"Do you see anything?"
"Nope, not really…"
"Go under the window"
"What? No…"
"Come on, don't be so scared!"
"I don't see you going to check what's inside."
"…"
"Figures…"
"Ah, whatever, let's just leave"
"Yes. You kids should definitely leave"
The two boys startled hearing the unfamiliar voice behind their back. They saw a tall, pale looking slender figure with silver hair and clothes resembling a butler's.
"What are you kids lurking behind Io's house? She's asleep right now, and I don't believe she wants visitors right now."
"Ah… we're doing nothing, we're leaving right now, sorry mister" said one of the boys.
"Good. Farewell, now leave please!"
"Aydan! Jep! Where are you guys?" Shouted a voice in the distance slowly closing in.
"Aggh, that's Mel, let's run!" said Aydan, as they tried to leg it. Unfortunately for them as they were running away Mel spotted them
"Guys! Stop right now! What are you doing here? I told you guys not to sneak in!"
"Great, now we're busted. Thanks a lot Aydan…"
"Oh, do shut up, if you didn't chicken out on looking inside, we would be far gone by now…"
"Well, once again, I didn't see you try to look inside…"
"Guys! Come on, I told you not to come here! It's rude to sneak in at someone's house. Especially when that someone is a noble! She could have you guys arrested!" Scolded the two boys Mel, as she caught up with them, with a toddler in her neck."
"Heyyo guys!" Greeted them to young one.
"Sup Irene! How you doing? Taking a walk with that witch of a sister of yours?" Asked Aydan, as she received a big smack to the head from said witch.
"You want to get a beating? Anyway, are you guys out of your minds?" As Mel scolded the boys, she spotted the pale figure at the door of Io's house. "Ah, hello! I'd like to ask for an apology on behalf of these fools. They won't be trespassing again. Right guys?" She asked as she grabbed the back of the two boys' neck
"Yes, we are truly sorry mister!"
The pale figure just looked them with distain from the door, as the window opened.
"Fey! What's going on?" asked some sort of abomination that looked like she just woke up from a millennium of sleep. Eyes red like a vampire's, hair like a kobold's mane…
"Whoa, holly hell, a lich!" yelped Aydan, as he yet again got a big smack from Mel…
"Nothing" responded the pale figure "these kids were just…"
"Oh we have visitors? Why didn't you invite them in? Hello there younglings!"
"Uh, no thank you for the offer, we are just leaving now, sorry for the intrusion" apologized Mel
"Oh no, please, come right in, don't worry, Fey doesn't bite. Come! Come!" Pressured them Io. "Just give me a minute to fix myself up." Said, as she closed the door. Fey opened the door for the kids as they reluctantly stepped inside. The only one who seemed to enjoy the invitation was Irene.
As the kids walked inside, Io greeted them in the kitchen as she was holding a cup of blue liquid in her hands. "Welcome! My name is Io, it's a pleasure to meet you! Any of you want some Kayf tea? Fey just made some…"
"No thank you, we are fine" responded Mel "We are really sorry for bothering you lady Io, these two idiots didn't know what they were doing…" as she pointed at Aydan and Jep.
"Hmm? What were they doing?"
"Why don't you guys tell her?" Looked at the two boys Mel menacingly.
"Uh… well… we… we were trying to sneak a peek inside your house, lady Io" said Jep reluctantly…
"Oh, a little bit of curiosity doesn't hurt anybody… Say now, if you guys are so curious, why don't you guys come inside for a while… It's so lonely here sometimes with that familiar of mine…" invited them in Io as she looked at her familiar, who by now transformed back to his wolf form, looking at her with annoyed eyes. The kids were a bit surprised as the pale figure who they thought a butler turned out to be a wolf.
The three kids were a bit uneasy about the invite, only Irene, who by now was down from her sister's neck made her way inside Io's room. Nothing better to do, they followed her inside.
"So, why don't you guys introduce yourselves?" Asked them Io as the kids sat down on her bed, while she pulled out the chair under her desk.
"My name is Mel, it's a pleasure to meet the lady, and thank you for the kind…"
"Forget the lady, I'm not that old, just call me Io."
"My name is Aydan!"
"Hello Aydan! How are you doing?"
"I'm doing good"
"My name is Jep, good to meet you!"
"Hello Jep" greeted him Io as she took a closer look at the boy. "By any chance, do you have a brother?"
"Yes I do, his name is…"
"Aaron"
"Yes. Do you know him?"
"We grew up together until I moved out from the village. I'm sure he told you lots of things about me."
"Not really…"
Io got a bit annoyed hearing Jep's answer. "And who you might be?" She turned to the little girl with a smile on her face.
"May name is Ilene!" shouted Irene with a big smile on her face
"Hello Ilene!" shouted Io back with the same shine as this little one had "How old are you Ilene?"
"Ai am thee years old!"
"Whoa suck a big girl! You are going to be a beautiful girl in no time!"
"She's my sister, her name is Irene. She just has problems with saying 'r'"
"Ah, I see! Well then what is your name Irene?"
"Ilene!"
"Sorry, I can't hear you well, can you repeat?"
"May name is ILENE" she shouted like a little banshee
"I'm sorry, I still can't hear you…"
"I L E N E!" She was getting red at this point from the shouting…
"But your sister told me your name was Irene…"
"Yes that is my name, Ilene" She said it annoyed.
"She has a problem with the 'l', Irene" stepped in Aydan "Try to say 'r'!"
Annoyed, Irene stuck out her tongue, to which the two boys and Io started laughing, while Mel scolded her sister for being so rude in front of Io.
"Hold on a bit, I'm going to get something to munch on" Io stood up and headed to the kitchen
"No, no… we are fine, thank you!" went Mel after Io
"Come on now, don't be like that… It's nothing really"
After like two minutes Io came back with a bowl full of cookies.
"There you go, take one!"
Irene grabbed one out and started munching on it.
"What do you say Irene?" looked Mel to her sister
"Thank you wely much!"
"Your welcome Irene"
The two boys also took one out. "Thanks!" "Thank you!"
Mel decided that she wasn't going to get one, which caught Io's attention.
"Come one now, take one"
"No thank you, I'm fine"
"Take one please!"
"No really, I just ate before we got here…"
"It's rude to refuse a host's offer."
Mel reluctantly took one out of the cookies, and ate it…
"Are there any other kids in the village?" asked Io
"No, we're the only ones." Responded Mel" There are some older ones out in the field. I'm tasked with looking after Irene, while the boys are doing their things, not helping out."
"Hey, my dad let me out" snarled Aydan
"Aaron said he doesn't need me today so meh"
"I see… We weren't much of a help to our parents with Aaron when we were around your age…" laughed Io, remembering the old times before she became one of the most powerful entities that this realm bared on its back…
"Soo, Io, you're a mage, yeah?" asked Aaron
"Yes I am one, I got my diploma at the University of Magic when I was 18 years old in the neighboring kingdom. And I'm founding a new one in the capitol."
"So if you're a mage, why do you have a sword?" asked eagerly the boy pointing at a black short sword mounted on the wall
"Oh that. That's a sword I found when we killed a demon lord a few years ago." She responded while she grabbed the sword from the wall and unsheathed it to show its full glory. "Our warrior had a better sword already, and the cleric didn't want it because it's full of dark energy, so I took it. But yeah, I don't really have much use of it, other than it looks cool on the wall"
"Can I hold it? You know I want to become a warrior myself!"
"Sorry but I don't think it's a good idea to hold a demon sword when you're that young. Maybe when you grow up and become one, I'll gift it to you. How about that?"
"You would give it to me? Really?" Aydan's eyes lit up.
"Why not? You just need to become strong enough."
"Thank you so much" he looked with awe like he already owned the dark sword.
"You killed a demon lord?" Asked Jep
"Yeah, a while ago, when I was still in a party"
"How does a demon lord look like?"
"Well, they are big, they have dark armor, and they have four horns and big teeth. They come from another dimension when evil cultists summon them. Hold on I can show it to you. Mel, there's a book in that bag next to you, would you please give it to me?"
"Sure" she complied, as she opened the bag. "Uh, this bag is empty …"
"Oh right, sorry, just give me the bag"
Mel gave the bag to Io, and low and behold, she got the book she was looking after. "Open to demon lord!" She said and opened it. "There you go" She handed the open book to Jep.
"Whoa, that looks cool, look Aydan! It even has that sword on its side"
"Whoa! Did you really kill one of these guys?"
"Well, it was a team effort but we sure did"
"Can you read what's next to the drawing?" Asked Jep
"You guys can't read?"
"Uh, we had no one to teach us." Admitted Mel reluctantly
"I see… well then, let me read it for you guys"
Jep handed the book back to Io, and she started reading.
"Demon lord. Object code M00875. Type Humanoid. Subclass Demon. Origin Wither lands. Threat level seven point ninety one. Description: Object is the third highest ranking creature of the Demon subclass. Encounters are very rare on the mortal plain, rare on wither lands plain. Used weapon varies between two handed or one handed and shield. Daggers and bows are yet to be encountered, but chance not eliminated. Magic: Up to 6th tier Shadow offensive and self-enhancing. Protection: Full plate armor that resists up to Malachite and 5th tier magic. Hierarchy: Demons up to threat level six respond to its command. Usual number of followers up to two thousand units of which around one hundred above threat level four."
The two boys looked like they were expecting something else. "That was surprisingly dull. I thought it will say how they fight or something." Said Aydan.
"Aydan!" snapped at him Mel
"What?!" he snapped back
"You're being rude!"
"Don't worry about it." Interrupted them Io. "This book is called the 'Book of all magic', its main goal is to help out mages, so it only has the most important things in it. But I'll ask Fey to bring you a book about demons from the capitol. We need some interesting books anyway, while I teach you kids to read."
"Uh, you're teaching us to read?"
"Yes, I will, since I don't really have anything else to do during daytime… And Irene can play with Fey in the meantime. Look, they are already warming up to each other." Io pointed at the corner where Irene, who snuck to the ancient spirit resting in the corner to pat him.
"Irene!"
"It's okay Mel, calm down."
"But..."
"It's okay, if I say so…"
"Alright I guess" Mel finally calmed down a bit.
"Now then, from now on, at least once a day you guys will come to my place and learn how to read, is that okay?"
"Yeah sure, I want to read about monsters!" responded Aydan
"Why monsters? I thought you wanted to become a warrior? You should ask for books about warriors." Jep was joking around "Or do you want to become a monster? I bet you're in that book. Hehe. Object number something-something. Aydan. Threat level zero… Fights with stick swords. Yadi-yada…"
"You want to take this outside?"
"What, you going to fight me with sticks?"
"I'm going to tear you a new…"
"Guys! Guys! Calm down!" Io raised her voice. "Fey can bring books about both monsters and warriors. While at it, Jep, do you have any requests?"
"Uh… Well, maybe… can you bring me books about horses?"
"Farm boy. Ha-ha!"
"You got a problem with that Aydan?"
"Guys! So… Warriors, monsters, and horses so far… Mel? How about you?"
"Uh… I'm going to be fine whatever you have right now…"
"Okay then… Are you sure you don't want to read about anything specific? Fey can carry more than you think"
"No, not really…"
"Oh well…"
At that point someone was knocking on the door.
"I'll go see who it is" Io stood up. She walked out to find Aaron standing in the door.
"Oh hey there Aaron!" Io greeted him
"Hey, sorry for bothering you but, had you seen a boy around 12 years old around here?"
"Oh, yeah, Jep and the others are inside."
"He's here?"
"Yes, with Aydan, Mel and Irene"
"Oh, did they bother you"
"Nope…"
"Can you get him for me?"
"Sure, hold on for a minute"
Io walked back to the kids and informed Jep that his brother was waiting for him outside.
"Dang it! Now, I'm in trouble!" Yelped Jep
"Well, maybe you shouldn't had snuck up on someone's house…" Remarked Mel
"I'll better go now…"
"We're all going, Irene, come we're leaving."
"So early? It's fine if you stay." Asked Io
"No-no we have other things to do, but thank you, come on now guys… Let's go"
As they stepped out, Aaron was waiting for them.
"Well hello there kids! Paid a visit to ole Kaith?"
"Kaith?" Mel asked
"My name is Io, you Dumbo..." Io pouted
"Yeah whatever… Jep, the stable is waiting for you…"
"Okay…" Said Jep, as he headed away, followed by Aydan
"We're heading home now too, thank you for the hospitality" Mel said her farewells
"Alright, don't forget about coming tomorrow!"
"Okay…See you tomorrow!"
With the kids away, Io and Aaron were left alone…
"Lovely, aren't they?" Io asked
"They could learn some manners…"
"Ha-ha… They were well behaved… don't go hard on your brother, I invited them in"
"Alright…"
"Want to come inside for some Kayf tea? It's gone a bit cold but I could reheat it…"
"What's Kayf tea?"
"It's something you drink at morning so you don't want to murder everyone in your near vicinity…"
"Uh…"
"It' gives you some energy in the mornings… What? You think I'm a maniac?"
"Long time no see…" Aaron shrugged, "But no thanks… I have some stuff to do…"
"Ya'll so busy…"
"Such is life… But hey, I heard you're busy too with some school you're making…"
"Yes I'm founding a university, not a school… there is a slight difference between them you know… And yeah, I have to write some letters regarding the construction, and some invitational letters to other mages, if they're interested in teaching…"
"Sounds like lots' a work to me…"
"Yeah it is…"
"Alright then, I'll let you write those letters now. See you around"
"See you… Come by if you want sometime."
"I'll see if I can"
With that Aaron left, and Io walked back inside her house. She got a piece of paper and a pen, wrote down something and gave it to Fey, who was back in his human shape. "When you ask the book keeper, tell him that I won't be sending them back for a while."
"Alright, anything else you need?"
"I don't think I do…"
"By the way, what rune did you enchanted those cookies with?"
"Word of the warden"
"Better safe than sorry, eh?"
"Yeah you never know when they are getting in trouble…"
"Alright then… I'll be going now too"
"Yeah, be home by tomorrow mid-day…"