The four friends were now seated around a round pink wooden table covered with a transparent tablecloth with patterns of very moving and charming animated figures wandering candidly around the four guests. A water creature squealed happily and jumped onto the table, causing light splashes and miniature magical swirls.
They each ordered a bowl of ice cream. For Ivy, who had a sweet tooth, and was not one to indulge in sweets, she added a dark and white chocolate cake with ice cream and berries to her order. A real caloric treat that she could easily dissolve without the need for magic.
She was just dipping her little spoon into the caramel and hazelnut covered chocolate fudge and brought the delicious morsel to her luscious mouth before resolving, with obvious regret, to finally lower it and place it gently next to her to straighten up and ask for her friends' attention.
- Dear friends and followers, she began in an exaggeratedly theatrical and annoying tone, I would like to draw your attention to me! Because as you all know very well, we are gathered today, here and now at our favorite ice cream shop Grance to allow you to inform me of a news that you dared to promise me as what would surely be the source of a great joy.
Then taking a deep breath and leaning on her black metal seat, Ivy looked at them with her serious and incisive look, and declared.
- I'm listening.
Her friends and followers, as she had just called them, were happily amused by this melodramatic invitation to confess. Then Linelle, who was tasting an ice cream with black cookies, turned to her blond boy friend.
- It's your turn to speak, Roj.
- Well, here we go. Then he turned to Ivy. Do you know my brother...!
- ...Kreiz Vintry. Yes, of course I do! Ivy immediately interrupted him with an almost annoying enthusiasm. "He is one of the most famous writers of his generation, and moreover, he happens to be the youngest holder of a Ph.D. in rare creatures with honors, which had allowed him to collect various and varied documents that helped him write his wonderful stories about mythical beasts and legendary heroes.
Roj winced at the long tirade about his brother in response to the question he had asked only for the occasion.
- Well, if we ever had any doubts, now we're convinced you know him very well. Or at least you've heard of him.
- Like everyone else," Ivy finished in all seriousness.
Her two friends burst out laughing.
- So? Insisted Ivy insensitive to the mockery of her friends and starting to get seriously angry.
- Then do not get angry any more, my love!
Ivy straightened up, her eyes shining with a dangerous gleam, although speaking with a very soft voice.
- Roj, I warn you, my patience has its limits like everyone else!
She took a deep breath before continuing.
- As you all could see, I forced myself to follow you where you wanted, that is to say, here, even going as far as leaving behind me on this day of freedom, my magnificent creatures, not to mention those sublimely delicious things spread out in front of me, indicating her body, the colored scoops of ice cream erected in an anthracite cup, which arouse my greediness to its peak, simply, in order to know this news that you had mirrored to me as the best that I will ever receive in my life, and of which between us, unfortunately, I begin seriously to doubt, but of which I would still like to be informed. So I would advise you, my dear friends, to speak up before I lose my patience completely and this moment of tasting between friends is the last one you will ever do in your bloody existence.
The threatened friend smiled even more brightly and reached out to caress the arm of the young student fiercely in love with rare creatures.
- What passion! It's really quite extraordinary. These rare beings are really lucky to arouse such affection in someone, especially in you princess.
He smiled tenderly.
- Then I came to wonder if you could ever hate even one of them.
Ivy smiled with certainty.
- No, I wouldn't.
- And the worst part is, you're telling the truth.
The handsome blonde withdrew his hand from her friend's and said calmly.
- Thanks to my brother's incredible connections and insistence, you should know that the Vaegos Forest is now officially open to rare creature specialists like you.
- Yes, may I take your order?
A waiter stood behind Sahidi to give the papers to a couple enclosed in a bubble of happiness, whose choice was automatically written on the colored papers that turned into a bird that quickly flew to the kitchen. The same papers would then carry the orders to their recipients and gently place them in front of them before dissolving into a small, bright sparkle. It was always a touching and original sight that made Grance proud and distinguished.
A miniature green creature emerged from the tablecloth, then climbed onto Ivy's hand and played happily with it before diving into the soft water that flowed under her hands.
When the girl finally spoke again, it was to ask something surprising.
- What did you do today again?
Her friends looked at each other without understanding.
- We went for a walk in the snow park to slide in the ice caves and we dived in the great depths of the Keran pool. Roj answered cautiously.
- Why? What makes you give it away? Linelle continued, looking at her with some concern.
- Well, to find out if you are capable of telling a truth or if you would only have the wit to make cruel jokes to have a good time.
- Ivy, are you okay?
Not sure what to answer or how to feel, Ivy blinked and hesitated over her words.
- I think so, yes! Where was I?
- Well, it sounds like you just discovered something fantastic that you've been dreaming about your whole life, doesn't it?
Ivy was silent for a moment. When she heard the news, which was as magical as her friends had promised, Ivy thought her heart had stopped, but then it began again, more vividly, more fiercely than usual.
- Is it true? she asked, without revealing any of her unsettling feelings.
- Yes! They assured in chorus with solemnity.
- And it is the truth? she continued, still refusing to believe her friends.
- Yes, it is the truth!
- We swear it! Linelle added, her hand on her heart.
Sahidi looked at her wryly.
- I don't think you can really swear to anything because we only knew about it this morning from Roj. And you didn't know if he was telling the truth or not!
- I trust your lover, my dear! For me, his word is golden. But of course, I'm preaching to the choir, aren't I?
- What? Sahidi exclaimed as she straightened up, threatening.
- What? replied her friend, annoying her with a sneering smile.
- What do you mean by "my lover"?
- You ask me when you know better than anyone what I'm talking about? Linelle tilted her head and looked at her. Let's see, brunette, it's obvious, no need to pretend not to understand anything!
The two friends measured each other with their eyes, probably ready to come to blows or to a magical fight. Suddenly, a shrill cry arose next to them and made them jump and turn towards the person responsible for the tremor.
Ivy, with her eyes wide open and glowing with a thousand lights, had a comical and frightening expression. Her hands kept gesturing to express what she could not yet do with words.