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ONE: Cold Encounter
Laurance’s sword is heavy in his hand after he realizes that the person before him isn’t a threat. He’s more embarrassed than anything, threatening to attack a child in front of a—albeit gorgeous—person he does not know.
“Laurance!” Aphmau calls for him, stopping a couple feet away from him. “Garroth, Dante, and I are going to find a priest or shaman of some kind for Malachi. Do you want to come with us?”
It takes him a moment to respond. On one hand, as a guard, it is his duty to protect his lord. But on the other, he must make amends with the person he threatened. “I’ll stay back.”
“You sure?” Aphmau asks, a surprised tone infecting her voice.
“I am.”
“Okay,” she nods. “Hopefully we’ll be back soon!”
He waves as they leave, a wordless goodbye to his friends and comrades. As they fade out of sight, Laurance turns around to look at Elwynn and Malachi, the former listening to the latter talk about everything and nothing as if he hadn’t spoken to anyone in hundreds of years.
The snow on the ground crunches loudly as he walks near, making Malachi’s voice fade out and Elwynn’s head turn. “I’m not here to cause trouble, I just want to apologize.”
“...Sure,” Elwynn says, disbelieving.
“I am,” Laurance responds before looking over and kneeling at Malachi’s level. “I apologize for threatening your… life, Malachi. My actions were rude and should not have happened ever, I regret my actions deeply.”
“I’m sorry, too,” Malachi says, words mumbled and soft. "What I did was mean."
“That’s alright,” Laurance nods, before standing up and turning to Elwynn. “I’m sorry for attacking you, as well. That was deeply unprofessional of me, and I hope I will be able to make it up to you in any way I can.”
Reaching out, Laurance makes a move to grab Elwynn’s hand, trying to kiss it in a gesture of both flirting and sympathy. She takes a step back instead, stopping the motion in its tracks.
His eyebrows raise in surprise just a smidge before relaxing. “Sorry.”
“Mm,” she thrums, distrustful. “Let’s go inside, Malachi.”
“Okay!” the boy responds.
Laurance follows a few paces behind the two, far enough to keep a safe distance, but close enough to listen to Malachi talk.
As they sit down around the unlit campfire that was made when Aphmau set up for the night, Laurance watches a shiver run down Elwynn’s back. His movements are practiced and make no sound as he grabs a flint and steel from one of his many pockets. It takes him a moment, but before long, sparks catch and a flame crackles.
“I see,” Elwynn hums in response to Malachi’s incessant rambling.
“And then—”
“Malachi, I believe it’s getting late,” she speaks again, cutting into his sentence. “I don’t wish to stop you, but it’s time to sleep now.”
“Really? I haven’t had a bedtime in a while,” Malachi says as a pout forming on his small face. “I don’t wanna.”
“Malachi.” Elwynn’s tone is stern, but it’s not quite enough to get the ghost boy to listen.
“No!”
“I’d suggest listening to them,” Laurance says, unsure if his sentence should be spoken aloud. The two turn their heads to Laurance’s direction, one bewildered and one frustrated.
“Fine,” Malachi drones, floating over to the sleeping bag and laying on top of it.
“Thank you,” a fleeting smile finds its way to Elwynn's lips. “Sleep well.”
“I will,” the boy responds.
Sighing, Laurance takes off his blue overcoat. “It’s quite warm in here, isn’t it?”
“Not in the slightest,” her response is quick, as if she doesn’t want to waste her breath on him.
The silence is awkward and deafening.
“Take it,” Laurance says.
Elwynn looks up to him holding his jacket out to her, his cheeks adorning a light dusting of pink. She’s skeptical as she slowly takes it from his hand.
Wrapping it around her shoulders, she shudders once more. “Thank you.”
“You’re most certainly welcome, Elwynn,” he nods, seemingly trying to shake off the blush. “You’re… good with Malachi.”
“Hm,” she hums. Her eyes are focused on the fire, lost in the dance of the flames. “I have two sisters.”
“Really?” Laurance asks, surprised. “That’s fun! Are they back at your home?”
Elwynn’s gaze doesn’t lift from the firepit, kicking herself in the back of her mind. She doesn’t know why she said that, and doesn’t know why she wishes to continue. “Not quite.”
“Oh. Do you at least see them often?”
“No.” Elywnn’s words are blunt, trying to stop herself from talking about Norah and Maeve any more.
“Ah, sorry,” Laurance is unsure of what to say. “I had a friend named Ungrth, he was a golden wyvern.”
“A wyvern?”
“Yeah,” he nods, “he was on the smaller scale in terms of wyverns, but he was still a great friend.”
“I assume… he’s not around anymore?” Elwynn’s voice is hesitant, unsure.
“No, he is not.”
“My condolences.”
“Thank you.”
TWO: Entrusting Lives
Phoenix Drop is gorgeous, in Elwynn’s opinion. There’s a homely feeling to it she can’t quite place, and Malachi immediately grows accustomed to it.
“So, what do you think?” Laurance asks, a smile gracing his lips.
“It’s nice,” she responds.
“Momma!! Look how pretty it is!” Malachi calls out from a few steps ahead of them, looking at everything he can.
“I see it,” she smiles down at the ghost boy. “Phoenix Drop is very pretty.”
“So are you,” Laurance cuts in, his smile turning sly.
“Laurance..” Elwynn starts, but ultimately trails off, finding no use in trying to get him to stop.
“I’m just telling it like I see it,” he says, hands in the air in mock surrender.
“Sure,” she nods, complacent.
As the day grows old, Elwynn notices just how lovely Phoenix Drop actually is. She is invited to stay in Aphmau’s house, but ultimately decides against it, not wanting to take up room in someone else's abode. The black haired girl tells her that she’ll build her a home tomorrow. Elwynn isn’t sure she’ll stick around that long.
She left Aphmau’s home after Malachi got situated in the nursery, being assured several times over that Zoey is a trustworthy person and will take great care of him. Elwynn is sure she will. Blue and indigo hues in the sky greet Elwynn as the door shuts behind her.
The grass is quiet as she walks through it, regret pads her footsteps in the dirt. Despite being quiet, Laurance still manages to find her.
“What are you doing?” Laurance asks, pushing a tree branch out of his way.
“Going for a walk.”
“Are you sure?” he asks, raising an eyebrow. “You have all of your belongings with you. I would’ve thought you’d take the room in Aphmau’s basement. You said it was nice here.”
“I did,” she nods. “It is.”
“Then why won’t you stay?”
“I…” Elwynn takes a minute to gather her thoughts, trying to word it in a way where it’ll make sense to someone other than herself. “It’s too perfect.”
“Huh?”
“I don’t want to ruin it,” she explains further. “I don’t want it to go up in flames.”
“Why would it?” Laurance asks, stepping closer.
“It always does.”
“It doesn’t have to,” he tries to assure her, hand reaching out ever so slightly.
“It will,” she insists. “Everything always goes awry.”
Laurance’s lips press in a line before he says, “And you think it’s your fault?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
Air stills around them as Elwynn’s words float around them, drifting to the grass like a feather.
“Can I tell you a secret?” Laurance asks, his voice barely raising above a whisper.
“I suppose.”
“I feel the same, occasionally,” he admits.
Elwynn's brows furrow at that. “Why? Your life here seems wonderful.”
“There’s something that I haven’t told you about me,” he looks away from her, trying to close in on himself. “I used to be a Shadow Knight. Technically, I still am.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah.”
“So, that means you’ll…?”
“One day, most likely, I’ll turn back.”
“Ah,” she says, it finally clicking.
“Why are you scared of destroying things?” Laurance asks.
“I haven’t had the best luck with people, or homes,” she responds. “I don’t think I’ll be able to keep this place out of harm's way for long. And, I don’t wish for anyone to get hurt because of me.”
“Well, maybe we can make somewhat of an agreement then.”
“How so?”
“If you agree to kill me if I ever turn back into a Shadow Knight,” he starts. “I’ll agree to reciprocate if you’re a danger to the people in Phoenix Drop.”
“Are you.. Are you sure?” she asks.
“I don’t want to hurt anyone.”
“That doesn’t mean you have to die.”
“It’ll bring me peace of mind.”
Elwynn sighs, thinking it over. “I suppose I can grant your request.”
“A deal, then?” Laurance asks, holding his hand out.
“A deal,” Elwynn responds, taking his hand and shaking it lightly.
Laurance chuckles before bringing her hand up to his mouth before pressing a kiss to it. “I promise to be swift.”
“I’d hope so.”
THREE: Spare Time
Jobs are generally easy to keep in Phoenix Drop. Everyone has their set role, and no one really deviates from their job after they get it. It keeps the town strong, and the economy stable. When Elwynn was hired by Logan to play guitar in the town square, she was unsure if it would do any good. Nevertheless, she complied, the singing of a guitar accompanying the talking in Phoenix Drop’s town square.
Laurance isn’t normally stationed around the town square, instead patrolling the outskirts of town or taking breaks inside of the guard building. But recently, he’s begun to make his way over to the town center during his breaks, getting closer and closer every day.
“Laurance,” Garroth calls the man’s name in greeting as he passes him while on patrol.
“Huh?” Laurance jolts up from where he was standing, leaning against the side of a building. “Oh, Garroth, hello.”
“Are you making eyes at Elwynn once again?”
“What?!” Laurance’s voice raises, gaining the attention of some passers-by. He stops to give a polite smile at the Phoenix Drop residents, trying his darndest to make it seem like this is a normal conversation between two guards, before turning back to yell at Garroth in a hushed tone. “I do not make eyes at them!”
“You’ve never gotten this defensive when I’ve asked about your moves towards Lady Aphmau,” the helmed guard comments. “And I was quite sure you were pursuing her for a while.”
“Yeah, well—”
“You don't have to say anything,” Garroth tells him. “I already know.”
“I hate you,” Laurance says. “I can hear the smirk on your face right now.”
“That’s not possible.”
“It is when it’s you,” Laurance rolls his eyes at the blond, before turning to look back at Elwynn once again.
“Those are the eyes I’m talking about, by the way.”
“Go away, Garroth,” he groans.
Surveying the crowd, Laurance finds no one staying long enough in front of Elwynn, always too focused on the wares that Logan has to sell. He frowns slightly, but the expression bounces off of his face like rubber.
Finally raising his gaze back to Elwynn, he’s taken aback when he notices she’s looking right back at him, fingers still playing her guitar. It takes him a moment to move, caught off guard by the fact that he’s been caught in the act. Raising one of his hands from where he had crossed his arms, he gives her a shy wave. She smiles in return, accompanied by a friendly nod.
His heart flutters, and for a moment Laurance wonders if this is what the girls he used to flirt with felt like. He can feel heat rise to his face, settling across his cheeks and atop his ears. His tan skin and brown hair does nothing to hide it, and helps contrast the light pink instead. Laurance looks away, embarrassed, but out of the corner of his eye, he can see Elwynn’s shoulders bounce up and down with an open-mouthed smile across her face.
He’s glad he’s not in hearing range, because he thinks he might have a heart attack if he heard her laugh. Laurance isn’t quite sure he won’t have one anyway.
ONE: Swords
There’s something that’s been off about Laurance since they’ve gotten meif’wa ears and tails. Elwynn wasn’t able to place it until after breaking Aphmau free from the arranged marriage she was in.
She’s on edge as she sees Laurance, a foot taller and adorning red Shadow Knight garbs, fighting Fenrir’s father and ultimately killing him. He turns, facing the rest of the crowd. Elwynn’s movements are swift, placing herself between Aphmau and Laurance easily. She hesitates to draw her blade at him, scared she’ll regret it.
“Laurance,” her voice feels forced as she tries to keep it from wobbling.
“Move, Elwynn,” Laurance doesn’t sound like himself, an unknown raspiness contrasting his usual suave tone.
“No, I won’t.”
Before the ring of a sword can echo across the area, Laurance’s face collides with Elwynn’s, lips clashing harshly. Laurance isn’t gentle with the kiss, more like searching for something to latch onto. Elwynn isn’t particularly good with the kiss either, under-prepared and taken off guard.
As they take time to catch their breath, their eyes manage to find each other's gaze, locking almost immediately. Without warning, Laurance’s body collapses heavily into Elwynn’s. She lets out a gasp as his head connects with her shoulder, and as her arms come up to hold him, he shrinks back to his original size, now only a couple inches taller than Elwynn rather than a foot.
Laurance groans as he straightens from his position. Blinking groggily while looking around, his face flushes an embarrassing shade of pink.
“I, uh—”
“Laurance!” Aphmau’s voice interrupts his sentence, cutting their conversation short.
Tension is high as the group arrives at Scaleswind. Conversations are rocky, uneven, and rushed.
“You hesitated,” Laurance says plainly one night, “didn’t you?”
“I did.”
“Elwynn…” he trails off, not wanting to nag but trying to remind her of their deal in the gentlest way possible.
“I won’t again.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
Their conversation is curt, and neither of them dare to think about the kiss that they had shared.
“I’m going to head in for the night,” Laurance says. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“Of course.”
“Goodnight, songbird,” he calls as he starts walking away from her.
“Sleep well, pretty boy.”
The rest of the night is quiet, contrasting the bright day that follows it. Commotion is everywhere, people bustling and mouths moving. There’s a particularly noticeable racket at the front gate of Scaleswind, so that’s where Elwynn sets her path for.
“What’s happening?” she asks Laurance, whispering.
“Look,” he points beyond the gate. She expects to see people—maybe thieves, or guards from another city—at the gate, but instead her line of sight is met with Shadow Souls.
“Why are they here?”
“We don't know,” Laurance says, before stepping forward. “Nicole, let me handle this.”
“What?” Nicole asks.
“Let me go with you, Laurance,” Aphmau says.
“No, Lady Aphmau, I’ll go,” Elwynn states, moving to stand next to Laurance once again.
“Alright!” Nicole declares, nodding her head. “I’ll go lift the gate.”
As the gate lifts, Laurance moves and Elwynn follows right behind, unsheathing her sword. But what she’s not prepared for, is for Laurance to transform into a Shadow Knight as he opens with a slash. She knows she’ll mentally kick herself later for not foreseeing this sooner.
“Laurance?” she calls, sword cutting through both air and Shadow Soul with ease.
His stance is eerie, back too straight and shoulders too relaxed. As he turns around to face her, she’s taken aback by what she finds. The entirety of his eyes are covered with a red hue: irises, pupils, sclera. There is no part untouched by it.
Despite the weight to his sword, Laurance lifts it with ease. Elwynn parries the blow, stepping out of the way and directing his greatsword away from her. As she steadies herself, she reminds herself it is not her intention to kill him. It’s barely her goal to harm him. She just wants to get Laurance back from whatever has him in its hold.
Laurance is uncharacteristically quiet as he turns to face her once again. Bringing his weapon up, he leaves his body open for attacks. Elwynn moves with a push from the wind as she nears Laurance, resituating her sword so the hilt hits his stomach just under the armor plating of the Shadow Knight uniform, causing him to double over slightly in pain. Rushing under his arm as it comes down, she follows up with a hit to the back of his head. As Laurance falls, his uniform doesn’t change back into what he was previously wearing. She’s unsure of what to do. As others rush to their aid, they provide cover from the Shadow Souls as Elwynn and the Stranger drag him behind the walls.
Elwynn is still waiting for the uniform to go away, and for Laurance to return to normal. It doesn’t. Maybe he’ll stay as a Shadow Knight forever. She berates herself for thinking that. Of course he won’t.
Maybe she should have gone through with their deal.