It was a quiet afternoon in the Castle of Wisdom, the kind of calm that made Aiden feel at ease, even with all the strange new responsibilities swirling around him. He was walking through the garden with Charlie trotting alongside him when a sudden sound echoed through the courtyard—a sharp, high-pitched voice that immediately grabbed his attention.
“I am here to claim ownership of this Castle!” the voice declared, loud but oddly squeaky.
Aiden turned toward the sound, confused but curious. Regis and Garrick were already there, standing by the entrance to the Castle with expressions of mild confusion. Seren stood a few paces behind them, her violet eyes narrowing in suspicion. But as Aiden joined them, he quickly understood why no one seemed particularly alarmed.
Standing in front of them, chest puffed out and arms crossed, was the tiniest, fluffiest creature Aiden had ever seen. It looked like a cross between a rabbit and a very fluffy cat, with soft white fur that fluffed out in all directions and enormous round eyes that were more endearing than intimidating. Despite its size, the creature stood as tall as it could, trying to look menacing.
“I said, I’m here to take control of this Castle!” the creature repeated, glaring up at them as if daring them to challenge its authority.
Aiden blinked, then glanced at Regis, who was clearly trying to hold back a laugh. Beside him, Garrick had a hand over his mouth, his shoulders shaking with barely contained amusement. Seren, usually so composed, had one eyebrow raised in disbelief.
Lyla, who had just appeared from one of the hallways, took one look at the creature and burst into laughter. “What… What is that? It’s so cute!”
The creature’s fluffy tail twitched angrily, and it stomped one tiny foot on the ground. “I am not cute! I am Fierro, the future ruler of this Castle!”
Regis finally stepped forward, looking down at the small intruder with a mix of amusement and mild concern. “You wish to take the Castle?” he asked, his voice calm but with an undeniable undercurrent of humor.
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Fierro puffed up even more, his tiny chest expanding as he tried to make himself look bigger. “That’s right! I challenge you for control. This Castle will be mine!”
Regis didn’t even flinch. With a flick of his finger, a soft gust of wind swept across the courtyard, gently knocking Fierro onto his back. The fluffy creature flailed for a moment before rolling back onto his feet, huffing indignantly.
“This is… this is outrageous!” Fierro sputtered, his voice rising in pitch. “I am a mighty conqueror! You will regret this!”
Seren sighed, crossing her arms as she watched the display. “Are we really entertaining this?”
Garrick snorted, clearly amused. “Seems more like a pet than an enemy.”
Aiden, unable to hold back any longer, chuckled softly. “We shouldn’t be so mean to him.”
Fierro, still huffing and puffing, glared at Aiden. “You’ll see! I’ll be back, and when I return, I’ll have an army behind me!”
Regis gave the tiniest of smiles. “We’ll be here.”
With one final huff, Fierro spun on his fluffy heel and waddled off toward the entrance, his tiny feet stomping in exaggerated fury. “Mark my words! You haven’t seen the last of Fierro!”
As the small creature disappeared into the distance, the courtyard fell into a stunned silence for a moment, and then Lyla burst into laughter again. “That was the funniest thing I’ve ever seen! Can we keep him?”
Aiden shook his head, still smiling. “I feel a little bad, though. We didn’t take him seriously at all.”
Garrick chuckled. “Well, hard to be intimidated when your enemy looks like a plush toy.”
Seren nodded in agreement. “Still, it’s a reminder that not all threats come in familiar forms.”
Regis, ever calm, gave Aiden a knowing glance. “Master Aiden, there will be real dangers that come. Some may be just as strange, but others will be far more serious. It’s important to be prepared for anything.”
Aiden nodded, still feeling a mix of amusement and caution. “Yeah, I get that. But maybe next time, we’ll be a little kinder.”
They all shared a quiet laugh as they turned back toward the Castle, leaving the fluffy conqueror behind for now.
That was when Aiden noticed something, “Where’s Lyra?”
And right on cue, they hear a loud crash.