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𑁍-the tale of the runaway elf, [name] [lastname]. ft. laios touden.

part I - the butterfly effect.

"is this the only gold you have? this isn't even enough for a blade."

"that is all i have, correct."

"well scram then, you nasty rat!"

maybe i'm just stuck in a looping purgatory, because everywhere i go, i always get chased away.

i do not belong anywhere.

it stayed that way even before i was born. my mother told me that she had to beg for her life, because everyone wanted me gone, they all think i'm cursed.

they all believed i was nothing but bad news, an evil omen brought to the world to bring suffering to everyone. it was ridiculous, and it was all because of that damn demon.

that evil, wretched thing.

even as i ran away from my fate on that island and started a life in a new place, no one wanted me.

just like now, i was always chased away. always.

"that old man said i can get a good quality sword if i gave them my gold..."

[name] thought she'd find more luck in an unfamiliar place, where no one knew of her past.

but unfortunately for her, people are not that kind.

"new clothes... food... hmm, what else..."

she had been wandering around the island for a while, mindlessly following whatever the kind sailor taught her.

'buy food, find a place to live, get a job.'

it repeats in her head like a mantra, as if it's the only thing that she knows.

[name] never really knew what she wanted in life. she just follows what everyone tells her to, even if it actively harms her.

without anyone looking after her, the girl had grown filthy. she had a few scratches on her skin, from tripping on her own feet. she doesn't bother with treating her injuries. she hasn't taken a bath at all, simply doing as she was told.

because of that, many people mistook her for a beggar. a hobo that had nothing better to do than bother people.

some of them did find it weird though, to see an elf wandering around like a street beggar.

she was lucky to have reached this far without being taken advantage of.

well, actually... that didn't last long.

"i'll trade you this apple of immortality from an ancient dungeon for your gold and gear, missy."

"i do not wish to live forever."

[name] tried to shake off the merchant that had started following her around, bugging her about his "immortality" apple without a stop.

"i have no more gold. i have used it to buy food from the old lady near the cathedral."

she faced the merchant, an annoyed expression on her face. just as she found someone kind enough to sell her anything without mistaking her for a criminal, this man comes and bothers her. it irks her.

"oh, yes you do. that small pouch of yours still contains a few golds, don't they? all you have to do is trade me those and your gear, immortality will be yours."

"i do not want to live any longer than i already have to."

"of course an elf would say that. but... here's the thing, you don't have to eat it! if you sell this, you'll get thousands of golds in return."

[name] blinks a few times, growing intrigued.

"then how come you're selling it to me in such a low price?"

"that's because i think you deserve it, my dear friend. i believe that even the poor deserves kindness."

she's not dumb. [name] knows better than to trust people like this.

"back off."

"...you're really making this difficult for the both of us, aren't you? fine, let's do it the hard way, then."

[name] couldn't react in time as a blade was stabbed to her rib, and she fell to her side.

she was in shock, not being able to do anything as she was flipped on her stomach, the merchant bounding her wrists together with a rope.

"stubborn bitch. you should've just gave the gold the first time i told you to."

[name] grimaced as her bag was taken from her, along with her belt that had small pouches on it, where her last remaining gold was stashed in.

she was stripped off of her gear, only leaving her with a thin white shirt and her ragged pants.

"thanks for the stuff, elf. should've just stayed on that damn island of yours. maybe this wouldn't have happened."

he spat on [name]'s face as he walks away with everything she had, leaving her bounded in rope while bleeding to death on the ground.

she could just lie down and accept death right here. after all, that's what she always wanted, right? to stop existing. to put an end to this nightmare that has been going on for forever.

that's right. who said she wanted to live anyways? she lost her will to live the moment her mother gave her up to that monster.

so she'll just accept her fate, she had no purpose in this world anyways.

"get up."

her body jolted in shock, and sweat began to coat her skin. that voice sent chills down her spine, knowing it all too well.

"get up, [name]."

"mother, i..."

[name] forced herself to look up and through her blurry vision, she could see the face of a woman that looked exactly like her.

she felt shivers run down her whole body, and she immediately struggled against her binding.

she loathes her mother more than anything. she wouldn't be like this if it weren't for her.

she ruined her life. but there's no one in this world that she feared more than her.

"go away!! go away, i hate you!! i hate you!"

and so [name] quickly loosened the rope around her wrists, they weren't really properly tied together in the first place.

a scream accidentally left her lips as she freed herself, releasing the pent up adrenaline that built in her chest while holding the bleeding wound on her rib as her head snaps in all directions, searching for any sign of her mother.

she was nowhere to be found.

her heart was beating wildly in her chest, threatening to burst at any moment.

this was the first time [name] felt alive, and it was moments before her death.

"stupid... stupid! stupid!! stupid!!"

she cursed herself for being weak, for giving up so easily.

for not having a will to live.

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"how exactly do you get a job as a homeless, penniless elf?"

"...."

it had been a week since the incident, and [name] had just been wandering around as she usually does, looking for a way to get a job or earn enough money to buy food.

it's also been a week since she ate anything, and it's quite evident.

"wait, you didn't answer my question-"

[name] sighed, watching as the child she had just asked ran away from her in fear.

"did i say something wrong?"

with nothing on her but her clothes, she couldn't really do anything. she tried hunting, but she became the huntee instead of the hunter.

imagine seeing an elf woman running away from a hog with a stick on her hand. that's [name].

to be fair, she has no hunting skills whatsoever. so there's that.

it's not like begging in the streets would do her any better. after that encounter with that merchant, [name] knew better than to trust people.

not to mention, she had to use herbs and old cloth she found lying around an abandoned house just to treat her stab wound, which is still far from being healed might i add.

"tired..."

her stomach grumbled as she sat on a rock by a giant tree, deciding to rest under its shade for the mean time.

her body begged for her to eat anything edible, anything at all.

'it's not like i want to eat. i just need to.'

despite her intense hunger, [name] doesn't look for food because she's starving. the search for food is driven solely by the orders given to her.

to find food. to survive. that's what that kind sailor told her, after all.

'right... i wonder where he is now?'

as she got lost in her own thoughts, she failed to notice the multiple presence that is approaching her.

at first, there were only four, then another came... and another... and another...

until she was completely surrounded.

only when she heard the loud snarl and growl did she notice the gang of dire wolves surrounding her, and she froze.

'oh no.'

[name] reached for her stick, backing herself against the tree behind her.

it was just one sticky situation after another, huh?

'okay, there are ten of them and one of me. maybe if i act crazy they'll leave me alone? no, that only works on bears.'

while [name] is an absolute menace when it comes to bears, she doesn't know a single thing about wolves. how the hell are you supposed to drive these things away? start a forest fire?

'wait, that actually sounds smart.'

[name] snatched a rock from the ground, narrowing her eyes at the wolves.

"i dare you, try me. i can use this in more than one way."

and tried her, they absolutely did. one of the wolves charged at her with its canines out and all that crap, when suddenly-

"ARF!! ROF ROF ROF!! AWOOOOO-"

"what the fuck."

[name] watched as a grown ass man jumps in on all fours, barking and snarling at the wolves.

she expected him to get mauled and chewed to death by the wolves, but much to her surprise, they all cowered away from the guy, backing off and skittering away in fear.

'a... amazing!'

[name] gasped, eyeing the stranger in disbelief.

once all the wolves were driven away, he stood up from the ground and patted the dirt off of his knees and hands, turning to [name] with a kind smile.

if [name] was filthy, he was worse. no offense to the guy, but he looked like he hasn't showered in months. his blonde hair was knotted and disheveled, his clothes as dirty as a rag, and he also had a beard.

well, not that [name] is judging him. she herself doesn't shower, so they're probably both stinky.

"are you okay, miss? good thing i came in time, those wolves would've gotten you if i didn't."

instead of responding normally, [name] points at him with a fascinated look on her face.

"you..."

"huh?"

the man points to himself too, looking confused.

"how did you do that? those barks... they were so accurate to a real hunting dog's bark. teach me how you do it."

"oh, well! i learnt how to do it when i was young-"

yeah, their introduction was definitely not normal, but they're not really normal themselves. they're both alphas, betas won't understand.

"my name is laios touden, i came from an island nearby but right now, i'm just... going around, travelling all over the place, to put it simply. you?"

[name] was now walking with the boy that she now knows as 'laios' through the forest, interested in getting to know him more after the earlier events.

"[name] [lastname]. i'm from the west."

laios looks at her with a 'o' expression.

"wait, you're a western elf?!"

"is that so shocking?"

"er, sorry. you just don't look like one."

"oh, i guess so."

she agrees instead of taking offence, shrugging her shoulders.

"so... what brought you here, [name]?"

"no reason. job hunting, i guess."

[name] lied smoothly, not even missing a beat. she'd rather not bring her past up to this stranger she just met, not that she found it necessary in the first place.

"that makes sense. while i don't have the same reason as you, i am on the hunt for a job right now too."

laios grins, rubbing his nape sheepishly.

"right now, i just work for a caravan group. they let me ride along as long as i do odd jobs for them."

"odd jobs?"

"er... it's hard to explain."

laios makes weird hand gestures as an attempt to explain his words.

"you're a cool guy, laios."

[name] says in admiration, nodding to him.

"th-thanks..."

the young man muttered, in complete bliss but also confusion from her compliment.

"i have never met a man as good as you when it comes to imitating a dog."

"oh, thanks! i actually take pride in my skills!"

groooowl.

"...are you hungry?"

"well, yes, but not really."

[name] touched her stomach, that was literally almost caving in from the lack of food she had ingested throughout her whole week.

"let's get something to eat then. i don't really have money on me... but we can hunt something down together."

and so the two spent the rest of the day hunting for their dinner.

laios did almost all the hunting, while [name] just sat on a broken log, watching him from afar.

it was fun to watch him set up a trap for a rabbit, only for him to end up jumping the said rabbits out of impatience.

"there, we have dinner right here."

laios props himself up on his knees, holding the dead rabbits by their ears.

"nice work, laios."

[name] claps her hands for him.

"i will set up the fire for us."

while [name] has zero survival skills, she knows how to start a fire. perks of being an alchemist.

laios prepped the rabbits, skinning them and putting in a little bit of seasoning and herbs in them as they roasted it over the fire.

and there they have it, roasted rabbit express!

laios took the first bite on his rabbit skewer, humming in delight at the flavours that exploded in his mouth.

he looks over to the girl, surprised to see her just staring at her own food with a blank face.

"aren't you gonna eat yours, [name]?"

"do i have to?"

he was caught off guard by her question, and laios tilts his head in confusion.

"i thought you were hungry?"

"i am... but do i really have to eat?"

[name] copies him, tilting her head to the side too.

she attempted to raise it up to her lips, only to let go of the stick, dropping the skewered rabbit.

laios moved without thinking, catching it before it could hit the dirty ground.

"woah there, you okay?"

"yes..."

[name] gulped, looking down at her own hands.

laios had no idea what was going on, but he did know one thing.

"if your hands hurt or something, i can help you eat. here, say 'ahh'."

he raised the skewered rabbit to [name]'s lips, and the girl was silent for a few seconds before she finally took a bite.

"there you go."

he smiled as [name] slowly chewed on the meat, a satisfied expression on her face.

"it's good."

"it is, isn't it?"

while they're both complete strangers that know nothing about each other, it was clear that the two had formed a bond.

"...did you just feed me the butt cheeks?"

"oh wait, that's a butt cheek?"

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"you know... it was nice meeting you, laios."

the moment that was spent between the two was short, but it felt as if they'd known each other for a decade.

all laios had to do was offer her crystal stones that are used for potion making, and they instantly became buddies.

but it was now time for goodbye, and the two sat by the edge of the pier, gazing at the sun setting over the horizon like one of those cheesy romance novels.

"you say that as if we won't meet each other in the future."

laios laughed as he shook his head but when [name]'s gaze remained pensive, his smile turns nervous.

"oh..."

"laios, the path i will take is unknown even for me. i have not decided where i will be treading in the future, and i don't think i will ever figure it out for myself."

"why not just come with me?"

[name] released a soft exhale, turning her head away.

"i would love to... but i cannot burden you, laios. i have my own path to take, and you have yours."

laios didn't agree with that, but he didn't say anything else.

"without you, i don't think i would've survived this long. thank you. i cannot say the same for the future, but... i'm glad we met."

"you won't die, right?"

[name] hummed, an amused expression on her face.

"as i've said, i cannot say for certain. i did almost die if it weren't for you saving that day."

"don't say that. if you're saying you're just gonna die on your own, i might as well take you with me."

laios pouted, and [name] shook her head with a small smile. this was the first time he saw that, that rare smile that you would almost miss if you weren't paying attention.

but laios saw it, and it brought a smile on his own lips.

"you're a great friend, laios."

"friend?"

the young man gasped, his eyes sparkling in excitement.

'i made my first friend!'

"if it is possible, let us meet again in the future."

"definitely!"

"what about you though? what do you plan to do after this?"

laios cups his chin in thought for a while, trying to think properly.

"actually, i don't have a clear plan at all. just like you. ever since i ran away from the military, i've just been going around, trying to earn money and survive my everyday life."

he then smiled, rubbing the back of his head.

"but i do plan on seeing my little sister after this. it's been a while since the last time i saw her."

"a little sister?"

[name]'s aloof expression brightened slightly as she glanced at laios with a curious expression.

"yeah, i have a little sister. she's