Endless adventure

chapter 33

Archer found herself staring into grey eyes. They were the color of the clouds, brimming with a curiosity Archer was very familiar with. However, that curiosity was buried beneath a cold exterior. Cold and calculating, yet very curious. Those eyes bored into her, refusing to look away. They followed every movement she made. She shifted, watching those eyes follow her movement. They traveled up and down her body and landed on her eyes. The one opposite her shifted as well adopting the very same position Archer moved herself into. A smile was hidden behind her mask as she took note of this.

"You're an interesting little creature" Archer finally spoke as she took in the form of the exceed. Like the others who just recently hatched she was small. There were two white feathered wings sprouting out her back. Tiny little things they were. The exceed that seemed to be curious about her was silver in color. Well, silver grey. That's still silver in the end. She had three shades of grey to define her. The overall color of her fur was silver, of course. Archer had spotted three horizontal lines on her back, a deeper shade of grey. Shadow grey if she was correct. And of course her eyes. The color of the clouds. They were quite beautiful in all honesty.

Archer already had three possible names for this newborn exceed. Silver. Shadow and Kumo. Kumo being cloud in Japanese. Then again she could just name her Silver Shadow for the sake of being cool.

Archer tilted her head and the exceed followed her movement, eye still glued onto her form.

"Can you speak?"

Archer was curious. The others don't speak. Happy's only word was his trademark "Aye" as he popped out of his egg. Archer wasn't sure if that should be considered a word. Lector and Frosch make incoherent sounds. They are excited sounds, acute to the coos of a baby. Carla was silent, something Archer saw coming. She was a tricky one after all. And lastly Lili. She wasn't sure about him actually being in the egg, but turns out he was. A little Lili came out of the egg. He was silent as well. Until Gajeel decided to approach and probe him. His first sound was a grunt as he shifted away from the gruff Gajeel.

So that left Archer's exceed. She hadn't made a sound, but she was so observant and apparently calculating. Archer was sure she was dealing with one smart little exceed. So maybe she could speak. She seemed to be copying her movements, maybe she'll copy her words.

"You've been having your little staring contest for thirty minutes now"

Archer didn't let her eyes wander from her exceed. Her only sign of acknowledging Erza was a hum. She was aware of the time she spent staring this creature down. She didn't mind. She was interesting.

Erza sighed next to her and sat on the grass as well. As soon as she did grey eyes landed on her. She raised an eyebrow when she noticed the stare. The exceed copied the motions, curving a brow as well.

"She copies" Archer said, stating the obvious.

"I can see that"

"A copy cat" Grey laughed to himself.

Archer furrowed her brows before reaching out. Grey eyes instantly snapped towards her, but the exceed made no move to resist in anyway. Her hand came to rest on a furry head. The exceed was quiet under her hand. Her eyes stared up at her arm with her own furrowed brow.

"And here I thought Archer would get a scratch " Mira said in disappointment. She then grinned when her younger sister shot her a warning look.

"You are soft" Archer muttered quietly as her fingers enjoyed the grey fur they were on. Soon she pulled her hand away and picked the exceed up. She made her stand, holding her just in case. After a moment she let go and immediately the exceed tumbled. Archer just watched it happen. She wouldn't hurt herself. She was still in the blanket nest.