Fate/Stay BERSERK

Ch 41

"Where is he?"

Artoria could hear Kay questioned the others as she laid in a carriage. Lancelot and Ector had taken the carriage and three horses from a nearby farm. The others used what they could to make a soft surface for Artoria to lay on. The cloth of the carriage didn't allow her to see what happened outside.

"I don't know." Mordred said. "He'll be back soon..."

Artoria could hear the hope in Mordred's voice. She didn't need to see to know Mordred stood by the entrance of the passage.

"Listen......I don't like this anymore than you guys but," Lancelot had paused, hesitation in his voice. "....if Guts doesn't make it out soon, we might have to—!"

"What's that?" Ector asked, interrupting the knight. Artoria focused her hearing, but it was hard to do so with one ear missing. "It's groaning......"

"Guts!" She heard Mordred shout, relief in her voice. Artoria could hear a blade being dragged before a thud sounded out. She then heard someone running. "GUTS!"

"It's bad." Kay had spoken. "He's completely worn out. Look at these injuries, are those burn marks?"

"Put him in Artoria." Mordred said immediately. Artoria leaned her head up an inch when she heard shifting outside. Her eyes squinted as the moonlight peered in as the flaps were opened. She opened them and watched as Lancelot and Ector lifted Guts inside the carriage, laying him beside her before jumping out.  She could hear Mordred getting onto the driver seat, knowing the others were getting onto their own. "Alright, time to go! HYAH!"

Artoria shaked when the carriage began to move, hearing the horses whine as they ran away from Camelot. Artoria calmed down and looked to the other occupant in the carriage. He laid beside her, breathing heavily in his unconscious state. He was covered in blood, still wearing his armor as he laid there. She started to shiver, hugging the man's cloak closely to her body.

She narrowed her eyes at Guts. She slowly reached out a shaking hand to him, intent on grabbing his neck. She gently grabbed his throat and tried to apply pressure, gritting whatever teeth she had left.

"I'm sorry......."

She stopped, eyes widening as she pulled her hand away. Guts was crying. He was crying. She watched as tears slowly ran down the side of his face. It was then that she felt how warm he was. He was the warmest thing she had touched in a year, warmer than the cloak she wore. So she pulled herself closer to him, grunting with every movement before she was able to hug his side. She put his arm around her and pressed her covered head against his armor, his warmth going past the suit of metal. She closed her eyes, and hoped this wasn't a dream.

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Meanwhile.........

Camelot,
Throne room

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"W-why did you let him escape?!"

Morgan shouted at her uncle, sitting upon her throne and looking down upon her uncle, who irked a brow as he looked upon her. Morgan was livid.

"I just saved your life, child." Vortigern hissed out at his niece. "He bested you, so I allowed him to leave and take Artoria with him. She's too far gone to be healed, no resistance will come from her."

"Why are you even here?!" Morgan questioned him. "You said you were going to leave, never to reclaim the throne."

".....hm." Vortigern hummed as he took a step up the dais. "I originally came here to put Artoria out of her misery, no one deserves to endure that Imp's torture.....but then I find Boscogn's killer, successfully defeating my brother's corpse and nearly killing you.....a human incapable of magic......I guess the only good thing that came from this is the Imp's death."