Chapter 10: Vairez's Home

The wagon stirred rapidly through a bumpy road. It passed every pebble and animal that existed under it. There are times when the wagon jumps and the load follows. Making the traveler on the wagon slightly uncomfortable. The trees passed the eyes of the traveler as he laid his eyes against the sky. His vision had seen nothing but trees and a slight sight of the sun. The sun didn't burn his eyes; perhaps it was going down in a couple of hours. His body rested on the wagon's wood, along with the other loads that he and his friend had brought. His position cannot be moved and has been set in a comfortable spot. He's received warmth from the sun and a relaxing breeze from the wind. All this comfort will turn his eyes down and lead him into relaxation mode. Maybe he deserved a rest after a hard adventure. He slowly closed his eyes and let the coziness accompany him.

Then the wagon bumped into another big pebble that made the wagon jump. The traveler's head was hit against the wood, which woke him up in an instant. He growled in irritation and got himself up.

"How long until we arrive?"

"A matter of minutes."

"You said that three hours ago."

"Have patience, Halley."

"Uuurgh"

Halley laid down again on the wood. He recalled that after they defeated the Garaduan dragons and stole their crystal, Vairez was going to take him to his home. Now, they have been traveling on a wagon horse for a week. Halley could have called his spaceship and taken both of them to the destination. Yet he buried that thought, for he didn't want to have his spaceship dirty because of a horse and a murky wagon.

Vairez kept his dead-pan face as he drove the horse and carried the wagon. The road ahead was too dim for light, yet he seemed like he didn't mind at all. After a few minutes, he noticed something among the trees. Vairez slowed down his ride to look at a certain tree. He observed the pattern carved on the tree that he passed. The pattern was drawn as a rectangle, with a circle inside the rectangle. A diamond shape was also drawn inside the circle. The point of the rectangle was bold with a black spot, and there were tiny letters written on the side of the rectangle. Even with that complicated pattern, it was enough for Vairez to know that they were close.

"Brace yourself; we are near."

"Hahh?"

Halley, who was trying to close his eyes again, woke up to his warning. He sat and stared in the same direction as Vairez. He's waiting for this wagon to reach its destination. The light is still dim. It was even darker than when they entered the forest. Halley felt like they went down to a valley, or the center of the forest. However, deep inside the darkness, Halley could see a light. A little light, as if someone were lighting up a candle from afar. He thought so, but the light was getting bigger and clearer as they walked closer.

The wagon reached the light, and Halley could see the hidden view inside the light. They just need to pass the bushes that cover it. After they passed, he could see the whole view of Vairez's home. Halley was mesmerized and never expected to see his home look like this.

Variez's home was like a field of flowers. A wide field covered with green grass and tiny flowers. Trees bloomed with leaves and fruits; bushes of many variations of flowers; a river with clean water; ponds with colorful fish swimming in the water. A medium-sized cabin was built right in the center of the garden field. A cozy cabin made from wood and rocks. Besides the cabin, a little bridge was built across the river, and a waterwheel was placed near the bridge. Such a paradise place.

Halley was beyond amazed to see that the mini-Eden Garden belonged to the deadliest swordsman in the world. He thought Vairez would be living in a hell-like place full of people of his kind. He thought he would be living in a harsh environment, and he used to fight as part of his daily life. But this paradise has blinded his expectations.

The wagon stopped a bit far from the cabin. Variez took off from his horse and signaled Halley to get down from the wagon. Halley obeyed, and then they walked towards the cabin.

The cabin door was opened. Halley was taken aback to see someone else living with him. The door revealed tiny hands that held the door handle. Then a little head popped up from the entrance door. The little head has the face of a fox. Its face was covered in fur in two colors: dark orange on the upper side and cream on the bottom line of the face. Both colors were separated with a line across the snout and face from ear to ear. It has two big eyes on the side, a little snout, and a small mouth. It has two pointy ears on each side of the face; those ears are now raised at the sight of Vairez coming home. The resident also has hair. It had long, brown hair that hung from the back of its head. The resident saw Vairez in front of the house. Its eyes began to shine at his arrival. The little creature began to run towards him.

"DADDYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!"

The little resident wore a simple dress, like a commoner girl. Her cute little voice echoed the whole field. She ran to her dad excitedly, not caring what distraction came to hold her way. Vairez pulled out a big smile. The sincere smile Halley never saw. Vairez crouched at the same level as the girl, then expanded his arm for a hug.

The girl jumped into Vairez's arm. They hugged; the girl was giggling with excitement since her father had returned. Vairez poured kisses on her cheeks and head to tell her how much he missed her. They exchanged looks after a hug, and both laughed.

"Daddy, are you home?"

"I have returned, my dear."

"Welcome home!!"

The girl deepened her hug in Vairez's arm. Both giggled in each other's arms. Halley watched the wholesome moment in awe. This special bonding moment between a father and a daughter feels different for him. Indeed, he had saved many aliens and returned them to their families for money many times. But the sight of a dangerous swordsman who just killed three dragons coming to his daughter seemed more special than any sight he had seen. Halley never thought that Vairez had a soft side and was secretly a family man. He could hear his thoughts saying, "Awwww!" At the scene.

The entrance door opened again. Three of them quickly looked at the person who went out. A woman in a thin dress appeared from behind the door. She has a body like a model and a skin color of pale green with a bit of a gradient of blue. She has a slender, high neck, an oval face, and two big galaxy eyes. She has a human mouth with thick lips. She doesn't have a nose; only two black ellipses are carved between her eyes and mouth. There's also a bump on her forehead with a line on the bump, like a sliced pimple. Her hair starts at the top of her head and goes down to her hips. She doesn't have a pony, and her hair is silvered white. Her three lanky fingers moved leisurely to show elegance.

"Chilmi?"

Her voice is also calm and angelic. Halley thought She's beautiful. He saw the most beautiful alien he had ever seen. Not even a princess from an alien kingdom could beat her. However, knowing her in this place—the shadow knight's home with a little girl—Halley made an assumption.

She's his wife!!? 

Vairez stood up after receiving a hug from Chilmi, his daughter. He never took his eyes off the woman. Vairez smiled tenderly for the first time. He walked slowly, accompanied by Chilmi, who walked beside him. The woman's face also changed after she saw Vairez in front of her. She was surprised, and then she slowly began to cry. She covered her mouth with her hand. She revealed herself fully at the door and walked towards Vairez. He gave her his arrival announcement.

"I have returned, Lutna."

".....Father…?"

"Hah?"

The woman, Lutna, sprinted towards Vairez and hugged him. Vairez welcomed her into his arms. He chuckled while Lutna was sobbing. He rubbed her back and rocked her body in his arm to calm her from her cry. Chilmi hugged both of their feet, as she was too short to reach their height.

Meanwhile, Halley was dumbfounded. This adult woman was his daughter too! Even though she looks grown enough to be his wife. Halley stood behind them like a decoration statue that Vairez just bought for his daughters. He didn't know how to react or put any expression on his face. His face was stuck in a surprised expression. The family reunion goes on for a minute until one of his daughters notices him.

"Daddy, who is that?"

The squeaky voice was like a kitten coming from Chilmi. She noticed the figure standing like a statue, watching her reunite with her father. Out of curiosity, the girl asked Vairez, Who's the statue he brought from outside? Lutna also noticed Halley on her father's back after Chilmi mentioned him. Vairez glared at Halley before he turned back to his daughters. Both looked at him as if they were waiting for his answer.

"He's a fellow I know from work." Vairez answered the question.

Lutna was a little surprised. "That's uncommon, father. You seldom extendest invitations to guests within our abode."

"Well, this man has lent me his aid. We're both in need of respite; might as well extend him my hospitality."

Halley heard himself being called, so he woke up to his reality. He saw the family staring at him, two with a stranger look and one with a tender smile. Halley focused on the man who looked at him with a smile like it was the first time Vairez looked at him like that.

"What say, Halley?"

"You let me stay for the night?"

"Take it as a token of gratitude."

Halley shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I can't decline such a great offer."

The daughters welcomed him by hand. He followed them to the house and let himself rest.

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The inside of the house was surprisingly big and organized. There are still many spaces, even if they are filled with furniture and decorations. It's not luxury, but it looks cozy and clean. It seemed like all the beauty on the outside and the inside was the work of his daughters. Vairez just lets his girls decorate this place as they like.

He was greeted with a spacious hallway when he went to the entrance. It's a short hallway, and you can see the dining room from the entrance. The hallway has a couch and a cupboard to keep shoes in. At the end of the hallway, there's a staircase leading to the second floor.

The next room is the dining room. It is the biggest room in the house. It looks cozy and clean. The table was large enough to put many kinds of food there. There are many chairs displayed beside the table. Fruits were often put in the center of the table for snacks. The dining room was mixed with the kitchen on the side. The kitchen also looks neat and organized. The plates and kitchen materials are perfectly put in place. There are even decorations in the kitchen and the dining room to liven up the atmosphere. Such as a vase of plants beside the bottom of the stairs, a braid of flower roots hanging on the wall, and a tiny cactus vase displayed on the kitchen table. Halley looked at the room as if he were looking at a dining room in a fairytale book.

It was no surprise that they didn't have a living room. From what Halley knows, having a living room for a commoner is usually a waste of money and useless. The dining room usually becomes their living room as well.

Halley was suggested to sit in the dining room by Lutna. He nodded and sat while his eyes were still wandering around the house. Lutna began a conversation with Vairez. Chilmi went outside through the back door of the kitchen. Halley started to fix his broken devices by himself, while Vairez was attended to by Lutna to heal his wounds. He recalled that Vairez had a personal witch; he could guess that the witch was her. Halley watched the two of them talking while fixing Vairez's wound while he was left alone with his problem. Their connection was great. Like a father and daughter who are close enough to share their daily lives. Halley seldom saw that connection, even among his clients. He admitted that, even if he wasn't supposed to be in the conversation, he enjoyed watching it from afar.

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Halley finished fixing his prosthetic arm, which had malfunctioned during the journey. He took out his other stuff and healed himself. He saw that Lutna already finished healing Vairez's wound. Seeing him struggle to fix his wound, Lutna offered help.

"May I help you? You look troubled."

"It's okay; I'm used to this."

"Still, a little help won't hurt. I might be a witch, but I don't cause harm."

She put her hands on Halley's wound. A light came from her palms and went inside the wounds. Halley felt the warmth from the light as if his injury were compressed with a warm blanket. It was relaxing and comforting. Not to mention her face was near Halley's. He could feel her breath against his cheek; her smell of flowers penetrated his nose. Halley secretly blushed. Then he saw the wound slowly fade away. Lutna pulled her hands out and stared at him in the eyes.

"What other wounds do you have? Let me fix it."

Halley stared at her dumbfoundedly. He was grateful but also bewildered. There are wounds on his back, but he can't get naked and reveal his body to Lutna. Halley has an issue with getting naked. Instead, Halley took off his jacket and zipped off his shirt a bit. He revealed the back of his neck and his left shoulder, which were scratched by a stone. Lutna saw the blood from the scratch and then began her healing.

While she was healing, something from Halley's slipped down and fell. It made a loud sound as it hit the wooden floor. Lutna was startled and turned away from Halley. Halley was shocked enough that he had to turn his back. While Vairez quickly turned his gaze at both of them, Halley and Lutna saw the crystal egg sliding away after it hit the floor. Halley was shocked and quickly picked up the egg. Lutna just stared at him, speechless.

"Is that an egg?" Lutna asked.

"Ah, no. It's a crystal. Something I got from our adventure"

"Your adventure with my sire?"

"Yeah, we went into a cave and killed big monsters."

"Then, what are you going to do with it?"

"I'm going to put it in an auction. This baby is worth thousands."

"But it looks like an egg. Shouldn't you put it in a safe vessel?"

"It won't hatch, don't worry."

"But you don't want it to break, do you?"

Halley didn't even say his response, but Lutna could tell from his expression that she got a point. So, she walked away from him and went to the second floor to look for something that could hold the crystal. Halley just watched her, astounded, then turned his gaze to Vairez. While Vairez also stared him back.

"She's a considerate woman."

"You'll get used to her."

"I already like her."

"Mind what you say."

Vairez glared at him with a deadly stare. He's like a father threatening another male to stay away from his daughter. Halley responded with a chuckle to tell him that he was joking.

After a moment, Chilmi went into the house from the back door. She held a bucket of flowers in her tiny hands. She ran into her father's arm again.

"Daddy! Look at these flowers I grew for weeks!"

She showed him the flowers with confidence. Vairez put his warm, tender smile at her again.

"Those are beautiful. Did you grow them yourself?"

"Yes! Big sister taught me how to grow them with magic."

Vairez laughed at her enthusiasm. It's the first time Halley has seen him look like this. He looks the opposite of who he is on the battlefield. This man, who could withstand any pain, couldn't contain his laughter over his cute little daughter. And Chilmi, his little daughter, smiled without fear at her father, who was a monster on the battlefield. Seeing their cute relationship like this made Halley blush with adoration.

"Do you want to see my flowers with me, Daddy?"

"Halley has never seen your flowers. Why don't you ask him?"

Little Chilmi stomped her feet and ran, approaching Halley. Halley was confused after being mentioned and saw the little girl running towards him. She's as short as his hips. Halley could guess that she was around five years old in human age.

"Do you want to see my flowers?" she asked with pleading eyes.

"I'm seeing them right now."

"Noooooo, see my flowers," she laughed, raising her flowers above her head.

"You mean your flowers outside?"

"Noooo, these flowers!" she laughed again. Halley might not show it on his face, but he's a bit flustered by her squeaky laugh.

Halley couldn't understand what she meant. He looked at Vairez for more detail. Vairez sighed and explained it to him.

"Observe her arranging those flowers in a vase, and watch together."

"What's so fun about watching flowers in a vase?"

"Just do it."

Halley accepted her request. Chilmi smiled and ran to get a vase. She poured water into the vase and put the flowers she picked up from outside into the vase. Then she carried the vase and put it in the shoe drawer in the corridor. She signaled Halley to come close. Halley approached her and crouched to match his head with hers. Then they watched the flower in a vase together.

It didn't do anything at first; Halley was getting bored. Then the flowers slowly bloomed and revealed their shiny seeds around the petals. After that, the flowers started to move. Their moves were really slow, but they got a bit faster as if they were moving to a rhythm. Finally, they saw those flowers dancing in a vase, with sparkles from their seeds spread around them, making them shiny. Halley was mesmerized; the dancing flowers looked really beautiful and eye-catching. Chilmi, beside him, laughs in excitement. She's like a little girl watching her favorite show.

"It looks cool," Halley praised the show.

"It is!"

They continued to watch until Lutna came down from the second floor. She carried a basket with a pillow inside in her hand. She saw Halley and Chilmi bonding together, which made her giggle. She watched them as she put the crystal in the basket. She sat across from Vairez, and they watched the bonding scene between Halley and Chilmi together. A minute later, Vairez stood from his seat and headed to the stairs.

"I shall change mine attire."

"Will you be back for a meal?" Lutna asked him.

"Aye, I'm famished."

"Alright then, Father."

"I shall return, Lutna. And inform Halley that he shall accompany us."

"What?"

As soon as his name was called, Halley turned his attention towards the both of them. He demanded clear information. However, Vairez didn't bother to give him an answer and walked through the stairs. Lutna, who was still at the dining table, invited Halley for a meal.

"Since you will stay with us for a day, you're going to eat with us. Will you be okay with that?"

"... Cool, eating sounds great."

Lutna smiled at his response. It looks like Halley made a great impression on her. Chilmi seemed so excited for today's meal that she switched her attention to her big sister. She began to run towards her and climbed onto her lap. Halley was staring at them until he was asked to join the girls and talk about their adventures.

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The dinner was delicious. They had many kinds of food that Lutna and Chilmi made. The portions were really big as well. Halley thought it was exaggerated at first, but he enjoyed every meal. He couldn't believe such a big portion would be finished by a total of four people. Though that was not a surprise, he recalled Vairez finishing his food fast and taking more and more. He must have a big appetite.

Halley rested his back on the chair for leisure. He was so full that he couldn't even stand up and walk around. Lutna washed the dishes along with Chilmi. It seemed like Lutna was not only taking Chilmi as her little sister but also as a little assistant. From the start, he went to this place. Chilmi has always helped Lutna finish some tasks. Meanwhile, Vairez is something they must take care of. What a family, Halley thought.

Then, something strange happened to the crystal. Lutna was the one who noticed first. She looked closely at the crystal in the basket, which strangely trembled. She looks confused and aware. Halley noticed her eyes and followed her vision towards the crystal egg. He noticed that the crystal was moving like it was trembling.

"What happened to that crystal?" Lutna asked first.

"I don't know," Halley answered.

Vairez wasn't paying attention to them because he was talking with Chilmi. As he looked at the expression of his daughter, he began to worry. Vairez asked her what was wrong. But his question was cut halfway when the crystal made a crack. It startled both Lutna and Halley. Vairez and Chilmi noticed the crack sound and looked in the same direction as Halley and Lutna.

The crack in the crystal is getting bigger. Suddenly, the crystal exploded into pieces. It revealed what's inside the crystal. It turned out that Lutna was right. That crystal was an egg, and that egg had hatched into another spawn of a dragon. Lutna freaked out. She went to grab Chilmi and carried her to the stairs. Halley and Vairez became alert as they took out their weapons.

The dragon was bigger than the egg. It was as big as a guitar—a guitar in a basket. It spread its wings and made a squeaky sound like a baby. Chilmi, who was in Lutna's arms, saw the dragon from the stairs. She giggled and pointed at the little dragon.

"Puppy!"

Everyone was shocked. She yelled loudly, causing the dragon to quickly notice them. It looks at them as strangers; the dragon hissed at them and fled from the house. Unfortunately, all windows were shut and all doors were closed. The chimney was too shallow to get in. The dragon flew aggressively around the house. It knocked on every wall and piece of furniture in that house. Everything falls, and some of it breaks. Lutna cried in panic. That dragon was messing with her house. She yelled at the dragon to stop, but the dragon couldn't bother to listen. Halley and Vairez were also having difficulty trying to catch the dragon. Meanwhile, Chilmi laughed excitedly at the flying creature in her house.

The dragon fell when it hit the chimney wall. It hit its head on the cauldron as well, then dropped itself to the ground. But it stood up and flew again. Then, all of a sudden, Halley grabbed the dragon's tail. He stopped the dragon's flight.

"Hahaha!" He laughed in relief at his achievement.

But the dragon didn't give up. It spewed a flame into his arm.

"Aaaaarrrgh!!" Halley took away his grip and screeched in pain. Then the dragon flew again.

It was like a flying cockroach entering a house. People were in terror, dealing with a rodent that scattered the house furniture. Of course, the rodent was trying to get away. But that thing was never smart enough to find an exit. Vairez had opened the back door to let the dragon out. But the dragon still lingered on the wall in the corridor. It had broken the vases in the living room and kitchen, some cookware, Chilmi's creative crafts, decoration plants, and other furniture.

Vairez might not mind the mess, but Lutna and Chilmi had put their effort into decorating and cleaning their house to its finest, especially Lutna since she is a perfectionist who likes beauty. She's in distress and terrified of seeing the look of the house after it was destroyed by a rat-like dragon with wings. The worst part is that the dragon hasn't left her house and is still messing with her things. Lutna couldn't let the whole house become a wrecked ship. She summoned an invisible barrier atop the stairs to prevent the dragon from flying to the upper floor. She opened every door and window with her wind magic to let the dragon out. She yelled at Halley to get that dragon faster.

"Hurry and catch that thing!"

"I'm trying!"

Halley was trying hard. Yet the dragon was so aggressive and violent that it kept biting and scratching him whenever Halley touched it. Halley tried to catch the dragon from hanging on the roof. It kept hissing and spitting out the fire's saliva every time Halley came near. Then he jumped and grabbed the dragon's leg. The dragon became furious, and it bit Halley's wrist until it bled.

"Aaaargh!!"

"Don't let go!" Lutna yelled.

Halley kept his grip strong, but the dragon suddenly flew away again. Halley was carried along until the dragon shoved him away. His back was hit directly on the floor, causing him pain. Vairez waited for the dragon to come near the exit. But instead, it flew again to the wall chimney. Vairez did not let the dragon slide. He grabbed his tail when the dragon flew past him. Before the dragon could free itself, Vairez threw him out of the house. The dragon was thrown and rolled down the dirt. Lutna, Chilmi, and Halley came to Vairez to see the dragon.

"You did it," Halley praised him.

"Oh, thank goodness it got out," Lutna finally said.

"Daddy, can we keep him?" Chilmi tugged at her dad's pants as she asked for approval.

Unfortunately, things didn't end well that quickly. The dragon had sudden growth when it hit the almost-sunset light. Suddenly, its body became bigger than before, and its wings spread wider than when it just hatched. Even though it didn't get as big as its family, the dragon had grown to the size of an elephant. The dragon threatened the family and Halley with a scream that echoed through the field.

The dragon launched an attack. Halley sprinted forward to stop the dragon. He kicked the dragon's jaw and started a fight with it. Vairez stepped forward, but he instructed his daughter first.

"Open the shield."

"What?"

"Open the shield! Let that lizard leave."

"But if I do, they'll find you."

"Fret not for me! Open the shield!!"

Lutna had no choice; she chanted a magical rune and made symbols with her fingers. Then, an invisible dome slowly displayed the form of a thick white dome wall. Then the dome wall was scattered into the wind. It started with a small hole, then got bigger. It scattered until the dome finally disappeared. The real, clear sky was visible to the eyes. It was still a sunset, but somehow darker than before.

The dragon saw the sky, and it found its escape. At that time, the dragon flew into the sky, never to be seen again. Halley stood up and watched the dragon descend into the air. He saw that the dragon was getting smaller and smaller. He raised his head again to the sky as if he were trying to grab the dragon back. His face was distorted with a disappointed look. Assuming that his hope flew away from his grasp.

"My moneeeyyy...….." He whispered

Halley turned back and saw Lutna approaching him. She suddenly slapped him on the face with her hand. As he looked at her, he saw the fiery eyes of Lutna staring at him like she was wishing he died. Halley was confused at first, but he recalled the cause of this damage and no wonder she would cry in the aftermath.

"You witless fool!! This all because of you!! you have brought ruin upon us with your incompetence and folly!!"

"What?"

"You have brought that abomination into our humble house!! you have wrought havoc and devastation upon our tranquil garden! And it was you who did force me to unveil the shield, against my better judgment!!"

"I didn't force you to open..."

"But you did force me to unseal it, so that foul creature might depart!"

"Well, you can make the shield again."

"It's not as easy as how it looks, you know!!!"

She continued to scream, but her father dragged her away from Halley. Halley stared at Vairez with a guilty expression, yet Vairez still kept his poker face as if Halley didn't do anything bad.

"I care naught for the mess; my daughters can mend it. But I fear they shall not permit your presence here any longer."

"Don't worry, I don't plan to stay long. What about the shield, though?"

"It's a magic shield. It may be reconstructed, yet 'twill require time."

"But she said that something is going after you."

"I can manage that alone; what she speaks of is the minion of the demon lord. Such as those dragons we encountered."

"Owh, okay, then. So that means we're cool?"

"There shall come a time when our paths cross anew; until then, farewell."

"And I'll see you around."

Halley smirked as he bid goodbye. He didn't bring anything except the egg that had hatched. So he just had to get out of the way of them. Halley saw Chilmi standing by the back door. He put his expression on her face to cover his pity. He doesn't want her to hate him, yet he doesn't want to beg her not to hate him. Whatever Chilmi decides to do, Halley will accept it. He assumed she had the same thoughts as her sister.

Halley gazed at Lutna for the last time. She stopped yelling, but she turned her back to avoid his gaze towards her. She crossed her arms and gave him the silent treatment. Halley only sighed at her attitude and glared at Chilmi again.

However, instead of getting upset, Chilmi smiled genuinely at him. She waved her hand as she bid goodbye. Halley smiled and winked in response. He walked away from that field and from that forest. It wasn't that late to call a day. It's time for Halley to start a new adventure.