Chapter Text
It had been nine days since Wemmbu had found his way out of the snow biome. Maybe it was thirteen? He lost count a while ago.
The fledgling had passed through seemingly endless plains, a swamp, and now he was standing in front of the largest trees he had ever seen. Vines descended down from the leaves above and Wemmbu struggled to remember the name of the biome. The world jungle clicked into his mind, was that what this forest was called?
Wemmbu approached the tree line cautiously, staring into the never ending green. He took in a sharp breath and stepped into the jungle. Wemmbu wandered around, his eyes never leaving the canopy. He realized a moment ago that he was slowly running out of food. For now, he settled with munching on the remains of an apple he started yesterday.
After walking around for thirty minutes (or had it been more? The leaves covered his only way of knowing…), Wemmbu found a clearing filled with roses and lilacs.
It was pretty.
Wemmbu decided after much thought that he could rest here, maybe for an hour before continuing his journey to Aether-knows-where. He stepped into the clearing, laying down his bag and Techno’s cape.
He had only taken four steps when something snagged around his left foot and he was launched into the air. The world tilted upside down, Wemmbu could feel the blood rush to his head. It made him nauseous.
He heard voices off in the distance- Players? Maybe they’d let him down. The voices came closer, and a sinking sense of dread filled his veins.
~
Manepear was, in his own words, a solitary guy.
Expect when it came to his little brother
Flamefrags wasn't technically Mane’s brother, after all, Mane had “ kidnapped ” Flame from the horrible dimension called the nether when he was just a kid. Ever since, he and Flame were almost always together. Flame was… odd, at times. He would observe how Mane would hunt for food, and, with basically no practice, would develop his own form of Mane’s methods.
Normally, this wouldn’t be an issue. The problem was that the kid was only six. Flame had also begun to enjoy his alone time, which had Mane’s flabbers ghasted. Turns out, his little brother was more than a blaze. He had tiger genetics as well, though it still stung whenever eight-year old Flame wouldn’t sleep in Mane’s room anymore.
Over time Mane had learned to understand Flame’s instincts, even if they were a little strange at times.
A leading example of the weirdness would be today, because it was happening.
Right now
His little brother had suddenly stopped beating the shit out of the practice dummy, his tiger ears going airplane mode and his head turned to the east. Almost if he was listening to something
“Flame? You good buddy?” Flame’s tail swished slightly with the wind, replying with “Do you hear that?” “Hear what?”
Without another response, Flame took off into the sea of green with Mane's prized netherite sword which took him like, a whole year of trading to get! And Flame thinks he can just run off with it?
The lion hybrid sighed, and while dragging a hand down his face, he stood up and headed in the direction Flame had gone.
It only took him a few minutes to find his brother with his keen tracking skills, and finding Flame with two grown ass players bleeding out in front of the kid wasn't how Mane was expecting to find him.
Oh well, must suck to be those guys.
Mane trotted over to where Flame was standing, observing the scene like he hadn’t just murdered two people. “You good bro?” Mane poked his arm, causing his brother to sway slightly.
“Hm?” Flame blinked and turned his head to Mane, which tilted to the right. “You didn’t hear that noise?” “What the hell are you talking about? There was no noise.” “Bro there was a shout bro like how did you not hear that?”
Mane ruffled Flame’s hair, “You’re obviously hearing things, but hey free loot.” He started picking up the player’s gear, they were pretty stacked, however Flame stayed standing. “Bro are you going to help me pick this up or..?” “How do you seriously not hear that? It sounds like someone’s crying bro.”
Mane stiffened. His first (and only) thought was, Did Flame kill a kid’s parents? The lion stood up quickly and drew one of the swords a player dropped, “Can you locate the sound?” Flame nodded, he did a full 360 around the area before stopping at a twin pair of trees. He silently pointed at the brush and looked back at Mane.
He walked over to where Flame was standing and pushed him backwards, he heard the crying now, Mane stashed the sword in his inventory and pushed aside the bushes.
Staring back up at Mane was a kid, though he didn't look like the dead players. He was clutching a red cape and a bag, tears streamed down his purple face. What the fuck?
Now, Mane had seen many strange things in his seventeen years of living, but he’s never come in contact with a person who was purple. He did his best to give the kid his least threatening smile, though Mane wasn’t sure if he tried hard enough as the kid was slowly scooting himself away from him.
Mane hesitating before speaking, “Uh, hey little guy! Are you able to understand me?” The kid stared at him silently, he then nodded slowly.
“Were those your parents?” The kid wiped his face with his sleeve and shook his head violently. “Uhm, alright so why don’t you come out? We won’t hurt you.” Mane turned to Flame, who had suspiciously quiet during the interaction, for confirmation. His brother blinked like he wasn’t expecting to be addressed, “Yeah, I won’t hurt him.”
As Mane backed up the kid slowly stood, he looked to be about seven or eight years old, and the cape was much too big for him. Mane crouched down to his level, speaking softly, “So uh, where are your parents?” He flinched, are they a sore subject?
After a few seconds of waiting, Mane got his answer. “Gone.” The kid muttered. “Gone?” Mane repeated, the kid’s tail, which Mane had just noticed, wrapped around his leg tightly. “Dead,” he confirmed. Mane’s ears pinned back, well shit.
The kid let out a few stuttering breaths, and now that he was standing Mane could get a good look at him.
His clothes, that looked to have once been cream, sagged over his figure, as if he had been starved. Mane drew in a sharp breath, had he been staying with these players? Had they been starving this kid? Assessing him further, he had small horns jutting out of the base of his forehead and a short scaled tail that ended in an arrowhead.
He was certainly unlike anything Mane had ever seen before, he wasn’t even sure if End Demons had scaled tails as thick as the kid’s. Before Mane could voice his thoughts, Flame beat him to it.
“What are you?” Flame blurted out. Mane turned to stare at his younger brother. “Bro, bro, bro. You don’t ask someone what they are after saying that their parents are dead, what the fuck are you doing?” “Bro, he’s purple, have you ever seen someone with purple skin?” Mane frowned, “Still! It’s basic decency!” He sputters. “Yeah, I’m sure you weren’t thinking the same thing.” He scowled at Flame, he definitely was going to ask what species he was at a later date.
As Mane’s glare hardened, Flame raised his hands in defeat, “My bad bro,” Mane groaned and turned back to the kid, who had taken about five steps away from the brothers.
Oh Aether, what the hell was he going to do?
But, the more he looked at the kid’s malnourished figure, the more he wanted to take him home and make sure he never starved again. Mane rubbed his eyes, sighing at his stupid, stupid instincts. He did not need another brother. No way, no how.
Yet, his mouth had decided to betray his brain. “Why don’t you stay at our place for a while? Since it seems like you don’t have anywhere else to go.”
The kid hesitated, pulling the cape closer to himself. “Do I get to keep my things?” “Sure, as long as you don’t try to kill us in our sleep or something.” The joke seemed to fall flat on the kid, as he just stared back blankly. “Why would I..?” “It’s a joke bro.” “Oh”
Mane stood and shoved Flame towards their tree house, “Follow us.” After a few minutes of silence Flame broke it. “So like, what’s your name, bro?”
The kid had moved the cape to where it rested on his shoulders like a scarf, and it looked kind of ridiculous. “Wemmbu,” he said hesitantly. “I’m Wemmbu.” Flame hummed a response, “I’m Flame, and the big scary lion is my brother Mane.” Mane scoffed, “I am not scary.” All Flame did in response was shrug before he continued with the questions.
“How old are you?” “Nine, I think” “Where do you come from?” “The snow biome in the east.” That made Mane pause, those players didn’t have anything that would indicate that they came from there. So how the hell did Wemmbu end up with them? While thinking over the question, Mane thought that it would be best not to ask right now.
“What are you?” He involuntarily sighed at Flame.
Wemmbu went silent and Mane winced, leave it too Flame to make things awkward.
“Don’t know.” he said after a bit. Flame only shrugged, “Good enough for me.” When they got to the treehouse Mane and Flame set up the guest bedroom for Wemmbu. Only for a few weeks, Mane told himself.
Only for a few weeks, he thought as he filled Wemmbu’s plate with food the poor kid didn’t end up eating.
Only for a few weeks, he thought while allowing Wemmbu to sleep in his room to make him feel more welcomed in the treehouse.
Only for a few weeks, he thought while repeating the routine for the rest of the week.
Unbeknownst to Mane, a few weeks would turn into a few months. A few months would turn into a few years, and a few years would eventually turn into not mattering at all because of two simple words.
Lost cause