Kendrick's eyes, opened, still blurry with sleep, took in the scene. The living room was a disaster.
Upside-down furniture, scattered cushions, and a trail of destruction leading from the hallway to the fireplace.
He turned to Elara, who stood awkwardly amidst the chaos, a sheepish grin plastered on her face.
"Elara… what… happened here?" he asked, his voice thick with sleep.
Elara, bracing herself, launched into an explanation.
She then explained what had happened.
Elara sighed, "Well you see when I couldn't manage to control the movement of the orbs, so I went back inside and when I did I saw this little light figure flying around your head"
She described that she tried to catch it but failed when that thing suddenly blew a gust of wind to her, and her utter failure to catch the culprit, ending with a dramatic flourish:
"And then… bam! The whole house looked like this!"
Kendrick listened, his gaze wandering over the overturned furniture, his brow furrowed in a mixture of concern and disbelief.
Elara, finishing her story, apologized profusely.
"I'm so, so sorry, Dad. I really messed up."
Just as Kendrick opened his mouth to reply, he noticed something on his lap – a fine layer of dust.
He used two fingers to gently wipe it away, bringing the dust close to his face to examine it. Elara, sensing his curiosity, leaned closer.
"What is it, Dad?"
"I'm not sure" Kendrick replied as he squinted his eyes scanning the dust.
As Kendrick inhaled, a tiny amount of the dust entered his nostrils.
His eyes fluttered closed, his head lolling back against the couch. He slumped down, falling into a deep sleep.
Elara gasped, her eyes widening in alarm.
"Dad?" Panic seized her.
Had he suffered a heart attack at the sight of the ruined living room? She began to pant, her chest tightening.
As she inhaled deeply, trying to calm herself, some of the dust swirled into her mouth.
Her vision blurred, her body growing heavy.
With a soft sigh, she collapsed onto the floor, beside her sleeping father.
Silence descended upon the chaotic living room. Only the gentle snores of Kendrick and Elara broke the stillness.
Then, a sharp knock echoed at the front door.
Kealith, stood on the porch, his knuckles white against the wood.
He knocked again, then a third time, his patience wearing thin.
Frustrated, he let himself in, stepping into the scene of utter disarray.
"Kendrick I swear if you're ignoring me ill~" he cut off as he saw the living room.
His eyes widened at the sight of the overturned furniture and scattered belongings.
He turned, his gaze falling upon Kendrick asleep on the couch and Elara sprawled on the floor.
He couldn't comprehend the scene.
He tried to wake them, but they remained unresponsive. Then, he noticed the dust.
Recognition dawned. Sleeping dust. But who would do this? A robber? No, that didn't seem right. First things first, he had to wake them.
He raised his hands, muttering a quick incantation. A wave of energy washed over the room, dispelling the sleeping dust's effect.
Within minutes, Kendrick and Elara stirred, their eyes blinking open in confusion.
They were greeted by the sight of Kealith sitting Infront of them, his blue eyes shadowed, his expression unreadable.
He sat calmly amidst the wreckage, a faint smirk playing on his lips.
"Good morning," he said, his voice smooth yet chilling.
Elara, still groggy, spoke first. "Who are you?" she asked then she thought it was an intruder.
Elara then realized that he might be a threat, she got up and stood Infront of Kendrick trying to protect him from Kealith.
Kealith tilted his head in confusion, then he smiled at elara.
"It's ok elara I'm not here to hurt you" Kealith said.
Kendrick, his voice raspy, asked, "What are you doing here?"
Kealith introduced himself, "Well first I'd like to introduce myself to Elara here, Hello Elara, I am Kealith, I'm a mage, and me and your father are close friends" he smiled.
Elara's eyes lit up, "A...Mage? Dad is this the mage you said you knew?"
Kendrick then nodded at Elara's question.
Elara then smiled her tiredness seemed to be gone, "Sir," she blurted out, "Could you teach me some spells?"
Kealith chuckled, a low rumble in his chest. "That's precisely why I'm here, Elara" he said, his eyes twinkling.
Elara, instantly energized, bounced to her feet, her earlier exhaustion forgotten.
Kendrick, still slightly dazed, watched them with one eye half-closed.
"But first, I'd like to know, What happened here?" he asked, his voice still heavy with sleep.
Elara, abruptly remembering the state of the living room, turned to her father, her excitement fading.
She began to explain again, recounting the events from the light figure's appearance to her disastrous chase.
Kealith listened intently, his eyes widening in disbelief as Elara spoke. When she finished, he exclaimed, "Could it be… a pixie?"
Kendrick looked at Kealith, his face a mask of shock. "No," he said, his voice barely a whisper.
Kealith smiled, a knowing glint in his eyes. He looked at Kendrick, a mocking smile on his face.
"Looks like that pixie wanted what you promised it, Kendrick" he said, chuckling.
Elara, her curiosity piqued, turned to Kealith. "What's a pixie? And what did it want?" she asked, her voice brimming with eagerness.
Kendrick covered his face with his hand, a mixture of embarrassment and resignation washing over him.
Kealith, sensing the situation, laughed.
"Well, Elara," he said, turning to her, "it seems we have quite a story to tell, right Kendrick? I mean she's your daughter I believe it's only right she know."
Kendrick looked at Kealith and saw his mockingly smug face, he was irritated at the sight of it.
Kendrick sighed, rubbing his temples.
"Do what you want," he mumbled.
Kealith turned to Elara, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Ready to hear a tale of what your dad promised to that pixie?"
Elara sat down ready to listen.