The Knight's Hunter

Chapter 6

"She's too desperate," one of the hunters called. "We have to knock her out."

"There's no other way?" Kaien was momentarily mortified. "Can't we-"

"I'll do it if you can't," another voice snapped. The man raised the hilt of his sword. One swift blow and Saki lay sprawled on the ground, still breathing heavily.

"That wasn't necessary, Akiya," Kaien glared at the other man. "We could have done that without hurting her."

"We're wasting time here," Akiya growled. Picking up Saki's limp body, he strode out of the doorway. "We're leaving."

"And who was in charge of the assignment?" Kaien muttered under his breath, but followed Akiya anyway. "Let's go."

~~~

One hectic mission, Kaien sighed against the steering wheel. Finding the base where Saki had been kept was hard enough, but breaking in was a whole new thing. He was a hunter, not a trained ninja.

"Stuff you, Akiya," Kaien muttered quietly, his fingers gripping the steering wheel tightly. How hard had he hit that girl? Even though she was a vampire, she was weak.

He glanced at the motionless girl sitting in the seat beside him. Her hands were bound, and so were her feet, in the case she woke up and attacked someone.

It didn't look like she would wake up soon though.

He and the other hunters had found her underground, right beneath the house of a vampire aristocrat. Why there had been any base there to kidnap a vampire was beyond Kaien, but he had a feeling that it bordered something along the line of treason.

The small number of guards and vampires at the base had been useless in terms of information. Kaien could only assume that they were servants to the aristocrat who owned the house above, or were a secret group.

Saki stirred slightly, and Kaien immediately glanced at her, hoping she was waking up.

Nothing.

~~~

Zero scowled at the clock that ticked teasingly on the wall, annoying him with every 'tick' it made by the second.

"Zero?" A crisp voice broke the silence as a head popped through the door, peering at Zero seated at Kaien's desk. "Kaien wants to see you." She made no comment about Zero's seating, but her ice blue eyes narrowed in disapproval. Zero ignored it. He'd been disapproved his whole life, it would be stranger if he were approved.

"Where is he?" Zero got up from Kaien's comfortable leather chair. "Why can't he come up here?"

"He's in the infirmary," the woman opened the door fully, standing in the wooden frame. "There is a...visitor." Her voice hesitated, the sharp and crisp accent lowering slightly.

"Ok," Zero gave a shrug, marching out the door, past the blue-eyed woman. "Thanks."

"You're here, Zero," Kaien greeted the tall hunter. "I sent Adriana to get you a while ago."

"Did you now?" Zero replied disinterestedly. "What do you want?"

"I really don't know what's gotten into you right now," Kaien folded his arms, staring at Zero. "But if it makes you feel better, we found Saki."

"Saki?" Zero repeated. "Where was she? Is she dead?"

"So pessimistic," Kaien sighed, a pout forming on his face. "No, she is not dead, but very much alive. Weak, but alive. Do you want to see her?" Kaien gestured to the door next to him.

"Why should I?" Zero glared at Kaien, making to move away. "She's none of my business."

"Yes, she is," Kaien replied swiftly, grabbing Zero's arm. "After you did a lousy job of bringing her back. In the end, it was all up to me." Kaien let out a long exaggerated sigh, continuing to drag Zero to the door.