"Hey, human boy, are you alright?" She spoke a shrill voice to him.
'Who said that?' Nahuel wondered.
It wasn't Elian. He was still unconscious. There was someone else there. Nahuel looked one way, then the other. He was silent, waiting to hear something else.
"Who is there?" He asked to the darkness.
"It is I," replied the nothing.
Nahuel jumped.
"What the fu… Reveal yourself, whoever you are."
"You do not see me? I'm here"
Nahuel didn't understand anything. He narrowed his eyes and focused, but saw nothing.
"Here! Here!" exclaimed the voice.
The boy looked down and his eyes widened as he saw a small bipedal creature. No more than a meter high. It had long, pointed ears, like a rabbit's. He had short pink fur, long whiskers like a cat's. A furry tail like that of a fox and a furless belly, where you could see a belly button.
The eyes of that creature were like two black seeds, perfectly round.
"But…," Nahuel shot back, "what thing are you?
"I'm not a thing, human," the creature jumped up and smacked the boy in the forehead, "Have more respect!"
"Ouch!" Nahuel rubbed his head, "Why are you hitting me?"
"For you to respect me," the creature folded his arms, "humans have forgotten their place. They believe they own the world and have lost respect for the beings that inhabited this planet long before them."
"You can talk…"
"Of course I can talk! Are humans the only intelligent ones? Although… the more I get to know your kind, the less convinced I am that you are intelligent life."
Nahuel remembered those beast boys waiting on the surface. Those they called 'demons'. 'I guess I should get used to the idea of meeting intelligent beings.'
That world was nothing like earth. This was a place where the most wonderful things were possible.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Nahuel apologized, "this is all new to me. I am not of this world."
The creature arched an eyebrow.
"What are you talking about?"
"I come from another world," replied the boy, "from another reality."
The creature scratched its chin.
"Interesting…"
"Do you have a name?" the boy asked.
"Of course I have a name, human!" The creature exclaimed in an offended tone, "What did you think? That I walk around without the name my mother gave me?"
"Oh… I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Wow… You are easily offended. My name is Nahuel."
"I don't remember asking your name, human, but thanks for telling me. Mine is Lord Gabu."
"Nice to meet you, Gabu."
"Lord Gabu, to you, human."
The creature jumped and hit Nahuel in the head.
"But... why are you hitting me now?" Nahuel complained, rubbing his forehead.
"You are insolent, child. I am not just anyone. I am Lord Gabu."
"Um… Ok, whatever. Look, I'm really sorry for bothering you, but… if you help me get out of here, I promise I'll leave you alone."
"Are you stuck here?" Gabu asked, rubbing his jaw.
"Yes... as you can see... I killed the Rockura and now I don't know how to get out."
"Why did you kill that Rockura?"
"I need the fat that is under its shell."
"Oh, I see," Gabu replied, "is it because of the spores from the pink flower?"
"Yes, yes, exactly. My friend Elian must save his people, and for that, he needs that fat."
Elian was still unconscious, being carried by Nahuel.
Gabu walked from one side to the other, as if evaluating whether to help the boy or not.
"Okay," the furry creature said, "I'm going to help you. But with one condition."
"What?" Nahuel cocked his head.
"You shall be my bodyguard!" Gabu pointed at the boy energetically.
"Um… what?"
"You heard me, boy. You shall be my bodyguard!"
Nathan raised an eyebrow. He didn't know what to answer. To be the bodyguard of that creature? The boy frowned and shook his head. He had no time for such nonsense.
"Okay, okay, I'll be your bodyguard."
"That's how I like it!" Gabu jumped for joy.
'What a strange creature,' thought the boy.
Nahuel left Elian's unconscious body on the ground. He then climbed onto the Rockura's back and checked the broken shell. Between the cracks he found that fat Elian was talking about. Hours before, the masked boy had given them some small wooden jars, with which they planned to collect small amounts of that fat. And so did Nahuel. He filled all the jars with the thick yellow fat.
"I'm ready," Nahuel carried Elian's unconscious body, "we can go now."
"Follow me!" Gabu yelled.
That creature seemed to know that subterranean world very well. He moved confidently through the complex tunnel system.
"I must say, I haven't seen so many humans down here in a long time," Gabu opined.
"Did you see more like us?" Nahuel asked.
"Yes. A female human."
The boy's heart skipped a beat.
"Wait... what?"
"I saw a human girl," Gabu replied, "about your age. Blue-haired."
"Where did you see her? How long ago?"
"Near here. A few minutes ago. I saw her weak and nervous. I didn't think she would make a good bodyguard. Not like you. So I ignored her."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Nahuel claimed.
"Huh? I didn't know I had to tell you. And speak to me with respect, human! Remember that I am Lord Gabu!"
"Take me to her!" the boy demanded.
But Gabu crossed his arms.
"I do not follow your orders, insolent child. It's the opposite. You obey me."
The boy looked at Gabu with an 'Are you serious?' face.
"Well then. I won't be your bodyguard," Nahuel sentenced, leaving Gabu behind.
"Wait, wait!" The creature ran to catch up. "Okay, okay. Today I feel benevolent. So I'll take you to the girl."
Nahuel smiled excitedly.
'Thank heaven Yaima is alive.'
Gabu guided the boy through tunnels, until they reached an underground chamber, in the center of which was a small and thin girl, who lay on her knees, turning her back on Nahuel and the little creature.
"Yaima?" The boy spoke.
The girl turned around and her eyes lit up when she saw her friend. She got up and ran to hug him.
"I thought… I thought I would never see you again," sobbed the girl, "I… I… I was… I was so scared…"
"It's alright, i'ts alright," Nahuel returned the warm hug, "I was scared too."
A minute or so passed and the two kids didn't break their embrace.
"That's enough!" Gabu yelled, "It's time to go!"
Yaima moved away from Nahuel and let out a small gasp.
"What… what is that?"
"Ah…," Nahuel scratched the back of his neck, "I don't know very well, but apparently he is an intelligent creature from down here. He is called Gabu."
"It's… it's cute," Yaima blushed, "And he can talk!"
Nahuel raised his eyebrows and thought: 'you can talk too.' The boy had never heard his friend talk 'so much'.
"I am not cute!" Gabu protested, "And of course I can talk, you insolent human!"
"And Elian?" The girl asked, looking worriedly at the masked man.
"He's still alive," Nahuel answered. "I hope that when we get to the surface, he will recover."
'I hope so…'
"It's time to go to the surface," Nahuel put his hand on Yaima's shoulder. "I got the fat from the Rockura."
Yaima smiled in relief.
***
An hour later, Gabu, Nahuel and Yaima got to the surface. The furry little creature led them through tunnels where dangerous beasts were less common. Something only possible by having a guide from the underground world. Something that Elian could not achieve.
The group then walked north, toward the camp.
Elian groaned and his head moved.
"Dude? Are you okay?" Nahuel asked, who was still carrying the masked boy.
Elian separated from Nahuel and staggered, but managed to stay on his feet. Then he put his hands to his head, as if it were going to explode.
"What happened?"
Nahuel smiled, showing him the jars filled with Rockura's fat.
"We did it, dude. This is the fat from the shell of the Rockura."
Elian was silent. His hands were shaking as he tried to hold one of those wooden jars.
"I… I thank you," the masked boy said, his voice on the verge of breaking.
"Great, another bodyguard for me," Gabu celebrated, staring at Elian.
The masked boy tilted his head, as if confused by the presence of the creature.
"I'll explain later," said Nahuel, "his name is Gabu."
There was no time for explanations or introductions. BOOM! An explosion was heard in the distance. Elian shivered and ran in the direction of the camp.
Yaima, Gabu and Nahuel ran after him.
The closer they got to the camp, the louder the shouts and the sound of swords. What was happening? Nahuel feared the worst.
They arrived at the camp and met the horror. Fire, ashes, smoke, blood and dead children. Nahuel gasped when he saw the 'cyborg'; that man who wielded double swords, who kept him and Yaima prisoners.
'Captain Jaex...'