Yggdrasil's Ace

Chapter 6

Author Notes: Last time we get a gender reveal~ Big fun. Now, I will be sure to put in the proper pronouns for Ace...but also-it's time to ensue the awkwardness. I regret nothing. And I do not own Dragon Quest.

3rd P.O.V

There was a bit of awkwardness after Ace woke up. She was tired and sore and her old clothes were a bit ripped up. Making her feel uncomfortable as the tunic she had on went down to her calves. She desperately wanted her other clothes back-something Izar promised he would give once he's mended them.

But she would have to wait. Beggars couldn't be choosers since the tunic was all the old priest had that could fit her in the meantime. Still she felt self-conscious as she picked at a loose strand. It didn't help that Erik did his utmost to avoid her gaze completely.

Even when they were speaking to one another. It felt as if all the conversations and bonding they did before never happened. Like they were strangers all over again. It hurt, but she could see why he was distant with her. She hid a rather huge secret from him despite all he's done to help her.

To her, it was like a magical barrier was placed between them. One that she desperately wanted down. Honestly if it wasn't for Father Izar keeping the conversations rolling by asking questions of their journey so far there probably would be no talking at all. And she was grateful how how easily he could read the tension.

"So you've been getting visions from Yggdrasil's roots? It seems Chalky has come to the rescue once again with the letter he provided. I'm sure if he were here he'd give that king a good one-two." She chuckled at the priest's antics.

Knowing very well the two were good friends back in the day. Often regarded as the Sword and Staff of Cobblestone that left younger generations in awe. "Thank you for everything you've done Father Izar."

He gives a stern look in her direction-knowing very well as to what she was thinking. Was well aware of what she was planning to do. Even if he had to summon magic he would make sure that she stayed put.

"Don't even think about it. You still have at least-you hear me child? At least another day or two to recover from your wounds. You know your Heal spell don't work that well on you, so don't try to tell me you will be well enough to go on your way. The Heliodor guards will face the Goddess's wrath should they dare come knocking on this sacred sanctuary."

She truly loved this old man. Even though he would never wish ill on somebody or raise a hand, she appreciated his kindness and loyalty. It was like she had a second grandfather or great uncle watching over her after Chalky passed away.

He was also one of the only people here that didn't judge her for her...as many of the other elders called 'rebellious spirit.' Still, she couldn't stay here forever. Though it was true that the knights had preserved the church during the attack, there was no telling when they'd return.

And should they discover them, interrogate or kill the man. She's lost enough already, his blood would not fall because of her. "He's right Ace. You shouldn't be moving about. With all the monsters roaming, the last thing you wanna do is reopen them. Hurts like hell."

She crossed her arms with a frown, noticing how he still refused to look her in the eye. Preferring to eat the bowl of oatmeal made for them. And even then he was only chiming in just to chime in, probably half paying attention to the conversation.

"We can't afford to stay here. Father Izar-if they found out you're helping me they'll kill you. Promise me you'll return to your daughter when we leave?" She bit her lip, anxious. She said 'we' as if Erik was still going to be traveling with her.

The thought that the easy going rogue could potentially leave left her cold. Like someone dumped a bucket of ice water on her head. It really shouldn't bother her, they hadn't been traveling together long. But she found herself relying on him.

Appreciating his presence and support. Dulling the loneliness and fear that gripped her heart. "Only if you promise to stay and heal a bit longer. You're like a granddaughter to me Ace. Your mother Amber and Chalky would have my head should they see I allowed you to go in the state you're in."

All she could do was sulk in her chair. Knowing he was absolutely right. Hell, she could feel the frowns both of them would give her. It didn't help that given her luck Erik was probably going to leave on top of everything else. Figuring it would be too much of a hassle traveling with her. Here she was holding him back. Again.

It was actually amazing he believed and followed her for this long in the first place. He was the one who got her out of jail, hid her away, helped her when she collapsed after finding a Yggdrasil root for the first time and now injured...It stung knowing how much of a burden she was.

That unsettling feeling of inferiority and weakness was starting to pile up fast. Something she hasn't felt in such large bouts in a long time. But she pushes those feelings away, she can feel bad about herself later.

"The moment I hear even a hoof from a soldier's horse I'm leaving Father. I will not condone you trying to protect me." There was no way in hell she was going to allow him to be added to the list of deceased. Not because of her.

Sighing, he placed a wrinkled hand over hers. Giving a gentle pat. "The path you follow is a painful one my child. What happened was not your fault. You can't allow guilt and shame to claim your heart. Now go get some rest. I will re-wrap you later."

Not in the mood to argue anymore, she sighs before going to lay down. Not seeing the looks being sent her way or the way Erik's hand clenched tightly against the spoon in his grip.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"So how long were you hoping for me to not properly guess your name? That's cheating you know." She couldn't believe what she's hearing. Let alone what was happening. "Is that seriously the question you're going to ask when you haven't looked me in the eye the last few days?" He didn't leave.

She's not alone, destroying the tension that's been building. "Hey-look I'm sorry. I didn't know you were a girl, not that you made that easy to figure out. And after finding out, I didn't want to crowd you or demand answers." He was also given a stern talking to by the old man after he was caught staring.

He felt like a little kid getting scolded. And he took it, accepted the lecture because wow did he feel stupid and rude. Especially when he makes note of her turning her gaze away from him, still nervous. Lacking in confidence that didn't look right at all.

"I...don't mind talking about it. Honestly I thought you were mad at me for betraying your trust. Most people don't find something like this out and just-accept it. Let alone continue a silly game of guessing what my true name is."

Erik could only hum as he starts preparing a fire for the night. Leaving a few moments of silence trickling, making the both of them anxious. Something the thief wasn't going to tolerate. Sincere words started spilling even has he kept his attention on the task.

"Sounds to me like things weren't all sunshine and rainbows for you to expect me to lash out. You keep those quiet tones so people don't suspect your gender, and the outfit speaks for itself. Clearly you got your reasons for it, I got my secrets as you know. If you don't wanna talk about it-you don't have to."

Those were the words she desperately wanted to hear. Not that he could see the mesmerized look on her face since he was still busy trying to ignite the wood. "It's...not that things were necessarily bad. Rather it seemed easier." But he did pause in what he was doing when she started talking.

Wanting to clear the air and being completely honest with herself. What else does she have left to lose at this point? So with a deep breath she opens her mouth to clarify. Though her confession comes in a small whisper as the fire finally came to life.

"I...i've always felt insecure with how I looked. There was only me and a few other girls my age, and unlike them I wasn't very...feminine. Instead of learning how to be a good wife I learned how to fight. I chose to patrol the town late into the night instead of learning how to care for children. Magic over dancing. I...was considered hopeless."

At least that was what some of the older generations thought. They couldn't understand how she felt, why she couldn't just fit in and follow tradition. "Father Izar, my mum, my best friend Gemma and grandpa were really the only ones who supported and accepted me." Heavens above she missed them.

So so much, she wished they were here because Goddess knows she was going to cry again. Quietly she wiped the salty crystals from her eyes before they fell. Ignoring the concerned look being shot her way.

"As I got older, I noticed a lot of my peers whispering behind my back. Making fun of me for my choices. 'You'll never find a husband with how you are.' 'You can't do the most basic of things.' 'You're a failure as a girl."

There were some days it was unbearable. So bad that she'd lock herself in her room or the barn for hours, reading the day away so she wouldn't have to face their nasty sneers and painful jabs. Were it not for her mother and friend she probably would've never left her hiding places.

And that made it all the more painful knowing those days will never return. Within a few days that precious future that they all anticipated was taken away in one fell swoop. Gemma's wedding, mum's loving hugs and home cooking...all of it gone.

"There's...only so much you can hear of it before you start believing it. I found myself struggling to find comfort wearing dresses. And though Gemma defended me tooth and nail-I was often envious because of how beautiful and confident she was."

That was the worst part now that she thought about it. Knowing she couldn't accept herself. Feeling ugly because of how often her and Gemma were compared. Constantly feeling inferior because her best friend-practically her sister seemed perfect in every single way.

She was a healer-both magically and traditionally, was a good tailor, was prepared to settle down with a sweet gardener boy down the road. She was well on her way to a perfect happily ever after. A dream that would never happen.

"I had decided that once I came of age, I would travel-just like my grandpa did. Seeking the world and finding a life I would take pride in. Where I could mature and accept myself for who I was." Part of her plan came to fruition.

But not how she wanted it at all. "When Gemma and I climbed the Tor for our coming of age ceremony, my mark glowed. My mum told me afterwards after hearing about it that I was the Luminary and sent me to see the king at my grandpa's request. Why did things happen the way it did?

She knows now that Chalky only told her mum because of the letter written from Ace's birth mother but the king's reaction just made no sense. Why scorn her if he was supposed to help her? "And well...you know the rest of the story. Was called a darkspawn, got my ass kicked before getting thrown in jail."

Immediately she wrapped her arms around her legs as she settled down. Nestling her head on her knees she closed her eyes. Silently apologizing to her family once more. "So is your name Amy? Or Angela?" Startled she opened her eyes to find Erik right next to her. She didn't even hear him move.

Reflexes controlled the first thing that came to mind...the teen punched him right in the side. This was NOT the time to give her a heart attack. "Oof!" He bent over slightly clutching the pained area. Even though she knew for a fact she didn't hit him very hard.

"Why are you like this?" He was being dramatic. Was he making fun of her? After she poured her heart out, did he truly not take her seriously or understood how important this was?! Despite comedically rubbing his wounded area, he gave her a stern expression.

Cutting off any tangent she was about to start on. "There's nothing wrong with you being a girl Ace. I think you're making way too big a deal of it. You're pretty, strong and smart. So what if you don't follow traditions or act like a fancy lady-you're working with a thief. I don't care about any of that."

She snorts, holding her head with her palm. "Unbelievable..." Tears were ready to fall again. It was as if he could read her thoughts, know her feelings. And the sincerity he held as he spoke was like a balm.

Soothing the cracks in her heart because his words were what she needed to hear. Something she's been wanting to hear from someone that wasn't part of her family for so long. Up until now, she had given up on it, figuring no one would truly understand.

"What's really unbelievable is that now it's going to be even harder for me to guess your name. There's way more girl names than guys. Seriously, did you think I was going to cut and run after all we've been through the last month or so?" She didn't answer.

Unable to as she shifts nervously in place. Confirming his suspicions. "Look-i'm not all that good with feelings and shit. But i'm far too invested in this to turn tail. The Seer told me to stick with the Luminary and that's what I'm going to do." Right, the Luminary...was that really all he cared for?

Would he 'turn tail' as he called it if she wasn't? As if reading her mind again, he wraps an arm around her shoulders with a small grin. Pulling her close. "I decided to help you because you're the Luminary. I decided to stick around because you're Ace."

Her breath hitched at that, so stunned and touched that she almost missed the next choice words. "For the record-those guys that made fun of you are idiots. You're an absolute badass and no one can tell me otherwise." Her lip trembled as she bit down a laugh.

"Thank you." He smiles down at her, giving a side hug. "Any time. Now seriously were any of the guesses I made tonight close?" This man was bonkers, an idiot, and she appreciated him all the same. "No. Not even." Ace laughed as she cried.

That awkward, distant barrier like feeling from earlier was practically gone at this point. He was the first person outside her family to say that to her-and then some. "Then that just means I'll have to try even harder tomorrow. Get some sleep. I'll take first watch." And it meant the world to her.

to be continued

Author Notes: I don't care what anyone say-I want sappy happy fluff! As much as I like a good slow burn-it's slow lol. So we're going to be making our way through a twisted-somewhat noncanon story.

I want romance dammit! So romance we shall get~ But that is it for now everybody. Thank you all so much for reading my story. If you like it please feel free to fav/follow/review as it would mean so much to me! Tchao for now!