Iron angel (Book 1 of IA)

[38] Separate ways

I let her lean on me for about another 10seconds, or even an hour maybe, since it was impossible to tell with my brain all fried up. I am sure most guys out just crave this kind of situation, and I would enjoy it if she didn't keep muttering:

"Haku...what's the matter?"

"Haku...don't leave me..."

"Haku..."

You freaking serious?

"Psst!" a voice whispered in my ear.
For a moment, I thought Kuja had snuck up behind me, but then I realized it was just Rin.

"Rin, what?"

"Jealous?" she asked in a sly voice, completed with a blue Kaomoji.

(¬‿¬ )

"No!..." I bit my tongue, "It's just..."

"Kard! Shhh! She's waking!"

"Uhhh..." not knowing what to do, I continued to let her lie on my arm, until her eyes suddenly flew open, which her immediate response was too push me away. But turns out the rope was still attached between us, which caused both of us to roll on the ground several times. And with her ending up on top of me, she whips out her knife and presses it right against my throat.

"Woah! Woah! Woah! I swear. When I was conscious, you were already in my arms..."

"Did you hear it?" she hissed.

"Hear what?" I held up both hands.

"What I said...when was I sleep-talking." Her glare cut deeper.
I didn't see the point of lying and fearing her wrath I nodded slightly.

"En..."

A moment passed and her gaze finally softened as she released her grip.

"One more word and I will kill you." She said unfastening the rope.
As eager as I was to find out who Haku was, I didn't want to get obliterated for venturing into her emotional minefield. I got up, dusted myself off and followed her.

The new tunnel was quite like the last, narrow and...

"The most difficult part is over, the exit should be near." Kuro said interrupting my thoughts.

"Huh...you mean the surface right?" The thought of seeing the sky again seemed otherworldly to me. A little silly since I hadn't been in the cave for much more than a day yet.

"Indeed." She said stopping at the fork examining the walls.

Then it hit me, Kuro and I would be parting ways now. Though she was my enemy, neither of us fought because we wanted to, at the very least I didn't want to. And yes, even though she killed my comrades, it was more of an order rather than her actual will. Maybe it was because I didn't like my new comrades, or maybe it was because she had mechanical parts, but I lacked the resolve to kill her. We had a sort of sympathy for one another. Either way, that this might be the last time we met, or even worse next time we met we would have to kill each other.

"Kuro." I cleared my throat.

"Yes?"

"What is going to happen next?"

"I am going to head back to base. If you take the left path it should take you to the surface as well."

"I see..."

Are you really sure about this? This is not a game, this is for real Kard...

"Very well. Our paths shall separate now. Kard, if we were on the same side-"

"No wait! I changed my mind!" I cut her off, as she offered me her hand.

"Ha..." her stared at me, her expression frozen.

"I am going to come with you to the rebel base!"

"HA!?" Kuro and Rin exclaimed at the same time. Kuro jumped and stared at my arm.

"Oh, that's just my personal assistant AI, don't bother yourself about it. But to be honest, I am actually serious about it."

"Are you out of your mind? I do not see any reason for you..."

"Oh, but I have a reason. In fact, I got several." I gestured wildly with one hand. "You see, you lost your rifle in the rapids, and I am sure that's worth quite a bit, so I assume it's not the best idea to go back empty handed, but if you take me back as prisoner, it wouldn't look as bad right?"

She paused and stared at me for a moment, then said in a poker face:

"Then what do you get out of it?"

"Reveal the location of your base, and contact my superiors, launch surprise attack, end this battle with as less bloodshed as possible...A little unrealistic?"

"Impossible." Kuro sighed.

"Maybe, but this is probably the best solution. If we all go down fighting, there is only going to be more unnecessary deaths."

Kuro seemed to be in a deep thought for a moment. "Very well."

***

The exit to the surface wasn't as grand as I thought it would be. It was just a solid wall of mist, the mists of Rochan's Pass.

"Wait, so where is the base..." I asked poking my head around in the mist.

"Shh. Be quiet." Kuro tugged on the rope that bound my hands.

Then I saw it, a hundred meters off a pair of steel gates enclosed by watch posts stood tall. It was only when we got closer, did I realize the size of the doors. They weren't meant for humans, they were meant for giants.
One of the guards seemed to notice Kuro, by her armour I assumed, then waved some sort of gesture, Kuro responded with a raised fist. A moment later, the gates opened, revealing several people shrouded in mist standing in the doorway.
We stood there, and I looked to Kuro for orders. I was confused when I noticed her staring wide-eyed, as the figures walked towards us. The one in the middle stood out: he was taller than the rest of them, and seemed to radiate power. When he finally came into view, my blood froze. It froze and boiled at the same time, raging inside me like a tempest. Old emotions were brought forth and I stood there like a lemon.
He smiled at me. It was the same scythe like smile he wore when he stabbed Isa. There was nothing more I wanted in the world, even more then to be with Illyria, than to break that smile and rip it off his face.

"Ho, ho! Isn't this is a happy reunion?" Soulsteel clasped his hands in delight.

Q: Do you like the game hide and seek?