Rocktopus. Rock Worm [https://i.imgur.com/HlQ3Dv0.jpeg]

Dusk was descending on the forest village when the quiet sound of footsteps made by our group awakened the inhabitants from their daily routine. People looked around in surprise and came out of their cozy homes to observe what was happening. Men and young men in tattered clothes entered the village. They were leading a frail old woman, fainting with joy. The villagers froze in amazement as they recognized in the faces of the newcomers their fellow villagers, whom they thought were dead.

Some shook their heads as if they could not believe their eyes, while others shouted with joy at the news of the unexpected return. The whispers and murmurs in the square subsided, and the people’s eyes filled with mixed feelings of amazement, joy, and hope. Within moments, people in the square filled the air with loud applause and hugs as they rushed to greet those who had returned home.

Our return to the village caused great joy, not only because we had returned. Several people, who were believed to be dead, came back to life and caused great joy. Except for Luko’s partner. A young man named Lorin, who had missed the worm’s attack, was very unlucky.

As soon as the first prisoners came into sight of the village, the air was filled with shouts of joy. People ran towards us, laughter and laughter mixed with crying resounded from all sides.

On their own initiative or at someone else’s command, people brought tables to the village square and prepared food. A forest deer was roasting on a huge spit. Music was playing.

My pet tasted the pleasure of a dense dinner and squeaked. And for a short time, I wanted to experience the achievement of civilization. I wanted a shower. Or better yet, a hot bath. I wanted to wash the dirt and dust of the underground corridors off my body.

I saw Luco standing next to Lyon and Yurick. He was listening to Lyon, who was telling how he had fought off the worms.

- Luco, I want to ask you a question, — I called out to the young man, distracting him from the conversation. - Where do you wash?

- There, — the young man waved his hand, not taking his eyes off his friend, who had been a prisoner of the Roktopus and had escaped from them. Lyon did not tell his friends that thanks to me the prisoners had escaped an agonizing death.

- Can you be more specific? - I yanked Luko’s sleeve so hard that he almost fell.

- In the creek, — Yurick answered me. - There’s a place called the Stone Bowl. The water is always warm in this thicket.

I figured it was useless to ask the forest villagers about things like shampoo and body gel. I could use a towel and a change of underwear. But who to ask all that from?

The villagers had fallen into some kind of pre-holiday euphoria, anticipating eating the goodies that littered the huge village table.

I tried to call my little fluffy with me, but my little animal was preoccupied with playing with the children. He would run away from the kids, hide, and then suddenly jump out and squeak very funny. If I didn’t want to wash myself, I would support his game.

In the square, tables were set up, decorated with fabrics in red and green colors, symbolizing life and fertility. People crowded around the tables, pouring goblets of honey wine and sampling a variety of dishes made from local ingredients. Musicians played local instruments, creating melodies that filled the air with enchanting harmony.

The fire in the center of the square flared bright and menacing, its flames dancing in the night air, creating a play of light and shadow that was cast on the laughing and dancing people. The celebration was heating up, filling everyone present with an energy and joy that echoed in everyone’s hearts.

But not everyone was absorbed in the whirlwind of the festivities. Among the crowd there was a lone observer left on the edge of the fun. That was me. I felt a little hurt that no one was paying attention to me.

- Let them celebrate, I thought. - I didn’t deserve too much credit.

Deciding to step aside, I headed toward the stream to see what the Stone Bowl was and why the water was always warm.

The path led me to the creek, to the place where I had helped Ulia fill the bucket with water. Yurick told me it's not hard to find the Stone Bowl. Just go down the stream.

Down the creek I saw it, the Stone Bowl, standing empty on the coastal land. A light haze was rising above the surface of the water as if beckoning me to its secrets.

After looking around and making sure that I was alone in the spring, I decided to take off my clothes and plunge into the bath. For the first time in all my days in this world, I could enjoy warm water. Showers taken at Nix's house don't count.

Touching the water with my hand, I thought to myself, the water here isn’t exactly warm. It’s more like hot. Just the kind I needed right now.

As I immersed myself in the hot bath, the sensation felt as if it enveloped me in warmth and bliss. At first, the hot water felt like a pleasant flame, as if it penetrated every pore of my body, warming me to my very soul. The warmth of the water enveloped me like a gentle touch, soothing the tension and fatigue that had built up over the long day.

I, out of simple, earthy pleasure closed my eyes and allowed myself to just savor this moment, away from the hustle and bustle and anxiety. My thoughts became slow and fluid, like a river flowing in silence. All the tenseness of my body relaxed as if the fetters that restricted me were dissolving into a warm abode.

Floating in this sea of warmth and tranquility, I forgot about time and the outside world. All that existed was only me and this moment of bliss. My breathing became slow and steady, my heart beat in unison with nature, as if it felt at home.

In this state of complete relaxation, I felt the tension and stress leaving my body as if a warm stream of water washed away all worries and doubts. I sank deeper and deeper into this oasis of tranquility, forgetting about the past and the future, just enjoying the present moment of bliss.

After bathing, it was time to wash my clothes without soap or detergent. I quickly wet my pants and shirt, twisted my wet clothes, and wrung them out, getting rid of the excess water. I could use a dryer, but where would I get one in the dark, slumbering woods?

I figured the clothes would dry on me and got dressed. The clothes dried faster than I could have imagined. Fresh and washed, I walked back to the village where the feast continued. The people had eaten most of the roasted reindeer, and they had drunk most of the honey drinks. The musicians, having eaten and drunk, gave the villagers cheerful and sad melodies. People broke into pairs at the sound of sad melodies and spun slowly in one place.

My pet was walking around among the people, rubbing his belly. Lyon stood on a dais, surrounded by people, and waved his hand left and right to show how he fought the roctopuses.

I ate a small piece of roast venison and drank a fruit drink. Ulia sat down next to me and asked in a cranky voice,

- Where are you hiding? It took me a long time to get around all the corners, the whole village. Come on, let’s dance!

She grabbed my hand and yanked me hard, pulling me away from the table. We found ourselves in the center of the dancing couples. Ulia put her hands on my shoulders and I grasped her waist.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

- Lyon is a braggart. Control your anger and don’t let it consume you towards him. All the villagers know you freed the prisoners. The miners told us. You didn't give me a chance to thank you for saving my mother.

- And what does your gratitude look like? - I smiled, showing the girl I was ready for any surprise.

- You’ll find out now, — Ulia said, smiling enigmatically. She reached for me, and I got ready to meet her kiss. At that time, a strong, unexpected blow to my face toppled me to the ground. Probably, such sensations are experienced by people in the boxing ring, sent into a knockdown. Light-headedness, muffled indistinct voices, people surrounding you and saying something at the same time.

- What the hell? - I thought, shaking off the dizziness. A drunken and smug Lyon was looming over me, Ulia’s small fist slapping him on the shoulder. On the other hand, the drunken brother was being held by Yurik.

I saw hands and faces above my head. I didn't understand why I had been slapped so hard.

- I would have killed him! - Basil said grimly.

- I would have killed him too! - Nikos supported Blondin. - I’d beat him like a punching bag.

- What are you talking about? - Alex stood up for me. - Arian had just saved Lyon from death, and immediately, in front of everyone, would take him and kill him? You, when you get drunk, behave much worse than this forest dummy. I think Arian returned the favor to Lyon. Didn’t he?

I did not answer my friends. During the argument, the clear picture of memories lost its outline, and the smallest details were forgotten. So, without answering anyone, I continued the story....

I was boiling with anger like an overheated kettle. A little more, and I would have been blown away with unbridled anger. Without controlling my emotions, I could do a lot of bad things. So I calmly got up from the ground and shook off my recently laundered pants. Lyon, sputtering saliva screamed:

- First, he took my sword, then my girl, tomorrow he’ll own my house.

- He will, — came Elfric’s loud and commanding voice. - If you continue to be disrespectful to our guests. Tell us, how did you chop up the roctopuses when you had no sword?

- I always had my sword, — Lyon squinted his red eyes contemptuously.

- Then why are you saying that Oris took possession of your sword?

Lyon had clearly not expected this turn of events. He realized that he had fallen into a verbal trap that was impossible to get out of when he was drunk.

- Go to bed so I don’t see you here tonight. We continue celebrating.

Yurik took away his drunken brother, who was mumbling and shouting something. Someone helped me sit on a bench and gave me a ladle with the honey drink. Ulia was sitting next to me, trying to prove to me she was not Lyon’s girlfriend. That his statement was the ravings of a sick man.

She stroked my arm as if the touch of her fingers left a warm trace on my skin. She tried to kiss my cheek, which was burning from the blow, and I felt her lips, soft, dulled the pain, not only in my body but in my soul. Looking at her, I was ready to turn the other cheek if I knew Ulia would still kiss me afterward.

- So where have you been hiding? - Ulia asked her question again, and I confessed.

- I went swimming. I washed my clothes in the Stone Bowl.

- Without me? - Ulia curled her pretty lips in a funny way.

- I thought it was indecent to invite a girl to bathe in the dark.

- It’s not proper to bathe alone when your girlfriend misses you," she replied with a smile that warmed me up from inside.

Her words confused my thoughts. “Is that what she said, ‘your’? - ‘ ran through my head and the blood rushed to my head as if I had received another slap in the face. What should I do? What should I say?

-So are we going swimming? - The girl was helping me, giving me blatant hints. And I just kept on dumbfounded:

- It’s dark out there.

- We’ll make a fire, — she winked at me, inviting me to a new adventure where we will fill every moment with romance and the warmth of our souls.

And so we did. Grabbing a jug of honey drink from the table, telling no one, and looking around for fear of pursuit, we fled the party, heading for the Stone Bowl. Breaking dry twigs and making a fire with my abilities proved to be no difficulty. Dipping into the water, we fooled around like little kids. Splashing each other with water, laughing at silly jokes, taking turns with the honey drink.

And then we kissed. Her lips, soft as honey, met mine with fiery lust, creating a whirlwind of passion that took us both over. This kiss was not just an act of passion, it was a manifestation of our genuine affection for each other, an embodiment of our mutual affection and love.

It was the best moment of my stay in the magical land. I would never experience a better moment than now. In this moment of time, all thoughts about vanity and problems faded into the background, and the only important thing was that. We were together, surrounded by the warmth of this magical place.

I woke up to a tickle. Fluffy had settled down to sleep near my face again, his fur irritating my nose. Sneezing, I grabbed my cheek. It was swollen and sore. And I didn’t have a mirror handy to see how awful I looked.

- What shall we do? - I asked Tush. - The problem with the Rocktopus was still unsolved. Why don't we go to the underworld of the Roktopus and try to negotiate with them?

The beast wrinkled his nose as if he’d just eaten half a sour lemon.

- Well, then, let’s go for a walk. We’ve lived here so long, and we still don’t know where we are. How do we get out of here, or at least how do we signal to Nix that we’ve settled in the forest village?

Fluffy grumbled unhappily. I didn’t understand what he was trying to tell me. Whether he wanted to go or not was of little concern to me. I was doing fine without him for now. My feet and my eyes are enough to see the neighborhood. He’d be fine, of course, but I don’t really like cranky ones. Fluffy, catching my mood, babbled that he wouldn’t mind going for a walk. But before the walk, he recommended a big breakfast. I couldn’t keep a smile off my face:

- You little glutton. You had a big meal all night last night. Did you get hungry overnight?

I was thinking about a cup of coffee. I could use a sip of instant coffee. I shouldn’t have used the jug so often last night, my head was buzzing without a drink. We parted with Uleya almost in the morning, she left me tired and happy.

Before I went to bed I walked around the village. The tables had already been cleared away, the musicians were leaving the stage. The fire was no longer so bright, the blood-red embers hissing angrily, cooled by the water. Almost all the men were asleep, except for the man on duty, sitting at the hearing tube. Wishing him a good night, I went to Luko’s house to sleep. Fluffy was asleep, snoring sweetly. Good thing he didn’t snore. I pulled the sleeping beastie to my stomach and we fell asleep together.

No matter how hard I tried, no matter how much I fantasized - I still couldn't make a decent cup of coffee. I drank a hot tincture of local herbs and ate a piece of cold meat. Fluffy waved his little arms and showed me that he hadn’t had breakfast yet.

- Good, eat, I won’t rush you. I’ll just go out for some fresh air and see what the weather’s like.