Chronicles of The King- Rise of Legends

Chapter 8.2

Chapter 8.2

Growing Affection

‘All teams we are reaching the observation point….stay sharp’.

‘Copy that Sir, over’, Maria replied into her comms set.

Team Infinity had been again tasked to be the front women of the hike through the jungle. And like the day before, they were trailing a few feet behind the superiors and King. Also, their mood today was a lot better as Maria wasn’t at logger heads with King. They’re fear from the day before had also disappeared. Now they just chatted lightly as they made their way through the forest.

‘Ah….you know, now that we’ve been trekking through this jungle for almost a day, it ain’t as scary as everybody said it was’, Elisa said, loosening her grip on her LMG.

‘Careful Elisa-chan…..you don’t know when some monster’s going to pop out of those trees’

‘Oh Helena-chan…..does this look like a monster to you?’, Rose said as she showed her a small squirrel which had climbed up on her shoulder.

‘Awww….he’s so cute’, Elisa said, letting her LMG drop to her side and picking the little guy up.

‘See Helena-chan…does this guy look like a monster’, Elisa said cutely, moving the squirrel closer to Helena’s face.

‘Mmm……’, Helena was trying her best not to pick up and cuddle the squirrel, but her resolve was weakening the closer Elisa brought it to her face.

‘Come on…..you know you want to’, Rose said tauntingly, nudging Elisa to move the squirrel closer to Helena. She knew Helena was close to breaking.

‘Mmmm……He’s so cute!’, Helena squealed snatching the squirrel from Elisa and cuddling it against her face.

Rose and Elisa watched on as Helena became engrossed with the little squirrel, showing her cheerful and softer side. They preferred seeing her like this compared to the strict Helena, mostly because she was easier to tease.

‘Hmm…..i just want to love him with all my heart!’, Helena squealed louder, acting like a 10 year old who got her first pet instead of a 18 year old woman.

‘And I though you said we should be serious….’, Rose said teasingly as Elisa giggled, causing Helena’s face to turn red.

‘Well um…uh…this is an exception’, patting the squirrel on the head as it rested on her hand.

‘Yeah right…..Hey Maria-chan take a look at this cute little guy’, Elisa said turning to Maria.

But Maria wasn’t paying attention to anything her team was doing or to the surrounding jungle. Her mind was wrapped around the night before. She was still shook up by the dream and even up till then, her emotions were conflicting with one another.

‘Maria-chan….Hey Maria-chan!’, Helena yelled, shaking Maria out of her daze.

‘Huh…..oh, sorry Helena-chan I wasn’t paying attention. What was it you wanted to tell me?’

‘…..You were staring at him again’, Helena said, cocking her eyebrow.

‘Oh...well…i…I’, Maria stammered trying to think of an excuse as to why she was looking at The King.

‘I thought you were ok with him now Maria-chan’, Rose said as she released the squirrel on to a low branch, much to Helena’s dismay.

‘Ah squirrel-chan..’, Helena said disappointedly, watching as the squirrel ran up the tree.

‘Leave him Helena-chan, we couldn’t keep him after all……Now back to you Maria, what’s up with you?’, Rose asked looking quizzically at Maria.

‘Yeah Maria-Onee chan….i thought you cleared everything up with King yesterday?’

‘Yes I did Elisa …’, Maria said, looking back at King.

‘Then why are you still mad at him?!’

‘I’m not mad at him, Helena-chan!’, Maria rebutted, slightly irritated.

‘Then why are you staring at him....’, Rose asked, confused at the way Maria was acting.

‘Well that’s because….i….i’, Maria said turning away from the group as she was too embarrassed to tell them about the dream.

‘What Maria….. did you fall for him? Think he’s hot or something?’, Helena said tauntingly, prompting Rose and Elisa to break out into laughter.

‘Hahaha…..that’s a good one Helena-chan…..like that would ever happen’, Elisa said, doubling over from laughter.

‘Yeah Elisa-chan……hey Maria isn’t that the stupidest thing you ever heard…..you falling for King’, Rose added looking at Maria.

The three were expecting Maria to be laughing along with them or at least scolding Helena for making such a weird comment. But she just kept walking, turning her face away from them. As Helena concentrated on Maria, she thought she saw Maria blushing.

‘Maria-chan are you….blushing?’, Helena asked moving closer to get a look at Maria’s face.

‘What?! No..i…I’m not’, Maria protested, but it was clear to the other three that she was.

‘OH MY GOD! Don’t tell me you really did….’, Helena was taken aback by the very thought. It couldn’t have been, could it?

‘NO! Of course I didn’t….i love Rick-kun after all’, Maria said firmly, although there was a small amount of doubt in her heart.

‘I just want to talk to him that’s all…..i mean he doesn’t seem so bad…..but that doesn’t mean I like him’, Maria continued her protest, moving her gaze back to The King.

‘So you want to talk to him?’, Rose was still a bit skeptical about Maria’s answer, but decided to leave it for now.

‘Yeah….’, Maria repeated herself, glad that she was able to change the topic.

‘Well why don’t you call him over then?’, Helena asked, looking at The King who was checking one of his desert eagles.

‘And how the hell do you suppose I do that Helena-chan’

Rose and Elisa watched as Helena and Maria debated on how to get King to come over and whether it was a good idea. After a few minutes, the ever impatient Elisa decided that this was taking too long.

‘HEY KING-SAMA!! WE WANT TO TALK TO YOU!! WAIT UP!!’ Elisa yelled to King, causing Maria and Helena to turn to her with dumbfounded faces.

‘Elisa-chan! What are you…..’

‘What?! You two were taking two long……And besides it looks like it worked Maria-Onee chan’.

The four turned back in front to see King waiting for them. He had a confused look on his face as he leaned against a tree.