Short fics

Plot: Muzaka notices his little Ashleen is growing, but there's something getting on his nerves…

Genre: Humor/Family/Drama

Wish granted! Muzaka's short story!

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III

The preoccupations of a (former) werewolf Lord

Muzaka's pupil got thinner and his eyes wavered. The bag he was holding carefully with both hands slipped down and fell to the ground, the content scattered: some fruits rolled on the ground. His hand trembled. His eyebrows twitched and he grinded his teeth. The inner voice on his mind broke his calm demeanor and started to shout inside his head:

"No…No… NO!"

He wanted to lunge onwards and rip apart the first person that crossed his sight or path, his blood boiled and his eyes were inflamed with rage, a perilous aura started to flow out of him and the people started to get away afraid of his growls. What was the reason behind his sudden burst of anger? It had a name:

"Ashleen!" he called out loud.

The girl got startled with his strong voice, but when she caught a glimpse of him, a cheerful smile played on her lips and she beckoned raising her hand energetically:

"Ajusshi!"

Muzaka walked towards her with his fists clenched and she noticed there was something wrong. The case was, the innocent Ashleen failed to understand that the main cause of his strange behavior was the boy by her side. A boy that should be her age or a bit older, and this aforementioned boy had been talking in a friendly way, which seemed to be a reason good enough to displease Muzaka.

Ah, no, not his daughter, not now, she hasn't even grow her claws yet! She was too young for that!

The boy sweated a bit feeling the pressure coming from the muscular man coming towards them and mumbled something to Ashleen, waving his hand nervously and taking his leave right away.

"Ashleen!" he called out again.

"Muzaka ajusshi, is there something wrong?" her curious glance stopped on his face full of wrinkles formed by the irritation he displayed.

"Who was that?"

"Huh?" she looked back, watching the silhouette of her friend far away in the crowd, and turned to look at Muzaka again "Ah, that's Dillan, he is a commoner living nearby, and his parents are merchants!"

"How did you know him?" he crossed his arms, frowning.

"Why do you want to know?" she pouted "Ajusshi, you didn't listen to me! I asked to bring some fruits and you haven't bought them yet!"

"I-I bought them!" he asserted and she raised her brows "But I lost it a while ago…" he said in deception.

"Ajusshi!" she let out in a scolding tone, crossing her arms. "By the way, what did you want to know about Dillan?"

"I-I need to know who your friends are, of course…" he stuttered trying to explain "I mean, I'm thinking about your safety."

"Dillan could never beat me, he is not a warrior, ajusshi." She chuckled "He was teaching me some things about planting seeds…"

"Planting?" he raised a brow.

"Yes, his parents sell fruits and many vegetables in this city… And I was here thinking that it has been long since we've stopped on some peaceful place like this…" her eyes wandered on the streets with a flickering glint of sorrow "Maybe we should start thinking about farming too…"

"Ashleen…" his anger dissipated along with his heavy and worried sigh.

That child was thinking on staying in that city… He felt sadness watching her labile dreams. Of course, at some point the war would reach this place, he knew it, but his wishful thoughts still wished that this city could be a secure place for her to live. She wanted to plant seeds and watch them grown, that meant she was already making plans to stay for a long time there…

"Ajusshi, why are you making this face?" she smiled gleefully.

No matter the situation, that girl had the brightest smile he had ever seen. It assured his heart that she could lead a happy life anywhere, because the happiness already dwelled inside her heart and her whole being.

"So, does that Dillan know how to grow seeds?" he asked putting his hands on pockets.

"Yes, he was telling me that-"

She initiated a long conversation. Sometimes he paid attention, and sometimes, his thoughts were adrift, only enjoying her expressions as she talked to him. He loved that girl. That was exactly why he was concerned about the sort of relationship she had with that dirty boy. Dillan should beware himself, Muzaka would never allow any idiot to lay a hand on his little girl.

"Ajusshi!" Ashleen clenched her small fists and puffed her cheeks "You aren't listening to me!"

"Ah, sorry, sorry…" he gestured in a leisurely and defensive way.

The following days, Muzaka stalked Ashleen and observed what she was doing when she was with that boy, until…

Muzaka hide himself on an alley while discreetly watching Ashleen talking to that boy again. Oh, no, she seemed too happy. Was he really only a friend? If not, he should take care and prepare for the interrogatory, Ashleen's suitor needs to be someone good natured and with a gentle heart that could make her smile, if he fit the pre-requirements, Muzaka would have to cope with it.

However, when he paid attention to his daughter again, he saw that. His eyes got bloodshot when he witnessed the supposed-to-be friend presenting Ashleen with a sunflower and a peck on her cheek. Muzaka's patience ran out again, he grasped the wall of the alley and a crackling sound was heard, his fingers broke through the hard rocks of the wall, transforming the bricks into smithereens while his expression exhibited fury.

"No… No… NO! Definitely NOT!" he yelled inwardly again, tough, his interior and exterior expressed pretty much the same emotions.

The boy beckoned and walked away, but Ashleen was still enchanted by the flower she had received. Muzaka clenched his fists and walked like he was about to kill some enemy, in fact, never had he been so angry, not even with the opponents who defied him in order to dethrone him.

"Ashleen…" some mist came out of his mouth when he breathed.

"H-huh? Muzaka ajusshi?" she looked at him with a joyful smile, unaware of his mental state. "Heh. Look! I've got a flower!"

The petals of the sunflower almost touched his face, but he didn't recoil, his frown only accentuated and his mouth curved down. He smoothly pushed her hand to the side and his eyes locked on her blue orbs. She sweated worriedly.

"Ajusshi?"

"Ashleen. What does it mean? Why did he give you a flower?"

"Ah, it's that what you're fussing about?" she giggled "He gave it to me because he said this flower represents me perfectly, the sunflower is known to be a lively and warm flower!"

"That…" his hands trembled when he tightened his grip. "That…" his fangs fractioned with each other.

"Also, he wanted to give me a present before he left the city!" she completed.

There was a brief twist on his brows. He stopped. Was he hallucinating? No. Had he just heard what he thought he had heard?

"Leave the city…?" his perplexed expression elicited a muffled laugh on his daughter.

"Yes. It seems his family will be leaving the city today, thus, he wanted to say goodbye and he brought this for me…" she explicated.

Muzaka sighed in relief and gradually, his posture changed, his irritation disappeared completely and a faint smile was born on his lips.

"I see… He is leaving…" he nodded satisfied.

"Ajusshi, you look happy."

"No, no, I'm sad your friend has to go, but isn't it good he gave you a present?"

"You're right!"

Dillan was right, that flower suited her, just like her warm smile and her gentleness. Now, one of his preoccupations was over, he could focus on constructing a good life for her on that city. It was what he thought… That city was also consumed by the flames of the war… And they had to emigrate again…

Then, during their search for a new place to stay… Ashleen met Raizel.

"Wow…." She was bewildered with his beauty for a moment, her cheeks even blushed and her eye opened wide to scrutinize the well-drawn traces of his face.

"Haha… Ashleen…" Muzaka clapped his hands twice to break the spell the vampire had cast on her unconsciously.

She woke up from her trance and started to scold him again for bringing a friend without telling her previously. He watched as she entered the small hut to cook the fish she had captured a while ago. His little girl was growing so fast.

He flinched when he noticed that Raizel had been looking at him for some minutes… He forced a smile on face, his friend wasn't talkative, but he understood the seemingly hidden emotions on the noblesse's expression as something similar to dejection since he didn't give any attention. Before calling his best friend to take a seat and listen to his stories, he thought:

"Raizel is a good friend, but…"

"NO! Definitely not, Ashleen!"