Chapter 7 - A Custodian and Horse

As they approached the grand building, two figures emerged from the shadows—one male and one female, both with human-like bodies but with horse tails swaying behind them and hooves clopping lightly on the ground. The male, taller with a mane-like cascade of hair, greeted Aris with a wide grin. "Aris! It's been too long. Welcome back to the Custodian's Breach. Did you finally find the clue you were looking for?"

Aris nodded, though his expression remained stern. "Lirion, still holding the gate, I see. And you, Aelara, no changes, I presume?"

The female, Aelara, flicked her tail and smirked. "Not a single one, Aris. But who's the girl with you?" She eyed Sophia with a mix of curiosity and suspicion.

Sophia, still reeling from the recent fall and the strange journey, frowned. "Excuse me, but who are you two? And why do you have horse tails?" Her voice carried a sharp edge, clearly frustrated by the bizarre encounters piling up.

Lirion laughed, a hearty sound that echoed around them. "She's spirited, isn't she? Aris, you always find the interesting ones. But seriously, who is she?"

Aris sighed, rubbing his temples as if warding off a headache. "She's not a Custodian, at least not in the truest sense. On top of all of it she is apparently the daughter of the Baron. Just... a complication I'm dealing with right now."

Sophia glared at him; fists clenched. "A complication? Really? And what's this about being a Custodian? What the hell does that even mean?" Her voice was rising, the confusion and anger bubbling over.

Aelara chuckled softly, watching the interaction with amusement. "Seems like she's got a lot of questions, Aris. You sure you want to bring her inside?"

Aris ignored Aelara's comment and turned to Sophia, his patience wearing thin. "Look, you're not part of this world—not yet, anyway. You wouldn't understand half of what's going on even if I explained it."

Sophia, undeterred, stepped closer, practically fuming. "Then explain it to me! I'm tired of being in the dark, dragged around like a lost puppy. What is this place? What are you? And why do I keep ending up in these crazy situations?"

Lirion exchanged a glance with Aelara, both of them clearly entertained by the exchange. "She's got fire, I'll give her that," Lirion remarked, his gaze momentarily dropping on Sophia's outline. His eyes dropped on when by some supernatural glory he caught a hint that not even the girl beside him wasn't privy to. "So, that's it." Lirion Spoke low almost in a whisper shaken to the collar.

Aris huffed, clearly at his wit's end. "This place is the Custodian's Breach, a sanctuary and a hub for our order. And you, Sophia, are here because of circumstances beyond your control. You're not ready for this world, and frankly, you're making it harder for both of us."

Sophia's eyes narrowed. "Oh, I'm the problem? Not the fact that you're dragging me into some insane world with no explanations? Yeah, sure, blame it all on me."

Aris didn't respond, merely turned and opened the large wooden doors. Inside, the hall spread out before them, vast and grand, reminiscent of an old adventurer's guild with large wooden beams, bustling people of all shapes and sizes, and tables scattered around with maps, scrolls, and strange artifacts. The air buzzed with conversation, laughter, and the clinking of glasses.

As they walked in, Sophia glanced around, still seething but unable to ignore the sheer strangeness of the scene. She saw people with various unusual features—some with tails, others with horns, and even a few with wings tucked against their backs. It was as if every fantastical creature she'd ever imagined had gathered in one place.

Aris kept walking, not giving her a chance to process it all. Sophia followed, her mind racing with questions and frustrations, while Lirion and Aelara exchanged amused glances behind them, clearly enjoying the spectacle.

"So; Girl what is your name." Aelara questioned Sophia;

"Sophia Sagittarius;" Sophia replied back in a quick low tone.

"Sagittarius you say!" Aelara commented; astonishment struck across her face on hearing that family name. "So; you really are the baron's daughter." She added on a slight winch over her shoulders. 

"Well, if it's the Baron is what you call my father; Then I suppose Yes. But again, I still don't have a clue on what is happing."

Aelara tilted her head, her eyes narrowing as she studied Sophia. "You really don't know, do you? How could the daughter of the Sagittarius family and the baron be so out of touch?" Her voice was a mix of curiosity and disbelief.

Sophia clenched her fists, her frustration bubbling up again. "I've been saying that for the past hour! None of this makes any sense to me. One minute I'm living a normal life, and the next I'm being dragged into some strange world with horse-tailed people and buildings that defy logic!"

Lirion chuckled, his hooves clopping softly on the floor as he approached. "Calm down, girl. It's a lot to take in, I know. But if you really are from the Sagittarius family, then you should have some idea of what's going on. But again, it was Aris you bought you in."

Sophia shook her head, exasperated. "I don't! My disdainful father—whatever you want to call him—never told me anything about this. And now I'm stuck here with no answers, just more confusion. He even left me and my mother to fend for ourself......"

Aris, who had been walking ahead, stopped and turned to face her. His expression was cold, his patience clearly wearing thin. "You're not stuck, Sophia. You can leave anytime you want. But if you stay, you'll have to accept that there are things you don't understand— not everything is going to achieve by silencing to your pitiful story."

Sophia glared at him, her temper flaring. "I didn't ask for any of this, Aris. You're the one who dragged me here. And now you're telling me to just accept it? How am I supposed to do that when nothing makes sense?"

Aelara raised an eyebrow, looking between the two. "She's got a point, Aris. You brought her here, after all. Maybe you should give her a bit more of an explanation."

Aris sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Fine. You want an explanation? Here it is: Your part of a world that exists alongside the one you know, a world where families like yours—like mine—hold power and responsibility. The Custodians are the guardians of this world, and I'm one of them. But you, Sophia, you're different. You're not a Custodian, not in the true sense. You're caught between worlds, and that makes you... complicated. You laze around without a duty to explore your roots; You live just to live; no order, no goals, no responsibilities and no sense of duty that is what you are. A girl who pity's herself and who is caught between two worlds."

Sophia blinked, her anger momentarily giving way to confusion. "Caught between worlds? What does that even mean?"

Aris frowned, his frustration growing. "It means that you don't fully belong here, but you can't escape it either. You're tied to this world because of your family, but you're not ready for it. And frankly, you're making things harder for all of us."

Aelara and Lirion made a sideway out of their necks. Their hopes descending far beyond recovery. They both had known Aris for as long as they could remember. Aris's behavior of not wanting to meddle in one's self again and again was getting up to him. He couldn't stop but ignore Sophia, to which the other two found quite amusing.

Sophia's eyes narrowed again. "So, what? I'm just supposed to sit quietly and let you all decide my fate? That's not happening. If I'm here, I deserve to know what's going on."

Lirion chuckled again, stepping back slightly. "She's got spirit, Aris. You sure you can handle her?"

Aris shot him a glare. "I can handle it. But whether she can handle this world is another matter. It also a matter of Ours. Without the founder's blood; the order of the black lily is designed to fall apart sometime or later. And I am not going to stand and watch as the pride of my life would crumble down to the earth again. Even if it means caring for a sickly child."

"Sickly Child, did you mean me by that." Sophia spurted in a big of anger, only to be ignored by Aris being received only by a small laugh of Aelara and Lirion.

Aelara smiled faintly, a mix of sympathy and amusement in her eyes. "It's a lot to take in, Sophia. But if you stick around, you might just find your place here."

Sophia crossed her arms, still feeling lost but refusing to back down. "Fine. But I'm not going to just follow orders blindly. If I'm going to be here, I'm going to find out the truth—whether you like it or not."

Aris nodded, his expression softening slightly. "Fair enough. But don't expect any hand-holding. While in the order you listen to me and the great commander only. And also, don't you dare go around fooling around the reputation of the

Black order."