Madeline's POV

Gowther and I sat across from each other, the door to the clinic locked, a sign hanging out front stating, 'Please wait, went out for more supplies, will be back soon!'. I was running a little low on supplies, but that wasn't important right now, Gowther currently was.

He didn't put the green wig back on, letting his true hair reign loose over his head, the forgotten wig placed on the counter behind me.

"What are you doing here, Gowther?" I questioned him at first, already having an idea as to why he called himself Alan and wore that wig.

"I have heard Vaizel had a wide collection of books."

"Okay, that most is true. But why did you come to my clinic? Did you know who I was?"

"I heard from the bookstore keeper that there was a visiting doctor that comes every year for the festival. I figured you would have medical books on hand for me to read." I gawked at him, sighing to myself. "Not because you had a suspicious that Doctor Ares was me?" He shook his head, "I never heard anyone state what you look like, or that you had magic, so it never crossed my mind for me to conclude." I smiled, feeling relieved.

"That's good at least, if one of the smartest people I know didn't realize who I was, then the dumb Holy Knights won't either."

"Why call the Holy Knights dumb? Weren't you one yourself?" 'So were you.' I thought to myself, tapping my foot against the floor.

"They have changed since 10 years ago, so drastically it scares me." He frowned at my words.

"I haven't noticed anything different." I shrugged, deciding to change the subject.

"How have you been? Did you find a place to stay?"

"I mostly stay in caves or camp in the woods."

"You are lucky you are basically indestructible." I informed him. "I believe I am so. How about you?" He tilted his head as he asked me his own question.

"I'm in a tiny town called Glave."

"Glove?"

"Glave." I emphasized the use of the 'ave'.

"Ah, Glave. I believe I have been there once or twice before."

"For those times, I probably wasn't there-" He glanced back to the door, pausing his breathing for a moment. I furrowed my brows, "Gowther?" I questioned him in confusion, before I began to feel it too. The strong energy approaching Vaizel.

It was easy to distinguish from the energy the people at the tournament radiated, their combined energies in strength not appalling or frightening. But this type of energy was new, and different, and was approaching the city fast.

"We gotta go before it gets too close." My plans were thrown out of the window. Gowther's own plans thrown away into the trash.

I jumped out of my seat, opening up my satchel, muttering the charm to widen the area within the satchel before dumping my supplies insides off of the counters, not having time to worry about the bottles clinking together and possibly breaking.

Gowther placed his wig back on, shoving his pink hair back into the cap before deciding to help me throw my supplies into the satchel.

"What about the clinic?"

"No time to dismantle it piece by piece. I will have to leave it behind." I stated, my heart thrumming inside of my chest, feeling like a vibration that reached down to my toes and extended onto the floor of the pop-up clinic.

The last time I grabbed was my journal, shoving it in before Gowther unlocked the door and we ran out, the strong energy arriving a few minutes after we took off running across the city, my pop-up clinic was set up in the heart of it for convenience of patients. But not for high tailing away from an impending attack.

Gowther and I didn't want to get caught in fighting against whatever it was, we didn't want to. That should have been behind us, it should be. I won't partake in that. The best I could do we get away as fast as possible.

I alerted people to run away from the city as fast as possible, and not to stop. To not go back for belongings that can be replaced.

It was short and straight to the point, the clacking of my boots against the stone of the bridge as we ran across it, heart pounding in my ears synced up to my steps.

We were barely out of the town before Gowther grabbed ahold of me, shielding me from a sudden cannonball of fire, exploding once it made impact with the earth, sending us flying.

We rolled across the dirt, briefly hearing the bottles in my satchel clash together, some shattering from the sudden impact.

I pushed myself off of the ground, grabbing ahold of Gowther's arm to help him up as well. My eyes flashing to check us both for injuries. Myself only getting a few scrapes, injuries that Gowther endured already being healed by his body.

We ran, not even a mile away from the city before an explosion went off at our feet, sending us both back.

My body glowed green, healing itself from the waist down, wincing at the pain.

"Lady Madeline?"

"I'm alright! Did another of those things hit us?" I questioned, feeling things reattach, pain nullifying into nothing more than just a ghost.

"I don't believe so, I would have reacted quicker if so."

"Dang it.." 'Rest in peace ingredients.' I thought, mentally tallying up how much money I would have to use to buy more, and if I could salvage any of it. Plus all of the glass I would have to clean out of the satchel without cutting myself..

I frowned, a small whine threatening to spill out from the back of my throat.

The dust cleared, revealing Gowther already up on his feet, the insides of his body reattaching. He glowered down at the hole in the ground.

I braced myself, getting up as fast as I could without making myself feel the effects of whiplash. I walked to him, staring down at the hole.

"It came from the ground?" I gathered, Gowther nodding beside me.

"Telling those people to run ended up doing more harm." He muttered. I felt guilt eating at me, just thinking about the idea of it. It would turn out to be true, unfortunately.

Guess that's what they get for trusting me.

I shook my head. "No walking around it?"

"No, I estimate the whole perimeter is surrounded with dozens upon dozens of bombs."

"That doesn't sound good."

"Bombs never do." I stared at him, a little in shock, 'Did he just sass me?'.

He reached out for my hand, the kind smile he showed me back at the pop-up clinic returning. "A minefield I suppose. I can deal with the damage, you can not. I suggest for you to ride on my shoulders to increase your chances of not losing your legs." I chuckled, shaking my head, gladly taking his hand.

"That would be fun. But I kindly decline." I told him, looking down to my feet. "Mass isn't correct, make the mass I volumize the mass of an elephant." I whispered out the spell, the small circles under my feet appearing.

Slowly I was lifted off of the ground as if I had ingested tons of helium, taking Gowther along with me. Luckily from him, he didn't have much muscle on him. It was fairly easy to carry him, especially when I didn't have mass to use to strain myself.

"Ah, didn't Merlin teach you this?"

"Yes she did. I did it with King first since he was the heaviest."

"Are you implying something Lady Madeline?"

"Nope!" I grinned innocently down at him before returning my attention to the task at hand.

"Dragonflies walk on water, birds fly through air, humans are granted machines to achieve both. Grant me neigh." I stepped forward, walking on the particles that gathered at my feet. I kept a firm grip on Gowther's hand, feeling his brown eyes burn into the back of my skull.

I didn't stop walking until we made well into the forest, ascending down the air as if I was walking down a staircase. Before planting my feet down onto the ground, I said the words to cease the spells.

"The mass is correct, make the mass I volumize into that of a feather." I was dropped to the ground, falling only two feet.

"Gather me impressed, Lady Madeline." He told me as I dusted off my dress, adjusting one of my braids. "I learned from the best. Come on we gotta go!" The sweet moment of walking on air was forgotten, making haste.

---

We arrived into a clearing, deciding without saying a word to one another that it was good to stop now. I didn't know how much longer Gowther himself could stay running, but I knew my limits. Especially when I hadn't eaten since early this morning. It was becoming close to the afternoon now.

"I hope people managed to get away, or stayed safe."

"I doubt it."

"So optimistic." I dryly replied, knowing that it was just his personality. He heard my reply, hiding a small smirk behind his hand. "Are you going to head back to Glave?"

"Unfortunately yes. I might hit a few towns on the way there but without the pop-up, I doubt it will be for getting extra money."

"You aren't teleporting." I shook my head, "I never learned how to for vast distances. I don't have any of the ingredients for it anyway. Merlin would be able to with no problem, then scold me for not even trying." I giggled, memoring those times of me giving up before giving something a good try, the scolding I got from her, the repeat of it. Those were fond memories I had of her.

"Think highly of her?"

"She is like my mom, so yeah. Most definitely." I smiled at him. He returned a soft one as well before it dropped, looking as if he remembered something.

"I must go."

"Heading separate ways..." My slice of pie mood was destroyed by the thought of one of the members of my family leaving. It was to be expected, that life was in the past. We were convicted criminals for a crime I didn't remember committing. Wouldn't it be better to continue living away from each other? To carry on with our separate lives like nothing ever happened?

I didn't know the right answer to that. But, it's what had been working so far. We were still not imprisoned.

"I guess this is goodbye then." I told him, messing with the leather strap of my satchel, shifting my weight from one foot to the other. Gowther nodded, stepping a few steps forward to stand directly in front of me. He bowed his head, reminiscent of an act he would do when we parted and then saw each other again in the old days.

"Safe travels, Lady Madeline."

"Same to you, Gowth-." I began but couldn't hold myself back from throwing my arms around him again for the second time today, hugging him close. It will be 10 more years before we could meet again. If that would happen anyway.

Gowther didn't understand affection, but I knew he still felt fondness towards companions of his. Most likely the only reason he ever hugged me back, which was a sad thought to have. I chucked it to the back of my mind.

"Stay safe." He muttered before we both let go. I nodded, returning the words to him. "Stay safe, too.".

Then we parted ways in different directions.

To Be continued