Rielle and Artorius sit upon a carriage moving through the neighborhood. All sorts of people pass by in town as they sit comfortably in the back of the carriage. Rielle runs her hands along the cushioned bottom of the seats and stares through the windows at all the people passing by.

“This is sooooo much more comfortable than the ones back in the living plane!” Rielle exclaims. “The amount of times I remember getting hip and back pain from all the bumpy rides. My butt would always be sore after hours of riding around.”

“Luckily, the council devised some ways of improving our quality of life. Even the windows here, have been altered with magic so people can’t see in.” Artorius states. “So technically speaking. We could get into all manner of things in here.” 

Rielle gives Artorius a cheeky smile.

“It’s not soundproof right?” Rielle asks.

“...It’s not.” He says, rubbing his hands together.

“Then no deal. You remember how loud we used to get. Luckily we lived in the forest at the time.” She states.

“That reminds me of those kids that snuck into the forest thinking there was a ghost there. But it was just you moaning.” He states.

“I don’t remember what you’re talking about,” Rielle mutters.

The carriage stops at its destination, a slightly bigger home than normal. The smell of lavender filled the air, as Rielle gazed at the garden which had it in spades. The front door had a welcome mat with white lilies on it.

“This is it,” Artorius states.

He knocks on the door and hears the words: “Coming!” from the other side. A man who appeared in his early thirties opens the door.

“Arty! Come on in! And you must be the rumored Rielle! I’m Hal, his father!” He exclaims. Dressed in a long-sleeved white shirt and black pants.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, I’m Rielle Rosebane.” She says.

He welcomes them into the house. Throughout the house, Rielle spots Artorius’s work. The dining room table was made from light wood and had a beautiful glazed texture over it. As Rielle is examining the craftsmanship, she recalls what Artorius said about his handiwork and blushes. As they pass by each piece in the house, Rielle can’t help but admire the craftsmanship.  As they walk into the living room, a powerful savory scent fills the air. Rielle smiles blissfully at the scent. 

“That's an amazing smell,” Rielle states.

“Ah, that would be my wife cooking dinner,” Hal states.

They sit in the living room made up of three separate couches, that are dark gray in color and a small coffee table in the center of the room. An arrangement of snacks was piled up at the center of the table. They sit down and he pulls out a cigarette and starts looking for his lighter. He pads himself all over and can’t find it.

“Hm…? I can’t find my lighter.” He mutters.

“I’ve got you,” Rielle says.

Rielle points her fingers at him, and the cigarette lights as quickly as she pointed.

“Arty told us you were a witch, but I could hardly believe it!” He states. “How about it, could I learn magic?”

Rielle smiles.

“Of course. Anyone can learn magic, it just takes a bit of effort and a little luck.” She states. 

“That's interesting… I’d never need another lighter again!” Hal exclaims.

“Dad… Please.” Artorius mutters.

“I jest, I jest! But I did think about it.” He states.

“Honestly, there are almost no downsides to learning magic, it’s incredibly versatile, and gives you a way to defend yourself,” Rielle states.

“When you put it like that, magic seems like it’s amazing,” Hal states.

“If you like I could teach you,” Rielle states.

“That sounds great but, Marida would probably be worried about me burning down the house,” Hal says.

“You almost did that without magic,” Artorius states. 

“Come to think of it, that did happen,” Hal says while stroking his stubble. “Anyway, enough of the small talk. Arty talks about you so much, but he never tells us how you two met.”

“I don’t—” Artorius begins.

“Arty! Could you come and help me out in the kitchen?” Marida calls out.

Artorius sighs and heads to the kitchen leaving Rielle and Hal behind. 

“We… Left him behind so young. Being the man of the house tormented me to no end, that I couldn’t protect our family.” He states.

“You shouldn’t blame yourself. Has Artorius told you the story of how we met?” She asks.

“No. Each time she or I ask, he dodges the question.” Hal says.

“Then allow me,” Rielle says. “Artorius is a great man, but that time in his life was a bit difficult for him. So please forgive him for being so tight-lipped about it.”

“It's fine. He grew up to be a good man. So thank you for supporting him for all those years.” Hal says with a warm expression.

After a few moments of assisting his mother, by bringing food into the dining room, setting plates down, and helping cook, dinner was finally ready. A dark-skinned woman with long icy white hair, a pair of dark capri leggings, and a shortish yellow dress hung over them. She peeks her head around and smiles gleefully at Rielle.

“Well look who it is!” Marida exclaims.

She dashes into the room like a blur and slips behind Rielle.

“Woah, she’s about as fast as Erica. Rielle thinks.

She spins Rielle around grabs her hands and starts leading her around the room as if ballroom dancing. Rielle is visibly shaken by the turn of events and Artorius only shakes his head. She does one final spin with Rielle and launches her toward the dining room table and Rielle lands her posterior in the middle chair at the table.

“Woah,” Rielle says.

“Sorry about that! I get pretty excited about meeting new people! I’m Marida, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Marida introduces.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Rielle says, whilst still dazed.

“I’m sure you were surprised by how well she was moving. The two of us were bounty hunters back in our heyday.” He states.

“Really?” Rielle asks.

Hal pulls the chair out for Marida as she sits down, then takes the seat next to her.

“Yup! We had our fair share of slippery bounties. I remember this one guy tried to escape by ship, so I coated my dagger in grease, lit it on fire, and threw it far enough to hit the mast, causing the entire ship to go up in flames.” Marida laughs.

“That’s… Pretty creative.” Rielle says with a half smile.

After that story, Rielle looks at the spread of food on the table and her eyes widen. A whole cooked chicken, a tray of aparagus, and some buttered rolls. Everything smelled divine a mixture of savory scents filled the room. 

Knock Knock!

A knock appears at the door and it opens.

“There’s only one other person with our keys,” Hal grumbles.

A man peeks into the room and walks in with his hands raised.

“Hey, family! Wonderful dinner we’re having!” He exclaims.

“That’s my younger brother Gowan,” Artorius whispers.

Hal stands up, placing a hand on his hip.

“I see your back again to mooch,” Hal says.

“Nonsense! I’m here to see the family.” He says. “How are you and mom doing?”

“We just saw you yesterday,” Hal states.

“It’s fine dear. We’ll make him work off all the extra food he takes.” Marida says with a darkened aura and gleaming eyes.

“That’s a creepy look, ma,” Gowan says as he retreats

He walks over to the table spotting his brother.

“Hey Arty, it’s good to see ya! And who is this lovely lady?” He questions.

“I’m Rielle. Rielle Rosebane.” She introduces, standing to shake his hand.

He gets in her face as if examining her.

“What are you doing?” Artorius questions.

He quickly backs away and turns his attention to Artorius.

“I was just thinking that she was actually real,” Gowan states. “All this time I thought she was nothing but the ramblings of my older brother’s dreams.”

“I am very real, as you can see.” She states.

“That I can.” He says. “You’re not an illusion?”

“Enough shenanigans, Gowan.” Artorius 

He takes the seat adjacent to Rielle when everyone begins making their plates and begins eating.

“This is delicious…!” Rielle says after taking a bite of the chicken.

The flavor penetrated through the meat and made her smile in bliss with each bite. Gowan reaches under the table to grab the storage containers he brought with him. Meanwhile, Artorius silently hacked away at his food, before putting his fork down.

“While we’re eating, I’ll tell you about how we met,” Artorius states.

Marida’s eyes light up and Hal’s eyes widen.

“Are you sure?” Hal asks.

“Of course. I want you both to know how I met the love of my life, after all.” Artorius says while grasping her hand underneath the table.