The Kid Scarlet Saved

Julian wasn’t sure what he was expecting when he woke up this morning. For it to be a normal day? To go to class like a normal Wednesday and come home like normal maybe? Or even to have his sister nag at him like normal?

But what actually happened was far beyond any of that. The Demonic Assault began, and he was immediately found trapped in his own room, unable to get past the demon knight standing guard near his door, blocking the hallway off. His sister was off doing business during the entire day, leaving him to his own devices and thereby without any help. The damned neighbors on the other side of the demon knight simply ran away, uncaring of the rich kid trapped on his own, despite knowing that his father was the CEO of Magic Arc – the company in charge of every magi-tech tram in the capital city.

And right when he was about to just lie down in his bed and wait for a demon to simply navigate its way past the demon knight somehow – if that was even possible – a fox of all things appeared above that very bed, startling him into jumping backwards like a frightened kitten.

But not long after that, just like most kids his age would do, he hurriedly accepted the contract. And, also like a lot of kids his age, he thought he might be strong enough to take on the demon knight.

So much good that did… besides make me suffer the embarrassment of being carried by a cute girl with wolf ears in a princess carry…

Julian can’t help but grumble – in his mind of course – about this turn of events as he quietly follows that very same girl that he had remembered his sister gushing about how much she wanted to touch her ears just yesterday. And as he follows her, he can’t help but send frequent glances at her.

She really is cute though…

Julian shakes his head at those thoughts and continues listening to her talk, “I’m not really sure if I should be praising you for bringing me some more pre- ahem, uh for managing to find me so that I could deal with the issue or berating you for the sheer idiocy that it’d take to try stealing from a demon knight the very thing it was charged with protecting.”

Julian narrows his eyes at her poorly hidden change of words midsentence, but his guilt over the latter half of her sentence makes him look down with a sad expression on his face as he says, “Well, all I wanted to do was take it and move it somewhere else so that I could leave my room…”

How was he supposed to know that simply touching a demon knight’s charge is enough for the demon to chase you down until it kills you?

The girl – Scarlet, Julian remembers – sighs and doesn’t say anything for a few minutes as they continue walking down the hall. But eventually the silence grows too much to bear, and Julian asks, “What are we going to do now?”

Scarlet pauses mid-step then glances at him with a brow raised.

That can’t be good.

“Sorry, but there’s no we,” she bluntly says before turning around again, shocking Julian into almost stumbling, “I’ll be leaving you with a *ahem*, shall we say, ‘friend’ of mine, while I go off killing more demons.”

Julian’s eyes widen in shock as he stops walking. But the wolf girl just continues, uncaring of his rampaging thoughts.

She’s just going to abandon me?! But isn’t it her job to-

“Guardians are not given a job upon contracting,” his fae, who Julian simply calls Sly, says, his voice echoing in Julian’s head and interrupting his thoughts. “Guardians may do what they wish. And if she doesn’t wish to protect you, that is her choice. You are a Guardian now as well, so there’s even less reason for her to protect you.”

Conflicting thoughts continue running through Julian’s head, but eventually he has to shake his head and run after her since she had gotten too far ahead of him. And any demon on the floor could easily kill him right now.

They continue walking in silence until they reach the stairwell of the floor and find someone standing there tapping their foot with a single brow raised in amusement.

Hey Sly, is that a girl or a boy?

Sly doesn’t respond.

“Hey Alex, I found someone who needs your help far more than I do, so go ahead and look after this kid instead!” Scarlet says, making Julian’s head jerk over to look at her in shock – both at her truly ditching him, and her calling him a kid despite the fact that he’s several inches taller than her. And out of the corner of his eyes, he can’t help but notice Alex’s grin flinching ever so slightly. But clearly Scarlet doesn’t care, as she simply grins even wider and says, “Thank you, Alex! You’re great!” then runs upstairs, abandoning Julian to this Alex person.

Both Julian and Alex just stare at the stairs for far longer than they really need to. Even longer than the wolf girl is visible, her having likely already reached the next floor by now.

Then, as if somehow coordinated, Julian and Alex turn to look at each other at the exact same time. Julian with a disappointed and slightly fearful look on his face, and Alex with one of clear disdain and irritation.

Well, this won’t likely end well.

“Agreed,” Sly says, answering his thoughts. “But I would recommend you get closer to that wolf eared girl. Because that would be in your best interest.”

Why’s that? And why were you bowing to her fae and calling him his highness?

“Because that was the Eighteenth Prince of the Fae, and for a royal fae to choose a Guardian to contract, that Guardian must have a lot of potential. So it would do you well to get to know her,” Sly says before adding offhandedly, “and to not act on any desires you may have towards her.”

Julian blushes at that and immediately denies it.

I don’t have any desires for her!

“We both know you find her attractive,” Sly says, not missing a beat in his usual robotic voice. “And I would recommend you say something to the Guardian in front of you who seems to be getting more and more irritated the longer this silence continues.”

Julian’s eyes widen in shock, and he quickly takes note of the growing frown on the Guardian’s face.

Well, shit. This day is just getting worse and worse, now isn’t it?