Lmod - Ch3 - The Unexpected

Love me or Die - Chapter Three
The Unexpected

As the building collapsed, several bits of corroded brick, splintered wood, and broken metal was hurled around the area in scattered directions. Instinctively, Aden pulled Mia close to him, using his body to shield her from harm’s way. Ducking for cover, the pair huddled together until the massive rubble finally settled into a mountain of fragmented wreckage.

Not daring to move until a deathly silence fell upon the deserted street, Aden slowly recovered. After pulling himself to his feet, he offered a hand to Mia which was hesitantly accepted.

Completely in awe of their luck, Mia and Aden stared dumbfounded at the collapsed ruins. Regaining his wits, Aden cautiously, but determinedly approached the damage. Seeing that Mia was meaning to follow him, he motioned a ‘stay here’ command with one hand. “Cover, me.” He managed to briskly whisper, surprised to find himself so short of breath.

Though temporarily at a loss for words, Mia managed to put on her usual grave face and nodded obediently.

Witnessing the building‘s plunge hadn’t delayed Samura’s rush onto the scene, but spurred it. Arriving just in time to see Aden slip into the chaotic mass, she started to rush after him, only to be snagged by Mia’s iron grip. The upset healer tried to gently thwart her off, but Mia was far more superior in terms of physical strength. The warrior woman held on fast, determined to keep Samura’s soft-heartedness from interfering with their work.

In the end, the two women were forced to watch helplessly, curiosity nipping cruelly at their hearts.

Several minutes of ridiculed waiting passed before a sign of movement finally caused some of the leftover rubble to shift. A couple avalanches sounded from within, startling both of the nerve-wrecked women. A particularly fierce one kindled Samura’s instincts, which caught Mia off guard, allowing the healer to break free of the guardian’s hold. Fleeing towards the massive pile’s edge, Samura froze upon hearing sounds coming from within.

A large hand fell upon Mia’s shoulder, causing her to raise up the barrel of her gun to a red-faced Hatori, who was too out of breath to speak. Rolling her eyes at him, Mia shoved the giant away from her and turned her attention back to the central action. She sighed with relief to see Aden heroically emerging, dragging what appeared to be a lifeless body behind him.

Setting the suspect safely in the streets for examination, Mia and Hatori both flew towards their leader with welcoming grins, making sure he was completely intact. Though his face and body were scraped and trickling with dirt, sweat, and blood, Aden seemed overall completely unharmed. The trio of guardians were just about to let out a cheer in celebration, when a cry of sheer horror shattered their joy.
Three concerned faces gazed upon Samura breaking out into guttural sobs and a candid spasm as she poured herself over the body that Aden had left in the street.

Immediately Aden was at her side, trying to pry her away. He finally managed to grab hold of her delicate wrists. Dragging her to the side, he made a futile attempt at calming her down. Like a concerned parent, he kept asking “What’s wrong?” repeatedly until she finally managed to choke up the words.

“It’s Ki.” She mumbled through distressful tears.

“What’s a Ki?” Hatori said, stooping to investigate the man’s beat-up body.

“It was Ki...” were the only words she could manage to say, repeating the name several times in broken sentences.

“Hey, look!! I did manage to nail him after all!!” Hatori beamed above Samura‘s cries. The warrior was admiring the nicked bullet-wound on the man’s right leg.

Mia threw a disciplinary punch at Hatori’s shoulder, causing the giant to grunt and submissively back away from the scene like a cringing pup. Now Mia stooped to investigate the body.

“Do you know who he is?” Aden had directed the question at Samura, but it was Mia who answered the question.

“No, but I don’t think he’s our guy after all.” As Aden turned to question her, Mia raised the man’s left hand and pulled it back, revealing a metallic bracelet engraved with the letters “K I” dangling from his wrist.

“He’s a merchant?”

Mia gave a gloom nod.

Hatori shunned farther away into the ruin’s shadows.

A look of disappointment washed over Aden’s face. He turned back to face Samura, who had fallen silent, though mournful tears still coursed down her softly rounded cheeks.

“That also explains how you know him then.” Aden held the trembling healer in his arms giving both of them well-longed for comfort.

Skeptical, Mia lowered her ear to Ki’s chest. A rare smile fell across her lips.

“He’s not dead!!” She proudly exclaimed.

“What!?” Samura crawled away from Aden and made her way back over to Ki’s unconscious body.

“He must have hit his head during the collapse, but he’s not dead. He still has a heartbeat.” She patted Samura’s head with an uncommon cheerfulness.

“Really?” Samura said, hope wiping away her depression.

“Listen for yourself.” Mia insisted and backed away, giving Samura room to examine her friend.

The gentle sound of a beating heart had never sound so beautiful. A relieved smile crept upon her lips as she gently embraced the sleeping body. “You’re alive, Ki.” She sweetly whispered. “I’m so glad.” She sniffed, shifting their positions so that his head was cradled in her lap. Embracing him like one would a slumbering child, she was determined to stay like that until he would awaken. Not even Hatori, though consumed in jealousy, had the heart to discourage her away.

... to be continued