Jack and I guided Saber across the street, one on each side, holding on to her arms. She blinked frantically, squeezed her eyes shut, and opened them as wide as she could. I couldn't find anything physically wrong with them.
"Can you see anything at all?" I asked. I waved my hand in front of her face, hoping she'd at least glimpse a blur or silhouette.
She shook her head. I had dreaded that response.
"It's pitch black," she told me.
I wondered how long the ability would last. In the meantime, we were vulnerable. Cirrus could be anywhere, waiting for an opening to strike. The nearest safe haven we knew of was the empty mall Hal mentioned, several days away. The journey there, a perilous navigation on its own, would prove deadly with Cirrus potentially stalking us. He might even rally backup.
My team of three, plus Hal, returned to the half-decimated house. The homeowner lady sat on a couch in the living room, amidst specks of rubble and splinters. Debris and ruination carpeted the floor likewise, as though this place had been struck with a hurricane. I couldn't find the rapier woman who had blown her house up.
"Where's the rapier lady?" I asked.
"Slipped away," she answered blankly. She stared out ahead, at the missing wall of her house.
"Let's go inside a bedroom," Hal proposed. "The bounty hunter's invisible. Bad idea for us to be staying out in the open."
The homeowner remained in silent stupor, for a couple seconds. She then wordlessly led us farther into the building, into a dark room with a queen-sized bed and a desk. Opaque curtains were drawn over the windows, and a thick maroon rug covered much of the floor. She let us in and locked the door behind.
"Well then," she said.
The five of us formed a circle facing each other. Saber clung on to me, her grip trembling as she seized the fabric of my white coat. She was no stranger to injury, and in our adventures she had stared death in the face more times than I could count. In battle, she'd stand brave as any other.
To see her desperate and scared like this, trapped in total darkness, broke my heart.
"Sophia," she cooed.
"I'm here." I gave her hand a squeeze.
She fumbled around and managed to feel out the metal, headband-like circlet that guarded her forehead. She lowered the thick, solid band down to her eyes to blindfold herself.
""Make sure my eyes are covered," she murmured. "If he really stole my sight, he might see through my eyes."
Even now, Saber still kept a clear head about her. I leaned in and squeezed her in a hug. I needed her to know I was still there. That we were all still there by her side.
"How long will her eyes be like that for?" Jack asked, towards Hal and the homeowner.
"Don't know," the homeowner said. "I don't know who the swordsman is."
"Bounty hunters keep their repertoire a secret," Hal added. "They'll mix their innate skills with item abilities. They'll make you guess which is which."
"He did say Greater Theft was his Ultimate," I pointed out. "Unless that was a lie to throw us off?"
"And the ice rink, then that's an item ability," Jack pointed out. "I've seen someone else use it before. James from the Bounty Hall."
"Oh, him," Hal said. "I'll have to record that down."
"The blindness shouldn't last long," the homeowner said. "If it did, then why hadn't he gotten out of Gold yet? Would be overpowered."
"That's a good point," I said. "So maybe…thirty minutes max? Could we wait it out?"
"Worth a try," she said. "Then what? Are we all heading to the abandoned mall?"
"Not sure we've got other options," I said. "If we stay here, we're just sitting ducks, right? We should set out as soon as Saber can see again."
"Or before Bounty Hall gathers here," Hal added.
I activated my gun's metal-scanner, just to make sure. Luckily I sensed no presence around the house. I reminded myself to spam the scan off cooldown, once per minute, for maximum security.
I couldn't deny that it exhausted me, along with everything else that had happened previously. I asked that we take the opportunity to rest, so we could embark fully refreshed. The others proved sympathetic.
"Can I take a quick nap?" I asked. I couldn't remember when I had last woken up, but at this point my eyelids had grown heavy, and my consciousness threatened to drift off. The adrenaline of battle was beginning to expire. The subsequent exhaustion was starting to kick in.
"I'll keep watch," Jack volunteered. "Then you take second shift?"
I gave a weary nod. "Sure, thanks."
Saber would join me in resting, since she wouldn't be able to do any lookout duty. We had never needed to take shifts before, not when we had Mr. Atlas with us. He didn't need to sleep, thanks to his magical Ring of Vigilance. I wondered what he was up to now. Where he was now. How he was doing.
The others left the bedroom to Saber and myself. It was a simple bed, with a solid wooden frame and olive-green sheets. Clean, creaseless, smelling faintly of fresh citrus. While we were caked with dust and dried blood.
I eased Saber into bed and draped the blanket over her armored frame. She insisted on keeping her armor on, in case enemies were to arrive. I let her.
I took my spot on the bed beside Saber. I settled in, quieted down. Her armor sang with soft, metallic scraping sounds with each breath she took. It was rhythmic, like a lullaby, and precious. I let it carry me off into sleep.
Jack and I guided Saber across the street, one on each side, holding on to her arms. She blinked frantically, squeezed her eyes shut, and opened them as wide as she could. I couldn't find anything physically wrong with them.
"Can you see anything at all?" I asked. I waved my hand in front of her face, hoping she'd at least glimpse a blur or silhouette.
She shook her head. I had dreaded that response.
"It's pitch black," she told me.
I wondered how long the ability would last. In the meantime, we were vulnerable. Cirrus could be anywhere, waiting for an opening to strike. The nearest safe haven we knew of was the empty mall Hal mentioned, several days away. The journey there, a perilous navigation on its own, would prove deadly with Cirrus potentially stalking us. He might even rally backup.
My team of three, plus Hal, returned to the half-decimated house. The homeowner lady sat on a couch in the living room, amidst specks of rubble and splinters. Debris and ruination carpeted the floor likewise, as though this place had been struck with a hurricane. I couldn't find the rapier woman who had blown her house up.
"Where's the rapier lady?" I asked.
"Slipped away," she answered blankly. She stared out ahead, at the missing wall of her house.
"Let's go inside a bedroom," Hal proposed. "The bounty hunter's invisible. Bad idea for us to be staying out in the open."
The homeowner remained in silent stupor, for a couple seconds. She then wordlessly led us farther into the building, into a dark room with a queen-sized bed and a desk. Opaque curtains were drawn over the windows, and a thick maroon rug covered much of the floor. She let us in and locked the door behind.
"Well then," she said.
The five of us formed a circle facing each other. Saber clung on to me, her grip trembling as she seized the fabric of my white coat. She was no stranger to injury, and in our adventures she had stared death in the face more times than I could count. In battle, she'd stand brave as any other.
To see her desperate and scared like this, trapped in total darkness, broke my heart.
"Sophia," she cooed.
"I'm here." I gave her hand a squeeze.
She fumbled around and managed to feel out the metal, headband-like circlet that guarded her forehead. She lowered the thick, solid band down to her eyes to blindfold herself.
""Make sure my eyes are covered," she murmured. "If he really stole my sight, he might see through my eyes."
Even now, Saber still kept a clear head about her. I leaned in and squeezed her in a hug. I needed her to know I was still there. That we were all still there by her side.
"How long will her eyes be like that for?" Jack asked, towards Hal and the homeowner.
"Don't know," the homeowner said. "I don't know who the swordsman is."
"Bounty hunters keep their repertoire a secret," Hal added. "They'll mix their innate skills with item abilities. They'll make you guess which is which."
"He did say Greater Theft was his Ultimate," I pointed out. "Unless that was a lie to throw us off?"
"And the ice rink, then that's an item ability," Jack pointed out. "I've seen someone else use it before. James from the Bounty Hall."
"Oh, him," Hal said. "I'll have to record that down."
"The blindness shouldn't last long," the homeowner said. "If it did, then why hadn't he gotten out of Gold yet? Would be overpowered."
"That's a good point," I said. "So maybe…thirty minutes max? Could we wait it out?"
"Worth a try," she said. "Then what? Are we all heading to the abandoned mall?"
"Not sure we've got other options," I said. "If we stay here, we're just sitting ducks, right? We should set out as soon as Saber can see again."
"Or before Bounty Hall gathers here," Hal added.
I activated my gun's metal-scanner, just to make sure. Luckily I sensed no presence around the house. I reminded myself to spam the scan off cooldown, once per minute, for maximum security.
I couldn't deny that it exhausted me, along with everything else that had happened previously. I asked that we take the opportunity to rest, so we could embark fully refreshed. The others proved sympathetic.
"Can I take a quick nap?" I asked. I couldn't remember when I had last woken up, but at this point my eyelids had grown heavy, and my consciousness threatened to drift off. The adrenaline of battle was beginning to expire. The subsequent exhaustion was starting to kick in.
"I'll keep watch," Jack volunteered. "Then you take second shift?"
I gave a weary nod. "Sure, thanks."
Saber would join me in resting, since she wouldn't be able to do any lookout duty. We had never needed to take shifts before, not when we had Mr. Atlas with us. He didn't need to sleep, thanks to his magical Ring of Vigilance. I wondered what he was up to now. Where he was now. How he was doing.
The others left the bedroom to Saber and myself. It was a simple bed, with a solid wooden frame and olive-green sheets. Clean, creaseless, smelling faintly of fresh citrus. While we were caked with dust and dried blood.
I eased Saber into bed and draped the blanket over her armored frame. She insisted on keeping her armor on, in case enemies were to arrive. I let her.
I took my spot on the bed beside Saber. I settled in, quieted down. Her armor sang with soft, metallic scraping sounds with each breath she took. It was rhythmic, like a lullaby, and precious. I let it carry me off into sleep.
