As Vladimir stood back up, several more of his sharply dressed servants appeared from the door their master stood in front of. Just the same as it was with the two at the gate, these attendants wore blank, white face covers for whatever reason. Vladimir watched with his gentle smile as his staff surrounded the wagon. The horses that pulled the wagon each let out an upset whiney. Aridean felt as if she had stopped breathing and her head simply shook back and forth with wide eyes.

Vidor quickly turned to Rana in the front seat of the wagon. He was alarmed to see that his sister seemed to have frozen up, her arms trembling. Turning back around, he examined both Aridean and Magdalene. Aridean, similar to Rana, was frozen with wide eyes set upon the group’s ‘host’. Magdalene was moving but only to turn and watch as the attendants enclosed the wagon they sat in, her breathing was slowly speeding up and becoming louder. Vidor gave the young girl a quick nudge and motioned toward Vladimir. With anxious eyes, Magdalene looked into the minotaur’s face before nervously turning toward the nobleman. Without having spoken, she understood what Vidor was asking of her and hesitantly drew in a deep breath.

“C-count Vladimir, w-what are you talking about? Y-you suspect my servants and I are rebel filth?” Magdalene reluctantly inquired. Vladimir’s smile faded from his face as he crossed his arms over his chest. A disappointed look appeared on the man’s face as he breathed a sigh of discontent.

“Ms. Yorre, do you honestly believe I would be so foolish as to fall for such a petty ruse? Come now, accept the fact that I have seen through your cover,” Vladimir replied with a stern tone. The man surveyed the four guests in their wagon as his servants stood at attention.

“Ngh… fine, you caught us,” Vidor spoke with agitation in his voice. Without hesitation, he drew his bow and notched an arrow. Aridean, still too frightened to speak, merely watched as Vidor aimed his shot directly at the man, “What’re you gonna do about it?”

Now with a bow ready and trained on him, Vladimir merely raised an eyebrow over his one visible eye. Aridean could feel the fur on her back and tail stand on ends as the clever man began to grin. Vidor, focused and forceful, maintained his readiness to fire upon Vladimir even when the nobleman began to laugh. Vladimir had been overcome by a curious and unsettling laughing fit. After a moment, the man recomposed himself and raised a single hand.

“Ahahaha! I do beg your forgiveness but I simply could not help myself! Perhaps I went a bit overboard,” said Vladimir, clearing his throat afterward. His friendly smile reappeared on his face, “Please be at ease; I mean you no harm. You needn’t worry yourselves about your affiliations in my hamlet. Everyone is equal here, whether they be rebel or Empire soldier.”

Confusion washed over the team in the wagon. Rana had managed to collect herself enough to at least turn her head to look in Vladimir’s direction. Vidor’s determined and forceful glare had softened somewhat, but he still held his bow at the ready. Magdalene and Aridean, with wide eyes, glanced in one another’s direction before looking back to Vladimir. The man raised a hand again and snapped his fingers. His attendants broke their formation around the wagon and lined up in front of their master where they each bowed to the four guests.

“W-what? We’re supposed to believe that?” snapped Vidor with slight hesitation. Despite the readied arrow pointed directly at him, Vladimir locked eyes with Vidor as he maintained his kind, if tired, smile.

“I’ve no interest in any conflict. You are free to let loose your arrow, my friend. But what then? Mrs. Walker at the inn knows that you four were to be my guests for the remainder of your stay in Cortonne,” Vladimir announced. Vidor gritted his teeth as he slowly lowered his bow. As Vidor disarmed himself, Vladimir continued, “You’ve come to investigate the bizarre string of disappearances, have you not? I have invited you to my manor in the hopes that I might enlist your group to assist me with that matter.”

Yet again, surprise and confusion spread throughout the occupants of the old, wooden wagon. Rana and Vidor turned to one another. Vidor gave his sister an uneasy shrug of the shoulders; Rana looked back to Vladimir while deeply considering her next steps. Aridean and Magdalene sat in the back with mouths having fallen agape as they surveyed the servants, still bowing, and their peculiar host. Rana let out an uneasy groan.

“What are you planning to do if we elect not to work with you on this?” a reluctant Rana asked Vladimir. The man’s smile faded yet again; a more serious and solemn expression drawn on his face.

“Should you so choose, you are free to return to the inn. However, that would look alarmingly suspicious especially given your objective here requiring you to speak with local citizens such as Mrs. Walker. I’ve no intention of stopping you myself but choosing to decline my offer truly only leaves you the option of abandoning your quest and returning home,” Vladimir answered sternly. Rana grunted her discontent with the situation and looked to the ground as she began to carefully think again. Much to Aridean’s surprise, Magdalene moved forward and leaned over the edge of the wagon.

“I want to know: what gave us away? Also, what was the deal with you wanting to talk to Ari back at the inn?” Magdalene impatiently asked the man. Putting on another smile, Vladimir’s eye shifted to focus on Aridean.

“Do forgive me, but I neglected to add that I would like to confirm something as well. Should my suspicions be confirmed true, there would be no doubt that she is no servant to a noble,” stated Vladimir confidently whilst maintaining eye contact with an anxious Aridean. His eyes parted with Aridean’s as he looked back to Magdalene, “There is also the matter that there is no Yorre family within the Empire nor any such name in the elven equivalent of nobility. I might not be the most well versed in modern aristocracy activities, but I know this much.”

“W-wait, you knew that--,” Aridean began to ask. Vladimir waved a hand and smiled.

“Magdalene is a human name, Yorre is elvish. I can tell she is not of pure human nor pure elven blood. Even if she were of a noble name, she would have been ostracized from her own kin before she could even speak,” Vladimir answered. Magdalene grunted her displeasure.

Magdalene sat back in the wagon and crossed her arms over her chest. Aridean thought the girl might be pouting that she failed to convince Vladimir of her status. Or perhaps it was due to Vladimir’s statement concerning her half-human and half-elven blood; Aridean could not tell what bothered Magdalene more. Regardless, Magdalene replied, “Fine… but just so you know: I’m not a rebel. These guys saved my life and I just owe them is all.”

Vladimir quietly chuckled to himself. The man recomposed himself before asking, “Now that we have stated our purposes, would you be willing to join me in stopping whatever force is taking innocent travelers from our small town?”

Aridean, Magdalene, and Vidor all turned to Rana. Noticing the three shift their attention to the pondering minotaur, Vladimir’s visible eye also moved to look at Rana. Rana herself continued to look down toward the ground for only a few seconds before sighing. She reluctantly groaned, “I don’t think we really have much of a choice but to accept your offer…”

“Rana…” Vidor quietly called out with a worried tone.

I kind of expected that but I also wish she had said we’d just take our chances… Aridean thought to herself. A feeling of woe seemed to wash over her as Rana looked up to the three in the back of the wagon with defeated eyes.

“Splendid! Now that we’ve agreed upon an alliance, please disembark your wagon. I shall see to it that your things are properly stored and trusty steeds well fed,” Vladimir announced with enthusiasm. Before anyone could get down from the wagon, Vladimir clapped his hands together twice. His obedient attendants moved to unload the wagon and lead the horses away. Vladimir turned on his heels, “Please join me inside; I shall show each of you to your rooms myself.”

With that, the oddly excited nobleman lifted his right leg and began to walk back into the large manor. Rana began to descend from her seat in the wagon as Vidor hopped over the railing. A small cloud of dirt and dust was stirred up as his hooves hit the ground. Magdalene carefully climbed over the railing and lowered herself down. Aridean sat in the back of the wagon and reexamined the enormous building they were about to enter.

It was one of the largest buildings she had ever seen and it looked entirely out of place in the small hamlet known as Cortonne. Intricate detail had been carved into the stone walls that rose above the trees surrounding the property. Bright, near blinding, sunlight was reflected off of the cleaned windows. She could not quite see through the glare but assumed that the interior of the noble home was just as distinguished as the outside. Aridean noticed some dark colored birds sitting on the rooftop.

After taking a moment to stretch his arms, Vidor turned to see Aridean still in the wagon. As Vladimir’s servants began to unload their gear, he spoke, “Aridean? You alright?”

“O-oh, yes. Sorry, just a bit surprised by what happened is all,” replied Aridean. Her eyes glazed over the building once more and she shook her head as though to snap her out of a trance. Nimble and with coordination, she vaulted over the wagon railing and deftly landed on the ground next to Vidor.

“Let’s not keep the count waiting,” Rana said, her usual kind tone had a not-so-subtle uneasy inflection to it. The minotaur then turned and began making her way for the door to catch up to the group’s peculiar host. Magdalene followed Rana closely as Vidor and Aridean looked to one another. Vidor motioned to the door and the two made their way inside. Standing in the shade of the structure just in front of the door that Vidor held for her, Aridean heard the unmistakable caw of a crow from somewhere close. She could smell the sweet scent of the flowers that adorned the doorway as she entered Vladimir’s manor.

Upon entering, Aridean and Vidor both quietly gasped in awe at the sight of the main hall. It was a large room with stone columns supporting the high ceiling and a well-polished floor that looked almost glass-like. There were several expensive looking tables upon which sat various gaudy or opulent trinkets and amenities. Dark red rugs sprawled the floor and reached from the main entrance to the large staircase that sat at the far end of the room. Smaller, similar rugs stretched out from the main rug to the doors leading to the east and west wings of the estate. Painted walls surrounded the group and many portraits of supposed Impalivik family members were hung around the hall. There was also a massive chandelier hanging from the center of the ceiling, it looked to be made of crystals and even a few gemstones.

This… is incredible. I never would have imagined that I’d get the chance to see something like this, Aridean thought to herself as the awestruck sensation slowly subsided. After her eyes had taken in the entire room twice, she noticed Vladimir on the staircase landing. Her host could be heard chuckling to himself as his guests stood by his front door. Despite the kind look Vladimir’s face, Aridean was slightly confused by his sudden amusement.

“Do forgive my rudeness; I understand that you might not be accustomed to such lavish accommodations. Guests such as yourselves always need a moment and I always find their astonishment entertaining,” Vladimir announced as his laughter died down. He motioned for his four guests to join him in climbing the stairs. As the group began to walk toward the staircase, Vladimir turned and began to walk up a small flight of stairs leading to the east wing.

Once everyone had reached the top of the stairs, Vladimir led everyone through a hallway. The aristocratic theming Aridean observed in the entrance hall seemed to carry throughout the entire manor. More dark red rugs over floors so clean that they looked reflective in the light. The décor throughout the hallway were all free of dust or any sign of aging. Windows were adorned with curtains of silk. Even the doors throughout the hallway looked to be crafted with noble detail in mind. Everything seemed to be maintained to an immaculate standard.

Vladimir stopped halfway through the hallway, his four guests stopping abruptly as he turned to face them. His eyes shifted between Rana and Vidor. With his kind but tired looking smile, Vladimir spoke, “I must apologize. I know Ms. Yorre and Mrs. Gray, but I have neglected to ask for your names.”

“My name is Rana Stonehoof and this is my younger brother Vidor,” Rana answered with a friendly voice and polite smile. Vladimir’s visible eyebrow raised slightly as he turned to Vidor.

“Hm? You decided to take your wife’s name?” Vladimir inquired with curiosity. Confusion immediately took over both Vidor and Magdalene’s faces. Aridean felt her own face warming with embarrassment.

“Wife? What? O-oh! Uhh…” Vidor redirected with slight bewilderment.

“W-we haven’t quite gotten there yet, sir. W-we’ve only been dating for a little over a month now,” a flustered Aridean intervened. It was now that Aridean noticed Rana had a surprised expression in her face as well. Vladimir examined Aridean intently for a moment; she noticed that the man’s one visible eye shifted down ever so slightly as he surveyed her. After the man concluded his evaluation, he let out another quiet laugh.

“Ah, I see now. Please, forgive me, I seem to have jumped to conclusions,” Vladimir said, his smile reappearing on his face. He cleared his throat before directing everyone’s attention toward the door the group stood in front of, “Ms. Stonehoof, this will be your room for the duration of your stay.”

He’s letting us have our own rooms? His treatment of total strangers is far beyond anything I ever could have imagined possible from humans, Aridean thought to herself. Rana gave Vladimir a nod before looking everyone else in their eyes. Each of them could almost hear Rana’s voice telling them ‘behave yourselves’ before the minotaur turned and entered her guest room. Vladimir turned around again and guided the remaining three to the next door in the hallway.

“This shall be your room, Mr. Stonehoof,” Vladimir spoke. Vidor looked from Vladimir toward the bedroom door and then to Aridean. He gave her one of his goofy smiles before heading into his own bedroom. Being the only two left, Aridean and Magdalene followed Vladimir further down the elegant corridor to their rooms.

“Here are your rooms, Ms. Yorre and Ms. Gray. Please, take some time to rest or explore my estate. I just ask that you stay out of the second-floor west wing,” Vladimir announced as he directed Magdalene and Aridean’s attention to their respective rooms. Aridean saw that there was one more room before the hallway ended with a flight of stairs leading downward.

“You sure do have a lot of room in this place. Are you and your servants really all that live here? Aren’t there other Impaliviks?” asked Magdalene curiously. Aridean noticed Vladimir’s smile immediately vanish from his face. The empty look in the man’s eye had Aridean somewhat startled. However, the bizarre reaction lasted only a second.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

“Unfortunately, I am the last of the Impalivik line. It is a shame, but I fear the name my ancestors built up will end with me,” Vladimir answered with his courtly tone. He began to hurriedly walk past both Aridean and Magdalene, “Please excuse me, I’ve preparations to make. We may discuss our plans over dinner this evening. In the meantime, do make yourselves at home.”

The man quickly moved through the long and lavish hallway. The silky curtains hanging from the windows danced slightly as Vladimir made his hasty exit. Even after disappearing behind a door that led back into the main hall, Aridean stared at where she last saw him. She thought it was a bit odd that the man who had presented himself as being so professional and forthcoming would so abruptly end a conversation. Shrugging to herself, Aridean turned toward the door that would enter into her guest room. As she reached for the doorknob, she felt the muscles in her hand and back seize up as Magdalene let out a shrill scream.

“Ahh!” Magdalene screamed in fright. Aridean turned to see the girl had toppled backward in front of her own open guest room door. She was panting and looked absolutely mortified. Aridean, after shaking off the shock of the sudden excitement, moved toward Magdalene and knelt down beside the girl.

“Maggie, are you alright?” asked Aridean with as gentle a tone as she could manage. Magdalene turned to Aridean, her face having turned a bright red. Both Vidor and Rana had emerged from their rooms to see what the commotion was about.

“I-I’m fine… I-I… I saw a rat scurry across my floor, okay?!” Magdalene answered, her flustered state readily apparent in her red face. Vidor quietly laughed to himself before being smacked in the back of his head by Rana.

“Ow! What was that for? C’mon, it’s kinda funny…” Vidor complained to his sister as he rubbed the back of his head. Seemingly afraid of the stern look Rana was giving him, Vidor turned to Magdalene, “Ugh, Maggie, you want to swap rooms? I didn’t see any rats in mine.”

Aridean could hear Magdalene mumbling something about Vidor being a dummy as the girl got back on her feet. Aridean also stood back up as Magdalene turned to Vidor and spoke, “No, I’ll just let Vlad know and see if he’ll get someone to deal with it.”

With that, Magdalene shut the door to her room before making her way back toward the main hall to find their host. The trio of minotaurs watched as the girl left before Rana turned to the two others.

“Well, now that the count has gotten us settled in, what do you two say to looking around the manor until he’s ready to speak with us?” Rana asked. One of his signature goofy grins was spread across his face as Vidor turned to Aridean. Clearly, he was all for exploring the Impalivik estate.

“C’mon, Aridean. When do you think we’d get the chance to check out a noble’s home again?” Vidor said with childish enthusiasm. Aridean smiled to Vidor as he took her hand and led her through the hallway. In their rush to start their exploration of the manor, Vidor and Aridean left Rana standing in front of their rooms. Rana’s response was to simply smile as she rolled her eyes before turning and walking in the other direction.

Aridean and Vidor had spent hours looking through the enormous mansion that they were guests at. Every surface within every room appeared to have been dusted, swept, polished, and maintained with expert and delicate care. All of the amenities that sat upon small tables or shelves were of intricate design. The aristocratic theme that Aridean observed in the main hall seemed to expand to every part of the building.

Eventually, the two took to looking outside of the manor walls. Aridean wanted to get a closer look at the regal courtyard. Vidor, however, was more interested in what he had found behind the manor. Aridean waited as Vidor happily ran through a hedge maze he had found no less than three times. Near the maze was a medium sized greenhouse. While waiting for Vidor, Aridean peered inside to see that the structure was filled with plants. She thought it was a bit odd, however, that they all appeared to be the same white flower that they had been seeing.

On their way back to the front of the manor, Vidor and Aridean walked up to the gate that led into the large cemetery beside of Vladimir’s estate. The brick wall that enclosed Vladimir’s yard was split by an iron gate. Beyond the gate were many tombstones of various sizes and several monuments of angels or doves. Aridean could not find a single grave that was without at least a small bouquet of white flowers.

“I never really did get why other races bury their dead… do you know why humans do this to their loved ones?” Vidor asked Aridean as the two stood in front of the gate. Aridean turned her head to look at Vidor, a somewhat puzzled expression on his face. Before she could answer, however, a voice from behind the two was heard.

“It is quite the fascinating topic, is it not? The celebration of one’s life is conducted by their beloved after their passing. Humans, elves, and dwarves choose to bury their dead as a sort of returning to the earth ritual,” answered the voice. Both minotaurs turned to see Vladimir with his tired but genuine smile. With hands behind his straightened back, he approached the two, “It is not too unlike the releasing of the spirit that minotaur funeral pyres symbolize. Each is meant to assist the deceased in their journey to their afterlife; the physical means of which it is done is the primary difference.”

“Hmm… I guess that makes sense but the thought of burying another’s body… it kinda scares me,” Vidor replied as he looked back out to the cemetery. He turned to Aridean, “I-I never said it, but I’m sorry I didn’t help you bury your dad…”

“O-oh, don’t worry about that, Vidor. Rana… Rana prepared him a fine resting place,” said Aridean. She turned away from Vidor with downcast eyes. Aridean had not noticed it but Vladimir’s eyebrow shot up. His apparent curiosity quickly passed, however, as he recomposed himself and cleared his throat.

“In any event, I’ve come to collect you two. Ms. Yorre and Ms. Stonehoof are awaiting our return in the dining hall,” announced Vladimir as he turned to start back to the manor. Both Aridean and Vidor followed their host closely as the trio returned back to the manor entrance.

Within the main hall again, Vladimir led Vidor and Aridean through a hallway in the east half of the building. The group came to a large, well-polished double door. As if they were clairvoyant, two of Vladimir’s servants on the other side of the double doors pulled their respective door open. Aridean and Vidor followed Vladimir into a large dining room where Magdalene and Rana were already seated at the large table.

Beneath the dining table was a large, dark colored rug that nearly covered the entire floor. In each corner of the room sat vases of white flowers on top of short tables. A large window at the far end of the table from where Vidor and Aridean stood had the curtains drawn; light from the setting sun illuminated the room in a bright orange. There were several more portraits of more Impalivik family hanging on the walls, their names posted on small, shining plaques at the base of their portrait frame. Two suits of armor stood on both sides of a large grandfather clock in front of the wall opposite the door that presumably led to the kitchen.

Vladimir took his place at the head of the table. Following their host’s lead, both Aridean and Vidor sat opposite Rana and Magdalene, respectively. The dining room table was massive and could have easily seated over twenty guests. Even the seating around the room had a noble touch: cushioned seats over a highly detailed, carved wooden frame. Above the large table was another chandelier though not as overly opulent as the one found in the main hall. In front of Aridean was a neatly arranged dining set.

I had always heard that nobles use multiple plates and forks but never thought that was really a thing… who needs four forks for one meal? Aridean thought to herself as she surveyed the dining tools at her disposal. Her utensils were made from shining silver and shaped with great detail. Before anyone could even speak, the door to the kitchen swung open. Two of Vladimir’s attendants emerged from within, each pushing a food cart with covered dishes on top. Utterly tantalizing and mouth-watering scents were coming from not just the kitchen doors, but the covered dinners on the food carts as well.

“Normally, I would treat my distinguished guests to some of the most succulent cuts of roast beef. Unfortunately, given whom I am hosting this evening, I felt that a bit inappropriate,” Vladimir spoke with his fanciful tone of voice. The attendants quickly collected the dishes they were to serve and set them on the table in front of everyone.

“What?! We’re missing out on roast beef?! Why would that be inappropriate?” inquired a particularly incredulous Magdalene. Rana and Aridean both looked to the girl with inoffensive, but still uncertain, stares while Vidor had an annoyed expression upon his face.

“Seriously?” asked Vidor while looking to Magdalene. The girl returned his bothered glare for only a moment.

“Oh… right,” Magdalene said after realizing that minotaurs do not eat beef. Vidor sighed his mild grief over Magdalene’s ignorance as Vladimir began to quietly chuckle. The attendants that had served the dishes now removed the covers to reveal what Vladimir had ordered for their meal.

“If you would prefer something else over the lamb we have here, you need only ask, Ms. Yorre,” Vladimir offered after his laughter had subsided.

“Oh, lamb? N-no, that’s fine too,” responded Magdalene hastily as she grabbed one of her forks and a knife. It was readily apparent to everyone at the table that lamb was a satisfactory substitute to the roast beef Magdalene was interested in. Vidor and Vladimir joined her in eating their own dinners. Aridean, a bit disappointed, noticed Rana looking in her direction. Rana gestured toward Vladimir as if to nonverbally ask Aridean if she wanted something else.

It’s kind of Rana to remember I don’t eat lamb but I don’t want to be a bother to her or Vladimir, Aridean thought to herself. Without speaking, Aridean smiled at Rana and picked up one of her forks. Luckily, Vladimir had his kitchen staff prepare some vegetable dishes and fresh bread to go alongside the lamb. Rana, upon seeing Aridean make her decision, began to eat her dinner as well.

This is incredible; I thought the food in the mess hall was good, but this makes that stuff look like I made it, Aridean thought as she bit down on her first bite. The first few minutes were spent in near silence as everyone ate. It was after Aridean had finished what on her plate she was willing to eat that Vladimir took notice of her.

“Ms. Gray, do you not care for lamb? You’ve yet to touch the main course,” Vladimir asked after wiping his mouth clean. Both Vidor and Rana looked up from their plates to Aridean and then to Vladimir. Magdalene, however, did not seem interested in the conversation as she continued to savor her food.

“Oh, uhm… well, i-it’s just I grew up on a farm and I raised sheep, sir. I-I just can’t bring myself to eat lamb after keeping so many,” answered Aridean with slight embarrassment. A moment of silence fell over the dining room, save Magdalene’s chewing and the ticking of the large grandfather clock.

“Hm? Ms. Gray, I must say that I am interested in hearing your story,” said Vladimir as he leaned back in his seat. He surveyed his guests with a gentle smile on his face, “Being that we have agreed to work together for a time, what say we take just a moment to learn more about one another?”

As he finished speaking, Aridean noticed Magdalene finally finish her meal. The girl wiped her mouth and hands with a cloth napkin before bowing her head with closed eyes. Magdalene’s after-meal prayer had become a common sight. Even so, Aridean still thought it a bit strange that someone proud of their thievery skill and as brash as Magdalene would take the time for prayer. Upon finishing her prayer, Magdalene opened her eyes again and turned to Vladimir.

“Fine, I’ll start: these three saved my life and I’m only here long enough to pay them back for what they did for me,” Magdalene stated. Surprisingly, despite her keen focus on both her meal and prayer, the girl was fully aware of the conversation that had been taking place. Aridean assumed that her acute attention to the things around her was probably another useful talent for her work as a thief.

“That’s quite a blunt tale; is there truly no more? Surely you think something of them otherwise you would not have elected to pursue repaying them,” Vladimir reasoned while focusing on Magdalene. The girl, with focused eyes, turned away to stare into empty space as she thought to herself. Arms crossed over her chest, Magdalene sat in her seat at the dining table for a while as everyone watched and waited. She let out a quiet sigh but did not turn back to Vladimir nor the three minotaurs.

“I already told Ari that she’d be the first to hear my story when I was ready,” Magdalene confidently replied before pausing for a few seconds. She then turned to face Vidor, who was sitting opposite her, “Besides, I don’t trust dummy to keep his mouth shut.”

Vidor, clearly annoyed, opened his mouth to protest. Before a word escaped his lips, however, Rana immediately followed, “Good, you shouldn’t.”

Both Aridean and Vladimir quietly laughed while Vidor, stunned, turned to his sister. Rana had her alarming older sister’s ‘do as I say’ look in her eyes. He groaned, “Hey, Rana… c’mon, I said I was sorry…”

Rana glared at a somewhat distressed Vidor for a minute. As Vladimir and Aridean quieted down again, Rana let out a sigh. Everyone’s eyes fell upon Vladimir as he cleared his throat again.

“I take it there is a story to that but I do not wish to pry as it sounds personal to Ms. Stonehoof. Perhaps I could ask you two about your pasts that have led you to this moment instead?” Vladimir asked while looking from Rana to Vidor. Vidor leaned back in his seat and put his hands behind his head. Rana, on the other hand, sat in her chair with her back straight and hands in her lap.

“Oh, boy, where to start? Well, you figured us out when you called us rebel soldiers. The whole thing started back when I was really young so I never really knew what true peace between minotaurs and the Empire was like. Guess I joined the rebellion so I could explore the Empire and maybe set things right again,” began Vidor with a thoughtful look in his eyes. Rana smiled gently toward her brother, if only for a second. She then turned toward the group’s host.

“The peace between our races seems like such a distant memory to me… your kindness has been renewing. Thank you for taking care of Aridean last night and for your hospitality today,” Rana cordially thanked Vladimir. She ended her thanks with a modest bow of her head toward the human at the end of the table. Vladimir had gentle, if tired, smile across his face.

“O-oh, yes, thank you for last night… I’m sorry I hadn’t thanked you sooner,” Aridean chimed in. Vladimir, still smiling, nodded to Aridean before returning his attention to Rana.

“As for my purpose here: I joined the rebellion just to protect those that I love. Losing my mother and father was hard enough… I couldn’t stand the thought of losing anyone else,” Rana stated with determination in her voice. Aridean noticed Vidor looking away, likely embarrassed by his sister’s reasons for having joined the rebellion alongside him. Rana continued, “It has also given me much time to learn and practice my magic which has been instrumental in protecting others.”

“Ah, you practice magic, Ms. Stonehoof? The manipulation of the elements and the control of the arcane has always been a keen interest of mine. Please, what schools of magic do you study?” Vladimir asked with a raised eyebrow over his visible eye. Rana’s expression shifted so that she seemed to exude childish glee. Vidor’s face, however, appeared rather annoyed by the new subject the group was discussing. Aridean noticed Vidor rolling his eyes as he let out a long sigh.

“I’ve been studying and practicing the use of wild magic since I was a child. Even so, I’ve read up on many different schools. Would you believe we were able to witness the incredibly rare astral magic firsthand at a show in Hunlio? Oh, but it was my greatest delight to discover that Aridean here has attunement to the element of fire. I’ve also tried getting my brother to learn magic, but he can be quite a handful,” Rana rambled excitedly. Vladimir listened intently to Rana’s passionate, long-winded ranting. The look on his face seemed to portray just as much interest in talking magic as Rana’s did.

“Astral magic you say?! Even I have never seen it myself! I must hear more about your experience, but first I wish to ask Mr. Stonehoof why he dislikes magic,” Vladimir enthusiastically responded. He turned to Vidor who looked a bit surprised that he was bring brought into the discussion.

“Uh, well… there’s nothing wrong with it or anything,” Vidor began to answer. Somewhat flustered, Vidor’s eyes darted between Rana and Vladimir.

“Vidor does not like using magic because of a time while I was training him when his control over the water—,” Rana started to answer in Vidor’s place.

“Hey! Rana! You don’t have to tell that story,” Vidor defensively snapped as his sister. Rana proceeded to chuckle to herself; Vladimir also seemed to find amusement in the exchange between the siblings.

Huh, Vidor never mentioned anything about a water magic incident to me. I wonder what happened, but I guess he doesn’t like to talk about it if he’s not willing to talk to me about it, Aridean thought to herself while looking from Rana to the distressed Vidor. Magdalene reached out and grabbed her glass of water. Aridean thought it odd that the girl did not drink from the glass, however.

“Hey, dummy, think fast,” Magdalene quickly commanded. Vidor turned to the girl just in time to see her throwing the water from her glass in his direction. He let out a startled gasp as the cold beverage splashed upon him. Wide eyes and now soaked clothes, Vidor’s mouth simply fell agape staring at Magdalene. Aridean, Rana, and Vladimir all watched with surprise.

“W-what was that for?!” Vidor snapped as he stood from his seat at the table. “Ugh! So cold! I-I think there’s an ice cube down my shirt!”

Magdalene leaned back in her seat after setting her glass down. The girl crossed her arms over her chest again and huffed disappointedly, “I wanted to see you use water magic. I thought maybe you just needed some motivation.”

“I already told you I’m not good at magic! Ugh, I’m gonna go dry off and change…” Vidor stated as he made for the door leading into the hallway. Magdalene huffed her disappointment over the ordeal again before throwing her hands up.

“Sorry, I’ll clean up the mess,” spoke Magdalene with a somewhat begrudging tone. Aridean was not sure if she was apologizing to Vidor or to Vladimir for having gotten water over his table, chair, and rug. Nevertheless, the girl got up from her seat and moved around the table to start cleaning up. Vladimir stood from his seat, smiling gently.

“Well, Ms. Stonehoof, Ms. Gray, might I ask that we continue our discussion in the lounge? There are things I wish to discuss with you two,” Vladimir stated. Aridean and Rana both stood from their seats, prepared to follow Vladimir. Their smiling host, however, turned to Aridean and spoke, “I do sincerely look forward to hearing your story, Ms. Gray. I’m certain you’ve much to tell.”