Chapter 27 - Spotted

Ava stood there watching Arwen in his big bear form wondering his plan to heal her Father, that was quickly demonstrated when he turned his large head appearing to shout at nothing.

"You can come out now…" Arwen said loudly.

It was then Althaea came jumbling out of the forest, seeming greatly ruffled since she last saw her.

Her pristine and clean image seemed completely gone as twigs, tears decorated her cloak.

Althaea huffed and puffed seeming overly dramatic as she said, "I haven't had to exercise that much in ages…"

"Althaea no time for jokes, we have an injured one." Arwen lectured snapping the young elf out of it.

"Oh yeah, my bad; though don't worry I got this. I've healed worse." Althaea said confidently as she began chanting a spell with complete concentration on her face.

A great amount of Water Qi gathered around Althaea as she said, "Greater Heal."

Condensed Water Qi began slithering over her Father body, being absorbed into his skin through the wounds leaving behind perfect spotless skin as the wounds seemed to vanish, knitting themselves back together.

Her Father suddenly looked stable after the spell washed over his body, yet she can still tell by the pale complexion on his face and the deep breathing, that even with the spell healing most of the damage the deathly wounds had taken a toil on his body.

"Now hoist him onto my back, I'd love to have a proper discussion about this all, but we are pressed for time." Arwen said seriously.

On the other hand Ava now seeing her Father life was no longer threatened stared at the unconscious Elex coiled in vines.

"What about him?" Ava said in an eerie bloodthirsty tone.

Arwen eyes widened in surprise as if seeing Ava for the first time, he did not expect the usual carefree child he knew to talk like that.

However knowing what she's likely been through these past days he looked at her with sad expression as he said, "Child it's best not to walk down that path, the sad thing of a soul like yours is your perception of the world is shaped far quicker than a child your age should experience. But don't let this determine who are you, that is a man following orders, he's not the real culprit who has hurt you. Violence for violence is never the right outcome."

Ava shakes her head off her previous thoughts turning her expression neutral.

She was surprised how easy the thought of killing Elex came just then, she felt afraid that she allowed Arwen to see her true thoughts so easily, she was concerned of what he may think of her, she knew he didn't think of her as a normal child, nonetheless how would he truly act if he knew the truth behind how she felt.

Ava felt she was always a pragmatic person. In her previous world she dealt with things in a logical way, never letting personal feelings cloud her judgement, she knew Arwen was a man who detested true violence.

She knew that just from dealing with him, he would defend himself and others but would never aim to truly kill or cause permanent harm.

The way he disabled Elex without truly injuring him is a testament to that. However she felt his outlook was naive. Sometimes people cannot be reasoned with.

She saw the type of men Kais and that cold elf are. They will never stop committing evil until they were stopped permanently.

Elex was following orders but he still stood by watching innocents like her mother being killed. He also tried to kill her Father despite knowing the wrongness to it and was fully intending to hand her over to the Royal Clan knowing what awaited her.

Someone who passively accepts a dictatorship and allowed it to happen was not completely blameless in her eyes. He still carried out many evil things even if he was under the orders of another.

She would bury these feelings from Arwen though, he was a good man and she did not have the capacity to argue since she was just a pure burden at this moment in time to them.

Cense tried to comfort her at that moment seeming to sense her feelings though she brushed him off telling him she was fine.

At moments she thought the spirit resembled more of a counsellor than an artefact to help her growth, it was like the entity seemed to know she has a high probability of going mentally unstable being thrown into such a chaotic world.

Maybe she already had lost her mind. She experienced more pain and suffering in the last few days than her previous life and the beginning of this one combined.

She experienced her parents dying before, though she was way too young to really comprehend it at the time, now she had to watch one of them die in front of her and was not able to hide from it.

Arwen looked at her sadly seeming to sense the detached look in her face.

"Sorry I wasn't there little one…" Arwen seemed to mumble before Althaea came behind her lifting her up.

"Come up with auntie." Althaea said chuckling with delight.

She had grown to love Ava over the past year teaching her, seeing her as a niece. She always had a weakness for cuteness but Ava took that to another level, she was like a little doll, she couldn't help but hug her tight every time she held her.

Ava didn't resist. She felt it comforting after what she's been through and she was already used to being fused over, even she can't deny she was a ridiculously cute child.

Soon enough she was on the back of the large bear alongside Althaea who was holding her, and her Father who had been strapped on the back.

Her Father was groaning but remained unconscious, despite being healed, he had been on the brink of death and the restoration from the healing magic took much out of him.

Arwen started moving on the forest with them on his back. His pace was much faster than her Fathers despite the load of his passengers.

Althaea held her tightly making sure she did not lose her balance and her Father was safely secured.

The travel was smooth despite them moving so swiftly and they already moved a good distance away from the battle between the humans and elves.

However just when Ava thought she had lost them a horrible shriek sounded nearby.

"Humans!" Arwen mumbled.

"This couldn't just end simply could it? Those damn Ironclaw Wyverns, probably smelt us after retreating from the elves." Althaea muttered remembering something continuing.

"Damnit! Cleanse! How could I be so careless!" Right after she chanted the blood on Xandas clothes seemed to vanish as the Water Qi left it spotless.

"Ahh, this can be resolved simple enough. I'll take care of this one, just a few lone humans from the main group, I'm sure I can persuade them to end this meeting on peaceful terms." Arwen said optimistically.

Ava on the other hand for some reason didn't believe things would go that simply knowing humans are involved.