If Matt was around to witness it, he would've likened it to a dancer performing a beautiful routine. The creature soon crumbled and faded away. The Dragoon stared at her palms, which were fully engulfed with her ocean-blue Elemental Energy.
She looked as if she was a baby trying to figure out how to count their fingers. But soon, exhaustion set in after her adrenaline ran out and the poor girl slumped back onto the bed. Matt instantly barged in as if his life depended on it.
The Loplin might have had a small heart attack when he saw the creature's body fade away.
"What happened?! I heard so much noise here!" exclaimed Matt as he set the two bowls of soup down on the nightstand.
"So much for being safe…" said Layla as she tried to sit up straight.
Matt had fear in his eyes as he gazed around the room. Luckily for the two, Layla used the last of her strength to manipulate her Ice Element to make a makeshift window.
"Some random snake creature managed to bust in through the window… I had no clue that this place has monsters within the towns," explained Layla as Matt gave her a bowl of warm pumpkin soup.
"The village over here has wild dogs but never snake-like creatures… Are you ok? Are you hurt?" asked the concerned Loplin as he sat on the bed.
"I've been better… The soup's not too bad though, could use a bit more salt," remarked the tired Dragon girl.
"Aren't you a picky one…"
"Hey! Not my fault I've got choosy taste buds..."
The bunny smiled and sighed as he placed a hand on her head to ruffle her hair, much to the confusion of Layla.
"Despite saying that you aren't skilled, I see that you could hold your own against a mystery creature," praised Matt as he finished his soup.
"It's nothing compared to what my twin has done… Fighting against wars, defeating creatures as big as my shop… Me slaying that thing took so much effort and he would've only needed a sneeze to kill it," explained Layla as she stacked her empty bowl on Matt's finished one.
"You know, we gotta fix your low self-esteem soon, or else you don't stand a chance against Tiamat," said Matt as he stood up to crack his spine.
"What do you mean?" quizzed the confused Dragoon.
"When I was training, climbing up the ranks, I learned something. No matter how much training we do, the first step will always be to believe in yourself. If we don't do so, then we will never have the confidence to stand against our enemies and defeat them."
"Tiamat is a Goddess, facing her would be a daunting task. You need to learn how to be proud of yourself, even if it's just small accomplishments. That's how warriors or heroes start their stories," explained Matt as he sat back down beside Layla to stroke her hair.
The rabbit could feel his heart flutter ever so slightly as the Dragoon's ruby eyes met with his own. What was this feeling of… Comfort? Warmth? It's been a good long while since he showed anyone such concern.
It's not as if Matt hasn't been with females before, good heavens no. When he was first drafted into the Royal Guard, the young bun had frequented bars and picked up some chicks to relax from the daunting tasks of the day.
But, what he felt for the Dragoon wasn't the same, flirtatious feeling… It was as if she was in a glass case that the Loplin could not touch until he broke down a few more walls. No, it felt like something… Softer, calmer… And warmer.
"Where are you going to sleep? There's only one bed…" asked Layla as she turned her head away from Matt's wandering eyes.
"I guess I could sleep on the floor, it isn't too bad…" said Matt as he leaned over to cover Layla with the blanket.
The Dragoon grabbed Matt's wrist and pulled herself upwards.
"No, Loplins need to sleep but we don't… You take the bed," murmured Layla as she tried to stand up.
With a firm grip and push, Matt managed to push the poor girl back onto the bed and hopped into the bed with her. Layla barely got a word out before the flame went out.
"I won't do anything to you. You're welcome to try, though," whispered Matt as he faced away from Layla.
"In your damned dreams!"
Morning soon came and Layla was more than happy to hop out of bed before Matt could wake up. She had spent the whole night, eyes wide open and trying to rest while her brain was racing with the fact it was her first time sharing a bed with another male.