Chapter 15: Chapter 15: Hunting the Shadow Trekkers 3

The weather kept her calm. She stayed silent as if gleefully watching the two. Nolan was secretly breaking a sweat as he broods. Ciara has crossed her legs trying to remain indifferent. Her beating heart was making ripples on her face.

She sighed. "I've asked this before." She looked at him in the eyes. "Did you really help me out of being a Good Samaritan?"

He smiled thinly. "Yes."

"You didn't pity me?" she said.

"No," He shook his head. "Why would I?"

"Because I was pathetic in that?" she said with a frown on her lips. "I almost died if it wasn't for you."

"It was not because of pity I assure you." His eyes turned gentle as silk. "I did it because it was the decent thing to do. It was kind to do so. You were in trouble and one look at that scene was enough for me to understand what was going on."

"What if it wasn't?" Her eyebrows arched.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"What if that woman was my accomplice?" she said.

"Then it is only as it is," he calmly replied. "It would be quite the rare sight."

She folded her arms and raised her chin. She shuffled her buttocks around the wooden bench. Her eyes darting around Nolan whose expression remain perpetually calm. The calm wind began to calm her down. She took a big breathe and settled in place.

"I guess you really have good intentions, I am sorry," she said.

"Why you should be sorry?" Nolan told her. "You think that because you learned how to protect yourself from false assumptions. I can see that you are strong and wary. The smell of sweat that lingers around and the way your hands slightly shakes makes me believe that you haven't been slacking off, Ciara."

She meekly lowered her head. "Thank you."

"You are welcome," he laughed lightly. "There are things that you cannot easily give up on. We have our sad stories to tell, we also have our walls that's needed to be protected. Being wary of people is something understandable. I lived my life wandering and through walking the earth I became vigilant. There's nothing wrong with that so don't fret about it."

She folded her arms. Her cheeks pouted. "I don't fret about it. I must confess that your rather lack of expression upon seeing my face is quite...odd. Even the Bleak Walkers around the Throes district would flinch or cringe at the sight of my burnt face. Why is that?"

He looked at her. "I said it before and I will say it again. I do not judge anyone by the look on their face or the color of the skin. What is the point of that if one's soul is rotten and diseased? Besides, you are still beautiful in the way I am looking at you right now. From my point of view, I am talking to a beautiful woman. Your eyes are especially pretty."

She tugged her braid. "I...thank you." She lowered her head gingerly. Ciara has always been proud of her eyes that resembled her mother. She thought how odd that she wasn't feeling angry or thinking that he was insulting her. She felt that Nolan's words were true and hint no lie.

Nolan glanced at her with kind eyes. His perpetually dim eyes vanished. What emerged were the eyes of someone looking at something precious. She caught a glimpse of these eyes. She felt that she was not speaking to the bleak walker Nolan. She was facing the Nolan whose guard has been lowered.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Can you not look at me like that?" she said, her head turned away.

"Did I offend you?" he asked.

She looked at him meekly. "No, it is just that I find it weird. You feel so different from your usual calm exterior."

"Is that so?" he wheezed. "Then you must have successfully made me let my guard down."

Her brows met. "I don't understand how I could have done that."

"You are pleasant to speak with," he said slowly. "I am calm when I am talking with you."

"Calmer than you should be," she said. "I do not understand how 'pleasant' I am to talk with when I doubted your kind intentions."

"Ciara," he beamed at her. "It depends on the people. I am someone who really doesn't linger in such things. I mean why would I try to trouble myself with such thoughts? If I choose not to be harmed by it then I can because it is my own head. It is within my control."

"I see," she nodded twice. "That reasoning seems sound. Is that how bleak walkers are?"

"Yes." He answered while looking at the dust cloud. "We were taught to seek discomfort and chaos to grown stronger and robust. It is a mental technique that keeps us going despite the bleak path."

"Even though it makes you all looked like cold-hearted men without any emotions?" she said truthfully.

He nodded. "There's no need to be distressed by other's opinion. Wasting your time thinking about things you cannot control is foolish. I believe that you know this well."

She slightly frowned. "I understand that reasoning. Without it, I would have long hung myself."

"But, I must say that you really saying all of these things without any fear," she pointed out.

"There's nothing to fear, it is merely reasoning for us and a way to continue. So no need to think about," he shrugged and bobs his head. He cracked his head and eyed Ciara.

"I know that you are not bothered by my face. But you keep staring at me," she told him. "You will make me think that you fancy me."

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"Who knows?" Nolan smiled playfully. "I'll let you think of why I am looking at you so often."

She didn't expect that reply. Ciara's jolted back and started at Nolan with confusion and surprise. Her right cheek was rosy red. Her eyes dilated as she tries to say something. Nolan watched her without taking that smile out of his place.

Ciara felt helpless being stared at so playfully. Gracefully, she hid her face on her palms while trying to avoid Nolan's smile. What is he thinking? Is he insane? she thought wildly.

Nolan retracted his smile. His head lowered and eyes pointed to the ground. She looked at him whose gaze was pulled back. She noticed that he started brooding. His jaws tightened his nerves and sinews hardening along with his mouth clenched.

"Is there anything wrong?" said Ciara.

"Nothing," replied Nolan. "I just remembered that I have something to do."

She felt like there was a sudden change. "Is it about looking for the Shadow Trekkers inside the sewers?" She said while she caressed the back of her hand left hand.

"Yes." He replied with a nod. His eyes turned back to its original coldness. Ciara slightly frowned as she found it rather disappointing that the look in his eyes was gone. "Did I become fond of it?" she thought while trying to hide her rosy cheeks.

"Killing the Shadow Trekkers is easy." He began, "But, looking for them is the hardest part. They dwell in the shadows and fighting swiftly within in it. Their claws are sharper than weapons and armor is useless against them unless it is enchanted to take a blow."

"How do you plan to kill such beasts?" Ciara asked.

"Through using blade oils and enchanted poison," he raised a finger up. "Phantasmal Oils are created for the sake of neutralizing the defenses of the monster. The enchanted poison acts as what poison is. But the poison came from a companion of mine, so it much deadlier."

"That green-haired girl?" she said. "Her hair is really poisoned?"

"Yes." He folded his arms and looked at her. "It contains all the known poison there is. Even the Shadow Trekkers cannot resist it once it wrecks havoc inside their internal organs. They have resistance against the poison but I doubt that they will be able to last. The plan is to make use of a phantasmal coated weapon to insert the poison needed to kill the trekkers."

"What's the time of your hunt?" Ciara asked.

"Tonight," he explained. "I was here to relax before going to battle. So it was nice to have someone to talk to."

She smiled lightly. The searing sun shone her face. "It's nothing much. For once I am thankful that other than the Captain, there are others who are willing to talk to me without cringing or wincing after seeing my taste."

"Don't worry about it." He patted her shoulders. Her eyes locked with his. "No matter what they say about your face, just remember that don't be what they think of you. Do they hate your face? Then deal they have to deal with it! If they don't like how burnt a part of your body is? Then why should they care? Ciara, you don't have to be so bothered about these people."

"I know that." She countered with a smile. "You've been preaching that ever since we sat down here!"

"Oh pardon me," Nolan gracefully raised his arms. "I just find it distasteful not to remind you again. Besides, even if they hate you, cringe at you, wince at you, spit on your face, and tell you insults. I'll be here if you want to talk. We are friends, right Ciara?"

"Yes." She nodded twice. "I am fairly surprised to admit it. Sigh, it has been a long time since someone so reasonable has come. But, is it really okay for you to be friends with the burned woman?"

"Of course, why would it matter?" he said. "If they think of you as cursed then they are being foolish. In my life as a bleak walker, I have never heard of a strange hex and curses. Superstition, utterly superstitious garbage it is."

"That's nice to hear," she tilted her head. "No one wants to even talk to me because of this burnt face. They always spit on me, insult me and outright tells me how cursed I am. I have already tempered myself but even so, I find it hard to stomach. Nolan, maybe you are lying to me. Maybe, you have other motives to be this friendly. But, I still thank you for being so lenient towards me.

Nolan's face froze. His countenance turned solid. His impassive expression made Ciara lean back. Nolan took hold of her hands and caressed it. She widened her eyes as she tried to react only to feel his forehead touching hers. Their eyes were locked together. They could feel each other's warmth.

"What are you doing?" she had to ask.

"I confess that I have other motives." His voice sounded hurt.

"You do?" Her heart pounded. "What is it?"

"I want to be close to you. Ciara, do you believe me when I tell you that there are some people in this world who find such scars to his liking?" he told her.

"Are you one of those people?" she said with a nervous tone of voice. "That likes burnt scars? Is that why you helped me? Not because of pity. Not because you are a Good Samaritan?"

"Who knows?" He said. "I don't know myself. All I know is that...I really think that you are beautiful in your own way." he thought. "I would love to embrace and marry you. But how can I do that when this world is heading towards dark days?"

Ciara was silent. She stared at his eyes as if she couldn't take her eyes off. "What is wrong with me?" she thought. "To act like this because someone calls my eyes pretty and tell me that I am beautiful in my own way? Damn it...I really thought that such days would happen!"

"Hey..." mouthed Ciara.

Nolan stopped his actions and stood up. He gazed at her with calm eyes. "I am sorry if I was too familiar by now. I was mesmerized for a moment that I cannot just help it."

"Gosh," she said timidly. "Why are you so honest? Damn it, you really are after me because you like women with burnt scars?" she stood. "You are a weird person! I cannot understand why someone like you would develop such fondness for such things!"

"I don't think its bad." he calmly replied. "People are different in their own ways."

"You are a weirdo!" she stomped her foot. Her hands placed on her chest. "But, if I am right in what you are implying then court me properly! I may look like this but I am still a lady!"

She turned and ran in such a comically distress manner. Nolan stared at her figure before laughing helplessly for what he just did. He felt like when it comes to her, he is helpless. She was his weakness.

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