With a final, exhausted swing Hetty had finally finished sweeping the front of the Padfoot Inn. Dawn was breaking and guest we're about to wake up. She made her way back to the kitchen to have her breakfast.
"Hetty! You've finished sweeping?" Mr. Coon who was sitting on the staff's breakfast table asked.
"Yes Mr. Coon" She said returning the broom in the cabinet.
"Go and have some breakfast " he said smiling at her. Mr. Coon looked at her with a fatherly gaze. His face was resting on his hand and on the table as he looked at Hetty gobbling her breakfast.
Mr. Coon wasn't an ordinary Inn keeper. He was extra-ordinarily kind. Unlike any other Inn keeper he provided fare wage, humane work hours and decent meals for the staff at padfoot inn.
Mr. Coon was a self-made beastkin. He had worked his way up to become Padfoot's Inn Keeper. Ever since he became the inn keeper his spare coins was always bought with staff's breakfast that was usually a thin bowl of watered porridge and whatever day old bread he could haggle at the bakery. Simple but everyone was always full.
But lately, ever since Elysia began leaving early in the mornings, she had insisted that her portion be given to Hetty. And Hetty—unable to keep something so generous to herself—always shared it.
So the staff heartily shared morning meal that Mr. Coon spent out of pocket along with Elysia untouched breakfast, warm oat porridge sweetened with honey, a soft-boiled egg, a slice of herbed cheese, and a wedge of fresh rye bread with a small dish of berry jam on the side. Simple, but filling.
"Hetty have you finished eating breakfast? Honestly you are so slow." Glisinda called out.
"She just sat down to eat Glisinda." Mr. Coon replied on Hetty's behalf who was scarfing what remained of the sweetned honey oats.
"Honestly Lady Elysia left that meal for you and you insisted on sharing it with everyone. Now look at this everyone's scavenged off the meal I can't even compare them to vultures." Glisinda shook her head.
"A meal is more delicious when shared after all!" Mr. Coon simply smiled.
"I had a lot to eat the other Miss Elysia had taken me out to eat some skewers at the Market."
"How fun! I hope you didn't go home past curfew now?" Mr. Coon eyed her.
"No - not at all Miss Elysia always tells me to go home before dark. She doesn't even let me help her clean up."
"That child is an odd one I tell you. Listen Hetty make sure you're not overly friendly with her otherwise you'll learn bad habits." Glisinda crossed her arms.
"I - I wont" Hetty said not really meaning it.
"You're getting your pay today make sure to set aside some money for yourself."
"I will"
Mr Coon chuckled "You sound like a mother goose clucking after her young it suits you."
Glisinda blushed the joked she took to heart as a compliment. "I am not a hen Mr. Coon" she sat next to Hetty with her own bowl of watered porridge.
"Cluck - cluck" Hetty said to Glisinda teasingly.
Mr Coon beamed laughing.
"I wouldn't be clucking after you if you could look after yourself better. Honestly a thing little girl like you how do you expect to become an adventurer when you're so scrawny!" She said achingly to Hetty as she dumped the boiled egg she kept aside from Elysia's breakfast. "Now hurry up and eat! We've got a busy day ahead of us - unlike someone here who's supposed to be manning the reception."
"Shall we call you Glisinda the mother goose from now on?" Mr. Coon smirked a wolfish smile playfully. His tail wagging clearly enjoying teasing Glisinda.
"I'd rather be a wolf - " Glisinda said in a low voice - too low for a normal human to hear.
"What was that?" Mr. Coon pretended he couldn't hear.
"I said go to the reception you stupid wolf!" Glisinda stood dragging Hetty who was concentrating on her boiled egg oblivious to the flirtatious exchange.
"Right! Ladies third floor is off-limits today!" Mr. Coon reminded them
Glisinda turned to him her composure fixed "Understood Mr. Coon, we are off then." she curtsied. Hetty copied her knowing the weight of Mr. Coon's words. In any other establishment female staff at Inns we're always at the mercy of the Inn keeper. But in Padfoot it was quite the opposite.
Mr. Coon stared at Hetty and Glisinda bustle off to do their daily duties.
"Mr. Coon" a footman came into the room "I've asked all the maids to steer clear of the third floor sir."
"Excellent job Reynold!" he said locking eyes with a fly. "Make sure that man checks out on time and when he wants to extend make sure to tell him that our establishment is fully booked for the season."
"Understood!" Reynolds bowed.
"We've got to protect our pack" Mr. Coon said more to himself than anyone. Then with his paw he smashed the annoying little fly.
****
Leif smashed the escaping slime with his shield. The dungeon monster let out a gurgling sound before its mana core shattered. Within moments, its body hardened, petrified, and crumbled into dust, scattering across the forest floor.
Nearby, Rin crouched, plucking minuscule fragments of mana stone from the dirt. They had been fighting all night—slaying Nyxwings and Slimes. To say that those dungeon monsters, had an overpopulation problem would be an understatement.
Now, the first hints of dawn crept over the horizon, streaks of light peeking through the thick forest trees. The trees cast long, skeletal shadows, their branches swaying lazily in the soft morning breeze. The forest floor, once thick with moss and fallen leaves, was now a battlefield of scattered ashes.
Leif groaned as he kicked at a pile of dust. "Ugh! These mana stones from F-Rank dungeon slimes are too fragile! They keep shattering!" He scoured the ground, desperately searching for one that remained intact his hands covered with ash and dust.
"That's because you're such a brute," Rin replied, handing him the minuscule fragments he'd managed to collect. "Slimes require a softer take-down techniques."
Leif scoffed, puffing out his chest. "I'm a tank. Of course, I can't control my strength. Just one of the many difficulties of my role—something you'll never understand!"
Rin unamused by the cocky declaration, chose to ignore him Leif, "I think we've done a thorough sweep. We've covered at a 3-mile perimeter. We should get going."
Leif, ever stubborn, folded his arms. "I'm the party leader. I'll declare if we've done a thorough sweep or not!" he said, as if deeply offended by Rin's efficiency.
Rin, unwilling to contest him, merely said, "Okay," and settled onto a fallen log with a sigh, resting his chin upon the pommel of his sword.
With great seriousness, Leif surveyed the battlefield. He inspected the branches for signs of Nyxwings.
Rin felt his eyes getting heavier and he tried to stifle a yawn.
Leif then proceeded to check branches and burrow holes for any slimes.
Rin's head bobbed slightly. His grip on his sword slackened, and his blinks grew slower, each one lasting a little longer than the last. He dipped forward and jerked up trying to shake the drowsiness.
Leif, on the other hand, was still full of energy, a blast of adrenaline from fighting dungeon monsters above his rank, was keeping him awake. He inspected the bottom of Rin's shoes.
"Are you not done yet?" Rin said barely able to keep his eyes open.
A long moment passed. Then, with a sharp nod, Leif turned back, hands on his hips, chest puffed out.
"Alright! I think we did a thorough sweep! Good work, Rin!"
Rin simply closed his eyes and said with a tone of playful jest, "Thank you, oh wise and esteemed party leader. Truly, your judgment knows no equal."
Leif and Rin settled under the shade of a towering tree, their bodies sore from the night's battles. Without a word, they pulled out their rations—dried meat jerky—and began eating, the silence stretching between them.
Leif chewed reluctantly before sighing. "Ugh... I miss Mrs. Pottemore's bread. It was so soft... And Elysia always made the most delicious meals. I'm glad she finally got her some decent clothes. At least now she looks—"
He abruptly stopped, his face heating up.
Why did it even matter to him how Elysia looked? It shouldn't. Not at all.
And yet, his mind betrayed him. He pictured Elysia again—this time in her new clothes. The last time he saw her was at the inn, wearing the outfit they had picked out together at the market before she left for Arvandale. It fit her so well—the way it shaped her waist, the way his eyes couldn't help but linger because she had such nice—
"She had nice dough," Rin said absently, still focused on his meal. Oblivious to what Leif was thinking about. "She must have nice dough. You have to knead well to make it soft."
Leif froze mid-thought, his brain screeching to a halt.
"You—y-you have to knead it?" His voice cracked.
Rin finally glanced up, expression unreadable. "Yeah. Bread needs proper kneading."
Leif clutched his head and started banging it on a tree. I need to stop thinking. Right now.
"What are you doing to that poor tree? Do you want your skull fractured again?" Rin said unsurprised by Leif's odd behavior.
Leif, still flustered was glad of the change of subject "Don't worry I feel quite strong you know. I'm a tank after all!" He gave his old nogging a knock.
"My last quest wasn't a total lost. I got paid well and I even got this!" He showed him his newly acquired shield, proudly holding it up. "I'm sure I got through so much of those slimes because of this. I got it at a good bargain too!"
Rin gave the dented shield a brief glance. That? He doubted it. He was certain he can pierce an arrow through it if he infused it with all his mana.
He glanced at Leif, who was busy cleaning his shield, oblivious to the truth. Rin couldn't bring himself to say it—no, whatever had strengthened Leif had happened back at Old Man Jo's farm.
"You should consider taking the adventure re-ranking," Rin said evenly.
Leif hesitated. "You think I should?"
Rin said while struggling to tear off his meat jerky. "You should give it a shot. You've got a good chance."
Before Leif could respond, a gust of wind cut through the trees.
Rin's body tensed.
A massive shadow swept across the ground.
His hand instinctively went to his sword. Something's coming.
Then—a Nyxwing.
But this one was different—huge, far larger than the smaller ones they had taken down. Its patchy feathers barely concealed the stretched membrane of its massive wings, and its milky-white eyes twitched erratically as it swooped down, casting a shadow over them.
The Nyxwing shrieked and lurched upward, yanking Rin into the sky. The force of it nearly knocked the air from his lungs as his body jerked violently, his stomach twisting from the sudden ascent. The ground beneath him shrank at an alarming rate—trees became mere blurs, the forest stretching into an endless sea of green.
"RIN!"
Leif's voice was distant but growing closer. A weight latched onto his legs, yanking him downward—Leif had grabbed him, refusing to let go.
"I told you we needed to do a thorough sweep!" Leif shouted over the roar of the wind, his arms straining against the Nyxwing's pull.
"But you did the sweeping!" Rin shot back, twisting in the monster's claws.
Leif growled. "This damn thing—HEY! Let go of him, you overgrown rat with wings!" He yanked harder, but the Nyxwing only screeched, flapping its massive wings with renewed fury.
The wind roared past Rin's ears as he struggled in the creature's grip. He could barely get a clear view—the speed at which they were moving made everything a dizzying blur.
But one thing was certain: this Nyxwing was humongous compared to the ones they had faced before. The size of its wings, the sheer power behind its movements—this was a B-Rank dungeon monster.
"Let go, Leif!" Rin shouted, his voice nearly lost in the wind.
Leif's grip only tightened. "What?! Are you crazy? That thing is huge! You can't take it down on your own!"
"We both can't take it down!" Rin shot back, struggling against both the creature and Leif's iron grip. "Let go and get help!"
Leif's jaw clenched. "Are you INSANE?! We're miles away from a guild post! By the time I get back, you'll already be dead!"
"I'll find a way to hide—just let go!" Rin gritted his teeth and started shaking his legs, trying to loosen Leif's grip.
Leif's eyes burned with frustration. "You stupid damage dealer—are you looking down on your party leader?!"
The Nyxwing let out an ear-piercing shriek and flapped its wings hard, jolting them both midair. The sudden motion was too much—Leif's fingers slipped.
Rin felt himself lurch upward, the weight of his party leader no anchoring him.
Then, the world became a blur. The Nyxwing shot forward, dragging him into the sky at breakneck speed. The howling wind stung his face, his vision smearing into nothing but streaks of shadow and fading light. The landscape below twisted into a chaotic mess of treetops and rocky cliffs.
And then—darknesss.
The Nyxwing flew into the depths of a cave. Inside, there was not a single streak of light. Rin barely had time to react before the dungeon monster released him with a sudden, careless drop. He plummeted, twisting midair as the cold, stagnant air rushed past him. Instinct took over—he tucked his arms and legs, bracing for impact. The moment he hit the ground, pain jolted through his body as he skidded across the rough, uneven stone, the jagged surface scraping against his clothes and skin. Dust and loose debris scattered in his wake before he finally came to a stop, his breathing ragged as he forced himself upright, senses on high alert.
Rin remained still—calculating. Darkness. Not absolute. There's mana here.
He exhaled, focusing. His vision shifted, honing in on the creature's core. Even if he was in the best condition he knew he couldn't take down a B-Rank dungeon monster and he had used a chunk of his mana dealing with slimes and smaller nyxwings earlier. All he needed to do was hide until reinforcement came.
The Nyxwings didn't attack immediately. Instead, a chorus of high-pitched screeches filled the air as smaller, juvenile Nyxwings fluttered toward him. At first, Rin barely registered their tiny claws and beaks scratching at his skin—but then the realization struck him like ice in his veins. They're trying to feed me to the young.
He twisted, trying to dodge, but the dim light and his dwindling mana made it impossible to react in time. The small Nyxwings pecked and clawed, sharp beaks tearing at his clothes, wings buffeting his face. He staggered back, barely managing to slip between the thick, gnarled branches of the nest. His breath came in ragged gasps as he pressed himself into the crevice, every muscle screaming for rest.
His mana has dwindled down. He could feel it seeping away, his vision swimming. Damn it... He just had to hold out—just long enough for Leif to bring reinforcements.
Then, voices echoed in his head.
Anya's voice. Damien's. And then—"All the villages have to suffer because of the dungeon monsters."
Leif's voice "Two silvers! Is that what your life is worth to you?"
Rin clenched his teeth, trying to will himself to stay conscious. He had to hold on. Just wait. Just—
"You stupid damage dealer, where are you!?"
Rin's blood ran cold. No.
Leif. The idiot actually came back.
A monstrous screech tore through the cavern, followed by the heavy whoosh of massive wings. The mother Nyxwing had heard him. Damn it, Leif! You never listen!
The ground trembled as a deafening crash shook the cavern, dislodging rocks and sending dust spiraling into the air. Cracks splintered through the jagged walls, and loose debris clattered down, echoing into the abyss.
Rin's fading senses barely registered the massive boulder plummeting from above—crushing the Nyxwing in an instant.
Silence.
Then—a soft voice.
"I think someone's down there."
Rin, barely conscious, forced himself to focus. The voice... where?
His bleary vision locked onto something impossible. A walking ball of light.
A sharp gasp. "It's the Master!"
Rin's body gave out before he could react.
*****
Rin stood at the threshold of his father's home, yet something felt... wrong. The wooden floors gleamed as if freshly polished, the scent of parchment and old books clung to the air, and the fireplace crackled warmly despite the eerie stillness. Everything was too clear, too perfect—like a memory he wasn't meant to walk through.
He stepped inside.
At the grand oak desk, Baron Evern, his father, sat with his usual stern expression, hands folded over a neatly stacked pile of documents. Yet, when he looked up, his sharp gaze softened.
"Son, you have to wake up," his father said, his voice unusually urgent. "Help Leif find Jin."
Rin frowned. Find Jin? But why—
"Wake up! Wake up!"
The words pounded against his skull like thunder. The world around him wavered, his father's figure flickering like candlelight in the wind. His body felt weightless, like he wasn't in himself anymore.
Then—pain. A dull ache spreading through his limbs, as if his consciousness was being pulled back into a body he'd forgotten. He tried to pull himself up at an upright position but his body protested. He could not open his eyes it felt too heavy.
But he could hear the voices around him.
"We've got to get him to a village doctor," Leif's voice rang, laced with urgency.
"He's not feverish," Elysia murmured. "He was unconscious when I found him. Agua said he's barely got any mana left."
Something warm. A hand pressing against his forehead.
That warmth anchored him, calling him back. The haze in his mind cleared, and his fingers twitched. His body, sluggish and heavy, suddenly surged with a flicker of energy.
The warmth pulled away. Instinct took over—Rin's hand shot out, catching it before it could slip away. A pulse of energy surged through him, jolting his sluggish body awake. His breath hitched, and his eyes snapped open, sharp and alert, as if he'd surfaced from drowning.
Elysia gasped. "Oh, thank goodness! You're awake!"
Rin blinked, his vision still adjusting. The cave around him was dim, flickering with firelight, but before he could fully take in his surroundings, his focus settled on the girl whose hand he still held.
"You do! You do look like him—only younger," Elysia murmured, leaning in slightly, her blue eyes studying his face with quiet intensity.
Rin barely heard her. Under the warm glow of the fire, she looked almost unreal—soft shadows tracing her delicate features, her eyes shining like the depths of a hidden lake.
Leif practically barreled between them, nearly knocking Elysia aside in his frantic state.
"MAN! I THOUGHT YOU WERE A GONER FOR SURE!" Leif threw his arms around Rin in a crushing hug, his voice wavering between relief and exasperation. "You idiot! How dare you kick me and get yourself killed!"
Rin groaned, weakly pushing him away then remembered, "We have to move the Nyxwings."
Leif pulled back just enough to flash a smug grin, holding up a mana stone. "No need. That thing got squished under the rock."
Rin frowned, the memory piecing itself together. "That's right... I managed to hide between its nest. Then the earth started trembling" He shifted, finally taking in their surroundings—then stiffened.
There was no exit.
Elysia confirmed his realization. "We got caved in. This way is blocked too." she said pointing to the placed where she came from.
"Don't worry! I'll get us out of here." Leif gritted his teeth as he dug at the rocks with his shield, each strike leaving another dent in the already battered metal. "Damn it, my shield! Hang on—I have a pickaxe in here somewhere..." He rummaged through his pack, grumbling.
"Oh! Do you mind if I borrow this?" Elysia chimed dragging Leif's shield. It was heavy and she could barely lift it.
Rin couldn't pay attention. His head still throbbed, but he forced himself to focus. His mana reserves were low, but if he concentrated, he could still use mana sight.
He activated the skill—and immediately stiffened.
The cave wasn't just solid rock. Branch-like structures started woving into the walls, pulsating with faint energy. Then he saw five glowing orbs danced in the air.
Elysia, meanwhile, was speaking softly—though not to him or Leif. "Thank you, Fig. I think that'll do." Then she huffed, "What? He stole what? He did? But I didn't feel anything."
She continued etching something to Leif's shield, unfazed.
One of the glowing orbs abruptly shot toward Rin, ringing like a bell. Three more followed, hovering anxiously near him.
"What are these?" Rin asked, wincing at the noise. "And why are they so loud?"
Leif and Elysia looked at him surprised by his comment.
"You can see them?" Leif asked.
"Yeah" He said trying to look closer at the tiny ball of light. Then he saw they were somehow connected to the girl.
"Can you hear them?" Elysia asked.
"I can," Rin muttered. "But it's like small bells ringing. Why is this two buzzing at me so loudly?"
Elysia studied Rin curiously. "That's Ember," she said, nodding toward one of the orbs. "She says you look just like someone we've been searching for. And that's Fig—he's saying you stole my mana."
Rin stiffened. Stole...? His gaze flickered to his hand—then to her. Earlier, when he grabbed her hand... had he really—?
"Hey! Don't go throwing around wild accusations!" Leif huffed, waving at the air.
But before Rin could respond, the orbs suddenly swarmed around Leif, their ringing turning frantic.
"Now they're all buzzing around you," Rin noted flatly.
Elysia ignored them and refocused on the main task at hand. She could feel the air thinning bullets of sweat trickled on her nape. Clapping her hands together, she straightened. "Alright, it's done!"
She turned to Leif's shield, now etched with an intricate mana circle.
Leif recoiled. "What did you do to my shield?! It's ruined!"
Completely ignoring him she embedded her mana. Feeling the escape through her fingers, Elysia grabbed his sleeve and pulled him towards her. Then, without warning, she took Rin's wrist and yanked him close.
"Hold this up," she said, pressing the shield into Leif's hands and above their heads.
Rin barely had time to react before she pulled them closer to her.
Now Leif was on her left and Rin on her right, she squeezed them in so close both could feel the soft "dough" against their arms.
Leif froze his cheeks burning red. Rin cleared his throat looking bashful.
Elysia commanded, "Alright, Paku! Do it."
"W-what are you doing?! Men and women should keep their distance!" Leif tried to pull away in a panic but Elysia barely heard him because the ground shuddered.
A deep rumble echoed through the cavern. The roots that Fig had grown in haste fought hard to support the ceiling. But dust rained from above, and then—rocks collapsed from the ceiling.
Leif instinctively braced himself, gripping his shield tight above their heads.
Rin moved without thinking. In a single motion, he pulled Elysia against him, shielding her from the falling debris.
A sharp crack split the air—then, blinding light poured in.
Sunlight.
As soon as they stepped outside, fresh air rushed in to greet them.
Elysia stretched her arms toward the sky, breathing in deeply. "Waaah! Finally! We're out!"
Leif stumbled forward, his gaze immediately locking onto his shield. He picked it up, turning it over in his hands. The intricate mana circle Elysia had carved into it still faintly glowed that Leif could not see since he did not have mana sight. Somehow, it had survived the cave-in.
Then, with a sickening crack, the metal groaned under the strain. The intricate mana circle flickered, its glow intensifying as heat surged through the shield.
Leif's hands burned at the sudden temperature spike. "Hot! Hot!" he yelped, instinctively tossing it away. The moment it hit the ground, the shield shuddered violently— it fractured apart, molten fragments hissing as they cooled in the dirt.
"My shield!!" Leif wailed trying to gather remnants of the melting metal. "This was brand new!"
"It really wasn't" Rin pointed out. Rin barely registered Leif's despair. His focus had shifted to Elysia. The glowing orbs flitted around her, their ringing more urgent than before.
Elysia tilted her head. "What? Agua, I feel fine—"
Then her knees buckled.
Rin moved on instinct. He reached out, but before he could steady her, she crumpled into his arms.
"Hey are you alright?" Leif said running towards Rin and Elysia.
At that exact moment, a suffocating presence flooded the air—heavy, predatory.
The same one from before.
The one that had lurked in the fields yesterday.
"Leif!" Rin barked, gripping his sword.
The sprites whirled around Elysia, their glowing forms growing frantic.
Leif, now without a shield, spun toward the source of the threat, his stance tense. He barely had time to register the dark shape lunging at them before—
WHAM!
A brown, furry blur slammed into him, knocking Leif off his feet.
Rin didn't hesitate. He placed the unconscious Elysia on the ground and his sword was ready to strike the brown thing that was attacking Leif.
But before Rin could take a step to swing, a low, guttural grumble rumbled behind him. His body tensed. He saw emerging from the trees— a much larger Lupinara.
It exuded an undeniable presence, its footsteps shifting under thick, golden fur as it stepped forward.
Rin instinctively pointed his sword at it, but the beast merely snorted, releasing a blast of hot breath like a dragon eyeing an insect. Then, with an almost dismissive air, it strolled past him. One of its nine massive tails curled toward Rin, brushing lightly against his face—then, with a sharp flick, struck him across the cheek. The force sent him tumbling backward onto the forest floor with a graceless thud.
The large Lupinara curled herself protectively on Elysia. Its nine tails becoming a make-shift bed. The small light orbs settled around the Elysia and Lupinara their ringing toned down to silent whispers.
Rin turned to see Leif was locked in his own struggle.
"Oh God! Get off me! Get off me!" he groaned, flailing under the weight of the smaller Lupinara that had tackled him. But his tone lacked true fear—more like a man wrestling an overeager pup than a dungeon monster. "What was your name again? Fin? Pin?"
The Lupinara tilted its head at him, letting out a soft, dejected whimper as if to imply; That's not my name.
Sera, the larger one, let out a firm growl, clearly reprimanding the smaller one. The playful creature scampered off - straight to Elysia, pressing its head into her lap and snuggling into her with an affectionate whine.
Rin watched the bizarre scene unfold in disbelief. This was a nine-tailed Lupinara not one but two. Legends of old used to describe them as fierce beast that can even take down an armada with a dragon. Yet here they were acting more like loyal pets.
Then, Phine turned her attention to Rin. He stiffened as it padded over, sniffing him curiously before rubbing its massive body against him like an overgrown cat. A deep, satisfied purring sound rumbled through its chest, sending vibrations through Rin's arms as he hesitantly reached out to pet it.
Leif groaned, wiping saliva off his arms. "Ugh, I'm covered in your drool! Gross!"
Rin glanced at Elysia. "You... know them?"
Leif answered instead. "Yeah she's the girl from that old man's farm and those two like to follow her around."
Before Rin could respond, the sprites around Elysia suddenly rang louder in alarm. Clearly trying to communicate something to him. Rin furrowed his brows, feeling an unexpected warmth near his legs.
Something was off.
He looked down.
A slow, dawning horror spread across his face.
Phine did it, there was a warm, golden puddle seeping through Rin's pants.
Leif's mouth opened and closed in silent disbelief. Then—
"BWAHAHAHA! Man it looks like you peed your pants!" Leif burst out laughing, doubling over as Rin's expression twisted between disgust and despair.
Phine sensed Leif's high energy quickly jumped on him. "HEY WHAT THE HECK! GET OFF ME—"
Phine, sensing Leif's high energy, wasted no time and pounced on him.
"HEY! WHAT THE HECK—GET OFF ME!" Leif shouted, flailing as the excited Lupinara eagerly pinned him down, its three tails thumping against the ground.
Meanwhile, Sera curled protectively around Elysia's sleeping form, her large frame settling with a quiet huff.