: Negotiations (Zeo)

When Elliot entered the carriage, I couldn't believe it was him. He seemed a bit taller than earlier while his face and hands had grown proportionately so there wasn't much difference in them. His eyes were still that ocean blue while his smooth brown hairs covered his scalp but....those ears. I could not describe how funny they looked at him. And at the same time adding a cherry to how adorable and cute he was. They grew pointy from his brown hairs like arches with a ting of pink at the top. He sat beside Nathan. To be honest, Nathan looked different too but I was just focused on Elliot. For any outlooker, it would seem like I didn't gave any glance to Elliot but from the corners of my eyes, Elliot was the only one in the spotlight.

I just wanted to hug him and pinch those cheeks of him but I refrained and I don't know why. It's been like this for quite some days now. I am not just able to express myself in front of Elliot. I am not sure if it's the awkwardness from that incident or my inevitable fear of hurting him again, or maybe both. After some time, dad entered the carriage and went on some silly talks with Nathan and Elliot. I was just looking out of the window, staring at the usual terrain of the pine forest that I was leaving behind. This is the place that I had grown up from when I was kid. I had grown a strange affection for these winds and the trees. When dad became the Magic Knight in the King's ministry, he was offered a huge mansion with a large garden and lots of servants at his service. Both Millia and Dad were ready to leave this house of ours but I was not. I was a kid then. I threw a tantrum that I would not leave this house and Dad had to deny the royal service because of me. It's kind of funny that even after all these years I still was that small kid afraid to leave his nest.

The only difference between then and now is that I am not throwing a tantrum this time. Perhaps, the burden of the responsibilities of adulthood represses that child in all of us. From the side view of my eye, I caught Elliot's eyes fixated on me. I felt kind of shy then but kept looking out of the window to not show the curve of the smile I had on my face.

Suddenly, I heard a loud explosion and the carriage shook with the sound when it finally came to a halt. Everyone seemed confused.

"What happened, Obrion? " Dad asked in a worrying tone.

"I-I ..thin-k....we have been att-acked, Master Ross." Obrion replied, his voice a bit shaky with surprise and fright. I had never witnessed Obrion frightened. It must mean something serious. While my mind was lost in compression, Elliot leaped to the window. He seemed like he was searching for someone. Then suddenly he pointed at someone. I followed his direction and caught a tall, slender man in black robe and a white mask with three other people with similar masks hiding their faces.

"He is the one who attacked Zeo." He declared. At first, I didn't understand his remark but then the memories revealed themselves to me.

'He was not the one who attacked me. He was the one who dared to hurt Elliot!!' I thought and with this thought my blood was boiling to steam. The idea of that man hurting Elliot gave me immeasurable pain and fueled my fire of vengeance at the same time. For the first time in my life, I wanted to hurt someone. To make him pay for what he did to Elliot. He should suffer.

"I will go check it out." Dad announced. We all turned to him.

"I will also join you." I declared. Dad raised an eyebrow but I was struck on my demand.

"Look son, I know you are furious but they might be dangerous. It's better if you jus-" He said but I didn't let him complete.

"I want to go with you dad!" I declared forcing every syllable of my words with the anger and fierceness I was brimming with. Dad was astonished to see this side of me and so was everyone else in the small carriage room. He thought for a moment.

"Alright, but you have to promise that you will stay close to me." He said and I nodded. He turned to everyone else.

"I want you all to stay in this carriage. No one will move out of here. Understood!!" Dad said with authority in his voice. Everyone nodded their heads to his deep voice. Everyone but one. Elliot had a frown plastered on his face. He seemed kind of distressed and worried, looking at me with questioning eyes, asking why I was doing whatever I wanted to do. I did not look into his blue eyes because I knew that even if I met them, even for a moment, I would be lost in them forever. It was just a ting but I felt a strange warmth in my heart, thinking about the fact that Elliot was worried about my safety.

To look at it, he had been caring from the very start. From the day I met him up to now, he had saved me many times....and all I gave him in return was pain. How ironic? But I wanted to get revenge on him now. I wanted to hurt the person who dared to spill his blood. He must pay for it. I turned my back and walked out with dad.

As I mentioned earlier, there were four people standing in front of our carriage. Two of them were standing ahead of the other two. The one whom my eyes were fixed were behind, observing everything.

"Clan Leader, I suppose that you might already know what we want from you and if you may, I would ask you to be cooperative." One of the people standing in front said in a confident feminine voice. I presume she is a woman.

"I think I have a pretty good idea of what you are looking for dear lady, but just to be sure. I would like to hear from you." My dad replied. The woman in front of us must be a good sorcerer to earn such words of respect from my dad. She gave a slight chuckle.

"Old man, you are quite a man with words to ask a woman to speak for you. Anyway, our master seeks to meet you for some negotiations." She declared.

"Interesting... I presume you will not reveal the identity of your master. Then.. tell me what if I refuse your request??" Dad commented.

"I am pretty sure you know your answer already, Old man." The other man standing beside the woman with the silvery mask said. He was wearing a red mask.

"Well then, why don't you let these children leave so we adults could talk about serious business." Dad said.

"Let me assure you Old man, we are not the ones to involve kids in our business." He said, hinting towards me. I clenched my fist.

"But I am sorry to say that things aren't so simple. Our master also seeks your son and the short guy who saved him last time." The woman said. And I understood that she was hinting at Elliot.

"What does your master have to do with that short guy??" I asked, my voice shaking with pure anger and disgust.

"Well, to be honest I don't know myself. But as per my expectations he might be tortured or, squeezed or, crushed or ripped apart or probably all of them for being a obstruction in our earlier plan." The man said almost in an amusing tone as if all this was a matter of fun to him. At that moment these words escaped his mouth, I lost it.

To everyone and even my one surprise, I charged towards them. I don't know what I was going to do or how an elf with no magic like me could do any harm to these guys. I was too wild to think of any of it. I heard dad's call but I didn't stop. I just wanted to hurt these guys, by any means possible. And like most of my decisions, this was a fatal mistake too.

[Elemental Magic : Bubble Style- Floating Prison ]

The woman was the caster of this spell.

I felt myself being enveloped into a big bubble-like thing. I was floating, like I was in water. I tried to break through this bubble but it was hard and it squeezed itself even more.

"Easy young man, don't you see we are talking here." The woman said with a visible smile. Shit !! I fucked up again.

"Let my son go!" I heard dad's demanding voice.

"Oh !! So this kid is your son. He really made things easier for us." The red masked man said. I saw dad bite his tongue.

"Now, Old man, would you like to be considerate of our offer?" The woman said. But dad remained silent. I can understand him. He was not only a father but also a Clan leader right now. His acceptance might bring heavy damage to the clan.

"If you still refuse, let me see what I can do to your son"

And with that the bubble around me squeezed even more, almost choking me.

Dad took a step forward but the chains of his responsibilities were still binding him . But he did the right thing . Maybe this was my last time. The time I will die for my own stupidity. But even in these thoughts I heard a voice calling for me. It had pain and fear embedded in it. It was Elliot. I saw him escaping from the carriage towards me.

'No! No! Elliot, don't come near. Please don't....' I wished I could close my eyes. Suddenly I felt a pair of hands squeezing me but they felt warm and comforting.

The moment I opened my eyes again, Elliot was beside me on the ground below. He was somehow unconscious. But where was the bubble? I was in it a second ago..

"How did you escape it??" The woman said in amazement.

"You Fucker !! "The man cursed me as he casted a spell towards me.

[Elemental Magic: Fire Style - Majestic Flames]

A huge stream of flames escaped his mouth towards us. It would certainly turn me into ashes but it was not just about me. Elliot was beside me. I can't let him get hurt again. I promised to protect him. Suddenly I felt a surge of dark shadows around me.

[Celestial Magic: Dark Style - Phantom sword!!]

I felt the spell come out of me like a reflex and suddenly a sword, twisted in a curve at one end appeared in my hands. It felt a bit nostalgic to hold this sword. Without much thinking, I made a sharp cut towards the flames. A dark energy escaped the sword which split the flames like it was butter and hit the red masked man. He was fast enough to cast a protection spell but he was still thrown towards one of the pines because of the impact !! What was this new power inside me...