“What?”

“We are going to go see your parents.” Giean answers obviously a little annoyed at having to repeat himself.

I don’t want to sound rude, but I forgot that I have parents. Since I arrived here, I have been so busy ‘training’, in other words being subjected to extreme pain, almost being maimed or almost dying. I haven’t had time to think about home, or being homesick, but at the mention of them I feel a sharp pang in my chest. It has been more than half a week since I went out hunting. What are my parents thinking, have they already declared me dead?

“Oh, you don’t need to worry about surprising your parents too much.” Gerald says, suddenly standing beside me, I did not even feel the wind move with his approach. “On my Lord’s orders I sent a letter to the lord of the territory you reside in. He was to inform them that you are safe here with my lord.”

Hearing that makes me feel a little better, but part of me worries the letter might have given them a panic attack. Every bard knows a hundred tales featuring the Beastlord family, half that many about Giean alone. Over the last few days, I have even managed to confirm some of them. To hear their son had been taken by such mythical figures, I imagine any parent would panic.

“Thank you. How are we going to get there?” I ask directing the question at Giean.

His grand eagle has already returned to the stable. I look for the giant wolf we had ridden here the first time but it is nowhere to be seen. That comes as a relief, I did not enjoy the feeling of my skin being ripped off while my breath is torn from my throat. It’s not even save to open your eyes while riding on the back of that Beast. The whole experience just isn’t for me.

“Shadow travel,” he says as he bends down to rub what looks like an ordinary black cat behind its ear.

The cat must be much more, I am slowly learning not to take things at face value here. Jill looked like an angel with a sweet smile and kind voice. Yet she is a fallen angel with black cloth wings she uses to punish anyone who doesn’t meet her expectations. This ordinary black cat is probably some super powerful mana beast.

“Noir here will open a shadow gate to just outside your house. I had Fen follow your scent and guide Noir there so we could do this once you recovered.”

See super powerful mana beast capable of teleporting us hundreds of miles. This grass is probably some magic grass as well. If this is Giean’s normal, how weird is he going to find my house.

Chrono licks my cheek with his forked tongue. He looks at Bu for a moment and climbs up onto my shoulder trying to mimic Bu’s posture. I almost fall over from the awkward position, thankfully Chrono also finds it tiring instead choosing to drape himself around my neck like a scarf.

I watch as Noir brushes up against each of Giean’s legs before doing the same to mine. Everyone eyes are fixed on the cat as he enters the shadow of the house and disappears. My eyes wide as saucers I look at Giean who gestures for me to go next.

I hesitate before entering into the shadow of the house. Mustering up my courage I put my hand in. It disappears from sight but I can still feel it. The air around my hand is warm and humid when compared to the dry cool air of the Beastwall. Taking a deep breath, I step through into the clearing behind my house.

Sunlight reflects off the large leaves of the maple trees surrounding the 10 by 20 full log cabin. Wood Smoke pours out of the smoking hut by the edge of the clearing. Deer and Boar skin dry on their framing under the sun, I really am home.

Giean steps out of the shadows behind me. He doesn’t say anything as he starts walking towards the door leaving me no choice but to follow. The moment his hand thumps against the wood I realise he is not wearing a shirt. What is the point of all those shirts Jill is always washing if he never wears them? Also how do they get dirty?

“Wait,” I say too late as my father opens the door.

Any further words get caught in my throat as our eyes meet. I consciously know it has only been 4 days, I have been away on longer hunting trips, but it feels so much longer. The bags under my father’s hazel eyes resemble purple bruises. His dark brown beard and hair is no longer, but looks wild and unkempt.

“Who is it dear?” my mother calls as she steps back from the stove cleaning her hands on her apron.

Our eyes lock for a moment. She looks even worse than my father, the bags under her eyes having gone from purple to black. The normal shine to her neon green eyes had disappeared. her light brown hair usually silky and smooth is a frizzy mess.

I feel a pang in my chest. This is my fault, if I had let them know I was okay somehow. My thoughts don’t get the chance to spiral further as my mother runs towards me tears streaming down her cheeks. She pushes past my father pulling me into her arms, my father’s eyes begin to well, I start crying too.

“So, this is where you lived.” I hear Giean’s voice from inside the house.

My parent spin around, we had not even noticed Giean walk past us. He is standing at the dinning room table his back towards us as he takes in the hut only slightly larger than his kitchen.

My younger sister stares at him her green eyes wide with shock, her knitting project forgotten in her hands.

“and who might you be?” he asks my sister, squatting down so his chin rests on the rough unfinished wood.

She glances at us briefly before responding, her knitting now on the counter, her hands holding one of her braids of light brown hair. “Annette.”

I don’t know what Giean does but I can see Annette visibly relax. “Now how rude is it of your older brother not to tell me he has such a cute younger sister.”

Annette just giggles as her cheeks flush a little. I am now in shock, what is happening? Is Giean flirting with my eight-year-old sister? If it was anyone else, I would have thought ‘I’ll kill him’ but since it’s Giean I don’t even have the luxury of thinking that.

“How old are you?”

“eight.” Annette says now cheerful, growing more and more comfortable with each second while my parents and I grow more distressed.

“You know I have a sister just a couple years older than you. She doesn’t have a lot of friends because we live in such an isolated place. I would really appreciate it if you would play with her when you come visit your brother.”

Before my sister can respond my mother speaks up.

“Excuse me, who are you?”

Giean stands up turning towards us. He is not that tall, through still a few inches taller than my father, nor is Giean that bulky. On top of the Beastwall I had not even noticed it. Yet now standing in my house. The muscles of his chest seemed to ripple bringing the symbols of his pacts to life. The little bit of light entering from the doors and window set his red hair on fire making the electric blue of his eyes seem more like the blue of an ethereal flame. A god of fire made flesh. In essence he looks intimidating despite the warm smile on his face, and the gentleness in his eyes that sits at odds with the angle of his eyebrows.

“Please forgive me,” he says bringing his hand to his heart but making no indication of bowing. “I did not want to interrupt your heartfelt reunion. My name is Giean Beastlord next head of the Beastlord house and SS rank adventurer, and this is my blue celestial solar phoenix Bu.”

The entire forest seems to go quiet as my parents stand there their jaws hanging open. The only sound my little sister humming cheerfully as she focuses on her sewing.