That Ship Has Sailed

"Get back inside," I said quickly to Marcellus as I walked out the door, Maurice's hand made adventure kit slung over my shoulder. 

I had left behind the other adventurers insisting they'd follow me, having to yell at them again. Numbers against a Mind Flayer could've easily become a liability, the possibility of some adventurers falling for their mind tricks too high.

I remembered making that mistake in my younger years, the screams of my party at the time playing in the back of my mind like a cursed opera.

A hand on my shoulder stopped me in my tracks and I sighed, turning around to see Marcellus with an even more annoyed expression.

"Why are you insisting on going on your own?"

I pressed two fingers in the middle of my eyes and sighed again, something I've been doing a lot of recently.

"You're not an adventurer, my lord."

I did feel a rather strong hit of guilt when Marcellus flinched at the use of a title, but my mouth wasn't that controllable when I got this tense. I wasn't about to let the man follow me into danger just because he had a big heart and knew some spells.

"You're not a knight, a sword for hire or anything close to a combatant, unless there's something you haven't told me."

Marcellus' hand fell from my shoulder and his full lips were pressed together in a line. His expression remained blank and his slim eyes narrowed. If I had to guess, I would've said he looked rather frustrated.

Well tough shit. So am I and I don't have time for this.

"Fighting a Mind Flayer, saving Leon and protecting you? That's too much in one go. So get back inside."

I sounded harsh. Too harsh, even to my own ears but I had reason to. I adored Marcellus, it was so obvious that I did, but I wasn't about to put up with some rich guy trying to play hero.

Marcellus didn't say a word even as he balled up his fists and hid them in the pockets of his pants.

He did, however, walk ahead of me. Not heading back into the inn like I'd told him to.

"MARCELLUS!" I yelled after him, running up to him and trying to pull him back but for such a smaller guy, he was abnormally strong. "I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!"

"Then we better hurry," he said simply, continuing to practically drag me down the dirt path. "I've been around that mountain area when traveling to your inn. If we pick up the pace, we should be there by the early morning. Daybreak, at the latest."

I let go of his arm and watched him as he kept walking, not once looking back to me.

Was he always this stubborn?

"Fucking dammit!" I cursed as I ran a hand over my face.

I could've easily thrown the man over my shoulder and tossed him inside, locking the door. But who was to say the oddly strong noble wouldn't have simply broken my door down and use that freakish speed to run after me?

My week kept getting worse and worse.

"Oi! Wait up!"

————

He didn't talk to me the entire walk down my inn's hill. Not once.

Not even as we walked through the town to get to the gate on the other side. Not a word as we tread through the forest at the foot of the neighbouring hills. Not even a peep as we climbed the mountains' paths.

Not a damn word and it was starting to eat at my already frayed nerves.

He was mad, that much was clear, but fucking hell, so was I!

If he hadn't been so fucking stubborn, I wouldn't have also needed to factor in his safety. I wouldn't have spent most of the day conjuring up the most gorey images of a Mind Flayer getting to him.

I wouldn't have had to deal with the fear of seeing another party member get ripped apart by those damned monsters.

I sighed yet again as I stoked the fire of our makeshift campsite, letting the soup in the small pot reheat properly. I looked up to see Marcellus already staring at me.

The man was rather useless in the ways of camping. I'd almost forgotten I was angry when I saw him staring at the rolled-up sleeping mattresses with the most innocent look of confusion. 

He looked so damn proud of himself once he'd finally figured it out after half an hour of struggling, looking up at me with a triumphant smile that quickly went away once he remembered he was still annoyed.

Why the fuck does he have to be so cute?

Yet there he was, sitting on his victory of a sleeping mat, staring at me. He didn't look mad anymore. He looked like he wanted to say something but his random vow of silence remained.

At least I thought it did, but then he finally spoke.

"Mind flayers possess psychic abilities."

It was just not the words I was expecting to hear.

"…Yes," I answered slowly, not exactly sure where he was going with it. Why did he need to know such a thing?

He sat up straighter, crossing his long legs. The glow of the fire was making his perfect skin even more beautiful to look at.

"A single one might be weaker outside its hive but it can still control and torment minds. Its powers mostly involve psychic attacks as its physical form is very weak but it is known for having a large intellect."

He stopped to take hold of the spoon I was using to stir the soup, continuing the motion I stopped to listen to him.

"How exactly were you going to deal with it on your own while saving this Leon fellow?"

"You know my class as an adventurer was a warrior, right?"

"Hmm," he hummed in agreement, serving our soup in the bowls Maurice had packed.

How the chef knew I'd need more than one was a mystery.

"They're weak to physical attacks. There's your answer," I said as I gratefully took the bowl of food offered to me.

"Which they're aware of. You think you will make it in time to land a blow before it has dug into your mind?" he asked as he brought out a piece of bread from the pack, offering it to me again.

"I've fought them before," I said as I dipped the bread in the soup and took a bite. It was warm and rather delicious.

"Alone?"

I had no reply for that.

"Your plan was to basically rush in and punch the monster."

"Well when you put it like that, it sounds dumb. I've been in worse situations and I'm still here today. Most adventurers barely make it to my age."

"And you would risk that? That easily?" Marcellus' voice had turned into a whisper, looking at me incredulously. "Do you not value your life?"

"I don't need this," I muttered as I got up with my food and moved my sleeping bag away from the fire to a nearby but far enough tree.

I didn't need to hear those words from him. Weird crush aside, the man was a stranger. Who the fuck did he think he was admonishing me like that? Like he fucking knew me?

"We'll deal with the monster tomorrow. I'll take it on, you take Leon and get out of there. Good night and enjoy the food."

Thankfully, Marcellus got the message and didn't speak to me again. He didn't even touch the food, merely removing the pot from the fire and laying down on the bed, eyes to the sky littered with stars.

I was feeling like pure shit. I was mad, irritated, uncomfortable and now I was feeling guilt. The man cared, that was all, yet I'd been snapping at him all night. He didn't deserve that.

He was a nobleman sleeping in dirt and leaves merely because he cared about a rude fuck like me.

Well that ship has sailed right after tonight, I thought bitterly as I stared into my bowl of cooling soup.

I wasn't even hungry anymore.