New home

A few seconds later, the nature witch resolved to open her eyes cautiously and delicately, stunned. She could not believe she was still alive.

"What happened? She asked almost to herself while looking around. I thought we would all be consumed by this fire. But... we weren't!"

And more importantly, we came out of it without a scratch and in perfect condition. She added but inwardly.

Miron shrugged his shoulders.

"Just a little accident. Luck helped us."

Although he did not think a word of what he said, besides they did not have to do it considering the demonstration of inconceivable strength that he had realized in front of the flabbergasted witch.

This one, still not believing it, also had difficulty in realizing the state of the place which surrounded them, and this at hundreds of meters in the round.

"Woah! It's extraordinary, everything is destroyed."

All the creatures around them were blindly running away, making loud noises, in a total delirium.

"I don't know what kind of power you are using."

And the witch stared at Miron suspiciously, deeply fascinated by this young being but who also inspired an almost visceral terror in her and who was eating away at her with a disturbing barbarity.

"But you frighten the beings of Oliar, who have lived there in peace forever. If I let you stay here, you could destroy this entire forest. Then," she stopped for a second, hesitating before deciding, "it's best for you to come with me, with your friend and your beast of course."

Miron in turn observed the extensive damage he had caused, very extensive and terrifying, although it was in an effort to save them.

"Very well, then."

Miron turned to Kei.

"Let's follow her for now, we'll decide later what to do."

Kei accepted without protesting this decision taken by his friend alone with alarming speed. And besides, he would have been completely incapable of thinking about anything so much that what he almost caused shook his mind.

So they left the forest of Oliar together. Clarine shone, wrapped again in a natural green aura, she soon began to jump and move at an incredible speed. Kei in turn concentrated and stirred the earth, turning it into an ocean of furious waves, on which he carried Miron and the beast. Clarine was impressed by Kei's magic and mastery.

"Not bad, your talent, little magician. Really not bad. So I'm going to believe that this incident with the fire was a pure accident," she added with a mischievous smile that made the blond boy blush.

They embarked on a long road, moving with incredible speed, and followed her to a city, as vast and splendid as it was lively. After a few minutes of entering the brilliant area, they stopped in front of a house along a wide street. It was an old and large three-storey building, whose green and white walls were covered with various creepers and very moving climbing plants, the majority of which bore healthy fruit, that undeniably testified to the beauty of its owner's magic and devotion. On the front facade of the house was a black panel with a golden yellow name, probably that of the house or more precisely of the business that was established there. Clarine pointed it out with pride.

"Voila - "Chez Clarine". You see before you what represents my home and my workplace to me."

The witch held out her hand. The leaves and flowers of the plants slowly spread out to let them pass, and the door opened.

"Welcome to my home, my children. This is a tea shop."

The lights came on as if by magic, Clarine smiled pleasantly.

"Without wanting to brag, this place serves the best tea in town, you will soon see for yourself. But before you taste it," she pointed out in a firm voice, pointing, "you must first take a shower and change. Come with me."

Miron and Kei saw that they still wore the black and scarlet combat suits which they had put on for the Moon Child, and found that they were indeed dying to clean themselves and put on clean clothes. Yet the young prodigy hesitated as he looked at their beast, and the witch understood at once.

"Do not worry. Your beast stays behind the house, it's safer, there's an empty hut behind, it will be fine there. There's only one guest room in the house, which I'm afraid you'll have to share."

Clarine opened a door and let the boys in. Miron thought he had to say something.

"Thank you very much, it's no problem at all to share, you know, we're both used to it. Even this time it will be just the two of us."

"What do you think of her?" Kei asked after the witch let them get comfortable in their new room.

"Nothing at the moment, almost nothing. What I've seen so far has satisfied me to let her welcome us into her home so easily. What did you think?"

"I suspect so, but only now, for before, back there in the forest, something else much more imposing occupied my mind, as you have very well seen beside."

Miron laughed.

"You are such a fool."

"Yes, but...do you think there is really no danger here in her home?"

"Yes, I'm sure of it for now. And then," and Miron bit his lips before admitting, "she's fine."

He made this admission with a hesitation tinged with a gentleness that touched Kei greatly.

"Wow!" the young blond expressed with a dumbfounded face, "and all this in the first few days. Really, the outside world is really more full of hope and clarity than I expected!"

They smiled at each other for a moment, then Kei turned dark again.

"And her, Clarine, why do you think she accosted us? The perfect strangers that we are, even if only as young boys?"

"Reasons that are not entirely without interest, I suppose, and I don't blame her in the least, because for me too, help should be reciprocal, it's just that in Athok, the balance was totally off."

Kei considered his friend for a long time before nodding.

"Miron, you know that I trust you blindly and that I will always follow you in all your decisions, good or bad. If you say we can stay, then we stay."

In the evening, the beast was installed behind the house, eating with great pleasure new but simple and succulent dishes, served in a large bowl. The three members quietly took dinner at the table in the kitchen. With a big smile, Clarine kindly asked if the two boys enjoyed the meal.

"Very very good!" Miron nodded, feeling a little more relaxed.

"It's even better than the royal meal made for us." Kei answered again carelessly, not even bothering to think about what he should say.

Clarine naturally did not understand.

"Royal meal?"

Miron smiled, deciding to reveal some detail.

"This is the last dinner we two were supposed to have in that filthy, cursed place we ran away from. So it was specially prepared."

At first hesitant, Clarine finally decided to ask a few questions, so intrigued was she by the two boys. Moving forward cautiously, she ventured to try to tear the mysterious veils that hid the past of her young magi.

"Could you tell me about this place?"

While Miron and Kei remained silent, she continued gently.

"You know, boys, we just met today, and in a most unusual way, so when I offered you to come and stay with me, I promised myself I would never hurry you to tell me your story. You can take all the time you need to recover and let your confidence grow, not to mention the fact that you would be allowed to stay here as long as you wish. So when you feel ready, you can come and talk to me about yourself and your past. I promise I will listen to you and do my best to help you."

Miron stared at his hostess to gauge the depth of her sincerity. No doubt satisfied with his review, Miron smiled gratefully.

"Thank you very much. And I think I knew that at first glance. We had hoped that you were someone we could trust. And knowing that you're the first person we've met since we've been free, we're glad to see that we haven't been disappointed in our expectations. Even in such a short time we know how kind you are. And as for the truth, the place where we were both imprisoned is not really a secret, nor are our stories. We might even tell you about it as early as tomorrow if you're really willing to listen."

Astonished then touched by the direct and sincere words of her new boys, Clarine smiled even more gently at them, her eyes misty.

"You don't have to do it, I mean so soon."

But still inflexible, Miron only shrugged her shoulders.

"It's not serious. We're free now and that's what matters most. We only hope that the guardians of this abominable place won't come here to take us back and hurt you."

The witch stood up, confident.

"Do not worry. It may not be easy, but I'm strong."

"I don't doubt it," Kei intervened amused. "But so am I. I'm capable of manipulating all the elements of nature. And Miron here," he continued, pointing to Miron, "is so powerful that most of the time, so terrified by his greatness, I wonder if I made the right choice to become his friend.

"Uh, Kei, that's not a compliment."

"So here's the three of us being strong." the young blond boy continued tactlessly, as if his friend hadn't said anything. "We will protect you to the end and in every way."

Clarine cheerfully clapped her hand.

"Perfect, so I'm sure we have nothing more to fear, we are three extremely strong mages to fight evil. In short, since we are safe, have you finally chosen the name of your beast?"

"Yes, Sheno." Kei taxed without hesitation.

"Sheno?"

"Yes! It's cute and short. There's no need for a long and complicated name, it would be awkward. Sheno's pretty good."

Miron looked at his friend ironically.

"I thought we were supposed to choose together?"

Instead of feeling offended or guilty, Kei displayed a face full of misplaced confidence.

"Well, since I'm the one who found him and saved him, I think I deserve to choose his name!"

The young prodigy shook his head as usual, scoffed.

"I see. I see. If you and Sheno agree, especially Sheno, I have no reason to argue."

Miron hesitated.

"But maybe we should have left Sheno in the forest. There was all the space and food he wanted, not to mention all the other creatures he'd be happy to live with. Here it's cramped and probably suffocating."

Clarion soothed him by telling him her impression.

"No, my precious one, Sheno just wanted to stay with you, that's all. Anyway, there are a lot of beasts living in the city. Besides, the restaurant isn't far from the forest. He could go back there anytime."

"Do you think so," he still asked, wanting to be persuaded.

"Yes!" the confident witch supported. "It's perfect like that."

Kei still wished he had asked the beautiful witch so bright why she had taken him And Miron into her home, but in the end, he didn't have to because her whole expression gave it away as she looked at his friend.

"Miron, you look so much like him."