Praes was standing behind Yuel as she paused in a doorway and watched as Caius and Elle returned for the day. He could tell that his charge was watching them closely, but he still had no idea what this was all about. It was the first time she had not confided in him, and that did not help to settle his nerves. He was also not impressed by the camaraderie that seemed to be developing between the two.
He frowned as he watched Caius smirk down at the tiny woman that was supposed to be a representative of the Goddess Etro. He had heard enough comments to know that she was from a place drastically different, that she was different. He had already received a report about what had happened in the training center, and the fact that she seemed to be a trained warrior was both astonishing and worrying.
As Caius walked out and Elle walked back to her assigned rooms, Praes finally decided to speak up. "Yeul, I do not wish to overstep my bounds, but this situation has become unsettling. Why have you asked for Caius to be the one to escort her? Surely you can see that this could become dangerous. That woman is no wilting flower."
It was several moments before Yeul turned back to face him. His eyes narrowed as he watched something flash through her eyes. It passed quickly enough that he wasn't certain, but it had looked like pain. He didn't comment on it as he focused on her words.
She shook her head as she gestured back to the courtyard. "Have no doubt that the situation is dangerous, but the danger will not come from the Emissary. There are things that are still not clear to me, and I know she is at the heart of them, but not as the instigator. I have to believe that her presence will be the end of the anomalies."
Praes was far from comforted by her response. If he understood her correctly, then for the first time, the Seeress could not clearly see the future. That was troubling news. It would explain many things, but he resolved to have the woman watched. Perhaps she was the savior, or perhaps the catalyst. Either way, he would not allow any harm to come to Yeul. He was pulled from his thoughts when she turned to go back to her favorite fountain, and he followed silently.
Elle spent most of her time over the next two weeks up on the plateaus. It had aggravated Caius at first, as he felt conflicted. He knew Yeul expected him to keep the woman safe, but when he asked about this activity, he had been told not to stop her. Thankfully, it ended up that he need not have worried. She was more than capable of taking care of herself.
It was during that time that Elle also found out that she was indeed a l'cie. She had been sparring with Laer, and that man did not have the same compunctions about not hitting her as Caius had. He pushed her limits as well as her buttons. It wasn't that she couldn't keep up, and she knew his taunting was to goad her into rash action, but after his fifth hit to the same spot, she lost it.
She knew he was targeting the spot because she left it open, and he was trying to push her to block it. The problem was that it was already bruised, and when the pain flared, so did her fist. She was as shocked to see it as Laer was. Her surprise allowed him the opportunity to duck, thankfully. Even though they were in the middle of a spar, she stopped and stared at her hand even after the flames had faded.
Caius was at her side almost as soon as Laer stood. The latter waved his hand in front of Elle's face to get her attention. When she looked up, he smirked. "Why didn't you warn me that you were a l'cie? I don't mind sparring, but I don't want to get roasted when you get pissed."
Elle blinked a couple of times and shook her head. "I'm sorry. I didn't really know for sure. That was unexpected for me too."
Laer gave her a strange look, but it was Caius that spoke. "Elle, it might be prudent to teach you to control that reaction before you spar much more. We were lucky it was Laer, and he was quick enough to dodge."
She was scowling when she looked back up at him, but her voice didn't sound angry. "You're probably right."
That was all she said before she held out a hand to Laer. "I apologize for cutting this short, but Caius has a point."
He took her hand with a smirk. "Don't worry, it isn't the first time I've had flames aimed for my face."
Elle had been caught up in thoughts of what this meant for her, but she still chuckled at his quip. Despite her worry, she managed to return the favor. "Well, maybe they thought it would be an improvement."
He laughed with her. "Maybe, or maybe they just couldn't stand the thought of falling for this handsome face. It doesn't matter what you are if you're in the presence of greatness."
Elle burst into laughter at his confident assessment. No matter her fear of being a l'cie, she was comforted by how familiar the banter felt. It was like being back at the precinct. That thought hurt, too, but it was a pain she had already learned to deal with. She shook her head at his grinning face as she saw Caius motion for them to leave.
"Well, maybe it's handsome to an oretoise, but I suppose it takes all kinds." She winked at his smirk before she turned to follow Caius out. The sound of chuckling followed her out of the enclosure.
They were nearly halfway back to the downward path before Caius spoke. "Was this the first time you felt your power manifest?"
Elle dragged herself from her thoughts and looked over to Caius' somber expression. She grimaced slightly and nodded. "Yeah. I honestly wasn't sure if this mark meant I was a l'cie or not. I suppose I got my answer."
Caius frowned slightly. "I will speak to Praes about this. I have not yet been marked, so I cannot understand the details. However, we have a few other l'cie in the city. Surely we can find one to help."
Elle stopped and stared at him. Her mouth was open before she thought better of it. "You aren't a l'cie?"
"No. I will only become l'cie when I defeat Praes. His power will transfer to me."
She stared at him, open-mouthed until he gave her a confused look. "Why did you believe I was?"
Elle shook her stupor off. "I guess I just assumed you were because you were the guardian in training. Sorry."
He shook his head. "There is no need to apologize. I should not be surprised. There are so many things you don't know about life in Paddra that this is minor."
Elle felt that statement resonate within her. There was a lot she didn't know. She was still finding things that shocked and even thrilled her about the way this city thrived. The things she did know were from a future that may or may not happen. She knew that the War of Transgression would wipe out nearly all human life on Pulse unless something changed. She also knew that Caius would go insane and destroy the world if he wasn't stopped.
That thought had her frowning up at him. This man was both very much like the character she remembered, and yet very different. He was loyal to Paddra and the Seeress. He took his job seriously, and had no qualms about going above and beyond, no matter what his assignment was. Yet, he smiled easily when she wasn't doing something he considered stupid. He was genial with his comrades, and he was even learning to join in her teasing occasionally. He still kept a distance between them, but it was getting smaller each day. Elle could see herself becoming close friends with the man if she had to stay very long. It was a disconcerting thought.
She must have been staring at him longer than she thought. He gave her a reassuring look. "Do not worry. I may not be able to teach you, but I will ensure that you will not be caught off guard again."
She felt her face heat at the fact that she was staring, but she gave him a nod. "Thanks. I don't want to fry someone accidentally." With that, they started back toward the Seeress' complex.
Praes had not been pleased to find out that their guest was growing even stronger. She was too much of an unknown as it was. He was not allowed to stop her, though. Yeul insisted that they find someone capable of teaching the woman. That was how she started spending more time in the complex.
Most of the female acolytes that worked with Yeul, recording her visions and taking care of other tasks, were nothing more than women who had volunteered to cloister themselves into the service of the Seeress. However, a couple of them had been branded and given the task to assist. The two were both older, and Elle did not care for either of them. The feeling was mutual as she was the antithesis to most of their views. Still, they learned to get along for the time being, at least. Yeul would not have tolerated anything else.
Elle was not happy with it, but she spent every morning working with the two women, learning how to feel her power so she could either draw it out on-demand or keep it back, even when her emotions were heightened. Despite her skill in combat, this was something she had a hard time picking up. It wasn't that she couldn't access her power consciously. No, that she picked up in a couple of days. Her problem was holding back when she got angry. Unfortunately, getting angry with her teachers was a common enough occurrence that the sessions became torture.
By the time Caius came to pick her up each day, she was usually ready to do bodily harm to anyone that looked at her funny. He seemed to be the only exception. Despite her sour moods, by the time they made it into the city, he was able to coax at least one laugh from her. Once that happened, her mood improved drastically. He had started trying to do it to keep the peace as they walked the city streets, or went back up to the training arena, but it was only a matter of days before he found it was something he enjoyed. He wasn't sure why, but he liked knowing he was the one capable of bringing that smile to her lips.
It had been nearly two months that Elle had been in Paddra, and still, things had not resolved into much more than a pattern. Whatever her goal was still eluded her. Not that she was clueless, but she currently had no idea how to change things in a future she had very little insight into. For all she knew, the events she was supposed to stop could still be years away.
She had asked several times if there was something she could help with to not feel so worthless, but Yeul had assured her that she was a guest, and as such, she had no need to do more than familiarize herself with the city. Even with her various training, she was beginning to go stir crazy. It didn't help that the extra time meant she found herself focusing on how her absence was affecting her brother. She knew that time travel was a possibility given who had pulled her, but there was no telling if she could even make it back. If she didn't, how would that affect him? It had been hard for both of them when their mother was killed and their father drank himself to death within a couple of years. They still had their grandfather, but they didn't see him often. For the most part, it was just the two of them. She tried not to think about how devastated Kurt would be if she never made it back, but it was hard when she had too much time and not much to do.
It wasn't that there weren't new things to see, but she had not been allowed out of the city or to help, and it went against the grain. She was about ready to see if she could sneak out for a few hours. At least that was the case until something happened that had her jumping at the chance to help.
She had been walking through one of the squares and had stopped to let the mist fall on her. With it getting closer to the middle of summer, the weather was becoming almost unbearable. She was getting used to it, but that didn't mean she hesitated to take advantage of the cooling water.
Caius was standing a short distance away and chuckling at her obvious enjoyment. His voice was slightly taunting when he called out. "You know, we do have public places to swim. If you are that keen on using the water to cool down, I could show you."
Elle cracked open an eye and grinned over at him. "Why are you just now mentioning this? Can we go now?"
He smirked at her and gestured to the east. "They are this way."
Elle was so caught up in thoughts of swimming that she didn't even consider her lack of swimwear. Unfortunately, they never made it to their destination. They were halted when a guard came running up out of breath. He saluted Caius with a hand to his heart before he started speaking. "Apprentice, a king behemoth has been spotted in the canyons. Praes has asked that you lead the team to intercept it. We must drive it away at the very least."
Caius frowned before he looked back to Elle. He bit back a sigh before he spoke. "I will take you back to the compound. Please stay inside until I return. You will be better protected there in my stead."
As soon as Elle realized that he planned on leaving her for god knew how long, she scowled. It was bad enough being confined to the city. She refused to be confined to the compound. "Take me with you."
Caius did sigh at that point. He had been afraid she was going to ask. Thankfully, the Seeress had been adamant about not allowing her out of the city, so he cleared his face and tried to reason with her. "I understand that it will be inconvenient, but I have been instructed to keep you within the city. It is too dangerous for you outside. Even if you are a competent fighter, that does not make you a hunter."
Elle knew he was right about what the Seeress had said, but she didn't think she could handle being cooped up for that long. It would drive her mad. She squared her shoulders and frowned up at him. "We don't know that. You have already seen that I have improved drastically since I first sparred with you. They even started teaching me to use a spear. I know this is important, but I swear, leaving me behind will not be better for me. You have no idea how hard this is for me already. I don't need the downtime."
Caius bit back a curse as he understood what she was referencing. The longer she was here, the less she talked about her brother, but he doubted it was because she was forgetting him. She had stopped talking about her life at all, even going so far as the change the subject if he asked. He wished he had thought of it before. She was throwing herself into constant activity to prevent herself from thinking about what she left behind. He was a fool for not realizing it when she begged to go do something besides walk around. Still, this was a decision that was out of his hands. "I know you are capable, and under different circumstances, I would consider it. This is not my choice."
Elle wanted to punch the regretful look off his face. She managed to curb the urge since she knew it wasn't his fault. Still, it took her several moments to calm enough to speak, and her voice was still low. "Do not expect me to take this without a fight. I need to do something." She realized she was acting like a spoiled child, but her nerves were already on edge. She had kept things under the surface, but this brought them all raging up, and she was fighting herself just to keep from looking like a fool.
Whatever response Caius was about to give her was interrupted by another voice calling out. "Caius, good, I am glad they found you. You must ready to leave immediately. I will escort the Emissary back."
They both turned to see Yeul and Praes walking toward them. Caius looked relieved, but Elle turned to Yeul. She wasn't going to let this go. Not yet. Her voice was hard when she spoke. "Seeress, I know when I first got here, you asked that Caius guide and protect me. You also told me to stay in the city for my own safety. However, since then I have worked tirelessly to become a better fighter. I would like to formally request the right to join this hunt,"
Caius cursed under his breath. He should have known she wouldn't let it drop. Yeul didn't speak right away. Instead, she watched Elle intensely for several moments. Finally, she looked at Caius. "Apprentice, tell me honestly, do you think she is capable? If she were not the Emissary, what would your response be?"
Caius' first instinct was to tell Yeul that the woman needed to be kept locked up, but he paused as Yeul's gaze seemed to penetrate his thoughts. He realized she would know if he was less than truthful, and he sighed. "She is a capable warrior. She is still green for the hunt, but she has already proven she can stand with most of my men. I cannot deny that there will be others going that are no more skilled than her."
Praes glared at him for the response, but Yeul only nodded. "Then, do you feel she could help?"
Caius glanced at Elle from the corner of his eye and sighed at the look she was giving him. It was a cross between hopeful and shocked. He had not yet told her how impressed he had been at the speed she was learning. That did not include her training with the other l'cie. She had not shown those powers during a spar since that first time. He already knew what Yeul was getting at, and although he still wanted to keep her safely within the city, he knew he was doing a disservice to her as the warrior she had proven herself to be. Had she been a man, he would have been the one asking to have her go.
"Yes. Most of the men that are going have seen her capabilities first-hand. She would be a valuable asset and not a distraction."
Praes made a sound, but Yeul only looked back to him with a slight frown before she turned back and looked at Elle. "You have my permission to go. Remember, this is an unusual hunt. Do not allow yourself to become a burden. If this is the path you feel you must follow, know you will be judged to a higher standard to continue."
Elle barked a bitter laugh. "That is something I'm used to. I didn't become a detective as young as I am without learning to go beyond what was expected of all my co-workers."
Yeul nodded. She had not seen much, but she had already known this was a possible path for the woman to walk. She only wished she knew which outcome this would lead to. Only one route led to prosperity for her people, and she was still nearly blind to the path between the twisted visions.
At her nod, Praes finally spoke up again. "If we are done here, the warriors are waiting near the city entrance. Find and drive the beast back. Kill it if you can. We do not need it to keep coming back."
Caius saluted Praes with his hand over his heart before he turned back to the entrance of the city. His eyes caught on Elle as she repeated the gesture toward Yeul. He was caught off guard by her action and nearly paused, but she turned on her heel at Yeul's nodded acceptance of the gesture and was walking toward the city entrance. Despite his resolve to not think of her as a woman, she still surprised him often. It was a conflicting feeling. No matter how much she impressed him, he found he had a harder time every day thinking of her as anything but a woman. A beautiful, spirited, and strong woman.
When Caius realized the path his thoughts had taken as he watched her walk away, he chastised himself. He could not afford to think like that at all, much less right before they were to go fight a monstrosity. It was only a matter of moments before he caught up and took the lead. He focused on what they might face and turned his thoughts to preparations instead of the woman by his side.
A/N: These two are both so stubborn lol. We will see how much it takes to get them both to realize that it's okay to put their pride aside for a little while at least :) I hope you enjoyed, thanks for reading!