The Alrevia Order [Elisop]

#2 The sharp side of the sapphire

"Are you stupid?"

The brunet winced painfully at the pressure of the cotton wool swab applied to his arm by the blond. The wound wasn't exactly pretty to look at but it wasn't so bad that it was a big deal either, it would heal in time and there would only be a faint scar. Well, a deserved cut in Aesop's opinion. It wouldn't have happened if Eli hadn't stood in his way to protect him.

He'd been trained for this kind of situation and even with a slightly troubled mind, he could have gotten through it without a scratch. Good thing the vice-captain had arrived in time to take the last brigand down or the dimwit would have continued to whine before his eyes for even longer. However, the young knight was not yet out of the woods as he would have liked.

Not to mention Captain Vera, who would not stop pestering him once she found out about it and checked that he was not injured, the rest of the troops were busy dealing with the bandits and making sure others weren't roaming the area, leaving him as the only one available to tend to the dark-haired man's arm. He muttered an insult as he wrapped the bandage around the wound and pulled it tight, the injured man frowning at the pain.

"I'm not going to apologize," he declared.

He had no intention of doing so at all, not in the slightest.

"It's okay, it was my fault anyway."

All the better, thought the blond. The dark-haired man at least recognized that he was at fault. By receiving the blow in his place, not only had he injured himself unnecessarily, but it was also a way to imply that he underestimated the other's ability to defend himself. An offence to his honour as a knight. Aesop was not weak. But it didn't matter now, the damage was done and the brunet would have a hard time climbing back up in his teammate's esteem...

"And you?"

"What about me?"

"You're all right, I pray?"

"Shouldn't you be concerned about your own condition instead?"

"But there would have been no point in sacrificing myself if you ended up hurt."

The young Carl didn't know what to say, he was completely baffled. This idiot still had the strength to care about others even in such a state and to use such strong words as "sacrifice". A real freak. Eli Herwood was simply a nonsensical, daredevil and strangely too altruistic fellow in Aesop's eyes. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not, but he decided to ignore it for the moment.

"I'm fine."

"Glad to hear so, you were really looking pale earlier..."

Ah, there was that too. The blond's eyes darkened for a second as he recalled a memory from his youth but it was too quick for the brunet to see anything.

"I'm done." he said suddenly as he stowed the equipment in the first aid kit.

"Oh, thanks."

Aesop didn't answer anything and put the box aside once he finished tidying up, turning one last time to Eli still sitting in a chair before leaving the tent for the wounded.

"I suppose it's obvious, but don't act too rashly. I don't think Vice-Captain Jose will leave you on the front lines like that anyway."

"Thanks for your concern."

"W-What!?"

The blond's cheeks suddenly turned red and he stormed out of the tent. What was he talking about, caring about him? Ha, in his fantasies perhaps. He was just saying that so he wouldn't be a nuisance to the others during the rest of the expedition. Yes, that was the only reason behind his words, nothing else, and anyone who dared to say otherwise was just as stupid as Eli.