Chereads / A Noble Goal / Chapter 9 - Silently Burning

Chapter 9 - Silently Burning

The night wind blew as Sanosuke sat at the top of the cave. He turned to where the wind blew and suddenly felt the wind grow stronger. 

Someone climbed up and sat beside him. 

"Elda," Sanosuke looked at her, "You've just recovered, you should be resting."

Elda, wearing her jacket, with bandages wrapped around her whole body, just shrugged, "Do I really-""

"Yes." Sanosuke said, "I can watch the night, go rest."

"You've been watching the cave for the whole day. I've rested enough." She grumbled, "Besides, sleeping around is kinda boring too."

Sanosuke rolled his eyes, "Weren't you at death's door?"

Elda raised a brow, "Since when were you so comfortable talking to me?" She asked while tilting her head a little. 

"Since when I trust you." He simply said, as he started sniffing the air, "I smell people, I will go steal some food and clothes, you stay here." He pushed himself off the roof and rolled down, quickly turning to his right and running.

Elda just watched on silently as she looked up at the stars. 

Sanosuke followed the faint saint of meat and slowly adjusted his footing. Making sure he isn't creating too much sound. 

Slowly, he saw smoke up ahead. 

Grrr.. he touched his stomach and swallowed his saliva. 

Not long later, the smoke became thicker as a campfire was in sight. 

He silently moved around the trees, making sure not to step on any breaches. 

He saw a bright orange tent near the campfire unattended. 

'Who in their right mind uses such a bright coloured tent in the middle of a green forest..?' He thought, making sure the people are still distracted. 

"Are you sure there will be people to kidnap for the experiment?" He heard a conversation and stopped in his tracks, "There's barely any towns or villages nearby."

"Doesn't matter. We have orders." A man took a piece of the meat that was roasting and bit off a huge chunk, "Hot!" The rest chuckled as the man tried blowing out the hot steam from his mouth, "Shut up!" He glared at everyone.

"Right, we don't want the repeat of what happened. So best to kidnap a family like we did with the, what's the subject name?" The first man who spoke asked, "Subject…"

"2499. He was the last one we managed to take in. But he was the best one too in such a short amount of time." A more muscular man said, "If given enough time, he could probably be like his sibling. Subject Zero."

"How unfortunate he escaped." The meat guy said while chewing the meat. 

Sanosuke just stayed there, listening as he took a peek from the tree to take a better look at who they were.

= "You think that was funny eh?" A man held a burning torch and placed on Sanosuke left arm as a low howl echoed in the cell, "Now it aint so funny eh!?" The little light from the flame reflected a man with bright blue eyes and a noticeable scar across his nose, "Eh?!" 

"Eh.." He tried moving his arms, only to hear the chains restricting him. 

"Hahaha-." He grabbed the chains and lifted his feet, his sharp nails sliced the man's eye, "Agh!" He quickly backed away, as the torch went from his arm and guide across his chest, holding his bloody eye, in furry he used the torch and slammed the torch on the left side of Sanosuke's head. =

The meat guy has a bright blue right eye, a scar across the nose, and an eye pitch on the left. 

Touching his left head, even if the wounds had healed, the burn mark was only covered by his hair. 

He felt resentment from what happened, even seeing the eye pitch. He shut his eyes as a low growl escaped his throat. 

"You didn't stay in the cave." Sanosuke said as he carried a bag, looking at Elda, who was still sitting on the roof of the cave, "Anyways, I got food." 

Elda looked down and saw Sanosuke in his new clean clothes. Wearing a white shirt with a dark green jacket and black baggy pants, wearing combat boots too big for his feet. 

"Just go bare foot would ya," Elda said, "Wearing the wrong size would just slow you down."

Sanosuke looked down at his feet as he lifted his left feet up, "I will eventually grow into them."

"Ah alright," She just brushed it off, "Gimme the bag."

"You get down.." His brows twitched, "I can't predict what won't come out if thrown."

"Lame.." Elda got off the roof, "Alright now gimme." He tossed the bag to her as she walked towards the forest, "Cya!" She waved her hand. 

He just walked back to the cave, took out packet biscuits from his pocket, and started munching on it.

Standing in the dark cave, he just looked down at the bloody mass near the campfire. 

'What happened yesterday?' He thought, barely able to recall, 'She said she can heal faster under sunlight, and that actually worked? Is that her power?' He glanced at the entrance.

Time slowly passed, and Elda finally returned. 

"Ta da! Isn't this cool!" Elda came in wearing a big red and black flannel shirt with another white shirt inside, outside she wears her long jacket, wearing black combat pants and shoes.

"Isn't it hot in that?" Sanosuke almost choked on his food, "Winter is still a while away."

"Nope, winter is coming faster this year." She slang the bag over her shoulders, "The animals are starting to go into hibernation, so let's get out of this cave as soon as possible."

Sanosuke nodded, looking at the bag. He grumbled, "Hey, you're still injured."

"I will heal soon, Im a tough nut to crack." She quickly walked away, and he suddenly pounced, trying to grab the bag, "Red flag! Cheater!" She dodged him and ran away. 

He quickly got up and chased, "Your injured!" He called out. 

"And your a kid!" Her voice echoed in the forest. 

'This is dumb..' He thought, looking at the trees, 'Ah, a smart solution.' Using his sharp nails, he pulled himself up to the tree branches and started swinging. Hearing the last branch breaking, as he gulped, 'Not smart!' 

He heard Elda's laughter and saw her head turning back forward. She leapt up and pushed herself forward with the tree trunk, "Loser!"

He grumbled in annoyance and started to try and mimic her movements. Only to swing into the trunk and fall onto the ground. 

Bam