I woke up with a headache. It felt like someone had used my head as a gong.

I looked around, but I couldn't see anything. It took me a moment to realize that there was a blindfold covering my eyes. I tried to stand up, but my hands and legs were bound, leaving me unable to do more than squirm.

A shrill cry pierced the air. If my eyes hadn't been blindfolded, they would have widened. That voice was Elincia!

"Hey, boys, check this out! It seems the little elf girl doesn't like it when I do this!"

Another scream of pain pierced the air.

"It seems even those arrogant elves can feel pain."

"Ha! Let's enjoy breaking her in before our client arrives."

The men, three of them, it sounded like, laughed as more screams rang out, echoing around the room and stabbing into my soul like a blade. Ele was screaming! She was in pain! I needed to do something!

I struggled even more to no avail. I was completely bound. This didn't stop me. I struggled even more, wiggling and fighting and straining against my bonds until I could feel warm liquid running down my arms. Ele needed me!

Ele's cries of pain had become whimpers. Laughter erupted. As I continued to struggle, I felt a deep burning in his chest, like a million hot needles stabbing me. If only I could use magic! If only had a weapon! If only then I was stronger!

If only...

***

Caspian woke up with a groan.

Sitting up in his fuuton, he rubbed his eyes and glanced around the room. It wasn't his room, but the one that he and Elincia had booked last night. It was rather plain, even when compared to the spartan room that he stayed in at the academy, but at least it was clean.

Cold air hit the bare skin of his torso, but he barely paid attention to that as he stood up. A glance at the bed revealed Elincia, who slept peacefully underneath the covers. Her closed eyes revelled in her thick eyelashes, and her pink mouth was parted to allow for her gentle breathing.

Drawn to his friend like a moth was drawn to a flame, Caspian sat down on the bed and reached out with a hand, gently brushing a few strands of hair from Elincia's face. As he did this, she moved, revealing a scar that started from just below her hairline and disappeared into her hair. It was barely visible now, just a small white line.

When he and Elincia had been kidnapped, his friend had been tortured. "Breaking her in," the men who'd done the torturing had called it. This scar was, surprisingly, not the results of that torture, but the result of his own actions when he'd attempted to rescue her.

***

I couldn't understand it. One moment, I was struggling against my bonds. The next, a single word left my lips, then the ropes disappeared, and I was free.

Surging to my feet, I pulled off my blindfold and the gag in my mouth. What I saw that night would be forever branded into my memory.

Within the dark room, three men surrounded Ele, who'd been chained to a wall. They'd stripped her bare. She had no bruises, but it was clear to me that she was in pain. She gasped and gargled and tried to scream. Tears leaked down her face, and her body shuddered in what could only be horrendous agony. A collar was attached to her neck. I had seen them before—on slaves. It was a slave collar, which had been banned years ago.

The three men standing around Ele taunted her, laughing as they activated the collar, jeering as my friend screamed in anguish. Anger surged in my veins. Like a thunderous storm, I felt something inside of me threatening to break free.

With a soundless cry of outrage, I rushed at them.

They must not have been expecting me to break free. I was able to get close before they could respond. While I was too short to reach their face, I knew of one area that I could reach, which would hurt even more than a punch to the face.

I headbutted the first man right in the crotch. The man squealed as he fell back. The other two men roared, anger lacing their tones like poison, and tried to attack me, but I only had to utter the single word, which was burnished within me like a brilliant flame, and the men were sent flying.

I was on them before they could recover, punching and kicking and biting. For a moment, I thought that my victory was assured. However, the moment eventually passed when, and I soon realized that I had made a huge mistake when something powerful slammed into my face.

I screamed as my back was slammed against the wall. I screamed even more when something sharp stabbed into my shoulder. Fire spread through my veins. It hurt! It hurt it hurt it hurt! Why did it hurt so much?!

Gripping the thing that was stabbing me, I realized belatedly that it was actually a sword. I tried to squirm free, but that made everything hurt more. The coppery scent of blood filled my nose. Every fiber of being screamed at me. But I couldn't stop! I need save Ele!

"You little shit!" one of the men screamed, plunging the sword deeper into my shoulder. My screams echoed around the room. My vision became fuzzy. Warmth dripped down my shoulder, stained my shirt. It hurt. Spirits, it hurt! "I knew we should have killed you when we had the chance! Half-breed scum like you doesn't fetch a very hefty price anyway!"

The blade was pulled free. Blood spurted from my shoulder. I slumped to the ground, feeling dizzy. Everything was going blurry. I felt numb. What was going on... what... how...?

A shadow stood over me. It was the man. He grinned down at me with his sword raised above his head.

"Time to die boy!"

The sword came down, but it wasn't me who got hit. Ele stepped into the swords path, and her blood splattered against my face.

"ELE!"

***

Elincia's wounds hadn't been as bad as they could've been during that time. The man had stopped himself short of killing her, but the sword had still penetrated a good portion of her skull, and it had required Sylvia calling upon Eir, the Nordic spirit of healing, to save her. Even then, a scar had remained, leaving behind testament as to what had happened.

He'd spent the past six years of his life training so that he could protect Elincia, so that something like what happened seven years ago would never—could never—happen again.

Shaking his head, Caspian dispelled the memories and stood up, heading into the bathroom attached to their hotel room. It didn't have much, this restroom, just a small tub with a showerhead and a toilet. It was enough.

Stripping down, Caspian turned on the water and stepped into the tub. The cold water blasted his skin. The coldness helped bring about clarity.

He grabbed a bar of soap and scrubbed himself off. Elincia would be waking up soon, and he wanted to give her a chance to use the shower before they headed out again.

***

Elincia's rise from bed was a slow process. The sunlight filtering into the room caused her to stir. She opened her eyes, eyelids slowly fluttering, then sat up.

Yawning, she stretched her arms above her head and extended her toes as far as they could go. As she brought her arms back down, she looked at the futon, where Caspian had slept the night before. It was empty. The sheets were messed up and wrinkled. She wasn't worried, though. Caspian wouldn't have left her like this, so he was probably downstairs getting something to eat.

Caspian did have a habit of waking up earlier than I did... except when we both decided to be lazy and sleep in. What did Sarah call us back then? The laziest pair of children ever?

She was just about to fall back asleep—when the restroom door opened and a half-naked Caspian walked out.

Elincia's eyes widened, and she quickly ducked underneath the blanket so as not to be seen.

Oh. Oh, spirits help me! Caspian is naked! What should I do?!

Elincia peeked out from underneath the covers. She could feel her face heating up as she stared at Caspian, who was only clad in a towel that wrapped around his waist, leaving his muscular torso and calves exposed.

Oh... Caspian... he's been working out...

Caspian walked over to the dresser, where his clothes had been neatly folded. The muscles of his chest and shoulders twitched as he moved. Elincia's mouth went dry as she continued to stare. Her eyes moved down of their own accord, locking onto his stomach.

One could clean clothes on that stomach...

Elincia felt a strange heat pooling around her loins. She tried to ignore it, but then Caspian suddenly dropped his towel—and every thought that had been in her mind fled like winter's chill during mid-summer.

Oh... Oh, my!

Caspian began dressing, and Elincia watched, her breathing heavy and her cheeks hot. She imagined that this was what it would feel like if Hálogi, Nordic spirit of Fire, set her face aflame.

As Caspian finished putting on his clothes, Elincia, who'd been leaning forward to catch a better glimpse, ended up leaning a little too far forward.

"Kya!"

The world around her tilted as she tumbled off the bed, falling face first onto the floor with a resounding crack! Her face stung fiercely, and she rolled onto her back, covering her sore forehead with her hands.

"Elincia, what are you doing?"

She froze.

"Oh, um, n-nothing..."

I-I can't believe this is happening! I was... and Caspian, he was... oh, I'm so embarrassed.

Caspian stared down at her, dressed in his clothes. Black baggy pants ruffled as he shifted, and his white and red tabard hung from his frame, the two ends trailing down passed his knees. Black gloves and leather boots creaked when he moved. A single shoulder pauldron, gleaming bright silver, rested on his left shoulder.

He... looks rather dashing, doesn't he? Elincia said to herself. She'd always thought of Caspian as her hero, even though, back when they were little, he had needed Sylvia to save him as often as he'd tried to save her. Now, however, Caspian really did resemble those heroes of old, which she'd read about in her favorite stories.

"Here, come on."

Caspian held out his hand, which Elincia took after a moment. She wondered if the jolt that she felt when their hands touched was real or imagined.

"And up you go."

Elincia was pulled to her feet. Caspian took a look at her, causing Elincia to look down. He was having none of that, however, and he placed a hand underneath her chin, tilting her head back up.

She flushed underneath his intense stare. Did he not realize how peircing his gaze was? Obviously not, for he continued staring at her without regard to her rising embarrassment.

"Hmm, it doesn't look like you're too injured," Caspian murmured, "but you do have a rather large bruise on your forehead now." Elincia tried to touch her forehead, but Caspian grabbed her hands. "Ah ah, touching it is just gonna make it hurt. Here, lie back down while I go and get a bag of ice for you."

"Ah..." Elincia spoke. "I-I can have Skadi create an ice pack for me."

Caspian shook his head. "There's no need for that. You can only summon two spirits a day, right? Save those times for when we really need them. Please wait right here, okay?"

"O-okay."

As Caspian left, Elincia laid back down on the bed. Despite how embarrassed she felt, she was also happy. Seeing Caspian, hearing his voice, his displays of kindness toward her, all of it filled her with a delirious sense of joy. Even though they were best friends from childhood, a part of her had worried that he might have forgotten about her. Seeing how he acted yesterday, how protective he'd been of her, how angry he'd gotten when that brute had insulted her, it was like having a mountain lifted off her back.

Caspian returned moments later, ice pack in hand. It was a newer one—an automated pack that used spirit crystals to generate cold instead of ice.

The owner must have bought it at the market yesterday and wanted to try it out.

"Here." Caspian placed the ice pack on her head. It was cold, but it did wonders to sooth her sore forehead. "Keep this on your head for a while, okay?"

"Okay. Thank you, Caspian."

Caspian smiled. "Anytime."