The Disaster Born's

Chapter Fifteen- Ash

I have to admit, it's a nice change having Alysia, walk next to me willingly, rather than me forcing her to be there. I can see by the stumble in her walk that she's still a bit hazy and lightheaded. "You're gonna hate me for this," I say gently. She furrows her eyebrows together. I wrap my hands around her waist and lift her over my shoulder in a fireman's carry. She kicks and hits me, screaming, "Ash, I swear to Earth, you best put me down!" she shouts angrily.

"If I put you down, we won't reach your room until this time next year," I say sarcastically, enjoying her frustration and helplessness a bit too much. We reach the training ground, and I can see the back entrance to the building. I put her down, and she shakes her head. "Do that again and I swear to Earth..." she starts, but I cut her off before she can finish. "Yeah, yeah, Lys," I say. She rolls her eyes, her pretty green eyes.

"You can go now," she commands. I shake my head. "I said I would escort you, and I am a man of my word, Lys."

"Could have fooled me," she murmurs under her breath as we walk into the building and up the stairs to the left wing. We do not speak the rest of the way. To my surprise, she also has a lady standing outside her door. The lady is older, and her greys are showing. "Lady Alysia, who might this be?" she asks, her eyes beaming with questions. Alysia shakes her head. "No one important." I claw at my heart sarcastically. "Ouch, Lys," I say, and she flashes a smile at me.

"You know the rules, Alysia. I cannot allow him to enter," Sarah says gently. "If I may, I was asked to escort Alysia up to her room due to an incident that occurred earlier this afternoon," I explain. Sarah widens her eyes. "By the Over Lord?" she asks, almost as if she is scared. "Yes, actually it was," I lie, and Alysia frowns and scrunches her face.

"Of course, quickly then," Sarah says as she opens the door and pushes us in. The door closes, and this is the first time I am alone with Alysia without us fighting each other.

I lean against the wall with my arms crossed, watching her sit on her bed, still rubbing her head from the fall. After an awkward silence, she finally breaks it. "Thank you," she says softly. I smile back playfully. "I'm not all bad. I know us Fire Born's have our reputations, but we aren't all bad."

That annoying side of her disappears for a few moments. She gets up from her bed and walks towards me. "You got something in your hair," she says gently as she extends her arm and plucks something from my head. Her eyes catch my gaze, "If you want to touch me, Lys, all you have to do is ask," I say playfully, smirking at her.

She then brings her hand towards me, showing me the piece of green grass and smiles. "Not in a million worlds," she murmurs, although a smile breaks through. "Should have seen that one coming," I say gently. "Yeah, you should have," she retorts, although it is playful, not hurtful.

I chuckle and lean in closer. "You know, you're not as tough as you pretend to be," I tease. She narrows her eyes at me. "And you're not as charming as you think you are," she shoots back, but there's a hint of a smile on her lips.

"Touché," I say, raising my hands in mock surrender. "But seriously, Lys, you should take it easy. That fall looked pretty bad."

She sighs and sits back down on the bed. "I know, but I can't afford to show weakness. Not now, not ever."

I sit down next to her, our shoulders almost touching. "You don't have to be strong all the time, you know. It's okay to let someone help you."

She looks at me, her eyes softening. "Maybe. But it's hard to trust people, especially when they keep throwing you over their shoulder," she says with a smirk.

I laugh. "Fair point. I'll try to be more considerate next time."

"Next time?" she raises an eyebrow. "Who says there will be a next time?"