The Leader stretches while Lepus closed the passage, he takes off his mask watching his home. A simple clearing at the foot of a mountain with green grass and cracked on the ground, an always lit fire crackled and around him were his friends, Cook the cook, whose red hair and green eyes made many mistake him for monsters or druids, but he was no more than an ordinary and burly human who cooked masterfully even at a young age, beside him was a young man with flipper ears and skin. pale blue, his scales glistened with the reflection of sunlight and the fire in front of him, his scaly tail that came out of his spine stirred showing that the subject he was talking to Cook seemed to interest him, his name was Nicolas.
At the foot of the mountain, two large cracks could easily be mistaken for caves, the first on the left the kids used as a kitchen, it was covered with barrels, cutlery, pans, and pots where the cook spent most of the time. The second fissure on the right, they used as a forge, where Rex was building weapons for his friends, the forge was filled with arrows, staffs, and swords, a shield was being mounted by a concentrated boy, his tall physique, dark skin, and his eyes yellows made it clear he was like Caerula, his name was Stitcher.
Rex watches his friend approaching, a black boy with hair in dreads and a somewhat doubtful smile, his red eyes showed that it was a demon, his name was Umbra. He left the cabin that had obviously been built by the boys because of the asymmetrical shape it was in.
—And there? What was it like losing to a girl? -Umbra question to everyone with a mocking smile.
—Did you know?!-Rex is surprised after hearing his friend.
—Logical!-Says Umbra with her hands on her hips.—I honestly don't like Cherry very much, she's very naughty with me.-Explains Umbra.
—You could have told me! I thought she was dead!- Rex was outraged by the omission of information.
—Hey, hey, do you want time to collapse? I can't say what will happen, it's anti-time travel!-Says Umbra defending herself.
—That word doesn't exist! - Says the little boy to Umbra who just ignores him.
—And I don't like her either.- Says Umbra, softly so Rex doesn't hear.
—I never thought I would agree with Umbra on anything. - Shiro says with disgust in his voice.
—Ha, yeah! You were there!- Says Umbra pointing to Shiro.—How was it to be beaten by a Taigar?-Question Umbra teasing Shiro.
—Horrible! And you know this! I feel dirty!- Shiro says taking off his mask showing his disgusted expression.
—He's just jealous that Rex has a girlfriend!- Caerula says, unable to hold back.
Caerula, Bellator, and their brother started to laugh.
—I love that day!- Umbra says enjoying every second of that moment, Shiro however was red with anger.
Nicolas sees his friends gathered at the entrance to the forest and goes towards them, a red-haired boy follows, unlike Cook, the young man in question was a short druid, he seemed not to feed well and on his shoulders, two snakes rested, his name was Nerium.
—How was it?-Asks Nicolas.
—Nicolas! Guess what! Rex has a girlfriend!- Says the little boy holding the beast with an innocent look excited to tell his friends the news.
Umbra starts to laugh out loud, Rex blushes at the same moment not expecting to hear that from the little one.
—Even you brat?!- Shiro says giving him a noogie in the head.
—Don't hit Venator for telling the truth!- Bellator says crossing her arms at him in denial.
—Yeah, that's cowardice!- Complete your brother.
—Rex turned red! That makes everything better!-Umbra points to Rex who seemed unresponsive.
—Girlfriend?-Question Nerium confused.—What is it?
—Please, please someone explain! - Umbra laughed looking like he was going to fall with laughter holding on to Nerium that he looked confused by all that.
—She's not my girlfriend!- Rex replies suddenly with a louder tone than necessary, everyone gets quiet and starts laughing.
—You can admit, we know you like her, she turned all red!- Caerula says, unable to hold back her laughter, patting Rex on the back.
—S-she's my friend, that's all!- Her natural pale white skin had turned redder than a tomato, which gave even more reason to her friends.
—He's stuttering! He's stuttering! -Ri Umbra pointing to Rex trying to breathe as he laughed.
Rex looked lost, he didn't know how to get out of that situation anymore, it seemed that everything he said would be used against him.
—Enough!-Says Shiro nervously throwing the mask on the ground making it break.
Everyone looked at him in surprise, his face was contorted in anger.
—Nobody noticed? She is a fire panther! She is in our territory, these creatures hunt and kill without any control, they banish the wolves to the west and steal our food! Do you have any idea how the winter will be with her around?!- Shiro says irritated.
—Is Shiro jealous, Magi?- Bellator says with one hand on his chin and the other holding his elbow.
—He's definitely jealous, Bellator.-Says Magi nodding, imitating her brother's movement.
—Jealousy? -Says the little boy putting the beast on the ground curious.
—I'm not jealous, stop saying that! You who are not thinking, she knocked us all out and nobody seems worried!-Says Shiro irritated.
—For the seven hells, I never get tired of it!-Says Umbra leaning on Rex too so as not to fall to the ground, Nerium looks at him confused without understanding, and Nicolas watches him and walks away doubting his sanity.
—It's just that she's Rex's girlfriend so there's no danger!- Says the little boy.
—She's not his girlfriend!- Shiro says screaming.
—Hey, calm down Shiro...- Lepus tries to calm him down.
—Calm down, Lepus, I've had to suffer from these things stealing my food since I was thrown into the forest, and it's happening again! Soon she'll take Rex away too then we'll be leaderless and I'll have to lead! I don't want to lead you! They're a bunch of idiots who don't even know how to hunt alone!- He yells.
—We don't want you as a leader either. -Says Cook poking the campfire.
—But what's the problem? She can come to camp. - Nicolas says not understanding the situation but trying to find a way out.
—It can not. - Says Rex frowning suddenly.
—Why not?- Nicolas asks.
—No girls enter the camp. -Rex stares at Lepus.—It's forbidden.
—There is? Since when? And who invented this rule? - Asks the boy moving the fins of his ears.
—A few years ago and it was me who invented this rule. -He says looking at Nicolas with a dead look.
Shiro and Lepus seem uncomfortable, Shiro is quiet which made the atmosphere even tenser, Rex withdraws and the boys watch him.
—The atmosphere was suddenly heavy... - Says Bellator
—It's...- Says Magi
Night falls, Rex was hammering metal in the forge, when he stops suddenly, he stares at the boiler fire, looking at the fire to calm down, it seemed to work but when a tear fell the rest couldn't be contained, he hangs on to the surface of hot marble, his hands smoke and the pain seemed to help him control himself, he crouches on the floor wiping the tears from his face contorted with rage. In his mind the voices of the departed whispered in his ear, their tears struggled to come out, but he insisted on holding them back, he didn't accept it, he had no right to cry for them, he didn't feel worthy to mourn their deaths, if he can't and doesn't even want to avenge them yet, the weight of his past mixed with the weight of his deepest secrets formed a vortex in his chest, making it overflow in the physical plane, suddenly breaking all the flasks of the forge in a bang. Rex touches the floor, panting, his eyes glowing a bright red that has gone back to the usual pink and natural red. "Don't cry for those who are gone, smile for those who are here". He thinks taking a deep breath and looking at the door of the cabin where his friends were, and a hopeful smile blooms on his face. "I still have something to fight for."