"Good, you're finally out. I almost came in there to call you." Just when the father and son duo had exited the training room, and closed the door, they heard the voice of the only woman with authority to command them in this house. Ray shuddered when he heard her words. They were so lucky that they had left just now. Just a couple of seconds more and they would have been in trouble. Well, it was more accurate to say that he would have been in trouble. There was no way she would even scold Mane, not to talk of bruising her son. He was a different case altogether. Alexis had no qualms breaking his jaw. And she definitely didn't mind bruising his pretty face. Even worse was that he couldn't use his god power to heal since if he restored his appearance without her permission she would be even more infuriated.
"We lost track of time. I asked Dad to teach me something extra." Mane intelligently replied. He was an intelligent boy with excellent observation skills. How could he not see that his father was worried? Besides, he knew that his mother would do anything to make him happy. She was more than willing to do anything that was best for him, and she wouldn't allow anyone to stand in her way, even if that person was her very own husband.
"No matter. Wash up over there and join me at the table." Alexis sighed as she instructed. The training room wasn't the only room in the basement. There was also a resting area and several other rooms that remained unused. The resting area just outside the training room had been reinstated, with a long dinner table and some chairs added so that Mane and his father could dine here after their training. At the corner of the room were two bowls of clean water and two towels. The father and son duo rushed towards the wash basins to clean their hands and face. They quickly joined Alexis at the table once they were done.
Mane took his seat in between his father and mother, with his father to his right, and his mother to his left. He cast his attention to the table before him. On this long table were several meat dishes, more than enough to serve a group of seven famished men. The smell of the dishes called to him, and his stomach rumbled loudly in response. He blushed slightly, yet that didn't stop his hands from reaching towards his meal. He picked up his fork and reached for his first target, a chicken drumstick, and placed it on his plate. The drumstick was as large as his head, and just as heavy. Yet unlike his bony head, it seemed to be boneless. He inhaled loudly and said, "It smells great. Thank you for the dish Mom."
Alexis smiled brightly when she heard his words. She nodded and replied, "You're welcome." Since Mane had started his training, she had been the one in charge of his feeding. Not only did she make sure that his meals were provided and served on time, she took the time to prepare the meals herself. Although the chef was uncomfortable having his mistress perform his duties, he relented after she strongly insisted that it was a mother's responsibility to cook for her son. According to Alexis, when she wasn't here before, the chef was allowed to cook the meals. But now that she had returned, there was no need for him to bother himself with Mane's dishes. She would be the one to take care of that. Initially the chef had resisted her strongly, only relenting when she compromised, saying that she would prepare her boy's lunch only. Ray was powerless to stop her in this regard. He understood that it was her way of making up for being absent for so long. And he wasn't going to stand in the way of her trying to make herself feel better.
So every afternoon, Mane would taste her cooking. And every time he did, he wouldn't fail to compliment her. Now he trusted her cooking so much that even before he would take a bite, he will praise her, for he believed that the food will surely be good. And every time he did so, no matter how succinct he was with his praise, a smile would find its way to Alexis' face.
"It does smell good indeed." Ray joined in as he leaned over to kiss his wife lightly on her cheek. Mane pretended not to see the interaction. After all, he was seated in their midst. There was no way they could be romantic without his knowledge, at least not in his presence. He just ignored them. Like many children his age he was uncomfortable watching his parents all lovey-dovey.
"Can I say the grace today?" Mane asked. Although he had already filled his very large plate with several food dishes, he didn't neglect what his family did before every meal. He was even willing to do it today.
"Sure. Take a swing at it kiddo." Ray ruffled his son's hair as he happily assented. It was strange really. For a family of gods, they believed in a God. Ray strongly believed that the universe was made and managed by a Supreme Deity. But this deity never left a name behind. His evidence was simple. How did the universe come to be? Who created origin divine artefacts? How did the races that were born before the Universe Will come to be? Ray didn't believe in coincidences. And he didn't believe that they all just 'appeared'. He believed that there was a Creator, and that this Creator was watching over them right now. And coincidentally enough, his son also shared this belief. Mane also believed that someone had to be responsible for everything. And he wanted to meet this Creator. Mane wanted to find out from this Creator why his life was so much different from others. Why did the Creator laden his frail shoulders with the burdens of the universe? Not that he was complaining. As for Alexis, she didn't believe in such things- at least she didn't initially. But after spending so many years with Ray, she had unconsciously come to believe that he was right. And she was even more willing to believe that there was a Creator of the Universe when she realised that Mane thought the same as well.
"Dear Creator, we thank you for what you have given. Sanctify what we take today. Amen."
"Amen"
"Amen���
Once the grace was given, Mane dived into his meal. I didn't take long for the boy to wolf down half of his food. And his father wasn't any slower. The only elegant one among them was Alexis. She smiled wryly as she saw her husband and her son eat hurriedly, almost as though they had been threatened to finish within a time frame or face punishment. She didn't complain. She knew that they weren't usually like this. The only reason why they were so eager to finish with their meal was so that they could continue with their training. Since they weren't average or normal in any way, their stomachs could handle the load in the limited amount of time they had. Besides, after eating they would have to wait for a while, just so that the food will settle down, before they could continue. She frowned upon noticing that Mane hadn't touched any of the plates that housed the vegetables. It was only in times like these that she remembered that he truly was a child. And just like any other child, Mane hated vegetables. He had to be forced into eating them. This was proven by the sour face he made, and the pitiful eyes he sent her way when she transferred a plate of vegetables onto his meal. She hastily avoided his eyes and said, "You must eat right Mane. You cannot have a balanced meal without any vegetables."
He grumbled in reply, but ate them all the same, albeit finishing them up much slower than he did the other dishes. It was always like this. Each time they had a meal, the blond haired boy had to be coerced into eating his vegetables. Luckily, it wasn't that difficult to convince the boy. Once you put them on his plate, he would eat it. After all, although he didn't like it, he was smart enough to know that it was good for him. That didn't stop him from trying to get away at times. That was why she always inspected his food.