Rain falls on a dull morning as streams flow down the white and gold armour of Zero. It slowly makes it past the cracks and over the dents and falls to the feet of the mysterious woman clad in armour. Her breath blows through the gaps of her helmet as she stands in an empty street. Trash and bottles litter the alleys from the night before as she looks around seemingly waiting, the only sound accompanying her is the tapping of the rain against her slim armour.
A bang on the door wakes Hiro as his head lies pressed against the cold floor. Isamu sleeps sitting on the toilet snoring away. Hiro stretches as he slowly stands, and the banging continues.
“I need a shit so bad man c’mon!”
Hiro yawns as he rubs his eyes. He turns around towards Isamu who lies completely lights out clearly not looking to move any time soon.
“I’m… uh…. Busy?” Hiro shakes Isamu as the banging continues.
“c’mon man!” The man desperately shouts from just outside the thin wooden door.
Isamu groans as she pushes Hiro away “ten more minutes…”
Hiro sighs as he hoists Isamu onto his shoulder with a grunt. He opens the door to a man with sweat trickling down his face and cheeks as red as his messy tie,
“Oh, I didn’t know you were getting busy in there my bad”.
Hiro stands staring at him in confusion for a second before the man pushes past him and slams the door behind him leaving him left standing in a completely silent inn with Isamu sleeping over his shoulder and nothing but the sound of drizzle on the windows and the sound of the creatures’ wake up calls from the forest nearby.
Hiro sits Isamu down on a nearby table and fully stretches, she sits still sound asleep as Hiro pulls her goggles over her eyes and picks her up once more. He gives a smile and a wave to the owner of the inn before heading outside.
As the cold air hits his face he fully awakens. Isamu groans as the rain splashes against her cheeks,
“Why am I outside?”.
Hiro laughs as he carries her out onto the street, her dress blows ever so slightly in the breeze causing Hiro to waft it and the rain from his face. Hiro walks around watching as sign by sign passes and he doesn’t understand any of it. The place is like a wasteland with no people, creatures or even lights. He slowly walks around until eventually he sees that armour once more as it stands alone looking majestic to Hiro. The slight rays of sun through the clouds as a backdrop to the rain pattering off of the gold and white armour leave Hiro staring in awe.
Just as she turns towards him he quickly sidesteps behind a building to hide.
“I want to say sorry but… That dude is just too scary” He thinks to himself with a cowardly look on his face.
He sighs in defeat before he feels a cold metal hand against his chest stopping him in his tracks. He slowly looks up until his eyes meet that whit and gold helmet. It stares back at him as he swallows nervously. He braces himself to receive payback for crashing into her the day before reeling back and scrunching his face.
“I’m sorry”
Hiro pauses for a second before looking back up at Zero in confusion.
“Huh… for what?”
Zero pauses for a second before quickly looking at Isamu. “You have a girl on your shoulders?”
“Oh yeah her…” An awkward atmosphere falls as Zero stares at Isamu in silence. Hiro is just about to say something before Zero quickly turns around and struts off leaving Hiro tilting his head in confusion.
“So, she’s a girl?” His thought is interrupted as Isamu begins stretching on his shoulder causing him to wobble ever so slightly. Hiro tries to protest but just as he does her stretching elbow smashes into his rib cage. Hiro wrestles her off before they begin arguing in the middle of the street. Zero listens on silently from around the corner before leaving without a word.
Asahi begins packing for what seems to be a long journey as he lumps a large bag into the back of a carriage. Zero walks towards him slowly.
“Oh hey I was just sta-“She completely ignores him as she enters the carriage and sits silently. He trails off as he stands awkwardly, “ok…”. He hops into the carriage as the horses in front begin to get tied in. Asahi looks over at Zero as she sits dripping wet with a curious look before sighing and sitting back in his seat.
The man with short hair from the day before smiles at the window “So are you excited?”. He gives a soft expression to Asahi as he leans against the carriage door.
“I guess…”
The man laughs “Oh come on you can’t hide anything from your big bro”.
Asahi grins slightly before leaning in towards him and whispering “I’m not worried about myself, but don’t you think she’s too quiet? Isn’t that a bad thing for a partner Gou?”
Gou laughs in response as he taps the carriage to send it off “You’ll be fine”. He waves them off as his figure is slowly blurred out by the rain against the window. Asahi is then left in the silence with Zero as she looks out the window. He leans back with a sigh,
“This is gonna be a long trip…”.
Isamu and Hiro begin walking towards the large exit of the capital as the rain begins to come down heavier. The two slouch over realising they still have to walk for another day to get back to the rebel base.
Isamu groans as she leans on Hiro’s shoulder “I don’t wanna!”
Hiro sighs as he wipes the rain out of his eyes, “I’m not carrying you again…”
Isamu perks up as she hears the sound of a carriage coming from behind her. She pulls Hiro in towards her as they slowly watch it roll by.
“You thinking what I’m thinking?” Isamu looks at Hiro with a devious look in her eye.
“Probably not”
Isamu grabs her bag and forces Hiro’s back on his shoulder, “let’s hitch a ride!”.
Hiro tilts his head in confusion, “What do you mean?”
Isamu catches up to the slow-moving carriage as it reaches the exit. She opens the back and sees that it is completely full of luggage.
“Shit… well they probably don’t need this right?”. Hiro watches as she pulls out two large bags and throws them at his feet with a smirk. She then grabs Hiro and shoves him in the trunk of the carriage then closes it on the both of them. Hiro protests but she quickly places her hand over his mouth and gestures to stay quiet.
The trunk is pitch black inside as only a crack of light gets through the door. The light shows only Hiro’s eye as he lies there unable to move a muscle. Isamu is pressed right up against him in the tight space with neither having any room to move alongside their bags. Isamu tries to budge into a better position, but she soon realises that she is stuck completely pressed against Hiro.
“Shit… I can’t move”
Hiro’s eyes begin to widen as her face sits just inches from his own, “what do you mean you can’t move?”
Their faces grow red as they soon realise the situation. They both try to budge but it only makes it worse as their faces were now within barely an inch of each other’s as the slight light from the crack in the door beams off their mouths. They both hear muffled talking coming from within the carriage and Isamu once again places her hand on Hiro’s mouth. She leans in close until her mouth is just by his ear and quietly whispers,
“Don’t move”
Zero and Asahi sit in silence as their carriage leaves the capital.
“You know where it is we are going first?” Zero doesn’t answer.
“I don’t remember the town name, but it should take a couple days to get there huh?” Asahi loses hope of getting answer while asking as he looks back towards the window. “I wonder how those two are doing….”
Zero picks up on his mumbling as she looks over to him, “Who?”
Asahi grows red as he realises he said it out loud. He twiddles his thumbs nervously, “Oh s-sorry I didn’t mean to speak out loud”
Zero keeps her gaze on him as his face grows redder and his eyes shift from side to side. Asahi rattles on about Hiro and his short time with him while mentioning Isamu. Asahi barely takes a breath as Zero listens in intently to his ramblings. Asahi eventually takes a breath and swallows nervously even he’s shocked by how flustered he got.
Zero slowly leans her helmet against the glass, “and this Isamu…”. Asahi looks over at her unable to gauge how she feels beneath the armour as she sits silently, “It doesn’t matter…” she speaks through a sigh seemingly giving up on the thought she had.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Asahi chuckles ever so slightly “I’ve never heard you talk so much”. He pauses before working up the courage to ask, “where are you from?”. Zero stays silent. Asahi awaits an answer as he looks over in her direction.
“It doesn’t matter…”
Asahi laughs as he speaks, “Of course it-“
“It doesn’t”. Zero snaps back with a cold, metallic, piercing voice.
Asahi is taken aback by her angered response, “R-right”. He slowly shrinks back into his seat. Asahi swallows as the awkward energy once again fills the carriage.
Night falls as the carriage comes to a stop and Asahi and Zero get out. Asahi stretches under the moon as Zero looks down towards the small town awaiting them. She stares on silently as the moonlight glistens against her armour. Asahi walks over to her,
“So there’s a rogue subject here?”. Zero nods in response staring forward determined.
“let’s deal with them quickly”
“I’ll get the bags then”. Asahi jogs back towards the carriage trunk seemingly deep in thought. His relaxed but determined look is completely shattered as he looks into the trunk. He takes a minute to comprehend the sight before him.
Isamu lies sleeping on top of Hiro as they both snore away. Asahi stares in complete shock unable to even say anything.
“Is there an issue?”
Asahi slams the door closed as Zero walks up to him.
“No no no… no issues…” His voice shaking in disbelief as he stands with a fake nervous smile.
Zero stares at his cracking expression for a few seconds before looking towards the trunk that he just slammed close. Asahi’s face tells the whole story. Zero reaches towards the door but Asahi quickly jumps in the way.
“what are you doing?” Zero clearly suspicious.
Asahi nervously laughs as he scratches his head trying to seem natural, “Oh don’t worry I’ll get the bags you can go ahead to the inn.”
His already shaky façade is completely shattered as muffling and bumping is heard from the trunk. Asahi tries to stay composed but Zero just stares at him,
“Open it”
Asahi scrunches up his face but sighs and obliges. Zero stares down as she sees Isamu lying on top of Hiro basically snuggled into his chest. Hiro looks up at her with a smile “Oh armour girl… this is a little awkward huh…?”.
Just as Zero goes to speak Isamu groans into Hiro’s chest, “close the door… I’m trying to sleep here”. The three just stare at one another silently. Eventually Zero breaks the growing awkwardness by silently leaving towards the town.
Asahi instantly darts his eyes Hiro’s way, “What the hell are you two doing?”. Hiro slowly pushes Isamu onto the dirt below the trunk as she gives a slight groan of pain in response as she remains lying there. Asahi looks around before looking back at Hiro, “And where are our bags?”.
Hiro scratches his head nervously, “Oh you needed those?”.
Isamu and Hiro sit like naughty children being scolded by their parents on the edge of the bed as Isamu paces up and down the room ranting and cursing at the two. Isamu seems disinterested as Hiro hangs his head in shame as if it was really his mother scolding him. Asahi sighs as he finally lets it all out of his system and he slumps into the chair in the corner of the room rubbing his eyes,
“You guys are seriously lucky I’m tired…”
Zero slams the door open destroying the slight moment of peace the room had seen sending a jolt through everyone. They all stare at the suit of armour as she stands in the doorway. She stares at Hiro before her eyes move to the still half-asleep Isamu. She storms over towards Hiro and grabs him by the arm. She drags both him and Asahi into the room next door and slams the door shut on the two leaving them alone. Hiro and Asahi just look at one another with fear in their eyes,
“You think she’s mad?” Hiro sheepishly says.
Asahi stares daggers into him, “I’M still mad”.
Hiro gives him a coy smile in response, “You won’t stay mad forever though”
Asahi sighs trying to hide his smile as he flops onto the bed with arms spread out, “I call the bed”.
Isamu and Zero stare at one another under the dim light of the inn room. The silence is deafening as Isamu sits on the bed bored.
“Where’s Hiro?”, Zero just stares in response. Isamu can feel the pressure of her eyes through the dark gaps of her helmet. Isamu slowly lowers her head towards the top of the mattress as she looks to get comfortable, “I’m just gonna…. Sleep”.
Zero points to the toilet door in silence as Isamu raises her eyebrow in confusion.
“Huh?”
Zero points once again at the toilet causing Isamu’s face to scrunch up as she realises what she’s telling her to do,
“What?! No”
Zero isn’t fazed by her refusal as she still stands pointing,
“I’m not sleeping in another toilet” Isamu crosses her arms and turns away in defiance. As she slowly peers back at Zero as she stands over her. Isamu swallows nervously as she feels the heavy pressure of the woman as she casts a large shadow over the shrinking Isamu.
The sun rises over the small town as farmers gather their crops and the chapel in the centre of town stands over the people. Crowds of people flock towards the large doors underneath the stained glass as it reflects the bright colours on the town square and the bell tolls.
A man stands behind a podium as the place quickly fills up with smiles and greetings. The walls stand high with paintings stretching across all four walls. On the roof are engravings of four large figures overlooking everyone reaching out their hands. Each figure is a different colour, and each has no facial features, only silhouettes.
The man begins addressing the people with a voice that carries across the whole room.
“Welcome one and all to the church of all four gods…”
Asahi and Zero stand at the back of the room staring on and listening intently.
“No matter who it is that your allegiances lie you are welcome here”.
He continues as Zero stares up at him intently.
“Now I think it’s the time to pray to whichever it is you want… please don’t feel afraid to join in…”
The people surrounding Zero all clasp their hands together and reach towards the sky smiling and talking to themselves. Asahi begins to join in unlike Zero who begins to survey the room. Her eyes slowly move across the walls and the paintings etched across them. The paintings seem to depict a story of some sort. Her eyes stop on a door in the corner of the room completely blocked off from everyone else, however her thinking is cut short as she sets her gaze once again upon the man. The man locks eyes with her and he makes his way over to her and Asahi. His smile is friendly and alluring yet she stares into his eyes, and they tell another story.
“You aren’t connected to a god?”. His voice is soft as he looks down to Zero,
“No”. Her answer is cold.
He smiles with a twinge of anger in his grin. “Don’t you want to learn more then?”. He turns to point towards the four figures standing above them.
“No”. Another cold answer from Zero as the softness of the man spikes ever so slightly with his reaction. She turns away and walks towards the door leaving the man waving reluctantly. Asahi slowly opens his eyes and chases after her apologising to the man in her stead.
“You find anything?”. Zero walks along seemingly deep in thought. Asahi just has to walk alongside her as she quickly walks away from him. He grunts frustrated at her lack of speaking,
“Zero I really need you to sp-“. As he places his hand on her shoulder she instantly reels back in anger.
“Don’t touch me!”
Asahi is taken aback by her anger as she quickly turns away and heads back towards the inn and he jogs to keep up with her.
The priest watches the two walk off with a slight disgust in his face as another woman comes to him leading him to switch that out for a smile to disguise himself.
Hiro yawns as he stands in the tavern of the inn. Missing posters decorate the noticeboard behind him garnering his attention as he stares at all the women on show with a concerned look.
“Why so many women?”
Zero and Asahi enter just as he begins really pondering the missing people. Hiro waves at Zero as she completely gives him the cold shoulder.
“Where’s Isamu?”, Hiro shrugs in response.
Zero stomps her way towards her room as Asahi and Hiro are left standing alone.
“You guys find anything?”, Asahi shakes his head but looks towards Zero as she reaches her room.
“I didn’t… but it seems like she did”.
Zero stands between a doorframe as she looks down at Isamu as she sits sleeping on the toilet. Drool slowly flows down the wall that her face is planted against partnered with her snoring it leaves Zero unimpressed. Her goggles are pulled over her eyes as Zero stares down at her.
Asahi and Hiro stand by the door as Zero walks down the steps dragging the groaning Isamu along with her eventually pushing her against Asahi when she reaches the two.
“I think it’s best if we protect her…” she says with a stern and cold voice as she turns back towards Hiro, “I’ll watch over you”. Hiro smiles and nods in reply as he lifts his thumb,
“You bet!”
Zero pauses for a second before dragging him away out the door and he waves to the two being left as the door slowly closes.
Asahi is left rolling his eyes as he watches Isamu try to sleep on the tavern table.
“Why am I stuck with the worse job…”
Isamu kicks his shin causing him to fall over. He jumps up but she snores loudly clearly pretending that she’s sleeping causing Asahi to sigh deeply.
Zero and Hiro walk the streets of the town side by side. Zero seemingly surveys the nearby area for danger as Hiro just saunters around carelessly before his eyes widen at the sight of the large chapel. Zero turns towards a nearby shop selling necklaces, rings and trinkets. She stares for a moment before slowly turning towards Hiro. He is completely gone.
“Huh?”, She blankly stares in the direction he was once standing before letting out one more “Huh?”.
Hiro stares up at the four gods as they stare down at him from the ceiling. The four eyes feel heavy on him and he feels naturally weary pf them as if he’d felt their wrath once before. Before he’s able to think about it too much he feels an arm on his shoulder. The priest stands behind him smiling.
“Young man… Which god is it that you follow?”
Hiro tilts his head, “Uh… I don’t know”
The priest leans back in confusion, “You don’t know? Which territory are you from?”.
Hiro turns around to face him properly as he thinks, “Uh… I think Asahi said… Yoshida?”.
The priest has a strange grin flash on his face as he recognises Hiro’s naivety, “Would you like to learn about them?”
Hiro’s eyes sparkle, “Of course!”. The priest laughs as he places his hand on his back and begins guiding him towards the walls filled with paintings.
Zero runs around searching for Hiro in all the stores nearby as she seems oddly panicked as she swings each door open. The sunset shines off her armour as she barrels around the merchant’s quarter of town. Her eyes meet with the chapel as she stops dead in her tracks. The building intimidatingly towers above her as she sighs.
“Of course he went in there…”
Asahi and Isamu walk the streets as Isamu sways side to side like a zombie.
“You’re really that tired” Asahi says with a raised eyebrow. Isamu turns to him with an angered glare and she quickly turns and grabs him by the collar,
“Not only have I slept in one toilet”, she gets more in Asahi’s face and her voice grows louder as she continues, “Not only did I have to then sleep on top of Hiro in a cramped carriage trunk for a week”, Asahi slowly reels back as she gets closer and closer as her voice becomes a shout. “I finally made it to an inn and not only did I have to share a room with a walking suit of armour but I had to sleep in ANOTHER TOILET!”.
She breathes heavily over a shrunken Asahi as he squeaks back to her “So… tired then?”.
Isamu sighs as she steps back “Yes… I’m tired” she looks over to Asahi with a side eye, “I also got stuck with you which doesn’t exactly help things”
Asahi over exaggerates a sighs clearly making a point as he looks away from Isamu, “Stuck with the guy with all the money…” He flashes his bag of gold as Isamu’s eyes sparkle at the sight.
Asahi dangles the bag in front of her eyes before pulling it away, “If you behave and stop complaining I’ll maybe buy you something”
Isamu instantly stands tall like a soldier as she salutes, “Yes sir!”
Asahi and Isamu walk over a crack in the floor. A dim and blinking light flickers through the gap as dust blows swaying the light from side to side. A man stands tall in the room and the light reveals only his back. Cages line the walls as young women are trapped inside each one strapped to the cold iron bars. A man hands the larger man draped in black a bag of gold as he points to one of the women. The cage is dragged away as the woman tries to cry for help through the tight cloth wrapped around her mouth. The man pulling her away has a disgusting look on his face almost taking pleasure in her attempts to cry for help.
Just one floor above stands Hiro as he stares up at the four people painted below the four gods. The priest stands by his side with a knowing look on his face. Zero steps into the chapel and her eyes immediately dart to the locked door and they sit for a moment.
She feels that something isn’t right...