The fire crackled and popped as it gradually consumed a small assortment of flammable odds and ends we had gathered from the area around us, and ignited with a bit of magic. I shifted, moving closer to the fire in an attempt to quicken the warmth’s effect on my damp clothing before returning my attention to the dancing yellow flames. A light pattering on the umbrella-like leaves above indicated the rain’s waning intensity, fading even further into the background as the she-elf finally approached the end of a heavily airbrushed retelling of the past several days’ events. The story had taken nearly an hour to relate, thanks to Ella’s over-embellished descriptions, but the bunny-eared girl listened with great interest to every word, occasionally casting a sideways glance in my direction.

“So...”

Grace, who was sitting to my right, broke the brief silence that signaled the end of Ella’s revelation, a contemplative look forming on her face as she turned to face me, suspicion evident in her sapphire blue eyes.

“You appeared out of nowhere, hospitalized your fiancé’s father, who also happens to be one of the elven king’s generals, before killing a noble of the greatest warrior race on the surface, then went to a heavily populated city, and took out one of the most influential noblemen in the world... who the hell are you?”

Well... When she puts it like that, it sounds like I made some very powerful enemies in an incredibly short amount of time. Fantastic. If I get a bounty, I... actually, that would be pretty cool, but it would definitely make day-to-day life significantly harder, not to mention create unnecessarily dangerous situations. Damn it.

“No, wait... Before you answer that, I have another question. Back at the mansion, you hid your magic’s presence flawlessly, despite the excessive amount of destructive power it has, which should be impossible...”

The girl’s eyes trailed from mine as her attention shifted from my face to the dark object resting on my head, her hands moving to the ground before gingerly sliding the chosen one’s slender frame closer to where I sat. Noticing this while the memory of the bunny-girl’s last “interrogation”, I started to feel uncomfortable, and awkwardly leaned back in an attempt to flee from the bunny-girl’s threatening advance. I rapidly glanced around, directing a silent plea for help at the other two, but Brook had gotten lost in the entrancing flicker of the flames, and Ella was attentively watching everything unfold with absolutely no visible intent on coming to my aid.

What the hell...

“...unless you have a demonic artifact.”

Grace’s words drew my attention back to the conversation at hand, while the mention of a “demonic artifact” reminding me once again of my own ignorance when it comes to this world. I opened my mouth to deny her bold claim, but before my lips could finish forming a response, I was interrupted lightning-quick blur which lashed out at my head, and almost reached it’s mark before I even noticed. My hand habitually shot to my hat, holding the dark object firmly in place as I hastily hurled myself backwards, tumbling on the moist ground until I was able to regain my footing, and face the threat.

There, sitting with an outstretched hand, was the white-haired chosen one of Moria, a victorious smile projecting the tremendous pride she was feeling due to my reaction.

“It’s the hat, isn’t it? You have the most coveted artifact in the world sitting on your head as you pass through the unaware masses, and yet not a single soul notices. Other than it’s odd design, no one would think twice before passing it by, leaving you to continue on your way... unchecked, and doing whatever you please, comforted by the knowledge that not a soul in the world can do a damn thing to stop you.”

Grace trailed, her initial enthusiasm waning as the unmatched pride slipped back under the apathetic lenses through which she could safely view reality. Her hand withdrew from it’s idle position, returning to the muddied ground where it could rest it’s tiring muscles.

I stood for a moment, watching the light fade from the girl as the dwindling rain began to subside, and couldn’t help but feel a bit helpless at her words. She may be wrong about the hat, but the power I received upon coming to this place is reassuring, and I may even be able to get away with some pretty crazy shit. No, I already have gotten away with some crazy shit thanks to my abilities, and she is right; since the moment I arrived, there has been no one who could keep me in check.

Ah, I guess I’m taking all of this too seriously. What she is feeling could have been solely caused by the nobleman I killed earlier, and taking her back to the castle on the coin, and whoever lives there is what she really needs right now. If that really is the case, then her opinion of me doesn’t matter at all. I promised to do whatever I can when she needs help because I caused her trouble, not to make her like me. Why can’t things just be simpler?

Ah, well, I don’t have much reason to hide the truth from grace and the others, and I had intended on telling them at some point. This seems like it may be an inopportune time, but I doubt there will be a moment anytime in the near future where announcing my alien heritage from a universe that lives independent from magic will be convenient. Here goes nothing...

“I don’t have any artifacts. I was brought here from a world without magic, which is why my abilities can work without notice.“

Well, if nothing else, I can at least clear that up.

Grace’s expression remained unchanged as the lucid disappointment still cast the same gray haze over her otherwise brilliant blue eyes. The penetrating silence that followed mercilessly declared her disbelief as she once again lifted her slender hand out of the mud, gently extending her open palm in my direction, and offered, what most would consider, a reasonable request.

“Then let me see the hat.”

Yet another silence arose from the conversation, pinning me under it’s crushing weight as three sets of expectant eyes turned towards me. I felt an itch somewhere deep in the back of my mind, the thought of letting someone I’ve only just met hold my most beloved possession, especially in a world where it could simply be incinerated instantaneously, was something I absolutely could not agree to. I shook my head in response, but did not back down or let my gaze trail from the three as the two observers turned back to the small flames, and a cynicism reflected in the tall bunny-person’s eyes. I can’t prove my sincerity without letting her hold my hat, and trusting that she doesn’t immediately destroy in fear of it’s power, or use it as leverage against me. I’m making the selfish decision to refuse, and because of that, what little trust she once had in me will most likely be shattered.

“This hat belonged to my father, and is extremely precious to me.”

I tried to defend myself, but the disheartened Grace turned away in disappointment, the outstretched arm retracting back to it’s former place before she returned her attention to the flickering light. A sickening feeling began solidify in my gut as I watched the result of my rejection, and subconsciously brushed the black accessory’s brim with my right hand, trying to come up with some kind of solution to the problem. The emptiness in the air steadily grew as my mind raced to find a method that could regain the dissipating trust, but even after several frustrating minutes passed, not even one presented itself.

Frustrated with falsehood’s logical grip on the truth, I gave up my attempt to refute her statement, and half-heartedly stepped forward, passing awkwardly through the mud before returning to my previous place among them.

This is fine. I am here for Grace, not myself, and trying to change her opinion of me is nothing more than vanity. Although, even still... I want to make her feel better somehow, or at least revive some trace of hope in other people... I just need some other option.

“It doesn’t matter anyway, since when we get to where we’re going, you wouldn’t stand a chance in a fight, even with your demonic artifact.”

Bunny-eared chosen one to my right was the first to break the silence with a lightly spoken comment on a very intriguing subject, and immediately captured my attention. From what little I’ve heard so far, a demonic artifact was no joke, so implying there is someone at, or near, the castle on the coin who dramatically outmatched it’s weirder is quite impressive. I cocked my head slightly in acknowledgement of her words, though refrained from asking questions in fear of initiating a shun or furthering her anger in any way, and to my relief, she continued with her explanation.

“Archbishop Brym Ilic, commonly known as Lux Sil’ah, or “one of greater light”, has the capability to take the breath of Moria out of your body faster than a violent thought could cross your mind. He is the one who wields Mavros, the lesser of the two godly artifacts known to exist, powerful nonetheless. I’ve seen his enemies collapse with just a slight wave of his staff, their souls carried away by Raven’s dark wings.”

Grace sighed, leaning heavily on her left hand as the bunny-girl readjusted to attain a more comfortable position, but never once turning her eyes from the yellow flames, or acknowledging my existence in any way. I noticed several things wrong with both what she said, and how she said it, but I still don’t know enough to make too many informed assumptions, so I opted to remain silent for now.

On the other hand, a certain elf has been staring a hole in the side of my head for nearly the entire conversation, and I’m starting to become very aware of the fire’s gradual growth. This situation could become very dangerous if Ella doesn’t receive some direct attention soon, but I really want to glean as much information as possible before Grace becomes too disheartened. If I don’t know what I’m up against, trying to help becomes significantly harder... ah, I suppose all I can do right now is cross my fingers in hopes that neither Ella or the fire explode.

“The only thing with enough power to oppose Brym is the greater of the godly artifacts, Kala, which was made for the sole purpose of keeping the Mavros in check, though the specifics of it’s power are still unknown to us. Of this we are certain; Kala summons... something, and that something will possess a power unrivaled by any other of this world. There are ancient texts saying it will have a “body of Mystic’s pride, and a soul of Lilah’s heart”, but this offers little comfort since the god Mystic is depicted as violent and rash, while goddess Lilah is whimsical and unpredictable.”

The light flared as if consuming some invisible fuel, but quickly died down before any damage was done, though I did happen to see the silver-haired girl to my left warily slide herself a few inches away from the flame. I glanced over at the blond elf, who’s expression had been reduced from one of irritation to a childish pout, and even poked her lower lip out, openly projecting her cuteness rather than the intended displeasure. There’s not much time left.

“Do you understand now? There are none with the ability to stand against Brym Ilic, so any rash decisions you make that go against the archbishop’s wishes will be your last. Don’t underestimate th-!?”

The once gentle flames exploded, instantly incinerating the tree above us as it was struck by the raging inferno, forming in response to the jealous fire mage’s insatiable desire for attention. Luckily, the wise Brook who had safely inched herself an escapable distance away, and had enough time to react, while the lightning-fast reflexes of Grace allowed a hastily retreat before any damage was done. Unfortunately, my retreat was rendered useless when a flaming elf streaked through the air, and collided with my stomach, wrapping her fiery arms tightly around me once again.

The all-consuming light vanished, leaving behind four figures staring dazedly shifting their attention between the newly scorched land, and the strewn ashes that had once served as their cover from the rain. The very moisture in the air had been almost completely driven away due to the three-story flare’s tremendous heat, and only the smoldering remains of what I thought to be incombustible dirt was spared complete annihilation. The air seemed to be hollowed from the lack of sound as a hush ensued the area, three sets of boggled eyes staring in shock at the contented elf who was too busy burrowing herself deeper into my embrace to care. This girl is amazing on several different levels.

It didn’t take long for me to notice, and once I did, I wish I hadn’t. I had quickly learned that after Ella latches on, any attempts to remove her form my person only make her more clingy, which I would normally just let go and move on after she finishes replenishing her confidence, but that isn’t a wise option at the moment. Why, you may ask? This is because the clothes she had attained not too long ago were not made for infernos, but for rain, and the oblivious elf’s resilience to heat had left her completely unharmed... and exposed.

W-what the hell am I supposed to do? I can’t push her off without placing my hands on... places-and besides, that method wouldn’t work anyway. Ah... I can’t tell if she’s simply unaware, or just doesn’t give a damn, but she isn’t backing off. Is nudity less of a taboo in this world?

I cast a sideways glance in the direction of Grace and Brook, but the flabbergasted stare radiating from the bunny-girl’s saucer-sized eyes immediately shot down my hopeful theory of this being a simple cultural difference, and reignited the awkward part if my brain to feast yet again on my dwindling confidence. I could feel something pull at my eyes, calling me to look down at the soft, generous bosom tightly pressed against me, but, with great struggle, I was able to resist the temptation long enough to catch Brook’s attention with a pleading gaze.

The silver-haired girl looked down at her hands, then back up at me, blankly assessing the situation for a moment before lifting her small shoulders up to her ears in an apologetic shrug. She can’t do much more than me in this situation, and interference from an outside force may trigger another “incident”, and, in the best-case scenario, there would be two pretty, young, and very naked girls for me to clothe.

Okay... that came out wrong.

“Hmmm... so soft.”

A delirious voice hummed through my jacket as Ella contentedly rubbed her cheek against it’s deep blue fabric, almost sounding as if she was intentionally lending her strength to the social terror whose unwavering grip was already clasped mercilessly around my throat. Wait a second... my jacket! That’s it!

“E-Ella, do you want to wear it?”

The elf, while starting to shiver due to her body temperature being significantly higher than the air around us, flicked her eyelids open, revealing two emerald-green eyes which locked with mine as their owner redirected her attention in response to my inquiry. I shifted slightly, trying to keep my eyes on hers while actively ignoring my peripheral vision’s relentless attempts to corrupt my thoughts, and noticed an odd expression on her face. Well, it would be odd for a normal person, but if I include all my current knowledge involving Ella’s personality, this look is not exceedingly shocking. Although, while this understanding of how Ella’s mind works had removed my confusion, the crippling terror that immediately followed brought an intense desire for blissful ignorance.

Oh no... I can’t move...

“Mhm!”

With a quick nod and a swift hand, the fire mage lifted my blue tunic over her head, and proceeded to awkwardly press herself against my bare chest before pulling the fabric back down behind her, entrapping the two of us in it’s warm embrace. My dazed mind was still reeling from the shock as I desperately grasped for any thoughts within reach, and was eventually able to gather enough to reassemble my sanity.

“Wait, what the...?”

I regained consciousness just in time to see the familiar face spring forth from the blue tunic’s collar, and feel two slender arms lock themselves in place directly behind my back. Ella’s lips released a faint giggle as her victorious gaze instantly consumed my vision, striking out in an attempt to shatter the last of my renewed composure with an endless supply of unfounded confidence, but I was able to resist the onslaught with minimal damage to my psyche. This girl is going to be the death of me.

“W-wait... she’s a fire mage? ...and you called her Ella?”

A small voice sounded from the awestruck bunny that stood to my left, the color draining from her face as she sunk into a series of unintelligible mutterings, though I was far too distracted with being uncomfortably warm to discern any deeper meaning. Brook’s eyes came to rest on the two of us, her head cocked to the side as if trying to come up with some way of assisting me by literally looking at the issue from a different angle, but gave no other visible indication of her thoughts. Something aside from myself shifted within my clothing as the foreigner responded without hesitation to my wandering gaze, constricting her grip as if trying to hold me in place.

“Don’t leave.”

What does she mean? Did I give her some reason to think I would leave? Shit, in any case, I need to get out of this position before my self-restraint fails, and temptation clouds my judgement. I have to get through to Ella somehow, and tell her that this... is not okay. But how? She won’t listen to me now, especially if I’m telling her to let go. “Don’t leave”... that’s it. I’ll compromise.

I looked down at Ella, thankful for the reasonably sized collar that kept her nudity sufficiently covered, and made a very serious expression, desperately trying to project my sincerity. If this works, it could save me a lot of trouble in the future, and may even fix a small part of whatever problems are causing this behavior... I hope.

“Ella, listen to me.”

Good, I have her attention. Damn it, she is unrealistically pretty... but that doesn’t matter, her well-being is my responsibility, including the effects that I have on her mental and emotional state. I refuse to be the bastard who takes advantage of girls’ while their vulnerable, especially when I promised to protect them from such people. Ah... an awkward silence formed while I was stuck in my head... I should probably say something.

“You can have this, but I can’t wear it with you. Please... let me out, and I will let you hug me to your heart’s content.”

The elf’s embrace tightened as the first sentence finished, but my compromise seemed to have a decently positive impact, and her dejected pout began to morph into a more contemplative state of mind. After a few moments of consideration, Ella released her grip, the smooth hands sliding down to rest at her sides while I began to calmly, though with no little amount of haste, work my arms out of their respective sleeves.

It was only when my arms were completely freed that I realized an unfortunate truth of the situation I had just created... the only way out is down. My eyes flicked back to Ella with the initial intention of asking her to leave first, avoiding an uncomfortable experience, and finishing this exchange with at least a small fraction of dignity. However, when our eyes met, what I saw weren’t the disappointed eyes I had expected, or the understandably clueless expression that was often born from her child-like personality, but a sly smile and ulterior motives poorly hidden behind the guise of her beautiful emerald orbs. An expectant aura began to flood the area around Ella while the simple request suddenly, though very effectively lodged itself in my throat, almost as if realizing the grim fate that awaits it just beyond my lips.

Holy shit, she already knows. If I try to escape, my face will be drug along the frontside of her frame, and there’s not enough space within the tunic to reorient myself into a less invasive position. I have to find another way out somehow, but my options are severely limited due to Ella’s fragile emotional state, and I really don’t want to think about the psychological ramifications she could have from the abundant, unrestrained physical contact between us. Surely there has to be something I can do with all of these new abilities... they’re a part of me, right? In that case, I should have at least some small amount of conscious control over them, even if it’s insignificant when compared to the subconscious reaction.

I could feel the mage’s chest heave, the light breathing gradually becoming deeper with anticipation, and causing the fleshy point of contact to slide slightly upwards, eliminating the last of my hesitation.

I focused, remembering the world around us, and how it had felt when I manipulated it. Nothing. I concentrated on the area behind me, trying to force my thoughts out out my own body with all the determination I could muster. Nothing. Exhaustion weighed on my shoulders and threatened the cognizance of my mind as the attempt failed.

If Ella keeps this mentality, she is going to end up irreparably damaged, whether by someone else, or herself. This degenerative misconception of love being based in desire will not end with her finding a genuine romantic relationship, but with a series of heartbreaks, and disappointments that will bring the naive girl only misery.

It has to work, I’ll make it work. I felt the flow of my mind throughout my body, endowing me with seemingly irrational physical abilities, but never leaving the body that encapsulated it. I tried again, but this time using my own body as a conductor to move what little mental energy I could control, gathering it all to a specific point on my back, before once again reaching out.

Success. Something gave way, granting an opportunity to pass through the invisible membrane that contained my power, and revealing a safe escape from the clutches of temptation.

Without a moment’s hesitation, I grabbed the ceramic-like reality I now had access to before hastily pulling it in, and flooding my immediate surroundings with a brilliant. In an instant, my vision was enveloped in the blinding sheet of pale light, which I noticed is an extremely odd product of teleportation, but the relief of freedom temporarily pushed the unneeded contemplations away from the forefront of my thoughts.

I felt my lungs release the breath that had been trapped within them, and my muscles soften as the pent-up anxiety fled from their tissues, diluting themselves with the passing of time, then gradually fading into a distant memory. As the flash died out, and our eyes readjusted to the naturally docile illumination, I allowed myself to indulge in a brief wave of pride at my victorious achievement, and recollect a handful of the shattered remains that had once formed my self-confidence. However, just like everyone else, I’m still subject to whatever life chooses to throw at me, and my preconceived definition of “brief” mixed with undeserved pride and a low self-esteem made for one big-ass target.

While my “inconsequentially small” self-praise session was still in progress, Brook had decided to eliminate the distance between us before I snapped back, and regained the ability to protest her actions. Of course, the silver-haired warrior’s small stature and tremendous speed greatly assisted her efforts, hiding the girl’s petite frame under my radar until she was able to firmly grasp my hand in hers. This maneuver, and the shuffling sounds of the disappointed elf trying to reposition herself in the tunic, pulled me back to the present, and made me acutely aware of our group’s current situation.

I, once again half-nude, am holding hands with one of the cutest creatures in existence, while nervously anticipating my self-proclaimed “fiancé”’s next attack, and preparing to set off towards the aloof bunny-girl’s home. The gray clouds that blanketed the world began to dissipate, separating as several deep blue streaks of the late morning sky peaked through, and signaling the end of this long day’s inconvenient weather. I gently curled my fingers around Brook’s slender hand, while silently thanking my lucky stars that Ella was much shorter than me, and the jacket she I lent to her hung low enough to maintain decency, though her enthusiastic movements are most certainly overcomplicating this simple issue.

When I stop to think about it, I have troublesome friends, an ever-changing purpose, and nearly an entire world I barely understand set against me because I chose to defend what I believe in. Our next destination is a city that is ruled by an archbishop with unmatched power who may, or may not, be the main source of Grace’s deteriorative view on... everything. What happens when we get there is unclear. Where we go afterward is undetermined.

This is what my life has become in just a few days, and given a few more, I’m sure things will be dramatically different.