As the first light of dawn slipped through the cottage window, Raphael stirred, his fox-like ears twitching at the morning sounds outside. He stretched lazily under the blanket, blinking away the drowsiness, when the door suddenly creaked open.
Elara stepped inside, her energy filling the room like a gust of fresh air. She carried a large basket of folded clothes, humming to herself as she set it down. Without missing a beat, she turned to Raphael with a bright smile.
"Good morning, Raphael!" she chirped.
Raphael blinked at her, still groggy. He gave a small nod in response.
Elara's smile widened. "Wow, a whole nod this early? You're making progress." She chuckled as she started sorting through the clothes. "You know, I was thinking—since the Balmount Kingdom isn't too far from here, maybe we should go for a visit."
Raphael tilted his head slightly, clearly puzzled.
She shot him a playful look. "What? You don't want to see what life is like beyond these trees? Maybe walk around, see new people, eat food that isn't burnt rabbit?"
Raphael hesitated, then shook his head.
Elara's hands froze mid-motion. "Huh?" She turned to him fully, surprised. "Are you serious? You don't want to go? You'd rather stay here, in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by these idiots?"
Another shake of the head.
Elara put her hands on her hips. "Okay, now I have to ask—why? Are you scared of cities? Are you allergic to fun?"
Raphael simply looked at the ground.
She sighed, kneeling in front of him with an exaggerated expression of concern. "Look, I know the boss can be a little overprotective, but come on! A trip could be fun. I'll even buy you something nice—maybe a fancy cape! You'd look so regal, like a little prince." She smirked. "Prince Raphael. Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"
No response.
Elara leaned in slightly, trying to read his face when suddenly—her nose wrinkled.
She sniffed. Once. Twice. Then leaned in a bit more and sniffed again.
Her face twisted in horror. "Oh. Oh no."
Raphael stiffened, confused.
Elara recoiled, covering her nose dramatically. "Raphael." Her voice was filled with exaggerated seriousness. "Have you… have you bathed since you got here?"
Raphael's ears flattened slightly.
Elara took a step back as if standing too close would make her catch whatever ungodly scent he was radiating. "Oh gods, this is bad," she muttered. "I thought something smelled weird, but I figured Stubby just walked past me again."
Raphael's face burned with embarrassment.
Elara, trying not to laugh, pointed toward the door. "You need a bath. Now. No arguments. No escape."
She spun on her heel and rushed outside, yelling, "I'll be right back!"
Raphael barely had time to process his impending doom when she returned—with two of the boss's men in tow. They looked confused, as if they hadn't fully understood why they'd been dragged into this.
One of them scratched his head. "Uh, Elara, what exactly are we—"
"Catch him."
Raphael's eyes widened.
The second man frowned. "Wait, what do you mean—"
"HE STINKS. GET HIM IN THE WATER."
The realization hit both men at once.
Raphael bolted.
Elara didn't even hesitate. "AFTER HIM!"
The men scrambled into action, chasing after the fox-eared boy as he darted through the clearing.
"Come on, kid, we can do this the easy way or—"
Raphael slid under a wooden cart, popping out the other side before they could grab him.
Elara groaned. "Oh, for the love of—TACKLE HIM!"
The two men lunged, only for Raphael to twist out of their grasp like an eel, dashing toward the trees.
Elara was already after him, her voice carrying through the camp. "YOU CAN'T OUTRUN THE SMELL, RAPHAEL!"
The chase was on.
Stubby was trudging along, a massive bundle of firewood piled high on his back, grumbling under his breath about how the others were probably lounging around the camp while he did all the hard work. Just as he was about to complain out loud, he heard frantic footsteps—light, fast, and getting closer.
Before he could react, Raphael came barreling toward him, moving like a wild animal on the loose. And right behind him, just as furious, was Elara.
"STUBBY, STOP RAPHAEL!" Elara's voice rang through the air.
Stubby barely had time to process what was happening before Raphael leapt—yes, leapt—right at him. With the reflexes of a fox, the kid used Stubby's head as a springboard, pushing off with a swift kick.
Stubby staggered back, the firewood teetering dangerously. "HEY! THAT'S RUDE!" he bellowed, but Raphael was already gone.
Elara shot past him like a storm, barely glancing back. "SORRY, NO TIME TO TALK!"
Stubby stood there in disbelief, his load finally slipping from his shoulders and tumbling to the ground. He sighed heavily, shaking his head. "That damn kid."
Just then, the two men who had been chasing Raphael arrived, gasping for air. One bent over, clutching his knees. "I… I don't think we can even call Elara a woman."
The other, equally out of breath, nodded furiously. "She's freaky fast! Keeping up with that kid like it's nothing."
Stubby eyed them with pure disappointment. "Weaklings."
Meanwhile, Raphael dared to look back, hoping—praying—that he had shaken Elara off.
He had not.
She was still there, her eyes burning with victory, her speed increasing as if she was just getting started. The gap between them shrank.
"If you think you're fast, Raphael, I'm faster!" she called out, voice filled with pure confidence.
Raphael's heart pounded. He considered dodging, flipping, anything—
Too late.
Elara pounced like a beast, tackling Raphael mid-air. They tumbled to the ground in a cloud of dust.
A nearby pair of men, idly chatting while hauling supplies, turned their heads at the commotion.
"Hey, isn't that Elara and the new kid?"
"Damn, she's pinning him down." The shorter man smirked. "Looks like she's winning."
Word spread fast.
More men gathered, forming a loose circle around the scene. Some cheered Elara on, some rooted for Raphael.
"Come on, kid, fight back! Don't be a wimp!"
"Elara's got him locked down! No escape, boy!"
Someone whistled. "Bet you five silver the kid gets dunked in the river!"
Another man immediately took the bet. "Bet you ten he slips away!"
A lanky man with sharp eyes saw opportunity in the chaos. Without hesitation, he wove through the crowd, collecting bets, his hands moving fast as he scribbled down names and amounts. His grin widened with every coin that clinked into his pocket.
In the middle of it all, Raphael squirmed, trying to break free, but Elara tightened her grip.
"You stink," she announced, completely serious.
The crowd roared with laughter.
"LET ME GO!" Raphael shouted.
"Not happening."
"PLEASE!"
"Not even if you beg."
Someone from the crowd called out, "Raphael, just accept your fate, boy!"
Elara gave him one last victorious grin. "You're getting a bath whether you like it or not."
The crowd erupted in cheers.
The Boss stood by the river, arms crossed, staring into the water as if expecting it to whisper some life-changing wisdom. His reddish-brown eyes were narrowed in deep thought, his slightly messy brown hair tousled by the gentle morning breeze. The quiet serenity of the moment was almost peaceful. Almost.
Then—
"STUBBY, STOP RAPHAEL!"
The Boss barely had time to process Elara's voice before he heard a loud thud followed by a very familiar "HEY, THAT'S RUDE!" echoing through the trees. His entire body tensed. That didn't sound like a distress call. That sounded like stupidity at its finest.
And then he heard cheering.
The Boss closed his eyes and let out a long, exhausted sigh before taking off toward camp. Please, for once, let it be something normal, he thought. Just once.
But no. He should've known better.
As he stepped past the pointed fences of their home, he was greeted by a roaring crowd of men, all hollering, laughing, and waving money in the air like this was some grand festival. He scanned the crowd, his already dwindling patience thinning. "What the hell are they up to this time?" he muttered under his breath.
Pushing past the rowdy spectators, he finally saw it—the grand event.
In the middle of it all, Elara had Raphael pinned to the ground like a predator triumphing over its prey. The boy was squirming for dear life, his ears twitching with sheer panic, while Elara, hands firmly gripping his arms, looked victorious.
"HOW DO YOU LIKE IT NOW, HUH?" she barked, a crazed gleam in her eyes. "THIS'LL TEACH YOU NOT TO RUN FROM ME!"
The Boss just stared.
He stared at the scene, then at his men.
He took a deep breath, exhaled, and slapped his hand over his face. "These damn idiots," he muttered.
Next to him, Stubby was grinning like a fool, practically bouncing on his heels as he shoved money into a wiry man's hands. "I'M PUTTING FIVE ON ELARA!" he shouted. "SHE NEVER LOSES!"
"WHAT?!" Another man, wide-eyed, grabbed his head in distress. "I JUST BET ON THE KID!"
"Well, you're an idiot," Stubby scoffed. "Look at him! He's finished!"
Raphael, hearing this, made a last-ditch effort to wriggle free. "HELP ME!" he yelped, looking desperately at the crowd.
But instead of help, one man raised a fist. "FIGHT BACK, BOY! SHOW HER MEN DON'T GO DOWN WITHOUT A FIGHT!"
Stubby turned fast, his glare deadly. "WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY ABOUT MY WOMAN?"
The man's face paled. "I—I didn't mean anything by it!"
Stubby grabbed him by the collar, his voice a low, menacing growl. "Are you betting on Elara or not?"
The man, seeing his life flash before his eyes, frantically nodded. "YES! GO, ELARA, GO!"
Satisfied, Stubby released him with a grin. "Smart man."
The Boss, now utterly done, turned on his heel and walked away.They can all burn in their own stupidity, he decided.
Later
The waterfall glistened in the sunlight, the peaceful setting completely contradicting the absolute misery Raphael was experiencing.
Elara, kneeling beside the riverbank, was happily scrubbing his head while he sat in the water with the most defeated look on his face.
"Now this is better," she hummed, running her fingers through his soaked hair. "You were starting to smell like a wild animal."
Raphael said nothing, his lips pressed into a thin line.
Elara continued scrubbing, blissfully unaware of his suffering. "You know," she mused, "maybe if you had just listened to me, you wouldn't have had to go through all that."
Still, Raphael remained silent.
"So, what did we learn today?" she asked sweetly.
Raphael finally spoke. "You're evil."
Elara gasped dramatically. "Excuse me?!"
"You. Are. Evil," Raphael repeated, glaring at her. "Only demons force people to bathe like this."
"Demons care about cleanliness?" she scoffed, dunking him underwater before pulling him back up. "I care about your well-being, Raphael. A dirty body isn't good."
Raphael shook his head violently, flinging water everywhere like a wet dog. "If you cared, you wouldn't have tried to drown me!"
Elara rolled her eyes. "I was rinsing you."
"You were attempting murder," Raphael grumbled.
Elara ignored him and grabbed a towel. "Come on, let's get you dried off before you start shivering."
As she handed him a fresh shirt and shorts, Raphael hesitated. Then, out of nowhere, he asked quietly, "Aren't you worried about them leaving?"
Elara blinked, caught off guard by the sudden change in topic. "Huh?"
Raphael averted his gaze. "Your family. What if they leave?"
For a moment, Elara just looked at him. Then, her expression softened, her usual playfulness replaced with something more serious.
"That won't happen," she said firmly. "The Boss will protect us."
Raphael still looked unsure. "But—"
Elara placed a hand on his head. "You worry too much," she said gently. "You're cute when you worry, but you don't have to."
Raphael's face immediately turned red. "I AM NOT CUTE!"
Elara laughed. "Yes, you are."
"Can I wear my clothes now?" he snapped, looking anywhere but at her.
Elara chuckled, turning away. "Of course! I won't look. But hurry up, before I change my mind and decide to help you dress too."
Raphael bolted into his clothes, his ears twitching with embarrassment.
Elara, still facing away, let a small smile linger on her lips. Then, her expression grew serious again.
No matter what happens, I'll protect this home.
She glanced back at Raphael. And you too, Rapheal.