Ais’ Feelings
"That contract you made with Riveria . . . I want it too."
"Ais?" Riveria questioned with some surprise yet also somewhat having expected something like such a request to come from the usually quiet blonde beauty.
Nox however, despite noticing the unusual closeness the fondness and the care she had shown towards himself, did not think such a request would come.
In fact, he though her pretty content at just hovering around him, enjoying his presence which in his defence, was true for quite a while.
Unknown to him however, and perhaps until this day of Nox's close encounter with death, even Ais herself had yet to realize her sense of closeness towards Nox had already developed into something else entirely.
When Nox bravely held the rear so they could all retreat, Ais realized the hero her parent said she would find, her very own hero was already by her side and she had merely yet to notice it.
It was from that moment forth, that Ais' desire for power swelled even further. She did not wish to just be protected by her hero, she wished to help him, stand by him as her mother had stood by her father in times past.
No longer was revenge and the possibility of her mother's salvation, Ais' only motivation. A third one joined the fold in her resolve to stand by her hero she had slowly but surely fallen for.
Nox looked at Ais from his Panacea tank very seriously.
"Do you know what that means?" He sincerely asked.
Ais nodded.
"We'll be bound forever and share the same world and goals, never to betray one another." She surprisingly eloquently described.
Nox and Riveria were actually quite surprised, staring at her with an incredulous look.
"What?" Ais cutely tilted her head.
"Nothing. That was actually a very nice way to put it, though quite accurate." Nox admitted.
"I can't make a contract while I'm in this state though so it'll unfortunately have to wait I'm afraid." He informed.
Ais nodded.
"I'll wait." She said in her usual tone before quietly sitting down.
Nox then turned to Riveria and spoke.
"Veria. Can you do me a favor?" He requested.
"What is it?" Riveria asked.
"Take the Gate to the surface and warn the rest of the group about my . . . Unfortunate circumstances." Nox requested.
"Right. They should definitely be warned. Ais is here to watch over you so leaving for a bit shouldn't be a problem. Riveria said.
"You act like I'm going to do something crazy the moment you turn your eyes away." Nox complained.
What he got in return however, was a Riveria patented deadpan stare.
"Fine, fine. I guess I have given you reason to think like that." Nox acquiesced.
"Multiple times too." Riveria added.
This time, it was Nox giving the deadpan stare, as if telling his high elf lover that it was enough beating of a dead horse.
"Be right back." Riveria said before walking away and leaving the room.
"What is the Gate?" Ais suddenly asked.
"Since we'll be contracted soon, I guess there is no harm in sharing." Nox responded.
"The Gate is a magical object of my creation, that is present in each of my little group's bases and it allows for instantaneous movement through spacetime magic between them." He explained.
"So . . . Riveria could be at the surface right now?" Ais asked with great shock, which seemed just like minor surprise to someone who didn't know her. It was all about the slight widening of her eyes and the minimal parting of her mouth.
Ais' seemingly expressionless face could actually communicate a lot of meaning to someone who was sued to being around her and knew her well.
"Yep." Nox responded.
After that small explanations, Nox and Ais fell into a comfortable silence. He closed his eyes and focused on his own recovery while Ais just sat quietly, enjoying his presence by basking in the aura he passively emitted that she seemed so attuned to.
That comfortable peace and quiet did not last long though as a while later, a torrent of girls poured into the room with worried expressions, calling Nox's name.
They were of course the members of Nox's little group. Haruhime, Lili, Aisha, Naaza and Ryuu along with Riveria who was shaking her head as she followed behind them.
"Now now, ladies! I didn't ask Veria to bring you so you could make a fuss." Nox chidded.
"What happened Nox-sama?" haruhime asked the question on every newly arrived girl's mind.
Without further ado, Nox gave a brief explanation on what had happened to land him in his current state.
"Are you sure you're going to be fine, Nox-sama?" Lili inquired, fearful that Nox would die and leave her.
"Pretty sure." Nox nodded inside his tank.
"Pretty sure is not good enough! Nox-sama you idiot!" Lili complained.
"Yes, tell him more Liliruca." Riveria supported resulting in a deadpan stare from Nox.
"Are you really sure you're okay?" isha asked with unusual gentleness which she normally only showed when she and Nox were all alone, after they little bonding moment.
"Don't worry girls! I have no plans on leaving any of you behind." Nox comforted.
"Do you need anything?" Ryuu asked with tender care.
"I just wanted to be close to you all. That's enough." Nox smiled.
All the girls were warm with love at that statement.
"Too corny?" Nox asked to which they vigorously shook their heads.
Ais who was watching all this, for reasons she was only beginning to now understand, was feeling profoundly jealous from the display of love.
Something which only further reaffirmed her belief that joining Nox's merry band was indeed the correct choice for herself.
As for Nox, relishing in the warmth of his beloveds, he once again felt that dread seemping back in. The fear of cold death that would take all of this away from him. The feeling of powerlessness before a superior opponent.
He was determined to never let anything like what happened to him during his encounter with the Demi Spirit occur ever again.
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