“Big Brother!” came the joyous cry of a little girl with auburn hair and chestnut eyes as she sprinted toward the trio.
Rexar gracefully dropped to his knees, arms open and wearing an affectionate smile. “Half-Pint!” he called with a blush, only to be met with shock and heartbreak when the girl leaped into Daisuke’s arms instead of his own.
“April?” Daisuke exclaimed in surprised disbelief. “Wait! What’re you—”
“It really is a small world, isn’t it?” said Feng with a hand cupping his hip, an aloof smile teasing his lips.
"It's such a relief to see you're alright," added Sylvia tearfully. "We've been on edge this whole time, going back and forth with the idea of forming a search party."
“Haxks!” shouted Aldric with a firm salute. “I protected April as promised. Everyone was worried sick, but I knew a stupid monster wouldn’t get the best of you.”
Mia had her fingers laced gracefully behind her back with a coy smile. “I knew you’d find your way back to us.”
Daisuke’s expression softened. Everyone’s all right, he thought in relief, then his gaze settled on Mia. It was pretty reckless for her to follow us all the way out here alone; her nights must have been painfully long.
Even as he contemplated this, a part of him felt a flicker of happiness knowing that she was willing to make such a sacrifice for him. Despite the betrayal he endured, Mia's actions made it abundantly clear that not everyone shared Brek's misguided beliefs.
“So wait—are you telling me Haxks is the big brother those two were going on about all this time?” Rexar scoffed in surprise.
“Then why were they calling him Julian?” asked Milo.
“It’s the alias that Mr. Langley—I mean, Haxks, devised to protect their identity and fool the man who took us all in as slaves,” explained Sylvia.
“Big Brother,” cried April as she smothered her face in his chest. “I-I was so scared,” she sniffled. “I thought that monster had—”
Daisuke gently stroked her head, his rare show of affection making Elena blush as she watched from a distance. “I’m sorry I made you worry,” he said tenderly, relief unfurling within him as much as it did within her. “And I’m glad you were all able to escape safely,” he said, his eyes passing over Sylvia, Feng, Aldric, and Mia.
Zephyr, feeling neglected, got up on his hind legs and braced his front paws against April with a whimper. Sensing the attention, the little girl retreated from the warmth of Daisuke’s embrace and clumsily began wiping her tears. Then she looked down at the pup with uncertainty.
“It’s okay,” Daisuke reassured with a comforting smile, "he's perfectly harmless. His name's Zephyr—he's a friend I made when we got separated."
Readily convinced, April tentatively extended her fingers, which the canine playfully licked. Her face lit up with a radiant smile as she reached down to pat and embrace the overgrown marshmallow of a wolf.
The other Beastfolk who remained in hiding observed the warm interaction. Ears and tails that once sagged in fright now perked up with curiosity, and they gradually began to emerge from their dwellings. The kids, in particular, slowly approached April and Zephyr, eager for a chance to pet the curious wolf.
“So, this is the safe haven you mentioned,” remarked Daisuke, shifting his gaze to Sylvia.
"Yes... the safe haven she willingly abandoned," interjected an elderly woman accusingly, causing the girl to bow her head dejectedly.
“And you are?” Daisuke asked with a hint of indifference, evidently annoyed by the verbal attack.
“My name is Timartha. I’m the village chief,” clarified the elderly woman with a slight inclination of her head. “Thank you for rescuing the young ones; I’m eternally grateful.”
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
Daisuke appraised the woman who was no taller than four feet in height, her small stature supported by an old wooden staff. Her round face overflowed, the cheeks resting against her shoulders with creases flowing through her skin like a time-worn leather bag.
“What brings you to our humble abode?” she questioned cautiously, one eye holding the stranger in its poor gaze. “Did one of the kids teach you the birdsong?”
“No, that was me,” said Rexar with a grin, stepping forward so that he was within range of the woman’s poor vision.
“Haxks is the reason we were able to come home,” admitted Elena as she approached with a smile.
“Rexar! Elena!” the elder exclaimed in a hushed tone, both eyes popping open in shock.
“He’s also agreed to help us protect the village against the demons,” Milo chimed in.
Flustered, Timartha staggered forward, and the female aides at her side scrambled to help her before she fell. “Milo,” she uttered, her voice quivering. “It’s been two moons since you three left for the guild; we all feared the worst.”
The trio approached the woman so that she could take turns holding their hands, then she turned to Daisuke with renewed enthusiasm. “You’ve only been here for a moment, and already I’m deeply in your debt,” she said with a chuckle.
Daisuke allowed a wan smile. “Despite the hardships that this village faces, you all still went out of your way to keep April and Mia safe, so that makes us more than even.”
“And you’re generous too,” the woman complimented with a smile. “Except for Milo, who we adopted since birth, no other human has ever set foot inside Elmridge. But the fact that you would aid a Beastkin, no matter the circumstances, proves that you are deserving of our gratitude and hospitality.”
“Why don’t we continue this conversation inside,” suggested Feng while pointing to a nearby mound. “I think we’ve kept the barrier deactivated long enough.”
“Yes, you’re right,” the elder agreed, regressing into a state of dignified composure. “Let’s slip back into the veil.”
Following her words, she tapped her wooden staff on the ground, which was adorned with a large blue orb at the top that was reminiscent of a mage’s ancient relic.
At the commanding gesture, the orb hummed with power, and a shimmering barrier gradually regenerated, like a delicate dance of mystical threads, cocooning Elmridge village once more in its hidden embrace.
Daisuke watched in astonishment.
***
The cavity inside the mound was more spacious than Daisuke expected, but comfort seemed like a foreign concept in the dwelling. The bare ground left the chamber susceptible to the merciless cold. Like the floor, the surrounding walls and ceiling lacked insulation. Wild plants and insects overran every surface, creating a makeshift ecosystem within the earthen abode.
April cringed as she watched earthworms and centipedes crawling in and out of holes in the soil.
According to the chief, this stark environment was a necessary sacrifice to keep the village hidden. The natural musk of the earth and its organic matter masked the scent of the people, focusing their lives on survival rather than comfort or societal development.
April’s stomach suddenly grumbled, and she squirmed uncomfortably on Daisuke’s lap, but she didn’t breathe a single word of complaint. Feng, Sylvia, Aldric, Mia, the elder, even her aides—everyone was evidently famished, yet openly ignored the violent demands of their stomachs.
It was bizarre.
“Hungry?” Daisuke whispered to April, who responded with a meek pout.
“…So that’s what happened,” sympathized Timartha after Elena recounted the last few weeks. “I’m sorry you three had to endure such hardships for the sake of the village.”
“Don’t be,” Rexar responded flatly. “Those hardships are the reason we managed to foster our current power.”
“I can clearly feel that you three have gotten significantly stronger,” said Feng with a satisfied smile. “Rexar may actually be able to land a punch now.”
“Che,” Rexar clicked his tongue, arrogantly cocking his head to the side and brandishing his gauntlets. “Whatever. Normally I would recklessly demand a duel with you, but I have to be careful with this new power or else I could accidentally hurt the people I love.”
“Whoa~” Aldric beamed at the boy’s cool disposition. “So cool~”
"Pff! Ha-hah!" Feng burst out laughing, pointing at Rexar's nose, which seemed to grow longer from the praise. “Get a load of this guy. He falls into a dungeon for a few weeks and feels like he’s suddenly grown a pair!”
“Huh?” Rexar’s mature and composed demeanor crumpled as soon as it was established. “Why you… You wanna take this outside?”
Ignoring the banter, Elena thought back to the fewer people she saw while entering the village. “Was there… another attack while we were away?”
The question, and the grievous way it was proposed, dismissed the altercation between Rexar and Feng. They dejectedly settled back onto the cold floor, their gazes shifting to the elder as she composed herself to speak.
“…We were attacked a fortnight ago,” she admitted, her lips pressing to a thin line.
Elena, Rexar, and Milo visibly tensed at the revelation.
“They didn’t come from just one direction,” the elder continued, her frail fingers tightening around her staff. “Like predators stalking their prey, they surrounded the village and attacked. Those of us who were incapable of fighting hid in the houses while the men struggled to drive them off.”
“We didn’t drive them off,” corrected Sylvia in a mix of anger and grief. “They simply had their fill and left.”
There was a moment of stunned silence.