Chapter 97: Golden Leaves
"You really can’t hold on for long, can you," he said quietly.
Raku’s eyes widened, already understanding what nobody else wanted to say out loud.
Mithra slowly turned toward Arthur. "Just like," she started, hesitating before finishing, "King Mu?"
Nobody answered her. The atmosphere in the clearing shifted instantly, the warmth of a moment ago giving way to something heavier.
Voro blinked. "King Mu?" he asked.
Arthur nodded. "The Mu Tribe gave their Guardian Spirit that name," he said.
Silence held for a moment. Then Voro laughed, a genuine sound with real warmth in it. "Not a bad name," he said. He looked toward the tree towering above them. "Our King would’ve laughed too." Another chuckle followed. "Then congratulated him."
Mara smiled sadly. "That’s exactly the kind of king he sounds like," she said.
Voro’s smile softened as he looked around the clearing at the children still playing, unaware of what was happening. "A Guardian who is remembered," he said, "has already lived a wonderful life."
The children slowly began to realize something was wrong. One small Goblin stopped mid-step, looking up at Voro with growing worry.
"You’re leaving?" she whispered.
Another shook her head immediately. "No," she said.
A third ran over, repeating the word louder. "No!"
Then they rushed him all at once, tiny arms and hands reaching for him from every direction. One child grabbed hold of his tail. Another climbed up onto his leg. Another pressed her face against Voro’s chest and refused to let go.
A little girl started crying. "You’ve always been here," she said.
Another followed. "Who’s going to tell us stories?"
Another. "Who’s going to carry us?"
Another. "Who’s going to protect us?"
The clearing fell silent except for the sound of children crying.
One tiny Goblin girl reached up and removed the flower crown she’d made earlier that day. Carefully, she placed it on Voro’s head, then began crying too, unable to stop herself. Nobody said anything.
Even Arthur looked away, unable to watch for a moment.
Voro gently lifted the tiny flower crown. He looked at every flower woven into it. Some were already beginning to wilt. He smiled and with the utmost care, he placed it back on his head.
"It’s beautiful," he said.
He rested a hand lightly on the girl’s head. "But every child eventually grows taller than the hand holding them," he said.
Silence followed.
"That day," he continued, "has finally come."
He looked toward Vedas. "The Trial wasn’t for me," he said. "It was for him." Then he looked toward the children gathered around him. "And for all of you."
"If I keep protecting you forever," he said, smiling faintly, "then I would become the thing stopping you."
One little Goblin suddenly shouted, cutting through the quiet. "Then I don’t want to grow up!"
Silence fell instantly. Even Voro froze at the outburst.
She pointed at Vedas, tears streaming down her small face. "If becoming a Commander means losing you," she said, "then I don’t want to become one!"
Every child around her nodded in agreement. Some even shifted forward, standing between Voro and the rest of the clearing like tiny shields. They weren’t angry. They were only trying to protect him, the same way he’d always protected them.
Vedas lowered his head and his hands tightened until his knuckles turned white. "...I’m sorry."
Nobody answered.
Arthur simply stepped beside him and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Don’t apologize."
Vedas looked up.
Arthur smiled. "They’re hurting because they love him. That just means he did a good job."
Vedas eyes widened before looking down as he released his fist. Arthur opened his mouth to speak.
But then a small sound cut through the tension.
"Kyu!"
Melo walked slowly forward, stepping between Voro and the children. She looked over each tear-streaked face in turn.
Then she licked one.
Silence.
"Ewwww!"
The mood broke instantly. She licked another child, then another, until every one of them was complaining loudly.
"Melo!"
"No fair!"
"My face!"
She ignored every protest completely. Instead, her nine tails swept around the group of children all at once, and a full tickle attack erupted across the clearing. Children rolled across the grass, laughing uncontrollably despite themselves. One toppled over sideways. Another grabbed hold of a tail and refused to let go. Another accidentally wrapped both arms around Melo’s leg in a full hug.
Within moments, nobody was crying anymore.
Even Luka was laughing, hard enough that she had to wipe her eyes. Raku quietly dabbed at his own face while pretending he wasn’t crying at all. Mara laughed so much she had to take off her glasses and clean them.
Arthur smiled, watching the chaos unfold. "Only you could turn this into play," he said.
The children slowly calmed down after a while, breathless from laughing. Melo sat back on her haunches and drew a small shape in the dirt with one claw.
A tiny fox inside a small circle.
She tapped it once.
Then she drew a series of marks beside it, representing years passing. The tiny fox never moved. It stayed exactly the same size the whole time.
She erased it and started again.
Nobody rushed to answer.
Even Athena simply watched.
Arthur quietly smiled. "She’s teaching them."
"Something only she can." Mithra said softly.
This time Melo drew the tiny fox walking and then falling.
Then the little fox stood back up.
Meeting others along the way.
Protecting them.
Growing larger with every step, until finally the fox in the drawing had become enormous, standing beneath a great tree, watching over a group of smaller foxes gathered beneath it.
Melo pointed at the drawing.
Then she pointed toward the children.
Nobody spoke.
One little Goblin whispered slowly, working through what she meant. "She’s saying," the girl said, "if we never leave, we’ll never become strong enough."
Melo nodded. "Kyuu," she said.
She reached out with one paw and gently pushed the tiny fox in the drawing toward the giant fox beside it.
Then she gently nudged it again.
And again.
Until the little fox finally reached the larger one.
Melo looked back at the children. "...Kyuu."
The children looked at the drawing for a long moment, understanding settling over them slowly.
"Is that true?" one of them finally asked.
Voro nodded. "It is," he said.
All of their eyes widened in shock.
Voro rose slowly and walked toward the tree, placing one massive hand against its trunk. "This tree," he said, "was once smaller than all of you."
Everyone looked surprised at that.
He smiled. "It became this great," he said, "because it never stopped growing."
He turned back to face them. "Neither should you."
He paused, looking around at every face watching him.
"Don’t become Goblins," he said slowly, "who only remembers heroes." He let the silence stretch for a moment longer. "Become Goblins," he continued, smiling, "...who gives the next generation someone to admire."
Nobody spoke after that.
All of the children were left in a daze.
The children looked toward Melo, and this time they didn’t hesitate. One walked forward and wrapped both arms around her neck. Another curled up against one of her nine tails. A third looked up at her quietly.
"Will you stay with us?" she asked.
Melo lowered her head and pressed her forehead gently against the girl’s own.
"Kyuu," she said.
The children smiled, and Luka watched the whole scene unfold with a soft laugh. "Looks like the Su Tribe already chose," she said.
Mara smiled beside her. "No," she said. "They’ve been choosing for a long time."
Raku nodded slowly. "She stopped being our guest," he said, "the day the children stopped crying around her."
Arthur grinned and looked toward Melo. "Congratulations," he said. "Guardian."
Melo blinked. "Kyuu?" she asked.
Then she lifted her head proudly, and the children erupted into cheers around her. One of the youngest Goblins suddenly stood up as straight as he could.
He placed a tiny fist against his chest.
Then saluted Melo.
The clearing went quiet for a second.
Another child gasped.
Then copied him.
Another followed.
Then another.
Within moments every Goblin child stood proudly before Melo, each giving their own slightly crooked salute.
"Guardian Melo!"
"Guardian Melo!"
"Our Guardian!"
Melo froze. "...Kyuu?!"
She looked left and then right. Then hurriedly waved both paws. "...Kyuu! Kyuu!"
The children gasped. "She saluted back!"
Instantly every child straightened even more. Their salutes somehow became even more serious.
Arthur burst into laughter. "So that’s what they thought you meant!"
Sun laughed so hard he nearly lost his balance. "I don’t think she’s ever going to live this down."
Even Athena covered her mouth, trying not to smile.
Mithra shook her head, laughing. "Congratulations. You’ve accidentally started a tradition."
Melo buried half her face behind one fluffy tail. "...Kyuuu..."
Her tails, however, continued wagging happily.
Voro watched the entire scene with a warm smile. "They’ve accepted you completely."
Melo’s face flushed beneath all the sudden attention, and she hid part of it behind one of her fluffy tails, still wagging every one of them happily despite the effort to look composed.
Voro quietly laughed. "I’m glad."
Melo blinked. "...Kyuu?"
He looked toward the children gathered around her.
Then back at Melo.
"They chose well."
Slowly...
Voro lowered his head.
Not as a Guardian.
Not as a Goblin Commander.
Not as one of the ancient protectors of the Dawn Kingdom.
But...
As one protector greeting another.
Silence filled the clearing.
Even the children stopped moving.
Melo’s ears shot upright.
"...Kyuu?"
She looked around in complete panic.
Then hurriedly lowered her own head as well.
"...Kyuu!"
The children blinked.
Then smiled.
None of them fully understood why.
But somehow...
It felt important.
Arthur and Mithra watched quietly before glancing at each other.
"Melo is amazing."
"I know... She truly is a gift, isn’t she?"
"The best kind." He whispered.
Voro hadn’t simply acknowledged Melo but he had entrusted the future to her.
Arthur walked over quietly. "Were you afraid?"
Voro didn’t answer immediately. Instead he looked up at the towering tree and a gentle smile crossed his face. "Very much." He laughed softly. "More than any battle."
Arthur blinked.
Voro watched the children laughing around Melo. "Because monsters..." He smiled. "...were always easier than goodbyes."
Silence settled over the clearing.
Arthur looked toward the children laughing around Melo.
Then back at Voro.
He couldn’t put it into words, but he now had a better grasped on what it truly meant to be a Guardian.
Voro quietly laughed. "Now I don’t have to worry."
Then the golden light surrounding Voro pulsed once more, brighter than before.
Loyo’s fur began glowing along with him.
Then the tree above answered.
A single golden leaf shimmered.
Then another.
Then another.
Until every branch above them glowed with soft golden light.
The children slowly looked up. "Pretty..."
Golden leaves drifted gently from the enormous canopy. They floated through the clearing like tiny stars and landed on the shoulders of a couple people.
On Melo’s tails.
On Voro.
On Loyo.
One landed on Arthur’s hand.
He stared at it quietly and then glanced around to see the entire forest had fallen silent. It felt like the area around had gathered to say farewell to its Guardian.
Voro closed his eyes and a peaceful smile appeared on his face. "...Thank you."
The golden leaves continued to fall.
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