"Good morning!"Linthea looked up from her seat and happily greeted Kale who began to climb down the steps, "You're in such a fine mood"He commented, putting both arms behind his head. Thea points to the porcelain tea set placed on top the coffee table in the center surrounded by two steel cushioned sofas on both sides.
"Tea?"
Kale silently agreed to the invitation and took his seat on the right side opposite from hers,"Thank you darling~"he mouthed with a wink.
Linthea rolled her eyes, "Don't ruin my morning"
Taking a cup with intricate designs, he sipped in its content savoring the same taste of tea from his distant past. "How did you find Icycilis?"Linthea inquired, her smile from ear to ear. He hummed in content before refilling the cup of another milliliter.
"This country is hmm..oh! Marvelous" he adjusted his right wing, "Much different compared to Kayunta. Moreover, I'm quite happy to have met such a graceful woman like you" he eyed her slyly with those devilishly red eyes. Linthea burst out laughing, "Oh my goodness! You're one with words....I bet many women already fell for that"
"Please..."He deadpanned"I never said this to anyone but you" Kale shrugged. He looked around to see that the girl from yesterday who was too worked up on showing him around is nowhere to be found.
"Xuiying? Oh she's in the Stellarium training as a healer with her Master... she's not really for weapons"Linthea replied adding a few details, sipping her tea in calm content,"But aside from the topic beforehand, I have something to ask you..."placing back her cup on the silver tray next to the porcelain white teapot, she gathered his attention as Kale looked at her and to his tea,"What's all the seriousness about princess?"
"Hmmm...ah"Thea snapped her fingers with delight,"Did you happen to remember a girl that you picked a fight with 4 years ago?"she clasped her hands with a smile. Kale raised a brow, now she's talking weird. He began to ponder on her question, abandoning his tea for a while,"Hmm...sadly no, I don't "He held his chin and saw how her smile fell.
"Oh.." She regressed from her joy. Kale was intrigued by her sudden change of emotion, what does she mean by that?
"You're acting weird Lina, what's that got to do with me?" The atmosphere suddenly turned serious. Linthea sighed and lowered her cup, she blushed lightly and turned to the other side.
'She blushed?! This woman can do that?!' Kale screamed in his mind. He stared as if she was a beautifully drawn painting, lost in thought after seeing her cute antics.
"I- Nevermind. That was a pointless question anyways" she shook her head before her closed eyed smile returned again. Kale eyed her as she stood up to get something from the kitchen.
Surely he wasn't convinced, what happened in those 4 years?
///////
Hmp. She shrugged it off at first and the aching of her heart was subdued.
The dark haired woman came back holding with a plate of pancakes and an extra plate and utensils, she gently placed them on the table and urged Neji to try one of it,"Come on, help me out here"
"You've been awfully sweet darling, tell me, am I really that charming?"Kale raised his eyebrow with a smirk.
Linthea gave him a scorning look as she flicked his hold away.
"Speak for yourself! As if~" She added a taunting tone, that look of sadness in her eyes was replaced that of anger.
He guffawed, his wings slowly spreading to occupy the sofa. "Ay, you are unpredictable as ever" the woman was stunned after he gave her a look.
'Did he really forget about her?' she gave an inaudible scoff before walking out as he ate his fill.
'No matter, this doesn't constitute a problem to me...'
"You looked as if your soul was salvaged by the Nevermore" a serious tone became scissors and snapped the line.
Linthea looked back at him, her eyes showed a little life to cover up her disappointment as her lips pulled up to a smile. The mansion grew quiet as the atmosphere between them became suffocating but the chirping of birds outside and the weather seemed to disagree as smooth light of the sun passed through the window panes.
"It's....none of your business"She grimaced and mentally pinched the bridge of her nose, 'How come she's unable to put her mask on infront of him?'
Tears started to fall from her eyes as she unconsciously cried. Why? After all those years.....she disappeared from his memories like a bubble of water popped, dissipating in the air.
It hurt her.
'Kale...you-!'
'Enough! Enough! I'm not crying ever again!'
'It's in the past! Think of it as rebirth....but where is he that shares the memory?'
She covered her eyes and after a second or two, she managed to move herself, to run away from this predicament.
A hand grabbed her own as she's about to run away and in swift motion, she was pulled to a one-sided hug, tucked in the embrace of his dark wings.
She relinquished the feeling of being close to him again even if this will only be a fleeting moment and the next they're back as acquaintances.
This will be the last time she'll show weakness around him. Many things have occurred to them both, if him in the past died a long time ago...then she should too.
Kale was the first to break the hug and saw her tear-stained face. It was a shocker for him as he have known from her feats and observations that she's not one for showing immense emotions but the sight before him proved him wrong.
She is only human after all; and as much as she tries to suppress her emotions, it'll only build up and burst like a volcano at any moment. His desolate heart bloomed a little bud for the first time. She's clearly different, more mysterious than he thought she was and he's in for that ride.
For a moment, he was sincere in consoling a woman.
A cotton-made fabric grazed her lower eyelid.
'huh?' She turned to face him flabbergasted as he slowly wiped her tears.
"A woman's tears are like pearls, don't waste them on the likes of me" his softened expression calmed her as he smiled with sincerity.
"Sorry" the two flinched when-
"I'm home~"A cheerful shrill voice broke their moment as the steel door slid open to reveal her little sister back from training wearing a brown mandarin collared dress.
"Back already?"Kale asked, abruptly withdrawing any contact from Linthea as the woman composed herself to greet her sister. "Heeh?" Xiuying gave a teasing look, "I'll leave you both alone now hehe" putting her hands on her waist, she was about to add more but after sensing a dark aura from her sister who can be seen as normally smiling, she stopped.
"Actually, what's for lunch?"Xiuying started nervously, figuring her way back to her room.
"Xiuying."
"Ye-yes? Jiejie?"The younger sibling stuttered, slowly turning back to face Linthea with an innocent smile mixed with urgency to leave the scene as soon as possible.
'Lesson learned'
"Nothing, take your rest" Linthea bid casually, she gave a content nod in which Xiuying easily understood.
"Yes" Xiuying grinned with uneasiness and gave a firm salute, "Understood!"
With her little sister gone, Linthea fixed herself thanking Kale who winked as he walked past her, delivering the plates to the sink.
Her mask soon returned to her face as if nothing happened.
------
After a short while, Linthea noticed a continuous ring of her phone from her room.
'Hmm, a voicemail?'
"Seiju, we have a mission in Tiolas about a relic Lady Velaria told us to retrieve from the witches. Now, Yato and I have already moved out of Jadetown, Go to Tiolas and wait for us there"The voicemail ended and Linthea instantly figured it was Calyx von Vyrien due to his soft (slightly) raspy voice.
'I guess there's a new addition to the original duo huh? Hmp, he's always so bossy what the heck!'
She went down the dining room to see Kale drying his hands with a towel, probably just finished cleaning the dishes as those plates and teacups used are placed upside-down for water to drain,"Ahem!...Thanks for washing the dishes Kale, you saved me some time" She expressed her gratitude to him,"But there's a mission in Tiolas and I'm needed.. So while I'm gone can you please take care of my sister until Soren comes home?" Her shy request made him lose his cool but of course he didn't make it obvious.
Kale gave a slight nod and with her request acknowledged, Linthea climbed back to her room and closed the door behind her.
"Now young lady, let's get you some breakfast"he walked towards the teenage girl who sat on the sofa contently reading a book, not caring where her sister is going at,"Aww just give me five more minutes Kaleeee I'm already in the good part of the storyy"Xiuying pleaded after turning a page and resisted when Kale gently urged her to stand up, she held unto the sofa for support so she won't be dragged out.
"You got to be kidding me"Kale deadpanned.
--------------
Linthea ran down the stairs wearing her normal attire for missions:A long slit sleeved lilac qipao that is slightly modified. From her waist was a sideways slit that extended until the end of the dress, underneath a mauve flared-bottom pants with ruffles at the back. Attached around her waist were two long pockets for her fans and a small leather box behind for poisoned knives(if she had any). To finish it off, apricot coloured pumps that clicked on the stairs as Linthea gracefully walked down.
'Good, I'm damn ready to go'
"Byee you two~ Tell Soren that I'm out again okay!"She loudly announced her departure before closing the door behind as she fastened her pace to get her techno-bike ready and zoom out of their lawn.
"Ah! My sister is such a fashionista..I mean look at her dressed up looking very appealing"Xiuying lamented while eating her breakfast of fruit salad, a blueberry pancake and sunny-side up eggs paired with juice"Am I right Kale?"
Before he could possibly answer her, the front door slid open again. Xiuying looked back in alarm before pulling out a sharp dagger from her pocket while Kale moved infront of her, "Weapons down, I'm not allowing you guys to give a scar to my handsome face" a silvery voice with traces of playfulness rang from the living room.
Xiuying burst into laughter and lowered her dagger before running towards the living room, dragging a confused Kale behind her in the process who tried to pry her hands off his.
"You're back!"She let go of his hand and jumped to hug a man who almost looked like Linthea in some features he could note: Tall young man possibly older than him with long black spiky hair, eyes brighter than her's and a slightly pointed chin. He wore a plain grayish brown shirt underneath a deep ocean blue trench coat paired with dark copper pants and around his waist was a belt that carries the scabbard for his sword.
"Who is this handsome looking guy beside you? Is he her boyfriend"Soren whispered the last part to Xiuying but still can be heard and the two snickered,"In the future big brother"Xiuying winked at him and with that playful assurance Soren looked up to the grey haired man,"Soren Seiju, sword apprentice, pleased to meet your acquaintance"Soren introduced himself with formality, extending his hand which Kale shook with a pleased smile, "Kale. A traveller from Kayunta, the pleasure is mine"
Soren motioned the three of them to the dining room where he sat on the center seat and Xiuying on hers, picking on her unfinished food.
"Well it's good to have another fellow here with me, it's quite lonely when you can't relate to your sisters' conversation....am I right?"he looked over Kale from the other side of the table who nodded his head in return. Xiuying paused from her actions and looked at her brother and Kale in disbelief, "See? Even he understands me. By the way, where's she heading to this time" Soren gave Xiuying the' I told you look' before he asked about his other sibling's whereabouts.
"I think she's going to Jadetown or umm I don't remember.. maybe in Tiolas with Agosti and von Vyrien?"
"Tiolas huh..."Soren said in deep thought "She'll take a while so it'll will be just the three of us in this house" the man stood from his seat to rummage the fridge for something to eat,"Heh, Linthea told us a lot about you, right Xiu?"He added with a mischievous tone after taking out a bowl of braised pork from the night before and exchanged look with his younger sibling as the girl excitedly nods her head.
"She told you all a lot about me?"
"Yes!"The two exclaimed in unison.
---------------
Meanwhile on Tiolas, Linthea could feel a betrayal going on behind her back. Soren must have arrived earlier than calculated and began to play his cards, she might not see them doing it but she can feel them.
Anywho...
Tiolas is seriously eerie as fuvk, it's deserted at first and the next moment you'll scare yourself from a tree. Standing on a rocky part of the forest, she could feel the Tiolan winds howling around, giving a sinister feeling as if forcing them out of the dark fauna and flora of the place.
Nonetheless, in her irritation, the rock she's been holding broke into pieces.
"Soren if you utter one word about me to him I'll kill you that even your girls won't be able save you!"She muttered a threat staring daggers at multicolored trees which dulled from her gaze every second.
Linthea's eyes widened in shock as her brows furrowed when something caught her attention, shadows dancing in the distance and in her peripheral vision but then disappeared into the woods as the wind faded into nothing but soft breaths of whisper.
"Heyy! Thea fan up! Calyx's got a lead where that witch has gone off to" Yato called behind that broke her concentration.
'I am just seeing things' she mentally told herself and turned to the black haired boy with the same age as her sister,"On my way!"She replied and hastened her way up to meet with her two companions.
"Calyx? can you hurry this shit up? This place is creeping me out!"Linthea meekly requests to the stern face of the bow apprentice who only clenched his jaw, looked at her with a deadpan expression and pinched the bridge of his nose.
Yato looked at his two seniors with interest in the background as Linthea complained and told the other of her recent experience and that other sighed, shaking his head; his voice raspy but soporific.
"Why are we always partnered together"
///////
Trivia:
Soren is a few steps in becoming a sword Shijo due to his unmatched abilities in fighting, he may also got his lady killer skills from his Shijo, Zyrion Tal Mino.