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Sitting on the edge of the campground, his long legs dangling over the side of the charmed rock, Ignis looked out at the night sky, the glittering stars reflected in his glasses. He loved the night, the stars in particular made him feel at peace with everything, as if putting all of his problems in perspective compared to the size of the universe. Breathing in the cool night air was blissful after being slowly baked alive in the desert heat, trapped in a car with three other men. ‘I should probably get to bed,’ he thought ‘It wouldn’t do to wake up late.’
Just as he put a hand down to push himself up, a rustling in a patch of bushes nearby made him freeze despite knowing nothing evil could cross the wards into the Haven. Straining his eyes into the dark, there was a moment of stillness before another rustle and the sound of a small twig snapping. Something was moving in there. Moving slowly, he pulled himself into a crouch and continued observing the bush. Another movement and this time a flash of moonlight on something reflective. Was that a weapon? Who could possibly be trying to attack them? His tactician’s mind told him the middle of nowhere was the best place to set an ambush, wait until they were all asleep and then strike. They could do a lot of damage. Nothing was proven though, until investigated thoroughly, and it was no use to wake up the others in case it was nothing.
Summoning a polearm into his hand silently, he sat back down on the edge before sliding noiselessly to the ground below. He was an accomplished fighter and whatever was hiding in a bush surely could not be too much trouble. He crept forward, body low to the ground and the tip of his weapon aimed at the plants, eyes searching for more signs of movement. There, between two of the bushes nearest to him, a flash of brown, lighter than the foliage around it. Yet another movement, bigger this time, more obvious, closer and louder. Ignis gripped the shaft of his lance tighter, prepared for whatever was about to come out of that foliage. He froze, still and silent, and as he watched a small creature emerged, it’s protruding yellow eyes turned up to the sky, seemingly oblivious of the weapon levelled almost at its head.
A tonberry? Ignis swallowed. He had faced these tiny death-dealing creatures before and they certainly did rank among the ones that could cause him trouble. Yet, this one was close to him, close enough to stab if it turned towards him with murderous intent, and it was smaller than he remembered. Was this a juvenile? Did daemons have young? It shuffled backwards out of the cover, further towards him on oversized feet, eyes still on the stars above and it’s chunky tail pointing towards him. Not looking where it was going, the little green-skinned creature caught its foot on a dead twig and overbalanced, falling backwards with a dull thud and dropping the tiny silver weapon it had been holding. It made no sound, but its panic was obvious when Ignis’ lance was suddenly taking up the majority of its field of vision. It floundered helplessly on the ground, waving its limbs like an upturned turtle, reaching for its weapon desperately.
The sight of such a small creature so pathetically flailing around on the ground washed all anger and fear out of Ignis. His arms relaxed and he straightened his stance, a small grin tugging at one side of his lips. Looking down, he watched as the tonberry finally managed to roll over in the most undignified manner and retrieved his weapon, scrambling to its feet and brandishing the small metal object towards Ignis in what it obviously hoped was an intimidating gesture. Seeing what it was holding for the first time, Ignis lost all measure of composure and chuckled to himself before saying:
“Are you really going to try and kill me, with a fork?”
The tonberry waved it about a little, being anything but menacing and Ignis pulled back his lance, leaning on it instead for support. The creature looked dejected letting its hand fall to its side and it’s head droop slightly.
“Sorry little one, but you’re not exactly as intimidating as some of your larger brethren.” Ignis smiled.
The small green creature seemed to almost shrug and sigh, a small movement of its body under its sackcloth robes.
“Hang on a moment,” Ignis cocked his head to one side, puzzled. “Can you understand me?”
The tonberry looked up at him and nodded slightly, its wide eyes unblinking.
“Well I never,” he said, “I had never pegged daemons to be able to understand humans. The way you were staring at the stars, too. You enjoy stargazing?”
It nodded more vehemently this time, its head bobbing and one of its little hands pointed up to the sky before its head followed, gazing transfixed at the diamond-studded heavens with its makeshift weapon forgotten.
The smile spread across Ignis’ face, the innocence apparent in the tiny tonberry charmed him, making him make a decision he never thought he would. Unsummoning his weapon, he took a few tentative, slow steps over to the creature and sat down on the ground a few feet away from it. To his relief, the tiny green monster appeared shocked, shuffling back on its large feet and looking up at him with unblinking eyes that nevertheless seemed to show such emotion. Edging towards him, the tonberry nervously sat just outside of arm’s reach and stared up at the stars again.
Now that he was closer, out of the corner of his eye, Ignis could see that this really was a small tonberry, half the size of those he had met, and subsequently helped to kill, before. A feeling of guilt gnawed at his stomach, what if he had killed sentient creatures? No, they attacked first, but this one was different. It sat peacefully, fork forgotten on the floor, staring at the sky as he had done so often. The logical part of his brain wanted to reject the pitiful little creature, to kill it or at least banish it from his sight, but something told him to follow his heart this time around, to break from everything he knew and decide with this emotions.
Some time later, Ignis stretched out where he sat, his back had become stiff from sitting still so long. It was probably time to go to sleep, he had an early start in the morning as always, being the only one that could rouse the others from their slumber. Rising smoothly to his feet, he looked down to find his new tonberry friend staring up at him expectantly.
“I must go,” Ignis said with a sad smile, “It’s been… pleasant.”
He began to walk away, back towards the faint blue glow of the campground when he heard the soft padding of small feet behind him. Two yellow eyes looked up at him in the darkness from his heels.
“Oh no little one, where I am going you cannot follow.” he looked down at the tonberry, who looked down at it’s own feet, dejected. “Go back to your brothers, be with your own kind.”
The voiceless tonberry looked down at the small silver fork in its hand and shook its head.
“You would be unmade,” the advisor said sadly, pushing his glasses up his nose awkwardly. Not knowing what else to say, he turned and walked the rest of the way back to the campsite, making his way up the ramp onto the blessed stone. When he reached the top, he looked back again to see the little green creature stood at the base of the ramp, seemingly enamoured by the light of magic that swirled through the runes that infused the site. It was looking down at the stone, apparently trying to decide if it was worth the risk to follow his newfound friend or not. Making a decision, the tonberry raised one of its oversized feet. Ignis closed his stinging eyes at the thought of this possibly innocent creature coming to an abrupt end should it touch the stone. He could not look.
A few seconds passed and he heard nothing. Then, slowly at first, came a sound he now recognised. The padding of flat feet against the stone. Opening his eyes, he gaped in shock. His new found friend the tonberry was walking up the slope of the campground, very much in contact with the blessed ground and very much unharmed. Speeding up its steps, the creature made its way faster up the hill, holding its tiny arms out in front of it, eyes ever wide and staring up at Ignis. Just before it reached him, it curled in its thick green tail and released, springing itself upwards and towards the man in front of it. Without thinking, Ignis held out his arms to catch the creature as it propelled itself towards him, catching it with a surprised gasp. The little thing was lighter than he imagined, barely any weight at all as it clung to his shirt, unwilling to let go of the one other being to show it some kindness in its lifetime. Ignis chuckled a little as it nuzzled its leathery head against his chin, charmed by its grotesque kind of cuteness.
“So you aren’t a thing of darkness at all, are you?” he muttered to it, a smile once again gracing his lips, lighting up his face in the darkness. The tonberry tugged on his shirt more, reaching over to slip something into Ignis’ shirt pocket. When it leaned back, he saw a flash of silver against the dark material. It had surrendered to him its only weapon, the small silver fork. His eyes welling up at the innocent gesture, Ignis carried his new friend over to where the group were camped.
“Well, looks like you’re here to stay, eh?” The tonberry nodded into his chest and he sighed, “I don’t know how in the world I’m going to tell the others.”