This Story Has Nothing To Do With Me (Axel Syrios X Reader)
Disclaimer: This fic has been cross posted on AO3. You can find some of my fics there too :D
This Story Has Nothing To Do With Me
Guild Tempus has always been known for being a great team of adventurers that roamed the land of Elysium. The land that has been guarded by the Tree of Knowledge for years and years is now on the brink of death and these men are tasked with finding a way to keep it alive. When Elysium was being formed long time ago, a seed fell from the hands of the gods who made it. Blessed by the creator that seed bloomed into a tree that held the very lands together with its roots. Legends says that it holds the memory of everything that keeps the world as we know it together. Heavenly law states that once that tree dies, the world will die with it.
A tree would be easy to keep, no? Just water it, make sure it has ample sunlight, and healthy soil. The Tree of Knowledge, however, is not as easy to take care of. In our story mages are the only ones who know how to keep this piece of history alive, but a couple of years ago their numbers started to dwindle and those who keep the secrets of this tree are now long forgotten.
The current ruler of Elysium has tasked Tempus to find the cure for their dying Tree of Knowledge since they were known for being the biggest adventurer’s guild in Elysium.
A week after the announcement the whole kingdom had a party to celebrate their departure and prayed for them in hopes that they find what they are looking for. The current party consisted of:
Regis Altare - The guild leader and known as the Hero of Elysium
Axel Syrios - The gladiator of the group
Magni Dezmond - Their self proclaimed alchemist
Vesper Noir - Their Academic scholar
There was a period in time when these four were regarded as the most seasoned adventurers in all of Elysium, but their fame slowly faded when they decided to open their own guild and take life one day at a time. It has been a while since their adventures across the land. Such a while that Vanguard, the other main group in the Tempus guild has yet to return from their journey. Worry not as they were informed through pigeon and were instructed to meet with them a couple of towns towards the destination.
Their destination is an abandoned mage’s tower in the north of Elysium. The north is known for their harsh winds and cold climates, nothing like the capital. Barren lands with mountain ranges far as the eye can see. A great spot if one wants to be isolated from the world. A great spot for a lonely mage. Archemis’ Tower, a.k.a. The Lonely Mage’s Cave belonged to the last great mage of Elysium, Archemis. It has been 300 years since her death and was the last caretaker of the tree. In her home lie her diaries, which are said to have the cure and caring routine for the Tree. Well why not just grab it if there were already answers to why the tree was dying? Well, it’s not that simple. She was a mage who never liked other people. To her taking care of the sacred tree was nothing but a bore, and a punishment from her late master that forced her to interact with people of the kingdom. That tower is heavily guarded, no one has made it past the third floor. There are three hundred floors to that tower. Mercenaries call it the hell of the lonely. A hell of a tower protecting years of knowledge stored by the last great mage. Who knows what alchemy lives there.
After leaving the capital the group finally sighs a breath of relief.
“Ah..Keeping up with the King’s drinking is such a hassle. Especially with our long journey ahead.” Axel says.
Vesper slaps the back of Axel’s head, laughing as he does.
“Oh please, you have at least three more rounds in you.”
“Well, yeah, but alcohol gets you full you know.” Axel replies while rubbing the back of his head.
“At least we won’t be meeting anyone in a while. They can’t see their heroes drunk and wobbling around.” Desmond mutters. Clearly the alcohol got to him.
Altare stops in his tracks. Clearly forgetting some vital information that he hasn’t told the boys.
“Shit.” Altare thinks to himself.
“We actually are going to pick up someone from the next town.”
“What?” Vesper asks. Confused as to why Altare would inform them so late.
Magni perks up, realizing what Altare is talking about.
“Oh!! Are we picking up who I think it is?” He asks excitedly.
“Are me and gramps the only ones who don’t know about this?” Axel asks.
Altare ignores Axel’s question, “We’re going to pick up someone from the next town. Apparently it was a recommendation from the holy family since we have no dedicated healer in our party. The king wants to ensure we succeed so he got us a priestess”
This was new. It has always been a journey between the four of them. They were competent enough to not rely on a healer to help them in their battles.
Axel furrows his eyebrows, “The only girl in our party huh? Why not get a priest? Wouldn’t she be uncomfortable with all us guys around her?”
“If it’s who I think it is then this priestess is offered by the pope. Recommended for her various good deeds for the past 10 years and for her service in the church.” says Vesper
Axel lets out a chuckle, “Darn. The one time we get a girl in our party and it’s probably a hag.”
Magni smacks him in the head and shouts, “No she’s not!”
Altare just chuckles as Axel rubs the back of his head to ease the pain. Uttering that he’s been getting hit so early into their journey. The leader begins to explain, “This priestess was serving as a temporary proctor at the alchemy academy Dez studied in.”
Magni wraps an arm around Axel’s shoulder, painting a picture of a sweet young girl who was a spiritual genius. He notes that even after she left the academy to serve the church again his professors spoke highly of her. Highlighting the fact that she was around Axel’s age, even nudging him and wiggling his eyebrows.
Axel begins to wonder, “A priestess that young?” Not that he could ever imagine it. But decided to trust in his guildmates’ high praises about her.
After a couple of days filled with traveling, they finally reach the village. The village folk celebrate their arrival and wish them well on their journey. The celebration was so big that even the highest man in the position of that village came to greet them.
After the day of celebration and welcoming the heroes, the group enters the seemingly small cathedral in the middle of the village.
Though small in appearance the interior was breathtakingly large. A ceiling that could fit two dragons tall, stained glass depicting religious figures decorated the walls of the cathedral, well-made wooden chairs stained a deep brown, and the prettiest altar the boys have ever seen.
Axel stares at the silhouette of a woman praying in front of the altar. Mesmerised by how the sun hit her veil so beautifully. The woman was solemnly praying until she heard the cracks of the cathedral doors. Upon hearing the sound quickly finished her prayer and turned around to see the visitors.
She turns around quickly, seeing Dezmond she smiles and walks to hug him.
“Y/n!” Dez shouts. He walks over to her in a rush. Excited to see a friend he hasn’t seen in so long. Y/n hugs Magni, patting him on the back and says, “it’s been so long since I last saw you!”
Axel, still not able to see Y/N’s face clearly, says out loud “I thought priestesses weren’t allowed to touch the opposite sex..”
Vesper nudged him in the ribs, signalling that it wasn’t the right time to be asking questions. He was about to correct the gladiator but before he could do so the priestess was already talking.
“Merely touching the opposite sex is something anyone can do. After all, how are we supposed to spread love and the good word without offering a helping hand?” The priestess giggles as she moves away from Dez.
Axel lowers his head, a bit ashamed for easily believing stereotypes.
“But I don’t blame you,” the priestess continues, “That has been a rumor for quite some time. Despite the church being accepting of female worshippers there has not been enough priestesses entering the covenant to dispel the rumor. We’re quite rare, you see.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you all. My name is Y/N, a priestess from the village and ,as announced by the Pope, the healer that’ll be accompanying you on your journey. Please take care of me and may the goddess herself guide as all.” She bows.
Altare mumbles that he thought the people worshipped a god and not a goddess. Axel rarely finds himself in situations where he isn’t the one who is clueless and laughs a bit at Altare. The priestess, now standing upright, chuckled. “It’s fine. Not everyone has the same beliefs and I have no right to judge you”. She smiles sweetly after the sentence.
Axel finally can see her clearly. The stained glass filtering light that falls upon her, beautifully illuminating her face in different colours. He looked at her in awe. She looked so unbelievably gorgeous. He now understands why people still talk about her years after meeting her. Not only was Y/N so nice, but her looks were absolutely captivating as well.
‘She looks like the goddess herself’. Axel thinks to himself.
After introducing themselves to her the priestess led them inside the cathedral dining hall and instructed them to sit while she grabbed her stuff. Insisting that they have a meal at the church before they go.
The four members of the guild sit in awe as their eyes roam around the place. It really is bigger on the inside. They observe priests talking to each other over coffee and tea. Trainees frequently go in and out of the dining hall, always in a rush.
Soon after, Y/N returns to the table with a small briefcase in hand. People behind her carrying food for the members at the table.
“Feel free to dig in. The food here has been blessed. “
“And by blessed she means that she made you the food herself” The priestess carrying one of the trays says, nudging Y/N subtly.
Y/N bashfully scratches the back of her neck, “Well, I did pray for it too.”. She says as she sits down next to Dezmond.
Formal introductions are next. The party introduces themselves one by one and asks each other about certain weaknesses and strengths. It is essential for them to discuss this before heading to the tower since it’ll be better for creating strategies. While sharing moments Axel can’t help but look at the priestess laughing and smiling. It was the first time he felt this way. He kept imagining that he was the reason for her joy, slightly day dreaming about their future together. His heart was pounding and he couldn't think of the reason why. Well he knew. He thought why would someone this beautiful be stuck in a cathedral praying for her life away. Soon after he shook himself out of his stream of thought. He started to laugh along like he wasn't just staring down the prettiest girl he’s ever seen in his life.
After some goodbyes they left the cathedral with bellies full and smiles on their faces. In the middle of the woods, a couple of minutes out of town, the priestess sighs.
“Guys, can I change? These clothes are a pain in the ass to fight in” referring to the long garment she had on.
Dezmond chuckled, “You never changed.”
“Oh fuck off, Dezmond” she shouted. Pulling on the collar of her garment as she went into the woods to change. Muttering how selfish the higher-ups were for putting priestesses in garments like these. The rest of the group left in awe, wondering what just happened.
“To be honest, it’s best to wait for her to come back and then explain.” Magni says, laughing at their reaction.
The party does as Magni advised. Waiting for the priestess to finish changing, kind of staring her down as she came back. “The fuck you looking at?” She said to the three looking at her like she grew heads on her shoulders after changing into a normal shirt and pants. With a snap of her fingers her briefcase that she had been holding vanished into thin air. Altare was the first to speak,
Y/N rolled her eyes and turned to look at Dezmond who was already on the floor laughing.
“Would it kill you to give your members a break? A little heads up? A warning?” she says.
Axel is the next one to say something, “First time I see a priestess the same age as me and then I find out that she has a dirtier mouth than me.”
“Soon my eyes are gonna be stuck to the back of my head from all the eye rolls you guys keep making me do. And for someone that I just met that’s a bit of a statement. Just so you know, the bottom of my most worn shoe is cleaner than your potty month so don’t fucking compare yourself to me. Bitch.” She says and in the direction they were initially going.
“Oh. I can make your eyes roll in another way..” Axel cheekily says. Enjoying the priestess’ new feisty nature.
Y/N glares daggers at Axel, “You can say shit and gawk all you want but if you want to survive past this forest you need to start walking now.”
By this time, Vesper had already put two and two together and asked “is this why you were so well known in the church? Cause you’re such a potty mouth?”
Magni, who was wiping his tears from laughing while walking beside Y/N, puts a hand on Vesper’s shoulders. “Yeah. She caused so much ruckus in the church that they sent her to help teach at the academy. And if there’s one thing about the church, they hate alchemy.
The church thinks that as beings we do not have the right to mess with human lives.” He explains.
Soon enough the rest of the boys are already caught up and walking next to her. Intently listening as to why the church hates alchemy so much.
“They believe that magic and alchemy are basically disobeying the plans that the goddess has for us. So then sending someone to an alchemy academy is basically saying ‘we don’t want you here’. They haven’t kicked me out yet though.”
“Well, she is the most skilled priestess in the empire. She has cured numerous curses that became large epidemics in multiple kingdoms in the empire. The church can’t get rid of her if they wanted to. It would basically mean treason and the emperor would never allow it.” Magni explains while walking with them.
Axel was in awe. Not only was this woman in front of him exceptionally beautiful but talented as well. He might as well be looking as the most capable woman in Elysium. “You used magic earlier, right?” He asked her.
“Yes. I did. Quite a unique one eh? A priestess who runs her mouth, hated by the church, and a hidden mage. But that’s what makes me special.” YN chuckles.
“Thank you in advance for all your help.” Altare states.
He bows and lays his sword in front of the priestess stating his duty to protect her as the leader and urges the others to do the same. They are thankful for having such a great teammate on their team and vow to express their gratitude to her in battle and to the emperor in a letter. The priestess is flushed. It was rare for her to get this much attention up close. She often kept to herself even after missions
“H-hey it’s okay that’s just how I am. Please stand up.” She rushes to tell the four who have bowed before her.
They get back to walking and Axel asks her a question. “Hey, are you strong?”
“Stronger than the holy guards combined. “ The mage replies.
She wasn’t bragging, merely stating the truth. “Then why be part of the church? Not become a mage?” a curious scholar asks.
“My lineage goes back to the last great sage of elysium. She was a mage from my mothers’ side. Apparently she appeared at family events only a handful of times. Her name was Archemis Hera. Ever since her death there has been 1 mage in our family every other generation. I am the lucky one to inherit the power of a mage. But the thing is, since the death of Hera, who died protecting the research she had accumulated over the years, our family has been hunted. Hera never passed down the necessary information to aid the tree of life. Because of that the emperor of that timeline banished our kind from the kingdom. Calling us traitors for denying them vital information. Fucking dumbasses. How can we deny information we don’t have” She angrily mutters the last few parts.
“Why joined the church then?” Altare asks.
“Honestly I’m safe from the banishment since I carry my father’s last name. But in case someone had gone through our family registry I joined the church to protect me. Being there causes me so much stress but at the same time it’s the only way I can assure that I’m not assassinated in my sleep.”
“See as the church is the one most against mages, they know most about them. There is a barrier in every church in the empire that prevents mages from bringing outside magic. But I was able to slip in because I entered the church when I barely had any mana. Ever since then the cathedral has adjusted to my power and doesn't detect anything out of the ordinary. I’ve been training magic outside and shut off my mana when returning back home. That is the way I have lived.” She adds.
“Isn’t it hard living the double life?” Altare asks.
“Of course it is. But there are so many things in this world I want to live for. Clinging to one side of me would only make me sad. Besides, having a double life allowed me to journey with you guys!” She says happily.
“Awww” Magni says, pinching her cheek. She slaps it away though.
Axel feels a little jealous, wishing he were as close to her as Magni was.
“What are you going to do after the mission then? Are you going back to the church?” asks Axel.
The priestess turns to him and pats him on the cheek, “Aww, buddy. Don’t get too excited about sending me back there. It’ll take us a while.”
He blushes, “T-that wasn’t what I meant I-”
She laughs and pats his shoulder. “I was just teasing. Honestly, I don’t know yet. Things’ll probably change a lot by the time we’re finished with this mission. I just want to enjoy this bit of freedom.”
The group settled down in a nice spot in the forest and set up camp for the night. Being as the next village is a couple days away. Y/N asks some of the boys to gather firewood, volunteering to cook their dinner. Altare, Magni, and Vesper left camp but not before teasingly winking at Axel. Before he could scold them Y/N was already calling for him to help her prepare.
As he rushes back to camp he sees she already made a table out of a log nearby. She sees him and urges him to come closer.
“Can you chop these carrots for me, Axel?” she says kindly.
Axel nods, surprised that she was back to how kind she was at the cathedral.
“Sorry if I was out of line earlier. With the teasing and all that shit. I didn’t mean it…I was just tryna be a smartass at comebacks. “ he says while dutifully cutting the carrots.
“‘S fine. Nothing to worry about. Just teasing! If I actually felt malice I would’ve cut your dick off in an instance” She laughs
He laughs with her. Axel can’t help but notice the smile on her face, how her nose crinkles while she laughs, and how the moonlight bounces off her hair.
“But, uh yeah. Hope we can get along like you get along with Dez” he says while giving her the carrots he chopped up. She takes them and gives her some potatoes to chop
“We’ll be close in no time. Don’t worry, I don’t bite” She winks at him and turns back to her cooking pot.
He chuckles but is blushing so hard. Thankfully it’s not noticeable in the dark. Soon enough the other boys get back with more firewood for the rest of the night. Y/N welcomes them back and thanks them for their help. After a bit more stories and laughter they enjoy their curry dinner. Made by a priestess who also happens to be a mage. Who would’ve thought.
The fire and laughter calm down as they settle in for the night, getting warm and cozy under the sleeping bags Y/N had prepared.
“I was fully prepared to sleep on the forest floor tonight. This is great! Thank you, Y/N” Vesper thanks the mage. The other boys follow, uttering words of gratitude.
“What purpose does magic have other than helping people?” She smiles, getting cozy in her little sleeping bag too.
“Goodnight everyone!” She says cheerfully. Thinking to herself that it’s been a successful first day. Making new friends and eating good food. What more can a girl ask for.
“Get some good rest, everyone”
“Goodnight, Y/n” Axel smiles at her. Coincidentally they ended up next to each other.
“Goodnight, Axel” She smiles, then drifts off to sleep.
He smiles at her sleeping face. Silently thanking the goddess for this beautiful sight he has the honor of witnessing before drifting off to bed.
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Part 1 done! Thank you for reading so far. I want this to be a 3 chapter AU but wanted to test the waters first if people are open to the idea. Please like if you want more 🙂
