Cobra and Kinana

A Second Meeting

A slender figure brushed past the bushes and branches of leaves in the forest, following the little bunny that she had found interestingly amusing. The little bunny was hopping from one place to another as quickly as possible and as efficiently as possible. The slender woman found it amusing how the bunny came to find her specifically and hit any other random person. She raced past the tall ferns whacking her face and quickly following the bunny through the half-lit forest.

Soon, the slender woman found herself arriving at a grass clearing and scanned the area. The bunny had hopped away and she was now alone. Sure, the grass clearing could be admired; it had green grass covering the dirt and the sun shone directly on that specific plot of area. The slender female soon became confused why she had followed that little bunny here but those thoughts were cut off when she heard the leaves waving against the wind. Now, she had become cold and alone but soon found a boy - a man, behind a bush. He had spiky, crimson-red coloured hair and had little pointed ears like an elf.

It didn't take long until the woman found out who it was and probably who he was looking for; Erik, the keeper of Cubellios; or Kinana and she was exactly in front of him. Kinana widened her eyes in shock and shook her head, she must've been dreaming! The bunny she had been following was taking her to Erik! That shock didn't last long though, Kinana took a closer check up on him and saw many bruises as well as cuts and scrapes here and there but what stood out the most, was still the ugly scar that ran over his right eye.

Kinana grimaced and didn't hesitate to flip him over on his back as he wasn't doing so already, and ran her long, skinny fingers along his wounds. Kinana looked around her and looked for a close by water source, which wasn't hard to do so since there was already a lake a few meters away from where she was. She dragged Erik over to the source and laid him beside the lake, trying not to make his wounds worse. She wasn't as strong as Natsu or Gray, but she was strong enough to almost carry Erik beside the stream

Then, she tore off a small piece of fabric from her dress and soaked it with water and dabbed the fabric gently against Erik's cuts. Kinana than squeezed out the left over water back into the stream and tied the cloth around the big gash on his arm. She quickly got up and left to get some leaves; those would have act as bandages for now since she wasn't in the guild. Kinana made sure to wash all the bugs off the leaves before applying them onto Erik's cuts and bruises prior. After she was done that, Kinana felt no point in leaving him just like that, she had to watch over him for now.

Than, it had hit her clear; Erik was supposed to go prison! How could the magic council leave such a criminal like him? Not that Kinana didn't like it but how? The magic council had the responsibility to take care of all the criminals throughout Fiore. Kinana shrugged all the wonder off and sat down, criss crossed on the grass. She gazed at Erik gently and let her hand run over the scar across his right eye, blinding him in that eye. How could almost-perfect-man like him have such an ugly scar? She thought. It didn't exactly make sense to Kinana but maybe to others it did.

Soon enough, Kinana felt her drowsiness get the best of her and yawned. She lied down, her head pressed against Erik's shoulder gently, and held his hand unknowingly. The next few hours in the forest were quiet, deathly quiet. Soon, Kinana woke up and realized the position the 2 were in. She was on top of Erik and Erik was still sleeping the noon away. Just when Kinana got up, she noticed a hole on the back of Erik's clothing and flipped him on his stomach. What Kinana saw was a big and even a old, un-healed burn mark.

Kinana grimaced and soothed the old burn with her thin, long fingers. Erik surely went through a lot in is lifetime. Though, Kinana only met him once when she had found Erik in a big 'explosion' pit, lying there. Kinana sighed and flipped him on his back, again. Kinana didn't want to intrude his own privacy, nor did she want to stay confused for the rest of her life. She knew she had to get a few more answers by the time Erik wakes up.

Just before when the moon set behind the mountains in Magnolia, Erik stirred awake and gave his head a soft shake. He started to grumble a few words but found Kinana leaning against a tree for support and sleeping soundly. Now it was Erik's turn to be confused. He had only remembered being captured by Lahar and Doranbolt before he got sent to jail and took a massive beating. Soon, he noticed that his wounds were cleaned and some were wrapped up with green fabric.

Erik found it strange how Kinana would've tended for a prisoner, currently on the loose as well. It didn't take extremely long for Kinana to wake up and she gazed upon Erik. Though he had caught the look, full sympathy and pity. Slowly, he felt his body rush and fill with rage. He needed no pity or sympathy of other people, even if it were to be Kinana.

"Don't look at me with those eyes..." Erik grumbled under his breath, "Nobody asked for your pity." He spat.
Kinana didn't look fond of the cruel comments and retorted back, "At least I didn't boast about tending your wounds..."
Erik softened but held his gaze, "I didn't ask for details." He responded and bit back a scowl.

The female started tearing up and leaped at Erik out of nowhere, letting her tears flow freely and soaking up Erik's torn shirt. He stiffened for 2 seconds but relaxed and meekly smiled. Sure he was once part of Oracion Seis and even Reborn, but he was also a man and most likely, their weaknesses are a girls tears. Kinana hid her face in Erik's shirt while he awkwardly soothed her back.

"I r-really tho-thought you w-would never co-me back again, E-Erik..." Kinana managed to say between hiccups and sobs.
Those words made Erik fluster and warm heartedly chuckled lowly, "How could I? You're special to me, Cubellios..." He mustered out.

Kinana tore her face apart and look up at Erik in the eye but it was hard for Erik to keep a poker face on since her face was flooded with tears. He had a humorous glint in his eyes and Kinana narrowed her eyes, "Why do you look like you're going to laugh?" Kinana asked and tilted her head to one side.

Erik gulped and found it hard to not punch her cheeks at the moment. "I'm not, what's so funny for the Cobra; formerly of Oracion Seis to laugh about?" Erik cocked an eyebrow at her and questioned her.

Kinana looked down at her toes and hid her face in Erik's shirt again but this time, she was blushing madly. Erik felt her smiling and hugged her, he would hold onto her a million times over if his pride wasn't in the way. That was just the cons of being a menacing killing machine prior to this accident.

"Cubellios, what are you going to do now. Surely, your guild wouldn't be too impressed if they find out you're with a former dark guild member." Erik said slowly, though he wished he had not.
"I don't know Erik... You can stay at my apartment for now until I figure something else though," Kinana explained in a cautious voice. Erik knew she had not thought of this before when she had tended him but nodded.
"Hey now, let's go to your apartment but I'll have to keep my face hidden." Erik said and Kinana looked confused for a moment. He had nothing to use as a face guard since he only had a torn up shirt and Kinana was only wearing a green dress with nothing under, other than her garments.

The couple looked utterly confused but they had to figure something out. Never the less, Kinana grasped his hand and intertwined it with her own, leaving the forest in silence. She lead the way through the trees and bushes until they reached the exit of the Magnolia forest.