CHAPTER 34: CHAPTER 34 - A NAME FOR THE BEAR.

The yard quieted after Kael’s words, broken only by the faint chorus of crickets starting their nightly song.

Rue and Rina stayed wrapped around the bear’s massive paw and leg, their little faces pressed against fur that still smelled faintly of soil and pine.

The bear didn’t move at first. His heavy gaze lingered on them as if trying to understand the strange warmth they offered.

Then, with a deep grunt, he gently scooped them up in his massive claws.

The girls squealed in surprise, but their laughter spilled out freely as he placed them both atop his broad back.

"Hold on," the bear muttered.

Then, with a heavy thud, he collapsed onto the earth once more, sprawling out with his usual grumpy air.

Rue and Rina bounced a little on his back before breaking into a fit of giggles, patting his fur like it was the softest bed in the world.

Kael’s smile flickered, subtle but real, as he watched them.

Soon, he stepped forward, hands folded behind his back. "Well, now that the mystery of your grumpiness is solved, we can move on to the actual questioning."

The bear shifted one eye open as he spoke, his voice less hostile now, edged with something closer to respect. "Fine. What do you wanna know?"

Kael stopped just beside him, tilting his head like a teacher coaxing a pupil. "Let’s start simple. Before you came here, what did you even do all day? What was your grand routine?"

The bear snorted and answered as a matter of fact. "Eat. Sleep. Shit. Repeat. That’s it."

Rue burst into a giggle, burying her face in his fur. Rina covered her mouth politely, though her eyes sparkled.

Kael arched a brow, lips twitching upward. "A life of... luxury, I see."

Then, his golden eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "So, were you satisfied with that?"

The bear rolled his shoulders with a low growl. "Dunno. I didn’t think about it. I was alive. I was fine. Got by."

Kael hummed, circling slowly until he stood before the bear’s massive head. His smile sharpened. "And what if I offered you something better?"

The bear cracked both eyes open now, tilting his head like an overgrown cub. "Better? What’s that mean?"

Kael didn’t answer right away.

Instead, he extended his hand toward the ground. With a smooth twist of his fingers, stone and earth shifted, sprouting upward until they shaped themselves into a chair.

He lowered himself onto it lazily, crossing one leg over the other, robes spilling like black ink around him.

"Better," Kael said softly, "means more than just living."

The bear leaned in, and seeing it attentive, Kael hummed.

"Imagine this," rubbing his chin, he continued, "Instead of being seen as some wandering brute, you’re seen as a guardian—a symbol of safety. The villagers cheer when you rise, they laugh when you return, and they trust you with their children."

The bear seemed to want to raise a point, but as if reading its mind, Kael raised a finger. "You still fight, yes—but not to fill your stomach. You fight to protect."

His golden eyes gleamed as he leaned forward slightly. "And believe me... when you fight for protection, it’s different."

Rue, Rina, and the bear all leaned in as Kael added, "Every victory is met with voices cheering your name. And when you’ve earned their trust, some will even risk their lives for you. That is not survival—it’s meaning."

The bear went utterly still. His breath rumbled low and deep, but not in anger.

In his mind, images unspooled—children clinging to him not with fear but with joy, villagers smiling as he lumbered past, voices rising not in screams but in cheers.

It was a life where his strength was welcomed and not feared.

He was already imagining himself being cheered on like Kael was whenever he addressed the villagers—something the bear always felt jealous about.

Hearing Kael’s words, the bear could even imagine itself being surrounded by people cheering for it.

For a while, silence remained.

Then Kael leaned back in his conjured chair, smirking faintly. "Well? Do you have an answer?"

The bear’s claws flexed against the soil. His voice was quieter now, rough but earnest. "...Yeah. I’d take that life. Better than eat-sleep-shit. But... what do I do?"

Kael’s smirk curved into a lazy grin. "First thing? You need a name."

The bear blinked, taken aback. "A... name? I don’t have one."

"Exactly." Kael gestured with one idle hand. "A beast without a name is a beast. But with one... you’re more than a beast. People need a name to remember, to trust, and to believe in. So..." His golden eyes narrowed slyly. "I’ll give you one."

The bear huffed, shaking his great head. "Tch. Figures. Of course you would."

Rue leaned down from his back, eyes shining. "Ooooh, you’re gonna get a name!"

Rina’s soft voice followed, warm and hopeful. "It’ll make you... special."

Hearing those words, the bear stared at the ground, then back at Kael.

For once, it didn’t growl, didn’t scowl. The bear only waited—curious and uncertain, but ready.

Kael, on the other hand, smiled wider.

"Well then," he drawled, resting his chin on his hand, "before I grant you a name, I need to know something."

The bear tilted his head, one massive ear twitching. "What?"

Kael’s lips curved with mock seriousness. "Are you male or female?"

The yard fell into silence for a moment.

The bear’s eyes deadpanned. "You can’t tell? Seriously?"

Kael smirked, unbothered. "Oh, I can. But confirmation matters. Wouldn’t want to make a grand proclamation and get it wrong."

With a snort, the bear rolled his shoulders. "Male."

"Good," Kael nodded with exaggerated gravity, tapping his chin. "That narrows it down."

Rue leaned forward on the bear’s back, eyes sparkling. "What’s the name gonna be?"

"Yeah, what is it?" Rina asked softly, her voice barely above the crickets’ hum.

"Alright..." Kael leaned back, smirk widening as though the fate of the world rested on his next words. "How about... Fluffy?"

The yard went silent.

The bear’s massive head swiveled slowly toward Kael. "...You’re joking."

Rue burst into a fit of laughter, nearly toppling over. "Fluffy?! He’s huge!"

Even Rina, normally quiet, pressed a hand to her lips, her soft giggles slipping through.

Kael stroked his chin as if considering deeply. "Not fond of Fluffy? Hm. Then... what about Treechewer? Rocksnore? Mudpants?"

The bear let out a long-suffering groan, flopping his head back to the dirt. "By the gods, you’re worse than birds screaming at dawn."

The twins were both laughing now, Rue practically rolling across his back. "Big brother’s so bad at this!"

Kael only smirked, clearly enjoying himself. "Harsh critics, the lot of you. Fine. Not Fluffy. Not Mudpants."

The reactions, however, didn’t change, making Kael frown and think harder now.

Then, as if a thread of lightning had struck through his thoughts, his expression shifted. His golden eyes glinted, sharp and certain.

"...Druvarn."

The name lingered in the air like a note struck true.

The girls went silent. Even their laughter froze on their lips.

The bear’s ears flicked, his gaze snapping toward Kael with surprise.

"Druvarn..." The beast rumbled, testing the sound of it on his tongue. His voice lowered, steady. "...I like it."

Rue and Rina nodded almost in unison, their young faces unusually solemn for the moment.

"It... fits," Rue whispered.

"Sounds strong," Rina added softly.

Kael leaned back in his chair, a smirk softening into a knowing smile. "Then it’s decided. From this day forward, you’re Druvarn."

The moment the words left him, the ground trembled.

At first, it was subtle—just a low vibration beneath their feet. But then the soil cracked, stones rattled, and the very air thickened.

The bear’s massive body jerked upright, muscles seizing and eyes flaring wide.

Rue and Rina squealed as they slid off his shifting back, but before they could hit the ground, Kael flicked his wrist.

An invisible force caught them mid-fall, pulling them gently into his arms.

"What’s happening—?" Kael muttered, brows furrowing as he held the twins close.

Even he couldn’t understand what was happening, but for some reason, he knew that he was the cause of it.

Druvarn’s body, on the other hand, began to lift, slowly, impossibly, into the air. His fur bristled, a golden shimmer tracing along the breadth of his frame.

The twins clutched Kael tighter, eyes wide with fear and awe.

The bear’s voice itself roared through the yard, laced with shock and something deeper—pain, or power. "What’s... happening to me?!"

It flailed like a chicken lifted by its neck, but no matter what it did, it couldn’t break free.

Kael narrowed his eyes as he heard that question, his golden gaze flashing with equal parts curiosity and tension before he muttered, "That’s... a good question."

His voice was low but sharp, even as the earth and sky seemed to hold their breath around the rising beast.

The commotion, however, was too loud and widespread.

The whole village was trembling, and so were the people within it, everyone quickly rushing out of their houses.

The sudden tremor alarmed everyone, and despite knowing that it could be Kael’s doing, as he tends to do things with a bang, they couldn’t be sure—not in a forest swarming with beasts.

Even Alenia, Lyra, Selene, and Evethra rushed out, searching for Kael because they knew that it was either Kael’s doing or something only Kael could handle.

After all, no one in the village was strong enough to handle the problems this forest would throw at them.

What none of them knew was that whatever was happening wasn’t something even Kael could control.