Un-Chain

Uteu's jaw dropped open. How the hell was he supposed to respond to this? Was he supposed to agree to this shamelessness?

Grello's shoulders shook as he tried to hold in his laughter. Uteu was a little relieved he didn't need to respond seriously. Honestly, he really isn't sure how to act around this man yet.

"This whole Link thing... I really don't even know what I did?" He said, trying to change the subject.

Grello coughed to control his laugh and approached closer to him.

"Ah. Yes. We probably should establish our Chain properly before those nosy morons arrive."

Uteu shifted nervously. Whenever this man was suddenly serious Uteu couldn't help feeling anxious.

"Before that though... Do you even know anything about- ...What am I saying? Of course you don't." Grello cursed out Tykol a few more times under his breath.

Grello extended his arms and a warm wind picked up around Uteu's feet.

"Feel this?" The warmth seeped into his skin making him feel much somehow lighter.

Uteu nodded.

"I'm using a buff on you right now." Grello said as he watched Uteu closely. The older man seemed to be pondering over his next set of words carefully.

"You're already accepting the buff if you feel warm. This is good. We can skip quite a few steps. Now you need to extend it back towards me. Form a pathway for me to send it through."

Uteu furrowed his eyebrows and concentrated on Grello. How was he supposed to do this? His mind was distracted as he thought about how he felt about the other.

This man, unlike his father, at least attempted to help him. This was the only man keeping him and his siblings alive and safe from God knows what.

Although he's barely spoken to this man... maybe it was the fact that once he was aware of their connection, he could somehow feel that he could trust Grello.

Deep down, Uteu wanted to protect him too.

Suddenly Uteu felt like the wind had picked up. It swept his hair and the air smelled cleaner to him. The warmth reached deep into his bones giving him a very familiar feeling. He has definitely felt something like this before... a long time ago.

The warmth now had a bit of a corporeal form in Uteu's eyes. A soft blue glow that had no solid form but Uteu knew it was there.

Now what had Grello told him? To extend it back to him? To form a path? Uteu pondered and furrowed his eyebrows at Grello's expectant gaze.

Taking a breath, Uteu tried to push the bits of blue back over to Grello, however this didn't quite feel right. It felt like he was trying to bounce the spell back at Grello and as he did, he felt less warmth.

He thought back to when he had first truly felt the spell. The warmth grew once more. This was the double effect Grello mentioned, Uteu believed.

He doesn't want to undo Grello's work he wanted to continue it. The blue glow flickered.

"Good. I can feel the proper Chain to me. You're pretty fast at figuring this out. I was kinda just suggesting things there. Though honestly I should have known I'd figure this out. Nothing is impossible for me I'll have you know." Grello sighed in relief and smiled.

Uteu noted the same wind swirling at Grello's feet. A ring of soft blue light slowly picked up with the wind and died down after.

Uteu blinked at the sight of it. It was... That easy?

He could tell the blue light signified the buff spell and the people that it was activated on. However, there was something else there. Nothing he could physically see, but he knew without a doubt that it was there.

He gingerly tugged at the feeling. He could kind of feel it. It was exactly as it sounded. Like a chain connecting the two to let the buff extend to the both of them.

"I can feel a chain between us. It feels like it's connecting your... magic? to me. If I were to compare the buff from earlier to now... Earlier it felt more like a soft blanket covering me while you were left in the cold. But this... This feels like I stretched it out, fluffed it up a bit and put it around both of us."

Grello hummed and tucked his hand under his chin in thought.

"Normally I can only use a single buff on a person at a time. I wonder..."

Uteu could faintly see different glows of various shades of blue. He assumed the blue had to do with beneficial spells. He made sure he properly chained the buffs between them. He kept a careful eye on Grello to make sure they matched.

Uteu couldn't tell all the buffs being used but he felt there were-

"Did you use three different buffs on us?"

Grello looked pleasantly surprised, "Yes I did. You're such a natural. If only Tykol had let me near you much earlier. I could have taught you so many things. All these years, wasted!"

Uteu rubbed the back of his neck again.

"Can't say I understand it though."

Grello looked a bit frustrated, "Not your fault in the least, I assure you. We are rushing a bit. But you'll learn. I'll make sure of it."

Somehow this struck Uteu and he found it a bit odd. He didn't doubt Grello... However he couldn't help but want to know-

"Why are you helping us...?"

Uteu suddenly felt that this wasn't right thing for him to say and he corrected himself.

"I mean, I know for a fact that you're doing it willingly and I can feel you truly want to help us. I'm not suspicious of you at all! I just want to- I'm just uhh- curious?"

Grello rose an eyebrow, amused.

"Oh? A fact hm? What makes you say that?"

Uteu fretted for a second. Why did he say that? However, it felt wrong to think otherwise. He knows it deep down somehow. It's definitely a fact.

"I can feel it. You're my Link. I would never Chain us together otherwise."

Grello's eyebrows both rose in surprise. Uteu didn't blame him, the words that spewed out of his mouth shocked himself.

A pleased look entered Grello's golden eyes for a split second. Oh wow gold. Uteu really just noticed his golden eyes. He blinked. Not sure if it was the light that had prevented him from noticing earlier.

"Oh ho? I see."

Uteu felt happy. He was somehow glad that Grello accepted this. His Link should know of his faith in him. This he felt must be some kind of ingrained instinct.

"I have my own circ.u.mstances. One of them is simply because Tykol is my friend." Uteu let out a relieved breath when Grello spoke. He was glad Grello was willing to answer a more personal question.

"Tykol might be 6 years older than me and is a damn coward for running off... But he is, sadly, one of my best friends." Grello smiled sadly as if recalling memories.

Grello sighed, "Could I ask you not to pry too much right now? I'll tell you in due time. Trust me."

Uteu nodded in agreement, "I do trust you. You're right by the way."

Grello tilted his head slightly, confused. The man seemed to be going over the words Uteu had just said.

"Definitely hit the jackpot with you."

Grello looked a bit fl.u.s.tered and the buffs dispelled in his surprise.

Uteu took it as a win.