[Fic][Round 17] Love Returned, PG
Author/Artist: acumen210
Characters/Pairings: Bearbee/Rufus Bielefeld, sage, shinou, siegbert
Word Count: 3436
Rating: PG
Warning: light cursing included
Theme/Prompt being used: The Ultimate KKM Challenge
A young girl with extremely light brown hair gently hugged a single humongous pink egg that hung in between the trees in webs. She found it a few weeks ago while on an outing. It was her secret place. Her emerald green eyes glittered more beautifully than any jewels. With eyes filled with love, she gave it an extra pat and sat down next to it back to back.
“Hi, little one. How have you been doing? I’m sorry I couldn’t make it for two days. I visited my parents’ graves. Mrs. Beauford gave me two days off. That was very kind of her. The guests at the inn were rather rowdy tonight. Some strange men came in and got really drunk. I was scared. One of the men tried to take me against my will. If it wasn’t for Mrs. Beauford, I could have been violated. She is always very sharp and tries to make sure nothing happens to us girls. Actually, I was even more scared of other people finding out about my strange powers. You know, I was driven out of villages countless times because of it. Just because I’m different, they fear me. Did you get abandoned because you were different, too? Don’t worry. I won’t let the villagers harm you either. I’ll protect you. See you tomorrow.”
The girl sighed and got up. There were so many things she wanted to talk about, but it was late at night. She needed rest if she were to work tomorrow. With a wistful look, the girl walked away.
The next day, there was a commotion at the inn again. However, this time, it was a different kind of commotion.
“Did you hear? The dragons are restless and are attacking left and right! Rochefort was burned down to the ground, I hear.” An elderly farmer told his neighbor.
“Yeah, I heard that too. My nephew next town over saw the fleeing people for the first time just yesterday. I thought those damned dragons won’t be coming this far.”
“You remember Misus Daisy from Forest Green?”
“I remember. She the one who runs that bar in Earlton?”
“Yeah, she’s the one. Lil’ Tommy delivered the goods yesterday and came back. He was told that the number of travelers is increasing by day. Now it’s common place to see strangers pass by over there, I hear.”
With rumors like this going around, all the townspeople were restless.
“Do you reckon we’ll need to put out a sacrifice for protection?” Someone said. All of a sudden, the entire inn became deathly quiet.
“That’ll be the head of the village to decide. It’s not something the likes of us can talk about.” Old Grandma Polly stated in a loud voice. At her comment, everyone went back to everyday talk and gossip.
In the corner, one of the two heavily hooded strangers raised a hand.
“Coming!” The emerald-eyed girl answered as she handed out the drinks ordered by one of the table. No other barmaids dared to approach these strangers, but she did not mind. By looks of things, the strangers did not cause any trouble so far unlike those hooligans last night.
“Any drinks, sirs?” She asked lively.
“Two large beers.” A man’s voice that did not yet undergo a change answered curtly. In the dim light, she could make out bluish eyes and maybe a blond hair.
“Would you like a meal?”
“Bring out the best out of the menu for four.” That was a strange order. Nobody did that before, but she wasn’t the one to question her customers’ orders. So she chose them herself instead. She decided the inn’s famous baby-back ribs will do nicely. For side orders, she added mashed potato with gravy and some fresh salad.
Before she left, after giving it some thought, she said, “If it’s too cold for you next to the door, I can arrange another table for you somewhere in the center where it’s warmer.”
“Thank you for the offer, but we’re fine here. On the other hand, a help with procuring a room for the night will be welcome.” The other hooded man…boy’s pleasant voice answered. It bugged her that she could not see this man’s features at all. Only thing she could see was the glitter of this man’s eyes. Nonetheless, she promptly replied, “There is a room with two beds available right now. I’ll let the owner know right away.”
Before she could do so, the front door opened with a bang and several young boys barged in. They were all out of breath with scared faces.
“What’s going on here? How did you get out of bed, Ned?” Mrs. Beauford asked the ringleader as she stared down the boys.
“We’ve been just playing…I swear, Mrs. Beauford. Dan here insisted that there is a ghost living in the outskirts of the village. We just went to check!” Ned answered.
“I’m scared.” Greg, the youngest out of the group, cried. He was shaking.
“There is no such thing as a ghost. Go home, everyone, and tuck to bed. It’s late.” Mrs. Beauford commanded.
“But…but, we saw it. It was huge and oval.”
“Yeah, like a giant egg! It was glowing.”
“It’s pink.”
The boys yelled out one after another as they protested. At the description, the villagers all turned their attention to the boys. By the looks of things, the boys did not seem to be lying.
The strangers watched as the barmaid’s face turn pale. A knowing look passed between them.
“Where exactly did you go?” Farmer Wayne asked.
“The forest behind Mr. Adam’s house…” Ned blurted out. He looked guilty. He’d been told countless times not to go in there.
“Enough! Go home, all of you. Your mothers will be worrying about you.” Mrs. Beauford yelled out angrily.
The boys scrammed. Once the boys were gone, the villagers began to talk in a hushed tone. It looked as if trouble will come sometime soon.
“Are you okay, miss?” The bluish-eyed man asked. It brought the barmaid back to present.
“I’m fine. Your orders will be right out. I’ll lead you to your room after you’re done.” She answered with a rather forced smile.
The next day, in the afternoon, a flock of dragons heading towards the village was sighted from afar. The entire village was in a panic. Men came out holding anything that could be used as a weapon. It was too late to run away now. Women were busy packing what few things they could and evacuating children.
“We need a sacrifice!” One of the villagers yelled.
“It must be because of that egg the boys saw last night! We better destroy it.” Someone cried out in fear.
“Smash it with rocks!”
“Burn it down!”
“Roll it off a cliff!”
People began a war cry in earnest. They marched towards the forest where the egg was.
The hooded strangers from last night quietly watched emotionlessly. It was difficult to tell what they were thinking, but it was clear that they intended to follow the mob. Off to the side, an enormously huge man with dark grey-blue eyes stood alone with a face that clearly showed discontent at where things were going. He was a rather handsome, well-muscled man.
One of the strangers approached the man.
“You do you think of all this?” The blue-eyed man asked.
“Nothing.” He answered in monosyllable.
“Wait, please wait! This must be a mistake. It’s just an egg. How can an unborn animal be blamed for this?” The barmaid from last night stood in front of them defiantly. She spread out her arms as she attempted to stop them.
“Move away! How would you know if it isn’t a dragon’s egg!”
“That’s right. If those damn dragons are going to burn our livestock and harm our children, I want to take one of them with me.”
People began to riot as they tried to move onward.
“No, that egg has nothing to do with it. It’s just a coincidence! Just because it’s different from us doesn’t mean it will harm you!” The girl bravely tried again, but got thrown to the ground by one of the men. The march of the enraged mob continued.
The girl got up and began to run in a different direction. The hooded strangers silently followed the girl. The giant man who stood apart from the mob also noticed and trailed them.
The mob marched on until they reached their destination according to the boys’ directions. However, to their surprise, the girl who tried to dissuade them stood in front of the egg. The egg began to glow gently in a pretty pink light. The beating of wings began to hum loudly.
“Rufus, move away from there.” The village head demanded.
“I refuse. This little one is innocent. Please think this over.”
“If we let this thing live, what guarantee do we have that it will not harm us!”
“All living things return what they’re given. That’s what I believe. Once it hatches, it will not harm us.” The girl stated confidently. However, the villagers’ fears would not be crushed.
“You must be in cohorts with those dragons!”
“Get her.”
“We have to destroy that egg!”
The egg began to glow brightly in a pink light.
Millions of tiny beings began to feel the warmth in earnest. It was so comforting. Love…even if they knew no words or speak any language, they understood one thing: Love was warmth that knew no boundaries. They felt it to the core of their beings. ‘Just a little more…' They cried. They knew it was almost time. They also knew the urgency of the situation. Their beloved lady was in danger. Although, they did not have enough love to fill them yet, for their love of their lady, they began to struggle to break free of the shell imprisoning them.
The mob was about to charge when two cloaked figures suddenly appeared in front of Rufus. They took off their hoods. With a wave of his hand, the blond man blew away the mob backwards with a strong gust of wind. When the mob came to, they came face to face with two most beautiful men they’ve ever seen.
The man on the right had a chiseled face with deep blue eyes sparkling in brilliance like a sapphire. His soft blond hair only enhanced the unworldliness the man gave. The man on the left casually sat on top of a huge rock with one of his knee drawn upward. He was even a stranger figure with silky pitch black hair going all the way down to his waist. His eyes were equally black as the night. Both of them had a strangely androgynous air about them. At most, they seem to have just reached adulthood.
The blond man rested his hand on a strange sword, ready to draw. With haughty look on his face, he smiled confidently.
“If you dare attack this lady and this unborn bearbee, you’ll have to go through me first.” The man cried.
“You monster!” People cried. The blond man’s eyes turned icy blue that struck fear in every man’s heart present.
“Don’t play the hero on me. You’re not the only one!” The double black complained to his companion calmly despite the careful, measured look he gave the mob. “Won’t you at least hear us out before rushing in for bloodshed?”
It didn’t escape the people’s notice that the double black also had a quality sword buckled to his waist. People perceived a different kind of fear from the double black. The egg began to glow in earnest now. However, at the same time, the loud vibrations of beating wings began to fill the sky and the surroundings. Rows of dragons flying were getting closer and closer.
Filled with desperate fear, people simply charged; bent on destruction of the egg.
“No!!!!” Rufus screamed.
Before anyone could reach ten foot from the egg, a wall of fire appeared. The blond man gave a knowing look to his companion. They didn’t blink an eye on seeing what happened. Instead, the double black bit his lips with a frown. People stopped in their tracks. Out of nowhere, a wall of earth appeared before the fire. The double black showed relief as he let out a breath. Out of the corner of his eyes, the double black saw the exact same man who stood apart from the mob previously.
A swarm of dragons finally descended upon them. There was a mass confusion. The dragons began to attack and burn anything that moved. Peoples’ attention completely shifted from the pink egg that gave out a blinding pink light. The two strangers, the earth-user, and Rufus began to aid the people flee. The foursome was somehow doing the impossible by fighting off the dragons by using their special powers.
The double black hurried to his companion’s side. “Water…we need water!” He cried. “I know!” The blond man answered back in frustration. He added, “I need some time plus a distraction.”
“Forget summoning water. It’ll be a waste of time and effort. Change the course of the river!” The double black yelled back.
“Where?” The blond man asked.
“It’s to the northeast. I’ll help you.” The double black answered. Both of them nodded their heads once in acknowledgment. With combined effort, they shifted the course of the river and fire began to abate a little bit.
“How’s the egg?” The blond man asked.
“It’s almost got to the point of hatching,” answered the double black. Even as he said so, the egg burst in a blinding flash of light. Millions of tiny bearbees burst out and headed towards the dragons. Rufus stood with her mouth wide open as she witnessed the birth. Each and every one of the bearbees was glittering faintly with a soft light.
“Nogitsu. Nogitsu!” They cried. The dragons began to go after the bearbees in earnest. The bearbees dodged about as it sprayed the faint light around the dragons’ faces. For those dragons still intent on attacking the people on ground, bearbees lured them away towards the sky. The dragons began to squirm and lash out in anger and rage.
“It’s not enough!” The double black cried. It was clear that the dragons are not returning to normal fast enough. One by one, the pink bearbees began to drop to the ground, dead.
“What do you mean?”
“It’s been said that when pink bearbees are offered to the dragons once they hatch, the dragons' rage will go away, but there’s no sign of dragons returning to normal!”
“Don’t lecture me about what can or cannot happen! Everything will work out. If not, I’ll make it happen.” The blond man answered with determination.
The earth-user and Rufus had both of their hands full enough as it is. While Rufus’s attention was focused on a single dragon, another one nearby lashed out with its tail in Rufus’s direction. She had no time to move. The bearbees cried “Nogitsu” in alarm in unison as they flew to protect the lady. They emitted even brighter flames. When the light hit the dragons, one by one, the dragons forgot their rage. Rufus escaped any injuries thanks to the bearbees.
It finally ended. Everyone was exhausted. On the other hand, the bearbees did not fare well. There were only a dozen bearbees that survived, but none of them were strong enough to fly about except for one. They sat on the ground, barely able to keep their eyes open. It was clear that they didn’t have much time left.
Meanwhile, the double black observed a strange behavior from the dragons. It seemed that one of the dragons was in charge. It barked out loud several times and the rest of the dragons began to move away. A single dragon hovered about in the sky. Once the dragons left, the villagers began to come back. Every one of them wore a repentant face.
Rufus gathered up all the remaining hurt bearbees in her arms. Tears were in her eyes. A single pink bearbee that survived the massacre hovered about Rufus with a sad face. “Nogitsu…” They said in a weak voice. Every one of them had a happy face without regrets. Then one by one, their eyes closed. Finally, Rufus burst out crying. No one knew how to console her.
The villagers gathered the bearbees’ corpses and buried them with respect. It took that entire day. Rufus said not a word the entire time. Awkwardly, words of comfort were given to her. She thanked them, but it was clear her mind was not in the present. A single pink bearbee followed Rufus no matter where she went. It was as if it was trying to give her some comfort. After the burial was over, the double black and the blond man headed out. Their things were packed, ready to leave.
“Take me with you!” Rufus cried. “I’ll do anything. Just take me with you.”
The beautiful blond man stared into her eyes for a long time. It was as if the man was staring right into her soul. She did not look away.
“Do you know what I am? Don’t you find me scary? Doesn’t this man who people say is cursed accompanying me concern you?” He asked as he pointed at the double black.
“You, both of you, are a living being same as me. What’s there to be scared of? I am the same as you. You saw me use it, didn’t you?” Rufus responded. There was no answer. She hesitated, but said in the end, “Also, you protected me and the egg. I thank you for that.”
“Our company may not be suitable for a woman.” The double black gently said. He was neither condescending nor dismissive. She held her gaze straight into his eyes. He smiled. “I don’t have anything against your accompaniment. Her control and mastery of the use of fire was amazing. What do you say? You are aware that she is one of us.”
The blond man looked as if he debated the point. After what seemed like forever to Rufus, he suddenly grinned as he grabbed her hands in his and said, “Welcome!”
The man’s face was so close to hers. Up close, she noticed that he was even more beautiful. She blushed. It was her first and last crush. It did not escape the double black’s eyes.
“In that case, I suppose you won’t mind another companion joining you!” The earth-user with dark-blue eyes and grey hair stood there. He had a wagon with his things well-packed.
“You took my offer! I’m glad. Welcome to our group.” The blond man heartily smiled.
“I didn’t know you were that kind of man, Siegbert.” Rufus whispered.
“You either.” Siegbert answered back in kind.
They headed into the forest of trees. It seemed the double black and the blond man had a destination in mind. After a while, they spotted a single large dragon sitting in between the trees. Siegbert and Rufus almost jumped out of their shoes. The pink Bearbee hid behind Rufus’s head. However, the double black and the blond man calmly walked up to the dragon. The dragon made several noises. Unbelievably, the two men seemed to have understood what the dragon said. The blond man held out a hand. The dragon touched it with his nose. A gentle blue light surrounded the two momentarily. Then the dragon left.
When the two men returned, the bearbee immediately jumped on the double black in curiosity. It hovered about the double black’s head then attached itself to his hair. A moment later, he poked the blond man and said, “The pink bearbee says that it is sorry since they were unable to reduce the damage. I finally figured out the secret to the offering of pink bearbee to the enraged dragon.” It was clear that the double black was extremely happy.
“How?” The blond man asked.
“She told me herself that it absorbs love and gives it back. This time, the pink bearbees did not absorb enough love to calm down the dragons’ rage. Even she doesn’t know what happened, but she thinks that this time, it was the pink bearbees’ love for Rufus that made it possible for them to abate the dragons’ rage.”
“You can talk to the bearbees?” The blond man asked.
“You can talk to the dragons too! Why shouldn’t I be able to talk to a bearbee?” was the only answer anyone got out of the double black.
Characters/Pairings: Bearbee/Rufus Bielefeld, sage, shinou, siegbert
Word Count: 3436
Rating: PG
Warning: light cursing included
Theme/Prompt being used: The Ultimate KKM Challenge
A young girl with extremely light brown hair gently hugged a single humongous pink egg that hung in between the trees in webs. She found it a few weeks ago while on an outing. It was her secret place. Her emerald green eyes glittered more beautifully than any jewels. With eyes filled with love, she gave it an extra pat and sat down next to it back to back.
“Hi, little one. How have you been doing? I’m sorry I couldn’t make it for two days. I visited my parents’ graves. Mrs. Beauford gave me two days off. That was very kind of her. The guests at the inn were rather rowdy tonight. Some strange men came in and got really drunk. I was scared. One of the men tried to take me against my will. If it wasn’t for Mrs. Beauford, I could have been violated. She is always very sharp and tries to make sure nothing happens to us girls. Actually, I was even more scared of other people finding out about my strange powers. You know, I was driven out of villages countless times because of it. Just because I’m different, they fear me. Did you get abandoned because you were different, too? Don’t worry. I won’t let the villagers harm you either. I’ll protect you. See you tomorrow.”
The girl sighed and got up. There were so many things she wanted to talk about, but it was late at night. She needed rest if she were to work tomorrow. With a wistful look, the girl walked away.
The next day, there was a commotion at the inn again. However, this time, it was a different kind of commotion.
“Did you hear? The dragons are restless and are attacking left and right! Rochefort was burned down to the ground, I hear.” An elderly farmer told his neighbor.
“Yeah, I heard that too. My nephew next town over saw the fleeing people for the first time just yesterday. I thought those damned dragons won’t be coming this far.”
“You remember Misus Daisy from Forest Green?”
“I remember. She the one who runs that bar in Earlton?”
“Yeah, she’s the one. Lil’ Tommy delivered the goods yesterday and came back. He was told that the number of travelers is increasing by day. Now it’s common place to see strangers pass by over there, I hear.”
With rumors like this going around, all the townspeople were restless.
“Do you reckon we’ll need to put out a sacrifice for protection?” Someone said. All of a sudden, the entire inn became deathly quiet.
“That’ll be the head of the village to decide. It’s not something the likes of us can talk about.” Old Grandma Polly stated in a loud voice. At her comment, everyone went back to everyday talk and gossip.
In the corner, one of the two heavily hooded strangers raised a hand.
“Coming!” The emerald-eyed girl answered as she handed out the drinks ordered by one of the table. No other barmaids dared to approach these strangers, but she did not mind. By looks of things, the strangers did not cause any trouble so far unlike those hooligans last night.
“Any drinks, sirs?” She asked lively.
“Two large beers.” A man’s voice that did not yet undergo a change answered curtly. In the dim light, she could make out bluish eyes and maybe a blond hair.
“Would you like a meal?”
“Bring out the best out of the menu for four.” That was a strange order. Nobody did that before, but she wasn’t the one to question her customers’ orders. So she chose them herself instead. She decided the inn’s famous baby-back ribs will do nicely. For side orders, she added mashed potato with gravy and some fresh salad.
Before she left, after giving it some thought, she said, “If it’s too cold for you next to the door, I can arrange another table for you somewhere in the center where it’s warmer.”
“Thank you for the offer, but we’re fine here. On the other hand, a help with procuring a room for the night will be welcome.” The other hooded man…boy’s pleasant voice answered. It bugged her that she could not see this man’s features at all. Only thing she could see was the glitter of this man’s eyes. Nonetheless, she promptly replied, “There is a room with two beds available right now. I’ll let the owner know right away.”
Before she could do so, the front door opened with a bang and several young boys barged in. They were all out of breath with scared faces.
“What’s going on here? How did you get out of bed, Ned?” Mrs. Beauford asked the ringleader as she stared down the boys.
“We’ve been just playing…I swear, Mrs. Beauford. Dan here insisted that there is a ghost living in the outskirts of the village. We just went to check!” Ned answered.
“I’m scared.” Greg, the youngest out of the group, cried. He was shaking.
“There is no such thing as a ghost. Go home, everyone, and tuck to bed. It’s late.” Mrs. Beauford commanded.
“But…but, we saw it. It was huge and oval.”
“Yeah, like a giant egg! It was glowing.”
“It’s pink.”
The boys yelled out one after another as they protested. At the description, the villagers all turned their attention to the boys. By the looks of things, the boys did not seem to be lying.
The strangers watched as the barmaid’s face turn pale. A knowing look passed between them.
“Where exactly did you go?” Farmer Wayne asked.
“The forest behind Mr. Adam’s house…” Ned blurted out. He looked guilty. He’d been told countless times not to go in there.
“Enough! Go home, all of you. Your mothers will be worrying about you.” Mrs. Beauford yelled out angrily.
The boys scrammed. Once the boys were gone, the villagers began to talk in a hushed tone. It looked as if trouble will come sometime soon.
“Are you okay, miss?” The bluish-eyed man asked. It brought the barmaid back to present.
“I’m fine. Your orders will be right out. I’ll lead you to your room after you’re done.” She answered with a rather forced smile.
The next day, in the afternoon, a flock of dragons heading towards the village was sighted from afar. The entire village was in a panic. Men came out holding anything that could be used as a weapon. It was too late to run away now. Women were busy packing what few things they could and evacuating children.
“We need a sacrifice!” One of the villagers yelled.
“It must be because of that egg the boys saw last night! We better destroy it.” Someone cried out in fear.
“Smash it with rocks!”
“Burn it down!”
“Roll it off a cliff!”
People began a war cry in earnest. They marched towards the forest where the egg was.
The hooded strangers from last night quietly watched emotionlessly. It was difficult to tell what they were thinking, but it was clear that they intended to follow the mob. Off to the side, an enormously huge man with dark grey-blue eyes stood alone with a face that clearly showed discontent at where things were going. He was a rather handsome, well-muscled man.
One of the strangers approached the man.
“You do you think of all this?” The blue-eyed man asked.
“Nothing.” He answered in monosyllable.
“Wait, please wait! This must be a mistake. It’s just an egg. How can an unborn animal be blamed for this?” The barmaid from last night stood in front of them defiantly. She spread out her arms as she attempted to stop them.
“Move away! How would you know if it isn’t a dragon’s egg!”
“That’s right. If those damn dragons are going to burn our livestock and harm our children, I want to take one of them with me.”
People began to riot as they tried to move onward.
“No, that egg has nothing to do with it. It’s just a coincidence! Just because it’s different from us doesn’t mean it will harm you!” The girl bravely tried again, but got thrown to the ground by one of the men. The march of the enraged mob continued.
The girl got up and began to run in a different direction. The hooded strangers silently followed the girl. The giant man who stood apart from the mob also noticed and trailed them.
The mob marched on until they reached their destination according to the boys’ directions. However, to their surprise, the girl who tried to dissuade them stood in front of the egg. The egg began to glow gently in a pretty pink light. The beating of wings began to hum loudly.
“Rufus, move away from there.” The village head demanded.
“I refuse. This little one is innocent. Please think this over.”
“If we let this thing live, what guarantee do we have that it will not harm us!”
“All living things return what they’re given. That’s what I believe. Once it hatches, it will not harm us.” The girl stated confidently. However, the villagers’ fears would not be crushed.
“You must be in cohorts with those dragons!”
“Get her.”
“We have to destroy that egg!”
The egg began to glow brightly in a pink light.
Millions of tiny beings began to feel the warmth in earnest. It was so comforting. Love…even if they knew no words or speak any language, they understood one thing: Love was warmth that knew no boundaries. They felt it to the core of their beings. ‘Just a little more…' They cried. They knew it was almost time. They also knew the urgency of the situation. Their beloved lady was in danger. Although, they did not have enough love to fill them yet, for their love of their lady, they began to struggle to break free of the shell imprisoning them.
The mob was about to charge when two cloaked figures suddenly appeared in front of Rufus. They took off their hoods. With a wave of his hand, the blond man blew away the mob backwards with a strong gust of wind. When the mob came to, they came face to face with two most beautiful men they’ve ever seen.
The man on the right had a chiseled face with deep blue eyes sparkling in brilliance like a sapphire. His soft blond hair only enhanced the unworldliness the man gave. The man on the left casually sat on top of a huge rock with one of his knee drawn upward. He was even a stranger figure with silky pitch black hair going all the way down to his waist. His eyes were equally black as the night. Both of them had a strangely androgynous air about them. At most, they seem to have just reached adulthood.
The blond man rested his hand on a strange sword, ready to draw. With haughty look on his face, he smiled confidently.
“If you dare attack this lady and this unborn bearbee, you’ll have to go through me first.” The man cried.
“You monster!” People cried. The blond man’s eyes turned icy blue that struck fear in every man’s heart present.
“Don’t play the hero on me. You’re not the only one!” The double black complained to his companion calmly despite the careful, measured look he gave the mob. “Won’t you at least hear us out before rushing in for bloodshed?”
It didn’t escape the people’s notice that the double black also had a quality sword buckled to his waist. People perceived a different kind of fear from the double black. The egg began to glow in earnest now. However, at the same time, the loud vibrations of beating wings began to fill the sky and the surroundings. Rows of dragons flying were getting closer and closer.
Filled with desperate fear, people simply charged; bent on destruction of the egg.
“No!!!!” Rufus screamed.
Before anyone could reach ten foot from the egg, a wall of fire appeared. The blond man gave a knowing look to his companion. They didn’t blink an eye on seeing what happened. Instead, the double black bit his lips with a frown. People stopped in their tracks. Out of nowhere, a wall of earth appeared before the fire. The double black showed relief as he let out a breath. Out of the corner of his eyes, the double black saw the exact same man who stood apart from the mob previously.
A swarm of dragons finally descended upon them. There was a mass confusion. The dragons began to attack and burn anything that moved. Peoples’ attention completely shifted from the pink egg that gave out a blinding pink light. The two strangers, the earth-user, and Rufus began to aid the people flee. The foursome was somehow doing the impossible by fighting off the dragons by using their special powers.
The double black hurried to his companion’s side. “Water…we need water!” He cried. “I know!” The blond man answered back in frustration. He added, “I need some time plus a distraction.”
“Forget summoning water. It’ll be a waste of time and effort. Change the course of the river!” The double black yelled back.
“Where?” The blond man asked.
“It’s to the northeast. I’ll help you.” The double black answered. Both of them nodded their heads once in acknowledgment. With combined effort, they shifted the course of the river and fire began to abate a little bit.
“How’s the egg?” The blond man asked.
“It’s almost got to the point of hatching,” answered the double black. Even as he said so, the egg burst in a blinding flash of light. Millions of tiny bearbees burst out and headed towards the dragons. Rufus stood with her mouth wide open as she witnessed the birth. Each and every one of the bearbees was glittering faintly with a soft light.
“Nogitsu. Nogitsu!” They cried. The dragons began to go after the bearbees in earnest. The bearbees dodged about as it sprayed the faint light around the dragons’ faces. For those dragons still intent on attacking the people on ground, bearbees lured them away towards the sky. The dragons began to squirm and lash out in anger and rage.
“It’s not enough!” The double black cried. It was clear that the dragons are not returning to normal fast enough. One by one, the pink bearbees began to drop to the ground, dead.
“What do you mean?”
“It’s been said that when pink bearbees are offered to the dragons once they hatch, the dragons' rage will go away, but there’s no sign of dragons returning to normal!”
“Don’t lecture me about what can or cannot happen! Everything will work out. If not, I’ll make it happen.” The blond man answered with determination.
The earth-user and Rufus had both of their hands full enough as it is. While Rufus’s attention was focused on a single dragon, another one nearby lashed out with its tail in Rufus’s direction. She had no time to move. The bearbees cried “Nogitsu” in alarm in unison as they flew to protect the lady. They emitted even brighter flames. When the light hit the dragons, one by one, the dragons forgot their rage. Rufus escaped any injuries thanks to the bearbees.
It finally ended. Everyone was exhausted. On the other hand, the bearbees did not fare well. There were only a dozen bearbees that survived, but none of them were strong enough to fly about except for one. They sat on the ground, barely able to keep their eyes open. It was clear that they didn’t have much time left.
Meanwhile, the double black observed a strange behavior from the dragons. It seemed that one of the dragons was in charge. It barked out loud several times and the rest of the dragons began to move away. A single dragon hovered about in the sky. Once the dragons left, the villagers began to come back. Every one of them wore a repentant face.
Rufus gathered up all the remaining hurt bearbees in her arms. Tears were in her eyes. A single pink bearbee that survived the massacre hovered about Rufus with a sad face. “Nogitsu…” They said in a weak voice. Every one of them had a happy face without regrets. Then one by one, their eyes closed. Finally, Rufus burst out crying. No one knew how to console her.
The villagers gathered the bearbees’ corpses and buried them with respect. It took that entire day. Rufus said not a word the entire time. Awkwardly, words of comfort were given to her. She thanked them, but it was clear her mind was not in the present. A single pink bearbee followed Rufus no matter where she went. It was as if it was trying to give her some comfort. After the burial was over, the double black and the blond man headed out. Their things were packed, ready to leave.
“Take me with you!” Rufus cried. “I’ll do anything. Just take me with you.”
The beautiful blond man stared into her eyes for a long time. It was as if the man was staring right into her soul. She did not look away.
“Do you know what I am? Don’t you find me scary? Doesn’t this man who people say is cursed accompanying me concern you?” He asked as he pointed at the double black.
“You, both of you, are a living being same as me. What’s there to be scared of? I am the same as you. You saw me use it, didn’t you?” Rufus responded. There was no answer. She hesitated, but said in the end, “Also, you protected me and the egg. I thank you for that.”
“Our company may not be suitable for a woman.” The double black gently said. He was neither condescending nor dismissive. She held her gaze straight into his eyes. He smiled. “I don’t have anything against your accompaniment. Her control and mastery of the use of fire was amazing. What do you say? You are aware that she is one of us.”
The blond man looked as if he debated the point. After what seemed like forever to Rufus, he suddenly grinned as he grabbed her hands in his and said, “Welcome!”
The man’s face was so close to hers. Up close, she noticed that he was even more beautiful. She blushed. It was her first and last crush. It did not escape the double black’s eyes.
“In that case, I suppose you won’t mind another companion joining you!” The earth-user with dark-blue eyes and grey hair stood there. He had a wagon with his things well-packed.
“You took my offer! I’m glad. Welcome to our group.” The blond man heartily smiled.
“I didn’t know you were that kind of man, Siegbert.” Rufus whispered.
“You either.” Siegbert answered back in kind.
They headed into the forest of trees. It seemed the double black and the blond man had a destination in mind. After a while, they spotted a single large dragon sitting in between the trees. Siegbert and Rufus almost jumped out of their shoes. The pink Bearbee hid behind Rufus’s head. However, the double black and the blond man calmly walked up to the dragon. The dragon made several noises. Unbelievably, the two men seemed to have understood what the dragon said. The blond man held out a hand. The dragon touched it with his nose. A gentle blue light surrounded the two momentarily. Then the dragon left.
When the two men returned, the bearbee immediately jumped on the double black in curiosity. It hovered about the double black’s head then attached itself to his hair. A moment later, he poked the blond man and said, “The pink bearbee says that it is sorry since they were unable to reduce the damage. I finally figured out the secret to the offering of pink bearbee to the enraged dragon.” It was clear that the double black was extremely happy.
“How?” The blond man asked.
“She told me herself that it absorbs love and gives it back. This time, the pink bearbees did not absorb enough love to calm down the dragons’ rage. Even she doesn’t know what happened, but she thinks that this time, it was the pink bearbees’ love for Rufus that made it possible for them to abate the dragons’ rage.”
“You can talk to the bearbees?” The blond man asked.
“You can talk to the dragons too! Why shouldn’t I be able to talk to a bearbee?” was the only answer anyone got out of the double black.