Aelthiriel's POV
I watched, following the fight as the shockwave, coming like a magical burst of light and force, swirled around like a disk of air in every direction.
It slammed against the ogre's knees. The ground split beneath its massive feet.
The attack slowed down the giant, and it stumbled. That created the perfect opening for the finishing blow.
I hugged tighter to the tree I was leaning on for support. "Now! Raelion!" I screamed.
Raelion lifted his staff and pulled upward.
The magic around the ogre formed from the disk of air compressed violently, crushing inward from all sides. The creature roared, muscles straining, veins bulging, as the magic condensed until it became a thick circular rope around it, tearing into its flesh. Yet it refused to go down.
"Higher," I whispered. "He's fighting it."
Raelion's jaw clenched. Blood dripped from his nose now.
He adjusted his stance and lifted his staff higher before slamming it down onto the ground. The whole world seemed to vibrate from that burst of magic. The ground trembled, perhaps in fright of the power.
The invisible pressure intensified, sound waves split the air, and rang nonstop.
I covered my ears with both palms, watching the scene closely, even though my eyelids were struggling to seal shut from the weight of magic clinging to the air.
There was a loud, final, horrific crunch. The ogre's roar cut off mid-sound as its massive body folded unnaturally inward and then slammed lifelessly to the ground.
Silence fell. Not gradual, but sudden and instantaneous.
Only the ringing in my ears remained. My whole body jarred with frightening notes.
Raelion swayed, staggering on unsteady legs.
I rushed to him just as his knees buckled.
This time, I caught him.
His weight was heavy against me, breath ragged against my shoulder. I settled both of us quietly on the ravine, my already tattered dress soaked in the low water.
For a long moment neither of us spoke.
He seemed to have completely forgotten about his ego to be independent and not need anyone else, because he adjusted into my arms rather than leave them.
I knew he was going to freak out soon and jump away from me, but before then, I relished the thought of watching him cringe in shame when it happened.
Though he was heavy in my arms, with a body twice mine, I didn't bother holding him.
I stared down at his tired face slicked with sweat and blood and his rising and falling chest.
His robe had been ripped apart a little from the fight, sneaking a view of a well-sculpted abdomen.
I realized my eyes were lingering more than they should, and I snatched them back.
The silence stretched on between us until finally, quietly, a faint, humorless exhale left him. "We won," he grinned.
"Yeah, we did," I agreed.
We sat there amid the corpses of ogres and a low stream of water flowing around us in the ravine.
"You did well," he said again. The words were stiff and difficult.
I blinked.
"That," I replied dryly, "is the closest thing to gratitude I've heard from you."
A pause.
"That still doesn't mean we are a partner. Once you are fit, we break up and depart from each other." He said. "It might seem practical, but I don't fancy working with a partner, and never will."
"Don't you know, you make it sound like we are a couple with your continuous repetition and insistence on the word 'partner.'" I deliberately teased so he would drop the subject.
He grew rigid in my arm immediately. He must have realized he was lying in my arms, because he jumped up to his feet with a speed that could rival that of light.
"Why was I in your arms?" His lips tightened with disgust.
"Because you would have fallen to the door if I didn't catch you." I responded as tartly as he spoke.
His jaw ticked, quivering with rage. "Then you should have let me fall."
"And you should have turned away from my arms and not fallen into them."
Tensions clouded his features. He looked like he wanted to speak, hesitated, and then snatched his satchel and his staff, and he grunted. "Let's move. More could come soon if we linger."
"Yeah." I rose up gently, grinding my teeth at the pain searing up from my abdomen. "Before we move, we need to iron something out first."
He whipped his head to me. I didn't see the rage that must fill his eyes since they were hidden behind a blindfold, but I saw his tightened jaw. "And what is that?" He demanded.
"That I get the map during the day while you take it back at night when you—"
"No." He snapped before I could even finish speaking. "You are never getting the map."
"Why?" I challenged, fury making my voice grow notches higher. I was beginning to tire from his bullshit. I stepped forward. "Just why can't I get the map? Dammit, Raelion, you are blind right now. You can't use the map. I can."
"I might be blind, but I can still read the map just fine."
"Yeah." I answered, tone low and sarcastic. "Just like you led us in circles for hours and into an ogre's den. Why don't you just drop your ego, big guy, and give me the map? I cannot run away with it. I am injured."
His knuckles whitened on his staff. He gripped it tight to suppress his rage. "I still can't give you the map." He growled. "Forget about it, and let's get out of here before their kin come along." He responded with a grunt that made his teeth clanked against themselves and he continued up the ravine.
I watched him, my fingers folded into tight fists beside me. I'd known he was a dickhead, what was I expecting anyway.
I followed him until he had walked on a couple of feet away, and I yelled. "Duck fast, Raelion. The ogre's kin are here. One is charging at you." I made myself sound terrified and urgent.
He ducked fast as I warned, rolling into the ravine, the cold water soaking his clothes. He rolled to his feet after and dropped fast to a fighting stance, raising his staff and ready for offense. "Where are the ogres? Where are they attacking from? How many paces? Give me the layout," he demanded, jerking his staff about, alert and ready to defend against a non-existent threat.
I moved closer to him, slow and gently, while reading out some details to him. "They are three, Raelion. One to the left, a big brute with a large stomach. Ten paces. The other is small but with a big club and is about five pages to the west. The third…"
I snatched his satchel, which had fallen to the ground when he ducked. I looked into it, found the map, and threw the satchel at him, throwing the map into my pocket.
"Let's go, big man." I said, leading the walk this time. "Or you will have your ass handed to you soon by a couple of ugly brutes."
It took a minute for the trick to register in his mind, and he growled, face darkening a wild purple. "How dare you trick me, elf." His voice rang through the forest.
"We can argue about that on the way. I've got the map already. Unless you want us to duel over it, let's just move on now. The next ogres that will come won't be gentle."
"That is…" he was growling again.
I just walked away from his rants. He'll calm down soon.