FORGING BONDS

The jungle was under the embrace of night's darkness, yet an orange glow defiantly emanated near its waters. There sat a dark elf, a fire elemental, and a fair lady, watching the fire slowly change the color of the fish and venison. The three were engaged in a conversation as they wait for the food to be done.

"I'm tired, you made a fool out of us all afternoon. Haha." Nid said as he leaned back shifting his gaze from the food to the sky.

Alper smiled, "It was fun right? You see feasts would be incomplete without any entertainment." her gaze was fixated on the food.

"Maybe it was fun for the mistress, but totally exhausting for us." Santelmo puffed and then deflated like a balloon lacking air.

"Then win next time. Ha-ha-ha." she mockingly laughed, covering her mouth with her hand while eyeing the fire elemental.

Too tired to even have a comeback, the summon flew in the fire and just laid down defeated. This made Nid chuckle, having remembered their utter defeat from Alper.

"Hah. . We never even stood a chance." the dark elf said with a smile on his face while observing the heavenly bodies that dotted the sky. "How many spells do you even have?" Nid asked turning his head sideways to look at Alper.

"Hmm. I have a lot? I've never really counted."

"Haha. I guess the strong doesn't really bother with the number of spells."

Nid paused, sat straight and used one hand to catch his chin. His eyes stared into the empty space with brows furrowed, having caught something important from his memory. "Hold up! You used a water spell as a trap, a wind spell to save Santelmo and a light spell to blind us. . . ." his intense gaze went to Alper who was playfully poking on the meat. "Did you not?"

"Hmm. Yeah." Alper answered, more interested in the food before her than the astonished Nid whose jaw almost dropped.

"Bu.. bu.. But that w.. Would mean you're at least a six-star?!" his eyes went wide with the realization.

"Hmm. yeah I am." she said nonchalantly.

Nid's mind was blown, he knew Alper was strong but to be above five star was beyond his expectation.

"I thought people above five stars were rare? Yet here I am meeting a second one after just a few days. Maybe Emerwyn and Andrasyl lied to me?" He said to himself while his thoughts were in disarray. The dark elf murmured under his breath like a madman.

Silence fell and filled the air, with only the sounds of the night breaking the monotony. As the scent of cooking meat wafted around their camp, Alper took notice of the quiet that befell Nid, and turned her head towards his direction. She saw the dark elf talking in a low voice to himself.

"Do elves have this quirk, a thing from his previous or maybe he's gone crazy?" Alper wondered while observing the mumbling Nid.

She waited for some time, waiting for the gray-skinned elf to stop his chanting. When Alper got tired of waiting for him to come back to his senses, she forced a conversation with Nid.

"Hey! If you're still interested in visiting the settlements, I suggest you go to one of the coastal cities here. it's called Bucalgam, the god that manages that place is at least reasonable."

Nid snapped back to his senses, remembering where he was and what he was supposed to do. "I. . . uh. . Thanks for the info. . . I just need to clarify something for my own sanity and safety, are people above five stars rare?"

"Hhmm. Yeah, I guess but when it comes to gods and demigods above five stars is the norm. There are also other existence that reach above the five star limit of mortals." Alper explained.

The dark elf sighed, and tried to confirm what he deduced from what Alper said. "Does that mean you're a . . ." but before Nid could even finish his question, a rustling sound made his ears twitch. He focused on the area where the shrub were moving, his gaze intensified until a familiar figure popped out.

Fluffy white ears, clear blue eyes as if his previous world's sky was bound within, a wolf-like head and snow-white fur poked out. It gently pushed through the greenery that surrounded the creature. Following her lead was a brown furred wolf, with tiger-like stripes and yellow eyes. Slightly behind was another brown furred wolf with white patches on its foot and gray eyes. These were Alper's kimats, the ones who had been gone for the whole day on some unknown order.

"Asha! Misha! Greysha!" Alper rose and went to greet her kimats, she placed her hands on them and let it slide over their magnificent fur. The wolf-like creatures responded by placing their front paws on her, and standing on their hind legs with tails wagging from side to side.

'Sigh' Nid breathed in relief as his worries lifted. Wearing a smile on his face he approached the blissful scene. "Can I pet them?"

"Go ahead." Alper replied with her ever-present smile.

Even in Nid's previous world he loved animals, he studied and kept them as pets. He knew that all animals always need to be treated with a level of respect, as their wild instincts can always kick in at anytime.

The elf extended his arm slowly, careful not to show weakness that might trigger aggression. His hand trembled a bit as it traveled through the air, he held his breath as his fingers reached the animal. His fingers slid down the Asha's fur, smooth, soft and white, like a fluff of cotton clouds. As the tension drains from his body, the color of his cheeks turned his grey cheeks into a darker shade of red.

With glittering eyes and a wide grin on his face, he looked at the kimats with hypnotic fascination. "This is so awesome! They're so cute!" he eyes went back switching back and forth between the kimats and Alper, seemingly asking for approval. The kimats wagged their tails and swarmed the dark elf with licks and playful bites, proof that they have accepted him as part of the pack.

'Chuckle' "They are, aren't they?" as a strong gust of wind blew, Nid noticed Alper's melancholic smile while she stared in the evening sky. "These babies were my last memento from my father." She continued. Nid was dumbfounded, looking at the somber Alper made him realize that he knew next to nothing about the lady. The elf not wanting to cause another predicament, chose to stay silent. The silence continued on for a moment, with the occasional cold night breeze and cracking of the firewood disrupting the silence. The kimats who sensed the current ambiance, brushed themselves around their master.

"My father and I used to spend nights like this around a campfire." Alper hugged the kimats, then continued "We would go in small adventures and at night, beside the fire, he would tell me stories of his exploits." as she reminisced, tears welled up in her eyes without her noticing.

Nid saw this yet said nothing, he was still pondering on what to do. His mind was conflicted, he wanted to comfort her, but he's afraid that she might not take kindly to such gesture. In the end he mustered his courage and asked "Sounds like you had a great childhood and a great father. If you don't mind me asking, where is your father?" he braced himself, he didn't know whether this will be a repeat of the last time he touched on a bad subject.

Yet none came, instead Alper answered her. "He's missing at the moment, I don't really know where to find him." her answer gave Nid a bit more confidence, so with a deep breath he continued asking her. Or so he thought as just as he was about to continue asking her Alper stood up abruptly.

"The meat!" she pointed in panic.

All of a sudden, Nid was able to smell the charred meat that was burning. Seeing the food engulfed in flames and turning black, both of them sprinted towards it. "Santelmo move out of there!" Alper shouted at the fire elemental sleeping inside the fire.

Santelmo who just woke up, casually blinked his fiery eyes a few times before noticing Alper and his master running towards him. "What?" he extended his flame tail and used the appendage to rub his eyes. He refocused and confirmed that the two were indeed running towards him. "What the?"

"Get out of there!" Alper hand were swallowed by a blue light then a swirling ball of water formed in her palm. Having no time to think Santelmo just followed what he was told and blasted to the side. At that instant Alper released her spell, [Bubble Prison] , the spherical water expanded as she threw it towards the campfire. The wood inside the flame sizzled as the water touched it, extinguishing their brightest source of light.

Santelmo, radiating with an orange glow is the only remaining source of light that remained in the thick jungle. Confused, Santelmo looked around wide-eyed trying to have a grasp of the situation. "What's happening?! Are there enemies?!"

Alper and Nid looked at each other their eyes smiling with understanding, "Hahahahaha! Hahaha!" they erupted in laughter, echoing throughout the dark jungle. Santelmo froze in place, jaw-dropped, with an even more confused expression on his face.

"Wha. .wha. . Huh?? What happened when I was sleeping?! Have you guys gone mad?!" Swirling back and forth the laughing duo.

"Hahaha. Hah. ." Nid put his hands on his knees, out of air from laughing too hard. "Nah, Everything's fine Santelmo." then looked at the direction of the campfire. "I can't say the same for the food though. Maybe we can still save some of it." the elf proceeded to salvage the food that remained from the ashy remains of the firewood. Some fish and venison had fallen over the ash, knocked by the force of the commotion. Still the elf rummaged through with a smile, even if all their food had just been burnt and watered.

"Hehehe. Okay, you work on that. I'll set up another fire." looking at her kimats, the god hounds immediately understood that an order was soon to be given. They drew close to their master and sat in front of her, awaiting her command. Alper reached out for the three and stroked their furry heads, she then gave her orders mentally. "Get some firewood, don't wander too far." they answered with a short howl, and like a trained unit went on their way to complete their quest.

"Hey Santelmo come closer, I need your light." the still puzzled elemental followed his master's order, he reluctantly buzzed over the dark elf scratching his head with his flame tail. "Nice! The only burnt part is the outer layer, we can still have a feast! Haha." Nid informed his companions with a happy grin.

Being at an earshot for a loud whisper, "What have I missed master?" the fire elemental asked, wanting to get in on the current situation.

Upon obtaining a better illumination, Nid resumed his work. Brushing off the wet ashes from the cooked meat, and dipping them in the running water of the river. "Hmm. Oh, it's nothing really. The food almost got wasted, good thing Alper noticed it when she did. We might not have anything to eat if she didn't. Haha." he told Santelmo while slicing off the burnt part of the venison and fish meat. Seeing his master busy, the summon accepted his master's answer. Pondering on how to make himself more useful, he used a bit of his magic to increase the illumination in their vicinity. His master noticed this, looked up to him and thanked him with a smile.

Before long they had the camp set up again. The campfire was back up, allowing them to bask in the heat of its flickering flames. With spiced food reheated and drink in hand, their feast began. The trees swayed as the wind carried the sound of merriment throughout the jungle.

Alper held a wooden cup filled with glistening liquid, its scent screaming sweetness. She tipped the concoction to meet her lips, the juice flowed into her mouth exploding in flavor. "Haaa! What is this?! It's so sweet!" Her eyes lit up in delight, like a puppy who just got a treat. She looked at her drink, observing it with childlike fondness

"That juice was from a fruit grown in Gar'osi forest." Nid proudly declared. He then ran and left without a word, leaving Alper, as she watched him rummage through his stuff. After examining a few containers and head shaking, his expression changed from a frowning frustration to a cheerful one. Nid waved his hand shouting, "I found it! I found it!" Nid darted back towards the camp, leaned over Alper then opened his hands revealing a shiny purple ball of a fruit. "I forgot what it's called, this one was grown by Andrasyl herself. Have some." said Nid, his voice brimming with excitement as he waited for her to take a bite off the fruit.

Seeing the expectant look in Nid's face, Alper felt like she was forced to eat the fruit. She held her hand to meet his, trying to get herself ready to receive the purple food. As the fruit traveled from the elf's hand to Alper's, the name Andrasyl flashed in her mind. "Andra. . . Oh, you mean the dryad that took care of you? I've heard some legends about her. Like she is an ancient being, known as the lady of the forest, and the keeper of balance inside Gar'osi forest." Nid answered only with an energetic nod. Witnessing the expectant gaze from the dark elf, Alper closed her eyes and took a bite of the fruit. Her teeth sliced down on its shiny skin, digging into the flesh like a knife sliding down butter. Its juices flowed out, like a sponge filled with water that was squeezed. "Mmmmmm!!!" her eyes shut even further, her face crunched up wrinkled, then those sealed up eyes sprang open, filled with sparkling delight. "THIS IS SO GOOD!!! THAT DRYAD REALLY KNOWS HER STUFF!!" then continued gorging on the remaining fruit she had like it was nothing. "do you still have some?! How about a different food?!" her eyes shimmered with expectation, wanting to taste more flavorful food.

"Yeah, I have some more! Just give me a few minutes, I'll go fetch them." Nid raced back to his pack with a wide smile on his face, ready to get more of his food rations. He happily dashed across the rocky terrain of the riverside. Glad that he is able to show-off his home grown meal. Most importantly, delighted at the thought that he is able to know closer with Alper both figuratively and literally. Without a single hesitation, he took all of the food he brought with him and ran back to the fair lady he admired.

The evening continued with more lively conversation, shared by the three. Laughter reverberated around the campfire as they shared their stories. Occasionally, the fire elemental wood zoom around, as he fierily reenacts his stories. Alper with a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables in hand, would, at regular intervals bite on them. Savoring the flavor rich food grown in Nid's birthplace in Mahiterra.

Meanwhile, Nid, spent his time mostly just sneaking in glances at Alper. His mind in complete euphoria, as he sat the closest he can beside the lady he adored. He used this chance to study Alper's face, which shone even when the shadows of the night clouded the light. He followed her every movement, her scent that was carried by the evening breeze, committing into memory every inch of detail.

'Thud' Nid's trance was interrupted by a force that hit him. This surprised the young elf, as the sudden feeling of creeping limbs enveloped him. It happened so fast that his brain lagged behind as to what was really happening. He was pressed tightly yet it felt warm and cozy. The moment he looked down, his surprise changed to delight as the realization dawned on him. The soft thud was Alper wrapped around him. His heart almost stopped, his body frozen, after witnessing his situation. He could not move but his mind was on cloud nine. His heart jumped up and down, so fast that it felt like it was going to leap out.

A whisper reached his ear, "Thank you, I. . I never thought I could still have this much fun in my life. I never thought that. . . That I could still be allowed to act my age, be me. " silence followed, after a few moments a damp feeling slowly spread where Alper lay her head. Again Nid found himself at a loss, not sure of what was happening. Little by little the moisture in Nid's chest grew, as it did, it became accompanied by soft sobs. It was only then that he confirmed what was happening. He lifted his stiff arms, returned the embrace with one arm and nervously caressed her hair with the other. As if telling her that he was there, someone Alper can lean on. Not knowing the story behind her tears, all Nid could do was be there for her.

"Thanks!" Alper sat straight and looked at Nid, smiling while wiping the tears that trickled down her fair face. "You know what, I can help train you hone your current skills and develop new ones." She turned towards the campfire, then hugged her knees towards her chest. "I mean, since we're of different elements, I can't do much with magic. Hehe." Alper continued with her voice a bit muffled by her position.

"Y . . yeah, that would be great." Was all Nid could reply, being out of words with all that transpired in such a short time. Santelmo on the other hand stayed on the sidelines, happy for his master and a bit melancholic for Alper. The night continued on, a bit somber than when it began. Until they bid each other good night ready for tomorrow's promise.