Fleeting Sand

♦️Bad Dream

Cale woke up to warm bright light shimmering in through the wavy red curtains and a heavy feeling around his midsection.
His eyebrows furrowed. No, it couldn't be because of Alberu; his fancy Soulmate (DEAR friend) was sleeping back in his own giant castle. He lifted his head sluggishly, the red hair brushing against his pillow as his eyes squinted to look down on himself. There were three-wait no, four kids lying as if dumped on his bed. He heaved a sigh before dropping back down on his pillow.

'I wonder why they still tend to sleep on my bed despite the fact that three of them are already over the age of 18.. Maybe I should consult it with Eruhaben..', at this thought, he imagined the true forms of a certain black dragon and the two cats. Raon Miru is already bigger than him even in his human form, while On and Hong reach somewhere up to his shoulders... He reminded himself of the 4th kid, 'She must've sneeked out..wonder when Lock's gonna notice that his daughter is missing'.

He made a face thinking of the mighty and noble King of the Werewolf's howling this early in the morning in search of his dear daughter (AU). 'Thinking about family..' he had a bad dream, one about the past.. It was especially bad since Isis and that guy came up in it the most. His nose crunched up at the memory.

A knock came from the door tearing him from his thoughts.
He saw that On's ear twitched but otherwise the kids didn't seem to have heard it, he turned his head (still on the pillow) towards the door "Enter". The handle was pushed down and in stepped an inpecebly dressed (as always) Ron, the man didn't seem surprised at the sight before him.

Cale in the middle like some stick, Raon next to his waist in an outstretched pose with On and Hong lying curled around different areas of Cale. One was positioned further up, while the other was below. The little girl - around Lily's height from back then - was basically sleeping while holding onto Cale's shirt.

Ron looked at Cale with a passive face but behind his back his hands seemed to be shaking, especially after he saw Cale's unrefined expression. Ron walked over, having brought in a wagon with breakfast that he had brought along on his way to Cale's bedroom. Small noses twitched from the smell of bacon, eggs and pancakes. Feline and canine tails began to slightly wag, "Wake up.. " Cale tried to sit up while slightly patting the ones who had invaded his bed while he was asleep.

...Since when was he such a deep sleeper? Back then, he would've noticed before anyone even tried to enter the room secretly.

"Meowl/raa.. *yawn*" he looked down on the kids on his bed who were now somewhat up.
They all immediately turned their heads to Ron and the presented breakfast that were in front of their famished eyes. From Ron's perspective, it looked like Cale became invisible to them as their eyes became filled with light at the sight of food, he gave an amused expression.
Yes, this was another reason why life became amusing again.

"Why are you all in my bed and not your own?"

The kids jolted, hesitantly turning around. Cale was sitting there while leaning against on arm, part of his nightgown was sloppily holding onto one of his shoulders. Some women would be jealous, how can a man look this beautiful without having come out of bed!?
..A reason why three of the kids rather slept in Cale's bed instead of their own - so that no one tries to do something to their dad- ..but they wouldn't tell their dad that. On replied, being the first to think up a white lie "We couldn't sleep".

'Not false but I didn't say why.'

Meanwhile Ron's sinister smile appeared, well aware of what the young masters and miss's where thinking of. Speaking of young Miss's.. "Duke, we were just informed that the Werewolf king is here to speak with you, he's waiting in the dining room". A little girl rolled her eyes, pouting.

Cale sighed before grabbing ahold of the bedsheets, the kids knowing to move away so that their dad/Godfather could get out of bed.

"First," he stood up going to his wardrobe, "we get dressed. Then we'll go eat at the dining table." he turned around seeing a few raised claws on the wagon.

... *Sigh* "If you can't wait till then you may take something as an appetizer". Ron left the room since Cale prefers to dress himself alone, he went to calm down a nervous pup- he meant wolf. Cale then left his room with the kids, telling a maid to take care of the wagon as he and the small-sized.. kids.. went to the dining room. He was walking in the middle, with the cats walking on his sides together with the girl and the dark small-sized dragon on his left in the air. The servants bowed where they stood when the five came into sight, wishing them a good morning politely as per standards. Cale's expression was impassive and he barely reacted compared to his kids who returned the greeting, a usual occurrence for the maids and butlers who continued their work.

Having walked down the staircase which was the first one to see when entering the grand manor, they walked more into the inner parts and to the dining room which was more situated at the back of the Manor...near the giant greenhouse that occupied a huge space and reached up to two floors. Temperature magic kept the flowers in good shape and you could hold a picnic or tea party there all year.

Standing in front of the dining room, Cale used one hand to push the handle down and enter the room with the kids. They all immediately saw Lock anxiously sitting in his seat, face filled with worry. 'Can handle war breaking out but not his kid going missing for one morning.' Cale's eyebrows went higher in something between ridicule and exasperation.

"Lock." he walked in, the other had already looked over hearing them enter the room. He hastily stood up making the chair fall backwards with a bump; "Cale-nim my daughter-!", Cale crossed his arms over giving a not so surprised look at the man who made him said girl's godfather.

Lock on the other hand had stopped midsentence when he saw a certain dust-coloured tail hidden and wagging behind the back of his life-long friend a bit.
He was at a loss for words for only a short while, "... Fenrie!".

Quite fast, he hugged his mischievous daughter in an almost chocking manner as he cried.

"Dad~!" the girl - now introduced as Fenrie - tried pushing against her father's wet face with all her might. The watchers either remained in place or took a seat at the dining table turning into their human form. Cale's kids were almost the same height as him, making Lock's daughter the smallest.

Fenrie's friend, On, took pity on the younger girl and used her mist to help the girl slip out from under the Wolf King's hold. The girl all but threw herself on a seat near Cale since~

..when Lock wanted to go embrace his dear daughter once again he froze seeing her next to Cale who was just staring impassivly at him. He sweatdropped, embarrassed at how he had behaved in front of his life-long friend who he knew was better left back to sleep-in in his bed. He scratched his neck.

"Uhmm.. Good morning, Cale-nim, sorry for the commotion." Cale sleazily waved him off before gesturing to the table: "Forget it, care to join us for breakfast now? I can ask someone to sent a messenger bird to your tribe".

Lock scratched his face: "Please do." And like that, a new day began in the Raon empire.