9 Anna, the beautiful woman

Kazein was still asleep at that point. The woman sat up and noticed Kazein sleeping. She first noticed that the part by his eyes were burned, then she noticed the beautiful sword beside him.

Kazein woke up, he noticed that the woman sat up. "You're awake? Good, I'll get us something to eat."

The woman stopped him. "Wait! Your eyes! What happened to them?" She asked.

"Why? Do you disgust me for my eyes?" Kazein calmly replied.

"N no. But, I want to know, who burned them?" She felt quite sorry for asking.

"Then stay there."

"Wait!" She again stopped him.

"What?" Even though his eyes were closed, his look was still cold and had the expression of someone who wants not to get questioned. "Are you gonna ask me if I would demand payment?"

The woman didn't give a reply, she was quiet. Kazein left after this. When Kazein was gone, "What is his deal? I was just asking." The woman said to herself. After a while, Kazein got back with two rabbits and a sparrow.

"Eh? You caught all that?" She asked with a dumbfounded expression.

"It's enough for the two of us. If you eat more than you look you can have my share."

"N No. It's not that, I was just surprised. I feel no magic aura flowing in you. Yet you could hunt easily even though this forest is home to a lot of beasts."

"Easy? It wasn't, I avoided all crucial and large gathering spots I thought beasts would gather at." As Kazein built a fire.

"Hey, why did you save me? Just before I passed out I saw you sense your way towards me. Why is that? You don't even know me, and I don't know you." She again, asked a question.

"What is it with women asking questions? I saved you just because. I don't even feel anything after surviving that wyvern. Why was it chasing you anyway?!" Kazein was a bit annoyed.

"Ah, how rude to shout. What is wrong with asking questions? I just wanted to know why."

As they argued, Kazein, who was preparing the game, cut his finger.

"Ah, you cut your finger." She nonchalantly said.

"Shut up, this is nothing." Then, blood oozed from his finger.

"You cut your Jomyaku." She once again nonchalantly said to Kazein who stopped the bleeding.

Then, the woman stood up, but then she suddenly fell to the ground. "Eh? My body is so weak. How could it be?"

"Hmph, Enlightened road, rank 8 water road walker. You're not that weak against fire, but the impurities within the wyvern's breath were toxic gas, which is harmful to the body, it enters the body through your eyes, nose, ears and mouth or any other open wounds." Kazein explained, then he stopped what he was doing and got his staff, walked towards her, crouched, felt her face and then carried her.

"Wh what're you doing?! Let go of me!" She resisted, but she was weak. Even though she is at the 8th rank of the enlightened road. With the poisonous gas of the wyvern within her body, she was nothing more than a normal woman. Then Kazein put her back to where she was laying down.

"This time. Stay there and don't move." Kazein ordered her.

"Tsk, fine." She replied.

After that, Kazein got back to preparing the game. After a while, the meat was roasted and seasoned with herbs. Kazein gave a rabbit to the woman and sat beside her to eat.

"So, why was that wyvern after you?" Kazein asked.

"Fine, I'll tell you. I stole a gemstone from its lair. The gem was precious for any water road walkers like me. It could raise my gathering point by 40% and overall power by 10%. The wyvern was asleep, but suddenly, it woke up. I didn't notice it's attack, it sent me flying away the cave. I took the chance to escape, and somehow ended up getting surrounded by coyotes." She told him everything in detail.

"Ho? I see."

"It's good."

"Hmm?" Kazein was confused.

"The roast, it's good." The woman replied.

"I know."

"So, what's your name? I don't know yet."

"Kazein, no last names whatsoever. Just Kazein, you are?"

"Anna Nishima." She replied.

After introducing themselves, they chatted for a while.

"That sword, where'd you get it? It's so beautiful." Anna asked enthralled by the sword.

"I found it from a ring. It showed me exactly how to land a blow against that wyvern, but sadly, I was still far in power." Kazein answered her. "You, what was that thing on your neck? I felt it as I dressed up your wounds."

"My mother, she gave it to me before she died." She replied with a sad face. Kazein didn't see this.

"Ho? Good to get some memento before someone dies on you." Kazein was jealous he didn't even get something from his mother.

"Mn. Say, where are you going?" Anna asked him.

"South, I'm looking for someone. You?"

"What a coincidence, I'm also heading south until I reach the Blue serpent clan." She replied. "Say, why don't we go together? You'd want someone to protect you, right?"

"Hmph, fine. But just so you know I'm not that weak." Kazein answered.

After a while, Anna began to ask questions again.

"Say, what's your sword style? If you can't use magic you'd need to know how to use that sword to protect yourself."

"Don't have one, don't need one." Kazein playfully replied.

"Ah! Then how are you able to injure that wyvern?!" She freaked out.

"I just swung randomly."

"Then, are you interested in learning my-" She didn't finish, Kazein interrupted her.

"Refused! I don't want to." Kazein refused to learn Anna's sword style.

Anna didn't reply. She didn't even know what to say.

Two days later, they departed south. Kazein took his staff and walked, meanwhile Anna was going ahead telling stories. As they reached a place with a big tree with two big stones below it. They stopped and looked, suddenly, from the two stones a centipede. It was huge, it's scales were red and it's legs had razor sharp blades.

"Demon beast? Magic beast? Which one?" Kazein asked Anna.

Anna backed into Kazein's side, "Demon beast, it's quite big. A rank 5 at the spirit road." Then, Anna drew her sword from s space distortion. A blue blade, it had a double edge and a beautiful arm guard, it's pommel had a snakes head, the blade was 1¹/²ft long.

"Stay back, I'll handle it." She then rushed to slay the demon beast. Her footwork was beautiful, her handling was elegant, and her style was free.

But, the centipede, spat a poisonous liquid, Anna was able to dodge, but during the dodging phase, the centipede launched it's attack. Anna was almost hit, she was pushed back as she blocked the hit with her sword.