Chapter 10: Fiancé?

"So what exactly does she want?" Jin asked as he, Lass and Arme went into a small grocery store. For some reasons, Arme frantically made rounds in every aisle.

"Just take whatever you need." Lass told the fighter as he handed him a basket. "Take this. I'll catch up with her."

Jin sighed in exasperation. "Do I always have to be the bachelor?"

I just have to wait for her so we can get out of here. Lass thought as he searched for Arme.

"Can you walk?" the male Elf asked as he put Lire down. She winced from the sting coming from her knee as she clung on Ryan's arm for support.

"…I'm okay," she said stiffly when she stared down at her body. "My clothes are tattered. Is there a clothes shop in here?"

Ryan craned his neck whilst looking around. "We've got luck."

Lire eyed him in surprise as she followed the direction he's staring at. Several distances from them stood a cottage where a wide wooden sign engraved "LE OLDE ARMOR SHOPPE" caught their sight.

"Umm…"

"Go ahead. I'll buy us some dinner."

"Ryan…" Lire frowned. "You said…"

"I know. I'll wait for you over there," The moment he said "there", Ryan pointed towards another cottage which stood opposite to the clothes shop. He highlighted the shop name as well.

"Okay," Lire nodded as both of them split up. She went ahead to the clothes shop. The fat lady welcomed her to the door. The archer browsed the aisles for clothes that will fit her. Unfortunately, most of them were too small. Some were too big, too wide… and too tight.

"What's the matter, young lady?" the shop owner approached her just as Lire is about to ask for sizes.

"Do you have small ones?" the archer asked.

The lady took the tape measure that hung around her neck as she measured Lire.

"An hourglass-sized body," she nodded. "Come along. I have many of them in your size!"

Lire felt a wave of relief as she followed the lady. The shop owner led her into her large closet where she kept her stocks. Inside, many well-sewn clothes are secured in hangers and are hanged along the walls.

"Are all of these battle armors?" she asked.

"Of course, while my husband runs a weapon shop where he dismantles, repairs and makes weapons, I've designed many clothes and choose the best and the most durable fabrics." The lady explained when she picked three hangers from her clothes wire. "These will look good on you, sweetheart."

A tiny doorbell caught the shop owner's attention as she handed the three sets to Lire. "Hold these for me. I have customers." She said as she exited her closet, leaving Lire with the three hangers containing clothes.

"Yes? How can I help you, kind sir?"

"I'm looking for my fiancée. Did she happen to come here?"

"Uhmm.. who could she be, mister?"

"She's a fine young lady. I thought I saw her here so I came by to clarify things."

Lire froze. Someone is following her. She clutched the clothes close to her and stood near the doorframe. Suddenly, the footprints are heading towards the closet. Lire looked around to find some place to hide into.

"E-Excuse me, sir. Someone's fitting on some clothes there. You might want to wait for a while."

The heavy footsteps stopped. "I see. I'll be at your entrance while I wait for her." The footsteps headed away from the closet. Meanwhile, Lire stood frozen, draped against the wall and her body trembling from what she just heard.

Who was that? What does he want from me? She trembled while pondering. It could be that the man had mistaken her for someone else. If she dares to walk out of the shop unnoticed, there's a one percent chance for it to happen. She then wished that she should have joined Ryan instead…

"Have you picked one, sweetheart?" the female shop owner returned as she entered inside the closet.

Lire checked the three hanged clothes as she picked the second one. "Umm… this one,"

"Ahh, the green and black blend!" the lady said merrily. "It fits you perfectly. The gloves, shoes, socks and skirt are included because it is an armor set."

"Sure!" Lire smiled. "I-I'll take it."

"Great! I'll go get the paper bag." The lady left the closet again as Lire hanged the two remaining clothes back. She heard the shop owner welcome more customers as well. When the lady returned, she showed the gloves, shoes, skirt and the pair of long fabric that is worn from the biceps to the wrists. Lire felt satisfied that she picked the right set. Meanwhile, her eyes went towards a big box.

"Umm… what are those over there?"

"They just arrived last week. I couldn't find enough time to display all of them but I'll show you around." The lady headed towards another door. Lire followed her as the room is filled with more hanged clothes. The shop owner went towards north. "Here they are. I picked the ones that are similar to your size."

Lire gazed at the set located at the center. "How about that one? I'll take that, too…"

Lire paid on the counter before taking the baggage with her. She made her way towards the exit, completely unaware of the person outside.

"There you are," the man approached her as the archer flinched.

"Who are you?"

"You don't know me?" the man eyed her in shock. "Why not? Don't you remember… when you were young?"

Huh? Lire stared at the man incredulously. What is this man saying? By the looks of it, he is in his mid-thirties… and she's way too young for him. What's more surprising is that the man possessed a pair of pointed ears – he's an Elf, too. Lire didn't remember seeing this man before.

"I'm Teppei," the man introduced himself. "You… Lire Eruel. I know everything about you. You were that playful little girl…"

Lire's green irises shrank. W-What? She didn't know the man but he knew about her. Chills ran down her spine as she took a step away.

"Ladmir has given me his consent. His consent to be one with you." The man's lips formed into a smirk. "I hope you bought a wedding dress now."

Lire shook her head. "N-No! I'm not planning to – " She gasped in horror when Teppei inched his face close to hers.

"You might as well get ready, young lady. And don't ruin our moment."

"NO!" Lire ran. It's her last resort to escape. Fortunately, Teppei didn't follow her. She didn't catch a glimpse of him. She didn't want to. The way he stared at her… looked at her. It scared her. Then her thoughts went to Ladmir, her only brother. Traces of grudge grew.

I should have known. He set me up to this prick! I won't forgive him!

Regardless of the weight of the baggage she carried, she kept on running. She has to get away from Teppei – whoever he is.

"Lire!" She felt a hand grab her wrist. The female Elf jerked as those deep emerald eyes – ones that she'd been longing to see – met her gaze.

"Ryan…" She wanted to cry. Ryan is there, holding her wrist and seeing the tears leaking her eyes.

"C'mon," the druid pulled her arm and quickly dragged her along with him. Lire didn't protest. She's safe when she's with him… and glad that he was there. In the back of her head, Teppei's devilish grin haunted her.

Don't ruin our moment. Now that sentence is stuck in her head. She shook that thought off and focused on Ryan.

The Elves entered inside the small house that they found. It seemed deserted and it is isolated from the rest of the houses in the village. Ryan took the bags from Lire and put them near the bed. He turned around and saw his girl sitting on the bed, whimpering. He went to her, leaned his face towards her and lifted her face so she could look at him.

"It was him, right?" he whispered, causing Lire to look at him in surprise.

"You… you know him?" Ryan responded with a nod.

"Teppei, I know him. By the time I got back from Gaia, I went to the Elven Forest to look for you, thinking that you are there. He was there, invading your haven, taking some of your stuff…"

What… Lire couldn't believe what she was hearing. While she wasn't around, Teppei trespassed in her haven. Then she remembered the note that she found under her pillow… the one that she crumpled and threw on the trash bin…

"No…" she shook her head in disbelief. "…Ryan, I-I… I don't want… hah…" She couldn't hold back her tears. They fell openly down her cheeks. She dived onto his chest and let it all out. She wrapped her arms around him, gripping on the black turtle neck singlet he wore then on the green straps that encircled his body. Ryan pulled her close, wounding his fingers on her golden locks. He put his knee on the bed, gently pushing her down as he pinned her. He cushioned Lire's head with his hand, resting it against his shoulder.

"Lire…" he whispered.

"Ryan," she sobbed. "Don't leave me…"

"I won't." he assured her. She doesn't want to be separated from him again. She stopped crying as she hugged him.

"Did you buy the food?" Ryan gave a wordless nod. Then Lire said something to him that made her feel embarrassed. Ryan wasn't surprised, shocked and didn't hesitate.

"If it's okay with you, I will…" He pulled himself up, looking straight into her eyes filled with invitation.

"Please?" she mumbled as the druid obeyed.

The four guys and one girl ran, carrying their baggage of groceries with them. Ronan, despite forcing himself to go to the Elven Forest, has been restrained by Sieghart from doing so.

"We have to take shelter here!" Jin yelled as he pointed towards the forest.

"But that's the – " Arme started.

"Yes, but we're not going in there," Lass interrupted. "We'll just take shelter in that treehouse he just found."

"C'mon, hurry!" the red-haired fighter cried as they all moved.

Elesis… Ronan pondered. He has to focus on saving the people.

"If the Elves caught us, we might get arrested!" Arme complained.

"They won't," Sieghart retorted. "Supposedly they already know what's going on."

"Pull yourself together, will you?" Lass scolded her. "Look, your magic research can wait. I'll help you out if you want!"

Arme sighed. "Okay, fine. Only in one condition."

Lass put his hand on his temples. "What is it this time?"

"No more stealing. And I hope this is the last time we'll do it!"

"Jeez, what's her problem?" Jin shook his head as he led the group towards the forest. "Ronan, if we can find those two Elves, we can work together like we always do."

"That is, I hope," Ronan replied in a sad tone.

UPDATE: 04.28.14

This story will make its way to the rated M section for the next update. Stay tuned and please review.