THREE FRIENDS AND A RED

Batch B were asked to leave the special quarters as soon as they arrived.

"Not fair!" They complained.

The first group were allowed to stay for a day, why them???

"It is because they aren't much. The special quarters can't accommodate you all!"

Parele was already comfortable. "Oh please spare me an hour. I need my beauty sleep, facing a trollin is a lot of work. Just saying."

"The guards will lead both groups to your former rooms within thirty minutes." Hogalbar announced.

Leomere spotted Joz from afar. "Joz is over there guys."

"Joz!" Parele stretched his arms forward teasing Joz as if he wanted to hug him.

Joz pushed him away. "Get away! You pest. I wasn't expecting to see you, or at least in one piece."

"I did show that trollin who's boss."

"Oh shut up... it's just pure luck. He had to squeeze water out of stone before he got out." Nyeren laughed.

Leomere asked Joz about the others.

"Lustros is alright, Eldermar is badly injured and Naurin's passed on." He replied so casually.

Parele hugged Nyeren tight. "I'm sorry man."

"It's okay..." Nyeren said sadly as he wiped the tears off his cheeks. "I already knew when I felt the bond was broken."

They were all silent for a while.

"I will now take you to Eldermar." Joz led the way.

Eldermar was in a pretty bad shape. It was quite unfortunate.

"Hey shorty, what happened to you. Oh gosh." Parele said with concern.

"H...Hey guys...good... good to see you all." Eldermar said taking small breaths in between his sentences. He was having a hard time keeping his eyes open.

"I'm... I'm so sorry about your brother Nyeren..."

"No it's okay, don't talk please. You'll hurt yourself."

Parele made a triage and began examining Eldermar's ankle.

"It's pretty swollen. Can't leave it like that."

"No...no! No!! What are you trying to say?" Eldermar exclaimed.

"I have to pop it back in." Parele laughed.

"Oh! I'm good with hands." Joz smirked.

"I'm starting to like this guy." Parele said with a devilish smile playing on his face.

"Heyyy! Are you crazy? Do you want to kill me?? It's already hurting so much!"

"I'm sorry shorty, but I have to. It's way too swollen."

Eldermar didn't say a word.

"Look here shorty, it's either that or..."

"Or I cut your ankle open and draw out the bad blood." Joz cut in. "And you know I am dead serious."

"You red bastard!" Eldermar fumed.

"Well...I was going to suggest a less evil way, but what red hair said works. So yeah it's up to you."

"Okay...okay just do it. But be gentle okay? Please Perry?"

"Come Joz, let's get this over with. I'll hold and you pop it back on three. Brace yourself shorty...it might hurt a bit."

They were all set and ready.

"One..."

"OUCH! OW!! AHH!!!." Eldermar screamed out in pain. "You pig! You could have at least waited for the second count." He stared at Joz with widened eyes.

"Saved time." Joz said as he got up. "We have 17 minutes left."

It was quite obvious to everyone that Joz was enjoying this. His body language spoke volumes. He literally almost smiled.

They were all stunned.

Joz was never this engaging. Despite his tough demeanor, it was quite obvious to leomere that he was generous at heart.

"Wait...did you eat anything?" Parele asked.

"Yes, I did earlier."

Eldermar was lucky Joz brought food even though he had refused any sort of help.

"I can't give you anything for the pain. All my belongings are back there."

"At least you have them." Eldermar replied.

"Let's get back to the lounge before the guards arrive. Get on my back." Parele said gently.

"He can walk." Joz thought aloud.

"Will you stop interfering with my life?! Please!! You helped pop my bone back in. FINE...thank you for that!" Eldermar said with the biggest fake smile on the planet. "Just stay out of my life please!"

Why was Eldermar so harsh? It was as if he had something against fangs.

Joz kept shut and didn't say a word. He seemed hurt by what Eldermar said.

Leomere sensed some commotion about break out any minute. He decided to contain the situation.

"Uhm...Joz we should leave first. They'll come afterwards."

Joz noded mutely.

They began leaving but Joz stopped. "You stay." He said to leomere. "I will leave by myself." He added then slammed the door shut. "That's why I hate people." He thought.

The atmosphere was tensed.

"Well...that happened. Why the long faces come on loosen up guys." Parele ventured gently.

It seemed that Joz began to come out of his shell, but what Eldermar said had totally reversed the whole situation.

All fangs were pure evil. But Joz was different.

Eldermar got on parele's back. They were ready to leave.

"Yuck! What's that dead decomposing smell?" Parele complained.

"Just shut up."

"You never had a bath over there and you didn't take one here?? You look and smell disgusting!"

Eldermar always looked unkept and as if he was wearing 20 shirts at once. One would think his chest was some treasure he was trying to protect.

The men were escorted back to their former rooms.

They settled back in and Eldermar was nursed back to health.

It was an opportunity for parele to strengthen his healing powers.

He kept it a secret from the authorities.