When Nikola and Dimitri came back home, Galen and Lena were just preparing to take the babies with them to the tribal lands.
Lena sighed, kissed Timmy on the forehead, and handed him over.
"We were hoping to do a puppet show for them," Galen told the two men. "But all our sock puppets are at home."
Nikola's heart melted.
Just what was in those mushrooms, for the goblins to become so kind all of a sudden?
"That's good to hear," the brunette said, as he took out a coin pouch. "You know, there are street artists out and about in Oak's Rest right now. Why don't you go and listen to a fairy tale?"
Both goblin children blinked at him.
Nikola handed them two golden coins.
"Or just go and get yourselves cotton candy. It's on me!"
Galen took the money, pocketing it as quickly as possible. Lena did a slight bow, her smile blinding.
"And remember kids, you should be home before the curfew," Dimitri said, as he took the two babies off the basket they had been placed in.
Timmy let out a yawn, taking hold of Dimitri's finger with his tiny hand.
Vera giggled, waving her arms around. Swatting Dimitri every so often.
"I wonder where Jack and Jean are," Nikola said, as he went about to prepare two bottles of milk.
"Maybe they are still perusing the Black Market?" Dimitri offered, as he set the two babies in their crib.
Vera took hold of Timmy's frog onesie, smiling all the while. Timmy was pouting.
Probably because of the frog onesie.
"At any rate," Dimitri said, as he began to ponder on which plushy he should put in the crib with the babies. "They'll be back."
Nikola nodded.
His smile was gentle; his green eyes were twinkling. Dimitri was melting at the sight of him preparing the bottles. He put his mana into the milk, so Timmy and Vera could grow strong.
"Niki?" Dimitri asked, as he looked at the brunette with soft eyes. "I can't wait for the house to be built."
Nikola chuckled.
"Dimitri, we talked about this. We have babies within hearing range."
"But we'll place a rune on their door, right? So, we can hear if they cry, but they can't hear us?" Dimitri asked, hope in his voice.
Nikola's ears began to turn red.
"I have a headache," the brunette joked.
Dimitri barked out a laugh.
"I hope you get well soon," the blonde said, knowing that this was a losing battle.
****
Jack and Jean were running. The black cloud which was following them was making all the vegetations wilt. They had no idea what it was, but they had seen it pass through a tree and melt it down.
They didn't want to take any risks.
A thunder sounded above.
"We need a mushroom circle!" Jack yelled over the noise.
"At least it followed us out of town. Can you imagine the damage it could have done if it had stayed there?" Jean said, barely managing to make out the words. So tired he was.
"I think I see something over there!" Jean pointed at a faint light.
Both he and Jack ran towards it with everything they got.
Only to see a giant snake, whose rattle was shining.
"Crap!" Jack yelled. "Come over here!"
The ghoul took Jean by the hand and then dived behind a bush.
The miasma still rolled towards the snake. The snake woke up.
As Jack finally saw what was in the cloud, he sucked in a breath.
It was a goblin, but a ghostly one. Not only that, but it was a creature which looked so, as if it had been mutilated.
The snake and the goblin began to battle. Jack looked at Jean.
"I think we can lose it, if we are fast enough," the ghoul said, as he began to sneak out from behind the bush. "Come on, we have to head back into town!"
Just as he said that the ghost was swallowed by the snake. Both entities disappeared in a puff.
"Ok," Jean said, as he thought about all the blood thirst the two creatures had been showing. "How did this happen?"
"I think it was the last merchant we went by. The one with the curses. Did you buy anything from him?"
Jean shook his head.
"Ok, let us empty our pockets. Maybe something snuck in a curse on us?" Jack suggested, already doing just that.
He didn't find anything in his pockets, but he found some dust on his shoes. Dust that could have come only from a mana stone.
He took them off, threw them to the side, and then took out some new boots from the new bottomless bag they had gotten.
Jean looked at the soles of his boots.
True enough, there was dust on them as well.
"I can't believe that we nearly died because some merchant didn't keep his stand clean," the vampire said, as he threw his boots to the side.
"Don't you have new boots?" Jack was pretty sure that Jean had liked a pair when he had bought himself his.
"Nah. But it's ok. The grass is soft."
Jack shook his head. Things couldn't be like that.
He turned around, squatting a bit.
"Come now, I will carry you back to town," Jack stood there, waiting.
"But I'm not exactly feather-light!" Jean protested. "And the grass is really soft!"
"Jean, darling, you are one thorn away from being out of commission for the entire week. We are in a forest. There is nothing to be done about it all."
Jack patted his back once more.
Jean made himself comfortable on it, letting himself be carried.
"You know," Jean began, as he tried to imagine if a different person would have done this for him. "I like you, Jack."
Jack held his breath. Hoping that he would not get a but.
"And I wish you stay the same."
"Why? Do you think I will change overnight?" Jack asked, trying to mask his dread with teasing. "You can't teach an old dog new tricks."
Jean giggled.
"You are more of a bear, if I have to be honest," the blonde vampire teased.
Jack smiled. Happy to feel Jean's warmth on his back.
Hoping for more.