The returning

When Ronald was helping everyone pack their things and take down the dome in the middle of the forest patch, his heart felt utterly empty.

He kept glancing at the jade pot resting on Jane's lap.

"Hey bud. You okay?" Gerald popped out from behind him, startling him a little because ehe was busy sailing a boat through his plethora of thoughts.

"Yeah. I'm fine. We should get going though. I assume the others have reached the palace by now, our team is the last one." He informed, Gerald nodding his head and walking away with his trunk full of weaponry and war essentials.

His other backpack, much smaller than the trunk, was dumped by the many luggage bags, Ronald's responsibility if he mentions.

"Okay. All set, I guess." Jane said while standing up and walking towards the team.

"The spell is down, everything is clear. We're set to go, sire." The old witch said, proceeding to join the team members and ready to dispatch from this cursed piece of land.

"Alright. Do not panic, again. We'll reach the palace within no time." The elemental assured, looking at everyone's face to reassure himself that they have put their trust in him. Once he found no obstacles, he summoned his powers and whoosh they went into the air.

Just like he said, they all reached the palace within a second. People near and dear to them all gathered close and it felt like a mini reuninion. Ronald let his team members escape the bubble which secured them through the one-second journey.

He took the pot from Jane into his hands, searching for the royal guards whom the security trusts and hands them over the devil's pot, or he names it as so.

He was vividly walking back towards Jane when he didn't even sense a presence approaching him vigorously.

Until a punch landed painfully on his gut.

"Irresponsible bugger."

It was his best friend, alongside a chuckling Valarie.

"That's a very nice way to greet your friend back, Daniel." Ronald grunted in pain, his beta friend was not expected to land a punch so hard on the alpha, an elemental in top of that and it hurt him pretty bad.

Standing upright, Ronald was strangled with a strong pair of arms around his neck and just like that, his friend was forgiven.

"And you thought leaving without letting me know was okay for you? You know how worried I was when I received the news so late? Shouldn't you be the one who told me everything before you do anything heroic??" The anxious friend of the elemental ranted his heart out, all the people around him cooing at their friendship. Their innocent, lovely friendship which was so hard to find these days.

"Hug me tighter." Daniel demanded, the alpha's warmth was something which nobody could deny that it was not healing their soul. Ronald did as told and slightly lifted him in the air, teasing him later,

"You're being so childish and girly right now."

"And you're being a toxic masculinity supporter right now." Daniel's response shush the elemental up with his jaw slacking loosely below his skull.

"Wow." Ronald finally picked up his whiny baby of a friend and walked along the path to the inside of the palace. Gates were closed and rooms of the many doors were opened, welcoming all the people who risked their lives against the Devil. Ronald's team on top of that was appreciated by everyone who passed by them, Ronald literally saying,

"Oh please, it was all the teammates who did the work. I'm so glad to having been surrounded by such awesome people." Or something similar along those lines, every time.

Ronald was passing by one specific room and once they recognized their son, the parents of the elemental burst through the door and hugged him close to themselves.

"Oh, thank god you're safe baby. I'm so proud of you all. Oh my, I'm emotional." The lady spilled a few tears, weakening her son's heart.

"Oh, mom please, I'm right here! Hug me all you want but please don't cry." He said, hugging both of his parents close to himself, his muscular body and height contributing to the factor that he could hug both of them fully, close to his heart.

"Let's give them some rest. You need your energy restored, son. Make sure to eat and sleep, and freshen up too. Both of you smell strongly like the woods and mud."

"Will do, dad. I'll catch up at dinner, now that you have shifted here. I'm so sorry that I broke the promise to help you both shift here into the palace." Ronald said guiltily, bringing the joyful mood down.

"Oh, its alright. The situations demanded and we're happy, right? We just want you to be safe and sound, son." The father and son duo finally parted with the mother giving them a smile later.

Jane, who was watching everything in silence kept herself wordless for long until Ronald bid his friends goodbye and they finally entered the princess chambers.

Ronald opened the door for her and everything was set in the room for their arrival. Jane entered the room in small, baby footsteps, slowly sitting on the bed and sighing.

Ronald didn't need to be told twice to watch into the matters.

"Hey, what's wrong honey bear?" He approached her and held her chin lovingly.

"Huh? Oh, um...it's nothing. We should probably shower."

She dodged the question, but as the world knows, Ronald would never give up and would find out what was bothering his dear mate, eventually.