"Shut up!"
Ashen who was angered by Jack's statement, threw a pot that just happened to be there beside him at Jack. Obviously finding the very thought to be of utter shame and disgust.
"Whoa there!", Jack manages to lean to the side to dodge and return a rather knowing smile at the flustered Ashen, "Ohohoho~! What is this? Did you just imagine me words?"
"Grr! I said shut up!!!"
Further irked by Jack's apparent teasing, Ashen tries to get up but then realizes he could not since Rosseweisse was passed out on his lap. His eyebrows twitch in annoyance and he was about to throw Rosseweisse off of him but then an object suddenly flies past his face and lodges itself on the building wall beside him.
"Wha-"
His eyes drift to the side and there, a few centimeters deep in the wall, was an ornate dagger or rather a shortsword that looked like a dagger.
'A cinquedea?!'
Ashen immediately recognized the weapon and all the alarm bells in his body rang, causing him to immediately move to grab Rosseweisse and pull her to his back before facing the direction from which the dagger had come from but to his surprise there was no one.
The fire escape they're on is situated 30 feet off the ground with the building opposite of them just about 32 feet in height based on Ashen's estimation hence the only logical explanation as to where the cinquedea had come from was that it came from the roof just opposite of them. However, there was no one there.
"What the hell-"
"Don't move boy."
A voice suddenly whispers near his ear causing his mind to ring alarm bells in his mind to warn him of the fatal danger that has approached him.
Of course, he would normally immediately retaliate but given that he never even sensed the person that had sneaked up on him and that there was a blade conspicuously pointed at his spine, he was hesitant to even think of a way out.
He cast a sidelong glance to his side only to see Jack with his hands up in surrender and also being at blade point by another person.
"Ninjas?"
Ashen wondered as he looked at the cloaked figure behind Jack. He could not make out the face because of the darkness and how low the hood was cast over the person's head and the only thing that gave any semblance of identity was the rather thick arm that held Jack by the neck giving Ashen the idea that the cloaked person is a man.
'It won't even be funny if it turned out to be some macho woman...that's just totally disgusting.'
"It would be unwise for you to think of resisting.", the person behind Ashen threatened in low voice.
"Like hell I can even resist. I have only one arm you know?", Ashen chuckled nervously.
He knows perfectly that trying to resist in this situation will only lead to his immediate death and that is something he doesn't want to happen.
But unlike his imagination where the enemy would relent for a bit, the one behind him did not even falter and simply remained vigilant of him. The pointed blade betraying the person's unwavering determination to keep Ashen from acting suspiciously, "There are many out there who could take on an army with only one arm. We will not be so naïve to just relent after being told that out opponent is 'handicapped'.", the person retorted.
'Eh?! They're decent assassins?! Now of all times?!'
Ashen wanted to retort but somehow he felt like saying his thoughts out loud would lead to a bad end so he just kept his mouth shut.
"Question, who are you and what have you done to the girl?", the person asked.
Ashen's mind lagged for a few moments before he finally understood what the person was asking, "Eh...uh...she's passed out due to exhaustion. I did not particularly do anything to her."
'Well I did change her clothes but I don't think that's what the question was for...'
"Question, why are you with that girl?", the person asked another question.
"Do you want the embellished answer where it kind of makes sense or the cold hard truth that makes absolutely no sense?", Ashen asked half in jest.
"The latter.", yet the person answered without pause.
"Are you sure? It absolutely sounds nonsensical you know?", Ashen worriedly confirmed, questioning whether or not the person was a 'sane human' but he quickly sighed in resignation. There was no point arguing even if doesn't look at the person to confirm.
"Well, I was planning on leaving her to die at the hands of some trigger-happy gunmen back at the church in the outskirts of the city but well, it was stormy that night and Mother Nature did not want me to abandon a damsel in distress which I would've gladly done so without a second thought so she lobbed a bunch of trash at my face and forced me to remain in the church until I was able to rescue her. After that, she forced me to accompany this ignorant girl by threatening me with many things like getting squashed by a swinging boulder or rolling logs whenever I think about abandoning her. That's why I'm with her."
'In short, because the world is messing with me', is what he wanted to add to his answer but he chose not to say out loud.
"...", the person was silent.
It was an expected reaction for Ashen who sighed but then-
"Lower your weapon Bartholo."
-the person ordered the one holding Jack to lower his weapon.
"Eh?", Jack confused at the sudden turn of events as he was let go by the man who held him hostage.
Ashen also felt the blade pointed at his back disappear and the tension in the air dissipate into nothingness.
"What-"
Before he could even finish his stuttering reaction, the person behind him moved to his side,
"Apologies. It seems you have saved the Saint from harm in our place. As expected of you."
"Huh?", somehow he felt a sense of foreboding as he looked at the person who now stood beside him;
A young woman wearing black one-piece tights with pieces of metal resembling pieces of medieval armor over key parts of her body and two swords; an English longsword and a cinquedea strapped to her hips. Her lower face was covered with a mask and her purple eyes glowed dimly under her hood making her look intimidating. If not for her rather emphasized chestplate, one would mistake her for a male.
As soon as he looked her over, he grimaced.
"Tsk! So that's why huh? No wonder someone found us out."
Ashen clicked his tongue.
Jack, who was left at the sideline looked Ashen and the young woman alternately in utter confusion, "Hey boy, you look like you know this girlie here. You acquainted?"
"Not at all."
"Of course we are old man."
The two-Ashen and the young woman- answered at the same time causing them to look at each other.
"Shut it brat! I don't know you!"
"As if! Now that I have found you, I will be taking you back even by force!"
And so they started to shout at each other.
"The heck are you saying?! I ain't going nowhere with a brat like you! You're a total stranger and my mother said never to talk to strangers!"(Ashen)
"Then why are you talking to me then you dimwit?! For the record, you are much more of a brat for running away from home!"(Young Woman)
"Run away?! Hah! As if! You call that sorry excuse for a palace, home?! You're deluded you stupid brat!" (Ashen)
"Then what does that make you when you became the brother-in-law of this deluded brat?!" (Young Woman)
Their loud exchange echoed and sounded very petty. But the two seemingly did not care. Ashen obviously did not and simply continued to argue with the young woman until Jack intervened,
"Hey now. If you two keep screaming like that, our pursuers will find us.", Jack pointed out with a wry smile but all he got was non-compliance from the two.
After a lengthy exchange of insults, Ashen and the young woman became short of breath and were trying to recompose themselves.
Probably judging that it was the perfect time to ask, Jack poses a question at the young woman,
"Hey girlie! You seem to reaaally know him. Mind if I ask for your name?"
The young woman pulls out a pair of handcuffs and then grabbed the wrist of the unsuspecting Ashen and in the next moment, clasped one cuff on his wrist and the other on hers, "Now you can't just run away so easily.", she declared.
Ashen realized that he had let his guard down and so ground his teeth in frustration, "Get this thing off of me you stupid brat!!!!"
But his cry of protest was ignored as the young woman simply turned to Jack.
"I am Kallen Creed, a member of the Saint's Guard"
"Oh!"
"Feh!", contrary to Jack's amazed reaction, Ashen made a mocking expression and even spat at the mention of the name, obviously not even trying to hide his disgust as he did so.
"No wonder he doesn't like you.", Jack said amused.
"Hmph! There is that one part of him that is true. But I'm pretty sure it's for a different reason. Aren't I right dear older brother?", the young woman, Kallen turned to Ashen.
"Shut up. I don't even know you.", Ashen replied with a growl.
Seeing that, Jack could not help but sigh, "You mentioned him being your brother-in-law. What does that mean?", he asked in confusion only to realize that the answer was something he did not expect seconds after he heard it,
"It is as I had said. He is my brother-in-law. My older sister is married to him. That much should be pretty obvious already."
It seems the person that is Ashen has become even more confusing as the night wore on.