The Bakery, Bullies, and a Big Arrest

The sun shone brightly over Eldoria, and the streets were alive with chatter and activity. Zearon stretched his small limbs and sniffed the air, his nose twitching at the delicious aroma wafting from the city’s bakeries.

“Lotran,” Zearon whined, his stomach growling loudly, “I can’t hold it anymore. I need food!”

Lotran sighed, fishing out a pouch of coins. “Fine, here. This is all I have, so don’t spend it all on food, alright?”

Zearon snatched the pouch with a mischievous grin. “You can count on me!”

As Lotran walked off to look for supplies, Zearon bolted in the direction of the most mouthwatering smells. His fluffy blue tail wagged as he made his way to a small bakery on the corner of the street. The sign above it read Golden Loaf Bakery.

---

Zearon pushed the door open with his paw and padded inside. The warm scent of freshly baked bread, roasted meats, and sugary treats filled the air. Behind the counter stood a tall, skinny man with a mustache that curled at the ends.

“Excuse me!” Zearon said, hopping onto a stool by the counter.

The man froze, his jaw dropping. “Did...did you just talk?”

“Yeah, I did,” Zearon replied, tapping the counter with his paw. “Now, how about a hotdog and a burger? Oh, and some of those donuts. I’m starving!”

The man blinked a few times, then shook his head as if to clear it. “Uh...right. Coming right up.”

Zearon drummed his paws on the counter as he waited, his mouth watering. When the food finally arrived, he dove in without hesitation.

“Mmm! This is amazing!” Zearon said, his voice muffled by the burger.

The waiter watched in stunned silence as Zearon devoured everything on the plate. When Zearon finally leaned back with a satisfied sigh, the man muttered, “I’ve seen everything now. A talking animal with an appetite bigger than a dragon’s...”

Zearon licked his lips, hopped down from the stool, and tossed the pouch of coins onto the counter. “Keep the change!” he said, trotting out the door.

Feeling full and happy, Zearon decided to explore the city. The streets were bustling with vendors selling all sorts of goods—sparkling jewelry, exotic spices, and strange magical trinkets.

At one stall, Zearon tried on a pair of oversized sunglasses. “How do I look?” he asked the vendor.

“Adorable,” the vendor replied, chuckling.

Zearon grinned and continued on his way. He stopped to watch a street performer juggle flaming torches, laughed at a group of kids playing a game with a bouncing magical ball, and even tried a stick of cotton candy that turned his tongue bright blue.

“This place is awesome!” Zearon said to himself.

---

As he turned a corner, Zearon heard a commotion. In a narrow alley, a young boy was being pushed around by three men in long robes. Their hands glowed with magical energy as they laughed and taunted the boy.

“Hey!” Zearon shouted, bounding into the alley. “Leave him alone!”

The men turned to see a small, fluffy creature glaring at them.

“Is this some kind of joke?” one of the magicians sneered. “It’s just a talking pet!”

“I’m not a pet!” Zearon growled, his fur bristling. “Now back off before I make you regret it.”

The magicians exchanged amused looks, then one of them raised his glowing hand. “Let’s see how tough you are!”

A blast of magical energy shot toward Zearon, hitting him square in the chest.

For a moment, Zearon stood still, blinking. Then he burst out laughing. “That tickles!”

The magicians stared in disbelief as Zearon shifted into his tiger form. His muscles rippled under his fur, and his eyes gleamed.

“Okay,” Zearon said, his voice deeper now, “my turn.”

With a simple roar, a shockwave of sound sent the magicians flying into a pile of garbage cans. They groaned and scrambled to their feet, tripping over each other as they ran away.

The boy, who had been cowering in the corner, looked up at Zearon with wide eyes. “Thank you,” he whispered.

“No problem,” Zearon said, shifting back to his Lumikit form. “Just be careful next time, okay?”

The boy nodded and ran off, leaving Zearon feeling pretty proud of himself.

---

Before Zearon could leave the alley, a group of armored guards appeared, their weapons drawn.

“There he is!” one of them shouted. “The talking creature causing a disturbance!”

“Wait, what?” Zearon said, his ears flattening. “I was just helping—”

“Seize him!”

Zearon turned to run, but the guards were too fast. They surrounded him and scooped him up, carrying him off toward the city’s prison.

“This is so unfair!” Zearon yelled, squirming in their grip. “I didn’t even do anything wrong!”

As the guards hauled him away, Zearon could only hope Lotran would come to his rescue.

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