Amidst the ashes of war, a young Axolotl man walked with a wide smile and a skip in his step, past thousands of scattered corpses towards the camp of the remaining Elf troops from the recent horrific battle.
The weary and wounded soldiers watched in silence as the pink creature with a backpack much larger than itself approached them with a thousand questions in their minds. Was it an enemy? An ally? They could only wait and see what would happen next.
"Hello there, my elf friends. Can Bubble join you by the fire to warm up?" Bubble greeted them with a sweet smile and a cooing tone that seemed to sing in the middle of his words.
"Who are you?" asked the man with sea-green hair and beautiful sky-blue eyes, a sign of his noble elf blood from the Vastaya kingdom. "Has Galathor changed his mind and sent a Huanaki to kill us?" The captain of the troop in his black cloak with a pair of golden-winged motifs and emerald ornaments on his robe, his rank clearly visible to everyone.
"No, no, my friend. Bubble is just a wandering traveler passing through," he replied, shaking his head and waving his hands. He added that it was difficult for him to walk long distances in the cold air, as the sky was always darkened by the ashes, and he would be very grateful if he were allowed to sit with them.
"If that's the case, please join us," the man said, making room for Bubble to sit.
Bubble was overjoyed to hear the man's invitation to sit by the warm campfire. Slowly, Bubble pulled the large backpack he carried and placed it beside his seat. He then kicked his legs and tapped his knees while glancing at each soldier one by one with his sweet smile.
One of the soldiers who still seemed shaken by the recent war, tightly gripped his weapon while glancing back and forth at Bubble and the other soldiers. He had seen too much bloodshed, too many terrible things happen in the past few days. He was unsure if he could trust Huanaki.
After a tense moment of consideration, he took a deep breath and lowered his weapon, realizing that Bubble meant them no harm. The other soldiers followed suit, slowly relaxing their postures and the tension in their hearts.
The silence melted away as a soldier approached their captain. "Captain Verdant, it's time for dinner," he whispered to the man sitting beside Bubble.
Verdant simply nodded his head, and one by one, they began to open their rations. Inside were nuts, two pieces of plain bread, and some dried meat. Though it tasted bland, the rations were enough to satisfy the needs of the soldiers.
Some struggled to bite and chew the tough dried meat, while others settled for just eating the nuts. Meanwhile, their captain, Verdant, didn't even touch his rations.
Seeing this, with a sweet smile, Bubble offered to cook for them. They all stopped eating and looked at Verdant, hoping their captain would allow Bubble to cook. Once again, Verdant simply nodded his head, not expecting much from Huanaki, who wanted to help his troops. With his permission, Bubble immediately opened his large backpack to prepare his cooking utensils.
Bubble quickly got to work, his agile fingers moving deftly as he took out ingredients from his backpack. He pulled out a small pot and filled it with water, placing it over the fire until it boiled.
Next, he pulled out a handful of plump, wild mushrooms. He sliced them and tossed them into the pot, the aroma of the mushrooms filling the air around the campfire. Then, he sprinkled salt, a pinch of pepper, and various other spices he had gathered on his journey.
As the mushroom soup boiled in the pot, Bubble took out some pieces of bread he had bought earlier. He sliced them and toasted them over the fire until they were crispy and golden brown.
Finally, Bubble served the warm and rich soup, spooning it into bowls and placing a piece of toasted bread on top.
The savory taste filled the soldiers' mouths with each spoonful. The mushrooms were tender and flavorful, and the fresh spices added depth of flavor.
Then something magical happened. As they ate the warm soup, the soldiers began to cry. They cried for their fallen comrades, for the horrors they had witnessed, and for the fear that still gripped their hearts.
Through their tears, they also felt a glimmer of hope. They felt the warmth and kindness of Bubble, and they were grateful that in the midst of such darkness, there was still a light that could shine.
They expressed their deep gratitude to Bubble, knowing that they would never forget the young Huanaki who had given them a moment of peace in the midst of this destruction.
That night, they spent time laughing and singing, forgetting all the burdens they faced for a while. The soldiers even helped Bubble set up his tent.
As the night grew late and the soldiers fell asleep, Verdant invited Bubble to chat by the warm campfire. "Tell me, Bubble, where is your destination, and what is your reason for traveling?" he asked.
Bubble responded with enthusiasm, "Woah, Bubble is on a mission to find the four knights of light."
Verdant was taken aback. "What? The four knights of light died a thousand years ago, Bubble."
"Ahem, Bubble is searching for the second set of four knights of light!" Bubble exclaimed, lifting both fingers. "Bubble was given a mission by the Primordial of Light to find them."
Verdant leaned back, gazing into the flames. "I see," he whispered. "And do you know where these heroes are?"
Bubble shook their head. "Not yet, but Bubble won't give up. Bubble will surely find them, hehe," they said with enthusiasm.
Verdant fell silent for a moment before speaking. "If what you say is true, then you are truly on a noble mission, Bubble." He then placed a hand on Bubble's shoulder. "The entire Vastayan kingdom, no, the entire world must prepare for the coming of a new calamity."
Bubble looked at Verdant, their smile beginning to fade as they surveyed the destruction around them. "Perhaps the calamity has already begun."
As the night wore on, Bubble and Verdant shared stories about their past and hopes for the future. The fire began to dim as the shadows of destruction crept closer. Yet despite the darkness surrounding them, Bubble and Verdant felt a glimmer of hope in their hearts, knowing that somewhere out there, the knights of light were waiting to be found.