12 Days of Ru'ran

Chapter 4 - Futuristic Krampus

Shaken up from the gummy attack. Everyone worked their way back to the estate, the snowflakes falling from the clouded skies only seemed bittersweet. A vacation turning into a nightmare, a nightmare they wanted to escape.

As everyone entered the estate. It was an uneasy silence, it was almost unsettling. Assuming everyone was processing what just occurred. It was almost impossible to tell what everyone was thinking or feeling.

Ark gingerly looked around at everyone. "Hey, it'll be okay." He quietly said as heads turned toward him. "No, it won't be. We have to solve another issue again." Ryuu replied back.

Everyone nodded in agreement with her statement except Ark. "I understand this was supposed to be an escape from our daily lives of solving problems and saving the world. But, we can have fun and do both, yeah?" He felt the instant pain that he made a mistake in saying that. He should have just kept quiet.

Amira shook her head. "Y-You don't get it. We're tired o-of always doing this!" She yelled, but immediately covered her mouth. "Ah, I'm so so sorry! I'm just— I wanted this to be stress free, but wherever we go, it's a problem." She said with sadness in her voice.

Ace was pacing back and forth. "I think I may have a solution." He said as everyone looked toward him. "We get Ark to remove himself from here. He's a God, he attracts disaster."

Before everyone could make their own opinions. Jeffrey stood before Ark, shaking his head. "That's not a logical answer. Whatever is happening in Winterveil could be a different source merely doing this for their own desires. Ark can definitely not be a cause for anything going on here." His words shutting down everyone even Ark. It was surprising to see him speak and speak so professionally.

Jeffrey sighed. "Let's all calm down, okay? We'll figure what's going on here before it affects anyone here or worse; it follows us back home. Okay?" He said with a smile.

One by one, everyone began to chime in with smiles on their faces. Lune and Growler nodded. "Yeah!"

"Alright, Jeffrey."
"Big hobo mortal is right!"
"Let's do this!"

Ark standing behind everyone watched everything going down. He looked at Jeffrey's leadership and gently placed a hand on his chest, cupping it near his heart. Ark wished he could be as confident and inspiring as Jeffrey.

After the commotion died down. Everyone began to gather around the dining table, thinking of how to settle the situation and Ark slowly joined in.

                              ~×~

"I say we ransack their candy stores and cut through all their money supply then burn it all to the ground!" Angel shouted while standing on the table. Everyone staring at him in utter confusion.

Ellerie sat back, leaning in her chair. "Bless me, I raised him so well." She sniffled, a tear dripping down. "They grow up so fast." Lune shook her head. "Who allowed the deranged mole to raise him?" Growler swiftly covered Lune's mouth. "Hush— He'll hear you."

They looked over to Angel staring at them with a large turkey leg in his hand as he began to swing it around. "Alright, Angel. That's enough." Ark said as Angel nodded. "Okay!"

"He tamed the beast?!"
"Enough, Lune—"

Jeffrey thought for a moment. "How about we talk to the townsfolk and see what information we can grab from them? It'll work well." He said happily. Ryuu tilted her head. "I'm unsure if that'll really get us anywhere. Would they really listen to a bunch of strangers?"

An idea shot through Ace. "Why don't we split up? If we go into our own individual groups. We can cover more ground and explore Winterveil to its fullest!" He said as everyone began to nod in agreement.