[13+] Taezan & the Mice [Kim Taehyung] Christmas 2022

December 11th

Giving his son an unamused scowl, Slim rinsed his throat, and started again: "It was a cold and harsh winter, long before you younglings were old enough to go gathering. Our town struggled, so even though it was night, my team and I had no choice but to venture into the dark to look for resources." Walking over to the closest rock, he sat down and scratched at his peg. "That night was especially foggy, and even with a navigator among us, we struggled to find our way."

"Here it comes..." Slim Jr. mumbled. He had obviously heard this story many times before.

"I was leading the group when we walked straight into something hard. It was cold as ice, but made the loudest sound..." Leaning forward, Slim whispered. "Witch awakened the beast from its slumber."

"What happened next?" Immediately drawn in by the dramatic retelling, Taezan sat down in front of Slim; eager for him to continue.

"He jumped down from the very top of the fence!" Throwing his arms out, Slim gestured. "Pinning me down with his big, clawed paw."

"Did you die?" Taezan whispered, his mouth agape as he paid close attention to Slim.

"I was lucky. My team had my back." Slim stated proudly. "They threw food at the beast, and a nut hitting it square in its eye. It howled, lifting its paw just enough for me to get out, and then we ran. But... I wasn't fast enough." Letting out a sigh, the older mouse looked down, a solemn expression on his face as he continued: "The beast caught up to us, pinning down Lint. He was my friend, and I couldn't just leave him behind, so I stopped; throwing myself at the furry creature."

"So that's how you lost your leg?" Taezan whisper-asked. "Saving a friend?"

"Yes. I got a hold of its neck, squeezing as hard as I could. It let Lint go, but I couldn't keep on for long, and soon lost grip. Landing on the ground in front of him, I stared death in its face. I tried to crawl away, but the beast was faster." His jaw tensed, his hand gripping his peg leg tightly. "His teeth found me, piercing into my paw, and ripping it clean off."

There was a moment of dramatic silence before Slim finished his story: "Two of my comrades had gotten to high ground and were able to save me. They soaked the beast with water, and it ran away; never to be seen again."

"So it's gone now?" Taezan scooched closer. "It's safe?"

"No, not at all." Slim shook his head. "Another beast was spotted a few weeks ago. Its eyes were big and red, as it skulked around, clearly seeking revenge for his fellow beast."

"He could be friendly..." Noah muttered.

"You're a fool, just like your uncle." Slim shut him down. "He had a good heart, may he rest peacefully, but he was naive. Thoughts like that was what got him killed - ripped to pieces off by the red death!"

The red death?! More monsters?!

Taezan swallowed. He had convinced himself that everything would be fine, and that he would be able to find Namzoom as well as complete his mission... But... With all of these - clearly lethal - monsters and beasts roaming around...

"The new one was smaller though." Noah argued, still set on heading into the abandoned building. "I doubt he will even show himself. I'm sure he doesn't wish to run into us any more than we into him."

"Naive" Slim repeated. "Small can still be deadly. And, didn't you see the scar he had? He's clearly a fighter."

"I don't think he is. "Noah repeated, heading towards the building before anyone could stop him. "I'll be quick."

Watching his back, Taezan was encouraged by his bravery. He knew how important it was to fix the gravity sphere. And so, to find the aluminum, so he would go too. "I'll check the bin. There might be something useful there."

Slim opened his mouth to protest, but seemed to change his mind, shaking his head and letting him go.

His heart pumping, Taezan ran over to the bin, but reaching it, his heart sank to the bottom of his stomach. It wasn't aluminum.

Not wanting to give up, he searched around the bin, but Taezan still couldn't find any. He did, however, find some sort of device. It had two legs, a sharp blade, and a part that made the sharp part turn. Whatever could it be?

Just then, Noah ran out of the house, the supplies in his hands bouncing as he hurried to the rest of the group. Sensing danger, Taezan ran after him; dragging the curious device with him, and not letting go of it until they were all safely back in the town.

The beast couldn't get them here, but Taezan couldn't help but worry. This world was much more dangerous than they had thought - and Namzoom was still out there - all alone against the beasts and monsters, and who knew what else?