Strapping a bag on his back, Zephyr raised himself from the fountain's edge.
"Where are you going?" Lion's voice came out muffled, followed by a big yawn, leaving his fanged maw.
Zephyr glanced at him for a moment before pointing at the forest, its tall pine trees swaying under the wind.
"There's a guy I know at the north of the forest, I need to visit him soon, so I might as well go now."
Lion looked in the direction where he pointed; thick roots protruded from the ground, building a road of sorts.
Seeing the unnaturally built path, the lion asked cautiously.
"I thought you were the only one living in this forest." His tone was heavy; it was obvious that he doubted Zephyr's words.
A light chuckle escaped the boy's lips before turning to the lion with a smirk, his body leaning forward with both hands on his hips.
"What? Did you really think I was here all by myself? How else would I have gotten myself armor and poison?" Zephyr patted his head, the hand barely covering one-third of its area. "You're so silly."
His voice carried a trace of childish mockery that lion's pride couldn't shake off.
Grumbling quietly, he forced himself to ignore how blatant Zephyr's words were. He still wanted to know where he planned to go.
He doesn't plan on leaving me here... does he?
Just as the possibility crossed his mind, Zephyr's sudden move startled the lion; his body darted to the front of the forest's entrance.
He looked at Zephyr, who faced him, confused. The boy looked around in case it was danger that made the lion act in such a strange way.
"What's wrong?" He asked after confirming that nothing had happened.
Lion's giant frame covered his path; golden eyes looked at him with an unknown emotion. His golden fur was carried by the wind... It's soft and warm fur...
"You're lying." Lion spoke as he looked into Zephyr's eyes.
What is he talking about?
"What do you mean I'm lying? How do you know?"
"I just do." His stubborn gaze made Zephyr feel unsure of himself.
Wait really?
If it was a joke, then it was a horrible attempt at making one. He stepped over the lion who blocked his path once again.
Zephyr's brows furrowed.
"If you want it so badly, then just go with me."
"I can't."
"Then wait here."
"I can't do that, either."
Grabbing his aching head, an exaggerated sigh left his lips.
"Then what can you do?"
He stayed silent; the answer to that question hadn't even formed in his head, just the stubborn act of stopping Zephyr from going away.
Turning around, Zephyr stepped to the right. The lion copied his movement, moving to the side accordingly.
Without looking back, the boy side-stepped to the left. Without a second of delay, the beast moved just like him, its towering body swaying slightly.
They walked back and forth, mimicking each other's moves like in a game of checkers.
Lion, however, held a small disadvantage during such an exchange.
Following Zephyr's movement, his feet stepped on each other, almost making his body stumble over itself. The short and nimble turns of Zephyr made the lion's large body confused; he couldn't follow him perfectly, being thrice the size of a regular human.
I will go, so wait patiently.
Trying to convey it with his eyes, Zephyr, lost in thought, tripped over a rock, his body falling so fast that his eyes could only widen.
The lion, noticing the child's mistake, stretched out his paw to soften the impact.
Gotcha
A look of triumph bloomed on Zephyr's face as he suddenly grasped onto the giant leg, his fingers sticking onto the fur.
"Wha-" voicing his surprise, the lion tried to move back from the trap he was led to. His paw was raised in the air, the force of it making the wind split. But it was already over.
Zephyr yanked himself onto his back, like a frog, jumping from the ground and taking control of the situation. His mouth closed and opened, then closed again.
Seeing that he couldn't stop Zephyr from going, he fell on the ground with a thud.
"H-hey?" Through his half-closed eyes, a head peeked from above his vision.
Zephyr's puzzled look made the lion question whether or not he planned to leave the village. The child, seeing how unbothered he acted, slid off his back and leaned down to meet his eyes.
"Sorry..." Zephyr's small finger is scratching at his cheek. "I won't leave you alone, so please, let me go for just a day or two, I promise you won't wait long..."
His voice trailing off, something about his face made the lion dislike him more.
Closing his eyes, the lion hesitated for a brief moment before saying in a muffled voice.
"Just don't forget about me."
With those words, he stood up, startling Zephyr. Slowly going to the distant hut.
Zephyr's lips curled up upon hearing that, once more, he checked his bag and belt, strapping it tighter to his body.
Leather armor dangled off his body, its front pierced but not enough to force it off. His bag, filled with food and tools, let off a stifled clank each time he tried to take a step.
The belt, now almost empty, circled his waist with a pair of two little bottle caps standing out.
His scabbard was now at his waist thanks to the lion's insight on how warriors usually wore it, a handle of a former sword was placed inside it, and the blade, although shattered, was still a deadly weapon with its sharp end.
Zephyr looked back at the lion, who had already disappeared behind the tall stone houses. He already missed the soft feeling of his golden fur that he could cuddle with every time he fell asleep.
It's just two days
He reminded himself before turning to the abnormal road of roots, its edges seemingly carved by a human hand.
His body disappeared inside the forest in an instant, as the darkness swallowed him, the bushes covered up the path, making it seem as if it wasn't there in the first place.
...
Cold breeze brushed against the steep rocky mountains, the wind thundered like an omen of death above the skies, and the cold snow fell on the frozen plates of armor.
Just a single light of a lamp shone amidst the blizzard, which could swallow entire countries. A dark, worn-out robe snapped under the cold wind.
A blow of chilling wind came from underneath it. The individual's gaze sharpened after a movement came from underneath the snow; it rose and fell in fat clumps that could build walls around it.
Only ice shattered, the crystal sound repeated itself in the barren land with nothing but a chill to it.