Jody clung tightly to his mother's waist as the Wind Spirit Wolf galloped through the estate grounds. The wind whipped past them, tugging at their clothes and hair, but Lady Isis rode with the grace of a seasoned warrior. As they rode, Jody couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and wonder. He had never experienced anything like this before.
Eventually, they came to a stop in front of a grand building. Lady Isis dismounted and helped Jody down. They were greeted by a group of elegant women, all dressed in flowing robes of pale blue and cream. Lady Isis greeted them warmly, and Jody watched as they bowed respectfully to her.
"Welcome back, Lady Isis," one of the women said. "And who is this little one?"
"This is my son, Jody," Lady Isis replied with a smile.
The women cooed and fawned over Jody, proclaiming how cute he was and how much he resembled Lord Osiris.
Jody smiled politely and nodded, but his attention was drawn to something else entirely. He had caught a glimpse of a young girl peeking out from behind one of the women. She couldn't have been more than a few years older than him and had the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen.
They were a bright, sparkling blue, like the sapphires that adorned the bridges in the courtyard.
Jody found himself drawn to her, and he took a step forward. The girl's eyes widened in surprise, but then she smiled and stepped forward as well.
"Hello," she said softly.
"Hi," Jody replied, feeling his heart rate increase.
The girl giggled, and Jody felt a warmth spread through his chest.
He had never felt this way before and wasn't quite sure what to make of it.
Isis glanced at her son suspiciously, wondering whom he had just spoken to. While all of these noble ladies of the house were doting on him, she didn't hear anyone greet him just now. Then she noticed the young girl. Only, why hadn't she noticed such a pretty child at all until now? Even her eyes...
Isis's eyes narrowed as she watched her son interact with the girl. She had never seen him show this much interest in anyone before, let alone someone so young. She stepped closer, ready to intervene if necessary. But before she could say anything, the girl spoke up.
"My name is Topaz," she said, still smiling.
"Jody," he replied, matching her smile.
Isis was surprised to hear the girl's name. It was rare for a child to have a gemstone name and even rarer for it to be a name as prestigious as Topaz. She wondered who the girl's parents were and their status in the estate.
As Jody and Topaz continued to talk, Isis listened in, studying their interaction carefully. She couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. Something about the way her son was acting was off. It was almost as if he was under a spell. The women around them continued to chatter and fuss over Jody, but he hardly noticed. He was too focused on the strikingly pretty little chocolate girl. A girl whom these ladies seemed only notice when Isis and Topaz made eye contact.
One of her friends immediately mentioned something about the young girl, drawing Isis' attention. By the time she paid attention to her son, they would be in an entirely different conversation.
Jody was actually enjoying himself. Only, he felt strange.
Despite not even being age three, Jody had the soul of an adult male, so he was no stranger to attraction. He knew what he was feeling. But how could he feel this way for a small child? It felt sick, thus preventing him from falling victim to it. The seemingly 'natural' reaction of his body earlier was, in fact, very unnatural.
Isis sensed something was wrong, although she didn't know what. She decided to take her son away from the girl and the other women. She gently took Jody's hand and led him away from the group.
"Jody, my son, how are you feeling?" Lady Isis asked cautiously.
"I'm okay, mommy. Why did we have to leave?" Jody asked, still looking back at Topaz.
"Because we need to talk," Isis replied, pulling her son closer to her.
Isis took a deep breath before speaking. "Jody, what you felt just now was not natural. It is not proper for someone your age to feel attraction to someone else. You are too young for those kinds of feelings."
Jody looked at his mother with confusion. "But why? What's wrong with feeling happy when I talk to someone?"
"It's not necessarily wrong to feel happy, Jody, but how you felt was different. You were feeling attracted to Topaz, and that is not something Mommy is comfortable with," Isis said firmly.
"Okay," Jody was slightly surprised that his mother was so astute.
Something about Topaz...wasn't quite right. Jody noticed that before his mother noticed her, the other women never so much as glanced in the young girl's direction. It was like only Jody could see her. Also, Topaz didn't really seem concerned with other people hearing their conversation, even though she spoke so articulately. They had a deep and introspective conversation that neither of them should be capable of at this age, right?
She told him he was destined for great things. That today's events would be a catalyst that set him on a path of glory and that she would only ever marry a man as talented as himself.
Topaz spoke way better than a child should be able to.
Unfortunately, as an anomaly himself, Jody didn't feel it was appropriate to point this out. His mother's timely interference really helped him out. He made a mental note to pay more attention to this little girl in the future. For now, he would look forward to what other surprises today held! After all, this was his first time exploring House Trillwolf in such depth.
Isis was also extremely uncomfortable with that little girl, Topaz. The girl's eyes...were far too similar to their own eyes. Isis had never once seen another pair of eyes like these until the day her son was born. Yet now, some random little girl showed up when the same ocular peculiarity?
She made a mental note while taking out a serene sound mirror. She silently sends a transmission to her subordinates to identify that girl's background.
Isis's subordinates quickly responded, informing her that Topaz was the daughter of one of House Trillwolf's lesser noble families. They had been allowed to live on the estate as part of a deal with Lord Osiris years ago. Isis knew that the Trillwolf were always looking for ways to gain more power and influence, and she couldn't help but wonder if this was their way of trying to gain favor with her. Or maybe plan a counter for her?
Isis sighed and shook her head. She didn't want to get caught up in House Trillwolf's political games. She had enough to worry about with Jody and his strange abilities. She needed to focus on discovering more about his powers and how to help him control them.
As they walked through the estate grounds, Jody looked up at his mother curiously.
"Mommy, can we explore more of House Trillwolf?"
Isis smiled at her son. "Of course, my dear."