Little Clover

Chapter II

***Yami***
"That's a four leaf clover!" A mans voice exclaimed as everyone turned towards me. I wasn't sure what he had meant by that or why everyone was staring at me. I didn't even have a clue as to why this book had chosen me, but I did know that I had to go back or else I'd suffer a worse punishment than I would have if I just came back late. I ran out of the cathedral and sprinted home as quickly as I could manage, which in retrospect, wasn't actually that fast. With my book and my purchases, it took me about twenty minutes to reach the outskirts of the cement building.
Hobbling toward the door, I opened it and flinched in preparation for something, but there was nothing. No slap, no kick, not even a holler, there was just nothing.
Opening my eyes, I looked around the deserted hallway and saw the familiar figure of my master laying sprawled out across the floor. I hesitantly set down the things I had bought and made my way over to him, still clutching my book.

He was out cold.

I backed away from him and my mind whirled.
I can finally escape! That was my first thought, but then the teachings of years and years of punishment made me begin to wonder, can I escape? Will he wake up? Will he come after me? Where would I even go? What would I even do?
"Hey, kid!" A gruff sounding voice snapped me out of my thoughts and I whipped around to see a stern looking man staring at me with interest.
"Yes?" I manage to keep my voice from cracking, but the fear that was laced through my tone was obvious.
"You work with this creep?" He gestured to the guy on the floor and I violently shook my head.
"No, then what are you doin' here?" He asked as he stood up and started making his way towards me. I opened my mouth to speak, but the works wouldn't come out.
The burly man stopped only when he was directly in front of me and I had to crane my neck in order to see his face.
"What are you doin' here?" He asked again, but it sounded more like a demand. I made an effort to stop myself from cowering in front of him but my body disobeyed my brain and I tensed up automatically, waiting for some kind of impact.

But there never was one.

I looked up at the man as he stared at me with an eyebrow raised. His cold brown eyes flicked between me and my grimoire before he sighed and kneeled down to meet me at my eye level. I stood stock still as he looked me straight into my eye and said,
"Do you know what you're holding there?"
I shook my head.
"That's a grimoire," he pointed to the book that was clutched tightly to my chest. The confusion of my face must have been evident because he then asked,
"Have you ever even used your magic before?" The furrow in my eyebrows deepened.
"I'm guessing that's a no, seeing as you are confused and it seems this place is covered in some sort of anti-magic barrier, you probably don't even know what mana is," I couldn't tell if he was talking to me or to himself at this point but nonetheless whatever he was talking about I didn't understand.
"Alright," he stood back up and I resisted the urge to flinch. He took the cigarette out of his mouth, holding it between his index and middle finger, and turning away, he blew out a large cloud of smoke. He looked back at me before his low voice rumbled the words, "you're coming with me."
I didn't know why he wanted to take me or where it was he was taking me, but going with him was the only option I really had. I was fully aware that I couldn't last long by myself, so going with him was the smartest option...that's what I told myself anyway.
I nodded hesitantly and watched as the man blew out another puff of smoke, our eyes met and I quickly looked away. He sighed, "well come on then." He moved past me, inhaling another hit before letting it out again. I followed suit and he silently escorted me to where ever he was taking me.
As we went, I studied his back. His white tank top did nothing to hide his bulging back muscles and it immediately intimidated me. I fell a little father behind him and looked at his feet instead.
"So kid, what's your name?" He casually called out over his shoulder to me, but I didn't respond. "What you ain't gotta name or somethin'?"

I didn't respond.

"You better tell me your name or else I'm gonna name you myself," he warned, but I remained silent. "How bout Daisy, no Molly!" He started thinking aloud.
"Elizabeth," I whispered.
"Eh What was that?" The man threw his head over his shoulder and cupped a hand to his ear.
"M-my names Elizabeth."
"Elizabeth what?" I said nothing.
"What's your last name, I'm not gonna wait all day," he growled, obviously growing irritated.
"I don't have one...sir," I forced myself to look up at his back again.
"You don't have one?"
"No, I'm sorry..." he was quite for a moment.

"Well you ain't gotta be sorry for that, how bout you make yourself up a last name?"
"Make one up?"
"Yeah just pick a random name or something," he shrugged and continued walking.
I thought of the man at the store who was always so kind to me. The name of his little store popped into my head, The Wilde's Wild West.
"What about Wilde?" I asked.
"Sure, it's your last name so I don't care what you make it," he chuckled, "but you're definitely not what I would call wild."

I stayed silent and the man huffed.

"Damn kid, you really talk a lot don't you?" He snorted, "Oh, and I forgot to tell you this before, but my name is Yami. I'm the captain of the black bulls," he confessed with an air of pride.
"Black bulls?" I asked, only growing more and more confused by the second.
"We're a magic knight squad!" Yami explained, but it really didn't make things much clearer.
"Magic knights?"
"Oh boy, you've got a lot to learn kid."