Jed's Revival!
Jed brimmed with dreamy anticipation.
Blissfully unaware of the agony to come, he launched into an exuberant chatter.
-Once I have a body, there's so much I want to do! Drink booze, savor delicious food, check on the World Tree, run all sorts of experiments... You know all my heart's desires, don't you, Lord Rune?!
“Kyuu.”
[Hard not to.]
Rune gave a casual reply as he finished his checks.
-And that's not all! I want to roam freely and chat to my heart's content! Heh heh, I never said it, but Jed here was grateful just to feel my senses come alive again—ones I'd ignored for so long. Living without anything to grasp onto? It nearly killed me for real.
Unfortunately, the others were too far away to hear.
Jed's life lesson unfolded with only Rune before him.
Normally, Rune would have grown weary of Jed's endless prattle and cut him off.
But today, Rune responded with an oddly gentle indulgence, murmuring, Yeah, yeah.
“Kyuu kyuu.”
[Prep's done. Let's see if he survives this first.]
Straaain!
-Kyaaaaaaaah!
Soon after, Jed's scream erupted.
-Kuhahaha! Gah! Ow, ow, Jed's dying!
Yet his wails were comically spot-on.
Truly suffering, Jed blurted out his raw sensations.
-Ehehehahaha! Guuuuuh! Just one at a time—pain or tickling, pick oneeee!
Despite Jed's desperate pleas, the swirling black darkness and radiant golden light danced with elegant grace.
Fiery energy added vibrant vitality.
-Hot! Jed's burning up!! Kyuwaaaah!
If he had a mouth with saliva, it would be flying everywhere.
Rune kept his mind serene.
He channeled the unending flow of water's essence.
-Cough cough! Gah, too cold!! This must be how metals feel under the hammer in the forge!
There was some exaggeration, but the sensations of boiling and stewing were all too real.
“Kyuu.”
[Almost there.]
By now, Jed looked pitiful enough to evoke sympathy, but Rune showed no mercy.
Jed began babbling incoherently, his mind fogging over.
-Gaaaaah! Lord Rune, is this payback for chatting a bit with Lord Perdikion earlier?!
As if.
Rune, the only listener, felt his eardrums might burst.
Composed, Rune infused the vital energy of forest growth.
“Kyuuk.”
[Last one. Hang in there.]
-G-guh, guoooooooh!
Jed summoned every ounce of strength to endure.
And then.
Flash!
A blinding light exploded, forcing even the onlookers in the back to shield their eyes.
Twitch!
A massive shadow stirred beyond the clouds.
“Graaaah!”
Arms and legs creaking, the hulking shadow rose.
Its imposing presence would have made any witness swallow hard as the black silhouette fully stood.
“I have been resurrected!”
BOOM!
Jed's declaration, brimming with ambition, echoed through the Black Room!
And the clouds parted.
...Surprisingly, the shadow's true form was a tiny dwarf doll.
“Eh?”
Sensing something off, Jed blinked.
“Huh?”
Twisting to inspect his hands, arms, legs, and body, Jed gaped with his wooden mouth.
“What is this!?”
Clack clack!
The clatter of wooden joints rang out loudly.
“Kyuu kyuu.”
[What else? Your body.]
“This dwarf doll!?”
Jed, who had thrilled with excitement at the promise of a body.
His current size matched Baekya's exactly.
No—even the fluffy Baekya might be bigger.
“Ahem. Cough.”
Perdikion finally cleared his throat with a fake cough.
“Whoa! Uncle Jed! You're so tiny!”
Heungmi approached, wagging her fox tail, and crouched down.
Even so, she towered over him.
“Ppiyak?”
Baekya circled Jed curiously, then rubbed its cheek pouch against him with oddly affectionate glee.
“Kuhuhuuung! To think I'm just a doll like this!”
Jed wailed right there on the spot.
Rune watched curiously before speaking up.
“Kyuuu.”
[I told you before. I'd try, but it needs practice. This is my limit for now.]
“Nooo! Even so! I imagined something awesome! A handsome dwarf, or a macho dwarf, or one with irresistible charm!”
Utterly absurd.
This was the same guy who'd been humming happily at the mere thought of senses moments ago.
In with one story, out with another.
Rune shook his head inwardly and crossed his forepaws.
“Kyuu.”
[That body's incredibly precious as is. Take a good look.]
“?”
Hesitantly, Jed poked at his body as Rune instructed.
Jed's form was Rand the Brown Dragon's handiwork.
Though much of a dragon's power was lost, only one who comprehended the Seal of the Forest's flow—able to grow World Tree wood—could craft it.
In other words, Jed's body was unique.
One only a dragon, backed by understanding of the Seal of the Forest and other seals, could create.
“You don't say!”
Jed gasped in shock.
In truth, the prior agony was too intense to fully appreciate its value with awe.
After all that effort to make it for him.
Feeling indignant, Rune considered glaring with a touch of fear, then held back.
He knew how grueling the ordeal Jed had endured truly was.
Normally, he wouldn't have lasted a second.
But that was a one-time mercy.
“I hate everyone. I hate it allll! Kuhuuung!”
Rune eyed the dwarf doll Jed between a glare and a sigh.
Then he turned to Heungmi, who looked flustered and at a loss.
“Heungmi.”
“Neom!”
“Knock that guy out.”
“Oong! Got it!”
Whoosh!
From Jed's view, Heungmi's hand loomed like a massive boulder.
It swung up, then crashed down in an instant.
Thwack!
Heungmi's honed hand-chop.
It struck Jed's wooden head perfectly.
“Kwek!”
Thud!
His eyes rolled back, showing only whites, and Jed collapsed unconscious on the spot.
“Kyuhuuu.”
Sigh.
A sigh escaped Rune unbidden.
Great expectations breed great disappointments.
As Rune shook his head, Heungmi nuzzled closer.
“Hing. Uncle Jed looks so pitiful. He seemed really heartbroken. Will he be okay?”
Her fox ears perked, then drooped slightly.
Rune replied.
“Kyuu kyuu.”
[Well... it was somewhat expected, so no helping it. I'll explain once he calms down.]
He had given a rough warning beforehand.
Jed just hadn't listened properly.
I even told him not to expect too much, but he nodded along without hearing a word.
He couldn't exhaust all the World Tree wood on a first try.
But Jed, swollen with excitement, hadn't truly grasped the meaning.
Clank!
Perhaps from their time together, the Dullahan carefully lifted Jed with both hands clasped.
“Hic... snic... hic.”
Even unconscious, Jed's wooden mouth clacked as if sobbing.
His green-glowing eyes turned to Rune in wordless concern.
Sensing it, Rune reassured him once more.
“Kyuu.”
[It's fine. Let him rest for now.]
Clank!
The Dullahan nodded his helm, retrieved his battle axe and Jed, and carried him to the folded sleep blanket.
The first thing Jed noticed was the fragrance.
Ooh. It's been ages since I smelled something like this.
With that thought, Jed sniffed eagerly.
“Ungh.”
A sturdy, alluring dwarf woman with thick brows winked at him.
Hearts popped into Jed's eyes.
“Whoaaa! Where did such a beauty come from?!”
And that was just the start.
Roasted meats, massive tomahawk steaks, honey ale, dark beer.
Everything he craved was here.
But something felt off.
Wealth, beauties, handsome looks.
He had it all, yet emptiness gnawed at him.
He realized why soon enough.
“Huh? Why am I alone? Hellooo?”
The ones he longed to share even scraps with were nowhere.
“Lord Rune? Lady Heungmi? Lord Perdikion?”
Jed frantically scanned around.
“Mr. Baekya? Dullahan? Is no one here?!”
Dazed, Jed began shedding tears again.
“Where is everyone? Don't leave me behind...?”
His voice trembled.
No matter how he searched, dashing through the lavish space of jewels and gold.
He was alone.
Drained of strength, Jed knelt and slumped.
Soon, uncontrollable tears burst forth.
“Kyuu kyuu.”
[This guy's crying buckets.]
Rune prodded Jed's cheek.
Wrapped in Christina's healing blanket, his body had rested fully.
Yet instead of peace, he wore the world's saddest face, hiccuping sobs.
Perdikion crossed his arms, watching.
“Must be a bad dream.”
Heungmi patted the wooden doll pityingly at the fire dragon boy's words.
“Hiiing. Uncle Jed.”
“Ppiyak.”
Even Baekya peered in from nearby.
Rune felt a twinge of conscience.
“Kyuu.”
[This fool... isn't dreaming nightmares from disappointment over the body, is he?]
Jed had always been driven by desires since becoming his familiar.
Unlikely, but not impossible.
Perdikion's face hardened at Rune's words.
“If he's that ungrateful, I'll handle him myself.”
“......Kyuu.”
[No need to talk like you're out for blood.]
Even the Dullahan crouched nearby, gazing worriedly at the dwarf doll.
But Jed's sobs grew more guttural.
Rune made his decision.
“Kyuu.”
[Can't let this go on. Wake him.]
Among the huddled group, Heungmi reached out first.
“Uncle Jed, uncle! Wake up.”
Shake shake.
The wooden doll's eyes snapped open amid futile shaking.
“Eh, Lord Rune?”
“Kyuu?”
[With us now?]
The doll blinked.
Jed confirmed each companion encircling him.
And then.
“Kuhuuuung!”
The wooden doll leaped straight at Rune.
“??”
Rune easily twisted aside.
Thump roll!
The doll tumbled to the floor.
Its tear-streaked, rolling form looked so pathetic that Rune awkwardly spoke before he knew it.
“Kyuu... kyuuk.”
[Sorry... you jumped so suddenly.]
“......”
Jed fell strangely quiet.
Rune approached cautiously, steeling himself.
Pat pat.
“Kyuuu, kyuu.”
[You okay?]
Feeling he'd gone too far with his familiar, Rune extended a paw to the doll.
As he grasped it, an odd laugh leaked out.
“Heh heh heh. Heh heh heh heh.”
“......”
Jed grinned.
Rune eyed him suspiciously.
And the wooden doll Jed wore a smile of pure, enlightened bliss.
“Pleased to see you, Lord Rune.”
“Kyuu.”
[Good.]
Snort!
Jed wiped his nose and examined his body.
The stiff yet warm texture felt utterly strange.
“Tears are coming.”
“Kyuuu.”
[Yeah, now you can cry.]
Jed wiped the tears streaming down his face with wooden fingers.
Ironically, pure spring water linked to the Seal of Water.
Transparent and beautiful, like a lovely woman's tears.
“They really are. And I can smile too.”
Grin.
Jed flashed a beaming smile.