Frain’s Toy

After the two uncles finished their conversation, Jack and Lupus prepared to leave the defence tower with Rhok. As Jack followed Lupus, David approached her and extended his hand.

"Miss Hoffmann, please take care of Jackie. He's an old soul, but he's a good man, a great man even," David said, his eyes brimming with admiration. Then he turned and snuck a charismatic wink at Jack. 

Jack found himself chuckling, "Hehe, I'm not that old," He retorted light-heartedly.

Taken aback slightly, Lupus soon smiled and shook David's large hand. "I know. I'll keep him safe, I promise."

"Please come visit Hasenwald, okay?" Lupus said excitedly before heading towards the silver Armatus.

"See you again, lady and gentleman!" David announced with an elaborate bow.

In the far corner of the dark wall, Aurelia stood alone, fidgeting with the tip of her foot against the stone ground. Her eyes lingered on the departing pair, ashamed of her past actions. It had been a sudden surge of emotion when she thought Zetius had returned. That hope had crumbled into pieces when it turned out to be some handsome uncle named Jack.

"Z'Smite me!" She cursed under her breath, berating herself.

"What's wrong?" Friederich abruptly emerged from the dark tunnel beside her, wearing a puzzled expression. The dazzling elf had a white towel hung over his neck, occasionally wiping the water from his face.

Turning her face away, she clasped her palms over her cheeks. "Nothing!" She snapped.

"Suit yourself, Aurelia," Friederich said, his tone flat as he approached and stood beside her. He was a head taller than the princess and more. 

The elven mage watched quietly as Jack and Lupus took off in their Armatus, disappearing into the horizon.

"I... I, umm..." Friederich's lips parted and then closed again, struggling to find the right words.

The princess puffed up her cheeks, frustrated with herself even more. She didn't know what was wrong with her lately — first the visions, and now this encounter with an uncle.

"Aurelia, I sensed a large flash of green light. What just happened?" The prime guardian asked, crossing his arms.

"Oh, Triss and I performed Astral Iasis through mana channelling," Aurelia responded excitedly.

Friederich's expression darkened suddenly, his blue eyes glaring at her in shock. "You did what?!"

***

That night, Jack and Lupus arrived at the Hoffmann estate, the grand white manor seemingly carved into the white rock. As they entered the accessway, Jack strode forward with Lupus following close behind, their footsteps echoing against the high ceiling.

A few meters ahead stood two familiar figures. The bunny Wildren, with her silver ponytail, was the eldest sister of the Hoffmann family. She wore a long navy cloak that extended to her ankles and dark high-heeled boots. Beside her stood the only lion Wildren in Hasenwald, dressed in a bright gray cloak that complemented her blonde hair. Frain carried something on her back — a three-meter-long instrument wrapped in leather pelt and secured with a black rope.

"Hiya!" Lupus waved enthusiastically at the two. Frain turned but maintained a deadpan expression, offering no reply.

"Lupy! Mr. Squire! You're home late," Lunice greeted them with a wave.

Jack lightly tapped Frain's shoulder, causing her to flinch slightly. "What?" She eventually said, her tone laced with a hint of pettiness and sorrow.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know Lupy would dupe you like that," Jack said, his voice softening as he smiled at the lioness.

"I'm sorry too!" Lupus interjected before hopping forward and hugging the girl. It didn't take much for Frain to forgive her friends, and soon a contented smile adorned her face.

For a good while, they both purred in delight, a pure display of affection that brought smiles to Jack and Lunice's lips.

Lupus pulled back, cupping Frain's shoulders. "Thank you for forgiving me! Next time, we'll definitely bring you along, okay?" She promised, locking eyes with her friend.

"Mm! Mm!" Frain hummed and nodded before Lupus pulled her into another warm embrace, complete with a barrage of head pats.

"By the way…" Jack spoke up, glancing at Lunice, his curiosity piqued. "What's that thing on Frain's back?" He asked, pointing.

"Oh, that!" Lunice gasped in amazement but waited for Frain to reveal it herself.

Recognising her cue, Frain set the object down with a heavy clank. "Lunice is a nice sister; she bought it for me," She said as she untied the ropes, unveiling its contents — a massive battle axe. The blade shimmered with a silver hue, its entire structure forged from metal from head to handle. The design was simplistic yet majestic, with the only striking feature being the arcanite harnesser embedded in the axe's head.

"We visited the blacksmith today, so I figured, why not?" Lunice added, resting a hand on Frain's head, treating her like a child of her own.

"Wow… Is it heavy?" Jack crouched beside Frain, inspecting the craftsmanship in awe.

"Very heavy," Lunice replied with a cunning smile. "Try it, Mr. Squire."

Jack glanced at Frain for permission. After she nodded, he gripped the handle and attempted to deadlift the weapon. "Uh!" He heaved, but it didn't budge.

"Yaaah!" He tried again, harder this time. Something snapped — probably an old joint of his.

"Ah!" Jack yelped, squeezing his eyes shut from the pain, and rubbing his back gently.

"Hahahahaha!" Lupus and Lunice burst into laughter.

Frain, however, effortlessly grasped the handle with one hand and swung the axe over her shoulder, her posture smart and cool. 

"I like heavy things!" She declared nonchalantly.

With the battle axe in her grasp, Frain appeared all the more formidable. No sane person would dare challenge her while she wielded such a weapon.

"That thing must weigh over 500 kilos... How does she swing it like a toy?" Jack's mind reeled in disbelief.

Wiping the tears of laughter from her eyes, Lupus turned to Lunice. "It's an arc battle axe, right? What essence does it have?" 

"Atramnéon, the Unyielding Edge! I handpicked it for her," Lunice replied with a satisfied clasp of her hands.

"Wow, such a perfect essence for Frain's monstrous strength," Lupus mused, kneading Frain's biceps. To Jack's surprise, they had grown significantly in a short time. He recalled vividly that Frain had been overeating since they arrived at Hasenwald, still she didn't appear any chubbier. 

"I want to train, but Lunice said I should rest for the day," Frain admitted. The bunny Wildren returned a soft, empathetic smile.

"Aww, we'll train soon, but…" Lupus scanned the room before grinning. "Let's have some food!"

"Yay!" Lunice exclaimed, bouncing into the air, her bust jiggling with the motion.

Jack could only sigh. Another lively night awaited them.