All of Caspian's breath left as he stared at the person standing before him. Long hair that appeared to have been spun from threads of gold gently descended from her head, framing a face that was both familiar yet oh so different. Blue eyes possessing a vivid luster gazed at him, breathing taking in how open they were. She had a small nose and full, Cupid's bow lips, which were a light pink and complimented her pearlescent skin.

"Caspian?" she asked again, taking a step forward. "Caspian, is that really you?"

This was definitely Elincia. She looked different, more mature and elegant, but he'd recognize those eyes and that hair anywhere.

"Ele..."

As the words left his mouth, the young woman's eyes brightened, and a joyous smile caused her lips to curl.

"Caspian!"

She ran at him, and he spread his arms wide open as she leapt into them. Her delightful laugh tickled his ears as he spun her around. His heart felt light, like he was hovering on a cloud. He couldn't believe it. After all this time, after eight years of being apart, he'd been reunited with his best and only friend.

A smile appeared on his face, unbidden as he continued to twirl around with the young woman in his arms. He kept a tight hold around her waist as they spun, as if afraid she would disappear the moment he let go.Yet let go he did, because he wanted to take a better look at the friend that he'd known from so long ago.

He set her back onto her feet and peered into her eyes. Perhaps it was his imagination, but they seemed much brighter than the last time he'd seen them. They were a breathtaking blue. Deeper than the ocean and more vast than the sky, they reminded him of two jewels that contained the vibrancy of celestial bodies.

"Ele," he breathed, feeling somewhat light-headed from all of the spinning. "I can't believe you're actually here. I didn't think you'd arrive for another week, at least."

"I couldn't wait that long to see you." Ele was also breathing heavily, and a light dusting of pink brought color to her pale cheeks. "I wanted to see you sooner."

The smile on her face was so wide, so relieved, that Caspian just knew he was melting. It had been far too long since he'd last seen that smile, though it looked quite different than what he remembered. This smile made his heart feel like it was going to beat its way out of his chest.

"I-is that so? I guess it can't be helped, then."

Caspian tried not to let her know how much her words affected him. He couldn't embarrass himself in front of his only friend.

It was only after he'd finished speaking that Caspian realized something important. He looked down at his arms, which were still wrapped around Elincia's waist. Then he looked at Elincia's hands, which rested on his shoulders. He brought his eyes back to her face, and from the slow widening of her own eyes and the dark blush spreading across her cheeks, she had realized the same thing that he did.

They were still holding each other.

He and Elincia leapt apart, their faces matching colors of red. They looked at each other, then quickly looked away upon noticing that the other person was looking at them.

I need to calm down. It's just Ele. Why do I feel so flustered?

It was even worse than when he'd first met Erica. That woman embarrassed him with her action and words, but she'd never made him feel this self-conscious, never this discombobulated. His heart was a battering ram trying to break free from his ribcage, and his mind continued to replay the last few seconds of his life. It reminded him of how close Elincia had been pressed to him, of how her arms had felt around his neck, of her warmth and the scent of her hair.

This... this is maddening!

He glanced at Elincia out of the corner of his eyes. Her cheeks were still red, and her right hand was clasping the fabrics of her cloak near her chest, as if she, too, was trying to regain control of her heartbeat. Despite himself, he couldn't help but notice the way her bosoms heaved underneath her cloak.

She's grown up... the thought penetrated his brain before he could stop it. Ga! What the hell am I thinking?! This is Ele! My best friend! My only friend! I shouldn't be thinking about her like this!

He needed to do something quickly. This awkward tension would kill him if he didn't.

"S-so!" Caspian started, scratching his cheek. "Since you're here, maybe I should give you a tour of the city—if you'd like me to, I mean."

Elincia glanced at him, her cheeks still red. She slowly nodded.

"I'd... like that," she mumbled. Her head was tilted down, and her bright eyes peeked at him from beneath golden threads of silken hair.

Caspian almost forgot to breathe.

Come on, Caspian. Get a hold of yourself!

He shook his head, red locks swaying as he dispelled his hesitation. There was no need to be reticent here. It was just Elincia, he told himself; an older, more mature, more beautiful Elincia, but still, it was the same Elincia that he'd known since childhood. He didn't need to act so reserved.

He held out his hand. Elincia looked at it, then peered up at him. He turned his head in a poor attempt to hide his blush.

"So we don't get lost," he told her.

"A-ah!" Elincia gave a cute gasp. "Right."

She reached out and took his hand. Hers was much smaller than his, and her delicate fingers were far softer when compared to his rough, calloused digits. Her hand felt warm. As he engulfed her tinier hand in his own, warmth spread from her hand into his. It sent a thrill up his spine.

He led her out of the alley and into the crowded streets. They walked along in silence—despite Caspian having told her that he would give her a tour. Having run many tasks for the headmaster, Caspian knew the city like the back of his hand. However, much as he wanted to be a proper tour guide, he couldn't think of anything to say. What's more, even here in Axium, he was well-known as the "Peasant Knight" and, just like the servants at the academy, many of the people in the city disliked him intensely.

We're fortunate it's so crowded.

A lot of the people currently wandering the city weren't local. They'd come from all over the continent to enjoy the Sorceress's Knight Tournament and the Sorceress Festival, which were extremely popular events among both nobles and peasants. Caspian wouldn't have been surprised to discover that more than half of the hotels were already booked.

Caspian didn't like crowds, but in this instance, he was grateful. With so many people crowding the streets—few of whom actually knew him—it would be easy for them to blend in without being spotted.

Neither of them spoke for the longest time. Caspian glanced at Elincia, once more taking in her features. She'd changed so much. The last time he'd seen her, Elincia had short hair, a cherubic face, and lacked the womanly curves that he could clearly see beneath her cloak. She looked nothing like the "Ele" that he remembered. Even her long, elven ears were gone...

... Wait a minute.

"Ele?" Caspian had to lean over and speak loudly to be heard.

"Yes?" She asked back.

"What happened to your ears?"

"My ears?" Elincia's expression shifted, the blush leaving as confusion overtook her face, which scrunched up in an adorable manner as she tried to figure out what he was talking about. "Oh!" she exclaimed suddenly. She leaned into him, cupping a hand to her mouth so she could whisper in his ear. "I asked Loki to hide my ears for me. Lady Sylvia said that I shouldn't let anyone know I'm an elf until the time is right."

Oh. Well, that makes sense.

There would be a lot of problems if anyone discovered that Elincia was an elf. As far as Caspian was aware, Elincia was the only elf who could summon spirits. Like Sylvia de Floresca, the spirits that she could summon were from the Nordic Clan.

Spirits always worked in clans, and a sorceress could only summon the spirits that were connected to the clan that she had formed a contract with. There were five spirit clans: the Asura Clan, the Gaian Clan, the Kami Clan, the Nordic Clan, and the Arab Clan.

Loki belonged to the Nordic Clan. As a trickster spirit capable of weaving complicated illusions, making it look like Elincia had perfectly rounded human ears was a simple matter.

Reaching up with his free hand, Caspian rubbed one of her ears between his thumb and forefinger. Even though they looked rounded, he could clearly feel that they were, in fact, long and pointed.

To be capable of doing something like this... spirits really are incredible.

"C-Caspian?"

"Hm?"

"C-could you stop, please? I—h-having you rub my ears like this in public is embarrassing..."

Even though they penetrated his brain like Odin's spear, Caspian still needed several seconds to process her words. Elincia's face had taken on a very pink hue, and she had raised a hand to her mouth. At first, he thought it was to hide her embarrassment, but he soon realized that she was stifling several moans that wanted to escape.

And that's when it hit him.

Elf ears were very sensitive.

"I-I'm sorry!"

Jerking his hand back as if it had been scalded by Ifrit's fire, Caspian stumbled backwards in his attempt to retreat from Elincia. However, because he was holding one of her hands, Elincia was pulled with him. Letting out a yelp, the young woman almost fell, but Caspian realized what was happening at the last moment and caught her.

The two froze. Elincia's hands were on his back, gripping his shirt, the fabrics wrinkling underneath her clenched fingers. With her face directly below his, the familiar scent of fresh forest rain filled him with a sense of nostalgia.

"Elincia," Caspian whispered. Perhaps it was due to his words, but Elincia turned her head and placed an ear against his chest. He wondered if she could hear how fast his heart was beating.

"Hm?" Her voice was a soft murmur, almost as if she was about to fall asleep. Caspian unconsciously tightened his arms around her. She then tilted her head to peer up at him. Her chin rested on his chest as Caspian looked down at her. He felt like her eyes were sucking him in.

Elincia blinked. He blinked, too. A slow dawning of realization was made, which they could see reflected in each other's eyes. Elincia blushed. Caspian's face spontaneously combusted. With a soft squeak, they untangled themselves and turned around, presenting their backs to each other.

An awkward silence ensued.

"S-so," Caspian started, coughing into his hand, "why don't we restart the tour."

"Um, y-yes! That sounds like a good idea," Elincia agreed, nodding several times.

Neither of them moved, despite agreeing to begin the tour anew. They looked at each other for several seconds, then blushed once again and looked away.

Caspian had never felt more awkward in his life.