A body appeared in the door way.
Quitum limped outside after being stirred by the commotion. "What's going on out here?" He said groggily.
"Quitum!" Ouran ran over and hugged him knocking him back into the door frame.
Lyra let out a sigh of relief. "Are you okay?"
"My face, head, and leg still hurt but, yeah, I guess I'll live." He said with a smirk.
She gave him a sly smile. "But your up, so that's good."
Frides had Nero in a headlock on the ground. "See I told you." Nero is tapping out on Frides' arm but Frides ignored him. "Oh." Said Frides then he let go.
Nero coughed. "The worst bodyguard ever. Pretty sure you'd never get another job." As Nero got up and brushed himself down. Quitum got a better look at him and realized he was the guy from the woods.
"Oh hey you're still alive? I thought you definitely wouldn't make it out the forest. Good for you." Nero said in a merry tone.
Quitum grabbed his bruised face. "YOU!"
Lyra interjected, "You know my brother?"
"Your brother?" Nero raised his eyebrows and pointed at Quitum. Lyra nodded slowly. "Yeah. He's one of the poachers I was telling you about."
She whipped her head around and glared at her brother. "Poaching, really Quitum. Honestly, working for pirates?"
"I'm the bad guy here? Look at my face. I barely even made it back alive thanks to him." Quitum brazenly retaliated.
"You shouldn't have been there in the first place" She reminded him begrudgingly.
Quitum bit at the air, "Psht. Why did you follow me here?"
"I didn't. I was just in town looking to reunite this one with its mum." He pointed over at the Domaku. "Do you know where she is?"
"Even If I did, why would I tell you anything?" Quitum challenged him.
"You did things the hard way the first time. You sure you want to try that again?" Nero accepted his threat.
"Damn right." Quitum Glowed a hammer and approached Nero.
"Hmph. Fine by me." Nero Glowed his staff.
"Wait guys. Relax Quitum." Lyra dashed between them putting her hand up to Quitum.
Quitum looked down at his smaller older sister. "Me? I owe him."
Nero called over at Frides. "It's okay bodyguard just look after that Domaku."
"You should be fine as long as they don't kill you. He might hurt you a bit though. Hopefully." A smirk touched his face.
"Really, best bodyguard everrrr." Nero stepped forward and released his Glow. "See unarmed. Don't worry I won't hurt him."
Dusk was on the horizon. A pair of feet appeared in the doorway, again.
"Your awake. Thank the light." Lyra let out another breath of relief.
Quitum turned around and sees the last person he wanted to see. "Araechna."
Araechna walked through the door. "Quitum, where is Frander?"
Quitum paused and his eyes flickered. Franders lifeless body flashed on the back of his eyes covered in his own blood. He looked down, to the side, but it didn't help.
"Quitum where is he? Is he still out on the ship? He said you guys were going to the docks for work yesterday. Then he doesn't come home and you come back with bruises. Quitum I just need to know that hes alright." Araechna tried to reason the implications out.
Quitum closed his eyes tighter in an attempt to block out the images of his dead friend. He finally opened them to Araechna with tears in his eyes choking on the words but his expression told it all.
Her tears broke out and streamed down. "No, don't look at me like that. No, no, no. What happened, what happened!" she screamed. Then she collapsed in the dirt sobbing. She looked up at Quitum. "This isn't real."
"Araechna, I'm sorry. Some guys needed some extra hands for a hunt. They said we'd each get 50 times as much as we would make in a normal day. But we didn't know it would be a Domaku. It was big and it was angry. He tripped and then..." He couldn't continue. If he said it out loud it would hurt too much. He raised his head and tried to swallow the words as tears streamed down his face.
Lyra walked over to Araechna and helped her up and walked her into the house.
Araechna pushed her away and stomped toward Quitum with her finger pointed at his face. "No, its your fault, its all your fault. Frander wasn't capable of getting himself into a mess like this, let alone... It was your idea. He always followed you right into your go nowhere schemes. Trying to make the most with as little effort as possible. He believed in you, even after all the rest of us gave up on you. Look even your family doesn't believe in you. They've seen your stubborn cowardice first hand, you're weak will."
"That's enough, Araechna." said Lyra.
"No its not enough. But Frander always said, one day Quitum is going to pull himself together and surpass even his dad. He worked right along him and his dad taught him everything."
"He did." Ouran said in defense of his older brother.
"Really? Then why? What are you waiting for? What are you afaid of? Huh. You, you, you killed him. He was your friend and you killed him. Ah ahah..." She sobbed. "He was right! If you only did what you were supposed to do he wouldn't have even been there."
"Come on Araechna. Just come inside. Please." Lyra rested her hands on Araechna's shoulders and guided her inside.
Frides looked at Ouran. "Hey, are you okay?" Frides couldn't help seeing his younger brother, Kirs, in Ouran.
Ouran clenched his teeth. "I just can't believe it. Why would you do it Quitum? You know how dad felt about the pirates." He looked at Quitum with tears in his eyes. "He would never want any of us getting involved with them. He wanted to get rid of them. They're the reason he's gone and mom..." His lip quivered, not even able to get the word out.
"I know, but we needed money. Ouran...." He trailed off into silence, as he listened to his brother whimper.
"Is everything okay with this kid?" Nero asked Frides.
"Your not from here so you don't know how bad the pirates are. They ruin everything. I wish they would just go away."
Frides walked over to Ouran and put his hand on his arm and Nero looked at him surprised. Frides looked down at the top of Ouran's head. "What happened?"
Lyra came out of the house. She looked at Frides and Ouran passing her eyes over Quitum and onto Nero. "Hey, so are you gonna replace the food your starving pet ate?"
"First she's a friend and she's not really starving. She's always hungry, its just a part of how Domaku are when they're in adolescence they'll just..." Lyra is watching impatiently. "You know what lets just go and then we can talk about it while we're walking. Hey bodyguard keep watch of that Domaku till I get back." Lyra rushed down the road ahead of Nero.
"This bodyguard has a name, and I'm a bodyguard not a servant." Frides grumbled.
"Oh, you will! Thanks bodyguard. I take back what I said, you're the best bodyguard in the whole world." Nero disregarded Frides complaints.
"No I wont you fucking twisted bastard! if you want to keep this monster you have to take care of it at all times. Don't just shove it onto me when its inconvenient."
"Thanks. I'll be right back!" Nero shouted as he chased after Lyra.
"Wait! Don't get mad at me if something happens because its your problem not mine."
Frides looked back at the Domaku. It had a expression on it that said. 'I'll show you a monster. You just wait.'
TO BE CONTINUED...
Thanks for reading!