“All lookin’ good here?” Errat asked as he helped carry planks of wood towards the chapel along with some of his crew members. 

 

A young woman wearing a commoner’s outfit nodded with a kind smile on her face, “This should be enough to last for a few days. Thank you, Errat.” She bowed her head in a demure way.

 

Errat snickered, “Nahh, don’t worry bout it. I was just doin’ my job here, especially to the one who’s taking care of the kiddos around here. I owe you that much.” He said as he patted his palms together.

 

Curtis then chimed in and wrapped an arm around the captain’s shoulder, “Anything for the beautiful and kind sister Rose. Want me to fix up some fish stew for the kids? Got the ingredients back at my home.”

 

Rose blushed as she smiled at the cook, “I hope it doesn’t trouble you that much. But, thank you for the offer.” She stroked some strands of her hair to the back of her ear. Both individuals were bashful as they averted their gazes from each other. 

 

Errat smirked as he had caught wind of what was going on between the two of them, “Welp, looks like I got places to go. Gotta help the others for the blizzard after all. Toodaloo~” He slipped and slithered down the chapel’s stairs as he teased. His mood was as bright as ever until he slipped on some of the ice on the stairs. Causing him to tumble down like a wheel before his body landed on the snow-covered ground. 

 

“Cap, you okay?!” Curtis exclaimed as he looked at the fallen adult in worry. That was when the captain raised his arm and gave a thumbs up.

“All is fine!” Errat muffled as his face was buried in the snow. He then lifted himself up and patted the remaining snow on his coat, “Nothing like a good ol’ entertainment around here I could say.” He chuckled as he was blushing in embarrassment at his clumsy act. 

 

“Well, look at the time. I better get going and just… leave ya two alone. Bye~” Errat then sprinted off after he said those words. 

 

He then took a walk around town and saw the townspeople gathering the wood they could find. Storing enough food to last for a few days, checking if there were any holes or leakage on the roofs. It was rather a busy day than a festive one. It had been almost a week since the fleet had stayed over Ominum.

 

As he walked, Errat was greeted warmly by the people around him. With a big, sunny grin did he reply to them. Why was he walking around the town you say? Wasn’t it obvious for him to look out for the other townspeople? Helping them around? That wasn’t even the reason he had gone outside. 

 

He was just passing his time helping others while he himself was waiting for a certain group of people to come back. Especially that amongst them was one person that was able to sweep him off his feet. Oh, he was waiting for the man to come home to his warm and welcoming arms. Wanting to get close to the man while his heart was pounding hard inside of his body.

 

Errat stood in the middle of the streets near the entrance and looked up in the cloudy sky, “Hah… Wonder when they’re gonna come back. The snow’s getting pretty heavy.” He muttered as he paced back and forth the main plaza. It was where the gate entrance was connected after all. 

 

The older man was humming in a lackadaisical tone when he heard pants and hurried footsteps coming from the gate entrance. His eyes sparkled as he jerked his head towards the sound, expecting for his beloved Roderick to come home along with his little sea star and little seal pup. But he was only met with Jack holding unto Vivian’s hand as they ran towards the plaza. 

 

“Uncle Errat!!” Vivian shouted out as she was also sobbing while she ran towards Errat’s direction. 

 

Hearing the distress call of her niece, his smile faltered as he quickly caught up to the pair and engulfed them in his arms. He was flabbergasted when he found the two children breaking down in tears.

 

“Captain Errat… sniff... You have to help Mister Roderick!!” Jack wailed out as tears ran down his eyes. The other townspeople were alerted by the sniffling sounds coming from the front of the plaza. 

 

Errat knitted his brows together before he kneeled in front of his niece and Jack, “Where’s Roderick? What happened?” He asked as he held the two children’s arms in his grasp. 

 

“He… He… sniff.. He’s still back in the forest… sniff... There’s a group of daemons in there… sniff... Mister Roderick said to us that we have to… sniff... run away.” Vivian explained as she was sobbing, her voice was small as she was still in shock. The young girl began to be worried sick about Roderick’s conditions. 

 

“He told us he would be right behind us… sniff... But we kept running and running… We were so scared...” Jack added as he and Vivian continued to cry. 

 

Errat shook his head in disbelief at hearing the news before pulling the children in his embrace. Holding their heads with his palms, “Shh… Shh… It’s alright, you’re both safe now...” He rubbed circles on the children’s back as he stared into the open gate. 

 

”Roderick...”

“...I’m going after him, you two stay here and be with the others. You hear me?” Errat whispered as he slowly stood up from his position. He then turned to look at Curtis who was approaching him after he saw what unfolded in front of his eyes. 

 

“What’s the matter, cap? Where’s Roderick?”

 

Errat looked around before he gazed at Curtis with a stern look, “Jack and Vivian said that there was a group of daemons in the forest. Roderick’s back there fighting them, I’m going after him.”

 

Curtis shot his eyes wide, “You can’t be serious, cap. You know what they could do to yo-”

“I’ll be careful, just look after them both for a while. And keep this information to yourself, we don’t want to cause panic around here.” Errat explained before he gently gave the two children in his embrace to the cook. 

 

Curtis could only be silent about the captain’s decision before nodding his head, “Be careful out there, cap. And may you both return safely.” He only said. 

 

Errat nodded as he instantly rushed towards the outskirts of the town and deep into the forest. Not turning to look back as his mind was only set on him. His heart was beating faster than lightning as he ran, his legs didn’t give up on him as the adrenaline pumped through his veins like mad. 

 

”Roderick...” An image of the man himself flashed through his head, ”Roderick… No, please… Be safe… I beg of you...”

 

He effortlessly made it through the long path as he then slowed down when he heard a low growl coming from a distance. He held his breath as he caught a glimpse of the blood-covered ground. Like a red flower blossoming in the white field as a figure stood in the middle of the path. 

 

Bodies of daemons scattered at its feet, all lifeless as none of them moved. Errat was shaking in his spot as he gritted his teeth, seeing that the figure had a large claw as a replacement for their arm. Blood dripped from the end of those sharp edges and into the ground.

 

“...Damn it, why couldn’t I turn back?” A familiar voice came from the figure, which made Errat shot his eyes wide as he tried to move closer towards the anonymous figure, “Shit! This isn’t the right time...” The figure kept talking as he clenched his only claw-like arm.

 

Errat slowly stepped into the scene with a look of bewilderment on his face. He recognized the  Auburn hair, the clothes the figure was wearing, and the voice that used to scold him for being an idiot all those times, “...Roderick?”

 

The figure was startled upon hearing Errat’s voice as it whipped its body around in an instant. Revealing what the captain was witnessing at that moment. 

 

An Auburn-haired man with the right side of his face tainted by dark veins and half of his mouth was slitted up until his ear. His human teeth had turned into fangs, leaving him to be a two-faced creature - literally. His right arm had turned disfigured and shaped into a large claw. While his pupils remained the same. The same forest-like pupils that first made Errat fell for the man.

 

The figure gasped in horror as he shot his eyes wide, his mouth gaped in shock

 

“...Errat?”