After Dan's invitation, Dyren and Laticia followed the Danferos to their remote household from the urban fourth wall. They had to walk through a narrow dirt path to reach an old mansion. It was not spooky though, just old-looking, located between rocky cliffs. The geography of Sieg Imor was always weird, especially of the inner walls.

Besides, the splendid green gardens made up for the attire of the Mansion. Vines crept up the wooden pillars. A grassy archway was placed at the entrance. There were half a dozen trees, two of them Quasarel, and the rest of them Season-Shifters.

Quasarels glowed at night, in neon Blue, almost close to an Imortian blue crystal. But when you pluck it out, it loses its color and ashes in your palm. The Season-Shifters' leaves were white in color since it was winter. They change their color every season.

There were several different kinds of flowers, so many of them that Laticia lost count of it. Dyren on the other realm never bothered about the flowers. He would simply nod when his sister would call him to show a flower she loved. Dyren would give a simple 'Yeah! It's beautiful!' and then turn away.

It was always a mere formality for him. His taste for attire was so terrible.

One thing though, interested Dyren. The Quasarel trees. Anything which glows, Dyren heeds it. So like always, Dyren stood dumbstruck at them. It was an hour past sunset, so they glowed quite magnificently.

"You like those trees, Dyren?" Dan asked him, keeping his hand over his shoulder to snap him out of it.

"Fascinating things, aren't they?" Dyren paused. "To think how they glow with such luminescence just by absorbing Morning starlight, water, and the soil nutrients, they are charming natural street lamps," he stated.

"Only if they did not consume too much water," Dan said dreamily.

"Yes, they do need hell a lot of water," Dyren replied, not taking his eyes away from the three. He noticed a pair of Diwin Swallow, resting at the top of the tree. They hopped from branch to branch, shaking up a leaf or two. It was the distinct chirruping to which Dyren always paid close attention.

Laticia meanwhile crouched to the many flowers she saw, admiring each one of them.

"You seem to have sturdy hair," Aurantia commented on Laticia's hair braids, stepping beside her.

"Yeah, I do," She replied, gently fidgeting her tin left front hair braid edge that hung just beyond her shoulder.

Aurantia smiled then said "Good then," and cut out a flower using her nail. She then held her braid and tied in the flower. She did the same for her other braid, then gave the most charming smile Laticia had ever experienced recently. "Fits you well," Aurantia remarked.

"T-Thank you," Laticia stuttered. "Though Dyren is going to call this 'Taking a flower's life for your selfish attire,' " She imitated Dyren.

"This flower can grow developing roots in a human's hair," She evaded my hair a bit and showed me the tiny roots developing already. Unless someone pays very close attention, it would never be visible.

"A hair creeper?"

"Yes," She got up, then walked towards the mansion's entrance to open the door. When Laticia stood up, she saw Dyren and Dan approaching her.

"How do the braids look?" She gave an awkward grin, lifting one of them up to show the flower knotted in.

Dyren without his consent gaped for a moment. "Y-Yeah, L-Looks normal to me," He stuttered heavily.

"Screw you, piece of an idiot!" Laticia spat out. "The hell is wrong with this guy, he just never accepts what he is feeling! The man just likes to act like he is never surprised,"

"You just took a flower's li-"

"Stop it right there," Laticia cut him out. "T'is a hair creeper," she appended, gruffing.

"Oh-Umm-I-I-" Dyren stuttered badly.

"Yeah, you are sorry, and I forgive you," Laticia was about to march in victory. 

Dyren clenched his fist with a *Grrr* in defeat, turning his head away from her. It was then he noticed beyond the beautiful gardens, there is a vine crept, sparring ring in the distance. 

"The door is open," Aurantia called for them.

"We are coming!" Dan answered yelling out loud, then proceeded to walk towards the entrance, gesturing us to follow. However, Laticia joined Dyren after noticing him observing something in looking at the ring.

"Sparring ring, isn't it?" Laticia hissed to Dyren.

"Yes, it is." He replied. "Never heard of Danferos family, yet they amaze me in every aspect,"

"Sister called us in," Laticia put forward, seemingly ignoring Dyren's remark.

•❅──────✧❅*❅✧──────❅•

Laticia walked in after Dyren and Dan and was greeted with the all glossy floor and a blue carpet. A huge white quite decorated chandelier hung from the ceiling, giving a vibrant white to the dark walls. She felt like a princess entering the throne room. Perhaps the Danferos family must be rich, she concluded.

Dyren looked around the place quite excited. Each step of his echoed past the empty hall, with Aurantia already climbing up the large middle staircase. Laticia could not help but ask Dan, "Do you live alone here?"

Dan thought for a while, whether to say them the truth or not, then taking quite a time to think, he replied, "Yes, Lionheart. We do live here, alone."

A weird pain traveled in his voice, Laticia could not infer what it was. Dyren was more concerned with the Dragon Painting right up the staircase meeting wall, on the upper floor. "Interesting painting," Dyren claimed, still looking at the Dragon's face in awe.

This time around, it looked like the representation of a Dragon civilization, with the seemingly King of Dragons expelling fire from his mouth, as though it was commanding the other dragons. What did not make sense to Dyren, was the presence of humans in the picture.

Not at war, but standing side by side with the Dragons.

Laticia climbed up the stairs to look at the painting too. Dan followed her and noticed that they were both into the same painting. "Sister's art," Dan commented.

"Yeah, I do realize it," Dyren said dreamily, not taking his eyes out of the painting. Once Dyren got focused, it was a near-impossible thing to snap him out of it.

Not a speck of dirt was found in the house. It almost shined like a palace. How could two people manage a big mansion such as this? Laticia was not able to believe it. They do not seem to have servants too.

"Well, I must ask you both," Dan paused. Laticia turned her attention to Dan, while Dyren was still observing the Dragon. He did however mumble a 'Yes.'

"Are you afraid of sorcerers?" Dan showed an immediate regret in his eyes. He definitely did not wish to ask that particular question, but yet he blurted it out.

What was spilled cannot be scoped back.

Dyren blurted an instantaneous "No, I love sorcerers," while Laticia took more time to answer. "That really depends on the sorcerer's intentions I should say,"

"Oh, Alright then!" A gentle smile appeared over Dan's face. "Sister! They are not afraid of Sorcery!" Dan yelled out loud.

"Good then!" Aurantia's faint voice was heard from the deep heart of the mansion. Something suddenly felt like blowing through the house. Something was approaching them very swiftly. Then the black-cloaked figure appeared from the pathway next to the painting they were standing next to.

It was Aurantia.

With her waving clothes by the wind that seemed like...sorcery.

"Proper introduction this time! I am Aurantia Danferos, a mono-elemental wielder." She smiled. "The supper is ready by the way," She announced with a smile, tilting her head, tieing her hands at the back.

Dyren immediately turned his attention to Aurantia and placed his hand right on his sword. Laticia however cut him out with mumbling, "Why are you even taking a fighting stance, Dun Dun!"

"U-Ugh, I do not know," Dyren slowly took away his hand from his sword handle said "Y-Yeah, Sorry. I did not expect a wind sorcerer out of nowhere," and bowed.

"Then what did you expect?" Dan followed up after Laticia's question.

"Like - Like an Earth Sorcerer?" Dyren's statement almost sounded like a question.

"Class Imor Inhilare, Wielder of Air Element," Aurantia smiled again at Dyren. "I know people consider Air to be harder to wield than the more solid elements like liquid and Earth but air happens to be the only element I can wield," She adjusted her trailed-off hair from that wind sorcery.

"It is, kinda hard to wield air with Imor Intensity magic, right?" Dyren followed up.

"Not really. I - I mean, we should really have our food first. Usually, I delay the preparation by half an hour to hide that I am a sorcerer since people are-" Aurantia corrected herself then resumed, "Few people are still afraid of Sorcery," she paused with a sigh. "I promise I will answer all your questions, Dy-ren Justenforth. Did I get your name right?"

"Perfect," Dyren gave a thumbs up. It was always Dyren's habit to give a thumbs up when he accepted something wholeheartedly.

"Dyren and Weirdness are best friends," Laticia Quoted.

"None asked," Dyren gruffed back.

•❅──────✧❅*❅✧──────❅•

They walked along a pathway, and the immediate door led to the dining hall, with a fireplace, a really polished floor and a lot of paintings hung on the walls. The food plates were already arranged neatly around the table, ready to be served. Dyren took the first seat at one end of the side. Laticia sat right next to him.

Dan sat opposite Dyren while Aurantia opened the soup pot with her wind elemental wielding. She then poured it at each of their bowls and flexed her wielding skills in arranging the loaves of bread to each of their plates.

Dyren was amazed at how proficiently she handled it.

"With that, You don't actually need anyone to maintain the household," Laticia commented as she stirred the soup in an attempt to make it warmer. It was sizzling hot.

"True. I can mostly manage everything around here alone. But Dan gives me a good company, let's say, most of the time," she remarked, gazing at Dan.

"I am really glad that you both joined us today. It is quite lonely to live here in this, devoid of life mansion besides my sis-" Dan's sullen speech was interrupted with Dyren's painful hissing.

Laticia noticed that he burnt his tongue a bit badly there. Of course, he was an idiot. Who would even gulp down the soup right away without blowing it? Besides, Dyren was very very temperature sensitive with his food.

Slightly hot, he would cry. Slightly cold, He would complain. Dyren was such an annoying baby from Laticia's eyes.

"Oh sorry Dyren, I will help you with that," Aurantia gestured her hand towards Dyren's bowl. Laticia noticed that his tunic and his quite long black hair that barely reached his shoulders waved at Aurantia's gust. "Try it now,"

Dyren scoped out another spoon full of soup from his bowl and observed it carefully. He could not find the harsh vapors anymore. It should be suitable to drink, he should have declared. As he glided in the soup, his face turned into quite a satisfied one.

"The soup's Delicious!" Dyren expressed a delightful satisfaction as he gazed at Aurantia's Goldeneyes, though having a slightly more dull tint than Dyren and Laticia. In return, she smiled back with a sweet, "I am glad you like it."

The Lionheart wanted the gust to cool down her soup too, but her highness refrained from asking for help or accepting help from others. One of her disciplines is to not bother others with her problems. Quite annoyed, she blew her soup mumbling inaudible baby comments at Dyren.

"I do not know if it is your sorcery which added more flavor," Dyren paused for a moment. "Speaking of which, how did you prepare this in so little time? Are you a Fire elemental as well?" Dyren gulped down another spoon of soup right after his question.

"The recipe is something mother taught me when I was five, and about sorcery, I am not a fire elemental wielder but I can heat up the air around the vessel up to a level that the broth can simmer," she paused.

"It's very hard for even the Kaisens to wield fire, let alone me a mortal. What thought gave you that I can be one of them?" She giggled a bit. Upon her statement, Dan coughed up. Everyone knew it was intentional and hence turned their attention to him.

"Your mannerisms are not quite appropriate, Dan Danferos!" Aurantia harshly interjected. It appeared quite out of her character.

"You did not have to emphasize the fact that those savages can live out for like centuries and we are all mere mortals," Dan responded quite annoyed. He quickly appended, "Sister."

Dyren appeared to be quite surprised by Dan's statement. Laticia wondered what his ideas were about the Kaisens. For some reason, she felt that she was personally attacked. Just when Laticia was to speak out her words, which would have probably made the atmosphere intense, Dyren gulped down the entire bowl of soup and smashed the empty bowl at the table, interrupting the heat.

"I am done!" Dyren gave an awkward grin. "You be very slow at drinking a soup, Laticia," he smirked at her looking at her almost full bowl. Laticia knew Dyren's intentions. Aurantia still glared at Dan. He was not giving up either.

"Well, Dan I wanted to ask you," Dyren waited until Dan was done with her sister and turned his head back to him. "Does that arena out there belong to you?"

"Ugh, Yes," Dan's stern face melted into a gentle smile. Aurantia glumly picked her loaf of bread and bit off a small piece as though she didn't really like to eat anymore. "My father was a master in Imortian Sword Dancing and used it years ago to train his students,"

Dyren out of excitement rose from his chair, toppling it behind, with his two hands pressing against the table, trembling it and almost plummeting the water glass jar. "Your father is a Master Imortian Swordsman!?"

"Dyren watch what you are doing!" Laticia yelled out harshly.

"Where is your father now? It would be nice to meet him!" Dyren proceeded further, ignoring Laticia.

The Lionheart was hit with 'My father was a master'. She gave a thought about it, then also connected back to him saying 'My sister works really hard to raise me'. Something bad had happened to him. The arena looked quite abandoned, but that could be simply because Dan did not practice for a month now since his incident.

"He died in a battle fighting against the east," Dan paused. Laticia was not able to control her startled expression.

Dyren gave a voiceless "What?" sounding more of a statement than a question. His face turned into a stern from his carefree looks.

"Well, I am not too emotional thinking about it. It was hard during the immediate effect, but now we live off the government's compensation schemes. But it is my sister's hard work that protects both me and my father's lands, including the ring arena," Dan's eyes gazed over his sister's

Dyren calmed down. Dan had already dealt with his loss, He should have thought.

"May I know, which battle exactly was it?" Dyren requested. A master of Imortian Sword art would not fall in some eastern expedition.

"Ten years ago, at Atavarus," Dan replied glumly.

"A-Atavarus!?" Dyren exclaimed. He knew damn well that would trigger his sister's trauma.

Laticia's heartbeat stopped due to immense shock and pressure through her chest. She did not expect him to die exactly there, but the chances were high for even a Master to die in that battle.

Dyren turned to his sister hoping for the impossible, but only what was meant to happen, happened.

Laticia dropped her loaf of bread on the table, and her hand fainted down to the table, both of her eyes bulged out, but not a drop of tear. She was at war controlling it from slipping out.

She was not beautiful anymore.

She remembered a horrible event from the past, which she never wanted to recall. But even the slightest reference triggered her potential fears. She started to hallucinate.

Let me know if you had felt this chapter boringly long. I would look for ways to split the chapter or remove unnecessary details.

I had changed the chapter a lot from the previous plot, but serving the same purpose.

Please comment with your thoughts!

Word Count: 2802