"ZACK!" screamed out a voice, a voice that Zack could clearly recognize.
Zack opened his eyes to dark red hair and a green over coat. "Why are you here?"
"Why? WHY?! What do you mean why?! I'm obviously here because of you!" Mary yelled as he punched Zack across the face.
"How dare you left me behind! Do you have any idea how worried I was because of you?! You reckless idiot! Do you want to die?!" Mary continued to yell while Zack was stunned by the words she just used.
Worried?
Did she said that she was actually worried about him?
Why? He abandoned her, took advantage of her and even tricked her to free him from jail.
So, why? Why she was worried about a manipulative scumbag like him?
It just didn't make any sense to Zack. No sense, whatsoever. There's no way, that a person this kind-hearted would actually exists in a horrible world like this, right?
"ZACK! Are you even listening to me?!" Zack mind snapped back to reality as he just noticed he was laid against a tree while Mary bandaged his wounds.
"Why are you helping me? After running away from you, why in the world would you be helping me? Why---" before Zack could continued his questions, a bottle of green liquid was shoved passed through his lips as he was forced to drink down the green liquid.
The liquid was awfully bitter however it also had a hint of sweetness, making it more endurable to swallow down.
"I'm helping you for two reasons. One, it's my code to heal people who are sick or injured. Two, it's because I need you Zack, so can't afford for you to die on me," Mary calmly explained as she placed a green plaster on Zack's bruised cheek.
The bottle was removed from his lips as his hand caressed his now bandaged cheek. "You need me? You serious?"
"Yes, I do," Mary said bluntly as she placed the empty bottle inside her over coat.
"But why?! I'm a Tinkerer, the most worthless crafting class ever! Not only that, I'm a criminal to an entire country! What is there about me that actually considered useful?!" Zack yelled in disbelief as he glared at Mary's red eye.
Mary glared back with glimpses of ambition. "Because I need you. You are strong, you are confident and most of all you are worthy!"
"How do you know that? You don't know me?"
"You are strong because you managed to survive as a criminal for two years with a one thousand gold bounty on your head!
You are confident because even when that officer beaten you down, you never remained quiet. You proudly stood up for yourself.
You are worthy because you were send to your own execution, from the people who framed you and saw you as a great threat, and they were right," Mary spoke with a confident grin on her face.
"You don't actually believe that, do you?" Zack turned his gaze as his doubt crept in.
Zack soon was felt Mary's hands forced Zack's face to her direction. She glared Zack with a glowing red eye before she yelled.
"Zack... I NEED YOU!"
I need you! I need you! I need you! I need you! I need you! I need you! I need you! I need you!
Zack heard Mary's words echoed inside his head, as if he was under a spell. He couldn't stop himself from the tears rolling down his face.
"You... need me? But I'm a Tinkerer. I'm absolutely worthless," Zack sobbed while Mary tried to whipped away his tears.
"You are not worthless! You are plenty worthy! I need you, Zackary. So please, would you listen and consider to my request?" Mary said.
Zack said nothing but nodded his head as he pulled Mary into a hug. Mary froze before she hugged Zack in return.
The deadly silence within the forest began to become something more peaceful.