Chapter Text
“Dodge !”
“Choi Han’s aim is really good !”
“You-”
“Ahh…”
A loud sigh escaped Cale's lips.
‘Seriously, those guys…’
Sometimes, living with such a big family was a bit exhausting. After the end of the war, Cale had spent most of his days lazing around. Always sprawled in bed or sitting in a comfortable armchair, on the balcony or in the living room. He was only ever standing up to take his meals with everyone downstairs.
Cale was avoiding the capital like the plague.
Almost as much as the children’s questions regarding their incoming trip to Askosan in a couple of months. He had promised they'd visit the world together, hadn't he ? Cale hadn't specified when, he had wanted it to be a surprise given how reluctant he sounded anytime the topic was brought up.
But those nosy kids were too difficult to surprise anymore. It was probably Ron’s doing. Him and his training…
It was also because of this trip that Cale had decided to walk out of his bed today. He could feel he was becoming more numb lately. It wouldn’t be good for their travel, nor for his project of farming later on. So he needed to exercise a bit - and by that, he meant just stand up and walk around the Villa.
Today looked like the perfect day as well.
And the kids had seemed to think so too.
Raon had almost pushed him outside the villa today. All excited about the snowflakes falling down the sky, covering the Forest of Darkness with its white, immaculate coat. It was always strange to see such a place veiled with the purity of the snow.
But Cale thought it was something he would easily get used to.
He maybe already had.
It was their fourth year beholding this view already.
The morning had passed in relative peacefulness.
The children had brought everyone out, happily running out the cave and the black castle to return to Harris village. The adults had followed them with indulgent smiles on. It was good to see them that excited about something.
But it hadn’t been surprising. Not exactly.
The fall of the snow meant the day had come.
They needed to make their usual snowmen family.
One for each of their family members. Raon had said last year that it was great because it meant even the ones who couldn’t be with them during this time of the year were still around in a way.
Cale liked this idea.
And those yearly snowy moments were very nice overall.
Thanks to heating magic, he wasn’t cold either. So he had no reason not to participate, right?
Everyone had got to work pretty quickly.
While Raon and Hong had been busy gathering ‘pretty sticks’, as they had called them, Ohn, Maes and the rest of the wolf children had efficiently rolled big snowballs to start forming the traditional snowmen.
It was a well-oiled organization.
Of course it was.
And like every year, Cale had helped to find the ‘pretty sticks’, and the ‘pretty peebles’ too. He had even rolled some snowmen heads with Mary to help the kids a little. Rosalyn had been prevented from using her magic, and so had Eruhaben. ‘Cheating’, Raon had said. So the Tower Master of the brand new Magic Tower and the ancient Dragon both ended up helping by fixing little holes in the snowmen, with their bare hands.
Choi Han and Beacrox helped to carry the big snowballs to meticulously place the snowmen’s bodies on the white field stretching in the yard of Harris Villa.
Overall, it had been peaceful. But a bit tiring too.
The retired Commander wasn't used to working so much anymore.
On another hand, someone else had been surprised by how tranquil all this was.
Of course he had been.
The new Emperor of their beloved Roan had spent the past previous days attending banquets and meetings, hardly visiting his bedroom once.
Cale hadn't seen Alberu’s face for months because of the social period. Or at least, not in person. The communication orb was always on, just in case.
Alberu was usually visiting them often - either Tasha or the kids were dragging him out of his office with gentle threats or puppy eyes. Cale had thought it would work every time, but lately have been busier than usual.
It was good to have him back here after so long.
Tasha had all but thrown the overworked royal on a teleportation circle after overly excited children yelled through Cale’s communication device that it was snowing in the Forest of Darkness. The two had thus joined them early.
Alberu had quickly recognized the elven ears and the makeshift crown made with the ‘pretty sticks’ Cale, Raon and Hong had gathered. This idiot had still been surprised when he had seen his own snowman.
“It doesn’t look like Cookie Emperor ?” Hong had asked, a bit saddened when he had seen Alberu’s reaction. The ruler had quickly shaken his head, giving the boy a bright, genuine smile to cheer him up.
“It really does. I immediately recognized it.” He had reassured Hong gently. Seeing it hadn’t seemed to work fully, Alberu had then added “I was just thinking it missed something.”
He had put a knee down on the snow and taken off his imperial cape to wrap it around the snowman. Hong’s eyes had lightened back up.
“Oh ! Yes, yes ! It was definitely missing, nya !”
“Right? It deserves nice clothes, no?” Then, Alberu seriously turned to the snowman. “What do you think, Mister…?”
“It’s Bob, nya!”
“... Bob. Mister Bob looks very nice like this.”
Hong had preened. And just like this, Cale’s annoying Hyung just started the garment rush. Because it wouldn’t be fair for only Bob the First to have nice clothes, right ?
After the Emperor’s generous and oh-so benevolent acts, everyone had given a piece of their usual outfits to their snowmen. Cale had lent his red scarf to Slacker Bob - he had named it himself- Beacrox had fit a pair of white gloves on Chef Bob, Choi Han had put his usual cloak on Swordmaster Bob, and Ron had lent Ohn one of his daggers to give Lemon Bob. As for Rosalyn and Lock, the mage had twisted some pretty stick to make a long magic staff with her mana for Tower Master Bob, and Lock had made sure to give Wolf Bob a little shield made of pebbles and sticks. Eruhaben had probably helped him to make it as he was letting his mana gild Goldie Bob.
Even the little bones dragon - Raon had named it Bones Bob - that Mary had given to Necromancer Bob was a bit endearing. Said Necromancer Bob was sharing Tasha’s cape with Auntie Bob, which was slightly taller.
Cale couldn’t help but think all this was a bit endearing. It made a rather cute picture, and he had made sure to record this moment. The Bobs, the beautiful villa and its yard covered by a thick snow, the merry steps sprinkled all over its white coat, the happy shouts and warm laughs echoing in the immaculate place.
It felt great.
Because of this previous tranquility, Cale couldn’t help but wonder how all this had started.
All this, that is the opposite of peaceful. All this was exhausting.
“That’s cheating !”
“Noona, we need more snowballs, nya !”
“Don’t let our youngest make more, nya !”
The yard of the Harris Villa had turned into a real battlefield.
Excited shouts and thuds were echoing around the place. The familiar ambiance of the war they had known a couple of years ago was nowhere to be seen. No corpses, blood nor anything of the sort staining the immaculate snow beneath their feet. Just messy footprints and magic snowballs roaming left and right. Those were being thrown with a ridiculous amount of strength too.
‘Those scary people.’ Cale grumbled in his mind as he was crouching down behind a snowman. His own snowman, actually. Hilarious.
Cale wasn’t laughing.
He was trying to hide.
Hide from this bunch of vicious beings currently sending missiles to each other. Affectionately.
Sometimes living with such a big family was a bit exhausting. Today was definitely one of those days when the ‘bit exhausting’ turned into ‘downright draining’.
And yet, he wouldn’t complain. Of course not.
He still rubbed his temples.
Cale had just come back inside of the villa to grab gloves for Hong, whose hands had turned red because of the cold. He had given his previous pair to his own snowman, unlike Ohn who had put her ear muff on her own’s head instead.
When he had walked back out to give it to the child, the door had opened to a violent snowball war. And he had been greeted back by a dirty throw, straight to his face.
Not very welcoming. He had even considered hiding back inside. But after taking one more glance at the gloves in his hand, he had let out a loud sigh, exhausted already. And he had eventually stepped outside.
Listening to the door slowly closing behind him had felt like hearing the clock of his own doom echoing in his mind.
He had sealed his fate.
Cale had fulfilled his original mission - giving Hong his red gloves - and hadn’t even tried to gather intel on the causes of this ruckus. His goal had turned into returning inside asap, but things had escalated quickly and Cale had deemed it more reasonable to hide for now. Strategic retreat.
It wasn’t being cowardly to admit he had been frightened by those scary bastards. Choi Han had dodged the murderous throw Beacrox had directed towards his head, and Cale had felt the snowball almost brush against his cheek before smashing against a trunk behind. It had left a mark on the tree bark.
Hence, for his own safety, Cale had swiftly hopped behind Slacker Bob and had been crouching in the snow for quite some time by now.
He had decided he wouldn’t move before those bastards ran out of snow to throw around. Then he could safely run back inside. Cale was ready to stay there until next spring if needed. He hadn’t survived two years of war and some damn gods’ tests just to die over one of Choi Han’s snowball throws.
He had thought the Bobs area was a safe zone - everyone was so cautious not to unconsciously destroy them by an unfortunate shoot.
Well, he had thought wrong.
Cale flinched when he felt cold on his cheek.
A faint throw had landed there. Snow slowly dripped down his chin and pitifully hit the ground.
He turned.
“Caught you, Young Master-nim.” A GPS-like voice raised by Cale’s side.
“...” He glanced sideways, his mortified look landing on Mary who was crouching down next to him. She blinked at him, taking in his silence.
He blinked back. Before eventually nodding. “Congratulations.”
She nodded back, her focus returning on the snow before them. Her hands cautiously started to work again. It was as if she was scared to stain the snow by touching it with her black veins. But Cale could see the soft sparkles in her eyes as she was taking in her new, immaculate snowball. Mary then took Cale’s hand to put the brand new snowball in his palm. And then opened her arms.
“It’s Young Master-nim’s turn.”
‘Does she want me to throw this at her ?’
Cale considered the cold snowball in his hand, but then shook his head.
“It’s not how you do a snowball fight.”
“... It’s not ?” The GPS-like voice sounded a bit confused. Cale gravely shook his head once more.
“No. Your goal is to hit people with the snowball without getting hit yourself.” He handed Mary her snowball back before peeking over Slacker Bob’s shoulder. She imitated him, making sure not to make Bones Bob fall from her own snowman’s shoulder. “You aim and then dodge.”
“Aim and dodge.” She repeated thoughtfully. “Is Young Master-nim hiding there a strategy?”
‘No ?’ Cale just wanted to go back inside.
“... sure.”
“I see.” She considered the snowball in her hand one last time before throwing it.
‘Wait! Not from there-’
The blow landed on the back of Ohn’s hair, and the little girl’s surprised gasp made her brothers giggle. Ohn eventually joined them, but still glanced over to see who was the culprit.
Mary had already hid back behind Necromancer Bob.
Cale’s face was still peeking over Slacker Bob’s stick arm.
‘Ah-’
“Cale is hiding behind the snowmen !”
Cale threw a betrayed look in Ohn’s direction. Only to get back a smug grin from her.
Traitor.
The fight toned down for a moment. Long enough for the retired Commander to witness his goal of safely returning inside die in the snow. And for everyone’s head to flip backwards, towards the Bobs. Cale mentally mourned his safe zone.
“Oh, oh? Is that true, Young Master?”
“Human ! That’s cheating !”
“Stabbing us in the back like this. Young Master Cale is very cunning.”
“Look, look ! Mary is there too !”
Mary flinched and quickly pulled back the hem of his dark cloak that had sold her out. Too late.
“The human and good girl Mary are teaming up ?”
“That’s not fair, nya!”
Cale sighed loudly and wisely decided to help Mary make new snowballs in urgency. But when steps approached behind them, they knew they were done for.
Very reluctantly, Cale glanced over. He expected Choi Han, Raon or even Ron. But instead, the bright smile of the Emperor flashed him. Alberu’s overly sweet look greeted them.
“My, my, does my beloved Dongsaeng need a hand ?”
Cale’s eyebrows furrowed. He could hear steps approaching the Bobs too. What a predicament. But didn’t trust the sparks in his Hyung’s brown eyes either.
“... Not really. Thank you still, Hyung-nim.” He eventually managed to get out cautiously. Alberu’s smile widened. And Cale immediately felt a snowball hit his face. This bastard. The throw still had been gentler than what he had expected. Fortunately.
He irritatedly waved the snow off his eyes, squinting when he saw the dark elf dodging Mary’s snowball but getting hit by Choi Han’s.
Justice.
“Instructor-nim, how dare-”
“Sorry Your Majesty, I’m taking a day off from my functions.” Choi Han’s reply to Alberu’s indigned gasp made Cale snicker. Sweet revenge.
“Ah, Cale-nim…” Or maybe not.
Cale felt another snowball hit his face again. Definitely way more gently than the one he had seen Choi Han throw at Beacrox or Ron. Cale still almost fell backward next to Slacker Bob.
He felt like staying there. Like becoming snow and never moving ever again.
He could sense the snowflakes falling on the skin of his face softly.
‘Serious, why are those bastards so lively…’ Cale would have preferred making angels in the snow. But he wasn’t sure Beacrox would have appreciated the idea even half as much as himself.
Glancing sideways, he saw Mary covering her head as the kids circled around her to faintly throw more snowballs at her. She didn’t try to escape, but still seemed amused.
It was her and Cale’s punishment for using cowardly methods. And also for using the Bobs as shields to hide behind.
Cale had considered accepting his fate before seeing Ron approach his still body.
‘Absolutely fucking not.’
He hopped on his feet and quickly moved away from the vicious old man, almost hiding behind Alberu in order to provide him a new target. The Emperor didn’t look impressed.
“Hey bastard, what do you think you’re doing, using your Emperor as a living shield?”
“His Majesty’s brightness is so strong, I’m sure it can make snowballs melt.” Cale quickly retorted.
“You-”
They both stopped talking and ran away when they saw Tasha’s, Rosalyn’s and Raon’s magic snowballs coming their way. That was definitely cheating.
“Smart Rosalyn, they are running away from us !”
“Don’t let them slide, Raon-nim!”
“Make more ammunition, you too!”
“Yes, miss Tasha !”
The betrayed expression on Alberu’s face was almost funny. Almost.
He used his own mana to form new snowballs and sent them clashing against the ones their pursuers had sent. The silver wings of the Indestructible Shield circled around them both as Cale’s gaze caught on the new shoots coming from Lock and the wolf children behind the trees.
“Oh?” Alberu’s amused voice echoed, and Cale could almost sense the shit-eating grin the Emperor probably had on behind him. “Is it a way for our beloved former Commander to ask me for a truce ?”
‘Truce my ass. I don’t trust you, bastard-’
“Sure, truce.” For now.
Cale felt like he’d need to stab his annoying Hyung in the back before getting betrayed first.
They quickly went to save Mary from her little attackers, Alberu forming snowballs for her to send the kids their attacks back. She retreated under the shield too.
Hong’s and Ohn’s faint throws melted against the bright wings, and the corners of Cale’s lips tilted up when he heard their little complaints.
“Cale, it’s cheating, nya !”
“It’s unfair, nya!”
They quickly turned back in their cat form to dodge Cale’s attacks more efficiently.
Cale huffed. Who was cheating now?
“Lemon Gramps, Cale is using his shield to beat us, nya!” Wait a minute. Lemon Gramps ?
“Oh, oh. Don’t you think this is cheating, Young Master?”
Cale’s blood ran cold when he felt Ron behind him. How-
A snowball hit the back of his head. And he sprawled back in the snow. Head first.
The Indestructible shield disappeared.
“Aye ! Lemon Gramps is the best !”
“We got Cale !”
Cale groaned. And his disgruntled sound only got muffled by the snow his head was buried on.
Had Alberu betrayed him already or what ? How had Ron managed to sneak behind him so fast without the dark elf noticing? Assassins were truly scary.
Cale’s head tilted back up from the snow. It was cold. But thanks to the Vitality of Heart, he didn’t feel sick. The heating magic probably helped a lot.
He glanced sideways and… spotted Alberu laying on the ground too. Oh. Maybe not betrayed then. They both had fallen at the same time. What a shame.
The remains of a snowball were slowly falling off Alberu’s face. He had Hong and Ohn perched on his chest, and was probably playing dead as the kids were pawing at him.
Clever.
“Beacrox got Cookie Emperor too !”
“Cookie Emperor, are you still conscious ?”
From where he was, Cale could see Alberu’s shoulder tremble and the corners of his lips shake a bit as well. This idiot.
He considered staying there for a while. Maybe that way they’d forget he was even there and he could crawl back to the inside of the villa in peace?
His eyes met Choi Han’s.
Maybe not then.
He swore in his mind and quickly sat back in a poor attempt at running away. Lord, he was slow. It was almost disheartening.
‘Slow compared to those punks.’ In Cale’s humble, unbiased opinion, he thought he was just average. Those bastards weren’t your local average joe. He could barely see Ron move, and knew it was only thanks to the old man not using all his skills anytime he was facing the kids - the same kids he was pretending to miss.
As Cale was trying to get back on his feet swiftly and stealthily, three snowballs came his way. Those looked oddly threatening and powerful. And Cale was cold and just wanted to be out of this mess already.
He used the sound of wind as a reflex to redirect them. He was done playing fair.
As he was getting back on his feet to escape another salvo from his attackers, he considered using all the ancient powers he could in order to protect himself and rush to the front door. It sounded like a risky plan, but still a good one in his current predicament.
A great idea, even.
It, in fact, had been a terrible one.
The snowballs he had deflected soared up and-
“Watch o-”
“Wait-”
“...”
Cale felt a threatening presence behind him.
A heavy silence reached the place. Everyone stilled, the sound of the snow sliding down the ancient dragon’s face to then hit the floor limply seemed to echo within the quiet place. Soundless gasps followed. The Bobs watched soundlessly.
‘Fuck.’
Cale wanted to be swallowed by the snow.
“Eruhaben-nim…”
“Goldie Gramps, I-”
“Who?” The word echoed hauntingly. Nobody dared to reply, and only the cold wind answered Eruhaben’s inquiry. Cale considered imitating Alberu’s ‘playing dead’ technique when the old dragon’s gaze burnt the back of his head.
He stared down.
The ancient Dragon hadn’t unleashed his Dragon fear yet. Hope remained.
Or at least, that was what Cale had thought before hearing soft snowy sounds behind him. He cautiously glanced over… An army of golden snowballs rose by Eruhaben’s side.
Well… Shit.
“Aye ! Goldie Gramps is joini-” Raon’s excited shout got cut out by a snowball landing on his scaly face.
‘Ruthless.’
Cale didn’t even have enough time to utter this thought out loud - the army of snowballs plummeted down on the snowy battlefield. The children happily dodged and their laughs echoed amongst the trees. Ohn and Hong, still in their cat forms, hoped on Ron’s and Beacrox’s shoulders to avoid the onslaught. Lock used his shield to protect Rosalyn while Alberu had grabbed Mary and his treacherous Aunt and was now, very bravely, using Choi Han as a shield.
And Cale…
Well, Cale just accepted his fate.
As another onslaught of snowballs hit him - still more gently than expected - and he was back lying numbly on the floor.
It was cold. And the sky was grey.
Yet, the exhilarated shouts of the children and playful threats of his family members rising around him warmed up his chest. The corner of his lips tilted up slightly.
“Young Master, the ground is dirty.” Beacrox grumbled while helping - forcing - him back on his feet. Cale just groaned but didn’t fight it. Catching on to Beacrox's lack of snowballs, Cale proudly agitated his one and only ammunition in front of the chef’s face. It was an attempt at seeming convincing. Threatening, even.
Beacrox didn’t look impressed, but still waited for him to speak.
“Truce ?” Cale tried.
The answer arrived promptly.
“Only if we target the punk.” Cale didn’t need any more specifications. He gravely nodded.
“Sure.”
Only another nod greeted his answer. Beacrox was already rushing towards Choi Han, and Cale sauntered after him.
Having such a big family truly was exhausting.