remnants left behind made the air taste like metal, and Saber grimaced at that taste of the oxygen he inhaled. His lungs were on fire, his lips sucking in any bit of fuel that he could take from the world around him, yet he wished he could stop breathing. The flavored air he took in was like oil and his torso felt like it might burst if he kept breathing it in. The oxygen was different and it lacked the efficiency of ‘normal air’, causing his arms and legs to burn even hotter. It felt like his muscles were going to rip apart, and yet he pushed on. Saber glanced to his left, his cheeks turning a bright red beneath his scarf, and looked towards the cart. Almost there…

When Saber turned his eyes forward, he snapped his teeth together and shut out his mind. In an instant, he put out the small fires of doubt in his mind and let his body ease into a rhythm. He had a long way to go and keeping up his full-sprint would be difficult for the entire distance, even for him. In order to help his efficiency, Saber worked with his stride. He focused on opening his thighs with each step and rolled over each step he took. By placing the very end of his heel down first and then leaning his body forward ever so slightly, Saber gliding over his entire foot and bounced off his tip-toes. It was a slightly awkward way to run, but it increased his pace ever so slightly while also making it easier. His legs still burned and he still breathed heavy but the little trick would save him a few extra breaths; precious breaths he needed to conserve.

That wasn’t all Saber needed to focus on though. His breathing was ragged and the scarf in his face made taking in air difficult. Yet, he kept it in front of him. He forced his lungs to work with the restriction on his face and forced his lips to work harder to get in the same amount of oxygen. This caused his inhales to be long and his exhales short. His head became light and his body felt off, but it eased his thoughts and relaxed his doubt. Slowly, his heart rate increased to the necessary rate and the Assassin’s body began to work like a machine. He kept his eyes forward, opened up his peripheral vision, and focused on keeping his breathing steady. The sounds of the storm evaporated and the ever-increasing weight of his clothing slowly dissipated. Within minutes, Saber’s eyes glazed over and his pace increased slightly more until finally, he reached his ‘zen’. The Assassin’s mind calmed and he enter a state of mind he had practiced for just this kind of situation.

Formed out of pure focus on his goal and his utmost concentration, Saber could focus on his instinct and could maximize his body’s potential. Due to his training, Saber’s muscles were stronger, more defined, and thicker. They could handle more stress and could put out more power even though he was lean. When he relaxed far enough, he could essentially use his strength in the most efficient way possible. The result? Saber could turn himself into a machine without care, feeling, and could fight for hours at peak capacity. Though, in exchange, he tended to suffer a lot of pain afterwards… Pain he knew he was going to have to hide once he reached the cave, but he would handle that later. For now, he focused on the dark entrance in the distance…

And that entrance came quick. The storm roared overhead, rain plummeting and pounding the Earth below as it swirled above the party’s heads. Deep puddles began to form on the road and the once hard path became soaked and saturated. Just as they neared the cave, the cart began to have trouble rolling and the horses were forced to work harder. Thanks to their speed, the momentum of the cart kept it from getting stuck. However, as the torrent of water above started to come down like a heavy monsoon, that safety would not last forever. Yet, it lasted just long enough. Saber moved ahead of the cart as the horse’s pace slowed and continued off until he himself reached the cave. Rayne was out of sight but one could hear a rumbling and sounds of fighting inside. The smell of blood was thick, and Saber could see blood stains inside the rock. He rumbled and wiggled his nose as he closed on the cave, stopping just inside of it. Rayne wasn’t even visible from there either.

“Idiot.” Saber glanced over his shoulder towards the cart and then back into the cave. Rayne’s deep barking could be heard from inside, following by the sounds of other beings getting injured. He sounded fine, but those were just sounds. He only trusted his eyes in these situations. But, he prioritized. Rather than head down to Rayne, Saber ran back out of the cave towards the cart. Everick brought the vehicle off the road and lead the horses underneath a set of large, leafy trees where they would be protected from the water. Saber made his way over and blinked, letting his mind relax. He winced as a pain shot through his thighs; he probably ripped a muscle. The game would take care of it.

“Everick! Get as much stuff dry as you can and set up came in the cave! Rayne cleared the entrance already! Kitty, let’s go help him and clear out the rest!” Saber yelled out into the storm, his voice carrying over the sound of the heavy rain with ease. Though, the rumbling thunder and cracking of the lightning was deafening. This was one hell of a freakin’ storm. Jesus Christ.

Coded By Saber of L33T T3@M
Modified by KittyGrey