With a dazed and flustered Odysseus next to me, I ignored each and everyone of my former family members and their shocked expression.
"Hali, get your ass here if you don't wanna be left behind."
With my team back together, I glanced one last time at the still petrified people in the room.
"Start working on your circles and whatnot, in 24 hours we leave."
And just like that, we left them behind to enjoy the comfort of modern technology. Hali quickly realised she cared more for comfort and mobility than appearances and bought an entire warehouse of tracksuits. Odysseus couldn't stop asking questions about everything, at a certain point my ever characteristic patience threatened to break. I took out my phone and opened the A.I. Assistant.
"Here, talk with this. It'll answer almost anything."
The day continued to flow rapidly and after having lunch all together, I released the wild tourist to the town after calling for someone to guide them.
"Why can't we stay together?"
Odysseus, clearly unsatisfied with my request to be left alone, was reluctant to let me go.
I didn't bother answering him and just left. There was a lot on my mind. The grain field, those two figures I couldn't quite figure out. Even the Onmyōdō book I had still to open, so I just started to teleport myself through the city until I reached my destination: Toronto harbour lighthouse.
My gaze swept across Lake Ontario and my mind instantly felt refreshed. The weather was nice, everything was peaceful for once.
Taking out the book of spirit arts, I decided it was time to start investigating on this unknown form of magic.
Onmyōdō was an eastern art developed by exorcists of the past based on the concept of equilibrium and that was all I knew beforehand. But to have a real trace of magic in my hand was somewhat exiting, I didn't waste anymore time.
I kept reading and reading. Unaware of the time passing. I read about how astronomy and precise calculations could reveal the fate and luck of someone, which I'd previously consider utter bullshit, I read how the balance of all things was at the very base of existence itself, how corruption and purity were but the same thing just from different prospectives.
That's real as fuck. Your hero will always be the villain to someone else, at the end of the day, history is written by the winning party.
There really wasn't much description about spirit arts itself, I thought that what I had found was probably the very introduction to onmyōdō and I was at peace with that. Surely the more I experienced and experimented, the more knowledge my trait would impose on me. I just hoped it wasn't something too painful.
Time continued to fly with me sitting still meditating over what I knew about spirit arts and what exactly it meant for me.
As of now, I only new how to do exorcisms, but this couldn't be all that was behind it, I was also pretty sure that affinity with spirit arts meant close to nothing for simple exorcisms, what really mattered was the intent behind the chant and having enough mana to suppress the spirit after the confinement. That's why I was sure Odysseus could practice them as well, not that we could try.
The real issue was the language. I had a bypass for this, but with his genius mind, I was sure he could learn the correct phonetics.
Without me realising anything, dusk had finally settled down and I was brought back to reality by a familiar voice.
"Klaus, you're worrying everyone. Let's go to the estate."
I looked at Yudher who was clearly distressed and exhausted. He was able to form his first circle.
Lightning, I swear he is the reincarnation of Zeus or something.
"My name is Dimitris, but sure, let's go."
No words were exchanged after that, there was no need, or so I thought.
"Do you resent us so much Klaus? To not even spare a glance at your parents?"
I didn't answer at first. Did I hate them? Resent them? I was not sure anymore. Everything was a little confusing, after what I heard from Aaron in the dungeon about clarity and regret eating at them, I did feel a little vindicated, but after only a few moments, there was nothing for them.
I only wanted to get back to my ship. My men, my real family.
I looked at him, searching for any sign of emotions and they were clear.
Longing, shame, regret. He wasn't hiding his emotion like he had taught me. It felt surreal.
"You are wearing your emotions Yudher. That's a weakness."
My words hit him like a track. Those were his own words. He had always tried to suppress my emotions, but it was almost impossible. I'd wear everything on my face and proudly so.
"I… I'm sorry Klaus. There's nothing I can do or say to make things right…"
"Indeed, but you don't have to worry Yudher. I don't hate you, you can't hate someone you don't care about."
We then silently left, entered the car and I drove us at the estate. Yudher silently crying beside me and I completely unperturbed. I was not such a good person to forgive and forget.
_____________________
The night passed without much hiccups, Sarah and Maria accused me of being and heartless monster for making their daddy cry, I just ignored them and went back to my awaiting Captain.
As I opened the door and saw him sulking on the bed, a smile bloomed on my face after the long day. I blinked in front of him, hugged him tightly and basked in his scent.
Only after a while did I release him.
"You missed me so much only after half a day?"
Just to smack him in the head.
"Odysseus, I'm pretty sure you can perform spirit arts as well, the hardest part would be the language, but I can slowly teach you."
I explained the gists of my theories and soon we fell asleep without even realising it.
We only woke up to Robert's knock and came out to depart for Yellowknife as soon as possible.
"Young master, here's the list of creatures your… partner requested. Coincidentally, one of those beasts resides near Yellowknife."
I slightly raised my brows before inquiring for more details.
"According to local folklore, it's something similar to the thunderbird young master."
He then proceeded to explain more details and it was clear Odysseus wanted this to be the essence for his second spirit formula. I had other plans either ways.
We decided to hunt it down before going to the temple of time since we didn't know how much time we'd have, after resolving the situation, before being brought back home.
Entering the hall still strategising on how to hunt down the flying chicken, we were met with absolute desperation.
"Brother, I know you are strong! But that thing is way to dangerous! You can't beat it!"
I looked towards Hali that was stuffing her mouth with French toasts and the rest of the family who suddenly wore ashen faces.
Oh! They must think I'm gonna make them fight!
"You don't need to worry, Odysseus alone will face the thunderbird, it's his hunt after all."
"And if there's more, Dimitris and I will step in, don't worry!"
Hali quickly covered for me, but I wasn't sure we'd need to intervene, we both saw how bright of a mage Odysseus was, I was sure he'd handle everything himself.
"Either way, let's move, its nest is near Yellowknife anyway, might as well starting the engine."
Everyone stood up at my order, even a small group of maids with travel bags.
What the fuck?
"Aren't we taking the chopper? Were would all these people fit?"
Aaron smirked and clapping his hands was ready to share some news with me, only to be stopped by Sarah.
Damn, if that bitch doesn't need a beating I don't know who does.
And to prove my point exactly, Aaron punched her face to oblivion under everyone's shocked and my pleased face.
"YOU DISGUSTING BITCH! AFTER ALL HE HAD DONE FOR US, AND ALL WE DID TO HIM, YOU HAVE THE GALLS TO BE DISRESPECTFUL?!"
Damn he is good.
Aaron had suddenly made a huge rise in my popularity polls.
"Anyway, we have a jet now, the chopper was too noisy."
Fuck. This is even better then my wildest dreams.
"Fucking bullshit Aaron. Lead the way. If you're lying I'll beat the living shit out of you."
I hastened everyone and even healed Sarah to speed up the process and after a few minutes of walking, yes walking… these bastards clearly didn't understand our urgency, we arrived at the blast pad where a sleek black jet was waiting for us.
My eyes shining with excitement were clear for everyone to see. And I was sure I heard Juba and Yudher sob a little at my display and say something on the line of how terrible they had been and how grave their sins were.
All true, but I couldn't care less.
I brought Odysseus and Hali inside and started getting to know the ins and outs of the jet before getting seated for the departure.
Being served like true aristocracy on a private jet, was honestly a dream of young Klaus, but this didn't mean I was not able to enjoy it, far from it.
Even Odysseus and Hali couldn't refuse how this treatment was fit for a king. If not even an emperor.
"Dimitris, how long will it take to reach our destination?"
Hali had been pushing this question countless times already. It almost seemed like she didn't want to get out of the jet… yet she felt extremely scared of something.
"It'll take another 2 to 3 hours… Hali are you scared?"
Odysseus looked at me confused and after a couple of seconds, slapped his own face.
"It's because of your fathers Dimitris, she's not really allowed in the sky after what her father did to one of your brothers."
I knew our fathers had their own history of sibiling rivalry and the likes of it, but I honestly couldn't give less of a fuck.
"Well, it should be fine no? I'm with her and we are family after all, so I don't care."
A few eyes turned my way, Hali's as well.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, the story our father share is theirs alone, not ours. You are my cousin, aren't you?"
Silence befell the room, Odysseus clearly calculating how true my sentence was and when he reached his conclusion and was ready to share it with us, an hallowing scream echoed in the jet.
"FUCCCCCKKK I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M ACTUALLY RELATED TO THIS ELECTRIC FLOWER MANIAC!"
"OY YOU HALF SARDINE! I WAS HAVING A TOUCHING MOMENT HERE, LET ME JUST KILL YOU THEN."
Everyone then got back to their prior conversation, only Odysseus laughing his ass off.
Even with our constant bickering, the flight continues smoothly. That stayed true until a I felt a disturbance in the mana around us.
Odysseus and I, quickly stood up.
"EVERYONE HOLD TIGHT!"
And at the same time, the mechanical voice of the jet emergency system exploded.
-ERROR, EMERGENCY LANDING PROTOCOL ACTIVATED-
"What is going on!?"
Everyone started panicking. I glanced at Odysseus and we started trying to harmonise the mana the best we could, but alas it was all for nothing.
"Odysseus, this level of mana manipulation…"
"I know Dimitris, I can only think of one type of creature as well."
"Then we can we do?"
Hali was the one who answered this time.
Her face blackened with rage, a fury I had never seen Hali express.
Sure she was an emotional person and lost control easily, but this was something new.
A level of hatred I had never seen her exude.
"What the fuck do you mean Dimitris? There is only one answer."
She looked at me with her aura ready to explode at any moment.
"If they are what we think they are, there's only one thing to do: kill them all before the kill us."
Aaron, scared shitless by Hali's changed demeanour, asked with a trembling voice.
"Wh-wha-what are th-they?"
The three of us looked at Aaron and answered simultaneously.
"Elves."