Not long after that elf left, I heard wing beats. There was a loud thud, followed by the earth shaking for a few seconds. Not a moment later, I saw a flash of silver at my side. I let myself relax, and time came to a halt. I turned around to see a very angry looking elf wielding a sword. Their expression was a mix of anger and hatred. I took the sword out of their grip, and walked over to Alex. I put the sword in his hands. He probably didn't know how to use it, but I just needed him to hold it, at least for now.
I found some rope somewhere, and tied the elf to a nearby tree. After that, I went outside. I found the source of the wing beats and loud noise. A dark dragon. These beasts were basically the same thing as the dark creatures that Animus Holders hunted. I took the chance to tie up the dragon's snout, wings and legs, before going back to where the elf was waiting for me.
I stood in front of the tree as I let time flow normally again. The look of surprise on their face was priceless.
"Alex, could you bring that sword over here?" I asked loudly.
He walked over to me and handed me the sword, looking confused.
"Did you...?"
"Who else?" I asked, giving him a kiss on the cheek. He instantly turned red. I turned back to the elf, my eyes narrowing.
"Let me explain what happened. You made two mistakes. You decided that it was a good idea to attack us unprovoked. That was your first mistake. Not only did you do that, but you decided to go for me first. That was your second mistake," I said angrily.
"Well, I wouldn't have done that if you didn't decide to literally set up camp in my home," They hissed.
"Wow, look at that! There's another mistake," I hissed back.
"You aren't human at all, are you," They stated, their voice clearly reflecting their anger.
"Wow, congratulations on figuring it out," I said with an eyeroll.
"What are you?" They asked, their voice lowering to a growl.
"I'm an Animus Holder."
I allowed the Time Animus to reveal itself. It was a mixture of different shades of blue and sea green. It looked like it was made of blue fire. The thing that marked it as different from other animus spirits was the clock emblem on its chest. Each kind of animus had a different emblem.
I could hear the gasp of shock coming from the elf when the Time Animus revealed itself.
"You hold the Time Animus. I did not expect such power. I apologise for angering you, but please leave my domicile."
I started at them for a few seconds before responding.
"Fine. Apology accepted. Wait here for a moment."
I slowed down time, and eventually, everything around me was frozen. I walked to the nearby town, stole some random guy's car, and drove back. I loaded everyone into the car with a bit of difficulty. Then, I went and untied the elf. I got back in the car, and soon, off roading was our method of travel. I unfroze time when we were about an hour's drive away from that initial location. I stopped the car and turned around.
"Someone else drive."
Ayro took the wheel, while I sat in the back. I was sharing a seat with Alex for the time being, because there wasn't enough room. Plus, it was nice to just cuddle with him. Soon, the owner of this car would be calling the police to say that the car was missing. The group had a limited time to ditch the car and leave. After an extensive use of the Time Animus, I was feeling drained. Soon, I fell asleep on Alex's shoulder.
Sadly, my precious nap didn't last very long.
"MADDIE! I'VE HAD ENOUGH!"
The voice was so loud that I doubted it was Crystal's. Her throat wasn't supposed to have healed yet, so spestates like that could've damaged her throat. Maddie's reaction was just as surprising. Her face was scrunched up, but her eyes were somehow wide with disbelief.
Crystal was breathing heavily.
"A month ago we were friends! Now, all you do is throw hate at me. Please, tell me what happened. I must have done something to make you hate me, so what? What was it?" Crystal's voice was clear and loud. There were tears in her eyes, and I noticed something. The entire time she was talking, her mouth never moved.