Chapter twenty-one

In PP's estate, in the house numbered seven, Hannah and Louis are seated on a sofa watching a TV in the living room.

"Shouldn't they be home by now?" Hannah asks Louis.

"You asking me!? Woman, of course, they should be home by now! I spent an hour setting up a room for Adam because you said: no spells. And even after that, they still aren't home. That boy should pray my baby girl doesn't come home pregnant or he is dead!" Louis says ragingly.

"Oh, so you are okay if they do it?"

"Do what? - Oh they better not!"

"They can't do it but I know who can," Hannah says moving closer to her target seductively. She drags her hand from his chest heading south.

"Who?" Louis asks not seeming to get what is going on. "Oh! I like your game. Now come here and give me some of that..." He closes the distance and starts to kiss her.

"MOM! DAD! I'M HOME!" A voice announces from afar. Like cheating partners, Hannah and Louis shriek and jump with fright. They clean themselves up in a blink and position themselves on the sofa in a perfectly normal way. The voice walks into their field of vision.

"Hey, honey." Louis welcomes.

"How was your day, Maria?" Hannah asks.

"It was strenuous. *Sigh* How boring the meeting was..." Maria answers in a suspective tone. "What is with this tension built up in here?" *Moans* Hearing these, Maria moves into a different position to see what is on the TV. "Don't tell me! Were you guys about to... Ewww! I feel- I feel like vomiting." She says with a disgusted face and tone.

"It's exactly like you thought sis." Another voice says from behind. They turn to the voice.

"Cyril!? How long have you been there!?" Louis demands.

"Long enough old man. Don't blame me okay? It's not common to see live porn."

"What the f*ck did you say, boy!?" Louis asks getting up.

"Cool down old man. I would have left before things got out of hand. Plus that is just not the way I swing. Gross!"

"*Sigh* Sorry kids." Hannah apologizes with shame. "Louis, close your eyes." She demands and snaps her fingers and like a fire igniting, a bright white light sparks. After the light goes out,

"Seriously mom!? A cheap spell like that can't erase a memory like this. How can you ruin my eyes...my puberty? Tsk! I'm going to bed!"

"Wait, honey! We are sorry. We didn't think you will be home so soon. Can you at least tell us what happened?" Hannah asks.

"Huh? Are you listening to yourself? That info is classified."

"*Sigh* A piece of info for you: we are also members of La Cueva, remember? Plus we are family and that info will be made known soon."

"Then wait! And Cyril, he is not a member."

"Oh come now, sis. It's not like I have anyone to tell. Also, I know you are itching to brag about your achievements. It is so evident on your face." All eyes turn to her face which keeps twitching in an uncomfortable blushful way. "Oh, sis. We all know how much you like to be trumpeted for your attainment just to boost your ego. Those trembling eyes of yours hiding behind those glasses tell me everything. Now come on. Spit it out! Remember what mom and dad did when you Aced all your papers last summer? They..."

"Enough!" Mariah orders. "I want you all to know...that (she starts to smile creepily) I am the first in the whole of this family, and probably our bloodline, to shake the Elfen king's hand!" Her face starts to gleam with joy and pride as she stares at the stunned faces of her parents and Cyril. But all the glimmer vanishes from her countenance when they all break into hysterical laughter.

"HA-HA-HA! Sis, mom and dad are in the Pact. And before getting initiated, you ought to have an audience with all the leaders of the six Mythical races. So sorry but they already beat you to all that hand-shaking stuff." Cyril tells.

"Yes, dear. To be in the Pact, you must form a pact of loyalty with the other races." Louis informs.

"But-but I thought I was..." She starts to sob silently.

"You did well Maria." Hannah applauds. "To be noticed by Pasture at your age, that is something an heir to the Dove cult has never achieved."

"Thanks...(sniff-sniff) mom. But who is Pasture? Is that even a name?"

"Oh, you kids know him as the Elfen king, right?" Louis asks. "Lil ol' Pasture went through Mythic Academy with us. We are old pals."

"Shush! Don't speak so casually and untruthful about the Elfen king." Maria scolds.

"I told you we are old friends."

"Huh... Is that what he meant by: you really are their daughter."

"See? Now, do you believe your father?" She nods in response. "Now mind telling us what happened?"

"Okay. So earlier today, Leader Esther informed me that the preparation for our departure to the Elfen Empire was ready."

"Wait you went there? But that is on like the other side of the globe!"

/In this fantasy world of Earth, there are three continents. These three continents possess a unique characteristic each. The first is Verdant, a place mostly filled with green. Another is a place with more than half of it being moist and swampy. Its name, Embalse. There is also the hot deserty continent named, Deshret. But apart from these continents, there are some large masses of land (which will be an understatement to be called islands, but they are) scattered all over the globe. Phora is a city on one of these islands called Fortune. It is deep in Maze, the largest of one of the numerous woodlands of Verdant, that the Elfen empire is based, obscure to the eyes of all those not invited./ NOW LET'S CONTINUE, SHALL WE?

"Yes dad, I know the Empire is far but we used a Link."

"Oh, the Link," Louis mutters to himself in awe. "That Dwarven artifact never die off the amazement it gives every time it is mentioned."

"Really, Louis!? You still fuss over that hunk of junk!" Hannah says disappointedly. "You have mastered a silver-tiered teleportation spell and you still think an artifact is better. *Sigh* You will never learn will you?"

"Hannah, when will you learn?" Louis asks tauntingly. "Our spells are limited, you know? Even a golden-tiered teleportation spell can not take you everywhere and it even needs a ridiculous piled amount of concentration to make your destination accurate. So yes, I will never learn how our spells can rival the power of SOME carefully calculated and tested Dwarven artifacts."

"Tsk!" Hannah lets out.

"But why do you sound like a Link-hater?" Cyril asks Hannah.

"Oh, not just the Link." Louis corrects. "She hates all Dwarven artifacts. All because of a tiny acci..."

*SMACK* Silence draws into the room when the right hand of Hannah viciously lands on Louis's face.

"Don't spit on his grave." She says with teary eyes as if sad but fury combusted deep in her heart. The empirical evidence is in the red hot handprint left on Louis's face. Hannah storms out of the room.

"Woah! Dad what was all that about?" Cyril asks with a physiognomy that is befuddled yet has a smirk on it.

"*Sigh* You two come sit and let's talk."