The sun’s very last ray cried over the western hills. To most, it was the sight of a sleeping beauty, but to Meko, it was the sight of a dying protection. Meko instinctively stood close to Yee as she led him to the anvil-bud.
The sound of a sparking fire crackled at Meko. Yee looked at the anvil-bud; he wore no shirt, his pot belly made him seem fat, but he was sanding a sword with such strength the sword was held up by his knee. The man looked up to see Yee, his left eye lighting, while his other glass eye failed to look at him. His beard was burnt, and his nature of being tall broke any idea he could be dwarf.
“Yee, you come back? Are you still working for your mother in that inn of yours, or did your mother finally convince you to get married?” He laughed; it was almost near the same noise as the fires, but more inviting. Yee smiled, her hips on her hands, she looked at the sword on his knee and poked his belly.
“Well, if she gave me better options, maybe. It’s always those picky boys who always follow what she does; it’s like a spy for a husband or wife. Personally, I do—” She paused, looking at him. “Why am I re-explaining this to you?” She looked playfully defensive as she bent, looking down at the sitting anvil-bud.
Then, before any words were said, Meko snapped back to look at them. He felt like he was a ghost as they both chuckled, then things got comfortably silent for the two. “But, on a serious note. I’m finally heading out, time to leave this horrible town. I was meaning to ask if you’d mind giving me a blade, and of course, my little friend here needs his tools sharpened! You’ll do that for me, right Fout?”
Who Meko could only assume was called Fout had stood up. He was a towering man, and he looked down at Yee. His smile was bittersweet. Meko looked left and right, then behind him, focusing on the darkness as the two hugged each other.
Then the anvil-bud looked at Meko. “You, deer, stop prancing around in the dark. Hand me your tools; I will sharpen them to my full ability at the highest speed. Feel free to rest by my anvil while I do so.” The man then went back into his shop, or home, and came out with a curved dagger. It looked much like a scimitar but small.
Yee looked at Meko with a smile of calmness that wasn’t like Bebe; it wasn’t a skill. Meko couldn’t verify if it WAS calmness; he wondered if that is what confidence looked like. “Y’all be quiet now, I’m gonna go gather the others here. It’d be better we rest here than out in that ol’ dark main path.”
She was gone the moment Meko had finally sat down against the wooden pole that connected to the roof of the building. There wasn’t much said, but there was a special feeling here, even if he wasn’t sure this was for him.
Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
Bebe was on the path, the square backpack already on the ground as he packed the meat in the cold bag. “Walwo, you got Beetle-Boar meat. You're allergic to that.”
“I didn’t get it for me.”
“Then what do you plan on eating, grass?”
“I can eat plants.”
“But you never do!” Bebe grumbled as he threw his hands up. He looked genuinely mad, but Su didn’t really understand as he flew in circles trying to see if he had a tail. He can’t find one.
When they heard footsteps, Walwo looked for his axe, and Bebe pulled out his dagger. Then the sound of inconsistent breathing came. “It’s one of them…” whispered Walwo. Su’s wings fluttered straight into the snug backpack.
Walwo popped his knuckles as the gray-skinned jawless creature ran towards them. Its bald head having no eyes made it a much scarier creature of the night for most townsfolk. Its long, lengthy gray body flew at them with speed that shouldn’t be for a creature with wings as small as these.
If one is here, it must be tracking a scent… What could have attracted a Zarminea? Walwo stood right in front of Bebe before even finishing his thoughts; the creature’s long gray fingers, sharp yet fleshy, cut right through Walwo’s hand.
“MOVE NOW!” Bebe screamed, and in sync, Walwo flew out of the way, and Bebe’s knife went straight into its jawless upper jaw. It screeched bloody murder to the blade’s entrance. Walwo looked at Bebe for a split second, and before the creature even moved from its screech, Walwo forced his hand down its throat. The creature tried biting, of course failing as they lacked a bottom jaw.
When the creature died, the blood of it, as gray as its skin, flew all over the two of them, and about 50 crystals dropped.
“You think that’s why he’s been acting so nervous since the forest?”
Walwo looked still a bit stunned; Bebe looked at the blood, disgusted. “What do you mean? Su?”
“You really haven’t noticed?” Bebe asked, sounding slightly shocked, yet still holding that dark, unsurprised voice that Walwo never noticed. “If it was Su, I wouldn’t care less, but it’s someone I have to have besides me. If you don’t know, forget about it. It doesn’t matter anyway, or not to you at least.”
He looked down at the blood and scowled his face, pulling off his cape and wrapping it up, putting it on the ground for now. Not looking at Walwo, he asked, his eyes like glass, “Walwo. Tell me, Zarminea don’t enter the forest, correct?”
“Yeah… They shouldn’t. Why?”
“No reason, none at all.” Bebe sat there for a long moment; the darkness felt suffocating for Yee, who saw the whole interaction from the alley. She pulled back, feeling safer in the dark alley instead of the moonlight that was shining onto Bebe and Walwo.
“Bebe. Please tell me.”
“No. Walwo, stop asking.”
“But Be—”
“I said shut up.” His voice was cold, not a yell, not a command. A threat.
As Yee stood at the anvil-bud, she looked up, remembering everything she’s been through, and shook her head. “They’re better than mother.” He didn’t need to understand to nod. A silent communication of trust.
