Shien te Luiex
~ Wings of Grace ~
~ Wings of Grace ~
Hello's. ^_^
I'm back with another oneshot, it seems. This one is based on a game called Tales of the Elements that a friend of mine, Kazea, is making. You've probably already read her oneshots (Leisurely Break and Summer Visit)on it, but if you haven't I'd highly recommend them. They're too good to miss out on. ^_^
Here's the url to where I uploaded Kazea's PowerPoint file, so you can look through it for information if you want:
http://crescentlightchronicles.webs.com/featureditems.htm
This is my first side-oneshot for TotE, so I'm hoping that you'll enjoy it.
Characters/World are (c) to Kazea Tetsujen.
~ ~ ~
General Information
Pairings: (Implied) Kazea x Kai
Length: 11 pages / 5077 words
Game-Base: Tales of the Elements
Genre: Fantasy-Action-Romance
Rating: K+
~ ~ ~
(Sorry for not including a summary on this one, I'm not good at them with oneshots, XD.)
"Shien te Luiex"
~ Wings of Grace ~
(One year prior to current year)
Kai Animus: 16
Kazea Tetsujen: 15
A cool evening breeze slowly drifted through Tresgard, toying with the lush viridian turf and vivid flowers that speckled the town. The setting sunlight danced across the canals of clear water, turning it a sparkling golden hue. The heels of Kazea's boots clicked against the hard path that wove through the streets of the town, head tilted back slightly as the refreshing wind swept through her hip length mint colored tresses. A small sigh of simple contentment escaped the Demi-human's lips, absently stretching as she walked.
She paused, the steady, rhythmic pattern of other's footsteps suddenly reached her ears. The young woman paused, turning. Her jade green eyes seemed to sparkle in the fading sunlight, brightened at the sight of whom was approaching her. "Hello, Kai," Kazea murmured, smiling at the black clad swordsman.
The persisting breeze continued to tug at their garments, causing his ebony cape to ripple steadily as he walked. "You always seem notice me no matter what, don't you, Kazea?" he queried quietly, offering a smile as well in greeting. His pale cerulean gaze even reflected the smile on his lips, though almost hidden by his onyx locks and fringe. Crimson touched the pale Demi-human's cheeks, her gaze falling to the ground. "No, its fine," he quickly assured her, his tone somewhat prompting. "Your senses are just more acute, I'm sure."
Kazea glanced up, hesitating. "I suppose that's true," she mumbled, fingering the material of her white cloak.
"So, where are you headed from?" Kai tried again, falling in stride next to the female Demi-human as she continued walking. The young man's gaze continued to follow her, causing her own to fall self consciously to the ground again.
She shrugged, adjusting her soft blue-green wings on her back to a more comfortable position, but also gesturing to the scythe slung across it. "I had to get my scythe tempered, as well as whetted," the Gatherer-in-training said quietly, watching the cobblestones as they moved, resting her palm against the smooth aquamarine blue painted harp that was attached to her belt.
"Taking care of your weapon is a must. It's good that you're consistent," Kai acknowledged, his tone both practical and somewhat appraising. The human's wrapped hand touched one of the two steel hilts tucked in his belt, the regularly tended metal somewhat warm from being against his the material of his black tunic.
"Yes," Kazea said softly, clasping her hands in front of her. She paused after a moment, her gaze flicking to the evening sky. Varying hues of blue and streaks of lavender were now laying claim to the cooling amber swath, the few clouds a brilliant array of colors. "… Were you training?" she queried, mildly curious as she glanced over at him.
Kai shrugged, before nodding. "Yeah, I was. I'm glad I ran into you, though. Is your moron of a Sensei finally gone?"
The mint haired maiden flushed. "… Yes …" she whispered, her eyes falling to the path again. The female Demi-human suddenly winced, a sharp gasp jolted from her as a faint ‘thud' was audible. Pain radiated from between her wings, immediately causing the duo to pivot.
An animal growl was seemingly torn from Kai's throat, his vivid cerulean eyes flashing when he saw the rough stone that had fallen next to Kazea after contact. He kicked the offensive rock away, the heels of his black boots clicking on the path when he rebalanced himself. A strangled oath escaped his lips when he saw the brown and black clad young man facing them, his eyes narrowing. "You have a lot of nerve, Mavrick," he snarled, moving in front of the female Dragon Demi-human.
Mavrick chuckled, amused. He continually tossed the new rock in his gloved hand, catching it repeatedly. "What's wrong, lapdog? Gonna to tear my arm off for that?" he chided tauntingly, drawing out the mock nickname. His liquid brown eyes were all but soft, a hardened sheen on them as he glared at the duo.
"I'm surprised you don't learn, after so many times. It's hard to believe you're so dense," the onyx tressed swordsman hissed, venom dripping from his tone. His fingers had subconsciously curled around both of the slender short sword hilts, even drawing both up an inch to reveal the gleaming steel blades. They shone almost a coppery-gold, the well polished and whetted surface easily reflecting the sky.
"As if I'm dense? You're at that mutt's beck and call," the brown haired youth scoffed, disgusted. "And I think it's about time that half breed is taken care of," Mavrick added coolly, eyes tapering.
Kai's jaw clenched, his pale cerulean gaze quickly moving around them. The lumbering shadows of Mavrick's so called friends were appearing in all directions, almost like trained beasts. Ignorant, but regular. He slowly shifted his weight, his hands slipping from the pommels of his weapons to hang laxly at his sides. Though the swordsman's well built frame was tensed slightly, his expression was oddly calm. Anger flitted through his composed demeanor, clearly beginning to lose the inner struggle of controlling himself.
The additional four had positioned themselves in a tight ring, their eyes alone making it clear they were going to relish what was about to happen. Kai suppressed a groan, well wearied of the predicament already. His gaze flicked back to Maverick, all too aware of the steady glares they were receiving. Kazea was now standing closer to him, almost directly against his back. A faint whimpering sound was audible from the female Demi-human. As timid as she was, one of her hands had even curled into the dark material of his cape. Kai's own gaze edged yet again, now returning his icy glower to the entire group. His self control was beginning to diminish, raw anger slowly becoming evident as an almost rolling broil in his eyes. He couldn't let them hurt her. "Coward," the swordsman spat.
They lunged.
Kai immediately sidestepped, moving onto the balls of his feet for better balance. A clenched fist flew past his head, a slight breeze following the swift motion. The swordsman quickly threw his other arm out for balance, as well as to block their reach of Kazea. He instantly lashed out when one of Mavrick's supposed ‘allies' overstepped themselves. Seeing them falter, Kai swept his leg underneath both of the lunks under balanced legs, succeeding in jerking a startled gasp from Samuel as he landed on his back, only the unyielding cobblestone greeting him.
The black clad swordsman swiftly turned upon hearing footsteps behind him, sharply unsheathing his Twin Blades. A long, curved cutlass suddenly clashed with his now crossed weapons. Kazea continued to follow behind him, at least making Kai's self assigned task simpler as the sword continued to press against his dual weaponry. The well polished steel of his almost falchion-like swords glinted as he threw all of his weight behind them, causing Mavrick to stumble back in surprise.
A jian suddenly swept past Kai's shoulder when he shifted his weight, causing him to stiffen. The thin bladed sword which he recognized as Mitchell's gleamed under the fading amber light, and was instantaneously thrusted at his shoulder again; hoping to reduce him to using a single weapon. Kai sidestepped once more, sharply bringing one of his swords down to avoid his opponent's steel. The Guardian finally lashed out in attack as he glanced over his targeted shoulder, tensing further when Baistan suddenly jerked Kazea away. The unyielding hilt of his blade connected with Mitchell's forehead, a faint moan audible. He then dropped like a sack of wet sand, sprawling on the cobblestone. His weapon clattered across the stone, making it clear Mitchell was rendered unable to battle for a time.
Heat flared into life mere feet from Kai's face, causing focus to move towards Mavrick again. His Fire Element was now licking at the air, fed by the wind and his sheer dislike. His cynical brown eyes almost appeared glassy from the usage of it, the leaping flames reflecting in his eyes.
Kai suddenly gasped, the breath knocked out of him as a hard pole collided with his side. He cursed under his breath, which was now coming in ragged gasps as he tried to straighten. The young human's usually bright eyes were now swirling with his Darkness, aura matching that of a raven's wings beginning to appear around him. "… I see you finally caught your wind, Samuel," Kai hissed, pressing his forearm over his now aching side. The Darkness around him was now curling around his Twin Blades, ostensibly just as angry as their user.
In response, a white-silver aura flared around the poleaxe that was now in Samuel's grip. His own brown eyes were narrowed in return, combating Kai's currently midnight blue ones. "About time we put you out of your misery, lapdog," the Light wielder snapped, gripping the cool pole section with both hands now.
"Just try to," the swordsman countered coldly, slipping into an offensive stance once more as Mavrick vanished from sight. His eyes were almost entirely black, only the faintest hint of blue remaining in his now midnight depths; making it clear that his Element was barely being controlled, despite its present appearance. Both warriors lunged, sharply bringing their weapons into an all out clash. Ebony and ivory auras blazed against each other, battling for supremacy.
Kazea's jade eyed gaze followed the duel as she managed to slip away from Bastian's reach, swallowing. "Kai, watch out!" she gasped when the Light suddenly leapt at her swordsman companion. A gale of viridian wind burst forth from the Dragon Demi-human, her eyes deepening to a luminescent emerald as the magic was expelled from her petite frame. The effect was instantaneous as it connected, throwing the poleaxe wielder off balance.
Pain suddenly exploded in her head, the mint haired female instinctively throwing out her hands and extending her wings to break her fall. Hard stone slapped against her palms, hands stinging from the impact as blistering heat appearing next to her. Kazea tensed, quickly folding her wings closer to her body at the intensity of it.
"I've been looking forward to this for a long time, mongrel," Mavrick growled, his iron grip closing around her shoulder. The Fire swordsman brought his blazing weapon closer, pointedly allowing the leaping flames to nearly brush her garments. He smirked when his actions produced a faint whimper from the Dragon Demi-human, before ramming the hilt of his weapon between her wings.
She gasped, eyes watering in agony. Kazea scrambled to her feet, the heels of her white boots clicking on the stone beneath their feet as she extended her wings. Even through the coming darkness, dual daggers were visible to her. The steadily appearing stars caused both short, curved blades to gleam slightly, turning an alloy color. She swallowed, a single glance over her wing making it clear they were closing her space. The mint haired female hesitated, before dropping into a brief crouch—and sprung.
"You're not getting out of this that easily, you half breed," Mavrick snapped, immediately lunging after the petite Demi-human. Before she could even manage an adequate distance, the masculine human's form barreled into her, grappling her back to the ground as undiluted agony tore through the sensitive edges of her left wing.
Kazea's head almost automatically bowed from it, her quickened breath now coming in shuddering gasps, the cobblestone wavering in her line of vision. It was seemingly waving like the water in the canal, her petite form trembling when the human finally released his grip on her forcefully folded wing. "Kazea! You have to fight back this time! Don't let that bas-" Kai's voice resonated through the now night sky, cut off by a grunt of pain. An amused chuckle soon followed, as well as chiding from Mavrick's friends.
The female tensed once again when she heard footsteps, jerking the scythe off her back in one fluid motion as she forced herself to stand. Her balance wavered slightly, both of her wings now throbbing as result of even one being roughly handled. Kazea winced as she shifted their position on her back, an almost dizzying wave of pain rolling over her once more as she adjusted her grip on the smooth black wood.
"So, you think you can battle us— and win?" Bastian's familiar drawl curled through the cooling air from behind her, sending a shiver equally familiar fear down her spine. The Light wielder's daggers were now glowing, visible outside the corner of her eye.
Kazea remained silent, trying to still her continued trembling. Her grip tightened on the polished wood, raising her gleaming weapon. "… If I must …" she whispered, not trusting herself to speak louder.
Mavrick smirked at her tone, noting the hesitancy and slight waver in it. "Then we execute you like the beast you are," he said coolly, leveling his blazing weapon at her. The leaping flames leaped at the night sky, its vibrant orange glow cutting through the darkness that oftentimes deterred human eyes.
The jade eyed female winced, her pupils retracting to mere vertical slits at the sudden brightness. Yet the iris around those slits suddenly began glowing, the usually soft hue harshening to a luminescent emerald once more. A viridian aura suddenly flared around the scythe, steadily strengthening.
Raw hatred was visible in Mavrick's hardened umber gaze, his intent long clear. The Fire swordsmen lunged, his grip on the blazing cutlass as he moved.
Kazea immediately sidestepped, sharply raising her now shimmering scythe. Blistering heat passed by again, narrowly avoiding the material of her white cloak as Mavrick turned. His sword clashed against her curved weapon, the sheer force of his charge knocking the lithe Demi-human back several steps. She stumbled as she attempted to regain her balance, bringing up her own weapon in turn.
Steel clashed, orange sparks dotting the cobblestone. The Fire Element only seemed more powerful, Kazea's Wind Element only feeding his flames of dislike. She quickly took another step back, unable to fully combat his physical poweress. Kazea tensed, lashing out in attack. Her glowing scythe collided with the still blazing sword. Scarlet and viridian aura flared challengingly, fragments of it slipping away from the weapons. Bits soon vanished, others falling to the ground, providing a faint glow for the remaining warriors and the single magus. The Dragon Demi-human suddenly jumped back, horizontally bringing her scythe across the floating wisps when Mavrick made move to follow her. A powerful gust of wind burst forth, sweeping through the entire street.
Her attack succeeded in jerking a startled gasp from Mavrick as it connected, causing the swordsman to slide back several feet. He swore, digging his sword's blade into the cobblestone to maintain his balance. "… Behold, my power over wind," Kazea whispered, her glowing emerald gaze focused on the umber eyed warrior.
"Hmph, the power of a half breed," Bastian suddenly scoffed, startling the female out of her focus; the male lashing out in attack.
Another wave of dizzying pain rolled over Kazea, the mint haired maiden staggering as her eyes reverted to jade once more. She swallowed, trying to bite back a cry of agony as the human's grip twisted her right wing. Faint whimpers were audible from the Demi-human as she was reduced to remaining on her hands and knees, her vision spinning. Kazea gasped when the strength of the grip doubled, another human's warmth added. A hot tear of undiluted anguish slid down her cheek.
"I think it's high time we finish this," Mavrick growled, touching the tip of his heated blade to Kazea's unprotected throat. It opened a small gash directly above her collarbone, caused by the petite female's trembling. Scarlet sizzled as it seeped onto the sword, flowing steadily despite the shallowness of the wound.
A familiar human's voice suddenly cut across her pain-racked thoughts, livid cursing audible. Her eyes clenched shut, fingers curling into fists against the cobblestone as a powerful wave of Darkness washed over them. Both excruciating grips on her wing suddenly loosened as the sword vanished from her throat, several cries of similar agony and astonishment jolted from her aggressors. Thick black thorns suddenly coiled up within a foot of Kazea, rapidly growing to produce a shield. Her head bowed as the gash continued to flow, several locks of mint colored hair falling over her shoulder as the thick crimson substance dripped onto the ground.
Yet faintly catching Kai's scent, she could hear the folds of his cape whipping with the natural breeze. Kazea swallowed painfully, resisting the urge to extend her wings in attempt to relieve the steady ache—resisting the urge to flee.
She forced herself to glance up as a grayish light began seeping through the holes in the shield, casting the slightest of shadows. Whilst many sets of feet were audible, almost sounding as if they were limping away, an exchange was still drifting to her ears. Steel crossed a final time, before a strangled oath of disgust was suddenly spat out. Her head immediately bowed once more as the shield vanished in wisps of aura, two sets of booted feet moving.
A shudder coursed through her petite form when a masculine hand touched her shoulder, trembles once more racking her frame. Kai's vivid blue eyes softened, losing their hardened sheen of anger as he knelt next to the shivering Gatherer. "… Kazea … It's all right," he whispered, soothingly rubbing her shoulder. The female Demi-human remained silent, as if not having heard him. A gusty sigh escaped the black clad swordsman's lips, anger briefly flitting through his gaze at the cause of Kazea's reaction. Though they had retreated nursing their wounded pride, the aftereffects were all too clear. "Come on … Let's go," he said quietly, gently reaching around her still folded wings to encircle her shoulders.
Kai hesitated when she remained unmoving for a moment, a faint smile appearing on his lips when she finally nodded. The young man reluctantly released his grip when she shakily pushed herself up, feeling her wings push against his arm. Pain briefly crossed the jade eyed female's expression as she fully extended them, the soft blue green hue of her wings somewhat darker from the lack of sunlight, but the apparent damage was clear. Kai's jaw clenched, seeing that the usually invisible tendons in her wings were now faintly visible. Particularly where Mavrick's last hold was, the shifting shades of her scales clearly darkened beyond lack of light; the Dragon equivalent of a bruise, perhaps?
The swordsman's eyes briefly slid closed, suppressing a sigh of irritation. They had been goading, even harming Kazea, since he had arrived in Tresgard years ago, and even long before that. Yet she had done nothing to encourage their ill tempers, and instead had only attempted to ignore them. Surely her linage alone would not incur such wrath? It seemed he alone found her differences were not a curse, but a boon. Even so, the Demi-human herself insisted that they were unsightly.
He glanced at Kazea as he opened his eyes again, hurriedly moving to catch up with her. Though that in itself was not a difficult feat what with the unsteady pace she was in, it was obvious even that small resistance she had chance to offer had drained her. Exhaustion lined her movements, the Dragon Demi-human's wings now retracted back against her cloak. Whilst the details of her wings were now hidden, little could be done about the almost jade-like horns that emerged from the tops of her mint colored tresses. They were rather small, giving the appearance of not something threatening, but something that was almost admirable.
Kai smiled slightly, falling in step next to his female companion. But paused, noticing her balance waver. He hesitated as a slight crimson flush spread in his features, before scooping the petite young woman off her feet. That motion caused the half-asleep Demi-human to jerk fully awake, trembles once again coursing through her in astonishment; Which was certainly not helped when she noticed her position, now cradled in his arms. Scarlet flooded her expression. "H-hey, Kai!" Kazea protested, almost instinctively struggling against his gentle hold as if acting on her draconic instincts.
"… I don't want you to fall and get hurt. You're obviously having trouble moving," Kai said quietly, staring straight ahead as he walked, feeling the crimson in his face only intensify.
"W-why do you always do this! …A-aren't I heavy? You could fall," she objected quietly, her voice trembling, still unaccustomed to such close contact.
The black clad swordsman chuckled slightly, shaking his head at her question. "Kazea, no matter how many times you use that excuse, you should know by now that I have no trouble lifting you. You're very light. It'll be fine," Kai assured her, smiling.
"… A-alright," the Demi-human stammered, quickly looking away from his face. A small sigh escaped Kai's lips, pausing when he noticed that the steadily flowing river had broken off of the canal and had joined the path, the outskirts of furthering buildings indicating he was close to the desired area. The clear water shimmered under the moonlight, framed by the lush green turf that surrounded it, waving in the cool breeze that now toyed with their hair and garments. Kazea's head lightly touched his arm as she leaned it back, thoroughly enjoying the slightest breath of wind. The gentle caress of the natural Element drifted through the area, rustling the almost emerald leaves overhead.
The roaring of the great falls soon welcomed the pair with open arms, the cascade of water gracefully dancing over the edge of the jagged cliff. Once near the marble stairs leading down to the Restoration Shine, Kai abruptly turned and slinked between some trees. The heels of his boots clicked on the hard forest path as he turned to follow the now innate winding trail, inwardly shrugging. Upon glancing down, he saw that the mint haired maiden's brow had arched, curious. "… I think it would be good, to see how the spot is doing," he offered by way of explanation, his soft tone carrying the slightest hint of curiosity. The undeniable sound of the waterfall was still reaching their ears, the trees around them clearly well nurtured by the river. A thick swath leaves half blocked out the moon, lining the whole side of the path as it seemed to shrink before them.
"… It has been a while," Kazea finally murmured, shifting self-consciously when Kai adjusted his hold as they continued to move deeper into the treeline. The celestial light that managed to slip through the trees danced across the foliage and roots, making the water droplets on them gleam. The Guardian's footsteps were faintly audible to the duo as he moved through the trees, his eyes sweeping over the dimly lit area, the Darkness wielder walking as if undeterred by the lack of light. The hem of his cape brushed over the thin fern leaves as he walked, causing them to rustle in his wake.
Kai continued to wade through the now thinning sea of green, though aware of Kazea's now trying to adjust her wings again. The soft, yet misplaced scales rubbed against the wrappings on his arms, some clearly catching on it. He hesitated, realizing his hold might be irritating them further. "I think we're almost there," he sighed, his voice somewhat weighted at the thought of causing pain to her.
She nodded after a moment, ceasing the movement of her wings as she realized he'd noticed. Her fading flush had deepened again; a single glance up at his almost azure eyes telling her of his concern. The jade eyed female's gaze paused when they emerged from the trees, the full moon casting its pale light across the entire clearing. It reflected in her eyes, which were now almost transfixed on the celestial sphere. Kazea was startled out of her almost odd point of focus when she felt her Guardian lowering her to the ground, soft grass tickling where bare skin emerged.
The young man quickly scrutinized her, his eyes halting at the slight red stain at the nape of her cloak. "… Are you alright, Kazea?" Kai inquired softly, gently pulling the edge down.
"I-I'm fine," she immediately insisted, the crimson in her expression now contrasting heavily with her mint colored locks and jade stare. The mint haired maiden scooted back slightly as the clasp of her cloak came undone, uncomfortably aware of her human companion's gaze. "Y-you know I heal quickly," she protested when Kai lightly tested the now miniscule gash with his fingertips.
He glanced up, a small sigh escaping his lips. "Even so," Kai said quietly, dropping his hand. "Kazea, this is my fault. I wasn't fast enough," the swordsman said bluntly, avoiding her gaze. The young man pushed himself up after a moment, walking around the female Demi-human. Kai's eyes halted on Kazea's now unfurling wings as she attempted to stretch them while shrugging off her cloak, in attempt to relieve their obvious soreness. He lowered himself to the ground, causing the jade eyed female to twist in response to his movements. "… Is it okay if I …?" the young Darkness warrior queried after a moment, his voice trailing off as he tenderly touched his fingertips to an uninjured section of her soft wing to finish his question.
Kazea nodded shyly, before extending her wings once again. She sighed out loud, stretching her arms out in front of her before stifling a yawn with the back of her hand. It was unfortunate, that she had such little stamina. A faint smile dawned her face when a warm touch brushed her wings again, lightly sweeping over the miniscule scales.
Kai gently ran his palms down the delicate limbs, brushing the misplaced scales that caught against his movements back into place. Each individual yet near invisible scale slid against his unwrapped fingers, which were carefully trailing down her wing periodically. Rather unlike the hard, smooth scales of normal dragons; Kazea's were as velvety as a short haired pelt; almost similar to a bird's down, perhaps. He faltered upon reaching the darkened area of her scales, before slowly trying to brush the highly irritated and darkened scales back into place. The Gatherer winced, almost instinctively bringing the wing closer to her body. Kazea inhaled, unfurling her wing a third time.
The black clad swordsman carefully continued tending her wings after a moment of hesitance, making smaller motions on the darkened areas. His cerulean eyes traveled over the blue and green hues, noting each discoloration from where the aquamarine and jade colors faded into one another. Kai's blush, if possible, only deepened when she further extended her almost butterfly-like wings against his touch; yet Kazea herself seemed unaware of doing so. He swallowed, before complying to her silent request as he continued. The clearly strained tendons were slowly beginning to vanish from sight with each passing over them, a faint feline-like sound becoming audible.
A smile touched his lips, Kazea's purr becoming more distinct when he finished smoothing the irritated scales as well. The familiar draconic cooing was comforting to hear after what had happened, a soft happy rumble added to her Dragon half's approval. It at least let him know that she hadn't been extensively harmed from the encounter. Kazea was now leaning back into the process of tending, the steady purr only becoming louder despite her head being bowed.
Kai's steady gaze fell back to his hands, another gust of cool air drifting through the trees. It blew across the clearing, idly playing with their natural tresses. Her wings were almost luminescent under the celestial light that bathed the area, the soft scales almost shimmering. Though some areas were bruised as result of the battle, the delicate pair remained a feature not to be scoffed. "… They're beautiful …" Kai murmured out loud, his voice barely perceptible. He stiffened when Kazea tensed; realizing his thought had accidentally slipped.
The Elementalist immediately twisted, folding her wings against her back self-consciously. "W-what?" Kazea stammered, hesitantly meeting his flustered cerulean gaze.
He reluctantly held her puzzled stare, knowing that she clearly though her wings were all but. It seemed she was more confused about his comment than anything else though, clearly disbelieving. Kai sighed, staring down into her eyes. "… They are," he repeated quietly, lightly placing his wrapped palm over her hand. Kazea's brow arched, glancing over her shoulder at her wings as if to check, before returning her eyes to him. Kai's fingers curled around her smaller hand when utter incredulity reentered her eyes, his grip just tight enough to be firm.
The Guardian almost subconsciously leaned forward, enraptured by her gentle jade gaze. Long suppressed emotion was welling up from within him, almost as if a fresh spring had been struck. "…Kazea… I…" he began softly, his voice barely a whisper. His free hand slowly moved upwards, softly touching her cheek.
Her nearly now nearly non-existent flush was beginning to reappear in her pale cheeks, uncomfortably aware of the short distance between them. Kazea's eyes fell to her lap, swallowing the sudden knot in her throat. "…What is it?" she queried hesitantly, her inner tension giving way to concern when Kai's hand suddenly dropped, the swordsman almost scrambling back.
"N-nothing …" the Darkness wielder said quickly, glaring at the ground as he stood. The young man's eyes softened as he reluctantly looked in her direction again, his stride covering the now moderate distance. Kai sighed as he offered a hand, nodding to the now uncertain but still exhausted Dragon Demi-human. "… It's late … Perhaps I should take you home," he offered quietly, nodding.
"…All right, thanks," Kazea returned after a moment, allowing Kai to pull her up as she lightly grasped his hand. The worn material of her cloak brushed against the equally used material of her dark blue shirt and white trousers, now gathered loosely under her other arm.
Kai nodded again as he released her hand, his vivid blue gaze falling to the lush turf as they began the trek back to Tresgard. Celestial light and a placid breeze accompanied the duo as they moved, wind and the surrounding darkness blanketing the night.
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That battle sounded painful! But that moment at their spot was so sweet! You have left me speechless, and that is hard to do.
(Also, I can tell you right now, mine will be no were as long as Kazea's was. XD)