The elven village shimmered like a dream among the trees.
Sunlight filtered through the canopy above, bathing the highwalks and vine-wrapped platforms in golden light. Dozens of stores, homes, and gathering places were built into the trunks and limbs of ancient trees. Everything glowed, soft music, floating lanterns, laughter on the breeze.
And the people?
They were waiting.
When Axel and the White Halo arrived at the village gates, a wave of joy surged through the elven crowd.
"The Black Wolf!"
"The Monster Protector!"
"The White Halo has come to bless us!"
Children waved. Flowers were tossed into the air. Bells rang gently from branches. The streets came alive with warm energy as Axel passed by, Kyra still balanced on his shoulders like royalty. His face remained stoic. Kyra, barely awake, blinked and smiled faintly as petals rained down around them.
"This place smells… clean," Korrak muttered.
Sylthea, walking beside Brakka, inhaled deeply and smiled. "It's called civilization."
Brakka grunted.
As they entered deeper into the village, Sylthea's eyes lit up at the sight of glittering shop signs and fabric stalls high in the trees.
"Okay," she announced, "We are going shopping."
Kyra, still clinging to Axel's head, frowned sleepily. "Don't wanna leave…"
Brakka crossed her arms. "I'll stay if she's staying."
Axel raised a brow.
Sylthea sighed. "Fine. Girls' trip… minus one girl."
She grabbed Brakka's wrist and dragged her anyway.
"Wait, hey! My sword...!"
"Leave it!"
Up in the highwalks, the markets buzzed with activity.
It wasn't just a normal day.
It was Rellafyn, an elven festival celebrating Appreciation of Beauty. Men gave flowers to women who caught their eye, not just romantically, but to honor strength, elegance, pride, or spirit. A tradition older than most trees in the village.
Sylthea, with her flowing hair and radiant aura, was already drawing attention.
"Blessings upon you, lady," one elf said, offering a bouquet of lilac roses.
"Your light is as gentle as moonfire," another whispered, handing her silver-bloomed orchids.
She blushed, but smiled with grace.
Brakka?
She was met with silence.
No flowers. No glances. Just turned heads and disgusted sneers.
"Why is such a beautiful witch surrounding herself with such an ugly ogre?" one elf scoffed, not even bothering to lower his voice.
Sylthea turned sharply. "Say that again and I'll burn your ears off."
The elf scoffed and walked off.
Brakka said nothing.
But her fists were clenched.
As they left the last shop, Sylthea noticed Brakka lagging behind, shoulders tense.
"…You okay?"
Brakka looked down.
"Am I really that ugly?" she muttered. "You got like… ten bouquets. I didn't get even one."
Sylthea frowned, caught off-guard by the vulnerability.
"…Brak..."
But Brakka just turned away. "Forget it."
Meanwhile, on the other side of the village...
Kyra was wide awake now, twirling in a frilly new green dress as Axel and Korrak exited a children's boutique. Korrak carried six more dresses, looking like a baffled mountain of cloth.
"They said I looked like a forest princess!" Kyra grinned.
"You do," Axel said without thinking.
Kyra blinked, then beamed brighter.
As they walked, they passed couples exchanging flowers, women blushing, men bowing. Outside a flower stand, Kyra paused.
"What's going on?"
The elven shopkeeper smiled. "It's Rellafyn, our day to honor beauty. A woman's strength, spirit, and grace. We give flowers to show appreciation."
Korrak snorted. "That's dumb."
"No," Kyra said. "That's really nice."
Inside Axel's mind, Black Wolf chuckled.
"You should get Brakka flowers. She'll definitely appreciate it."
Axel didn't hesitate.
"Yeah. You're right. But only the best… for the most beautiful woman in this village."
He felt himself blush.
The shopkeeper noticed the change in his eyes. She smiled knowingly and pulled out a bouquet, lush crimson roses laced with silver thistle, wrapped in silkleaf.
"This one's on the house, Black Wolf."
They regrouped near the market square.
Brakka stood near a railing, arms folded, head down. Sylthea looked at her with concern but gave her space.
Axel approached slowly, hiding the bouquet behind his back. His helmet retracted with a hiss, revealing his flustered expression.
Brakka turned at the sound and froze.
He was looking directly at her. No mask. No armor.
Just Axel.
Blushing slightly.
She instinctively looked down, brushing hair from her face. "…What?"
Axel stepped forward.
"I got you something."
She looked up, confused.
He pulled the bouquet from behind his back and held it out.
"I've never met anyone as beautiful as you," he said softly. "Your strength and pride are beautiful. Your long brown hair is beautiful. Your green skin like emeralds. Your smile, your eyes…"
He hesitated, then added, "They shine like gold. And they see me. Really see me."
Brakka's jaw dropped slightly.
"…You're serious?"
He nodded. "I appreciate your beauty, Brakka."
Her eyes shimmered.
She took the flowers gently, like they were sacred.
Then, without warning, she leaned in.
And kissed him.
Axel kissed her back.
It wasn't clumsy or quick. It was quiet. Honest.
When they finally pulled apart, both of them were beet red.
Kyra clapped first, standing on a crate. "WHOOO! ROMANCE!!"
Sylthea smirked and applauded politely.
Korrak nodded once and muttered, "About time."
Even the surrounding elves, stunned at first, couldn't help but smile.
Brakka looked at the flowers again. Then at Axel.
"You know you're the weirdest human I've ever met, right?"
He smiled.
"I know."
And they stood there for a moment, just an ogre and an Exterminator, surrounded by cheers, sunlight, and love.
The White Halo had arrived in the elven city...
…and will leave more than legends.
That night, the stars shone brighter than usual above the elven treetops.
The White Halo had been offered a private feast at the finest inn in the village, The Canopy's Heart, a luxurious structure nestled into the limbs of a living tree older than most kingdoms. Its walls pulsed with gentle bioluminescent vines, and its floors were woven from branches that somehow felt soft beneath their boots.
The innkeeper, a noble elven woman with silver hair and ivy-wrapped arms, greeted them with a reverent bow.
"Tonight, all is on the house," she said, voice like music. "A gift for the ones who bring peace to the wild."
They were led to a large circular table draped in forest silks. Platters of roasted rootbeast, honey-glazed lichen, starfruit stew, and bark-baked bread were laid out before them like a seasonal painting. The drinks shimmered, fermented sapwine and duskberry nectar.
Throughout the meal, laughter returned to their weary faces.
Brakka and Axel sat beside one another, though they didn't say much. They didn't need to. Their eyes met often, lingering just a little too long. One would smirk. The other would look away quickly, trying to hide it. Then do it again a minute later.
Sylthea caught it more than once. She rolled her eyes fondly.
Korrak just kept eating.
Kyra, curled in a seat beside Axel, kept kicking her legs under the table while sipping nectar through a vine straw. "These elves know how to throw a party."
Later that night…
The group split off into their rooms. The inn provided them each with a chamber carved into the tree's interior, the walls lined with soft moss and glowing fungus that pulsed gently with light.
Room One: Sylthea and Brakka
Two beds, side by side. A fire crystal crackled softly in a corner.
Brakka sat on the edge of her bed, still holding the empty bouquet wrap, now folded carefully like it was sacred parchment. Her expression was soft… vulnerable.
Sylthea was brushing out her hair nearby, watching her with curiosity.
"…Do you still hate him?" she asked quietly.
Brakka blinked. Looked up.
"No."
She smiled faintly. "I don't even see him as human anymore."
Sylthea raised an eyebrow.
Brakka continued, more quietly now. "I see him as a man I really adore."
The room fell into a gentle silence.
Then both women laid down in their separate beds, the quiet crackle of fire crystal lulling them to sleep.
Room Two: Axel, Kyra, Korrak
Korrak was already out cold on his bed, snoring like a distant avalanche.
Kyra had nestled herself onto Axel's chest, one small arm draped over him. Her breathing was soft and even, her tiny green fingers curled into the front of his undershirt.
Axel lay on his back, staring at the wooden ceiling above.
His suit, Black Wolf, lay dormant in gauntlet form on his arm. But inside his mind, the presence stirred.
"Nice moves today."
Axel smirked with a thought.
"Thanks for the tip. I think it meant a lot to her."
"Of course it did. I've always got your back, partner."
The words settled in Axel's heart with a strange comfort.
Kyra shifted slightly, sighing in her sleep, her head resting against him like he was her home.
Axel closed his eyes.
The night wrapped around them like a warm blanket.
The White Halo slept peacefully beneath ancient leaves, the heart of the forest pulsing quietly around them.
And the Black Wolf... dreamed for the first time in a very long while.