Aethernea

by Cloe D Frost

  Kiel furrowed his eyebrows. What does she intend to do? He followed her gaze to Rhur, who had just been handed the receipt.

  However, before he could figure out Elaru’s intentions, suddenly Rhur’s confident and soft smile stiffened, and his face visibly paled.

  Elaru took a sip of her wine and added cheerfully. “Master Rhur, are you alright? You are looking a bit pale?” Her mouth couldn’t help but curl into a sly smirk. “Perhaps you should drink more wine? That should help with the blood flow.”

  Rhur’s eyebrows started twitching violently. If he was a person with less poise, he would be spewing blood from frustration right about now. Drink more wine?! Help with the blood flow?!? This vixen…! She did it on purpose!! She has been teasing me all along!!

  Suddenly, Kiel’s eyes widened in realization. His head snapped to the side, and his eyes zoomed in on the small text on the wine bottle.

  What he read left him speechless.

  Lileron Passion was a two-hundred-year-old limited-edition wine produced from a rare variety of grapes. Its price was no doubt staggering.

  No wonder it didn’t appear on the menu. Even grandfather would not casually drink such wine.

  “Elaru, just how expensive is Lileron Passion?”

  A merry laughter reverberated inside his head. “Let’s just say that your brother won’t be bringing girls here for a while…”

  Kiel’s lips involuntarily morphed into a wide grin, and he couldn’t stop himself from blurting out: “What’s wrong, older brother? Don’t tell me you didn’t bring enough money to pay for the meal? Do you need me to lend you some coins?”

  Rhur’s eyebrow started twitching more violently. Wasn’t that the exact thing he asked Kiel earlier?!

  And that wasn’t even the worst thing! He had promised to pay for the meal! He couldn’t go back on his own promise!

  Rhur coughed softly, but his throat seemed to be a bit dry. “You sure like to joke, little brother. How could I let my little brother pay with his hard earned quest money? If I, the future head of the family, don’t have enough money to pay for my meals, then who would have enough money?”

  Although he said that, his next words directed to the waiter revealed the reality of the situation: “Put it on my tab…”

  Rhur looked bitterly towards the wine bottle. How did the redhead know of this wine? It’s as if she picked it straight from the list of top 10 most expensive wines!

  After getting his emotions in control, Rhur’s smile returned to his face, and he looked back at Elaru. “Elaru Wayvin… I’ll remember this.”

  Rhur Rroda wasn’t stupid. As soon as he saw the bill, he realized that he had been played for a fool. This little red headed vixen was an extremely good actor. She was pretending to be ignorant and harmless while plotting against him from the start. And he fell for it. He even ordered two bottles of Lileron Passion. Those two bottles were more expensive than their weight in gold!

  Elaru grinned widely, finally revealing her true nature. “I too will remember such a wonderful meal. We should repeat this in the future.” Then she motioned her glass of wine towards Rhur as if saying “Cheers” and downed it.

  Rhur’s eyebrow involuntarily twitched again. Only if you pay for it next time. – he thought, but what came out of his mouth was completely different: “I am looking forward to it. It was a pleasure meeting you, Lady Wayvin.”

  This female was a lupax in meep clothing. But that was alright. He preferred the feisty ones. It was much more satisfying to subdue those who are putting up a fight than those who surrender quickly. The more difficult to deal with his prey was, the more fun it was to catch it.

  Rhur wasn’t discouraged in the least. No. It was quite the opposite.

  You won this round, Elaru Wayvin. But next time, it will be my win. Rhur’s eyes lit up with even more fervor than before. Oh, how I will enjoy spanking you into submission…

  He could barely restrain himself. He could barely wait.

  In fact, as soon as he got home, he would investigate this girl. He would not leave their next meeting to fate.

  “The pleasure is all mine, Master Rroda.” Elaru responded with a small smirk still playing at the corner of her lips.

  “Please call me Rhur.” Rhur smiled a dazzling smile that was no less brilliant that Kiel’s pretty smiles. You can leave the “master” for bed talk.

  Elaru responded with her own dazzling smile. Ayah looked away, those two smiles were so bright one couldn’t look straight at them. “As you wish, Rhur.” She spoke in a husky voice that gave Rhur pleasant chills.

  * * *

  The two “couples” walked out of Black Pearl, the atmosphere around them looked perfectly amiable on the first glance. Luckily, even peacekeepers weren’t allowed in the vicinity of the restaurant, let alone Rroda men, so Kiel and Elaru didn’t run into an ambush on their way in and out of the restaurant.

  “When will you be returning to the mainhouse, little brother?” Rhur asked. He needed to repay him for this trick the two of them played. And his own home turf would be the perfect place for it.

  “I have a few more things to take care of before I stop by.” Kiel said nonchalantly. “I’ll be there in a few days.”

  “Feel free to bring Lady Wayvin with you. I’d love to show her around the Rroda mainhouse.” Rhur winked. Kiel’s eyebrow twitched. Lady Wayvin this, Lady Wayvin that, can you be any more annoying?

  The two couples moved towards the crossroads so slowly that they couldn’t go any slower. Rhur wanted to see in which direction the two were going so he could choose to go in the same direction. Kiel, on the other hand, had exactly the same idea, which resulted in both of them trying to fall behind the other one.

  In the end, they reached the crossroads at the same exact time. The two brothers stared at each other, neither taking the initiative to choose a path.

  In the end, it was Elaru that broke the stalemate by pulling Kiel by the arm and Accelerating to the roof. She half smirked half smiled and waved Rhur goodbye in a relaxed, slightly taunting manner.

  Her being able to use Augmentation magic caught Rhur by surprise, so he didn’t react to follow fast enough. Augmentation magic?! Isn’t she supposed to be a commoner? Where did she get a mana purifying artifact?!

  When Rhur came back to his senses, it was already too late. The two of them had jumped down from the roof to the other side of the building, away from Rhur’s line of sight.

  Before their feet even touched the ground, their auras completely disappeared.

  Rhur swore internally and decided to drop the pursuit. He didn’t want to seem like a stalker. He shouldn’t cling too tightly.

  After turning invisible, Kiel and Elaru waited for Rhur to leave, before returning to the Black Pearl restaurant once again. This time, disguised under two black cloaks.

  It would be both embarrassing and suspicious if the same two people who just left the restaurant came back once again. However, they couldn’t leave before they fulfilled what they came here to do.

  * * *

  As soon as the two of them were once again alone in the room, they removed their cloaks and stared at each other. Both of their faces slowly morphed into wide grins, looking like two scheming vulpies.

  Finally, they could let loose everything they wanted to do and say.

  “I should have known you had an evil plan up your sleeves!” Kiel let out a deep chuckle.

  “Indeed. Considering how many times I’ve one-upped you so far, you should have seen it coming.”

  “Ah! So you finally admit to doing it!”

  “Did I say one-upping? I meant to say team-upping with you to beat your brother.”

  Kiel rolled his eyes. “We did make a good team. Did you see his face when he saw the bill?”

  “Priceless!” Elaru burst out in laughter.

  “I wish there was an artist here to capture the moment into a painting.” Kiel sighed regretfully.

  “No need for the painter. His miserable expres
sion shall forever stay imprinted in my memory. Oh, such poise, such elegance! Simply the epitome of grace!”

  “Pffft!” Kiel could no longer contain it and joined in on her laughter. “You have no idea. He is so graceful that if you punched him, he’d fall down with such incomparable grace! Even if you pushed him down the stairs, he’d do a fabulously graceful roll to the bottom!”

  “Nooo!” Elaru covered her mouth with her hands in both shock and excitement. “Don’t tell me you pushed him down the stairs before?”

  Kiel smirked. “I was grounded for half a year, but it was totally worth it.”

  “Uuuuu! Who would have thought that Kiel Rroda has a violent and devious side too?” Elaru’s grin was so wide it couldn’t get any wider. “Nice! I wish I could have seen that!” She gave him a thumbs up.

  “There are plenty of staircases in Muni… if you know what I mean?” Kiel winked.

  “Kyaaaa~~ Stop enticing me! If I run into him inside Muni, my hand just might accidentally slip…”

  The two laughed merrily until their eyes were red from tears and their faces hurt from grinning too much. Several times, they managed to calm down, only to look at each other and burst into laughter once again.

  It had been a long time since Elaru had laughed carefreely like this.

  And for Kiel, it had been an even longer time. A time so long that he couldn’t remember ever laughing like this.

  * * *

  Coming up in the next episode:

  Buried deep down within him, there was a sleeping monster that was everything he didn’t want to be. A dangerous, bestial, sleeping dragon capable of doing anything to get that which he desired. A ticking time bomb that just needed a trigger.

  “How did you…?!?!” Abruptly, he stopped himself, realizing he almost gave himself away. “I mean, you have me confused with someone else.”

  He hesitated and looked to the right where a youth was slumped face first on the bar, surrounded by several empty liquor bottles. One would think that the pretty faced youth was unconscious if it weren’t for his mumbling under his breath and hiccups that shook his body every few seconds.

  “Ah. You are either talking about Light or Night.”

  “Can you be—believe what happ—ened to me today? I got—robbed…” An especially vicious hiccup made him pause for several second before finishing his statement. “In broad daylight!”

  Episode 88 – Light and Night

  Episode 88 – Light and Night

  Previously:

  Elaru picks up Kiel’s ring and the two of them go to Black Pearl restaurant where she intends to give him the ring and explain its usage. Unfortunately, as they enter the lobby of the restaurant, they run into Rhur Rroda – Kiel’s older brother, and his date. Kiel and Rhur engage in a word battle, both trying to humiliate each other. Their stalemate is broken when Elaru joins the fray, and Rhur ends up suffering heavy monetary losses because of an overly expensive wine Elaru tricked him into ordering.

  The four leave Black Pearl after their lunch, however, Kiel and Elaru return back because they haven’t yet accomplished their goal behind coming to Black Pearl restaurant. After they are left alone in a private booth, the two enjoy their victory over Rhur.

  * * *

  The two laughed merrily until their eyes were red from tears and their faces hurt from grinning too much. Several times, they managed to calm down, only to look at each other and burst into laughter once again.

  It had been a long time since Elaru had laughed carefreely like this.

  And for Kiel, it had been an even longer time. A time so long that he couldn’t remember ever laughing like this.

  For a moment, Kiel forgot all his inhibitions. He forgot that he was supposed to be suppressing these feelings that overflowed with no rime or reason, this rampaging tide of emotions that he couldn’t help but fear.

  For what Kiel feared the most was the loss of control.

  He dreaded losing control of his own fate, yet, what he feared even more, was losing control of himself.

  For buried deep down within him, there was a sleeping monstrosity that was everything he didn’t want to be. A dangerous, bestial creature ready to bare its fangs to anyone standing in its way. A ticking time bomb that just needed a trigger.

  No matter how he despised it, no matter how he tried to ignore it – through his veins ran the blood of a Rroda.

  * * *

  In a small, secluded alley in the oldest neighborhood of Ashar, there was an old-fashioned bar. The wooden entrance to the establishment was rustic looking, while the blurred glass on the windows gave it a mysterious look.

  The insides were just as old fashioned as the outside, filled with wooden tables and chairs. In the middle of the establishment was a bar counter, behind which stood a middle-aged argel appearing to be in his fifties. He was tall and thin, with sunken eyes and a stiff, emotionless face. His neatly combed dark brown hair was littered with many gray strands.

  The man was wiping mugs and wine glasses, occasionally looking through the blurry windows to the outside, occasionally looking at the youth who half-sat at the bar counter and half-laid on top of it.

  A sound of jingling bells attracted the man’s attention towards the entrance, where a giant black ball was trying to pass through the doorframe. The sight was quite bizarre, as if someone took a human sized airbalt ball, covered it with a black blanket and tried to roll it through the door only to get stuck.

  Although the sight was nothing short of hilarious, the bartender remained as apathetic as ever, no humor showing in his black eyes.

  After several seconds of wiggling, the ball managed to squeeze through the door and staggered to the bar, where it proceeded to occupy several bar stools.

  The bartender waited for the ball to catch its breath before asking. “Goddas, how may I help you today?”

  The black ball gasped. “How did you…?!?” Abruptly, the ball stopped speaking, realizing he almost gave himself away. No one was supposed to know who he was, that’s why he came wearing a black cloak.

  The fatty coughed a few times before replying. “I mean… you have me confused with someone else.”

  The bartender stared at him speechlessly. How many people were there in Ashar that looked like a human sized riceball? How could he possibly confuse him with someone else?

  Goddas looked around himself, checking if there was anyone in the vicinity who could eavesdrop on his conversation with the bartender. His eyes landed on the slumped figure a few seats to the right of him.

  The head of the elibu youth was lying on top of the counter, surrounded by several empty liquor bottles. His black hair was tied in a long, thin braid, that hung limply down the side of his neck, almost reaching the floor.

  The youth was mumbling curses under his breath, seemingly complaining about something. Every few seconds a sneeze or a hiccup would shake his body, interrupting his mumbling.

  “Don’t mind him. You can speak freely.” The bartender didn’t even bother to look at the youth.

  Goddas kept quiet for a moment, deliberating where to start. Goddas, like the great majority of people that come to this old bar, didn’t come here to drink liquor.

  This unremarkable-looking bar was actually one of many branches of the Shadow Lodge.

  And this old bartender was a “handler”. A person responsible for providing information both to the clients and to the agents working for the Shadow Lodge.

  If you wanted something done that wasn’t quite legal, this was the place where you could get it done. If you wanted to take a well-paid shady job, this was the place where you could get it.

  Lastly, if you wanted information about the activities of the Shadow Lodge and its agents, this would be the place to get it. And this information was exactly what Goddas was looking for: “Recently I’ve been dealing with a certain…”

  Goddas swallowed the curse word he almost spoke out, remembering that it might not be a good idea to curse a Shadow Lodge agent in front
of another Shadow Lodge agent. “…gentleman… that I believe to be one of your Shadows. Therefore, I came seeking more information about him.”

  The bartender kept quiet, waiting for Goddas to elaborate.

  Goddas squinted his eyes and thought back to the blasted black cloaked buttcracker that always came unannounced and uninvited. He thought back to the face of the man, illuminated by the lightning flash and started to describe him to the bartender.

  He described the man, however, he omitted the fact that he already had a clue as to what the man’s nickname was.

  The bartender remained quiet for several seconds before speaking out. “The man you are talking about is most likely either Light or Night. The two of them are twins and SS ranked Shadows.”

  Goddas sucked in a breath. SS ranked?!

  The total number of mages ranked above S rank in the entire land of Halnea didn’t exceed two hundred. Since only a small percentage of those mages were working for the Shadow Lodge, there couldn’t be more than 20 SS and SSS ranked Shadows in the entire land of Halnea.

  What are the odds of running into one of those monsters? Goddas cursed his bad luck.

  The bartender gave Goddas a solemn look before continuing: “Night is the older of the two. He is vindictive, overprotective of his younger brother, and has a knack for getting into trouble. The younger of the two, Light, has a…sense of humor… He is patient and rarely loses his temper. Most of the time he has his hands full with keeping Night in check and out of trouble.”

  The bartender paused.

  “For your sake, I hope you are dealing with Light…”

  Goddas gulped. It should be Light? Right, right?? He did say his nickname was Light!

  The fatty fidgeted in his seat. The old wooden floor under him squeaked in protest. “Tell me more about them… what… what kind of Shadows are they?”

  The bartender looked down on the glass he was wiping, pausing slightly before responding. “Night is a master at intelligence gathering. It is rumored that there isn’t a single person more capable at reading people in the entire Shadow Lodge. He is an extremely tricky person to deal with. It is as if he can read your mind, you simply can’t hide anything from him.