Cain watched on from the sidelines, a smirk gracing his usually stoic face. "Ha, we are grabbing the Bulls by the balls, " he mumbled, watching the Griffle game play out.
2 rounds had been played so far, and they had won both. Since it was a best-of-3 match, they just needed to win this next round before they could pack their bags and head home.
Catching his team into a huddle, Cain explained his game plan: "This is round 3, so we can only have 3 people on the field." Staring at his crew, Cain got serious: "We are going to hit them hard. Keller, Jerimiah, and Jarod, you guys are up. Show them who's boss."
Breaking the huddle, Keller, Jerimiah, and Jarod strode onto the field. Though they had won the first two rounds, they took the opposition seriously.
Opposite them were the old man, the average-looking man, and the giant.
The ref motioned the Ace forward like normal. This time, it wasn't the old man who approached but the average-looking one.
Glancing at the Ace's, the ref made sure both were ready before tossing the ball into the air.
As it began to arch, Jerimiah summoned his wall, surging upwards.
Halfway up, Jerimiah spotted a foot coming from the side.
Swinging his body back, he barely dodged the airborne roundhouse kick.
Sending out a flurry of punches, Jerimiah retaliated, his eyes narrowing as his focus switched from the ball to the average-looking man. Weirdly enough, when people took their attention off the average-looking man, he would disappear from view, only to appear again just as he was about to launch an attack.
Their solution to this tactic was to sick Jerimiah on the average-looking man. Cain had long since learned that Jerimiah could zone in on a target, ignoring all distractions in the surrounding area with impunity.
Though they lost Jerimiah as a dynamic player, the trade-off was worth it. The average-looking man had been the source of all their headaches. He would disappear from view and reappear near the goal, and because he did not have to attack anyone to score, they had to be constantly on alert.
Using Jerimiah as a counter worked well because Jarod and Keller were more than the match for the other two opponents, and without their momentum, Billy could easily stop their Bull Tame.
As simple as it sounded, the field was still chaotic. Moments and changes occurred where Jerimiah was flung away, losing sight of his target, only to be scored on in the next moment.
But more than not, they would overwhelm their opponents and score.
As the final ball fell through the hoop, the announcer roared, "AND THE EVERGREENS HAVE DONE IT!"
The crowd's cheering quickly overwhelmed the announcer as streams of people ran onto the field.
Cain swiftly gathered the team, before the tsunami of people could overtake them.
From afar, a fancily dressed woman approached them. In her hands was a strange Aether artifact, pulsing with a green light. A couple large men flanking her on both sides, pushing people out of her way.
Coming near, she grabbed Cain attention, "Congratulations on your first Win. Did you expect to deal with the Bulls so easy coming into the match?"
Cain stared at the woman, her linen clothes and perfect hair clearly indicating that she was rich. Taking a moment to formulate a response, Cain chuckled, "The Bulls weren't so much an easy opponent; we just had the tools at our disposal to counter them. I expect the following matches won't be so simple as sicking Jerimiah there on their only strategy."
The reporter nodded before asking him another question: "How far do you and your team expect to make it in this Pine Forest Griffle league?"
Over the cheers and screams of people, Cain smirked, "We are going all the way. Say hello to the Count for us; we will see him soon!"
Satisfied, Cain regrouped with the team; they had a big night of celebration ahead of them.
-----------------
Rue walked along the snow-covered road; every once in a while, he would glance behind him. Without fail, a nosey Ibex would be trailing him, curiously looking around the Hamlet, occasionally bumping into him when he stopped to rest or look around.
Rue looked into the furry creature's mindless eyes and couldn't bring himself to kick it to the curb. Even if it was 'defective' in a sense, lacking the Growth affinity that made its species valuable, it was still an animal.
He knew animals died all the time in the wild, probably in this world more than ever. But did this one really have to?
Sighing, Rue decided to let the guy stay. He was hoping it would eventually get bored and leave.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Taking the long route home, he met up with Jule, who was playing with a new group of friends. She had stopped playing Griffle after she had awakened. Kiera was scared that Jule would be unable to control her strength, resulting in an unfortunate reveal of her power.
Jule waved goodbye to her friends before they trudged home together. She gave Shiny a pat on the head before poking his button nose. About two months ago, Rue introduced Shiny to his family; his excuse simple, stating it was Kiera's pet she had graciously lent him for 'protection.'
That night, when he introduced Shiny, his mother and siblings readily believed him and were excited to meet the squirrel. But his father had a wildly different reaction. He stared down Shiny like a predator staring down their next meal.
After staring for half the night, his father glanced away but still kept Shiny in his peripheral vision. Rue couldn't help but think the two had a run-in in the past. Sweating, Rue was relieved that thousands of Treasure Squirrels lived in the nearby forest, maybe another looked like Shiny.
Back in the present, Jule couldn't help but notice Rue's new shadow, pointing her little finger at the Ibex, "Why do you have a goat?"
Rue glanced at her, a helpless look on his face. "Honestly, it just happened."
Grinning, Jule petted the Ibex.
Though vigilant at first, the Ibex settled down after realizing Jule did not intend to do any harm.
Jule ran her fingers through the Ibex's long white hair, "It's so warm! But it needs to be brushed."
Scratching it behind the horn, Jule looked at Rue. "Can I brush it?" she asked, her voice laced with anticipation.
Rue shrugged; he couldn't think of a reason not to, "Sure, be my guest."
Squealing, Jule gave the Ibex a few more pets before they headed home.
Arriving, Jule and Rue were greeted by their mother. Eliza kissed them on the head, making sure to scratch Shiny behind the ear.
Jerimiah sat at the table, staring straight into Shiny's eyes.
Shiny stared back, his tail twitching back and forth as they began their every day staring contest.
From behind, a small pebble smacked Jerimiah on the head, causing him to blink and look away, looking for the culprit. Not finding anything, he glanced back, only to be met with Shiny's mischievous grin.
"You little bastard," he mumbled.
From his side, Gabe looked at Jerimiah with wide eyes, "What does Bastard mean, Papa?"
Jerimiah opened his eyes, his face looking like someone caught stealing a cookie from the cookie jar. "Let's pretend I never said that." He responded, patting Gabe on the head.
Eliza smacked Jerimiah on the back of the head, a disapproving look in her eyes, "Yes, Gabe. That is a naughty word; don't listen to your father."
Gabe nodded his head vigorously, glancing back at his siblings.
Stepping inside, Rue began stripping off his multiple Coat. From behind, the Ibex pranced inside, grabbing the attention of both his parents.
"Where did you find the goat, honey?" Eliza asked, her brows scrunched.
Tired of making excuses, Rue stared straight into Eliza's eyes. "I climbed the mountain today, and it followed me home."
Eliza giggled, patting Rue on the head. Her face relaxed. "Kids these days have active imaginations." Pausing, she glanced at Jerimiah, who now looked like a puppy who had its tail stepped on. "Anyway, Kids, your father had won his first Griffle game, and it's only proper we celebrate!"
"Yay!" Gabe and Jule cheered, congratulating Jerimiah.
Rue sat at the table, a question popping in his mind. "Will we ever be able to go and watch?"
Jerimiah nodded, happy to change the conversation, "It's hard to bring you guys to the normal games, but if we make it to the finals, Cain promised that he would rent a few carts to bring each of our families."
Jule's eyes widened, "We will go outside the Hamlet?"
Jerimiah smirked, "Yep, and to watch your papa win as well!"
From the side, Eliza swooped in, platters of Highborn Steaks and Frilion Potatoes in her hands. Their smell made everyone's mouth water.
Gently placing them on the table, she waited, taking a moment to savor everyone's reaction. Relenting, Eliza chuckled, "Okay, no use in waiting. Eat up, everyone!"
Expressing their thanks, Rue and his family dug into their meal. The only sounds were that of forks, spoons, and knives clashing against the juicy food.
Off to the side on a nearby shelf, a squirrel nibbled on a piece of bread.
Sat behind Rue, an Ibex happily munched on a bowl of vegetables.
----------------------
The following day, Rue opened his eyes and was met with a big lick to the face. The Ibex had mounted his bed, stood over his sleeping body, and attempted to 'clean' his hair with its mouth; either that or it was hungry.
Rue lay expressionless as the goat casually licked his head. Jule, off to the side, giggled. "Good morning, Rue." She said as she sat on the side of his bed, braiding the Ibex's long white fur.
She had gotten pretty far. The front half of the Ibex was brushed straight, the occasional pink bow tied within.
Rue glanced over at Jule, helplessness plastered on his face, "Please get it off me."
Jule continued to giggle, "I didn't tell it to do this."
Sighing, Rue shuffled his body back and forth, slowly sliding down his bed out from under the Ibex. Free from his goat prison, Rue hopped up from the floor and tugged at the Ibex. "Come on, off my bed." He pleaded,
Either listening or moving because Rue was no longer lying down, the Ibex hopped from the bed.
"baaaahhhhaaahhaaahh"
Now standing in his way, Rue circled around the Ibex, and sat at the table. A couple of cut fruits and wet oats lay on top, ready for consumption.
Grabbing the food, Rue began stuffing his mouth. Shiny jumped from a nearby shelf, landing on the table. He plopped his furry butt down and picked up a fruit, nibbling on the slice of Radish Mango.
As they ate, the Ibex stared at them; its eyes watching Rue and Shiny.
"baaaahhhhaaahhaaahh"
Wanting to eat at the table, the Ibex followed Shiny's lead. Shaking itself from Jule's hands, which were currently in the middle of a braid, the Ibex pranced in a half circle. Now further from the table, it charged forward, leaping.
Eliza entered the living room, her eyes wide as she watched the Ibex soar onto the table.
BANG
The table shook but still held. Rue stared at the Ibex, his eyes wide in astonishment. Moving his food away from the Ibex, he cautiously ate, protecting his food from the furry creature.
Finding a platter of unclaimed fruits, the Ibex happily munched, its tail twirling, showing off the cute blue bow tied at the tip.
Eliza just decided to turn and leave, going back into her bedroom. She wasnt sure how to deal with this.
As the trio finished their breakfast, Rue collected the dirty plates and dropped them in a bucket full of water.
Grabbing a coat hanging on the wall, Rue extended his arm. Shiny leaped from the table, landing on the extended arm, scampering up and settling on Rue's shoulders.
Rue glanced at the Ibex, "You can't do that."
The Ibex's eyes dropped, downcast.
Rue shrugged and opened the door. Stepping outside, Rue heard a bang behind him, followed by a: "baaaahhhhaaahhaaahh" before he felt a horn poke at his back.
Guessing the Ibex was following close behind. Trudging down the snow-covered path, Rue walked towards Kiera's. She had a task for him, and he wanted to test his Soul Constructs.