Headed by a Snake

"Flame eternal..." Haelvia sighed... "Alright, Loki, what's this about?"

The arrogant blockhead was a member of Guild Metal Wolf, just like she was.

In theory, he was one of the shields that guarded her left and/or right. In theory, Loki would take an arrow for her in a heartbeat... and she, the same for him.

Theories... She was starting to hate herself for her nonsensical rationalization.

"I uh..." Loki was fidgeting, kicking at the dirt... looking altogether unsure of himself.

"Spit it out, you," Haelvia urged.

When she was talking to Coraline, it was easy for her to stay focused. Without the elf's light, slightly musical, excitement, Haelvia's fatigue was quickly blanketing her brain. It made her irritable.

Loki was generally nice to look at... but Haelvia didn't care for that.

She wanted to sleep, not listen to a brat's useless whining.

"I've been thinkin'..." He said.

"A vast improvement," Haelvia noted absentmindedly.

"Come on, Hagrid, I'm tryin' to be serious..."

Haelvia sighed deeply as she felt her eye twitch. She really didn't like that name.

"Say what you need to, so I. can. leave," Haelvia responded curtly.

"I think..." Loki hesitated... "that you and me... we should... we should hang out more."

Haelvia couldn't help but scoff, "By the Flame, nnnOOoo!! We 'hang out' more than enough in the field!."

"I mean!!" Loki raised his voice... only to have it fall again, "I mean... when we get to Whitehearth... let's... hang out."

That... admittedly, was an invitation Haelvia had always wanted.

For the first few moons she and Loki worked together, she made the mistake of... expecting it? The passably-handsome green-haired man had always surrounded himself with friends, talking and laughing... sharing the camaraderie she didn't rate.

The invitation never came.

After it finally did... Haelvia wasn't sure if she wanted it, anymore.

"I've been there before," Loki added, "to Whitehearth, I mean-- obviously. So I know a few good places to go."

"Sounds nice," Haelvia answered noncommittally as she pursed her lips.

Even besides basic invitations to outings, Haelvia had stopped expecting kindness from near anyone in the company. She figured a normal girl might have wanted to cry... but she... her pent-up frustrations were just mounting into anger. Every second that passed made it harder to resist the urge to punch Loki in his stupid face.

The guy placed his palm on his chest, looking smug, "I... know this really good restaurant. It's Flame-taken expensive... but it's the best romantic date place in the whole city!"

"Yeah, that sounds--" Haelvia stopped as what Loki was saying fully processed in her mind, "Hhhh-whaaaaaat?! Ah! Hahaha! HAHAHA!!!"

She bent over, holding her stomach as she laughed.

She... couldn't help herself. She had heard the most ridiculous thing in her life. It was more ridiculous than guild Sol Invictus being run by the same people who ran it half a century ago.

Guilt, however, swept through her heart like a desert storm.

Laughing until there were tears at the corners of her eyes... was not the socially correct response.

She had made a mistake.

She held absolutely zero romantic notions when it came to Loki. She didn't even have a *friendly* relationship with him.

Their only interactions consisted of him complaining about something asinine and her either mocking him for it or countering his ignorant logic.

Yet for some reason... the boy thought it was acceptable to ask to be lovers?

Still... she needed to be at least a little polite about it.

The whole company thought of her as a frigid bitch, but she didn't need to heartlessly tread on his feelings to make the rumors true.

...Not that she expected the mushroom-brained braggart to actually be hurt.

Haelvia glanced up... and she saw that Loki's face had turned and twisted-- something between helplessness and indignation.

His poor little heart was broken!

It was the first time in her life she thought of the boy as cute! The thought of it almost sent her into another laughing fit... but she managed to reign it in.

Returning to her professional mien, Haelvia stood up straight, took a deep breath, and wore the gentle and polite smile she practiced to perfection.

She already had a polite excuse to reject the boy's confession.

"Loki... I can't," Haelvia tilted her head cutely, "I already promised some friends that I'd be accompanying them for the duration of our stay in the Elven city."

That was... something of a lie. Coraline didn't specify an amount of time they would spend together. But even if the elf and her fire elemental had to go off, Haelvia would have preferred to spend her paid time off alone than with an arrogant child.

The green-haired boy took a step forward, his hand held forward, "Elle..."

Haelvia matched him by taking a step back, "Munifex Loukius."

Metal screamed and rocks and silt moved as Gaheris shifted his weight.

Haelvia didn't even ask him to do anything... but she sensed that he'd intervene in an instant if he felt the need to.

Loki furrowed his brows in confusion, "What the ff--- You... you tryin' to square up with me, Hagrid? Of all people, you?"

...Haelvia felt a tinge of worry.

She was facing one of the best bare-knuckle boxers in the company... and she wasn't exactly a super-powerful Elven Witch with a fire elemental.

However... she did have a very stabby, very durable, folded-steel dagger on her hip... and a thick Saronite Protector on her forearm perfect for bashing faces in...

Oh. And she had an overprotective 15-foot-tall guardian composed entirely of mana.

"You..." Loki grit his teeth, "You're such a Flame-taken slut, Elle! Leadin' me on with your gods damned mixed messages!"

Haelvia gasped, "I have done NO such thing, Loki! Leading you on... are you listening to yourself?!"

"Oh, I get it!" Loki started raising his voice, pointing a finger, "You think you can do whatever you want, just 'cause you're F*CKING the Centurion?!?"

Haelvia tilted her head to the side in shock, her mouth agape.

Loki thought she was... what?

With... the Centurion?

No! Absolutely not!