金瓶梅第2部

Everyone worked hard towards building the kind of life they wanted.

That's what Justus was doing. He was the Hero of Leopardon, after all...

He was out there, somewhere, fighting, Haelvia was sure of it. Every sun, without fail, he'd be adventuring as stubborn and stupid as his namesake suggested.

Rena was right there, with him... working tirelessly to stay by his side.

The sweetest girl Haelvia ever knew was wholeheartedly determined to never let that guy out of her sight... even if, at times, she was just as much of a dunce as her boyfriend-but-not-boyfriend.

Maybe... just maybe... after the three of them finished their initial contracts, they'd meet up again.

It wasn't impossible.

Haelvia didn't know where they'd go, from there... but having some sort of goal was a reassurance.

A certain song came to mind... and she hummed the tune to herself while mouthing the words.

She liked to think Gaheris appreciated her musicality. At the very least, she was confident he wouldn't complain.

--which was why she shot fully awake when she suddenly heard her Divine Armor's thoughts.

⟬ A young Fire Elemental is here, but does not appear hostile. ⟭

Haelvia bit her lower lip. Gaheris was telling her not to be worried... but a stranger skulking about so late at night was something reasonable to be concerned about.

She leapt out of Gaheris, slid down his arm, and landed onto the ground. It would be safer for her to remain mounted... but she felt the need to personally inspect the rogue spirit...

She patted the dagger strapped to her hip. She'd be in dire straits if she was forced to use it... but its presence was comforting.

« Watch over me, Gaheris... »

⟬ The connection to Gaheris is stable, averaging 94%. ⟭

Haelvia nodded in thanks. It wouldn't be an issue for her to control him remotely...

She checked behind a large boulder. Nothing.

She looked behind a tall, single, non-plural cactus. Also nothing.

...She glanced back to Gaheris.

A tiny sphere of orange flame was floating by his leg. It was small enough that if she had a jar, she'd have been tempted to try and catch it.

"Oh," Haelvia chuckled to herself in amusement. "That... wasn't what I was expecting."

She approached the miniature ball and greeted it with a high-pitched voice, "HelloOo~! What are *you* doing there?"

The ball pulsed with heat-- not... upset... but it felt like it was... acknowledging her?

...Haelvia fully understood that she could have been mistaken. She didn't have any experience dealing with fire wisps.

⟬ The Fire Elemental seems to be Iron-Rank. ⟭

Haelvia blinked rapidly... then drew her dagger while taking a vigilant step backwards.

It was not her most wisdomous moment, deciding to fight an Iron-Rank entity made entirely out of fire in close-combat...

Even though she'd get burned, she was certain she'd win. It was two against one.

The fire sphere pulsed again and began to... buzz... and in a language Haelvia understood.

"O' Sol Invictus... Thou shalt sing of us in praise~"

The voice was high-pitched and... squeaky? It belonged to a girl... singing the words to the tune Haelvia was humming.

What was she supposed to think of that?

Haelvia tilted her head... but she finished the verse, "Else mourn thy dead... by bullet, spell, and blade."

"S-sorry to bother you," The ball of flame bobbed-- almost like it was bowing in apology. "It's pretty late, I know... but I heard you singing-- or humming... and-- anyroad! I'm sorry.."

⊰ sorry ⊱

A second voice smoldered in Haelvia's head... warm and... crackly, like a burning log.

"Um, yeah. Who? ...are you?" She asked-- "Or... maybe 'what are you?' I guess, would be more appropriate?"

"Oh! Ohhhh~!" The ball glowed, "My name is Coraline. I uh... or rather... this little one's name is Beatrice."

"Be...atrice?"

5#Beatrice: Coraline pronounces this: Bay-uh-tree-chay.

That name... 'Coraline' was definitely something from the Eastern States... Eastern Statesmen had the strangest names...

'Beatrice', though? That sounded distinctly Tyrion.

"I uh... my name is... Haelvia."

"Nice. Tyrion name! I worked in the Holy Country up until I got fired a year or so ago-- but wowwww!" The ball lit up with excitement, "So... I'm communicating through my fire elemental, but everything looks huge on this side!"

...Haelvia gave a wry smile. Coraline sounded really friendly... but that's probably because she didn't realize Haelvia was a freak.

"Actually... I'm um... about seven Tyrion feet tall."

"Oh. Phewww. That's a relief," Coraline buzzed.

That... wasn't the type of reaction Haelvia was used to.

She slowly raised her hands in confusion, trying to grasp onto what exactly Coraline was saying.

"...H-how... do you mean?"

"It means that my senses are about equal to my contracted elemental's. But anyroad, being super tall must be AWESOME!!"

Haelvia squeezed her eyes to thin little slits, "Um wha?"

It... really wasn't. Just as she was about to explain, the little ball of fire started to dance around her.

⊰ awesome . awesome ⊱

"Elle! We *have* to hang out when we get to Whitehearth. Hopefully, by then, I can move two fulms without everything hurting... errrrgh. Ohhh, my butt is so sore! A bandit stabbed me in the butt. Why would someone-- ANYONE do that?"

Haelvia sighed and resheathed her dagger... "Listen, Coraline... I'm real busy..."

"You're on guard duty, singing to yourself," The little ball expertly pointed out.

"Listen..." Haelvia grimaced-- but she was blushing in embarrassment, "You're right... But uh... I'm really not the best of company."

'Flame take me,' She closed her eyes and cursed in her mind.

It had been so long since Haelvia talked openly to another girl that she forgot how to... be friendly.

When the other females in the company spoke to her, she was always prepared to handle their verbal abuse... so she was always on the defensive.

She didn't need to act that way with Coraline. The girl was a bystander-- an outsider who wasn't influenced by the unfair judgments prevalent amongst the members of Guild Metal Wolf.

...And by Haelvia actively pushing Coraline away, she was just perpetuating the fact that she was a cold, arrogant bitch.

"Don't worry about it," The little ball whirled in place and... giggled.

It was... the most adorable sound.

Haelvia... she wanted to be friends with this girl.

"I've always wanted a tall friend," Coraline declared. "I'm an elf. We don't grow that tall."

...Had making friends always been so easy?