“Auraiiya-Sama wants Kaybol and Hilliya to meet you all too.” Zu said, gesturing to the general direction where Ayalinn and Ta'ala were.

“Zu…” Neva asked carefully, “Are you sure it's the right idea?”

Zu leaned back, raising an eyebrow. “She's the Kiadra of Abyssness,”

“Kiadra of the Abyssal Element.” Neva corrected him.

Zu grimaced but nodded. “Yeah, that. Anyway, it’s not my call, if she decided.”

“In other words, we have two options; treat it as invitation from an old friend of mine -” Ta'ala approached them, with Ayalinn and her Poyuflé following close behind.

“Or as an official summoning from our Kiadra.” He smiled in resignation “Well played, I must say.”

Ayalinn chuckled, revealing her toothy grin. “She's a manipulative one, eh?” she asked, scratching under the chin of one of her pets, a “Folleous”. Zu recalled its species name, but was yet to distinguish between the 3 Ayalinn had by name.

“I guess we have no choice then, Ta'ala?” Neva sighed.

“Indeed.” He replied with a smile. “But I do not see a reason to not come, truly. Just pretend you come to visit Zutenko here for once.”

#

A few days ago:

“You did it again..” Neva huffed, but Zu just stared at her in confusion.

“Did it again?” Zu repeated, baffled.

Neva shook her head.
“Never mind. We should just continue searching. The flowers should be here somewhere.”

Zu's brow furrowed, but then shrugged.
He tried to stand up. Neva was still on the ground, frustrated. If it wasn't for another of Zu's infamous power bursts teleporting them back up, they would have fell down a cliff straight to the bottom of the river.

However, by Kiadra's orders, Zu can't know about his own abilities. his memories of every single incident rewrite themselves, if not erasing them altogether. the latter seemed to be the case here, as Zu calmed down rather quickly.

“Uh… Neva?” Zu's voice cut off her train of thought.

 “I think I found it, but…”

“But what?” Neva prompted, joining Zu at the tree he was now standing in front of.
She examined the twirly thorns of vines swirling around the huge trunk, and the Evergold leaves growing from the branches.

“No, that's not right.” she muttered, going in a circle around the tree, her spear twirling in her hand. “Ayalinn said the Sharkbloom flowers will be near here.. She said they grow together!”

“No,” Zu corrected her absentmindedly. He was glaring at the tree, as if trying to open a secret entrance with his mind. “She said... The tree draws from the same source of...” He studied the roots, when the realization dawned on him. “…Water.”

He finished lamely, before pinching his nose bridge, very unpleased.

“Why did I agree to this?” he muttered to himself.

Neva pondered for a moment, and her eyes glimmered as she understood the same thing.

“The Sharkbloom flowers,” she said, a smile revealing itself slowly, “are inside the river!”

Without another moment to waste, Neva strode back to the cliff, grabbing Zu's hand on the way.

“H- Hey!” the boy protested, having barely half a second to realize before Neva lept off the cliff, down to the river, still holding Zu with her.

As they fell, Neva gave Zu a reassuring smile, while Zu desperately held her hand with one of his own, with the other is keeping his beanie on his head.

As they got closer to the water below, Neva whirled around. Using her circle, the two plunged into the river with a mighty SPLASH!

Sinking with Zu in the water, Neva stabbed her spear into the riverbed. In a swift motion, she proceeded to stand atop it while pulling Zu up.

“Are you alright?” she asked cheerfully, indicating she knew full well he was safe.

The boy was visibly unhappy being carried, or dripping water.

“You could've warned me.” the soaked Zu grumbled.

“If I had - would you actually have resisted less?” she quipped. Her eyes glimmered mischievously, matching her wide grin.

“But you gotta admit,” she teased, “it was pretty fun~”

Zu was unable to keep a straight face after all. He chuckled too.

“Alright, I guess you win this time. It was pretty cool.”

“Now that we agree,” Neva gestured to the water. “We should get to work.”

Zu nodded in agreement. They gazed upon the Sharkbloom flowers moving with the flow of the river, the spiky petals resembling fins of sharks as they moved.

#

Hilliya waited at the outer gates as her guests arrived. She bowed, dawning a professional smile on her face.

“Good afternoon.” She presented herself. “I am Hilliya Tsobio Dernoi, the cub of the Kiadra Kagya -Auraiiya Visho Dernoi.”

The fox and the elf exchanged looks. They didn’t wear anything formal. Zu said they didn’t plan to, but Hilliya found it quite disrespecting.

Auraiiya-Sama said its okay though, so I shouldn’t complain either.

The fox bowed lightly back.

“My name is Ta’ala.” He spoke. “Pardon my friends, for we are not very accustomed for these formalities.

“These are Ayalinn,” he gestured towards the elf, or was she a Demielven? “And Neva.”

Neva seemed surprisingly modest, compared to the flashy and outgoing attributes Zu had given her. At least he finally talked about it with her too. Hilliya was at the very least, glad for that.

She nodded.

“Well then,” she continued, ditching the formal speech. “Auraiiya-Sama is waiting for you in the common room. Just follow me.”

The three nodded, and Hilliya turned around.

As they talked, Neva stepped closer to the confident girl.

“Um, hi! May I ask you something, Hilliya-San?” the Nyxian girl asked.

“Depends about what.” Hilliya replied distractedly. Her gaze was moving between the path ahead and the fox following behind her.

“You’re really a caring sister to Zutenko-Kun, aren’t you?”

“What does that supposed to mean?”

“Well,” Neva began, “he speaks very highly of you, that for sure.”

This calmed Hilliya’s nerves for a bit. “I suppose so.” She replied, “But I still don’t see the question in that.”

“Well, I was wonderin’; Zu- I mean- Zutenko-Kun was at first a bit threatened with Ta’ala-San over there.” She pointed with her thumb toward the fox. His ear twitched and he rolled his eyes.

He’s listening in. Hilliya thought frightenedly. She usually didn’t encounter fluffy things that are still alive. And the towering fox was indeed very fluffy. His tails were slowly moving, never staying in one place.

“I’m not frightened very easily.” Hilliya answered instead. She looked calm. She was an assassin. And with that, the perfect actress.

“Don’t worry about him.” Neva chuckled. “He might look big, but once you get to know him – he’s just a big softie~”

Softie.

They’re onto me.  

Hilliya always knew that was a bad habit. But growing up her first eleven years of her life with a stone cell for a room and a piece of rags for a bed – she promised herself she’ll have any luxury she desired.

She opened the door to the common room.

Auraiiya smiled at the arriving guests. She sat at her usual spot – a long, overly royal daybed.

“Welcome to my humble residence.” She greeted. She glanced at Hilliya, and smiled at her.

“It is an honor to summoned by you, great Kiadra.” Said Ayalinn, her head down.

“Please,” the Kiadra continued, “you are my guests. Not to mention friends of my cub. Call me by my name.”

Ayalinn shrugged, as Ta’ala gave Auraiiya a questioning look.

At the same moment, the boys arrived at the room too.

“Neva!” Zu exclaimed, rushing to greet his friend.

Kaybol followed him, and introduced himself politely to the trio as well.

As they made their introductions, Hilliya approached her mistress with an embarrassed expression.

“What is wrong, Hilliya?” Auraiiya asked her cub.

“I… Auraiiya--Sama…” Hilliya tried to say. She then coughed and lowered her voice to a whisper. “He’s… Fluffy.”

Auraiiya looked at her cub with a curious expression, then looked at Ta’ala.

She then snickered quietly.

#

Auraiiya poured a glass of wine for Ta'ala and Ayalinn, followed by one for herself.

“So,” Ayalinn started after a few moments of silence, “where do our lovely fox here knows the Kiadra Kagya from?”

“We trained together, back in the day.” Auraiiya said easily. “Our sensei really believed in his potential~”

Ta’ala raised an eyebrow. “And yet, you are the Kiadra between the two of us.” He offered, “so perhaps I am not the talented one.”
“Humility,” the Kiadra scoffed. “I haven’t seen you in centuries, yet I can tell no Demon-Lord should trifle with you.”

“And Midnight Lords?” Ayalinn offered cheerfully.

“No.” both Ta’ala and Auraiiya glared back at her. Ta’ala then looked away, pinching his nose bridge.

Auraiiya glanced at Ayalinn, silently praying to Nyx for any change of topic. Eventually, she decided to do it herself.

“If I may ask, Ayalinn-San,” she started, but got interrupted by Ayalinn.

“No honorifics, please.” The elf waved her hand dismissively. “I never liked these anyway.”

“I see.” The Kiadra nodded. “Well, Ayalinn, why is that, that Zutenko-Chan so upset with you?”

“Beats me, I don’t know.” She shrugged. “If he’s so fearful for his safety, he shouldn’t walk around uncontracted.”

 Auraiiya couldn’t stop her sigh.

“So you’ve noticed.” She muttered.
“Auraiiya,” Ta’ala asked her, facing them again. “you have 3 pe.. cubs, but only 2 of them are contracted. Why, by Nyx, do you keep Zutenko?

#

“Why am I not contracted?”
Zu never liked that question. He almost feared someone will ask it.

Neva nodded. “At first I thought maybe the Kiadra just isn’t fond of contracts, but…”

She gestured back to Kaybol and Hilliya, who were sitting beside them. Kaybol was shuffling a deck of cards whilst in his Naiyatsu form, sitting on Hilliya’s lap.

“I can definitely say they are contracted.” She continued. “Why aren’t you then? From what you told me, you were under her care for 8 years already. Isn’t that enough?”

Luckily, Hilliya hurried to help.

“It’s agreed between him and Auraiiya-Sama.” She elaborated, “Zutenko-Chan doesn’t feel ready to be immortal.”

“But…” Neva tried to argue, “you’re her pet too, aren’t you?”

“I don’t like the term ‘pet’ very much.” Zu muttered, before answering. “I…am not prepared for immortality. Too scary. And Body-Level contracts are permanent.”

“Auraiiya-Sama wants to see what he can become, before she decides he should be hers forever.” Kaybol added, dividing the cards into different piles as he spoke.

Neva looked at Zu dubiously. She seemed to consider something.
“But what’s your reason?” she asked eventually.

“The same reason, I guess..” Zu muttered as he looked away.

“He thinks he’s not from here and want to discover where~” Hilliya chuckled. Zu rewarded his stepsister with a glare.

“What do you mean, ‘not from here’?” Neva turned her attention to Hilliya, curious glimmer in her eyes.

“You mean, if he got any family somewhere outside? In Vastoaria, Duatsow maybe?”

Zu blushed furiously. “No, not like this.” He sighed, then pulled up one of the papers from his pouch and unfolded it.

“I don’t have any memories from before Auraiiya-Sama found me, but… I have been seeing stuff in my dreams.”

Zu looked at the paper. It was a crude sketch he made this morning. A portrait of square-shaped towers, with giant metallic fishing rods building it. He handed the paper to Neva.

She looked at it in confusion.

“You think, you are from… an unknown continent?”

“Or another world. Maybe another planet. I don’t know.” He sighed. “Look, I’m not in a hurry to tie myself to immortality before I get a chance to at least know this.”

“But you know you put yourself at risk outside, without contract, right?”

“that’s why I wasn’t outside so much to begin with.”

“Plus, contract draws enemies too.” Kaybol interjected. “For example, that one time a group of Vastoari crooks learned how to recognize contracts, and wanted to use me as a leverage.”

“Was that the time I rescued you?” Hilliya asked. Kaybol smiled. He finished shuffling the cards, and began dealing them to the players.

#

“If that is the case, why not give him a Metal-Level?” Ta’ala suggested.

“Why would a metal-level be useful in this case, exactly?” Ayalinn asked. She peeked at her fox friend curiously. “These won’t give him the protection of her authority, unlike body-level contracts.”

“True. However,” Ta’ala admitted. “Metal-level contracts can be modified to have some authority ingrained to it. And even if you cannot bring through it to proper ownership without making it irreversible, there is use in knowing his location and state of being.”

Auraiiya paused, before nodding. “It does he a truth to it. I will look into the subject.”

“There is another thing to consider, though.” Ayalinn added, sipping from her glass. She gave the other two a moment to guess, before rolling her eyes. “The boy’s ‘power bursts’, as it were.”

“What do you mean, Ayalinn?” Auraiiya asked carefully.

Ayalinn couldn’t help but smirk.

You’re hiding something, she thought to herself, but you still can’t stand anyone else knowing something that you don’t want him to~

“it’s simple, really.” Ayalinn sipped from her glass again. “The boy managed to slice a Rinklon’s head, with a sword twice his size and summoned from whatever his Magyo is. I don’t think anything less than a Body-Level will restrain that.”

“We don’t know what that is, Ayalinn.” Ta’ala said ruefully. “I don’t think we can determine what is able to restrain that kind of aura.”

“That is definitely true,” Ayalinn nodded sagely. “but you can’t just wait for the next ‘burst’, especially if you’re not always around.”

She paused to study Auraiiya’s expression. For a Kiadra, she had been surprisingly passionate about her cubs. But now she looked colder.

You definitely know somethin’ and you ain’t telling us.

“What if the raw Magyo will overload? Or this aura will implode on him?”

She finished her glass and put it down, ignoring the glare Auraiiya was giving her. She turned to leave. “I’m gonna check how the kiddo is doing.” She turned once to look at the Kiadra. “That was some high-quality wine, darlin’, you shouldn’t waste it on a Demielven~”

#

Hours after they left, the cubs chatted among themselves. They shared their impressions. Thay all seemed to be very positive of “the Zdiosllin Trio”, as they dubbed them. Neva invited Hilliya and Kaybol to visit too, if they so desired.

Auraiiya looked at the stars outside from the balcony. The sun gleamed through the crystal dome into the shores of the summer garden.

Auraiiya pondered the events of today, and tried to connect it all together. The sudden meeting of Zutenko with Neva, the disappearance of the same breach that connected them in the first place. Not to mention, the power bursts resurfacing after six years of nothing.

I thought I protected him..

There were now 3 Nyxians that knew of Auraiiya’s third “pet”. Five, if counting the Yuuns.

“Always like that… Chaotic, unexpected… Odd.” She sighed.

She then recalled a different Nyxian, one that made a different invitation.

“You should come sometime.” The memory of Okita’ar’s arrogant voice echoed in her mind. “You could bring that assassin pet with you. I’ll call some friends; we can all compare toys~”

She sighed. She couldn’t believe a social event will be tempting.