Okay, sorry for the long gap. I was and am busy with essays and assignments… *sigh* I wish I have more time to write. The problem is, after writing so much in academic language, I'm afraid that I might lose my writing style. Moreover, I'm often not in the mood to write when overloaded with academic essays and assignments (even though my brain is full with ideas and plot developments, but I can't write it!).

Oh crap, my final exams are in this January!!

Anyway, enjoy. And please review :)

Chapter 2

She remembered pieces of conversations that drifted in and out of her subconscious. They were just strings of words tied together—bouncing off the recesses of her mind.

Warm hands lifted her frail small frame up from the hot matted mattress. Her head and body felt heavy—too heavy. She could hardly breathe. Every breath came out ragged and painful.

A small moan escaped from her chapped lips.

The girl opened her now prussian eyes. She stretched her hands out observing them from her still position on the cold floor. Her body was cold—like the dead.

The way out was summoned in a blink of an eye. Noah and her power were growing weaker, but she was growing stronger. For today was the day—the one day in 365 days when she could be.

The girl silently mouthed her brief farewell with blank eyes as she headed towards the heart shaped doors.

* * *

"...Walker?"

Link's inquiry finally spurred him into action. Allen lowered his hand and told Link to shut up and follow him. He was too shocked to even explain or to soothe Link's offended feelings.

They cut through the throng of people ignoring their annoyed exclaims. Allen started pushing people out off his way with only a hurried apology without even looking back to them. His eyes were fixed on the girl and the old flower selling lady.

She was accepting the flowers from the old lady with laughter on both of their faces.

"Walker!" Link wrenched him away from his destination. Link shook him. "What is the matter with you!?"

Allen struggled against Link's grip. He was afraid for the old lady's safety. "Noah!" he managed to croak out of his suddenly parched throat. Link paled considerably.

"Where?" he whispered.

Allen pointed toward the old lady again. Except this time there was no little girl. He was aghast, how could she disappear? She was there just moments ago!

Link frowned disapprovingly. "Oh, I see. Very funny, Walker."

Link thought he was lying, but he wasn't lying. Even though the girl didn't look anything like the Road Kamelot he knew, something inside of him told him that it was her. He didn't need to see or recognize her; he could feel a constant tug in his mind pulling him toward her direction.

Panic gripped his heart as he shook his head in frustration. "No!" If Link wouldn't understand then he would have to take matters on to his own hands. Allen wrenched his hands away and took off to the direction the tug in his mind was pulling him to. He ignored Link's shoutings and continued to run.

The tug in his mind became even more forceful as he ran, thrumming painfully in his head. He assumed it has something to do with the Noah's presence. He shut his eyes and stopped running when the pain became too great to withstand. He clenched his head in his hands and leaned against a tree at the side of the desolate dirt path.

Link finally caught up with the exorcist. The inspector was ticked off for being left behind with no explanation what so ever.

"Sorry, Link." Allen apologized after the pain in his head subsided. He offered a weak smile to placate the older man. Link sighed—arguing just won't work with the boy.

"Walker, you were saying something before you took off without me?"

Ouch.

Allen's smile vanished. He nodded. "Yes."

Link's eyebrow arched. "Something about the Noah?" He needed to clarify this. Anything regarding the Noah and the adolescent in front of him were crucial and seen as top importance to the Order and his superiors.

Allen took his hood off seeing as no one was there. The city outskirts were pretty much deserted after the day's business was done. Allen was about to anwer Link when a sudden jab of pain pierced his head.

"Yes, what is this "something about the Noah"? I would like to know as well."

Road Kamelot was standing beside the bushes, looking bored yet interested at the same time.

"Road!" Allen and Link took an involuntary step back. The petite Noah's sudden appearance surprised them. She was in her human form, wearing a dress and hair down. If the Noah inside of him wasn't going on a rampage at the sight of her, he would have mistaken her as a lady of nobility.

"Hello, Allen." She smiled. Road cocked her head to the side and threw a curious look at Link. "Who are you?"

Link hissed harshly in reply, "Is she what you meant, Walker?"

Allen nodded, his innocence activated and at the ready. Link also readied his knifes from inside of his sleeves.

"How rude—don't talk about me as if I'm not here!" she spat, eyes narrowing alarmingly. She gritted her teeth in agitation and slowly bowed her head. Her aura emitted dangerous vibes just like the last time Allen saw her at the Ark after he tried to exorcise Tyki Mikk.

Something about her wasn't right. Allen was getting unsure of himself and her. Was this really Road Kamelot? The usual Road Allen knew probably would have pouted and whined, not getting angry.

"Now I'm mad." she said quietly. Candles with spiked ends appear in the air around them. Allen and Link was forced to dodge into two separate ways when she sent the candles piercing their way. They maneuvered their way out of the swarm of the lethally pointed candles. Road eyed the scene cooly as if she didn't care about the outcome of the battle.

Her mind was playing tricks on her. She recalled scenes long gone—flashing by and bye in her mind's eye, ruining her concentration. She came here in order to get what she wanted, but her coming here might prove to be a mistake.

Allen destroyed the candles that were attacking him with his claws before looking at Link. They seemed to be able to hold on their own against a Noah—for the first time ever. Despite the large number of ammunition she has, her attacks were weak and poorly coordinated with most of the candles flying past them.

Link frowned. The data in the archives specified that the first child, Road Kamelot was very powerful, but the frail little girl in front of them now didn't suit the descriptions at all. He needn't to use more than the standard hidden knifes to ward off the candles nor the intricate spells such as he had expected to need when fighting against a Noah. This was almost too easy. Firsthand experience had taught Link that easy equals unexpected trouble in store.

True, the candles weren't properly controlled but their wayward paths became too unpredictable and hard to dodge. Allen continuously evaded and slashed the piercing candles to pieces. He swung his left clawed arm to a particularly idle swarm of candles near him and watched as Link did the same to the others.

"Walker!"

Allen nodded once to acknowledge Link's silent request. He then threw his stare at the quiet girl standing away from them. Her malice had gone as sudden as its appearance. In place of the sharp piercing look in her eyes, they were glazed over. Allen cleared his path from the candles and dashed toward her. Whatever it was he was going to utilise Road's lack of focus to his advantage.

Crown Clown's silvery white cape billowed as it formed a shield against the attacking candles and destroyed them in one mighty slash. He placed his right over his left and drew his sword as he advanced on the petite Noah. She stayed still even when he was but a meager few metres away from her with the innocence sword held firmly in his hand. Crown Clown swung down in an arc and dipped its tip in the flesh of her left arm.

The candles stilled and vanished.

Allen staggered to a stop. He could see his own reflection staring back at him in disbelief on her blank, dilated midnight orbs.

Splish, splash...

Is that... blood?

Blood continued to pour out from the deep gash his sword left in her arm and shoulder. Rivulets of the crimson liquid splashed on the dirt path, tarnishing the ground. The rusty scent invaded their olfactory. The nasty tang of blood conjured itself on his tongue, leaving him nauseous and... gleeful at the same time?

A faint buzz started from the back of his mind, numbing his thoughts. Allen shook his head to clear his head and stared wide eyed at his sword—it wasn't supposed to do that... He had expected the blade to pass through her as though countering air like before. The last time nothing happened to her.

Blood smeared her now torn dress that was once beautiful. Droplets of blood seeped out from her sleeves and joined the puddle at her feet. Allen and Link half expected the wound to close in on itself as she had once demonstrated long ago when she and Allen first met, or at least cry out in pain.

She did neither. Her mind was too clouded with the images and memories swimming in and out of focus to respond to mere physical pain.

"... Road?"

She seemed to snap out of her daze at the sound of her name. Her expression was a mix of surprise and pain. A strained scream escaped her gritted teeth.

Road Kamelot was in terrible pain.

Whatever was happening to the Noah, Link was sure that this was out of ordinary.

"Stop it..."

Link strained his ears to hear her whispered words.

"...stop..."

He stepped forward, closer to the girl clutching her wounded arm. Her wide eyes snapped to him. "I said stop it!"

Her spikes reappeared and shot toward the inspector. Link's knifes were useless against an attack at the scale, and he also had no time to cast his spells. Years of training as a Crow kicked in and made him automatically protect his most vital spots.

Allen stared stupefied until a groan escaped from the older man. He immediately broke out of his stupor.

"LINK!" Allen shouted and ran to him.

Link tasted blood in his mouth and spitted the liquid out. His sight was disappearing rapidly because of the numerous spikes protruding from his body. Several managed to hit him in his vitals.

"Shit."

Allen caught Link's body as he fell to the ground, Link's blood coating his hands. He had to get the older man into a hospital quickly for Link to survive.

Allen whipped his head at the place where Road had been just moments ago. She was no longer there. Allen gritted his teeth as Link moaned softly in pain. Link's life was top priority for now, he could hunt Road down later—she left trails of blood after her.

Hold on, Link.