It was a seemingly normal day for Snowy until a loud bang on the door jolted him awake. The noise was so sudden and jarring that it pulled him from a deep slumber, and he groaned, rubbing his eyes in confusion. "Who's that damn bastard banging on my door?" Snowy muttered, irritation seeping into his voice.
He shuffled out of bed, his peaceful sleep disrupted by the relentless pounding. As Snowy reached the door, it suddenly gave way, crashing down with a deafening thud. Snowy barely managed to sidestep in time, but the door hit the floor with such force that it sent a cloud of dust into the air. Snowy coughed, quickly covering his mouth to avoid inhaling the dust, and glared at the debris with a mix of frustration and bewilderment.
The irritation on his face softened when he heard a familiar voice cut through the commotion. "Snowy! Hey!" Emily's voice was filled with relief and excitement as she barreled into the room, her arms enveloping him in a tight hug. The surprise and sudden affection left Snowy momentarily stunned.
Before he could fully process the situation, Draken and Kael joined the scene, both hugging him with worried expressions. Draken's face was etched with concern. "Snowy! Are you okay? I heard your house was on fire! Did that Dimwit Darkscale hurt you?"
Snowy, still groggy and disoriented, blinked at Draken. "Dimwit Darkscale?"
Draken nodded vigorously. "Yes, the Shadow Dragon! You sent us out the city just because of that and do you have some sort of grudge against it, or is it a genetic nemesis?"
Snowy sighed deeply, feeling a pang of frustration and anger. "let's just drop subject. First of all, you shouldn't be here. But now that you are, you need to get ready. There's a new rule: everyone must train, except advisors, councilors, leaders, Aurora, and... recently me. There's a guy named Kenshi who will be your trainer."
Emily chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. "Well, it can't be worse than my own personal training, right?"
Snowy's expression turned serious. "I assure you, it will be hard. Good luck."
Emily, Draken, and Kael exchanged puzzled looks. "What do you mean by that?" they asked in unison.
Snowy simply pointed towards the training ground, where Kenshi was already counting down from ten. "You'll find out."
Emily laughed, thinking Snowy was making a joke. "Oh, come on. You're kidding, right?"
Kael knowing snowy doesn't joke around, hurried outside, but Emily and Draken hesitated, "Traitor!" she called after Kael, who had already dashed out, eager to avoid the the stick in hands of kenshi.
Snowy watched them leave, muttering under his breath, "Well, I guess you guys like tattoos that'll be printed after kenshi uses that stick in his hand."
Kenshi arrived, looming over Emily and Draken with an imposing presence. He was a tall figure, his gaze sharp and intimidating. "I suppose you're the new recruits?" he asked menacingly, his voice echoing with authority.
Emily and Draken turned to face him, their nervousness palpable. "Um...hello, I'm Emily, and this is Draken," Emily stammered, trying to sound more confident than she felt.
Kenshi's smirk widened into a cruel smile. "Hello, Emily and Draken. As new recruits, I'll let it slide this time. But next time, make sure to follow the rules. Now, get to the training ground!"
Emily and Draken flinched as Kenshi's voice boomed, but before Kenshi could issue another command, Snowy's glare sent shivers down his spine. Snowy walked up to Kenshi, his aura making the air feel colder.
Snowy leaned in close, his voice a low, dangerous whisper. "If I find any of them, including Kael, physically or mentally faltering under your training, I'll make sure your bones are on display in a museum. Got it?"
Kenshi's eyes widened in apprehension. He nodded quickly. "Understood."
Snowy's expression softened slightly as he straightened up, his smile almost reassuring. "Good. Now get going."
As Kenshi departed swiftly, Snowy turned to Emily and Draken. "Get up already. Kenshi's training will be tough, but he's the best we've got."
Emily and Draken, despite their apprehension, nodded and went to join the training. Snowy took a moment to reflect on the unexpected visit. Aurora peeked into the room from side but her little to no use, snowy looked directly where Aurora was and that maked her blush in embarrassment, Snowy, noticing her presence, gave her a thumbs-up because he thought she came here to intervene as kenshi was being harsh on newcomers but to reassure that things were under control but she misinterpreted as a sign of approval.
Aurora, feeling embarrassed, turned her gaze away. Her thoughts drifted back to the first time she met Snowy where he pointed the dagger on her throat. There was something undeniably compelling about him, a stark contrast to the usual respect and fear she received due to her father's influence. Snowy's disregard for conventional fears and his unique perspective had left a lasting impression on her.
As Aurora was lost in her thoughts, Ragnar, the Hound Clan leader, appeared beside her. "So, what are you looking for or may i say who are you looking for, Miss Aurora?" he asked with genuine curiosity.
Aurora, startled, jumped slightly. "What are you doing here?" she got caught twice this day, she was trying to mask her surprise and calm her racing heart.
Ragnar, noticing her distress, said, "Forgive me, Miss Aurora. I didn't mean to intrude. I'll wait until you're finished."
Aurora sighed, trying to regain her composure. "No, it's fine. We can move on."
Ragnar smiled, his demeanor softening. "My pleasure."
Aurora glanced once more towards Snowy's room before leaving, her mind still preoccupied with thoughts of the enigmatic hero. She was determined to understand him better, despite her initial reservations.
Meanwhile, Snowy was busy preparing food for Ignis, who was still adapting to her human form. He had bought her some clothes that looked adorable on her, a small gesture that highlighted his growing affection and care. Snowy, focused on his task, was unaware of the growing bond between himself and Aurora.
As evening fell, Emily, Kael, and Draken returned from their grueling training session, dripping with sweat and looking exhausted. Their clothes were soaked through, and their faces glistened with the effort they had put in.
Emily, her face flushed from exertion, exclaimed, "That training was incredible! Snowy, you should've warned me about Kenshi. He was like lightning, so fast and strong. His techniques were flawless, and he even used spells to boost his physical abilities. Isn't that amazing?"
Draken, though tired, nodded in agreement. "His technique was impeccable. I couldn't spot any flaws."
Kael, though less vocal, simply nodded, his expression tired but satisfied.
Snowy, deep in thought, considered their words. "(Hmm, I forgot this world has magic. Kenshi did lose pretty quickly though I am becoming exponentially stronger) yeah he was pretty good."
Emily, still wiping sweat from her face with a towel, said, "Pretty good? No, he was phenomenal! Anyway, let's stop praising him. We have a surprise for you,but you'll have to wait.
Snowy looked skeptical but, nodded anyways, as he was also feeling tired for some reason...
"Well I'll leave the dinner and your surprise up to you, and remember, if ignis sees the food, and looks delicious enough, she will eat the entire thing under a second so keep her away when you make the dinner, and specially don't pat her when she is sleeping, that's pretty much it, and yeah don't make mess in my room, so yeah" snowy walked away to his bedroom.
Emily was gonna ask about where would they sleep but put it aside as they will wake up snowy for dinner and their surprise so all three got into their works and snowy,
He was sleeping.
Snowy was walking, on the clouds, he didn't knew it was a dream but felt good as winds blew passed him, but that feeling was cut short as he was woken up by Igins who was about to jump on his belly to wake snowy up.
Snowy woke up immediately, catching ignis mid way her jump, as it'll be painful. "Ignis...what are you doing here..?"
Igins pointed to snowy's mouth and point outside the bedroom, and snowy understood as she was saying that dinner was ready.
Snowy got up and took ignis with him to the kitchen, the kitchen was dark as the lights were off there, snowy knew some people were in there holding something but he didn't know what, but as he stepped in the kitchen lights flickered on, and party poppers exploded with a burst of color. Snowy was taken aback as everyone, including Aurora and Ragnar, cheered. Kael, grinning widely, placed a party hat on Snowy's head. The group burst into song.
"Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday dear Snowy, Happy birthday to you!"
Snowy, though not typically one to celebrate birthdays, felt a sense of warmth and appreciation from the surprise. His first thought was,"wasn't my birthday already over?"
Emily gently explained, "Celebrating with loved ones makes it special. It's not just about the date but the people who are with you."
Just then, Ignis darted into the kitchen and devoured the entire cake in mere seconds. Emily's jaw dropped in disbelief. "You little devil! Come back here!" she cried, chasing after her.
Laughter erupted as Emily tried to catch Ignis, reminiscent of the classic Tom and Jerry chases. Despite the cake being gone, the atmosphere was filled with joy and camaraderie. Snowy gave a low chuckled, appreciating the lively and chaotic celebration.
As the evening went on, Snowy felt a deep sense of gratitude for the unexpected celebration and the friends who had come together to make it memorable. Despite the lost cake, the warmth and laughter made the night special.
Snowy realized that, despite the challenges and uncertainties, he was surrounded by people who cared about him. It was a comforting thought as he looked around at his friends, enjoying the simple pleasure of their company but knew he had to protect them unlike his parents where he was capable of doing if he didn't have left the home...
As the party wound down Aurora, Ragnar say their goodbyes, Snowy couldn't help but reflect on how much had changed in this life. The bonds he had formed, the battles he had fought, and the unexpected moments of joy, loses, pains were all part of a journey that was far from over.
Emily, Draken, Kael, and even Ignis, who had returned with a sheepish grin, had made his birthday memorable and Snowy knew that.