"His name is Bright," Lady Isis finally responded. "He's a bit special, just like you. But unlike you, he has difficulty communicating with others. You must be patient with him, Jody. He needs a friend like you."
Jody nodded in understanding as he looked back at Bright, who was still staring at the ground. Or at Jody's feet? It was hard to tell. Still, he felt a sense of empathy towards the boy, who seemed to be struggling with something that he couldn't quite grasp. Was it really possible for tricksters to become hero? What did that say about the origin of hero, then?
"Mom, can I tell you something else?" asked Jody.
"What would that be?" his mother smiled.
"MOM!!! THAT. WAS. AWESOME! I want to do that! What was that sword? How did you freeze frame all those crazy sword lights, like waa.." Jody started re-enacting the slaughter for his mother.
Lady Isis was extremely tickled but did not want to show it. She was being stern right now, and would not suffer defeat at the hands of the boy's cuteness, "Less of that, you will learn in time. The current you can't even control mana, so these are things far above your knowledge. One step at a time, Josiah."
"It's Jody, mom!" Said Jody exasperatedly as if it were a habit, "Mom, is Sek okay? She was hurt. Can you heal her, please?"
"Of course, my love." Lady Isis squatted down, and her hand released a radiant white glow.
Jody could see the color returning to Sek's face.
For some reason, Jody realized that his mother wouldn't have helped Sek without being asked to do so by him. She had shown below-zero concern for her this entire time. It was to the point that she watched from above as Sek's ability was shattered brutally. This resulted in a massive backlash for Sek, and even with treatment to her body, she would need time to recover from her mental damage.
Perhaps the kiss thing really had his mom pissed off? He heard the commotion earlier, but was a bit distracted. Jody noted that his mother could be petty and vindictive sometimes. Moreover, she seemed to be a lot more irritable than she was before his awakening. He wondered why and how to find out. Was it really just concern for him that made her act this way? He didn't hate it...but it would need better management.
"Let's pack up, little Joe. We're leaving ahead of schedule. This place is no longer safe. Ke!" said Jody's mother before calling for their butler. "Ke! Ke Si!!! Where is that damn butler and Elder Slaughter? They should have been here watching you!"
"..." Jody was speechless, unsure of how to respond.
Afterward, his mother talked to Jody about spiritual masters as they packed up. This packing consisted of his mother stuffing many of the room's items into their spatial rings, leaving him delighted.
Lady Isis continued, "Now, Jody, I need you to listen carefully. We are going to leave this place as soon as possible. We cannot take any chances with our safety. I need you to be vigilant and always stay close to me. Do you understand?"
Jody nodded solemnly, his expression serious. He knew that something dangerous was happening and that his mother was not one to take such threats lightly. He looked up at her determinedly, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.
"Good," Lady Isis said with a small smile.
"Now, let's go pack our things. We have to leave this place before they find us again."
Jody stood up and followed his mother out of the room, his mind racing with questions and concerns. He didn't know what kind of enemies they had or why they were after his family. But he knew one thing for sure - he would do whatever it took to protect those he loved, even if it meant going up against the most powerful adversaries in the world.
As they walked, Jody asked more about Bright.
"He is a child of the Fey Clan, one of the most mysterious clans in this world," Lady Isis explained. "Though he may not seem like it, he is a formidable opponent. His abilities lie in the field of illusion and deception, making him a valuable asset to his clan. But he's also a bit strange, always keeping to himself and never speaking. Many people are unaware, but many fierce beasts could potentially follow Bright's path if we help him walk to the end."
"Cool. Why is he here?" Jody asked curiously.
"He's here because of me, actually," Lady Isis said with a small smile. "We have a bit of a history. Let's just say I owe him a favor."
Jody nodded, still looking at the mysterious child. He couldn't help but feel a bit wary of him, even though he seemed harmless enough. After all, they were different races, and Bright's abilities made Jody feel somehow unsettled.
"He's been following us since we left the central ward," Lady Isis explained. "He's a bastard child of the Bright Phoenix clan and a spirit beast. He serves as a guide and protector. He may have born a fey beast, but he was always highly intelligent, even before reaching this realm as a spirit, the starting line to the god path."
"A spirit beast?" Jody was intrigued. Spirit beast was the official name of tricksters, with the latter being the common name. "What can he do?"
"He's capable of many things, my dear," Lady Isis replied. "He can sense danger, protect us from harm, and even help us in battle if necessary. He's a valuable member of our team."
Jody nodded in understanding. He could sense the power emanating from Bright, and he knew that the trickster would be a valuable ally to have in any situation. But why did he look so...odd?
"Mother, what do we do now?" Jody asked, his eyes filled with determination. "We can't just sit here and wait for them to attack us. We have to strike first."
Lady Isis smiled, proud of her son's bravery and determination. "You're right, Josiah. We can't wait for them to make the first move. I haven't checked the reports, but I'm guessing Ke Si and Charlotte's absence relates to that first move."
Hearing this, Jody felt excited. So Charlotte was not having a secret affair with the butler? This was great news! Ahead of the three heroes and one beast was a large wall covered in hieroglyphs. Even Jody felt a strong push toward those walls at certain points because of the power contained within them.
"This is the sacred land of a heavenly seer. Heavenly seers possess celestial maps of fate, and are extremely mysterious," Lady Isis sensed her son's curiosity and knew that he would begin a question onslaught momentarily so she told him in advance."Different from shaman who possess affinity with darkness or death, these seers possess affinity with life or light. Maybe...just maybe. We can get some brighter answers here..."
She couldn't help but feel proud of her son. She had always known that he was special, but she had never imagined that he would possess such power and skill without being properly trained. Since he was born, she had only allowed him to participate in martial arts training despite his father's protests. He had never trained an art of Truth other than the mysterious and violent truth he seemed to have peeked at on his own.
The child of a transcendent who had fallen himself would naturally have a few secrets, and destined encounters with deity level characters. As they approached the upcoming manor, Lady Isis couldn't help but consider the powerful people who lived there.
Seers were some of the most mysterious existences in the world. They dabbled heavily in the altruistic powers of fate, similar to shamans. She knew that rashly investigating Fate was dangerous, but she couldn't let that stop her from discovering more about Jody's powers. She had once sought council from her shamanic master of a life long past, the Darkwolf Shaman Fugara Bomon, but the results were mostly confusing. This was why shamans were known as dark seers.
Traditional seers were built a bit different.
Jody also remembered the meetings with Grandmaster Fugara, who was hiding in House Trillwolf for some reason. The divination of the shaman led to Jody's first encounter with Anubis. Or maybe second? He had a theory he couldn't prove because he couldn't remember properly what it was about, just like he had to focus every moment to remember Bright's continued existence properly.
In fact, it was way too similar. Jody wondered if Bright would teach him how to hide his presence like this. If he knew the method and execution, couldn't he avoid being affected in the future?
The group walked through the gates and arrived before the luxurious underground manor. They were greeted by a man dressed in fine clothing and a stern expression. "What brings you here, Lady Mist of the Fall?"
"It's Ice of the Night. I wish to speak to Honored Kael about my son's awakening. I believe that he may possess some unique abilities."
Hearing the name 'Ice,' the man's expression softened slightly, and he opened the door for them. "Ah, forgive me. So, the rumors hold true. Very well, Lady Isis. Please, follow me."
Lady Isis and Jody followed the man through the grand halls of the manor. The walls were adorned with paintings and tapestries of battles and noble figures. The floor was paved with marble, and it shone like a mirror. Jody was fascinated by everything he saw; he had never seen such lavish decorations before. It was even fancier than what Jody and his mother had pilfered from the Magic Fish Lounge. Would she rob these people, too? Jody couldn't help but feel hopeful.
Finally, they arrived at a large room where a man sat at a long table. He was dressed in a suit, and his hair was slicked back. His eyes were sharp, and he looked like he was always thinking about something important.