The Sword Saint and The Dragon

Arc 1 Chapter 5: Behold An Unthinkable Present

"Ah,"
"Auh,"

 Emilia puts her hand to her mouth as the youth's feet slip and he plunges into the river. A spray of water cascades up as he lands in the brook.

Emilia's eyes widened as she realized her mistake.

"Arch! Are you okay?" 

Standing atop where he fell, Emilia looks down and calls down to him. Bubbles arise one after another on the water's face for a moment, before a blond young man floats to the surface. He wipes his face with his hand, then raises his hand at the onlooking Emilia.

"Look, Emilia! Don't interrupt people right when they're almost done bathing!"

Arch's blond hair was messily splayed across his head as he pushed the rest of his hair out of his eyes.

Seeing his pathetic state, Emilia tries to hold in her laughter but fails as her giggles could be heard through her hands covering her mouth.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think anyone'd be here... but I'm glad it was you, Arch."

"What're you implying!?"

Emilia pats her chest in relief. Arch yells, cursing the absurdity of it all. Emilia puts her finger to her lips and hums.

"I mean, I'll always think of you as a big brother...so you'll definitely say there was no helping today and forgive me, I think."

"Think damn what. Goddamn it... has no idea what I feel..." 

Arch mumbles his regrets while sinking his mouth into the water, spewing bubbles. Which means the latter of his statement drowns and Emilia does not hear it.

"And I came here to take a bath. Can I jump in next to you?" 

"Wha? I-Idiot, don't! Take a bath, in somewhere as open as this? Of course you can't! Be a little more discrete! Are you trying to be a child forever!?" 

"Nuhh..."

"No nuhhs!" 

"Wehh..." 

"No wehhs either!" 

Having readied herself to leap into the river, Emilia pouts at Arch's prohibition on bathing. She's not sure why he's so panicked, but either way Arch is being mean today. Maybe he's mad about slipping and falling in the river. 

"Arch, I'm sorry." 

 "Er, um... h-how come you're being so docile suddenly?" 

 "I thought maybe you really didn't like falling in. I'm sorry. So let me take a bath too. If I don't, Mother Fortuna won't let me eat."

"That's something a kid would think!" yells Arch, hands to his head. 

He stops dog paddling for an instant, and sinks into the water slightly. Meaning, for an instant, he takes his attention off Emilia. 

"Woo," 

"Ah!"

After her quiet cheer, sunlight skims across Emilia's eyelashes and she's falling. Her silver hair flutters out behind her as she shoots toes-first into the water. 

Emilia's contact with the water gives not a single unneeded splash as she sinks with shocking calm, reaching the bottom of the deep river. 

In the clear water, Emilia's open eyes sight the fish and water plants swaying in the current. Her foot contacts the river bottom. She savors the tickly feeling of sand as she ascends. Her face pops up beside Arch, 

"—Pahh," 

"No! Pahhs!" 

Emilia smooths her wet hair back, and backstrokes away from the yelling Arch. Arch furrows his brows, perhaps wanting to say more, but seems to guess that saying it won't stop Emilia anyway. He gives a deep sigh and goes around to behind Emilia.

"This feels nice, Arch." 

"Well you jumped in yourself so maybe it does for you. I got pushed in, and sprayed with water when you jumped in so I'm feeling terrible."

"Okay. I'm glad you're having fun too."

Arch was about to respond when then....

"Huma"

A ball of water launched itself at Arch's face as it messed up his hair and tied it so he would have even more trouble getting it off.

"WAHHH"

Arch screams from his sudden loss of vision as he desperately tries to untangle his hair.

A sound of laughter rang through the trees as Arch glares at the sound while Emilia's mood lifted tremendously knowing who that was.

"Alexis!"

Emilia swims to the shore as she ran ran dripping wet from the water to hug Alexis.

"Hey-Hey be careful! You should dry yourself first before hugging anyone!"

Alexis nevertheless returned the hug as Arch reached the shore and grabbed a towel for Emilia.

"You really are careless..." Arch said as he handed Emilia the towel after she stopped hugging Alexis. "You didn't bring a spare change of clothes and still jumped into the river."

"It's alright." Emilia responded as she dried off her hair. "Even if I do this all the time you'll make sure I'm fine!"

Emilia said this shamelessly as she took after the behavior of Alexis for that moment.

Arch just groaned before making his way to his clothes and moving away from them to change.

"You two can make your way back to the lake, I'm pretty sure Lady Fortuna will be there by now."

Alexis grabbed Emilia's hand as she took off running to the lake.

Emilia yelped at the speed Alexis was going before she noticed a very crucial element that she missed before.

"Alexis...your outfit."

"Yep! I'm in the Royal Guard now!"

"That's amazing! What's it like-"

Emilia was cut off as they reached the lake to find a man they both knew well. This man was sporting a rather tall and somewhat thin physique and lively brown eyes. His hair bore a shade of green and was evenly cut and tied into a ponytail. 

"Father Geuse!"