Aline pat Shinzo's back as he vomited his bearings into a brown paper bag. Dion laughed at the corner, the scene too funny for him to hold back.
"She's a year older than you and has more experience, I think you should have known who would win this."
Shinzo glared at Aline through his stomach pain. "It's not the experience at this point she's a damn monster, she's legit still standing after sixteen bottles." He retched again into the paper bag, tears stinging his eyes. "I'm never drinking again."
Aline soothed his back, a sympathetic look on her face. "Want me to make you some hangover soup."
He nodded briefly before finding comfort in his paper bag. Dion offered to lead her to the kitchen, the two leaving the room.
Paolo stood at the side of the room, looking at a trophy chest. In it stood a picture frame with Dion and Luna beside a woman who had Luna's green eyes and black short hair to her shoulders. A distinctive feature was the red witch's hat that lay atop her head, resembling the one currently on Luna's head.
"Is that your mom's hat?" Paolo asked Luna who had slipped in beside him.
She nodded, smiling at her mother's picture. "She gave it to me before she died. It's an important memento for me that I'll treasure for the rest of my life." She laughed a little. "And my bad drinking habit too."
"If you don't mind me asking, how did your mom die?"
Luna's happy demeanor vanished, leaving a lonely look on her face. "Ten years ago, the Russ Clan exterminated half of my clan."
.....
Luna peeked at her father's map, swinging on his shoulder like a monkey. "Daddy."
Dion looked at his eight year old daughter, holding up a piece of paper to his face. "Look at my map."
He smiled at it. "The lines are drawn so well. You are really talented."
Luna grinned, her gap teeth on full display. "When I grow up, I'll make maps for different islands."
Dion laughed and ruffled her hair. "I believe in you."
She giggled. "Thank you daddy."
"I'm home."
Luna clapped as her mother, Rena Clarabon, came into the drawing room with a bottle of alcohol. "Hi sweetie." She bent low to kiss her cheek, and smiled at Dion. "How's the map work going?"
He laughed. "It's going well."
"Mummy look at my map."
Rena hugged Luna. "You are so talented sweetie."
Luna giggled, not minding that her mom reeked of alcohol.
"Rena, I've told you not to drink in front of Luna," Dion scolded.
Rena waved her hand dismissively. "When you have a full day of council work, drinking is the only way to go."
Dion rolled his eyes and went back to work.
"Mummy I have high alcohol tolerance like you."
Rena laughed and Dion glared at her. "My little squirt thinks she's a drinker for always chugging down grape juice."
Luna pouted. "But I do."
Rena ruffled her hair. "Sure, sure."
A huge bang interrupted their conversation, the three jumping at the sudden sound.
"What was that?" Dion asked, lips curved downwards.
"Maybe some fireworks," Luna suggested.
There was a sudden banging on their door, Rena running to answer it while Luna and Dion peeked from the drawing room.
"Lady Rena, there has been an invasion." The witch at the door said, trying to catch her breath. "All council members have been ordered to the fore front."
Rena frowned, her eyebrows furrowing. "Invasion! By who?"
"The Russ Clan, we don't know why. The first half of the town has been totally destroyed by an explosion."
"What about the people on the island?"
"The support witches are already helping them evacuate. Your family should leave too."
Rena turned to Dion and Luna then back at the witch and sighed. "Alright, I'll be there in a few minutes."
She turned to her family. "Start packing up, you're leaving."
"Mummy, won't you join us?" Luna asked, holding on to her mother's cloak.
Rena didn't answer her daughters question, she just smiled and moved to the drawing room to get a bag. "Dion, clear all the maps. I need you and Luna off the island."
More explosions sounded in the background and Rena hurriedly stuffed the black bag with maps and clothes. Dion helped her while Luna only stared at them.
Once they were done, Rena summoned her wand and grabbed a map in a bottle. "Let's go."
Outside was in chaos. People ran around, scared out of their minds and fire burnt furiously around them, consuming most of the buildings in the area.
"Dion, take Luna and leave."
Luna tugged desperately at her mother's cloak. "Mummy, come with us."
Rena shook her head and smiled sadly. "Sorry princess, but mummy has work to do."
"So after work will you join us?"
"If I can, I will." Rena took off her red witch's hat and strapped the map inside. She then placed it on top of Luna's head. "That is the Ruby Map, once you accomplish your dreams I want you to look for that island on the map. It's an important heirloom for the family, but maps are made for people to use and as a Clarabon you deserve to see what's in that map."
Luna tugged her mother's cloak, a bad feeling stirred her soul. "I want you to see me make my maps…I don't want to leave mummy behind, let's see the island together."
Rena smiled, kissing her daughter's forehead. "I will, even if I'm not there I'm always watching, Luna."
Rena turned to her husband, his lips set in a line. "You aren't questioning me?"
He shook his head and he bent his head to give her a kiss. "I never once regretted leaving the Russ Clan to marry you."
Tears fell down her cheeks, her voice raspy. "I love the both of you." She cleaned her eyes, chugging from her bottle of beer, long and hard before facing forward to the nearly destroyed town. "For good luck."
Rena waved at her family one last time, making her way to the battlefield. Luna's eyes refused to leave her mother's retreating form even when Dion tugged her hand for them to go, she refused to stop looking.
When her mother's back finally disappeared, she allowed her father to lead her away. Away from home, away from her mother.
And on that day, Rena Clarabon died an honorable death for her clan.
.....
"I've heard of that witch slaughter. The Russ Clan really hates your clan."
Luna nodded. "Before I was born, the Malefic Clan were basically seen as devils and even when we chose peace the Russ Clan still saw us as these devils and would do anything to eradicate us. Even though the witch hunt has been banned, the discrimination is still very alive."
"Do you hate them?" Paolo asked.
She shook her head. "What use is it to hate them, all I can do is move forward to reach my dream."
Paolo smiled. "You're really amazing, do you know?"
Luna grinned. "Of course."
Aline came back, holding up a tray of hangover soup and a few other dishes. They all gathered at the dining table at the side of the room, drool threatening to fall as they eyed the meal in front of them. Shinzo in contrast only wanted to vomit further, Aline using all her strength to make sure he did not do that.
The other three dug in while Aline forced a spoon of soup into Shinzo's lips. Luna moaned at the texture of the Tortilla Espanola, her fork digging in. "Just for this scrumptious meal, I wouldn't mind joining your crew. I can see it, your cooking, my alcohol. A match made in heaven."
Shinzo looked up from his soup, the color in his face coming back. "I hope you won't spend our budget on your alcohol."
"Depends what type of alcohol you're talking about."
Shinzo turned to Paolo. "I take it back, can we not bring her into our crew."
"Hey," Luna whined while Paolo laughed.
Dion smiled at the scene in front of him as Luna poked at Shinzo for fun, the martial artist not taking her play very fondly and Paolo laughing at the scene.
The chatter suddenly stopped as the front of the house suddenly exploded, the blast sending them crashing into the wall behind them, forming a hole in the wall.
Aline coughed, the smoke clouding her vision. "What the hell was that?"
Amik stepped through the completely destroyed part of the house, a deranged grin on his lips. "Sorry, we forgot to knock."
Luna glared at him through her coughing fit. "Who are you?"
Amik brushed the dust on his jacket. "I am the next head of the Dal family as well as the Russ Clan, Amik."
Luna immediately understanding his motive, rose to her feet. "If you're here for the map, I won't hand it to you."
She lifted her hand to summon her wand, but her hand got stopped by a vine, wrapping round her arms tightly. Amik smirked. "I wouldn't do that if I were you Miss Witch."
Luna clicked her tongue, her wand disappearing from her fingers. "Don't waste your time, I'm not giving it to you."
"That's fine, but you see around the village I have planted a bunch of poisonous flowers around the whole island which will spread a deadly poison at just the snap of a finger. Unless you hand me that map, everyone on the island is as good as dead." He tilted his head, a small smile on his lips. "You can take your time deciding, I'll wait an hour for you on my ship to hand the map or else."
He didn't even bother to hear her reply or even see her horrified expression, he turned his back and waltzed away, the three people with him walking away.
Silence bit through the house, Luna sighing. "What do we do now?"
Paolo looked at the vine that had writhed beside Luna then to the people in the room. "Luna, is there a way we can use your broom?"
"Yeah, why?"
He grinned, an idea forming in his head. "Luna, I want you to give them the scroll."
Her face morphed into one of confusion then anger. "What do you mean I should give it to them?"
"I have an idea, listen up."