~A Day With Aurel!~

Hello! My name is Aurel Popescu and I live with my brothers Vladimir and Minel. I may be small but believe it or not, I am almost six years old! I'm not sure who my mom and dad are but my big brothers act like them so I don't feel lonely. Minel is the daddy and Vladimir is the mommy. I can't say why Vladimir is the mommy though. I can have two dad's can't I? My friend Peter has two dads. I heard Minel say something about 'bottoming' but I don't know what that means. Maybe because Vladimir sleeps on the bottom of the house. Oh well, I'll ask later. Today my big brother Vladimir is gone for work and Minel has to work too, so I'm going to spend some time with big brother Emil. I can't wait!

... Normal pov...

Aurel got dressed into his burgundy overalls with a white shirt underneath and long white socks under his boots. "Minel, can I wear my hat today?" He asked holding it up as Minel cooked breakfast. "Sure, just don't loose it. Did you brush your teeth?" "Yup. My teeth are getting longer. They look just like brother Vladimir's, look." Aurel opened his mouth wide and Minel bent down to look at them. "Oh, you're right. You two look just like each other sometimes," Minel said ruffling his hair.

"Did you know that vampires have teeth like mine? Everyone says vampires are scary but I think they're cool. I think big brother Vlad is a vampire," Aurel said as he sat on the table. "Do you really think so?" Minel asked serving plates. "Uh-huh. But he would be a nice vampire. He has sharp teeth and red eyes like a vampire and he works in a coffin," Aurel said. "If that's true then why can he walk in the sun?" Minel asked.

He smirked as Aurel looked stumped at the question. "It's because Vladimir has cool powers. He's a nice vampire so he can walk in the sun. Only bad ones burn in the sun," he said swinging his feet and eating breakfast. "Then what about drinking blood?" Minel asked. Aurel thought and shrugged. "Maybe he isn't a vampire," he said with a frown. "That's right, he's not." Aurel nodded and continued to eat.

"Maybe he's a dragon," he said gaining a small chuckle from Minel. "He doesn't have wings," he said. "Not all dragons have wings. I saw it when Vlad read me bedtime stories," Aurel said. "What book was he reading you?" Minel asked. "The magical ensycopeda," Aurel said struggling with the last word. "Encyclopedia?" "Yeah. That." Minel sighed and shook his head. Vlad was turning Aurel into a magic nerd.

They finished breakfast and got into the car. "Can you play music?" Aurel asked. Minel turned on the radio and listened to the Artic monkeys. "This is different than what Vlad listens too," Aurel pointed out. "Yeah, sorry. I prefer this though," Minel said as he drove. "It's okay. We have to be spiritually opened to different ideas and cultures." ... "...What?" Minel couldn't believe what he was hearing from a 6 year old. He was obviously spending too much time with Vladimir. He was just a smart and weird as he was.

He pulled up to the small house and knocked on the front door. Emil opened it and Aurel smiled brightly. "Good morning, big brother Emil." "Good morning Aurel," Emil said letting the small boy in. "Here are his things. He has a habit of randomly speaking Latin so just ignore that. Don't call an exorcist unless he begins to spin his head all the way around," Minel said casually as he dug through his back pack. Emil was confused and wanted to ask about that but he chose not too for fear of regretting it. "Here." Minel held out a stuffed dragon for Emil to take. "His name is-" "His name is Lucifer and he likes marshmallows," Aurel said interupting Minel.

Emil gave an awkward look between Aurel and Minel who just shrugged. "I- I don't know. Vladimir influenced him. Anyways, Aurel can't be alone without him so if you leave him in a room alone for a few moments then please make sure he has the dragon," Minel said. Emil took it awkwardly and nodded. "Uhm, is there anything else I should know?" He asked. "Uh yeah. He claims he's allergic to garlic but that's just a lie, he eats garlic bread all the time. Here's some money for lunch, buy whatever. You have my number in case anything happens. I'll see you tonight," Minel said bending over. "Bye Aurel. Behave okay?" He said kissing his cheek. "Yes, Brother. Bye," Aurel said before Minel rushed out.

Emil closed the door and looked at Aurel before handing him the dragon. "Did you have breakfast?" Emil asked. "Yup. Is it okay if I color?" Aurel asked. "Sure, you can do it on the table," Emil said leading him to the living room. Aurel walked making the dragon fly beside him and making flying effects before placing it down and taking out a notebook and colors. Emil sighed as he watched him scribble onto the paper. He was so weird but he was used to it because of his brother. If he had to be honest he actually found his weirdness very adorable.

"What are you drawing?" He asked. "I drew Vlad the Impaler," he said holding up the notebook. 'What the fuck is this kid taught?' was his only thoughts. "I'm going to draw a cat next," he said turning the page. "Do you want to color too?" He asked. "Alright then. I'll draw a puffin," Emil said sitting with him. He took a paper and some crayons from the box and began to color. He was so lost in his drawing that he jumped when his phone rang. "Hello?" He answered. "Emil. Are you free today?" "Who's this?" Emil asked confused. "Leon." "Leon? How did you get my number?" He asked. "I stole your phone to get it. Are you free?" Emil looked at Aurel who was coloring. "No, I'm watching Aurel today." He said. "Aurel? Oh was that today? I'm coming over," he said. "What? Wait no!" Leon hung up and Emil groaned. 'Wait he doesn't even know where I live," Emil thought. "Your bird is cute," Aurel said looking at the drawing. "Oh, thanks."

...~Back to Original Story~...

Kiku saw a bright light shot at him before feeling himself falling and landed in a small river with a loud splash. He quickly went up to breathe and looked around for a sign of Sakura. He found her sinking and quickly went over to her before lifting her onto his head and swimming to land. He shuttered and wrung his shirt. He admits he felt weird about being the only one without a cloak but now, he was glad that he didn't. If he had it, it would have sunk him to the bottom.

"Sakura, are you okay?" He asked. The cat was all wet and trembling as she clung onto him tightly. "That damn kid needs to learn magic," she hissed. "I apologize," Kiku said as she came down. He looked around noticing they were in a forest. "I wonder where the others are," he said as he explored the area. "They must have separated us," Sakura said walking beside him. "Good, I can't stand that dog," she said.

"I suppose we should look for the others first," Kiku said. "Hold on," Sakura said jumping onto a large rock and sitting in the sun. "They never said you needed them. You just have to survive, you can gain more points by managing on your own," Sakura said. "I suppose you are right," Kiku said. "Well then, we should search for shelter first. Stay close by the river," she said. "Oh yes. Water is very important for survival," Kiku said pulling out his wand. "Not just that. There's magical creatures here, including spirits," Sakura said jumping on his shoulder.

"You may be good with physical combat but you know nothing about religious magic, we have to be safe. Spirits can't cross moving water so we'll stay here," she explained. "Oh, I see." He thought for a moment before feeling a rock. He pointed his wand on it and transformed it into a small hut with only a small opening in the bottom so it looks like a normal rock. "Come on. We need to make sure we have everything," he said crawling in and settling in.

...

"Kiku is lucky to have Sakura," Arthur watching him from the screen. "Yes, she was the perfect companion for him. I made sure of that," Lukas said.

"So how much?" Vlad asked. "I'm putting 40," he said putting the money down. "I give him until any weather changes," Arthur said putting down a 20. "I give him until the first monster. Sakura is useless for defense," Vlad said putting in 20. "I put in 20 for the third attack," Allistor said putting down his bet. "How are the others doin?" Allistor asked.

...

Lovino suddenly felt himself falling before hitting a few branches and getting stuck on some. He looked down noticing he was far from the floor and his cross shaped weapon was falling down. He looked up to see his cloak stuck on one of the branches while Romano was also stuck in some of the branches. He thought the cloak was lame but now he was thankful for it. He would have died if wasn't for it. He wondered how to get up before he heard some branches cracking. He looked up to see Romano getting up and looking around. "Romano. Don't. move." Romano froze and Lovino sighed. That was the first time he listened so quickly.

Romano panicked from seeing Lovino dangling and jumped towards him only to break the branches holding them up. Lovino spoke too soon. He was falling and let out a shout. He heard a thud and stopped suddenly. His eyes shot open and looked to see Romano on a bigger tree branch holding onto his cloak and trying to pull him up. He looked down and saw the floor closer but still far enough to break something. He reached up and grabbed the trunk before pulling himself up. He gasped as he sat on the tree branch. "I was going to fucking die the second I hit the ground? Dammit Arthur!" He yelled angrily.

"How do we get down?" Romano asked looking at the ground. Lovino looked around before groaning. "I have climb down," he said. He removed the cloak and wrapped Romano in it. He unwrapped part of the bandage from his chest and used it to tie Romano against himself and slowly stood with the dog on his back. "Damn, you're heavy," he groaned. He looked down at a branch a few feet down and gulped. He held onto the one above him and used it to swing himself before letting go and landing on the branch. He continued to jump from branch to branch before finally getting to the floor. "Haha. I fucking lived!" He yelled in victory before falling on the floor.

"Now get off. You aren't having pasta for a while," Lovino groaned untying the bandages. Romano jumped off his back and looked around. "Let's find the others," Romano said. "Huh? Why? I say we take a break," Lovino said resting against the trunk of a tree. "Master, we must take this seriously. We don't know what could be around," Romano said. Lovino groaned and got up . "First we find shelter. Lead the way," he said picking up his weapon and watched as Romano sniffed around and led him deeper into the forest.

...

"I'm about to be rich after this one," Arthur said looking at Lovino. "He'd be dead if it wasn't for that dog." "If he dies, I kill you," Vlad said glaring at Arthur. "He's useless!" Allistor yelled. "He wouldn't even get on the dragon and you wankers made bets on him." Vlad scowled at him. "How about it guys?" Arthur asked. "I've got 30 on the first 20 minutes," Arthur said. "20 on the first attack," Lukas said putting the money down. "You too, Lukas?" Vlad asked shocked. "20 until the last hour," Allistor said putting down his money. "60 on the entire thing AND win," Vlad said putting his money down. "Right. He'll probably get beaten by pixies," Arthur joked.

...

Matthieu held Kumajiro tightly as they began to fall. He could see the ground getting closer and pulled out his wand. "Aequaliter Nubila!" The ground became covered in snow and he fell onto it. The fall hurt but atleast he wasn't dead. He groaned as he got up and looked around. There were trees all around and he could make out a small cave nearby. "Kuma?" He looked at his bear who was sitting up beside him. "Who are you" he asked making Matthieu sigh. "Is that all you ever say?" "... I'm hungry." "Of course." He stood and picked up the bear before making his way to the cave. "Luminous," he said making his wand light up. He looked around and didn't find anything strange so he sat down. "Okay, let's see what we have," he said pulling out his pack.

...

"He's quick." Vlad said amazed. "Of course. While you've been teaching Lovino about stupid creatures, I've been teaching Matthieu useful magic," Arthur boasted. "I've got 50 on Matthieu winning," Arthur said putting down money. "I give him until a creature comes out," Vlad said putting his 20 down. "The whole thing," Allistor said putting down a 30. Lukas thought before putting down a 20. "I've got 20 for a nature accident."

They all looked at him and shrugged. "So what's in their packs?" Allistor asked. "Mattie has his sword, a few bandages and cookies. Maple, his favorite." "That's it? You torture him, Arthur," Vlad said. "Then what did you give him?"

"I gave him a dagger, a book, some empty vials, and a box of pasta with tomato sauce," Vlad said. Arthur rolled his eyes. "You spoiled him," he said. "What about you?" He asked Lukas. "A card deck, some pocky, a Hatsune Miku picture, and a ring" They looked at him confused.

"Wait, so how many magical items did you give them?" Arthur asked. "Only one and a magic cloak," Vlad said. "Just the ring and deck," Lukas replied. "What the hell? Mattie is out there with nothing!" He yelled. "Relax, he has my cloak and a charm," Allistor said throwing the cigarette on the floor. "What charm?" Arthur asked. "One he had," Allistor said before standing. "I'll be back later."

...

"Ah, Lukas. How did you know?" Kiku asked looking at the picture. He pulled out the ring and looked at it confused. "Is this by any chance for invisibility?" Kiku asked. "Not everything is the Lord of the rings," Sakura said as she layed beside him. He studied it and put it on. He felt dizzy before getting a sudden pain in his ears. The pain disappeared and he felt his ears before freezing. "Oh, so that's what it does," Sakura said looking at him. He pulled out a card and it transformed into a mirror and he stared at his reflection.

He noticed his face was sharper now and his eyes turned a soft blue. He turned his head and saw his ears were long and pointed. "What is this?" He asked shocked. "It's an enchanted ring. You're an elf now, I would recommend keeping it on. As an elf, you have less enemies," Sakura said. "An elf?" He looked at he reflection and shook his head. "I mustn't be distracted," he said before pulling out the pocky. "I'll save these," he said putting them back.

"Well now what? Food is essential but where do I find it?" He asked. "Check the river," Sakura said. He nodded and went out. It wasn't until he stood outside that he noticed he was a lot smaller than usual. He sighed and looked inside the river. He was surprised to see colorful fish swimming around. "There's so many. How do I know which are edible?" He asked. Sakura looked at them. "There. The big ones with the stripes," she said. Kiku spotted them easily and stood. He removed his shirt and shoes before jumping in. He took his wand out and pointed it at the fish. A flash of light shot out and hit the fish. He grabbed it and swam out with the large fish.

"Now we need wood and fire," he said looking around. He collected sticks and made a pile before taking his wand out. "Ignitious," he said making a fire start on the wood. He cut the fish with his sword and cooked it. "I wish I had salt," he said with a sigh as he ate it.

...

"Fish. That's nostalgic. He didn't burn it though," Vlad said looking at the other two. "Oh shut up. You burned our tent," Arthur said. "Yeah but I was able to make edible food atleast," he said. "Edible? It was raw!" Arthur yelled. "Huh? I've eaten rawer fish than that one," Lukas said. "Sushi doesn't count," Arthur said.

"... Arthur you obviously didn't watch me eat that whole week," Lukas said. "What?" "He was eating raw and bloody fish the whole time," Vlad said. "What? That's disgusting, how are you alive?" He asked. "Magic comes a long way," he said.

"Nevermind let's see the others," Arthur said looking at the screen again.

...

"Cookies? Yes, they're maple!" Matthieu said excitedly. "I want some," Kuma said climbing onto him. "We can only have one for now," Matthieu said. He gave one to the bear and ate one himself as he dug through the rest. All he found were bandages and his sword. "Well, looks like that's all we have," Matthieu said.

The cookies made him hungry and he stood ready to find some food. "Kuma can you sniff out food?" He asked. He turned to see the bear sitting with a blank face. "Nevermind. Oh I know," he said putting his hands near his mouth. He began to make weird sounds and waited. "What are you doing?" Kuma asked. "I'm trying to call an animal," he said before continuing. "That won't work," Kuma said. He watched as a deer stepped out from behind the trees and looked at Matthieu. "It worked!" He said. He did the call again and the deer slowly approached him.

He gently pet it as it came near and sighed. "I can't do it, I can't kill animals," he said frowning. "Then what's for dinner?" The bear asked. "Nuts and berries hopefully," Matthieu said. He took the sword and made notches on the trees as he explored the area. "I don't want that," Kuma said. "Then you don't eat," Matthieu said. He walked on before finding a bush of berries. "Are these good?" He asked plucking one. "How should I know." Matthieu frowned and ate one. He waited until he was sure he wasn't dying and began to pick more as Kuma began to eat some.

...

"Here." Lovino followed Romano by a small stream. "Ah, water. Good," Lovino said petting Romano. "Now where do we sleep?" He asked. He looked around before spotting a bush. He pushed the branches around and made a small area. "Romano. Rest here for now," he said. Romano layed down and Lovino decided to look through his pack. He pulled out the multiple vials and smiled. Those would be useful for him. He put them back and pulled out a pasta box and jar of tomato sauce. "Thanks, idiota," he said as his mouth began to water.

He put them back before pulling out a book. He flipped through it and noticed it was blank. "What the hell? It's blank." He flipped through it before realization hit. He closed it and put his wand on the cover. "Tabella." He opened the book and saw the book now had pictures and writings. It was on different creatures and plants. He heard Romano beginning to growl viscously and he quickly stood and looked at him. He was snarling at a tree and backing up. He watched as a small hand came out from the tree before a head and body came out. He stared at the mossy green creature with amazement. "It's a Spriggan," he said. He grabbed his cross weapon and held it tightly.

"Romano, come here," he said softly. Romano stayed snarling as he backed up next to Romano. The Spriggan stared at Lovino and slowly climbed down the tree. He watched as it increased in size so it was standing taller than him. He took a step back and pointed the weapon at it.

...

"A Spriggan? What's that doing there?" Arthur asked. "It must've been hiding something," Vlad replied. "They're known for being mischievous and often protect secret treasures or fairies. You'd known this if you studied." "I don't care for those ugly things," Arthur said scowling. "Then you wouldn't know how to defeat one without any Iron," Vlad said. "Watch him closely," Vlad said excited. He knew Lovino studied before going in. He may have looked useless to everyone else but he taught Lovino well. "I'm about to win this bet," Arthur said with a smirk. "Get ready to save him, Vlad."

...

The creature launched towards Lovino and he smacked it away with his weapon before pulling out his necklace. A cross necklace with a small vial attached to it. He pulled the cork out with his mouth as Romano began to attack. He spilled the holy water on his dagger and went foward to stab the Spriggan in the chest with making it shriek. "Ignitious!" The fire shot from his wand and set the creature on fire before it burst into flames. Lovino sighed and took his dagger from the ashes.

"There," Romano said running to the tree. He began to dig before the roots exposed and Lovino stared at nothing. "Where are they?" He asked before feeling something bite down on his arm. He looked to see the now mutant bug like creature appearing in sight, biting him before he felt another bite on his other hand. "Cazzo," he said. He pulled the one on his hand off with much struggle before taking the other. He reached down bit the wings off before dropping them and getting eaten by Romano. He took the bite wound into his mouth and quickly began to suck the blood out before spitting it out onto the floor and wrapping it.

...

"What the hell? He just killed a fairy!" Arthur said in horror. "It's a doxy!" Vlad yelled. "What is he doing?" Lukas asked watching him suck at the bite mark. "Doxies are venomous," Vlad said watching Lovino proudly. "I believe that's $50," Vlad said holding out his hand. The two frowned and gave him the money. "And that's 20 points for medical skill, and 15 for defense," he said. Arthur groaned and began to mark the paper.

...

Matthieu looked around noticing it was getting late. He continued to walk with a pack full of berries. "Michael." "It's Matthieu," Matthieu said walking back to the cave. "I'm tired," Kuma said following. "We're almost back. Just keep going," Matthieu said. Kuma grabbed his leg refusing to move. "Carry me." Matthieu sighed and picked up the bear before walking again. He sat on the cave floor and began to eat berries. "Kumakiki you have to try harder. We won't make it if you keep acting this way," Matthieu lectured eating the berries. "Sakura is knowledgeable and Romano is good with defense. All you can do is eat," Matthieu said frowning.

"I can't exactly fight either though or even kill for food. I wonder how we're going to make it." He ate the berries upset as Kuma watched him. "You shouldn't eat so many," Kuma said. "Hm? You're right, I'm just so hungry. Tomorrow we should look for the rest," Matthieu said. He sighed and sat outside the cave watching the now night sky.

...

"He hasn't gone through much trouble," Lukas said watching Matthieu. "No, that bear is useless though," Arthur replied. "He's spoiled it too much." They sighed before Allistor came back with food. "Did I miss anything?" He asked as the trio took sandwiches. "Lovino kicked ass," Vlad said smiling. "Does Matthieu really plan to live with just berries?" Lukas asked. "He'll crack. Just give him time," Arthur reassured.

...

Kiku sat eating the pocky sticks and looking up at the stars. It was dark in the forest but by the river, it was really lively for the night. He swung his feet in the water and looked down to see it lit with many florescent colored fish and other creatures. A yellow pixie caught his attention. It was skipping over the river and occasionally bending down over it.

He watched as she reached in and pulled out another blue fairy from the water before their wings flapped creating a small tune and dancing together.

"This place is beautiful," he said as Sakura sat beside him. "Don't get too relaxed. A lot of creatures come out at night. You should get inside and rest, tomorrow we need to earn points," she said. Kiku nodded and went into his shelter. He layed down and went to bed.

"He's living easy," Arthur said with a frown. "Yeah, I should have gotten Lovino a ring too," Vlad said. "Eh, that's boring," Arthur whined.

...

Lovino sat against the tree clutching his arm trying to stay calm. "Herbs. I need some herbs," He said between gasps. His head was spinning from the bit of venom that he didn't get out. Romano rushed to the fallen book and picked it up before giving it to Lovino. He opened it and was surprised to see blank pages with a sentence on it. 'Do you need help?' He gave a soft smile before biting his finger and writing no with his blood. The writing disappeared and he looked through the list of plants and herbs listed.

"I need some of these. Romano go find them," Lovino said pointing to a plant on the page. Before the wolf could leave, they watched as the plant popped out from the book. They exchanged looks before he began to rip at the flower and crush the pedals. He put them in a vile and began to get other herbs from the book before filling the small vial. He unwrapped the bandage on his arm and grimaced as a black substance was bubbling from the wound. He took his dagger and began cut at the area, hissing in pain. "Master, you're cutting too much," Romano said watching him bleed heavily. "It's infected. If I don't cut it, it'll spread." He was left with a large wound and quickly began to pour the mixture of plants into the wound. He groaned in pain before wrapping it in the bandages. He looked back down at the book and felt himself smile. 'You're doing great. I'm proud of you.'

"I'll go find food," Romano said before running off. Lovino looked up finally noticing how late it was. The sky was dark leaving only the moonlight. "I'm going to die here aren't I?" He asked himself. He looked at the book and saw another message. 'No. I promise I won't let that happen.' By the time Romano came back, Lovino was asleep against the tree. He curled up beside him and rested his head on his lap before sleeping.

...

Matthieu sighed and sat against the cave wall. "Kuma, I can't sleep." He saw the bear sleeping beside him and sighed. The floor was too hard so he stood and decided to look around the cave. "Luminous." The light came on from his wand and he looked around before something red caught his eye. He went closer before seeing what he was looking at. He yelped as bats came flying at him and he ran out the cave, grabbing Kuma as he went.

As he was running he tripped over a tree root and fell down, twisting his ankle. "Oww. My leg," he whined. He looked up and saw a large tree branch swinging at him and he froze in fear. He flinched as it got closer before hearing a loud growl. His eyes shot open and he saw the giant polar bear standing over him trying to fight against the living tree. "Kuma?!" He stared shocked as his once small cub was now a full grown, giant bear.

"Get on," it growled in a much more menacing way than usual and Matthieu quickly pulled himself onto the bear's back. One final branch was snapped away before Kumajuro began to run off.

They sat beneath a willow tree while Matthieu was trying to wrap his ankle in the bandages. "Are you okay Kuma?" He asked looking at the bear. After running away, Kuma got tired and collapsed underneath the tree and was now back to his normal size. "I'm hungry," he said quietly. "Yeah. Here you deserve it. Thank you for saving me," he said giving the bear the box of cookies. The bear quietly munched on the sweets before looking at the blonde.

Matthieu was slumped holding his legs up to his chest looking really upset. His ankle was also horribly wrapped and his glasses were missing. He went up to him and held a cookie up for him. "Thanks Kuma," he said taking the cookie. He put his legs down and allowed the bear to sit on his lap before hugging it and looking upset again. "One day done. I'm not going to make it, am I?" He slumped to the floor and stared up at the sky as he began to drift to sleep. He took the cloak and wrapped himself and Kuma in it before closing his eyes. "You can do it." Matthieu faintly opened his eyes as he heard a voice. "Allistor?" He said confused before he fell asleep completely.

...

"Ha! That's 20, bloodsucker." Vlad groaned and put the money in his hand. "Your boyfriend is having doubts" Vlad said looking at Allistor. "My boyfriend?" He raised an eyebrow as Vlad laughed. "Yours is holding up pretty well too I see," Arthur said looking at Vlad. "Don't be ridiculous. Lovino doesn't like me like that," Vlad said blushing. Both Arthur and Allistor began to laugh. "You're joking, it's so obvious," Allistor said. "You two would be cute together," Lukas said watching Vlad fidget. "Yeah, so hurry up and make it happen before someone else does," Arthur said. Vlad flushed red and nodded.

...~A day with Aurel~...

Emil's eye twitched as he stood at the door staring at Leon. "Hold on. How do you know where I live?" "I asked the school," he said. "And they told you?" "Yes. Can I come in? I brought sweets," he said holding up a bag. "Sweets?" Aurel peeked at the person outside from behind Emil's legs. He looked at the teen from yesterday.

"Oh. You're Aurel. You want sweets right?" Leon bent down so they were eye to eye as he spoke to him. "If it's okay with big brother," Aurel said. They looked up at Emil who flushed red. "Fine, but you can't stay long. My brother's boyfriend is coming later and if my brother finds out you were here, I'm dead." Emil stepped aside and let Leon in. "Nice place," he said as he walked into the living room. He set the bag down and looked at Aurel who was looking at the bag curiously. "Can we make some tea too?" He asked Emil. "Sure," he sighed grabbing the teapot. He heated up the water and got two mugs before making the tea Leon brought. He grabbed a cup and poured milk into it before going back to the other two sitting on the table.

"-then the dragon ate the knight for trying to kidnap the princess," Aurel said before looking at Emil. "I brought you milk," he said putting the cup down. "Thank you," Aurel said drinking it. Leon began to pull the sweets out as Emil placed the mugs down and sat down. "What were you two talking about?" He asked. "Dragons," Leon said shrugging. He opened the box, exposing the macarons he bought. "Please, take as many as you want." Aurel's eyes shimmered as he took a pink one and began to eat it.

Emil turned to see Leon taking a picture of the box and mug with Aurel eating in the background. He watched as he posted it online before actually taking a macaron and biting it. He turned to see Emil staring and Emil flushed red before looking down. "Do you not like these?" He asked. "It's not that," he said. "Then eat one," Leon said holding one up for him. Emil sighed and took one from the box instead and ate it. "What are you doing here anyways?" "I came to see you," Leon said. "Why?" "Because I like seeing you," Leon said making Emil blush.

"Mr. Leon, do you want to play with us?" Aurel asked after the macarons were gone. "Yes, I'd love to play with you and Emil," Leon said. "No, go home!" Emil said as Leon pulled out his phone. "Ever played Pokemon?" He asked Aurel. "No, is it fun?" He asked. Leon quickly explained to him how to play before letting him play on his phone. Leon went over to Emil who was watching them looking stressed.

"Seriously, why are you here? I don't want my brother to find out," Emil said. "I just wanted to see how cute you looked today," Leon said making Emil blush. "What?" "What?" "What did you just say?" Emil asked. "Oh. You look very cute," Leon said before looking at Aurel. He sat with his legs crossed and his dragon on his lap as he bit his lip in concentration. He then smiled brightly and went back to the game. "Kids are cute. Do you want any?" Leon asked Emil.

"Huh? Where did this come from?" He asked looking at him. Leon still waited for his answer and Emil sighed. "Maybe someday. I don't know," he replied. "I'll have ten." Emil looked at Leon shocked. "You're joking." "No. I grew up lonely in England so when I have kids, I'll make sure they won't ever feel lonely," Leon explained. Emil nodded. "But you don't need ten kids. Just show them that you'll always be there and they'll be happy, I think." Emil flushed red when he noticed Leon was staring at him.

"It's not because I want ten. It's because I don't think I'll be able to hold back," Leon said making Emil give an uncomfortable look. "So Emil, will you have my kids?" Emil blinked before flushing a deep red. "What are you saying? I can't have kids, especially not ten! And why me?" He asked looking down. "Because you're cute," Leon answered bluntly. "You're just messing with me," Emil said pouting. "Maybe. But I like your reactions," Leon said leaning foward. Emil could feel Leon's breath close to his mouth and felt his heart begin to race. The scent of tea and nature was distinct as he leaned in and slowly closed his eyes and Emil's first instinct was to push Leon off the couch.

"W-what are you doing? Aurel is here!" Emil yelled flushed red. "Huh? So it would be fine if he wasn't?" Leon asked from the floor. "No!" Leon stood up and bent foward. "He's not looking," he said leaning forwards again. This time Emil didn't push him away and their lips only briefly brushed each other before a voice made them turn to the doorway. "Hey, Icey. You left the door unlocked, that's dangerous." The two teens looked at the large blonde standing there staring at them. "Who's this?" He asked looking at Leon. "Uhm. A friend," Emil said panicked. He felt like a deer in headlights. "A friend," Matthias repeated in a way that scared Emil more than anything.

"You know... I have a friend too," Matthias said. "And if you get that close to Emil again, I think you two will become real close. It'll be a.. touching relationship," he said pulling out an axe. "Matthias put that down! It's a misunderstanding!" Emil yelled making Aurel finally look up from the game and walk from the other room. "What's going on?" He asked. Leon was standing causally while Emil was trying to stop Matthias from swinging the axe around. "Aurel! Uhm. We're playing dragons and knights," Emil said looking at the boy. "Can we play too?" He asked excitedly. "Yeah. Go get Lucifer," Emil said.

Aurel nodded and ran to the other room while Matthias put the axe down. "He's just a friend," Emil said making Matthias look at Leon again. "Okay then. I'll believe you, Emil. Nice to meet you, I'm Matthias!" He said back to his cheerful self. Emil sighed as the two introduced themselves. "Okay guys, no one tells Lukas or Minel. They'll kill us," Emil said gaining nods. "Where's Aurel?" Leon asked finally noticing how long the boy was taking. They went into the other room to find Aurel sitting on the floor wiping his tears. "Hey buddy, what's wrong?" Matthias asked crouching beside him. "I lost Lucifer," he replied between sniffles.

... ~Back to the Story~...

Lovino groggily woke up. He didn't know what time it was, nor how much longer had to stay. It's been three days. Well for him atleast. He had been going around looking for the others and only found goblins and other stupid creatures to fight. He was begining to think the others weren't even there. He began wearing his clothes inside out as a form of protection. Weird how it was effective right? He also stopped receiving messages from Vlad which made him more than annoyed. He turned to see Romano still laying beside him and he groaned. How much longer?

"Hey, you." Lovino sat up and looked around trying to find the voice. "Alright, who is messing with me?" A small pixie approached him and sat on his shoulder. "I know where your friends are," the pixie said. "What? Where are they?" Lovino asked. "By the valley. I'll take you." The pixie flew up and Lovino didn't move. "I don't trust you," he said. "Just come. I'll take you to your friends," she said again. Lovino looked at Romano who didn't seem affected by the fairy. He sighed and stood. "Come on, Romano."

...

Kiku bent over trying to catch his breath. So far in the past three days he managed to get plenty to eat. His latest kill was a deer. "This will last us," he said skinning it. "You're not getting points by only fighting hunger, Kiku," Sakura told him. "With this ring, I don't have anyone attacking me," Kiku said. "Fighting is the only way to survive." Sakura cleaned herself as she waited for Kiku to take the meat so they can move back to the river.

They followed the river and only went into the woods to find meat or plants to eat. "You know what has been bothering me?" Kiku asked. "Why haven't we seen the others? Surely they must have been close by," Kiku said frowning. "The area isn't too big. I think they decided to stay on their own," she said. "Perhaps. I hope they're okay. I don't have anyone attacking me now but I'm not sure about them," he said. "They have companions fit for defense, they're fine," Sakura said jumping onto his shoulder. "Let's head back." Kiku nodded and began to walk before hearing a rustling. He quickly turned and watched as a small elf approached him.

'An elf? Why is it approaching us?' Sakura asked herself. "You're looking for a boy with a white bear, right?" It asked. Kiku's eyes widened and he nodded. "Yes. My friend, where is he?" He asked. "By the mountains. He's injured and it'll begin to snow soon," It said. Kiku gasped and looked at Sakura. "We have to go," he said. "Thank you. Have you seen another with a wolf?" He asked. The elf shook his head and Kiku nodded before running towards the mountains. "Kiku, don't you think it's suspicious?" Sakura asked as he ran. "Is it?" He asked. "I don't know but I haven't checked the mountains yet. What if he really is there," Kiku said running. Sakura just sighed and climbed into his small pack to avoid falling.

...

In the past three days, Matthieu found himself useless with his hurt ankle. Kuma proved himself quite the fisher and berry picker though. They stayed beneath the willow tree by the pond as Matthieu did his best to heal his ankle. It was no use though, he wasn't skilled medically like Kiku was, nor was he too prideful to ignore the pain like Lovino. He couldn't even make a health potion.

He sighed wishing he knew things other than just spell casting. At night, pixies often lighted the area like fireflies and he sometimes watched a small gnome pass but none got near him. "Kuma, we have to find the others," Matthieu said trying to stand for the 20th time that day. "Your leg hurts," he said watching him fall back down after hoping on his uninjured foot. Matthieu began to mumble before sighing. He sat against the tree as Kuma took his nap. "Decipiat." He watched the area turn into his room with Alfred on the top bunk reading. He sighed missing home. A ringing sound came and he looked around curiously. It got louder before he broke the spell and looked around the tree to see where the noise was coming from. He turned and saw a large group of dark colored fairies surrounding him.

He gulped before they flew towards him. He felt them biting and burning his skin and yanking his hair as he tried to smack them away. He grabbed his bear and wrapped himself in the cloak and immediately he heard them screech and fly away. He took a peek and saw them gone. "Your cloak." He heard a voice and looked around. "Your cloak is magical." He looked around again finding noone. "Who's there?" "Above you." Matthieu looked up to find a small girl sitting on the tree branch.

"Who are you?" He asked. "I'm just a girl from the forest. Where did you get that cloak?" She asked swaying her legs. "Eh? A friend gave lent it to me," Matthieu said. "Can we make a deal?" She asked. "You give me the cloak and I'll heal your foot and tell you where your friends are," she said smiling. "I'm sorry but I can't give this to you. It belongs to a friend," Matthieu said holding Kuma tightly. "Huh? That's a shame. Your friends are in trouble right now," she said hoping off the tree. "With that leg and not knowing where they are, you'll never save them. Well see you," she said walking away. "Wait, I'll exchange something else. Uhm wait I might have something," Matthieu said looking through his stuff. He pulled out multiple useless items and sighed. "Or not. Please, you have to tell me where they are," Matthieu said with a frown. The girl shrugged and began to walk away.

"What about this?" He asked taking off his necklace. The girl turned back and smiled. "Okay, I'll take it," she said. Matthieu looked at the clover necklace with a frown and hesitantly gave it to the small girl. He didn't want to give it away, especially because Allistor gave it to him but he was worried about the others. She quickly healed his leg before leading him to a nearby river. "Where are they?" He asked. She looked at him with a smirk before having large black wings come out from her back and horns. She shoved Matthieu into the river and he fell in with Kuma jumping after him. He tried to swim up but the water kept pulling him down and he felt his consciousness begin to fail.

...

A/N: hey guys, I don't want to spend too much time on their adventure so I'm kind of rushing through it. I hope Aurel has cheered you up a bit though.

Thought I would explain they're magical items and specialties.

Lovino took a bit after Vlad in this one. While the other two were learning spell casting, Lovino was learning about plants and magical creatures. He's more skilled in potion making and knowing where to find certain plants, but because he's good with potions doesn't make him automatically good with healing magic. His magic is the worst of the three because he originally started without any magic. He compensates with knowledge and potion making. He can also easily find a creature's weak spot but without a gun or Holy water, he is as good as useless in combat. This is where Romano fits him well. Romano isn't as smart as Sakura but he is loyal and helps Lovino in combat and sniffing out anything. Though they are close, they're relationship is still that of master and dog. Lovino's magical item is the book. He can have any magical book from Vlad's chamber appear and can summon any plant as long as it is in the book. He can also receive written messages from Vladimir in it. His second is the cloak which will soon show it's own ability.

Kiku is the most skilled with a weapon out of the three. He is good with spell casting but that is due to being with them longer. He is medically skilled and is currently learning fortune reading. Sakura is the most knowledgeable of the animals. Though she is smart and can heal wounds, she is not good at any kind of fighting. Her relationship with Kiku is more of useful companionship. Kiku gains insight on things while she gets fed and a place to stay as well as protection. Kiku's magical items are the cards which he can summon objects from and predict events, though he is still not good at it. His second item is the enchanted ring that turns him into an elf. With this ring, he is quickly eliminated as a threat from multiple other magic beings so fighting is not necessary for him. He may be the most skilled but it's not in his nature to fight, he would prefer a more peaceful compromise.

So far Matthieu is shown with no special ability except spell casting (actually I hinted at his ability) but he is more widely ranged in them. He can do illusionary spells and make things appear at will. He is also the quickest to react and use magic as a form of defense though his nature is naturally gentle as well, only slowing him down more in combat. Kuma can change into a full sized bear when there's danger but it doesn't last too long. He is fed cookies after each good deed and is often spoiled by Matthieu. Their relationship seems more like friends compared to the other two but they don't seem too close, an example is them never remembering each other's names. Despite this, Matthieu still vents to Kumajuro and in return he gives him advice. I'll show more of them later though. His magical items are the lucky clover and Allistor's cloak. It repels against smaller magical creatures like pixies and gnomes. The blue gem can also be used to communicate with.