The very next day, Rayes would sit up. He had to start up early today, however just before he left. Labelle would already be up and look at him. "Good Morning Master. What is the plan for today?" She asked.
"Ya know, you could benefit for sleeping some more... no need to be up so unreasonable up early." He said.
"Well, understand this is my job to you lord. I have to be up ready before you, so what are the plans?" She came over handing him a coat.
"Fair enough, thank you for working so hard." He would pat her head next.
"Ah..." she almost hardly got any physical affection from him. This head patting was rare even on the best of occasions. She smiled and leaned into his palm gently. "Your most welcome, Master."
Peaking through the door was Nala, she was in a more human form, and peaking through she whispered. "Master and servant are being all lovely dovey huh!" She snickered.
"Nala... come in, no need to peak." Rayes said.
And Nala in her new half human body, she came inside and hugged him. She had short hair on her human body, and while her upper body was human. Her lower half was very snake like. "Yay! Me too, pat my head too."
Rayes chuckled, and just spoiled her. Patting her head. "You know... your really much older than we both know... being reborn over countless times and all, should you really act like this Nala?"
"So what Master! This is my new rebirth! I'm no older than this world adult" she said and cuddled up against him.
"So what? Your fifteen? Fine... fine." He pat her head. "And next time... please put on some clothes..." he would grab his shirt and dress her in it.
Which made Labelle annoyed. As Nala soon had master shirt on her.
"Okay, master your headed to the human city right? Should I offer you a gem to sell?" Labelle asked.
"No need. I have gold left over from last trip I never spent. So I'll just use that, if not, I can pawn off one of my own lesser gems." Rayes would careful step away from them. "Both of you look after the children. And prepare breakfast please... I'll just buy some bread while I'm in the city." Rayes truly felt like a guide. He was a kind soul, humble and caring more than any demon lord.
Both would wait outside and watch him go off out to the forest as he headed out to the city.
Nala was waving her tail enjoying her new shirt and seeing her master off.
Labelle also was smiling, as they both couldn't be happier living such a free life. Not only were they saved and helped by him. He set them free from a world they both disliked.
Rayes would be at the city many miles away from just using teleporting magic. At the city, he tossed the coat on that was passed to him and began to walk into the city. Paying the toll to enter and while he walked he made sure to not expose his eyes and tail. His horn he could play off, but his demonic eyes and tail were much different. He would first make his way to the city's book store, and would see the single mother there again. "Hello again." He said wavering carefully, exposing just partially to her how he looked.
"Hello sir! It's good to see you again." She said softly. "Need more educational books?"
"Yeah, oh, if possible, I'd like anything on cooking as well, herboligy too. Oh! And fishing." He would also request many more.
"Sure thing. Give me a moment to find the best." She said, stepping around to go and look for the books in question.
"I'll come back later to pay and pick them up, I'll see you soon." He left
"Sure thing, thank you" she said.
The very next place he went to, was a magic store. He met with the sage there and asked for items. Over and over again, he met with many of the local folk, knew then and got along with then. He bought strategy games, new toy magic stones for magic practice, am actual target dummy. He also put in requests for certain weapons. He spent lots of money than he'd like to admit. And stored everything in a magic storage space. He then left. But on his way he was stopped by a man.
The man would bump into him, and rayes would of course be concerned. "Are you alright!" How, it was only him thay tumbler.
The man in question, would look down at Rayes, keeping his chin up. "Hello... Rayes."
The demon lord looked straight up at him, before then getting himself off and dusted himself. "I see your unharmed... have a good evening." He walked around.
The man was an oni, and would watch as rayes walked around him following him with his eyes then body as he turned to watch him go. "I've been tasked with looking for you... we must speak." He said to rayes.
"Sorry, but I'm in a hurry." Rayes finished and kept walking.
The man would then grab at Rayes arm, and stop him. "This is no longer a request."
Rayes glared at the man. But, after a moment. He then relaxed. Rayes figuered it was best to just go along. The children were safe regardless where he ended up. "Suddenly, I know am not in a hurry. Let's talk at the Cafe" rayes pointed.
"Alright." Both would together.
Rayes took the led and when at the front. They asked for am upstairs spot alone.
They would take their seat across on another and he careful kept his cloak on as he had to now sit. "What does the demon lords want?" Rayes asked.
"They want you to return to your domain, they want to start a war with humans." He said.
"They don't need me for any of that." Rayes replied.
"Regardless They also request you hand off Labelle... she is needed to bargin with dragon kind." The man said.
This was annoying rayes. "She isn't property... she's free to make her own choices... and again, I don't see why you need her or i. Explain to me why you need her or I back at all, you aren't making sense by hiding things from me if you seek cooperation." Rayes told him.
"The Dragon lords want their goddess back. Not to mention the king. It's understandable why he wants his wife back." He said.
"She was forced into marriage... I'd like to think anyone strong enough is entitled to make their own choices... and of they were strong enough themselves, they could bring her back on their own." He said ominously back to him. Rayes even suggested they were weak was highly arrogant in the man's eyes.
"Don't forget you are the weakest among demon lords..."
"And? I still have power far greater than you." Rayes was growing more irrated. "You demons... are all so arrogant."
The man would grab rayes forcing him closer. "Your a failed lord! And you know that. Your a mistake to all demons and what they stand for. Humanity is meant to bed under our thumb..."
"Your free to do that, but I won't be apart of it... nor will I allow you to harm a soul in this region I'm peacefully living in." Rayes would be growing more angry, but then calmed himself down after taking a deep breath.
"You do know, the other demon lords are also giving you a chance here... so go back to your domain... they don't wish have any harm done to you as respect. Your welcome to come back here once the war is over." The man let him go and would both sat back down.
"No." Rayes would flashback to his children at the orphans, and then to his late lover. "I simply cannot leave here."
The man sighed. "Why do you insist on being anything but what you really are?"
"That's a first... no other demon has asked me that... so, I'll answer you. Is because I actually loved someone. A human. And they taught me... how pointless war really is. How pointless any and all conflicts are." Rayes said.
"And meeting some girl made you a complete pacifist? And a human, how filthy, your a sta-" he was grabbed by his face.
Rayes, would grab his face. And sent that man down to the ground killing him, only for rayes to then turn back time.
The man was winded and when he came back in moments he looked at rayes.
Rayes looked down at him. "Do not... disrespect the memory of that woman... ever." Rayed would stab his hand into his chest and as he grabbed his heart. "This... is how you will repay your sin."
The man would bleed from his mouth and then feel the curse placed onto him. "What did you just do?"
"Speak I'll, of her again... and you will die." Rayes said plainly. "Now... leave me... if your demon lords want to talk... I do not mind meeting them... but let them know I have no interest, but I also won't interfere. Not unless I must do so out of necessity." Rayed wiped his hand clean of blood.
"They won't let this slide. And you will be deemed a traiter. For refusing to compromise with them." The man then got up
"Goodbye... and, I'm sorry for my Agreesive action..." rayes said and left teleporting back to the forest near his home.
He would calm his bloodlust, calm his mind, ease his soul, before ever stepping a foot into his home. He would slowly enter back and meet with his family. As he got closer, the children outside would see Rayes would be back, and so they came up to him wondering if he brought then any gifts from the city.
Labelle and Nala both however could sense what he was hiding, and that was his nerves. But they didn't say anything to him, they let him go about and would wait till nightfall to talk to him.
Meanwhile, the man who first met with him, would soon meet back with his master.
"You failed..." the demon lord said to him.
"I did sir... and... I have a message from him.." he was scared to speak. But did so also out of that same fear for his master.
"What is it?" The lord asked.
"He is willing to talk things out... but, he also insisted he would not return..." the man was on his knees.
"Tch... how pathetic... a demon talking things out... the Demon may have been around the longest, but that's all be has going for him. We don't need to comply with such a weak ruler... start looking for his home... and when you do let me know."
"You won't leave us out of this too will you?" Two demon sisters came in also wanting to get involved.
"You pests... don't you have your own homes..." the first lord said.
"You've been snooping around behind our backs, so we also wanna have fun... besides this about Rayes right? We wanna get involved." On sister said.
"Fine. Work with my servant then..." he said.
"Giving your fellow demon lord orders, how bold... but i guess we will do as you say, we prefer working rather than letting servants do all the work... its no fun if we don't get involved." Thebot sister said.
"Right... the two barbaric twins... do what you like. Just make sure my slave there is not collateral, or I'll be after you both... regardless, we also don't want to kill our fellow demon lord, so don't brutalize him, at least to much, he may be the weakest of our kind, but he still holds such a title." With that he let them be.
Outside the door the slave of that lord rubbed his chest and was then approached by the twin lords.
"How can I help?" He asked nervously.
"Tell us everything from when and where you met with lord Rayes, and everything you know." They both wanted to have fun and also bring the demon lord who abandoned there kind back by force. They wanted to go to war more badly than anyone else. Both twins were brutal and merciless in how they kill. So for them to seek out one individual personally, meant there would be carnage.
Sure enough, the man did explain and tell them how they met and how there tall went. He did say he could pinpoint where he was exactly and got lucky to run into that town with him. The man had been on the search for him a while now. And he wasn't the only one ordered too.
A while later night came around and in bed Rayes yawned as he got ready to sleep for the night. Only a knock was heard softly. "Come in."
"Thank you master." Labelle said, as she then entered and walked over to him. She was in her pajamas, but spoke like she was on the clock.
"You can ease up. It's just us." He said. "What's wrong?"
"Alright... and nothing, well for me anyways. I came over to talk with you. Earlier I sensed you come back, did something happen on your trip to town?" She asked and sat down beside him on his bed.
"Ah. And Nala?" He asked.
Which she then nodded from the window after suddenly appearing and opened from the outside to slide and enter herself. "I felt it too... sorry for peeping."
"I'm glad you both are concerned. It means a lot. And I won't hide it from either of you. Ealier, on my trip I ran into one of the slaves of a Demon lord. Seems they have been looking for. They intent to start another war and want me put of the human region." He explained.
"Theh didn't threaten you did they?" Labelle asked.
"No of course not... well, I don't think?" He thought. "Well I did sort of curse him. After a claim he made. So yeah, I don't think we'll see him again if he keeps his mouth shut accordingly."
"Scary master." Nala said sitting up on his lap coiling herself around his body. "Say, since we're all here can we have a sleepover together?" She asked.
Labelle while annoyed seeing Nala cuddled up, the next idea actual peaked her intrest. However she then shook her head. "We can't impose on the master! Come on Nala let go." She would try to be humble about it.
"I don't mind." He said which caught Labelle off gaurd.
"Yay!" Nala said licking his cheek.
"R-R-Really? Labelle was flustered.
"Well, it's not a lot of space. You two can sleep on the bed. I can lay on the floor just fine." Rayes cleared up and chuckled.
"What!? No, a demon lord sleeping on the floor sir?! That's just... not right... besides it would be..." Labelle stopped herself.
"Yeah, no way, it's better if we slept on the same bed together!" Nala said, just what was on her mind.
Rayes sighed. He understood both of them from the beginning. But still he didn't try to be so close like that. But it wasn't like he never thought of spoiling them. Just when he tried they either didn't need anything or were fine. So since it seemed this was something they wanted he then agreed. "Fine... we may all sleep together... but, Nala you'll need to uncoil so I can lay down properly." Rayes told her.
"Kay!" She then slipped off the bed and his lap.
"Come here Labelle." He grabbed her gently and had laid down with her grabbing her waist as he cuddled against her back.
Her tail stiffened up as she was flushed and embarrassed. As she was so close to her master and could feel him along her back.
"Nala, slip in front of Labelle and cuddle her." He asked of her so they could comfortably lay together.
"Ooh!" She did as ordered and hugged Labelle from her front pressing her small frame against Labelle mature body and held hugged her planting her face on her breast. "So warm and comfy!" Nala said smiling. She would sniff her. "And you smell so lovely too!"
"What?! Don't sniff me you little pervert!" Labelle grew embarrassed.
Rayes then sniffed her hair and chuckled. "Your right... like lavender and honey, and she is queit warm to hold..." rayes noticed as he cuddled her closely.
This would cause Labelle to start getting dizzy as she was embraced by her master, in the same bed and he willing sniffed her getting her scent on him. And she finally realized his scent would be on her. She fainted and slept soundly.
Nala laughed a bit and cuddled her more wrapping her tail around there legs being very attached to them both.
Rayes would see this and kiss the back of Labelle's head amd reach to pat Nala on her head. "Good night you two." He closed his eyes and slept sound holding them both.
The very next day, the children were up early, Labelle wasn't there to wake them. As the girls came out of their room and the boys out of theirs, they wondered where everyone was. The girls checked Labelle's room, and when the boys checked Rayes. They whispered over to the girls to take a look. All of them peaking through would then see all of the adults were cuddled up together.
The girls each a bit embarrassed except for Amber, who was more like a tomboy, while Mist, a boy was a little embarrassed himself.
It proved how different each one was.
They all looked on silently from the door.
While waking up, Labelle was now awake first from the three. He had hair on the edge of her mouth as she sluggishly woke up. And noticed the giggles of children gazing towards the door she looked on embarrassed and red.
The children mocked softly.
"Oh hoooo!" Amber snickered out.
"No... it's not!" Labelle tried to speak out.
"Shame on you." Valerie would instinctively point out.
"Wow, you know, we kids can't be seeing this... how bad of you all." Crow say, joking of course.
"All of you." She then lost her cool as she rushed out of bed throwing a pillow at them. "Get changed!" She huffed.
"Oh no!"
Yikes!"
"Haha!" The children all ran away in turn, both laughing and a bit scared about what she would do after seeing her in such a vulnerable moment.
She was embarrassed hiding her face in her palms and could hear Nala wake up and then Rayes.
"So loud..." Nala whimpered rubbing her eyes.
Rayes was queit on the other hand and stretched. He would just smile at Labelle once she looked at them. And say. "Good morning." Like nothing happend.
"Yes... morning sir..." she was red in the face. Which concnered rayes, as he got up and walked over.
"Your red, what's wrong? A cold is almost impossible for dragon kin." He then leaned over and got close. He was innocently checking her health.
She would grow shy and Nala saw this as they them kissing. Which made her angry. "Hey! No kissing! At least give me one too." She demanded.
"Nothing like that is happening!?" Labelle said, before moving herself back and sighed taking a breath to then explain. She regained her composure ad she then looked at Rayes after huffing.
"I'm fine sir... just the children saw me in a vulnerable moment. It got me flustered. We don't normally sleep together so it's a unique feeling." She said still a slight red on the cheeks. Poking the tips of her fingers together.
"I still want a kiss." Nala said, looking at them.
"No!" Labelle said to her.
He could only chuckled and sit up. "Alright... both of you, it's the morning, let's get breakfast. I'm practically in the mood for some fruit... and Nala why don't we go fish and get some trout for later today." He suggested as he went to his closet.
"Wooooah! Yeah! Let's do that master!" She went up and hugged him liking the idea of fish and spending time with him.
"Well, if your going by the river master. Why don't we all go? The children and I as well?" She asked.
"Yeah, would be a fun swim for them. And, I could bathe you in your dragon form, and you in your complete form." He told her and Nala. Patting Nala on her head as he would lay clothes out. "That reminds me... my shopping. I forgot to give the stuff I bought at the market, can you to lead them after breakfast, I'm gonna leave the gifts here as a surprise for when we come back."
"Sounds like a plan master." Nala said happily agreeing to help.
Labelle would walk to the door. "I'll get changed now, and dress..." she said.
"Let's nap like this again." Rayes told her.
She was at the door and nodded. "Kay..." she was trying not to show much her excitement, but her tailed waved rapidly and happily as she left.
"She so cute!" Nala said adoring her female friend. "Master, what sort of gifts did you get for the children?" She asked.
"Haha, I got stuff for you and Labelle as well... for you, I got clothes... your body, well, upper torso, is that like the children... so I just used thah as reference to find you stuff... I also got you a book to read." He said, reaching into his dimensional storage and pulled out blouses and dresses. And then an advance magic book. One of few he bought.
"Woah!" She grabbed the book. "Ahh! Magic thank you master. And the clothes are beautiful thank you, oh! Should I change now?" She asked holding the book.
"Maybe, change in your own room.... well, I guess we hadn't prepared you one... I guess I should clean up the attic... would you like the attic to be your live in space?" He asked her thinking.
"Nah, I like your room... and while the shed is spacious for my real form... it's lonely," she explained.
"It'll be strange to keep sleeping in the same room... I'll prepare the attic for you okay..." he said patting her head.
"You know, I'm practically throughing myself onto you... why don't you bite?" She asked pouting.
"Well, it wouldn't be right of me. As sweet as the gesture is... but I don't wanna just because your my servant. I rather it be a truly special moment should anything between you and I, or Labelle." he explain, setting some boundaries. "Now that I hunored you, go to Labelle's room and change okay." He said.
"Okay master." She smiled and bowed her head. Grabbing her new outfits as she went to Labelle's room as told too to change.
Commotion could be heard as Labelle would have been in the nude when she came in and then some playful arguing could be heard through the walls.
He stripped, and as he did, he look to his body in the mirror, as he just saw his scars. His body while not lean like most he was still fit. He grabbed a fresh pair of clothes to change into and got dressed. Stepping out of his room he walked out to the living area and saw the children each one doing something alone or together with another. All of them respectful as they greeted him.
"Good Morning sir!" They all said together noticing him and stopped to approach him, they gathered with eyes so bright wondering what today would be about. "What are we doing today?!" They asked.
He smiled and patted they head.
"Morning, all or you children... hm... I was thinking, we go gather our own breakfast, so we're picking fruit... but, then we'll go to the river... where we'll fish and maybe go for a swim... would you all like that?" He asked.
They didn't make a sound, just looked to one another almost giving him a bad impression they didn't like the idea. But then they all jumped on him and yelled.
"Yeah! Let's go!"
They all came from such different backgrounds. Each from another race. Non knew their real parents. And here they were. Smiling together and as close as family.
He was on the ground and smiled. "You kids worried me, I thought you were about to tell me it was a bad idea... okay, Labelle and Nala should be out soon they'll guide you children." He then got up once they moved off him and when he did he dusted himself off.
Labelle came out in unfired and Nala soon had a matching one on her body. They together came out and met up with rayes. Then left him alone in the house when they all were taken to the riven and the fruit tress.
While behind, Rayes would start leaving their gifts out. He left starter magic books, sword play techniques, spells, toys and games. He left then spread and even place name plate on each iteam grouping them differently for each of the children. And that's when he heard a knock on the door.
He was so distracted that as he went over he failed to realize and react. Opening the door. "Labelle what's up?!" He was stabbed by a harbeld deep into his chest and stabbed his heart.
He looked down and then as he saw who did this. He saw the twin demon lords.
"Hii~ I hope we aren't interrupting..." one sister then jumped kicking his chin into a serious upper placed kick.
The weapon taken off his chest from the attack, as he then went breaking through the roof and was tossed far out landing into the water of the river in a massive slash.
By then Labelle, Nala and the children all saw the body of rayes as he a massive wound in his chest and his mouth erupting with blood.
The children screamed seeing their caretaker suddenly dead.
Labelle immediately bared her fangs in anger. "Nala! Watch the children!" She said.
"Yeah!" Nala took on her true form as she coiled around the children with her massive body putting them into a protective dome with her body.
Labelle ran over to rayes's body in the river as she grabbed his head and saw the dire situation he was in. "Master! Who did this?!" She asked.
Walking up to them, we're the demon sisters. As they approach the harbeld they had was set into the ground. "We did... I can't believe a demon lord is thay weak... one hit and he died... seriously." One sister said.
"Right, we're gonna get in trouble too... but this isn't our fault, he was just so weak... now... who are you dragon?" The other sister asked.
Labelle with rage looked at them. "You'll die right where you said " her eyes changed completely, and more of her dragonic body began to show itself.
"Oh... your not some half breed... your a true dragon, what are you doing here? And serving him?" One sister was so confused. "Are you a pet or something?"
Labelle dashed, ready to drag her claws into them. However one sister blocked with the weapon, while the other kicked and punched Labelle away.
Nala would glare at the two.
"Oh... sister, there a serpent here too..." the other sister said.
"Well... we already killed the oldest demon lord. Might as well kill the rest... wait... you feel that... there's an angel here..." one sister sniffed.
"I sense it on the serpent..." the other said.
Labelle and Nala both began to use magic as Labelle got back into the fight.
"Stop." Rayes said, slowly getting up from his death blow.
Labelle did as told and so did Nala. Labelle came to his side. "Master!"
"I'm fine..." he said and looked at the two.
"Woah... your alive old man... how? This weapon rips souls from bodies... and inflicts tons if bleeding... you should be dead." The sisters looked at him and then to their gear.
"If mere toys were enough to kill me... the many other lords before you, would have a much better chance..." rayes then stabbed himself with his hand. And gave himself a curse. "As the demon god... and demon of curses... I cast this." He looked at them. "I lose over hundreds of years of my life... for the curse ultimate and ungodly strength..." he inflicted a curse onto himself. And once he took out his hand from his chest. He would appear before them shoving his knee suddenly into one of the demon girls face.
While the other tired to block, he then swift gut punched her and bashed his knee into her face too.
Both would be on thier knees. One vomiting her guts and soon blood from ruptured organs as they cried. "How?! How is the possible..."
He then swiftly kicked that same demon child face and stomped on her other sister back shoving his foot through her back.
The screams were ear piercing from the other twin. "Stop! please!"
"You both were about to kill me..." he said coldly.
"Your just a weak demon! Wait till the other learn what you did!" The sister he kicked along her face said.
"I once was... hundreds of thousands of years ago... and many more thousands before that... with the original lords, yes... I was the weakest. But those lords at the time never once castrated me for it... they let me go on as I please. I learned from your progenitors what power is... what true demon lords are like... you are unfit... and it my promise... my solemn duty... to replace those unfit." He said.
"No..." they never realized, he was only called weak. Because he never sought to correct it.
"I'm afraid... I cannot allow either of you to live... I'm afraid. For endangering my peaceful existence here... you both... my cease to exist." He told them.
He would remove his foot out from grabbed the hair of the other sister as he would stab his hand into her head, and while destroying her brain her then chanted. "I curse... unspeakable pain... madness... rot. Death." He finished and her barely half alive sister would watch as her twin would start to show convolutions. Spasms and suddenly screaming until there was no sound. He watched on mercilessly.
"You master! You abomination!" She said.
"We're both demons... and yet your afraid of me... I am a monster... one that's survived countless wars... years... pain. I experienced it for a thousand lifetimes more than you... and this current Era of demon kind." He then grabbed her spine from her exposed stomach area, and began to pull as he stepped on her head.
"What?! Are you doing! No! Stop it!" She begged.
He was silent, as he ripped her bones out of her body, right from the spine of hers he held. He then tossed the skeletal remains back onto the corpse.
Labelle and Nala felt not even the slightest fear. They both watched with admiration.
"I hole they learned their lesson..." he said, before then stabbing both bodies. "I curse... undead." Both would be brought back from the dead
He then stabbed them again. "I curse... revive, at the cost of losing one third of there lives..." both, would suddenly ly have been brought back from death, as they seemingly look at one another alive and well now. They then looked on in fear at rayes. "We.... we are so sorry." They said, begging with their heads on the ground.
"Give me your wrist." He said to them.
Both looked up and just did as asked. Exposing their sleeves out to him.
He then bit down into their wrist drinking their blood, but also removing the curses and left them with the blessing of now being revived.
After that, they held their wrists and looked on in fear of what will be done.
"Stop looking at me like that. I just wanted to teach you both a lesson..." he said.
"Sir... we can't just leave them alone like nothing happend, what if the others come to learn of your strength." Labelle asked.
"We won't tell a soul!" They said.
"I cant trust the word of a demon... so I'll have to place a curse on you both." Rayes said. "It won't kill you, unless you tell about what happened today. And, if should you die because somone wants to learn about my power... it'll revive you and summon you here." He was extremely generous.
Both were unsure. But couldn't exactly oppose.
"Alright, let's begin." He said, now forcing custom and new cursed onto them, making it absolute things went his way, they were to never speak of what they saw. Never mention where I was. Never to come back. They are to go back, amd once home, forget all desire to meet me or ever seek me out. Should they fail, they will die. Then be reborn, and die again and again. This cycle would be Never ending for the rest of time.
After he finished, he then gave them their first order and last. "Go home. And forgot everything. When you sleep, you'll be same as you were."
The demon twins stood up, and left quietly.
Labelle and Nala would watch, the question came from Labelle. "Is thay wise sir?"
"Yeah... I'm not the same demon lord as before. I rather not kill." He said getting up dusting himself. "Now you dear. How are you and nala?" He asked checking her uniform.
"Oh... we're fine. I was just kicked so I'm okay, and Nala did as I ordered, she's protecting the children." Labelle explain.
"I see... thank you, Labelle and nala... now how will we explain." He said.
While he thought, Nala uncoiled herself around the children, and turned back into a demi human herself. The children were a bit startled, the last thing they saw was their dead caretaker but now, upon second glaces, he was alive. They all ran up to him.
He saw looks of concerns and of relief, but he just wanted to avoid the thought of explaining. "Children... the river remember. Let's go. We still have fish to catch, and we can go for a swim." He said with not much enthusiasm in his face.
The boys and girls would quietly look at one another. The ripped area of his clothes was still exposing his skin, from the impact of the attack he took.
"What happened sir!" Amber asked. "We saw... you bleeding..." she grabbed his shirt sleeve.
"Ah... listen... let's not talk about it now. I'm okay aren't I? So let's go. Dinner can't prepare itself and.... I got a surprise for all of you back home." He said, really changing his tone to seem like he was back to himself.
This did cheer them up a bit.
"I'll explain too... what just happened... you all should be more or less ready to learn about what happened... and yourself." He said, patting Amber's head.
Labelle cupped her hands together in front of her below her waist as she was now worried of that topic.
Nale stood by Labelle, and saw how gloomy the air was. So she acted. "Come on! I'll let you kids ride on my back if we hurry! We're also preparing you little runts some pie and fruits!" She was roughly their height, may be a bit taller but, she fit in perfectly with the children. As she tried to lift their spirits.
The children would awe at the idea of rising on her snake back, so they followed her to the river.
"Sir... let's go." Labelle walked up to the alone rayes and held his arm.
"Okay." He walked with her as they headed to the river together locked in arms.