After their sprint, the children threw themselves into each other's arms. It was a beautiful reward after all the trials they had endured.
That's when their grandfather stepped out of the house:
"Kaelle? What's all this commotion? Is everything oka—"
He stopped mid-sentence upon seeing his grandsons. Tears welled up in his eyes and he cried out:
"Boys!"
The young boys spotted their grandfather. All three of them ran over and jumped into his arms, knocking him to the ground.
"GRANDPAAA!!!"
The old man laughed while crying:
"Hahaha! I thought I'd lost you, little ones! You have no idea how happy I am to see you!"
"Grandpa, we're super happy to see you too!" Uyan exclaimed.
The old man stroked the little boy's hair with a smile, then said:
"Hahaha! My favorite!"
"Me too, Grandpa! I missed you!" Itoî said, cracking up.
The grandfather pinched Itoî's cheek with a smile:
"Hahaha, you little monster! No more trouble like before, huh!"
Vars smiled, took a serious tone, and said to his grandfather:
"Grandpa, I'd like to discuss several things with you in private, if possible, tonight."
The old man stopped smiling and replied to his grandson:
"You must have a lot of questions, which I understand. We'll discuss it all together after a good meal. Then, if you have more personal questions, we'll address those in the evening!" he said with a smile.
Vars nodded with a smile.
Kaelle came running over to help her grandfather up:
"Grandpa, are you okay?"
The old man smiled and got back up with his granddaughter's help:
"Yes, yes, everything's fine! Go grab some fresh vegetables from the garden behind the house."
Kaelle nodded and ran off to fetch vegetables.
Uyan pointed at the chicken coop:
"Oh, Grandpa, you have chickens? Since when?" he asked, intrigued.
"Ah, it hasn't been that long. And they're not ordinary chickens, you know! They're green-tailed hens! Want to see them?"
"Yes!" the three boys replied, eyes shining with curiosity.
They went over to the chicken coop.
"Oooh!!!"
"See? They're pretty, right? And this one here is a blue rooster with a golden crest!"
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
"Grandpa! What are those three birds?" Itoî asked, very excited.
"Ah, those three? They're Canottes! They look like ducks, except they're smaller and more skittish."
The Canottes panicked when Itoî tried to approach and flew away.
"See?" the grandfather said with a smile.
The boys watched the Canottes fly off.
"But don't worry, they'll come back. They're very loyal to their master."
The grandfather went into the small enclosure to gather a few fresh eggs.
"Alright, let's grab a bite! Kaelle has probably already prepped the vegetables by now!"
The boys nodded, then Vars asked:
"Grandpa, I have an urgent request. We managed to get out of the snowy forest thanks to a beast. That beast now needs our help. The poor thing lost her babies, and I think poachers took them."
The old man nodded:
"A beast, huh... A Quashti, I imagine?"
Surprised, Vars asked:
"How do you know that, Grandpa?!"
Grandpa smiled and replied:
"I heard noise last night when I went to the bathroom. It was late: must have been around three in the morning. It was probably the poachers."
"And they didn't try to break into the house?"
The old man laughed:
"Hahaha! That might have been possible if I hadn't been here, not to mention the three barriers I've set up. The first completely camouflages the house's presence: it's a visual camouflage barrier. The second erases all traces of mana and human energy. The third protects against physical and magical attacks."
Vars was stunned by the precautions his grandfather had taken:
"Why so many precautions, Grandpa?"
The old man took a serious tone and said:
"Save that poor beast's babies, and I'll explain the fate of the Evekius, my boy."
Vars asked which direction the poachers had gone, since the house was surrounded by forest.
"My boy, since you arrived from the west, you already know the snowy forest just south of our house. That's the Pompotta Forest, a very peaceful place. To the east lies the Tortured Forest. Unfortunately, the poachers headed in that direction, but they can't be very far. It's a massive forest. Be very careful in there. Even though I trust your abilities, it's still a dangerous place."
Vars thought it over:
The Tortured Forest, huh... Either they're very stupid, or they're strong enough to survive in that forest...
Itoî ran over to his grandfather and Vars:
"I'm coming too, Vars!"
Vars seemed annoyed, but since he'd already agreed, he sighed before answering:
"Yeah, I know. Grab a small backpack and let's go right now."
The grandfather placed a hand on Itoî's shoulder and asked:
"My boy, do you already know an element?"
Itoî lowered his eyes before answering:
"I... No."
"I didn't hear you, my boy. Tell me, do you know any spells to defend yourself?"
Itoî cried out, tears in his eyes:
"No, Grandpa! I don't know anything! But I want to learn!"
The grandfather patted his grandson's shoulder with a smile:
"Come on, come on! Don't worry, it'll come with time. But follow me for a moment, please. I'll grab a bag for you too, Vars."
"No thanks, Grandpa! Don't worry about it!"
The old man smiled and said:
"Given how eager you are, you're definitely not going to wait to eat, are you? At least let me fix you something to eat!"
Vars accepted with a smile. He created two small bags using his Nature element and handed one to Itoî and the other to his grandfather.
The old man burst out laughing:
"Hahaha! You really are a little genius, making such complex objects without a single incantation."
Vars blushed and laughed:
"Heh heh heh, thanks, Grandpa!"
Itoî and the old man went inside the house a few minutes later. Itoî handed his bag to his grandfather. The latter went to his bedroom and slipped in a few items and food. Itoî headed to the kitchen to scarf down a few spoonfuls.
Kaelle called out to him:
"Where are you going? Eat before you go play!"
Itoî replied with his mouth full:
"No, it's urgent, sorry, Big Sis!"
Uyan then said:
"Vars and Itoî have a little thing to take care of, Kaelle. A matter of a promise," he said, eating a spoonful of rice.
The vegetables were still cooking, and yesterday's chicken was finishing heating up. It looked almost ready.
"A matter of a promise, huh?" Kaelle said with a smile. "You've become a bit more open, haven't you, Uyan?"
Itoî smiled while Uyan blushed at hearing his sister.
"I'm just trying to change!"
"Wait, Itoî," Kaelle said.
She grabbed a chicken drumstick and handed it to him:
"Here, eat before you go. Vars can wait a bit," she said with a smile.
Itoî ate it, thanking his sister, while she quickly washed her hands.
"Hey, you still have Mom's necklace, right?"
"Yeah!"
"Never take it off, Itoî. I'm not joking about this. You probably know why."
Itoî lowered his eyes for a moment. He thought that, in a way, he was a burden to his family because of the demon inside him.
"I'm saying this to protect you, Itoî, not to protect us, okay?" Kaelle said, putting the lids back on, then coming over to stroke her little brother's head.
Itoî smiled and replied:
"Yes, Big Sis! Alright, I'm off."
The grandfather called Itoî from his bedroom:
"My boy! Come here, I've packed your bag. Put it on, then come: I'll explain what I put inside!"
"Coming, Grandpa!"