Surprise, I'm back again already! Had some free time today, so I figured what the hell right?
Enjoy!
Azzie was quite sure death was supposed to hurt, but she felt no pain. Icas often told her about people he'd killed and how certain he was that they'd felt no pain in the end, so maybe he was right. She had expected something though, she fell off of a cliff for God sake. Azzie kept her eyes glued shut until she heard rocks crumbling around her, and she had the heart to open them.
No, she wasn't dead. As a matter of fact, she was dangling three hundred feet above the ground, with a very pained right arm. Looking up, Azzie discovered the source rather quickly.
"D-Drake-sama..." She managed to croak out, staring up at the man holding her arm to prevent her falling down. Azzie knew from the distance away he'd been that he must've sprinted and slid in order to catch her in time, and that only confused her farther. "Why..."
"I already told you." he hissed back, causing Azzie's eyes to widen. "I wanted to settle this calmly, and you falling to your death is not what I had in mind." He managed to cast her a confident smirk despite the pain he was putting himself through to lay there and hold her. "Besides, what sort of man would I be if I let a pretty young woman like you fall to your death?" Azzie's felt her face go red at his words, even more unsure of his motives now.
"I don't understand." She said weakly, "Why are you going through so much to try and save me? Your broken rib must be killing you right now, and your arm, so why..."
"Like I said." he replied, "Calmly. You're not a bad person, and everyone deserves a second chance." Second Chance, huh? Azzie felt her eyes begin to get wet with tears, and she rubbed at her face with her free arm to dispel them. Unfortunately, her magic didn't work on tears, only magic. "Now, how do you propose we get out of this situation we're in?" Azzie took a moment to observe the problem. She, with Drake's injuries, weighed to much to be pulled up, and she had no strength to assist him in such a feat anyway.
"You could let me fall." She replied, looking back up at him. "You'd be okay, and I'd be..."
"Enough!" Drake shouted, glaring at her. "If you fall, I'm going with you! Stop trying to convince me you're life isn't worth anything, because it won't do anything."
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Azzie demanded, glaring at him right back. "We aren't friends, we're enemies! This is supposed to be when I beg for my life while you threaten to drop me, not you trying to save me!"
"Than start begging, for Mavis' sake." he growled. "Maybe it'll inspire me to pull you up." Azzie shook her head angrily, not able to believe such a cute guy was this stupid. The only way out of such a situation was one or both of them dying, so why was he so intent on neither? Wait, why was she so intent on only her own death? If what she said was true, then why wasn't she trying to kill them both? It would be what Master Kronos would've wanted her to do. "He would've wanted that, huh?"
"Eh?" Azzie jerked her head back p to look at him, her own purple eyes meeting his. "What...?"
"I heard you thinking that your master would want you to kill us both if it meant the enemy was dealt with." he replied, giving her a steely gaze. "So remind me why you listen to this guy?" Azzie sighed and looked out over the forest, hearing the sounds of her guildmates engaging in battle with Drake's.
"He saved my life." She whispered. "I was just a kid lost in a forest, and he offered me a home in exchange for my service in his guild. Had I known that it would lead to so much death and despair, I would've rathered death." Drake remained silent, so Azzie continued, "I've heard the stories of your guild, how everyone is a family. I've gone without a real family for so long I..." Azzie got choked up at the thought of her dead family. "I've forgotten how it feels to have one. I barely even remember my own mothers face, how said is that?" Azzie sniffled and chuckled. "Look at me, losing my cool like this in front of you..."
"I can't begin to relate on such a level, but..." Drake replied quietly, and Azzie turned to find him looking away from her, a somber look on his face. "I haven't seen or heard from own Father in almost eight years. Nashi didn't meet hers until she was sixteen. Simon's in the same boat as me, and Damien killed his own little sister on accident and to this day cannot live it down, and Ultear befriended a little girl only to fail in protecting her and see her burned corpse." Azzie watched Drake sigh, before looking back at her. "We've all been through our own personal hell, but we're always there for each other. Don't you have anyone you can turn too? At all?"
"I suppose." She said. "Katsuchi-sama and Tetsu-sama."
"Those guys in that memory I heard." Drake replied. "You trust them?" Azzie smiled at the thought of the goofball God Slayers and nodded.
"With my life." She said. "They're the only ones I've ever been able to talk too, Icas and Taisho are barely tolerable, and Maya just creeps me out...But Katsuchi-sama and Tetsu-sama were always there if I needed them. A shoulder to cry on, someone to beat up and mock for fun, if I needed anything Kronos-sama wouldn't or couldn't provide..."
"That's a family, isn't it?" Azzie's felt shocked at what Drake said, mainly because she'd never looked at it that way. "if you trust them and they trust you, that's all you need..." Azzie smiled as her eyes threatened to leak again.
"Yeah..." They were both silent for a minute before The rock face trembled a little, and rocks hit Azzie on the head.
"Shit..." Drake hissed, more of his midsection visible. "The cliff's giving out on me..."
"I told you to let go..." Azzie replied, more calm then she thought she would be.
"And I told you not to talk like that." Drake looked around for anything to solve their predicament, and he looked back down at at Azzie solemnly. "I have an idea, but I need you to trust me."
"H-huh?" Azzie asked, confused. More of the cliff gave out, and Drake winced as it did. Azzie could see his broken rib jabbing him, and it looked painful.
"Do you trust me?" he asked.
"I..." Azzie faltered at the thought of Kronos punishing her for saying such a thing. "Just let me fall, Drake-sama. Save yourself."
"Like hell." he replied, giving her one of the most determined looks she'd ever seen. "We're going to get out of here, and you can see Katsuchi and Tetsu again. I'll get you back to your family, you just have to trust me." Azzie could no longer keep the tears back, and they fell down her cheeks.
"I-I do." Se replied, smiling up at Drake. "I trust you." Drake smiled back.
"Good." he said. "Cause I'd feel bad doing his other wise." Drake summoned a surge of strength Azzie previously thought impossible due to his weakened state, and threw her up into he air in front of him. Azzie felt his hands grasp her waist and he pulled her close to him, and they were now nose to nose. Azzie blushed furiously, and Drake just grinned at her.
"W-what are you..." Azzie asked weakly, and he laughed.
"We aren't even at the good part yet." he said. Just as Azzie was about to ask, the rest of Drake's footing gave way, and they fell down the cliff.
"You're a fucking idiot!" Azzie screamed as she pressed herself up against him, her head resting on his shoulder. He laughed manically.
"I get that a lot!" he reassured, tightening his grip around her midsection. Azzie didn't like how calm she felt in his grasp, but he was warm, a feeling Azzie was not used too. So this is what a hug feels like...
"What now?!" Azzie shouted over the air whistling around them, and Drake made a weird sound.
"The landing is gonna suck." he replied. "Just close our eyes, it may get nasty."
"D-Drake-sama..." Azzie was cut off as his hand pressed up against the back of her head.
"Close them." he ordered. Azzie did as she was told, and she felt their descent get slowed bit by bit as Drake pressed them up against the cliff side. "Fuck that burns..." As they slowed, Azzie stayed dead quiet, obviously practicing for when she actually was dead. "Now," Drake said. "Here's the dangerous part. Ready?"
"Like falling three hundred feet wasn't the dangerous part!" Azzie yelled back angrily, and Drake laughed.
"You know Azzie," he said. "I like you." Azzie's eyes snapped open in shock and she threw her head back to stare at him, face totally red.
"W-what..." Drake interrupted her by looking past her.
"Here's our stop." he said calmly. Thrusting from the cliff, Azzie felt Drake force her into a protective hug as they flew through the canopy, and she felt er head hit a branch, and everything went black.
Big!" Maya shouted, Ultear's body springing to normal size. "Small!" Which caused it to become small again. Ultear wasn't even doing that much fighting, but her body size changing so rapidly was exhausting her greatly. "Big! Small! This is so much fun, right Ultear?"
"Totally..." Ultear replied weakly, trying to stand in her weakened state. Maya had too great of an advantage over her, it wasn't fair. Not only that, but she couldn't even fight in this form either.
"Huh," Maya said, observing the sweat on her brow. "This is quite tiring, so I'm just going to finish you off now." Ultear couldn't do anything to stop Maya as she charged her, fist raised, so she bowed her head and accepted her fate. "What the...gah!" Ultear looked up to see that Maya had been blindsided by something, and Ul watched the younger girl fly into the bushes.
"Ow..." Ultear was surprised to note the thing that hit her had been a man, even more so when she recognized the scarlet hair. "What the hell did I hit?" Simon asked, sitting up and rubbing his head.
"Simon!" Ultear shouted happily, running to his side. "I'm so happy you're here!" Simon looked over as she touched his arm, and his face scrunched up in confusion.
"Ul?" he asked. "is that you?"
"Yes! That bitch you hit uses retrogression magic, so I look like a seven year old...what are you staring at?" Ultear noticed Simon had not been looking her in the eyes, but lower. He turned the color of his hair and looked away.
"Well..." he said slowly. "I'm not used to your chest being so small..." If Ultear could've used embarrassment as a weapon, Maya would've lost to a nuclear explosion of it.
"Who says stuff like that?!" Ultear screeched, slapping him.
"Ow!" he shouted. "I'm just saying, It's weird..."
"Of course it's smaller, I look seven!"
"Well, what did you want me to say?!"
"Certainly nothing about that, you pervert!" The two bickered until laughing interrupted them.
"My my, what a development." Maya stumbled out of the bush, her face covered in what Ultear assumed was her own blood. That or being hit like that caused her to eat a small animal. "Is this the guy, Ultear?"
"The...guy...?" Ultear asked, and the conversation came back to her when Maya wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, and she turned a bight crimson. "Wha-no! We aren't like that!"
"Such misfortune." Maya said in a overly dramatic tone. "Ultear's love has to see her in such an unattractive and deplorable state!"
"Is that a boy or a girl?" Simon asked Ultear, which caused Maya to fall over. "Seriously, I can't tell." Ultear began to laugh as Maya stood.
"I'll turn you int a little kid too, you asshole!" Maya shouted, her hands glowing. Nothing happened. Simon stood tall, pushing Ultear behind him.
"I don't know who you are." Simon said calmly. "But you went after one of my friends, a close one at that. Plus, it would appear your retrogression magic is not practiced enough, as it cannot effect more than one of us at a time." A sword materialized in Simon's hands, and he pointed it at Maya. "How about you fight someone on an even playing field?" Maya squeaked, and Simon blasted her with a blast of his heavenly magic. he turned back to her and smiled. "You can take this from here, I have another asshole to deal with."
"How can I in such a state?" Ultear asked weakly, and Simon placed a hand on her head.
"You're smarter than her, no matter how old you are." Simon replied, causing Ultear to go the color of his hair. "I believe you can do it. Besides, I think you'd rather her than my opponent." As if on cure, laughter could be heard in the distant.
"Where the fuck are you, Scarlet?!" The other man laughed. "Did I eradicate you?! If so, let me find your ashes so I can go back and find Hot guy, er, eye!"
"Gotta go." Simon said, smiling at her. "Good luck." With the good wishes, Simon disappeared in a flash, leaving Ultear alone with Maya once again.
"Man, who was that guy?" Maya demanded, struggling to stand. "No matter, I'll just finish you off now, Ultear" Maya's body began to glow, and she began launching blasts of white magic. Ultear managed to dodge all but one, which upon contact, shrunk her by another year.
"I'll be a newborn at this rate..." Ultear said, struggling to stand. "Just how the hell..." Maya laughed at her as she stood.
"You can't win without your boyfriend her, huh?" Maya asked, causing rage to circulate through Ultear. "I doubt Icas needs me, but I'll finish you quick and go to find him." While Maya spoke, Ultear ran as fast as she could, and launched herself at Maya.
"I need Simon, huh?!" She demanded, pulling at Maya's hair. "How about now, bitch?!"
"Get off of me!" Maya shouted. Ultear kept pulling, clumps of hair coming out in her hands. "I can't stand you, God!" Ultear jumped away as she finished ripping her hair out, and Maya gave her a murderous glare. "I'll use your dead body to hit red hair with it, got it?" Ultear had absolutely no plan, but smiled and gestured for Maya to come at her.
"Bring it bitch."
This may be one of my favorite chapters this far. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed, leave a review! Let's try and get five!