Reticent Resentment

Perses stared with wide eyes as the ever-expanding plains abruptly ended. The ocean, although a grand distance away, was just visible. Perses had no time to compare the sight of it to the phenomena Machia had once described. Right now, his thoughts were beholden by only dread. 

The harsh whistle of the air was the only thing that acknowledged his concern. Everything else: the setting sun, the glistening grass, and the gentle smile adorning Amelia's face highlighted the world's beauty. Yet the sheer velocity of her speed created a sickly feeling inside of Perses as the devil girl's warnings played in his mind.

"STOP STOP!"

Finally, his yells got through as Amelia stared down at him with concern. Violently, she kicked at the ground, subjecting it to a fierce tremor that threatened to upturn everything in sight. Killing her momentum with that single strike, she looked down at him with a twitch of remorse. Perse's face paled at the sudden halt. 

"What the hell! Enough already."

Amelia flinched from his words. With a look of shame but also bewilderment, she placed him delicately onto the ground as he struggled out of her grasp. Perses took a moment to breathe deeply. However, Amelia appeared unfazed by the vast distance she had just traversed. Only a little regret lingered on her features due to Perse's harsh scolding. Rather than stay upset, Perses laughed deliriously. 

"Ha hah, so fast. Tell me, who the hell are you? how do you do it? How the hell."

Her ashamed expression lightened a little thanks to the opportunity to answer Perse's question.

"You just need to concentrate your strength in your legs, didn't you know?"

"I know that. I realized that much it in a fight against the King. I never tried running with it, but no way, no way would it look like that. You must be doing something different."

Amelia tilted her head when he mentioned the King but briefly shrugged it off. Dismissing that thoughtful expression, Amelia reluctantly pointed an arm toward a distant structure. 

"My friend, she should be waiting inside that over there. Can we..."

A single small wooden structure sat solemnly amidst the grassy plains. Somehow, Perses had failed to notice it earlier despite the otherwise barren environment surrounding them. But, right now, he had other concerns. He may have been able to hide his apprehension of Amelia by laughing it off, but now he couldn't help but back away from her. It would take her just a single instant movement to cross the distance, but he couldn't help it.

Amelia, with her keen eyes, noticed this but appeared to be confused by his actions. With a baffled expression, she offered an arm out towards Perses.

"I promise I won't carry you again, so if you will just come with...me.

The sweat that coated Perse's forehead caused her to blink in disbelief as she stared at his shorter figure. Her immense capabilities ate away at his mind, and despite understanding it was useless, he maintained some distance between them. 

'You know better by now, right? You should have seen it earlier when you were unconscious. That entire army, she decimated it. She slaughtered everything that you saw back there. She didn't even hesitate. It was just killing and murder, that woman, she's a monster.'

Inside his head, he was forced to listen to the devil girl's anguished rambles and all the while, his anxiety grew. Perses reflected on what he knew about this woman. It couldn't be helped that the memories of those stronger than himself indiscriminately hurting him flooded his mind. 

'Who do I trust more... in a way, they both saved me, but it's obvious. She's more dangerous.'

With distrustful, conflicted glances, Perses eyed Amelia carefully. She had not attacked him so far. He had agreed to come this far only out of weakness. Machia's aggression seemed to be the greater threat at the time. When he cast his mind back to the crazed Machia's words, he remembered a daunting detail. 

"Machia said something about you destroying the kingdom's army. I remember him saying they were people, weren't they, not monsters from the empire. Did you really do something like that just to save me?"

Due to the sudden change in topic, Amelia finally seemed to recognize Perse's concerns. His stance was one of great caution as he safely segregated himself away from her. She looked down at herself with furrowed brows before looking again towards his despondent eyes.

"Of course I did."

Perses paled at her nonchalance. He had no idea exactly how large the kingdom's army may have been. But regardless, when it came to killing her tone, her posture revealed only devout apathy. Recognizing her mistake, Amelia opened her mouth again to try and reassure him but choked on her words. 

Though he could recognize she didn't intend to hurt him, he couldn't help but remain afflicted by the difference in their strength.

"Just hours ago, my closest ...Machia he attacked me. Maybe even that much was fine... but he lied to me, a lot. He was the only one I trusted since I awoke, he gave me everything. But most of that, it turns out, was mostly just lies. He was just pretending. How do I, know you're any different." 

Amelia's expression hardened. The melancholy that dripped from her figure evaporated, leaving only the strong, stoic aspects. The quivering of her lips ceased. However, her eyes remained tinged with pain. 

"You're hurt Perses, more than I thought. I wasn't around to help you when you were most vulnerable, I'm sorry. But there is nothing that can be done about that now. It's up to you to trust me. If you don't want to, ok. You made it this far alone, without me, so... I know... I'm sure you'll be fine."

Perses stared at her with indignation as she put on a brave face. He attempted to confer with the devil girl inside his head, yet she didn't respond. Aggravated by her silence, Perses questioned his next course of action. He didn't know anything about the world outside the kingdom, but with his strength and adaptability, maybe he could make it alone.

On the verge of making his most significant decision yet, he was rudely interrupted. 

"Amelia, so your back already."