"Wait! Are those… recipes!?" Emperal blinked, his mind reeling as images and knowledge surged into his head like a tidal wave. The sheer amount of information was overwhelming, making his vision blur as if his brain was about to short-circuit. Then, as suddenly as it began, it stopped.
He slumped back with a heavy sigh, clutching his head as relief washed over him. "Damn, that was intense…" he muttered, Information fragments floating in his head. He groaned, his voice carrying a tinge of irritation.
After a moment, his eyes sharpened, and his expression darkened. "Who the hell was that bastard trying to hijack my body?" he growled, the anger in his tone unmistakable. His fists clenched tightly as a wave of rage rippled through him.
Shaking his head, he forced himself to calm down, though his frustration lingered. "Let's just wrap this up and get the hell out of Cithsin Forest. I've had enough of this place," he muttered, rubbing his temples as if trying to ease a headache.
Finally, he lay down, closing his eyes and letting sleep claim him. The night passed quietly, and soon, the soft glow of three suns began to fill the sky. Their warm, golden light bathed the land, chasing away the shadows without adding any extra heat.
Emperal stirred, groaning slightly as he sat up. "Ugh, so it's morning already?" he muttered groggily, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. His gaze shifted to the side, landing on Grimblaze sprawled out on the floor, snoring loudly and drooling on himself.
He picked up a small stone, weighing it in his hand with a smirk before tossing it straight at Grimblaze's head. The pygmy hippol jerked awake with a startled snort, flailing his stubby limbs.
"Wha—what?! Who dares disturb this handsome Daddy?!" he sputtered, blinking blurrily as he tried to make sense of his surroundings.
"Quit your whining. It's morning, and you're drooling all over the floor," Emperal said flatly, his tone carrying a hint of amusement.
Grimblaze grumbled, wiping his face with his stubby paw. "You didn't have to throw a rock at me, Boss. That's cruel, even for you."
Emperal shrugged, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "Cruel is letting you snore loud enough to wake the entire forest. What the hell were you dreaming about anyway? You sounded like a pig choking on something."
Grimblaze's eyes narrowed indignantly. "Excuse you, I was dreaming of a grand feast! Juicy fruits, roasted meats, and rivers of honey! And then some bastard threw a rock at me and ruined it."
Emperal chuckled, shaking his head. "Figures. Anyway, about last night…" His voice trailed off as his expression grew more serious.
Grimblaze tilted his head, his earlier annoyance fading. "Yeah, that was wild. You were tossing and turning like a fish out of water. What happened?"
Emperal sighed, rubbing his temples again. " Sigh, Long story short, Something—or someone—was trying to take control of me."
Grimblaze blinked, his small eyes wide with curiosity. "Whoa, that's intense. Do you know who—or what—it was?"
"No idea," Emperal replied, his tone dripping with frustration. "But whoever it was, they're lucky they didn't stick around. Or I would've shoved their head so far up your ass they'd be wearing you as a hat."
Grimblaze froze mid-step, his eyes bulging as his jaw dropped. "B-Boss! That's just—why would you even say that?!" he sputtered, flailing his stubby limbs.
"Because it's true," Emperal said with a straight face, dusting off his tunic.
Grimblaze stared at him, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. "I—I don't even know how to respond to that! You've scarred me, Boss. I'll never look at hats the same way again!"
"Good," Emperal said, smirking as he turned toward the door. "Maybe now you'll stop drooling on the floor like a damn pig."
Grimblaze huffed, stomping after him. "You know, I don't have to take this kind of abuse! I'm a divine beast! I have dignity!"
"Yeah, sure you do," Emperal shot back, glancing over his shoulder. "Now hurry up before I decide to test the theory."
Grimblaze muttered under his breath, his cheeks puffed out in indignation. "One day, Boss. One day you're gonna need me, and I'm gonna remind you of this moment."
"And when that day comes," Emperal said, chuckling, "I'll still find a way to make you a hat."
Standing up and stretching. "Now get your lazy ass up. We've got work to do and a forest to leave behind."
Grimblaze groaned but complied, rolling to his feet. "Fine, fine. But if we find food on the way out, I'm calling dibs."
"Good luck with that," Emperal shot back, already heading ahead as Grimblaze scampered after him, grumbling under his breath.
…
As they reached the village entrance, the guards straightened up and bowed deeply, moving aside to let them pass. Emperal gave them a cursory glance before muttering, "He better give something good, or else…"
He left the threat hanging, his eyes sliding sideways to Grimblaze.
The yellow hippol froze, his eyes widening as an uncomfortable shiver ran down his stubby body. "O-Or else what, Boss?" he stammered, instinctively taking a few steps away.
Emperal chuckled darkly. "You don't wanna know, Grimblaze."
Grimblaze's ears drooped as he muttered under his breath, "Why is it always me…"
Ignoring him, Emperal strode into the village, heading straight for the chief's house. Grimblaze trailed behind, still grumbling about "ungrateful bosses."
…
Inside the village chief's house, Emperal leaned back lazily in his chair, recounting the events of the forest. Well, most of them. He conveniently left out the part about the sexy women and that mysterious box—some details weren't meant for sharing.
"This sums it up, Village Chief," Emperal said, finishing his heavily edited story.
The village chief sat there, rubbing his forehead, his expression looking like he'd aged five years. "So that's what was going on…" he mumbled, shaking his head like he'd just been handed the worst news of his life.
He let out a heavy sigh and then straightened up, trying to look all formal and proper. "Lord Xynos, I can't thank you enough for your help. I'll make sure you get a reward worthy of your efforts."
Emperal didn't even flinch. He just leaned back, arms crossed, and said flatly, "Yeah, you better. I didn't risk my neck out there for some pocket change."
The chief blinked at Emperal's bluntness, his smile slipping for a second before he nodded quickly. "O-Of course! You'll find it… uh, satisfactory. Absolutely satisfactory!"
Before he could scurry off, Grimblaze chimed in from his spot near the door, grinning like he'd just thought of something clever. "Better make it real good, old man. Boss doesn't do charity work. And if it's not, we might just use your beard to plant a new forest out there."
The chief froze, one hand instinctively going to his very fluffy beard. "My… beard? Planting a forest?"
Emperal snorted, trying to keep a straight face, while Grimblaze puffed out his chest like he'd just come up with the most brilliant plan ever. "Yep! Eco-friendly and stylish. Think about it—you could be a legend!"
The chief blinked, obviously unsure if Grimblaze was serious, before muttering something about getting the reward ready and shuffling off.
As soon as he was gone, Emperal glanced at Grimblaze, shaking his head. "Beard reforesting? You've outdone yourself, Blaze."
Grimblaze grinned proudly. "What can I say? I'm a genius."
"You're lucky you're funny, GrimBlaze," Emperal said, shaking his head.
"Funny and lovable," Grimblaze corrected, earning an eye-roll from Emperal as they waited for the chief to return.
…