User blog:Carol of the bells/Days of Ruin --- Zen's exile, part 50

Days of Ruin --- Zen's exile, part 50
So sorry that I disappeared again! Last week was my first week of College, so I was quite litterally doing school day and night. But I'm back! Zen's exile is like, 97% done. Give or take.



"Up there," Karl spoke, pointing up the mountain. "We're close, I can feel it."

"Yeah," Seria agreed, her brow furrowed in a mix of worry and determination. "Don't get in the way Zen, you hear?"

Following behind them, the summoner nodded. "Yes." She had de-summoned her units to allow them to rest before the battle. In the pit of her stomach, she began to feel adrenaline pumping through her system. She was about to fight a god.

She clenched her fist.

"We'll have to move quickly," Karl continued. "We don't know what the battle ahead will be like, so--" He cut himself off as he sensed a movement behind him. Seria felt it to as she also spun around.

"Wha--?!"

Zen moved too fast to see, appearing behind them and hitting the back of their necks with her hands. The crumpled to the ground, unconsious.

Lady Zen! Aem spoke, What are you doing?

The summoner began to drag them to the side of the mountain path. "Do not worry, Aem. It is...for their own good." She did her best to situate them as comfortably as possible. "I...I cannot explain it, but I am the only one who can fight Maxwell. It is too dangerous for them. If I told them that, they would not listen to me."

Idiot, you're not planning on doing this alone?! This time it was Mifune's voice.

"Not this time," She answered, turning her gaze to the mountain where Maxwell was waiting. "I won't make the same mistake twice, rest assured."



"You have a fever," Riku said aloud, eyebrow cocked in confusion. "I...don't understand. Ko, you...never get sick."

The elder brother brushed him off, standing from his bed. He knew the cause of his illness, but it was still surprising. He held his hand in front of his face and stared at his palm, flexing his fingers and testing their strength.

"....I'm beginning to remember...."

"Huh?"

Ko turned his head just enough to look at Riku. "I'm so close to remembering what happened that night....I..." He suddenly snapped out of whatever stupor he was in, as his gaze hardened and he moved to leave the room. A sudden weakness caught him off guard as he collapsed against the doorway, leaning on it for support.

"You should rest," Riku said, "You might make it worse."

Ko just shook his head, righting himself and leaving the sick room.

Riku sighed, turning to walk to a second bed, where Kaine lay.

"What was that all about?" He asked.

Riku shrugged his shoulders. "Who knows. He's always so hard to figure out."

Kaine nodded in agreement.

"Hey," His older brother asked hesitantly, "Do you ever feel...oh, I don't know...sorry for Ko? Just a little?"

Because he was wearing his mask (He refused to take it off under any circumstances), Riku couldn't read his expression, but he would have guessed it was one of surprise. "Why would you say that? Ko is...a very unfeeling man. He doesn't care for us."

Riku shook his head. "He wasn't always like that, though. You're probably just too young to remember, but Ko used to be...well, more human."

Kaine sighed. "I just know that after mother's death, he's changed."

"I wonder if that's what's bothering him."

"What?"

Riku turned his head towards the door where Ko had exited. "Maybe he just misses mother."



Ack, okay, sorry for the short chapter, but like I said, the final battle is in the works right now, so please bear with me!

Thank so much for reading~!