xviii.

Jellal stopped walking and looked around. Something felt off but in a strangely familiar way. It was almost like the time they...

"Oh, it's Erik."

Meredy's statement caused the stray thoughts to leave his head. Erik stood in front of them. He breathed a sigh of relief. For a moment, he thought maybe a dark guild was nearby. With the rumors that sent them here, he wouldn't have been all that surprised. It was just him though. He certainly was jumpy nowadays.

Erik didn't move from his spot just a few yards ahead of them. Did he need something?

Meredy ran up to him. "Geez! If you were around, you could have helped us gather the firewood!" She pushed a few of the bigger sticks into his hands before marching off. Surprisingly, he didn't put up a fight at her pushiness, merely watching her walk off. Jellal walked up to him next.

"Sorry about that, I know you were probably on patrol. You didn't take my joke too seriously, did you?"

"...Don't think you even know how to make a proper joke."

Jellal laughed, but Erik's face remained blank. "I've been meaning to talk to you about something, actually."

Jellal composed himself. "And what would that be?"

Erik's single eye stared down the taller man. "Jellal, just how dangerous do you think Ultear might get?"

"Huh?"

Sorano couldn't quite comprehend what Sawyer just said.

"You know I don't like repeating myself. You know what I'm talking about." With a forced jerk he made a motion in Ultear's direction. She shrank back even more.

Oh, that again? Sorano gave him a withering look. "I'm not really in the mood for this Sawyer. I doubt anyone else is either."

Richard and Macbeth pointedly didn't look at her as she spoke, although Macbeth did keep one eye on Sawyer. He didn't appear bothered by her brush-off. "I know it must grind away at you, it does at me at least. Come on guys," he spread his arms out in a wide gesture, "no one's even here right now, we can let it all out for a second."

"...I'd say complain if you want, whether either of them hears you is on you," Macbeth said.

"Oh come on, out of all of us, don't you have the most to complain about? She thinks you're her freaking dad! That little pink monster practically had a fit at the very suggestion." Macbeth grunted but didn't respond to Sawyer's taunts. The tall man turned his attention back to the other two. "Sorano, you're constantly on babysitting duty when she's busy, that can't be fun. Richard...I know you like being helpful now and all, but don't you think your skills could be put to better use than what you're doing now?"

Neither of them responded. Richard's back was turned to Sawyer, and Sorano tried not to let the biting comment rise to her mouth. It hurt that she felt a measure of truth in what he was saying, but she didn't want the satisfaction of seeing him smug at being right. Besides, it was months since she felt as truly peeved as he suggested. Surprisingly, she realized she had grown quite used to how life was already, extra baggage and all.

Seeing no response, Sawyer continued on his little diatribe. "Really, it's one thing to ask us to join a guild and fight after wiping the floor with us, but did Jellal really think it was a good idea to let us look after a little kid. He was out of his mind then and still is. Seriously, how stupid do you have to be to let all of this continue on for so long?

"The worst one's gotta be that pink-haired demon though. She's got that mother bear act down perfectly. Can't even have a conversation with her without her trying to bite your head off. I bet she got tired of being the youngest in their group and is relishing the idea of finally being the one in charge."

"Sawyer! That's-"

"...S-Stop it."

A tiny voice piped up from behind Sorano. Ultear's eyes were wide in fear, her voice quavering. Still, she stared Sawyer down.

"That's...not nice. You need to…'pologize. To Mom."

She stepped out from her hiding place and balled her hands into fists. She trembled slightly. Sawyer cocked his head at the display. Then he put on a cold smile and bent down, something that might have indicated he was trying to connect with her, but all it looked like to Sorano was another attempt to intimidate her.

"Well well, I guess you can speak sometimes. But that doesn't mean I have to do anything a brat like you says. So tell me…" his voice grew hard, "what are you going to do about that, Ultear?"

"Erik, where are you going with this?" Jellal cut right to the chase.

"...I think we're underestimating her potential for destruction." He paced in front of his guild leader. "You heard what Gray said, she copied a spell she had no memory of after seeing him do it once. If she remembers how to do anything else in that arsenal of hers…"

"Are you concerned about her memories? You told me to stop pestering you so I assumed everything was under control." He paused as an unwelcome thought entered his mind. "Is everything under control?"

Erik didn't reply immediately. "I just think we should rethink the whole child-rearing strategy you two seem so attached to. I've got a bad feeling about the kid."

"Everyone here has said that at one point in time. What makes this different?" A dangerous look suddenly crossed his face. "How long has this premonition lasted? What about her did you not bother to tell me?"

"I'm not trying to pick a fight, I'm just saying it could get a bit more complicated than necessary." He paused, his one eye staring intently. "If something's not working, it's it usually better to just move on?"

Jellal shook his head slowly. "I can't just abandon her, Erik. Not just for Meredy's sake, but Ultear's as well. There must be a way to keep her threat level to a minimum. I won't stand by and do nothing."

"No, instead you'll try and help, all the while applying the wrong solution to the problem." Erik didn't repeat what he thought that solution was. "One day, that stubborn persistence of yours is going to get someone killed."

Jellal pinched his lips, but before he could speak, a scream echoed from the direction of the campsite. Meredy's.

The two paused in their argument to rush in her direction.