Chapter twenty five: Revisiting the elven village

Hi and Aria teleport back to to the heirs of fire palace to eat. Hi and Aria change back into more formal clothes and talk about the dungeon. "You did well back there!" Hi tells her. "So did you. You´re more competent than I thought." she answers. "I´m a hunter after all." Hi says continuing onwards. "All that fighting has me hungry!" Hi says. "Me too." Aria adds. They enter the dining hall and see their parents eating and drinking tea talking about their future. "Look who decided to show up. Where have you been?" Hi´s father asks him. "Hunting. In a dungeon to be precise!" Hi answers taking a seat. "With her are you crazy?" his mother tells him. "I can take good enough care of myself I´ll have you know." Aria answers sitting down beside him. "Calm down now." Aria´s mother tells her. "I am calm." she answers. "Now, now let´s not spoil the mood. Let´s mind our manners in the dining hall." Hi´s father says. "He´s right we came to eat not argue." Aria´s father says. "That´s right!" Hi says "Let´s dig in!" he adds and starts munching down on some meat and rice. "Try this." Aria says putting some vegetables on his plate. "Alright, this better be good." Hi says eating it up. "This actually is pretty good." Hi adds. "That´s the first time he said he likes his vegetables." Hi´s mother comments. Hi wants to object but Aria puts her hand on his shoulder to stop him. "It was cooked in the same pot the meat was cooked in so the meat juices are in there and the vegetables are from our own farm." Aria explains. "No wonder this tastes great!" Hi says continuing to eat. Aria and Hi finish their meals and start drinking some tea waiting to talk. "Thanks for the meal." they all say. "Have you decided when to hold the wedding?" Hi´s father asks. "In a week´s time." Hi answers. "That soon already. I´m not sure everyone will arrive in time with such a short notice." Hi´s father responds. "We have teleportation magic now don´t we?" Hi asks him. "That´s a good point. I´ll have our servants deliver the invitations." Hi´s father says waving some servants closer. "I gotta get a wedding dress before then too." Aria says. "You only notice that now?" her mother asks. "I do. I just had so much fun I didn´t have the time to think about that." Aria says. "You sure are a wild girl." her father says. "Not everyday I can cut loose and use my powers to it´s full potential." Aria adds. "That´s true a woman should be able to stay home and protect it." Hi´s mother says. "I thought you didn´t like that she uses her powers." Hi says. "I never said that. I just don´t like how you dragged her into a dangerous place like a dungeon." she answers. "Come on now she had fun didn´t she?" Hi asks looking at Aria. "It was time if it wasn´t for someone I know always getting hurt." Aria says. "I heal fast on my own you don´t have to worry about me." Hi says relaxed. "But I do worry." Aria says. "Ehem. Hi have you already decided what to wear at the wedding?" Hi´s father asks interrupting the awkwardness. "I have. I´ll have someone I know make me some clothes. With great quality and tropical materials." Hi says. "You sound very confident about their abilities." Aria says. "They´re my great friends. You wanna come too? I´m sure they´d love to meet you." Hi tells her. "I´d love to!" she says. "Make sure they make something fitting." Aria´s mother says. "I´ll make sure of that." she says. "When are we going?" she asks impatiently. "How about right now?" Hi asks standing up holding his hand out. Aria takes his hand and stands up too. Together they head out of the dining hall and put some travel clothes and shoes on. "These shoes are comfy. Where are they from?" Aria asks Hi. "From the west. I got some for you too I thought you got tired of wearing sandals everyday." Hi answers. "These are way better." She says. Hi puts a cloak on her. "I got this one too. Made by that friend I mentioned." Hi says. "This is soft and comfortable. These are really great quality. Mind telling me more about them?" she asks. "That´s a secret." Hi says. "That´s unfair!" she tells him. "I´m joking I´ll introduce you." he says teleporting them away to the village of the elves. "Where are we?" Aria asks looking around the village intruiged by the tropical climate and trees and elven architecture. "Elder, Look who showed up!" Gale says running up to them. "Gale! Nice to see you doing well." Hi tells him shaking his hand. "I´m already coming." The elder says coming up to them. "Ah, so you´ve picked up a wife." He says resting on his walking stick. "Haha. So I did." Hi says awkwardly. "Come on don´t make such a face. My name is Aria and I am from the Shui clan bearers of the primeval water." She says bowing. "Nice to meet you too." the elder says. "What honor to have you here! Let me show you around." Gale says bowing and leading the way. "What´s this being nice to other nobility but not me?" Hi asks. "We´re pals that´s different." Gale says walking along. "Thanks to Hi over there our Village is back up and running. We´ve taken our time and improved our defences and the buildings. Back there is our town hall and over there is the blacksmiths. Here we have our market and our wells and other things. And finally our clothing store." Gale says showing them around giving a quick tour through the new elven village made from a mix of wood and white stone giving a distinct elven look overgrown by some plants. The whole village is filled with thriving plantlife and gardens everywhere. "You really have upped your game!" Hi says. "Only thanks to you." the elder says. In front of the store is Vernon helping out the people fully rebuild and regrow the plants. "Ah, Hi so you´ve come to visit us." he says. "Looking better than the last time I saw you. Your aura has changed you´ve become stronger." Hi says. "Hi, my name is Aria I´m his wife." Aria says bowing. "You have a wife now?" Vernon asks surprised. "Is it strange or something? It´s normal for humans to engage early." Hi says. "You´re right time passes differently for you guys." Vernon says. Aria closely observes Vernon. "You´re spirit of nature aren´t you? I´ve seen water spirits before but not forest spirits. You are similiar but still unique in your own way." Aria says. "You´ve seen water spirits. They´re nice my sisters aren´t they?" he asks her. "They are. So it seems all spirits of nature are interconnected how interesting." Aria says. From the trees Yuxuan comes down atop her white tiger. "Hi has picked a woman I see." she says patting her tiger and giving him a treat. "I have, you got any problems with that?" Hi asks. "Hahaha. Look how serious you are. Good to see you again. Is it just me or have you gotten better looking?" she asks him. "Oh, shut up." Hi says. "And you are?" Aria asks her. "Yuxuan, nice to meet you." she says. Aria looks at Yuxuan´s clothes. She wears an orange feathered scarf with an orange dress made from fur flowing down on top of her pants and furry boots and her flute hanging from her necklace "You are from the beast tamers aren´t you?" she asks her. "I am how did you know?" she asks. "Your flute gave it away. And you do look nice in those clothes." Aria says. "Finally someone compliments my clothes." she says sighing. "But I compliment your clothes all the time." Vernon says. "You do and it´s become annoying hearing it from your face everytime." she says. "Anyway, I presume you came to get some new clothes. I just got some new materials." she adds getting some materials off her mount. "We have." Hi says. They enter the store and look at all the clothes being shown off. "So many different options!" Aria says interested in the western fashion. "New customers ?" someone asks. They look down and see a small elven lady. "Whose child is running this store?" Hi asks. Yuxuan, Aria and Gale all give him a smack on his head. "Show some respect!" Gale says. "Ouch what was that for?" Hi asks. They all laugh it off. "Her name is Irina, she is a famed designer even among our folks." Gale explains. "That´s right." she says. "Mother? There are new customers." someone else says another taller elven lady. "Take their measurements will you?" she tells her daughter. "Alright!" she answers taking the measurements and writing them down. Irina gets on top of a counter. "So what clothes do you need?" she asks. "Some wedding clothes." Hi says. "You are getting married, huh? I´ve just received some white fur and silk from Yuxuan. Got any details on how it should look?" she asks. "For me just a nice white suit with some embroidery." Hi says laying down a design one of his servants drew him. "Specifics I like that." she says studying the reference. "And you lady?" she asks. Yuxuan pushes Hi out of the room. "What is going on?" Hi asks confused. "It´s a custom here not to see your bride´s dress before marriage." she answers waiting outside with him. "So it is." Hi says waiting around. Back inside. "I would like something like that." Aria says pointing at a design of a western dress. "Like that one. Hmm. You´ve got taste." she says taking it down giving it to her daughter. She revamps the design and makes i more flowy and wavy. The dress looks very nice with sleeves, gloves and a veil al embroidered with some blue waves. "That´s perfect." she says. "Now get out. It should be done in a few hours." she says. "Thank you!" Aria says leaving the room. "Let´s go explore the town!" Aria says dragging Hi behind her. "Huh?" Hi says confused getting dragged by her. "Alright, you can let go I won´t run away." Hi says.