166 Clueless (2/2)

\”W-why are you looking so intensely at me?\” Her greatsword actually shook in her hand as she asked this. \”A-are you having perverted thoughts about me?\”

Oh, man… this girl was seriously deluded. And just as I was about to suggest something stupid like a cease-fire because I really wasn't in the mood anymore, I caught something strange from the corner of my eye. A second of realization later, and I hurtled myself toward the half-elf.

I dodged the much weaker slash she aimed at me—possibly because she'd lost her will for battle too—and tackled her to the ground. We hit the sands with me on top of her, and just as she protested that I was a pervert, I shoved her down by the shoulders and pushed my face closer to hers.

No, I wasn't performing perverted acts on a battlefield. What do you guys think of me? I was simply saving her life from the familiar-looking battle-ax that had been thrown at her.

That battle-ax probably meant General Red Bull had escaped the enemy's ambush, and I wondered inwardly how I was going to explain this situation to him later.

I felt the swish of a shadowblade cutting through the air above me and knew we'd escaped danger by a hair's breadth.

The nice scent of lavender wafted up to my nose, and I realized I was actually sniffing the Dawn Breaker's hair.

\”Get off me, you creep!\” she snarled.

As I stared at her scandalized face, I realized what this might have looked like. So I rose to my feet and tried to explain, but she cut me off with a swing of her shadowblade.

\”Look, I wasn't trying to do anything creepy, alright!\” I reasoned. \”I was just—\”

\”—Why did you save me?\” she asked in a less combative tone than previously.

She must have seen the battle-ax fly over us too and realized I wasn't actually a pervert. Still, her narrowed eyes told me that she wasn't about to lay down her weapon and thank me.

\”I…\” I thought about her question, and it took me several seconds to come up with a response. \”You know… I don't actually know why…\”

I didn't know why I was being truthful either. It's not like I was actually falling for my opponent, but it just felt like I couldn't watch her die in front of me, at least not while she babbled on like a normal girl.

\”Have you ever been to Mudgard?\” I asked suddenly.

\”What?\” she asked, her face transitioning from suspicion to confusion.

\”There's this restaurant in Starlight City called Ed's Chocolate Bar… best milkshakes on the planet,\” I blurted out.

Her face changed from one of confusion to one of sudden realization. \”Are you… asking me out?\”

\”Wh-what? N-no! I'm not!\” I said quickly. \”I'm trying to explain… I was at Ed's after school today with my friend, Arah, and you sort of remind me of her which is possibly why I saved you…\”

\”So… you have a girlfriend? Weren't you just hitting on me?\” she asked, raising an eyebrow at me as if to say I was some kind of a douchebag.

\”N-no! I don't have a girlfriend. Arah's just my friend,\” and as I said this, a flash of memory hit me, a beautiful girl cutting off her golden hair as proof or our partnership.

The memory of that moment brought a warm, soothing feeling to my chest which must have translated to my face as the girl told me that I was blushing.

\”You are a strange boy,\” she said.

\”I-I am not strange!\” I countered.

I saw the hint of laughter in her eyes and knew for certain that the fight had left me. And in my head, I wondered what I could do to make her go away without having to fight her.

That answer was provided to me seconds later when I heard two distinct calls aimed at both of us.

\”Get out of the way, Dapper!\” Red Bull yelled at the same time as someone from the Dawn Breaker's side yelled, \”Commander, we're here!\”

We both glanced in the direction of the commotion and watched as Red Bull, a sword in his hand, was charging toward us. But he'd been waylaid about ten yards away by a group of enemy riders who were obviously there to distract him while one of their numbers rode to the Dawn Breaker's side.

A fairy in similar armor as hers reached a hand to her. She took it wordlessly and climbed up to his swifthart with him.

An audible explosion rocked my ears, and I glanced to my left and watched Red Bull break through the enemies surrounding him so he could renew his charge.

Seeing that display, I thought to myself that his name was very on the nose.

\”Dawn,\” the girl said, forcing my focus back on her.

She was sitting behind her teammate and looking down at me with eyes that were more curious than hostile.

\”My name is Dawn… I lived in Starlight until I was eleven, and I remember Ed's Chocolate Bar…\” she said in almost a whisper.

Then she was gone and being chased by Red Bull who was being chased himself by her own guards. They left me standing there in the middle of all the chaos more than a little feeling confused about what the hell just happened.