4.2

Rey understood that, from the vampire's point of view, she could no longer lower herself to the level of a foolish woman who had lived far less time. She was also angry at not being understood and urged to fight to prove her right by force.

Ehimus defiantly put her hands on either side of her waist and rose on the tips of her toes to appear taller.

Rey took a deep breath. He closed his eyes and turned around. He intended to continue on his way, but didn't realize he was in the path of the light elf who was coming rushing to the scene. Too late to react: Rey covered himself with his hands and slid one of his feet backwards preparing for the collision, however, the "silver-haired elf" ran through him like it was nothing. The experience lasted only a second. Rey, while inside that body, saw everything black, but also felt the overwhelming sound of the organs doing their work.

Mijan, who came to intervene resentful and annoyed at having to deal with all the divergences in the group, went on.

"What if women. What if sex. What if alcohol. What about pleasures. All Of-Grecians are the same. And now these two! Give me a fucking break, will you? Katherine, Ehimus, stop making my life more miserable than it is. Please fight a little lower and where no one will see you, or I'll have to kill you."

Ehimus began to shout:

"Uri-Uri-Uri-Uri-Uri!"

At the same time, he ran with his hands raised with the intention of escaping from Mijan and shouting so loud as not to hear Mijan's claims. As soon as Katherine looked at the light elf, he tensed up completely. Rey could tell that Mijan had the attitude of someone who regretted addressing a physically stronger and more intimidating member.

The little girl in green stopped when, before her eyes, at the end of the path, a whole enigmatic building became distinguishable to her, whose structure blended perfectly with the surrounding landscape and did not seem to be part of the forest.

Everyone looked where she was looking.

Rey, the child that no one saw, knew that this was the place where he was born, but the adults did not. They were amazed as soon as they saw the very particular mansion that was named home by the Great Wise Wizard.

It was as if it was the first time they had seen a facility that was laden with fine leaves, leaves that disappeared in the morning and also acted as walls. Behind the intertwined green and dew, one could also see sturdy white walls that, without having a solid base, levitated through the air on the ground, as they came from above along with the leaves. The immense structure, lacking windows, but full of fine and graceful edges, swayed in the breeze of the gentle wind, as did the trees in the surroundings. A small staircase of five steps, made up of roots, seemed to be what joined the earth to the residence, straight out of the most fantastic fairy tale. Although, up close, not even the stairs touched the ground.

Without ceasing to inspect with their eyes and questioning the safety of the immense structure, the group arrived at the foot of it.

Heroclades, the most excited of them all, was the first to climb the five steps and, grinning from ear to ear, knocked five times on the door. No one answered. He knocked again and this time added in a loud and energetic voice a "hello, is anyone there?", but silence was still present. Behind the wooden entrance there seemed to be nothing and no one. The echoing knocking made the place resemble an empty shell. With no response, the tan-skinned man turned around and with the word in his mouth almost swallowed his tongue from the shock he took. Eliminating the wide grin he wore on his face, he proceeded to scratch his chin and stammer as he closed one eye and opened the other.

"Since when was she behind us and we still weren't paying attention to her? Impressive. Only a "Life Snatcher" or an "Aura Controller" could move so close to me without me noticing, leaving out the others."

Heroclades had reason to be surprised. Despite the alert state in which those present were in, a woman with secretive airs and dark dress, of some white stripes, appeared behind everyone unnoticed. In a real combat, or if it had been an ambush, one of the members of the group would surely end up dead. Such an incident was a problem to consider.

Rey, as a good spectator, was the first to infer the reason why his and his father's master was arguing with himself. He also knew the harmless purpose of the curious maid who wore an apron and had appeared behind Lobato Wulfgang, who was the last of the group after Katherine had joined.

"What's wrong with Hero?" asked Ehimus mockingly, for she reminded him of a senile old man from home. Her shrill voice again broke the peaceful silence that seemed to have lasted a long time. Mijan again complained. Katherine said with irritation that if for a moment she could keep quiet. Then Wulfgang asked:

"Hero?"

"Fang, can you feel her?..." said Heroclades.

The lycanthrope was silent at the question, closed his eyes and with his nose sucked in as much air as he could. Once inside, Wulfgang let out the air he had breathed in and returned a confident look to his master.

Rey did not understand the reason for this gesture, he only saw his father with confident expressions.

Lacking reason to further procrastinate the suspense of his so unusual behavior, Heroclades raised his hand and pointed with his index finger.

The members of the group averted their gazes, turned their necks and even turned their bodies to follow where the finger pointed, right to the end of the line. Beyond Wulfgang, stood a female body whose hands were held behind her back and eyes wide open, like a child who wanted to see something without touching it.

Maryam made her closed eyelids blink. Mijan could not help but reflexively recoil. Ehimus opened her eyes in surprise and Katherine clicked her tongue. Rey could notice how, except for the young wolf and the tan-furred old man, the other members took caution, barely catching sight of the maid who had appeared out of nowhere behind them. Wearing a white apron over her long black dress, she seemed to ignore the negative behaviors of those present, not because they meant her to be attacked, but because she could not take her eyes off Maryam. Rey could sense an unusual feeling in the Sylvia he knew. "If I had to describe it, I would say she doesn't look at my mother, she looks at where my mother is. On my father's hands. She looks as if she's losing something that belongs to her."

After so much tension in the atmosphere, Wulfgang turned and, before he could say anything, he heard a question.

"Why is she in your arms carried in the same way that knights carry princesses in fairy tales?"

Wulfgang, deciding not to be impolite, answered with kindness and understanding:

"Since she is very weak and I feel that for the time being it is better that she rest in my arms."

Slowly, Maryam opened her eyes as if to see whose interested voice was speaking to her beloved. The attentive maid reported the vampire's behavior to the wolf cub with an "oh, look... She's opening her eyes."

Maryam, looked up to meet her beloved's face, then faintly turned her head and observed the young woman wearing a servant's apron.

"Hello. If it is not inconvenient for me to ask, may I know who you are, curious young lady?" she asked with a pleasant expression on her face, she who, at all times, behaved politely and courteously.

"Who am I!" As someone who had realized that her feelings were taking the initiative, at the question, she rectified her posture, changed the expressions on her face and bowing gracefully continued. "I am Silvia Dina The-Third Of-Heavens."

After introducing herself when her name, provenance and descent were requested with a simple "who are you?", she returned to neglecting her demeanor as one who had no further obligation to remain polite or elegant. Inside, Silvia had marveled at being called a young lady, and she could not restrain herself from asking:

"Why are your eyes so blue and your skin so white? Why do you call me a young lady when you obviously look younger than me?"

Maryam picked up the lock of hair hanging in front of her face and played with it in her right hand.

"My eyes are blue like those of my ancestors, as are my skin and hair. They represent one of the marks that distinguish my lineage, a lineage that has lasted almost as long as time itself."

After answering, she smiled showing part of the fangs that protruded from her lips and then gave a seductively serious look, the same look a child would give at the sight of one more toy that perhaps she could add to her collection.

As the elusive maid spoke to the vampire, Rey could tell how everyone's expressions were relaxing on their faces and they seemed to ponder. "Perhaps it was because she, at no time, showed bad intentions or any kind of hostile behavior as to cause those present to continue to act so suspicious. It was time to forgive, and even if they took the event as a warning, there was no reason for them to continue to fight. The maid and the Great Wise Wizard possessed so much power as to wipe out anyone present, and yet they chose peace, friendship and understanding. It was a kind of respect they could show and precisely how strong that was the reason they trusted so much. It wasn't that they didn't have enough reason to wage war and unleash a fight. His father and the group were newcomers to the place, they looked different, they had other customs and who was to say that they would not do harm. But it's useless to keep thinking about that," the little boy said to himself.

The person in charge of receiving and attending to the guests decided to change the subject. She seemed to be feeling a shiver down her spine, provoked by the vampire's intentions. Even Rey had noticed that her mother could take her whims very seriously. She tended to analyze, calculate and ponder all her actions, and more so if they were for the purpose of satisfying her personal entertainment.

Silvia, somewhat uncomfortable at feeling the direct flirtation of someone of the same sex, decided to change the subject:

"How careless of me, I didn't invite them in."