We continued through the courtyard while a guard ran past us. ( Perhaps he remembered that he was supposed to tell Sam's father that we're back.) I thought huffing a little in laughter. Sam climbed onto my back again and sat on the flat area between my shoulders as I strode toward the house.
When we got to the front door a butler opened it so we could enter. The lights were bright and the smells wafted through the air.
( I'm home.) I thought. I could've cried. I missed this place. The smell of food made my stomache growl. Sam tapped my head.
" Do you remember the way to the dining hall?" I huffed and started moving down the hall to the left. It didnt take long to get to the double doors. Sam slid off of my back and butlers opened the doors.
"Sam! Wonderful that you came home. Though what monstrous thing did you bring back with you this time?" I looked at her. "This time?" She waved me off. "Later."
I looked to the head of the table. Her father had aged a little. He had some grey hair to his head and mustache. This man had sent me to that forest. This man had sent me to that hellish place. I hissed a little behind Sam. She patted my head making a small attempt to calm me. It did very little. She took a second before she spoke as she slowly moved toward the table.
" Father... As you can see I brought back the familiar that was stolen from me. I was told he was dead... Now I know different. Not only has this being defended me against harm it has even spoken with me. Tell me. What did you do to my Ignis. The truth!" She reached the table as she finished her sentence and slammed her hands into it. The dishes on the table rattled a little.
The Lord looked at her, wiping his mouth with a napkin that he placed next to his plate and paused. He then looked her in the eye before looking behind her at me.
"After your collapse 4 years ago the attending doctor said that we could either separate you both by a great distance and lessen the soul feedback you were experiencing... Or we could kill your familiar."
"I know that." She said.
He paused again. "Knowing that killing your familiar had a higher chance of harming you than helping you... I sent him away. To the farthest place I've been where monsters live. The Forest of Shadows. After you woke I told you he was dead so you wouldn't go hunting for him and get back into the same predicament. Though over the years I never realized the strength my daughter had, to go to such a dangerous place as that Forest... to fetch him back."
At this point Sam's father had his head resting on his hands. I walked up to Sam with a sliding sound from my tail dragging. I nudged her hand. I felt something through our bond. A strong sense of humiliation, sadness, and anger.
(She's been through alot I thought to myself.)
{ Forgive him. If it wasn't for him you wouldn't have gotten better and I wouldn't have gotten stronger.} I thought across our bond.
She looked down at me in shock. "But we left you alone out there with nothing. How can this be forgiven so easily?" She asked. { Sam... look at him.} She turned her head to see what I saw. I saw a father with the deepest dreading look in his eyes. It looked as though he hadn't slept in days. His eyes were sunken and any life that had been in them seemed dead.
I felt her shock through the bond. ( It's not that shocking. Keeping a secret for 4 years is a hard thing to do. Especially when it's your family that you're hiding it from.) I started circling around the table toward Sam's father. He saw me coming and started to retreat. He got out of his chair and started moving backwards. His chair fell over as I brushed it.
"Malphus!" He called. A chill filled the air as his bird flew from its post toward me. I opened my mouth and blasted it out of the air with a little electric blast. Not enough to kill but certainly had enough juice to stun it. I turned to him and backed him toward the corner. I looked into his eyes and sent a thought to Sam. { Please tell him if he pulls a stunt like that again I'll eat the bird and see how he feels.} I looked back at her as I started walking away from him. (I think I intimidated him enough.) She looked at me and sighed.
" He says to tell you if you pull a stunt like that again he'll be having Malphus for lunch so you'll know how it feels." Her father's face blanched.
Sam sent me a thought. { You didn't actually kill Malphus did you?}
Her father stared at the bird on the floor. The bird was still on it's back with it's feet sticking in the air. I walked over and poked him. He let out a weak squawk. { He's fine... I think}
I left the bird there and walked back to Sam. She took another look at her father and we left. She took me down to the kitchens. The staff hadn't changed at all. The kitchen staff all saw me and stopped. Sam walked in behind me and looked around. " What are you all doing? I have a familiar that's hungry."
The silence was ran over by the sudden bustle of the kitchen. Within minutes I had half a cow's worth of beef in front of me on a platter. I looked at Sam. She smiled. " Its alright."
I started eating. ( I missed this. The safe place to eat with people around. Makes me feel like some part of me is still human.) The meat was spicy with a hint of what I thought was lemon.
/ Host has consumed Purple Blood Bull. Host has gained materials for growth. System is placing materials towards wing, and primary muscle growth. Host has acquired bloodline ability Blood Purifier. Blood Purifier helps resist disease and assorted ailments. Host currently has gluttony system. System absorbing ability to be more useful to host./
I kept eating till I was full. ( After all this time I'm finally satisfied...) I turned and found Sam sitting in a chair looking zoned out while staring at me. ( She must be tired.) I picked up my platter and took it to the scullery maid who was doing the dishes. She looked and saw my head at her shoulder and squeaked. I bent and placed the tray in the sink and walked away with her still slightly cringed.
I nuzzled Sam a little to get her attention. She came alive a little and she leaned on me as she led me down a brighter corridor. The room we entered was creamy white with a bed that had a red curtain surrounding it. (I guess it's time for her to sleep. ) I found a corner of the room without much in it by the hearth and laid down to sleep.