Entwined | 𝘠𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳 𝘍𝘢𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘤

Helpless

Elle.

Liam tried to lock eyes with his sister, who was screaming at Yami and shaking. She looked so cold— not on the outside— but on the inside. Desperate.

Their family had always looked different, with dark, hollow eyes and bony cheeks, but he'd never seen his sister like this. The Elle he knew loved to play in the snow, she'd stay outside until her cheeks were frostbitten and her eyelashes frozen into shimmering curls. She always smiled outdoors, not scowled as she was now.

One of the golems leapt at Yami, who was currently holding Liam by the collar, and Liam flinched. Despite loving his sister, his frost magic could do nothing to stop her monstrous creations. When had she learned to bring her sculptures to life?

Just when he thought the golem's torso would smash into his head, Yami protected Liam by slicing the behemoth in half. That man sure knew his way around with a sword. Without the Captain's protection, Liam couldn't have ever made it to Elle's side, and a part of him hoped that would make a difference. That she would listen, if he was the one to talk to her, but the agitation riling up the snow around her was no good sign.

"I'll give you Albina! Take her and leave! Leave the village to me!" Elle shouted.

What was she saying? "Give" Albina, like she was in Elle's possession? Until this afternoon, Liam had assumed both girls had been taken by a third party. After sensing his sister's mana in the golems, he worried she was fighting for her life. Instead, he found himself in the middle of a battleground between the rescuers and the supposed victim.

"Where is Albina, Elle?" Liam called out to her.

Yami had tried reasoning with Elle already, and they saw how well that went down. If those two used the sword instead of words, this forest wasn't the only thing that would end up wounded. The one thing Liam did know about his sister was how stubborn she could get, often refusing to listen to anyone. Except him, on the rare occasion.

"Promise me the Magic Knights will leave, then I'll tell you," Elle replied.

"They are only here to help," Liam said. "Captain Yami is right, you're putting me and everyone in the village at risk. You have to stop."

Unsatisfied by his answer, Elle switched to address Yami. "Give me my brother, and I'll send him back with Albina— once I see that you have left."

"Not gonna happen," Yami replied as he sidestepped the swinging arm of a golem. Without the intended impact, the icy beast fell forward and almost crashed into Elle. "Here's how this works. You either surrender willingly, or I make you. We will find Albina, and we will stop your attack."

"You and the one other mage who can stand up to my army? I won't surrender," Elle spat. "I doubt that porcelain doll of a Magic Knight Captain is worth anything, so you're the only real threat here. I'll show everyone not to disrespect the mountain!" As she finished the toppled golem at her feet rose, now twice it's original height and girth, towering over Liam and Yami.

"Please Elle," Liam tried again. "I see it, too, but If we explain—"

"You dare insult Captain Charlotte to my face?" Yami cut Liam off with a growl. His aura tripled in size and pure, unadulterated power poured out.

Liam wasn't sure which was more frightening, the mega-golem or Captain Yami.

"If she's so impressive, then where is she now? Comforting the helpless villagers by showing off her pathetic beauty?" Elle's eyes laughed at the intimidating man in front of her.

Liam froze, incapacitated by the extremity of the situation. His sister had withered away, replaced by a shell of self-loathing and helplessness disguised as self-righteousness. Elle didn't care if she was insulting Yami's comrade, but what she didn't know was she had insulted his woman. Liam had picked up on Yami and Charlotte's affections from watching them interact that morning, and if Captain Yami had been upset before, he was fully enraged now.

Yami's hold on Liam's shirt released as he took the katana in both hands. Though his heart pounded with fear, Liam knew it was now or never. If one of them had to die, which looked unavoidable at this point, he'd sacrifice himself to save his sister. No matter how illogical Elle acted, he'd always protect her. His frost magic momentarily froze both Yami's and Elle's feet to the ground, and he ran, weaving between the legs of the golem guarding Elle.

"Captain Charlotte wants to save you as much as I do, Elle." He threw his arms around her in an embrace. "She's fending off your army to protect the village on the front lines, the strongest mage I've ever seen. She's not proud or stuck up... Elle, even though Captain Charlotte's never met you, she loves you. I love you."

He braced for the stinging slice of Yami's wrath, but it never came. Then, air was squeezed out of him as vines constricted around his chest, binding him and Elle together. A loud crack followed by a hefty thud signified the doom of the mega-golem. Forced to admit defeat, Elle trembled, then went limp. She sobbed into his shoulder as the rest of her golems fell to their knees.

A/n: Heyyy guysss. That was intense, but I love writing a protective Yami 🥰

So, in the next date I'm going to have another (small) formal gathering of all the squads! Any couples or characters you want featured? Thanks again for all your support!