The clearing the group first arrived in had just come into view when they heard it. Those gargling shrieks and the screeching of metal could only mean one thing.
"Are you kiddin' me?! It's still coming! It pushed off all that weight!" Ace cried in disbelief. Sure enough, the mine monster was rapidly catching up to them, even going so far as to sprint almost like a wild animal, using its clawed hands for an extra boost.
"Ooooooooogh...! Giiive it baaaaack...!"
The five reached the clearing in a matter of seconds. The monster was quickly gaining ground on them, and they were running out of places to run to. Deuce glanced behind them and cursed.
"It's too fast! It's about to catch us!"
Yu skidded to a stop and turned to face the dripping beast.
"Then it's kill or be killed!"
Ace and Deuce copied his actions, followed by Grim a moment later. Ace pulled out his pen, already bracing himself.
"Aw, fine! Let's just smash the thing. Try not to wet yourself, Deucey!"
"Same to you, Ace!"
"I'm gonna show ya why they call me Grim the Great!"
Grim spat out a wave of blue flames, and the fight began.
Elle quickly looked around the clearing for anything she could possibly use as a weapon, but came up empty. She knew when she was a liability. Since neither she nor Yu could do anything in this fight except for get seriously injured, she decided it was best for the both of them to stay out of it. If things went poorly, someone needed to be able to carry the wounded. Her eyes immediately searched for Yu, and once she found him, she pulled him with her behind the other three.
"Huh...? Elle? Why are we...?"
"All we would be in that fight is an obstacle. Unless you can find a weapon that could actually hurt that thing, it's best for us to stay back."
Yu bit the inside of his cheek, the stress and frustration weighing on him. His next sentence came out more bitter than he intended.
"Weren't you the one refusing to let anyone go in front of you when we first saw it, though?"
Elle tried not to flinch. She should have expected he would be mad at her. She took a deep breath that came out more as a sigh. Apologies were never enough in her experience, so the safest option would be to run through her logic. Hopefully he would understand her reasoning and there would be no need to involve anything as abstract as emotions or morals in order to justify her actions. Her eyes were a little duller and her tone was monotone as she explained.
"Yeah. I didn't know what it was, I didn't know its strength or what it was capable of. At that point, the best strategy was to run, which I am the worst in the group at. Strategically, my being in the front would ensure the highest chance of survival for the group as a whole.
The difference here is that we have knowledge of what the monster is capable of, and a solid and feasible plan that we're working with. Those three aren't at each other's throats, and the monster is weaker. I don't just throw myself into harm's way to be a hero or anything. I'm just doing my best to keep us safe."
Yu wasn't exactly expecting a speech, but he supposed it did give him some insight as to how her mind worked. From what he could tell, she simply considered herself another variable. Her self worth wasn't high, but it wasn't low, either. It was...neutral. Detached. Needless to say, he didn't like that.
"I'd rather it never have to get to the point where you sacrifice yourself...but that's not really in my control, huh?"
A small silence fell over the two as they watched Ace duck under the slash of the monster's pickaxe and fire off a wind spell, redirecting a fireball that Grim sent hurtling past the ink creature around to hit it in the back of the head.
"....you really scared me when you disappeared like that, Elle. I thought we....I left you to die."
"You didn't. I've said it before, haven't I? I'm very good at going unnoticed. I've just learned to use that to my advantage. It isn't your fault. In fact, that just means I did my job well."
She paused. Not apologizing at all would put her in the wrong, right...? But, if she apologized and he used it as leverage against her... No. No, he wouldn't do that, would he? He didn't have a reason to. Even if he did, she could just not agree to whatever he wanted of her. Right. Apologizing wasn't dangerous, and it was the right thing to do. She swallowed thickly. Despite sincerely meaning it, it still took a great deal of effort to get the words out. Her voice was quieter than she intended.
".........I am sorry for worrying you, though."
She checked his body language for any reaction. His shoulders were a bit more relaxed now. That was a good sign. He still looked upset, though. Or...maybe he just looked exhausted? It was probably past 2 by this point, if she had to guess. Maybe it was both.
"It's just.....if you have a plan like that again, could you...tell me first?"
Elle glanced back over to the fight, mostly to avoid eye contact. Being able to slip away from situations was one of the few freedoms she had. She really didn't want to give it up.
"That would be risky. Making noise, sudden movement, even someone glancing in my direction could completely shatter any invisibility I've built. It happens depending on the situation, so I don't think I could reliably warn you beforehand."
Yu placed a hand to his chin, deep in thought. In the distance, the monster screamed as a red hot cauldron slammed onto its head.
"Oh! How about this? If you think you're going to disappear, tap me on the arm or something, if you can reach me. I'll try my best not to show it on my face, and I'll clench my fist or something to show you I felt it. Would that work?"
Elle thought about it for a moment. It would make sneaking off a bit harder, but it was better than being under constant surveillance... Besides, she figured he would probably try to do something reckless if she just told him to trust her.
"You don't have to give a signal back, and if I can't reach you I'm just gonna go, okay?"
Yu breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't perfect, but it was something.
"Alright, sounds good to me. You promise?"
Elle gave a small smile, trying her best to bury the pool of anxiety built from the weight of her next words. "......yeah, I promise."
"Good. That settles that then." There was a loud crash, and then a sudden wave of heat passed by, blowing Elle's hair into her face. She quickly began brushing her locks back into place with her fingers. Yu blinked. ".....How are those three are doing on the monster, by the way?"
Elle glanced over to the fight. The glass of the monster's head had become more warped and cracked since she last saw it. The three magicians themselves seemed to be doing alright, ignoring the fact that they looked absolutely exhausted. Scratch that; Deuce just tripped over Grim.
"They could probably use your advice, Mr. Tactician."
"What? Where did that nickname come from?"
"No offense to them, but I highly doubt those three could stop arguing long enough to put a decent strategy together. I'm betting that was you, right?"
"All offense to them, but it was like herding cats. I swear these guys are allergic to teamwork. I had to threaten them with your life."
"Ah, yeah. Involuntary manslaughter probably isn't a good mark to have on your record." She nodded.
"THAT'S what you're focusing on?!"
"Well I'm not going to assume they care about me! We literally met today."
"Well I care about you, and we met yesterday." Yu muttered. Elle waved her arm dismissively.
"That's because we nearly died."
Yu pointed at the monster silently.
"....and you have some semblance of morals."
"Fair point." Yu placed a hand on the back of his head. "Well, unfortunately they're my morally lacking idiots now. I guess I should go cheer them on or something. Maybe find a large rock to throw."
"Hey, that rock idea might actually work. Those guys have been casting spells for a while, so there has to be some rubble at this point. The glass jar looks pretty fragile now, too."
The brown haired boy chuckled lightly. "Seriously?! Okay, we're actually doing this then. I'll go and grab some ammunition for us. ...How has my life come to the point where I'm throwing rocks at unknown horrors?"
"I've given up on asking. Good luck, soldier."
He gave a salute to Elle before dashing off to complete his mission. Elle shook her head, a small, warm smile creeping onto her lips. Maybe trusting Yu would turn out alright. Of course, she couldn't trust him fully, but this much might just be okay.
Yu returned moments later with his arms full of rocks. He had an excited glint in his eyes. Seems like he really wanted to contribute to the fight. "Elle, do you think you could sneak us within range of that thing?"
Elle looked over at the fight, then analyzed the surrounding terrain.
"Hmmm....we'd have to go behind the cottage and into the woods to circle around to its right side. You alright with that?"
"As long as I get to throw a rock, I'm fine with anything." He said, smirking.
"Alright. Into the woods it is, then."
Elle went to take ahold of his wrist, but was mildly surprised when he reached out and took her hand instead. She didn't mind, as long as she wasn't invading his personal space, so she simply smiled over at him before pulling him along. Yu stared at the rocks in his arm with warm cheeks and a silly grin.
Completely oblivious, Elle focused on avoiding brittle branches and crunching leaves. She deftly guided the two of them through the brush, splitting her attention between her footing and the ink creature. Once they reached the closest point they could to the monster without being spotted, Elle released her hold after pulling Yu down to hide behind a bush. Yu was a little disappointed, but that was quickly outweighed by his excitement for throwing a rock at an inky abomination.
"Alright," Elle whispered, "this is as close as we can get. How many rocks do you have?"
"Seven. They're all about the size of a baseball though."
"Alright, I can take three then, since I don't have confidence I can accurately hit a moving target. We want to aim for the center of the spiderwebbing."
"The...the what?"
"The center of all the cracks. It looks like a spiderweb kinda, so..."
"Ah, got it."
Yu gently set down the rocks, experimentally tossing one in his hand. Elle picked one up herself, watching the ink creature intently as it thrashed about, wildly swinging its pickaxe at the three mages. As soon as its pickaxe slammed into the ground, Elle gave the signal.
"Now."
Almost in perfect sync, the two magicless teenagers lobbed their rocks at the hulking beast. The girl once again pulled her partner in crime back behind the bush before they could be spotted. The air went still as the shattering of glass was heard.
"......What the heck was that?!"
Elle looked over at Yu with wide eyes before peeking out from behind their cover. The monster was dissolving, ink spreading across the ground and evaporating into a charcoal smoke. The beast let out a final drowned cry before melting into the large pool of ink beneath it.
Yu quietly stood up, walking out of the brush. His eyes were fixed onto the puddle as he approached where the monster once stood. He didn't even notice the startled looks of Ace and the others. He looked at the puddle. He looked at his hand. Then back to the puddle. Slowly, he turned to look over at Elle, a grin rapidly growing on his face.
"That was so cool. I cannot believe that worked."
If anyone were to claim that Ace jumped once Yu stepped into the clearing, he would vehemently deny it. He, Deuce, and Grim were all breathing heavily, exhausted from both the amount of running around and the amount of magic they just used. Deuce was busy catching his breath, but Ace looked from the rapidly shrinking puddle over to the magicless boy.
"Did you just.....?"
Elle stepped out from the bushes behind him, an amazed smile on her lips.
"Nice shot, Yu. I don't think it's getting up again."
Grim was the first to speak up. He experimentally batted at the ink a couple times.
"I think....we won? I think we did it!"
Deuce was quick to snap out of his stupor at the revelation. A wide smile spread on his face. "All right!"
"Woohoo!" Ace cheered, running up to Yu to rattle him like a maraca. Deuce was quick to follow. The scene was so odd, Elle couldn't help but snicker quietly to herself. Yu stared over at her, betrayed. She simply shook her head and shrugged.
Luckily for Yu, Grim ran up to the group, sufficiently distracting them from shaking the magicless boy.
"Gimme a victory high five!"
"Yeah!"
The two first years were quick to comply. Yu also joined in, mostly because he was still riding the high of landing the final blow. Elle watched from a distance.
Honestly, she wasn't upset or anything. She was happy they were getting along. She just didn't want to intrude on their moment. Still with a smile on her face, she quietly made her way back to where she had stashed the magestone before circling the beast. She lifted it up, shifting it in her arms a little, before making her way back to the group.
"Y'know... I hate to admit it, but... We mostly won because of your plan. And the rock. I still can't believe that thing was finished off by a ROCK. Seriously, of all things..."
Elle blinked. Was Ace having a redemption arc? Good for him. She definitely didn't expect the boy to apologize or anything, but showing proper credit was a step in the right direction, so she would take it. Maybe he was worth protecting.
"Yeah..." Deuce nodded in agreement, "If you hadn't managed to knock us back to our senses and tell us all what to do, we never would have gotten this magestone, and..." this eyes flicked over to Elle for a moment. "...I'm just glad everyone's safe."
Oh. So that's what Yu meant. Elle really hadn't expected anyone to notice she was gone until she returned successful. She'd never considered that others would blame themselves for her actions.
...it was kind of annoying.
"I figured it was Yu that came up with the plan." She sighed, quietly pushing that thought into the back of her brain.
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!" Ace cried.
"I mean, you seem like the scheming type, Ace, but no way would you have been able to stop arguing long enough to try to convince the others to go along with anything you put together. Deuce was fully intending to go in alone, and Grim's library of strategies includes 'set it on fire' and 'wing it'." Elle shrugged. Yu smiled smugly at the other three. Grim looked appalled and offended, Deuce looked like a scolded puppy, and Ace looked like a child who was just told 'we have food at home'. He huffed, crossing his arms stubbornly.
"Yeah, yeah, teamwork makes the dream work, lessons were learned, et cetera. Can we just go home already? I'm wiped."
"Usin' all that magic made me hungry!" Grim agreed.
That reminded Elle, she still had to figure out what to do for meals tomorrow. They had all already skipped dinner, too busy looking for a magestone, and they couldn't survive off of apples forever. .....technically, she hadn't clocked out yet, so she should still be getting paid. She turned to Ace.
"Hey, what day is it?"
Ace blinked, pulling out his phone to check. "Uhh....Well, it's past midnight, so now it's Tuesday, September fourth." Elle's eyes widened. September fourth? That meant Marie's birthday was tomorrow. Technically hers as well, since they were twins, but she always considered it to be more a day for Marie, who actually had friends to spend it with.
"Cool, thanks. Crowley says we get paid on Mondays, and none of us have clocked out, so."
Ace let out an amused huff. "Well, at least you're getting paid for almost dying. I just wanna take a nap."
"Technically it would just be sleeping at that point, considering it's almost morning." Elle corrected.
"A really long nap."
"...You know what? Sure. You're technically correct." Elle said exasperatedly.
"Technically correct is the best kind of correct to be~!" He sang.
A third voice interrupted their conversation.
"That...was AMAZING!"
"Hello...?" Elle turned to the source of the noise, only to see Deuce concernedly watching as Yu shook Grim, seemingly trying to get something out of his mouth.
"...good lord what is happening in there."
Ace shrugged, looking at the scene with a mix of curiosity and amusement. "Grim probably ate some trash off the ground."
"Well, if he dies, that's on him."
That got a startled laugh out of Ace. "Seriously? You know, you can be surprisingly cold sometimes."
"Can I? I just don't think it's worth butting into someone's decisions if they clearly don't want to stop. It's not my business if someone insists on shooting themself in the foot. Repeatedly. I'm not about to babysit anybody."
"So if they DO want out, you'll help?"
"If I can."
"Even if you don't like them?"
"It might help me in the long run."
"That's weird. You're weird. I guess it does help with your whole 'sticking to the shadows' thing. Maybe." He wrapped an arm around Elle's shoulder to whisper to her conspiratorially. "I think...You should punch people when you're mad at them."
Elle pushed his face away. "No, that would immediately put me in the wrong, and then I wouldn't have any leverage."
"Yeah, but it would be funny!" He said, leaning his weight onto her outstretched hand. Elle leveled a deadpan stare at him.
"...I'm not above dropping you."
"Boo, you're no fun." He pouted, reluctantly stepping away from her.
"I may be boring, but that just means no one will try to mess with me."
"Nah, I think I'm going to out of spite."
"Oh, screw you."
Ace opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by Yu whacking him in the back of the head.
"Ow! What the heck, Yu?"
Yu just shot him a flat look before smiling over at Elle. "You've got the magestone, right? We're ready to head back."
Elle nodded, smiling softly. "Alright. Let's head back before the crow decides we just died in the mine."
Ace pouted, rubbing the back of his head as he watched Yu pull Elle away. He turned to Grim, tilting his head in the direction of the magicless duo.
"What, does he think he's her guardian now? Just because he can plan a little bit and throw rocks..."
"Hmph! They're both MY henchmen! He's just way too protective! He won't even let me stay in her room, even though her bed is probably sturdier than the one in his! It's cruel, I tell ya!"
"Mmm, I think I can kinda see where he's coming from on that one..." Ace mumbled. Whatever. It wasn't like he was all that upset about it. Wasn't like he was actually enjoying the conversation before it got interrupted. Wasn't like he was curious about her or anything. Definitely.
...
He decided to stop thinking about it.
~~~
(Edit: not me realizing way too late that I got the wrong date. Oops.)
Ace said it was his turn on the character focus. Yu was not very appreciative.
Can you tell I really like exploring Ellinor's mindset? Because I do. She is full of so much love yet she trusts literally nobody. She'll get there eventually, I promise.
We're almost done with the prologue! Yaaaaay! Honestly was worried my motivation wouldn't last until the Heatslabyul arc, but we're almost there!
Thank you for being patient as I deal with the change in routine and such. Everything is finally starting to wind down, so I should be able to write consistently again soon.
As I expected, I'm going to have to move updates to Thursday or Friday, I haven't decided yet. If any of you have a preference, please let me know!
Alrighty, I'll see y'all sometime next week!
Stay healthy!
~Astroleap