A Visit and an Unexpected surprise [plot/private]

Ariella tapped her fingers on the top of the eatery table anxiously, awaiting the arrival of her brother. He had sent word that his ship had arrived in the night and he would meet her here for a late lunch to avoid the crowds. She had made an effort to look the part of a socialite, knowing he was not accustomed to seeing her in her more plain clothing. When the bell over the door tinkled, she looked up in anticipation, a warm smile gracing her lips as a tall man with waist length blonde hair walked in. He was dressed more formally, as expected, though he was not in the robes of the Academy, apparently taking the opportunity of being out of the region to make use of his large wardrobe. His blue eyes crinkled in joy as she stood gracefully and gave him a polite, expected hug and a gentle kiss on the cheek.

“Aw, come on Ari, no one here to criticize!”

With those words, she leaped up and wrapped her arms around his neck, squeezing him tightly. Though there was no love lost between her parents and herself, she and Adius had always been close. With his studies, he was often away from home for large amounts of time, but their childhood had been filled with friendship and pranks, not the cold, distant “affection” of her parents. He returned to hug by sweeping her around in a circle and laughing loudly before setting her carefully on the floor.

“My goodness, you have grown up, haven’t you?”

She nodded and led him to the table she had been sitting at, ordering tea for both of them. He filled her in on his boat trip over and on some of the studies that he had been performing, she told him about her trip to Balbadd and then learning under Figuro, thanking him profusely for the list of magicians he had provided to her. After ordering food and eating while filling each other in on the basics of what had been happening in their lives, Ariella told him more about what she had been doing in Reim. Though she mentioned Xenos and the Grumptoes, she made it sound like Xenos was a friend and assisted her with jobs, while she made the Grumptoes seem more like a group of hard-knock kids she was helping to better themselves.

Adius seemed impressed with her progress since leaving Magnostadt, even more impressed when she explained she was beginning to learn the basics of Life magic. She did not mention her untimely death or her systemic demolishing of several slave traders. Once the small talk was over, she gave him a pointed look.

“Adius, why did you really come? As much as I love seeing you, I know that you would not be coming unless mother and father sent you. You are far to dedicated to your studies to take off for a while to see the family disappointment.”

Adius sighed, knowing that he could not fool his precocious younger sibling. The visual difference between the two was striking, her being short with purple hair and golden eyes, whereas he was quite tall and had blonde hair and blue eyes. Not many were able to detect the angular features on their face that denoted them as siblings. But while there was a visual difference, they shared the same high level of intelligence.

“Mother is demanding that you come home for a ball. You left before she could present you to Magnostadt society as coming of age and she is quite upset. Apparently her friends see it as a slight to her parenting, that she would allow a young girl to travel alone instead of keeping her cooped up inside to try on pretty dresses and deal with boring tutors.”

Ariella grumbled at the words, hoping that her time away from home would have been enough for her parents to understand that she had no intention of participating in their social functions, much less one centered around her. She would not be put up on display as the newest eligible woman in Magnostadt to be drooled and sought after by the snooty, snobby, delusional boys that saw her as nothing but a status symbol and chance to produce a powerful magician, due to her unfailing lineage. They had not had a non-magician born into her family for at least four generations and many saw it as a “pure” line, never tainted by those outside of Magnostadt. If only they knew the tiny family secret about her grandmother. She shook her head angrily.

“No, I am not coming home, especially not for that. Her friends can go find the nearest magic tool to drain their magoi into until they die for all I care. I have no intention of ever returning to Magnostadt, if it can be avoided. I’m sorry, but no. Mother and Father have given me no familial reasons to visit, you are always busy at school and grandmother and grandfather are now both dead. I refuse.”

Adius nodded and laughed softly, holding up a hand to stay her words.

“I assumed you would say that, and I agree. Your place is not there, you were too stifled. While I enjoy the perks of our life there, it was never what you wanted. And I am fine with that. But, I only agreed to come on mother’s behalf because of something else. About Grandmother.”

Ariella’s interest peaked. Grandmother had died a couple of months ago, just before she had left the estate and was the final breaking point for her. Her grandparents had been the best people in Magnostadt she had ever known, Grandmother doing a great deal to soften her bear of a grandfather, apparently. She practically danced in her seat as she waited for Adius to continue.

“Well, as you may or may not know, mother finally got over her “emotional” reservation, and I use emotional quite lightly, to taking care of Grandmother’s estate ad we went over to sort through the heirlooms there and prepare the house to be closed down until Mother and Father are ready to retire there and leave our estate in my hands. While cleaning out Grandmother’s office, I found something addressed to you. I have not shown mother, as I am sure whatever it is, is intended for you. There was a letter, a packet of papers and a box. I had the box delivered to your inn for safekeeping, along with the packet, but I did bring the letter for you. I know you and she were close and I wanted to make sure you were able to read it instead of having mother decide if you were ‘worthy’ of whatever grandmother has written to you.”

He slid an envelope over to her, the script on the front in Grandmother’s delicate handwriting and the envelope sealed with the family arms. Adius sat and waited as she read through the letter, her eyes filled with tears of joy and sadness by the time she reached the end. She sat there staring at the page, tears dripping down her face for several stunned minutes.

Ariella read the letter quietly to her brother, her voice hiccupping with the tears still standing in her eyes.

My Dearest Ella,

I know that you will be receiving this after my death. I can only hope that as you grew up, your Grandfather and I were able to show you that not everyone holds the prejudices of Magnostadt, and to fill you with the love and acceptance that your parents did not always provide. You were always the joy and pride of your Grandfather and myself, we knew that you would do something more with your life than being tied to the Academy and Magnostadt. While we are, of course, proud of Adius, you were destined for a different kind of greatness, one your parents would never recognize or accept. Where we failed as parents with your mother, we hope we corrected with you. I hope to always provide for you everything that you will ever need. Enclosed in the packet of papers is the deed to a large property outside of Reim. It is a farm that I purchased from a friend a few long years ago when they struggled, but they have since passed and while the farm is still functioning due to the staff, it is a place that you can call your own. This will give you an escape, when you find you are ready to leave the shelter of your parents’ home and find your own wings. Also included was someone I kept as a constant companion in my younger years. I have sealed it with magoi, though you should be able to figure out the correct way to unseal her. Her name is Nilexa, though you are welcome to rename her if you so choose.

It is time I drew this to a close. Your Grandfather and I are so very, very proud of you, dear Ella. Please do well in your life, and live by your own standards, not those of your parents.

All my love for always,
Grandmother



When she finished reading the letter aloud, she carefully folded it again and slid it into the envelope, staring blankly at it in stunned silence. Adius smiled sadly but let her have her silence.

After she had regained her composure, Ariella looked around, glad to see that only a couple of people were giving her strange looks. Adius patted her hand and smiled broadly, glad to see that now his sister had some form of escape from the oppression their parents placed her under. While he had always been given more free reign, and was by far the favorite child, she had struggled to gain even the most basic signs of affection from their parents.

To cheer her up, he brought up stories about their grandparents from when they were younger, like the time Grandmother had sent her home in the typical Heliohapt clothing style, complete with accessories. Their mother had been livid, but Ariella had loved the outfit, prancing around in it and pretending to be a member of royalty. She brought up when Grandmother had made the dish of her native land and Grandfather had almost choked on it because Grandmother had used too much of a spice, his face turning bright red as he ran for a cup of milk to soothe the burning. Adius reminded her of riding horses through the hills around the estate, racing Grandmother around the fountain in the front and making the gardener yell about his ruined flowers. By the end of the conversation, Ariella was laughing and joking once again, the letter tucked into a small bag she carried with her.

Adius finally rose from the table, the eatery becoming crowded as night fell and dinner guests arrived, declaring it was time for him to get back to the inn and reminded her that the package should be waiting in her room when she got back. Promising to meet again tomorrow before his ship left, they paid the bill, hugged, and went towards their separate inns.

Ariella sat in the safe house, sitting behind a desk and looking over papers intently. Lavicus had promised to take Sophie to the park, so she had shoved him out the door with an assurance that she would hold down the fort for the day. The boy needed more days off, he took so much on himself here that he did not have much free time for his friends or his sister. She knew it was his way of providing for his family, but she felt bad that he was cooped up behind the desk so often.

Nilexa twirled in the air nearby, bored with her mistress' self-assigned task. Occasionally she would flitter around, cleaning the place of the vermin that was so hard to keep out in this part of town. When one of the boys were run through, she would playfully chase him, making them squeal in laughter.

Ari grinned at the winged serpent before looking down at the papers again. The boys were thorough when reporting activities, including what they had seen, where, and at what time. Translating the younger boys scribbles was always an interesting task, but she had gotten familiar enough with each of them that it was not too difficult. She finally closed the book and tilted back in the chair.

Today was the usual day Xenos would stop by with the pay for the boys and she was anticipating his arrival, eager to chow off the inheritance from her grandmother. She grinned as she thought about the property her grandmother had left. She had gone out the day before, riding by horse back to the distant village of Kios, the villagers nice enough to point her towards the large plot of land. She had followed the directions and arrived at the large farm, taking the time to introduce herself to the man running the farm. The area was gorgeous and she was quite pleased with her acquisition.

Nilexa came over and settled down on top of her chest, both of them drifting off in the warmth of the afternoon.

Azix meandered through the streets of Remano to the Grumptoes safehouse, with their pay for the week in his pocket. He came across a familiar section of the city wall, which held a hidden nook hidden from sight by tall bushes. Finding the few loose bricks that opened a hollow portion of the wall, he pulled his Old Man's Guise out and replaced the bricks. He removed his eye patch and gloves, putting them into his pocket. A wig of white hair fell to his shoulders, matted with bits of dirt, and a fake long white beard covered his face, stained and reeking of alcohol.

He wrapped his black cloak into the magical carpet and strapped them back onto his back. With a quick flourish, he swung a brown cloak over his shoulders. The cloak had a putrid odor of sour wine and urine, but it nearly completed the disguise. He wrapped a long brown strip of cloth around his forehead and slid it down till it covered his left eye.

He took out his staff and gripped it in his palm to cover the familiar snake heads and orange gem. With that he slowly limped using the staff as a cane to help him struggle along the rest of the way to the safehouse. He noticed no one watching the front door of the shack and wondered what the Squad was up to. Azix opened the door with his free hand and wobbled in, dragging the stink in with him. He contorted his facial features, scrunching his eyes and nose, to seem senile.

He hadn't expected to see Ariella behind Lavicus' desk without the Captain in sight, but he kept it from showing on his face. Instead, he looked around as if he were confused, and spoke in a raspy voice, "Have you seen my ladybug?"

He paused to see her reaction before he slipped a hand out from under his cloak and made a motion like he was throwing stones onto the ground. It was a signal he had seen the Grumptoes use to identify themselves.

Ariella cracked open her eyes when she heard the door creak open, setting her feet back on the ground as she peered to look at who had come in. When an old senile man walked in, she was about to yell at him to get out when he asked about ladybugs. Nilexa woke when she sat up, stretching out her wings and taking to the air, protectively hovering over her mistress when the man started to throw invisible stones on the ground. Ari stood, crossing her arms over her chest and tilting her head to the side. It was one of the more common signals the Grumptoes used to identify each other in crowded areas and she paused, examining the old man again. The stink of him reached her in a wave and she wrinkled her nose as she pondered at the man.

Taking a sharper look at the old man's face, an odd thought flickered through her mind. None of the Grumptoes were anywhere close to grown, let alone old. And only one other person would know about their signals. But rather than call him on it, she played along for a moment.

"I am sorry, sir. But your lady bug seems to have flown out the window. You might try looking outside, I am afraid my pet may have scared it away."

Nilexa did a twirl and jump in the air, seeming to chase her own tail for a moment before flying closer to the senile old man, stopping several feet in front of him and flickering her tongue before seeming to retreat from the rancid scent of sour wine. If Ariella was right about her assumption that this was Xenos, she wondered how long he would try to play it out. She slowly walked forward, examining his face and realizing that, though there was a cloth covering part of his face, the rest looked far too young for this to be an elderly man. A smile crossed her lips and she held out an arm to Nilexa as the winged serpent retreated to her and wrapped her tail around the offered arm, beady eyes staring at the stinky creature invading their space.

Azix's was pleased as he watched her surprise edge into suspicion and finally into recognition. To his surprise though, she had obtained a new pet. A flying snake that was about three feet long and had a wing span that was as wide as he was tall. He chuckled seeing the protective nature of the snake, it kept a cautious eye on Azix.

He slipped off the brown cloak, pulling off the wig and beard, tossing them to the side. "I don't know whether to be disappointed you saw through it so quick or appreciate your intuition." With such a sharp mind, it was no surprise that Azix had chosen her to watch over his Grumptoes. Ariella would be able to keep an eye out for hidden dangers and be able to support Lavicus with his leadership, if he took her into his confidence.

He walked over to the table and put the sack of coins in one of the drawers. He turned to Ariella's pet and raised his hand several inches away from its face, "Such a pretty creature, what is its name?"

Ariella chuckled as Xenos revealed himself, giving her arm a shake to loosen the serpent. Nilexa sensed her mistress' acceptance of the stranger and was glad the putrid clothing had been abandoned. The serpent flew closer to Xenos, curiously, flying around him and "smelling" the man that had been under the disguise by flicking her tongue out here and there.

"Xenos, I would like you to meet my beautiful Nilexa. A gift from my grandmother, may Solomon keep her. Quite the troublemaker, she is. I was not lying about the lady bug, she has been chasing them about all day. Nilexa, this is Xenos, he can be trusted, okay?"

The serpent trilled lightly before nudging at Xenos' hand and rubbing her head along to scratch at her scales. Nilexa was friendly by nature, only a danger if she sensed Ariella was uncomfortable for some reason.

"So, boss. How are you on this fine day?"

"Well, hello Nilexa!" Azix smiled at her as she rubbed against his hand and he began trailing his fingers down her scales. Nilexa seemed super friendly and he took a quick liking to her.

"I have been doing well. I'm sure you heard about the training session a few days ago? I think it went well. I've been looking for instructors, so they can have more structure to their training. I'll have to ask Octovius or Leo if they have any regulars with experience in combat, preferably someone retired from training fighters for the Coliseum." He had also sent a request to Lieutenant Acius through a more secured channel for acquiring a house of his own. Azix had used a messenger that Carmen trusted and sent the request to Acius for a similar reason. Since he had learned that Garret and he were still being watched, he was cautious of moles.

The house would function as the new Grumptoes safehouse, hopefully located off the main roads with lots of cover to hide the foot traffic. The shack had been used for far too long and it was far too cramped for most of their needs in the future.

"What about you? I don't see you for a week and you have a new pet," he said in a teasing manner.

Ariella nodded as she listened hiding a smile before looking fondly at Nilexa with a chuckle. The serpent was currently trying to get Xenos to let her climb him, but the pet was far too polite and intelligent to simply begin wrapping around the man. She nuzzled at his hand again as though asking permission to twine around him. Humming softly, she shrugged.

"What can I say, my brother came for a visit on behalf of my parents, and decided to bring inheritance from my grandmother at the same time to soften the blow. Nilexa was part of that. As for their training, I hear some groans about soreness and some whining about getting up early, but I also heard a lot of them sparring and declaring themselves King Grump the other day. Lavicus is at the park with Sophie, so I told him I would take care of things here."

She slid the notebook and ledger into the drawer with the money, locking it with a key before returning the key to its hiding place.

"But, since I am done here for the day, I don't suppose you would be up for a small trip to the country side. I'll bring some food, we can have a picnic on the way!"

She smiled brightly, hiding her excitement to show him the other part of her inheritance. If he agreed, she would call Nilexa over to her and head for the door. She would give Xenos a teasing look over her shoulder, sticking out her tongue.

"Oh, and can I drive?"

"A picnic sounds fun! I'm sorry to hear about your grandmother. I didn't know you had a brother." Azix continued to stroke Nixela and would let her climb him if she wanted. He thought it would be nice to get out of the Capital for a while and wouldn't mind her company. The request to drive the carpet didn't surprise him, it was such a rush to fly a carpet. He slipped the magic carpet from the strap on his back and unwound it, handing it to her. He took the cloak that was hidden inside and wrapped it around himself. He replaced the eye patch over his left eye, concealing the purple orb.

"I'm sure you know to pour magoi into it." A smiled played on his lips, as he chuckled at her bottled excitement, mistaking it for enthusiasm to fly rather than to show him a surprise. He sat behind her and let her lead the way, enjoying the wind on his face.

Ariella did as he instructed, pouring a small amount of magoi into the carpet before stepping on and settling down. Nilexa abandoned her side to curl around Xenos' arm, trilling happily as she continued to "smell" him and poke her nose inside his cloak.

"My grandmother died before I came here, but some things were found after I had left. I miss her dearly, she was a savior during my childhood. As for my brother, I only have the one, Adius. We are fairly close, despite childhood difficulties."

She filled him in briefly on Adius' visit and about his studies in Magnostadt, glossing over any mention of her parents for the time being. Nilexa was making herself perfectly at home on Xenos. As they were flying, she pulled some food from under her cloak, resting it on the carpet between them. As they flew, she could spot clouds in the distance, but they were nearly there, so she casually brought up the Grumptoes again.

"So, you were saying you wanted to get another place for the Grumptoes? I know the safe house is not as safe as I would prefer and the traffic is getting more and more noticed, as the boys come and go more frequently. I worry about someone following them home to their family, or catch them on a job, so I am definitely glad they are getting training."

She brought the carpet to a hover, admiring the view.

He laughed as Nilexa curled around his arm while he tried to listen to Ariella. It seemed that she was close to her grandmother and brother, any mention of her parents were brief. There was more evidence that her mother and father were the reason she yearned to prove herself. It seemed that Ariella was a bit more at ease with herself as of late, he wondered if his acceptance had helped with that. It was because of his experiences with Garret that he could see the subtle signs at all.

"It sounds like you had a nice visit with your brother. You're right, I do want to move the safehouse. That is something in the works, it might be a while before that comes to fruition though. For their families, I still would like to get them out of Remano." He sighed and turned back to look at the horizon. The view was gorgeous, Azix gazed at the cozy country scene as they hovered over a winding river. As much as he loved Heliohapt, he had grown fond of Reim's climate, fauna and views. It held a beauty that the endless desert couldn't provide, one that distantly reminded him of Kou's countrysides.

Ariella grinned then slowly began to bring the carpet lower, just above the tree tops until a farm came into view.

"I think I may be able to help with that part, actually. You see, my grandmother was a wonderful, generous, loving woman. Especially to me. She gave me all the love and acceptance I did not get at home. And as part of her parting gift to me, she left me Nilexa as a companion, so that I would never be alone. But, she gave me something else as well."

She directed the carpet over to a large group of buildings surrounded by farm land. The farmed area was massive, some tilled into crop areas, other areas used to keep a variety of animals including cows, pigs, horses and chickens. She waves at the farm as a whole, bringing the carpet even lower until they were only a few meters above the ground.



"She made sure that I would always have a safe place. And I would like to share that with you and your Grumptoes."

She would finally land the carpet, climbing off carefully and looking proud but apprehensive, waiting for his response to her offer. She had been considering it all week. She had found out that the farm was in need of extra help and with the concerns about the safety of the Grumptoes, she wanted to help in any way she could. Besides, it was not like there was not plenty of room. And if more was needed, the foreman running the farm had told her there was an abandoned barn that simply needed some repairs. She watched his face anxiously, hoping he would agree.

Azix was stunned, while he had been planning how to lay the foundations for the Grumptoes' future, Ariella had obtained a piece of it for him. The shock was clearly displayed on his face as he stared between her and the farm. "You never cease to amaze me, Ariella. You prove your worth all the time. Are you sure you are okay with using your grandmother's place to house the Grumptoes' families?"

It seemed like there was enough space for several families to live comfortably, the place was in good condition, and must have had staff. Everything he had wanted for a farmhouse looked to be on the property. This could put his plans in motion faster than he had anticipated. He still had to tour the inside of the house and meet the staff, but he was excited.

Unexpectedly, Azix leaped forward and hugged Ariella. "You are absolutely amazing!" Noticing what he did, Azix blushed and turned away, "This is perfect. Will the staff be willing to stay on and help teach the families how to manage it? I will continue to pay them."

They heard the door open as an elderly woman came to greet them. "Oh, hello. We weren't expecting guests. Can I help you?"

Ariella beamed at the praise, glad he was pleased with her proposition. She stood in stunned shock when he grabbed her in a hug but laughed and returned it as best she could.

"I am more than fine with using it for the Grumptoes families. I cannot stand the idea of them getting hurt. And what would I do with all of this by myself? As long as I have a room to crash in, that is all I care. They are like family to me already, much more accepting than my own. And Jarl, the foreman, mentioned to me that they are in dire need of help. The workers that are here would be upset if we uprooted them, and there is more than enough space, as you can see. The farm sustains itself, barely. They need more workers to expand the fields."

Ari looked up as Viridiana came out to see the commotion and she waved happily.

"Viri, I would like you to meet Xenos, he is a close friend. Xenos, this is Viri, she is the head housekeeper here. She helps with the cooking, cleaning, and maintenance of the buildings. She would be the one to talk to about making preparations."

She had met Viri briefly when she had come to see the property, but had not had much of a chance to visit, as she had needed to hurry back to Remano for a small job. Nilexa hid in Xenos' cloak, nervous at the odd surroundings, having been left behind during her last trip.

"So, you are pleased, I take it?"

By the wide grin on Azix's face, Ariella would be able to tell he was pleased with her offer. "Of course I am. Pleased to meet you Viri, shall we have a tour of the place?" He was eager to see how comfortable the house would be on the inside.

Viridiana nodded as she wiped her hands on the apron that hung from her shoulders, "Of course, nice to meet you Xenos." She led them through the house, taking them through the side door into the kitchen. The room was spacious and filled with all the counter space to cook massive meals for a large family. They were taken through most of the rooms and Azix was impressed with how well cared for it was. Azix complimented Viri's skills at maintaining the place, it was clear that the elderly Head Housekeeper managed the staff well.

When they were done, he asked if they could sit and discuss some matters. He informed her that for now, five families would be moving in and that he would like them to be trained on running the household. Azix promised the staff would be paid for both their services and the training. Viri accepted the offer and her face softened at hearing that youngsters would be running about the place.

When he asked what he could expect in regards to crop yields and the slaughter of animals, he was directed to Jarl. Viri sent one of the cleaning staff to fetch him from the field and made them tea while they waited. Azix leaned back as he thought to himself in silence. He wondered if there would be room to grow in the future and what he could do with the funds from this venture.

[exit]