The refrigerator door opened.

"Cold?" Luthial wondered aloud.

The refrigerator door closed.

"No more cold?"

The refrigerator door opened.

"Now I feel the cold again," she proudly exclaimed, "What a wonderful little box! I never felt anything like it."

Dew sighed at Luthial before walking out to the backyard to find peace. The opening and closing of the refrigerator door had been going on for ten minutes. For an hour, Nadia had been alone in her room. Dew knew she was agitated about something, though he didn't know what, except possibly his asking her father about their marriage. Too bad Norman had denied it because they were from different realms; still, it was ultimately their decision. Thus, Dew decided to ask her directly.

Since Nadia's bedroom window was just above the porch, he climbed a log pile, then leapt to the top of the porch enclosure with a single leap. Being a noble from the other realm, he could attain abilities through training that many others could not. He approached her window with caution, careful to step gently without losing speed, all while avoiding any surface he sensed to be creaky or unstable. He tapped on the glass so Nadia could hear it rattle, as she might have been undressing. The screen soon opened and Nadia looked outside. Dew crouched before her, staring her in the face.

"You're going to torment me forever, aren't you? Geez, what do you want now?"

"I wanted to make sure you're feeling well, and to apologize for asking your father to consent to our marriage."

"I'm fine- but why are you on the porch roof?"

"Your father said that here, things are taken a bit slower to allow people to get to know one another. So, I would like to know how you would feel about getting to know me. I think that if you knew me better, you might let me make you my wife and the mother of my children."

"Children!" Nadia choked, "No children! No. No! NO! I'm never going to marry you! Consider that for future reference! And don't hang around my window!"

After she slammed the window shut, Dew walked to the edge of the porch ceiling and sat down, allowing his legs to hang over the spouting. He didn't mind the sun; it felt cozy. He realized winning her over would be harder than he at first thought. For a moment, he convinced himself that she was in denial. Then he thought the better of it and shook his head before wondering why she was afraid of commitment.

The freezer door opened.

"That's really cold," Luthial said, shivering.

The freezer door closed.

"Now it's warm again. Isn't that the most amazing thing!"

Luthial opened and closed the freezer door four more times, repeating "Cold" when the door was open and "Not cold." when it was shut, until Delia finally knocked her on the head with a coffee mug.

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"This is why we don't let you handle new magic," Delia snapped, "You get annoying!"

"I have to agree with her Luthy," Nefri said.

"Fine, I'll watch the picture box with Nadia's little sister," Luthial rubbed her head, "Did you know there's a talking monster in it that comes on twice a day?"

"You told us three times," Delia groaned.

"Well, the amazing thing is the monster is nice and doesn't eat the children. If you need me, I'll be keeping an eye on it with Natalie. You can never be too cautious about monsters."

Norman approached the table after coming from outside.

"Just the two of you?" he asked.

"Dew is outside, and Luthial is watching that magic box of yours," Delia said. "You have such strange and useless magic here. It makes me cringe."

Luthial yelled from the living room, "Why don't you try the bath bowl with the secret hot spring before you make us all cringe?"

"It has no fire to heat the water! I'll find a stream before I partake of that strange bath."

"It's really relaxing, a nice hot morning bath," Nefri said. "I couldn't have enjoyed it more, wasn't bad at all."

"You both drop your guard too easily."

"Delia's afraid someone will walk in on her," Nefri laughed, "There's a curtain you know; besides, the only guys here are Nadia's father and Dew, and I've never seen Dew go near a bath house during women's bathing hours."

Norman coughed loudly to focus the attention of the girls. He received two-thirds of their attention, for Luthial had discovered the remote control. She remained fixated on the living room television set while playing with Natalie, so he ignored her.

"Listen, I've decided something. You three are warriors right."

"Two of the best," Delia said.

Luthial poked her head out from the living room with a kind smile, "Don't be so humble, you're pretty good too, Delia."

"When the next full moon rises, I want you to take my daughter back to Pozalm with you. In all truth, my eldest daughter should be my eldest son. Nadia used to be a boy named Nathan. He was exposed to one of the books containing a portion of Ambrosia's corpse, that is how he came to be a woman. The only chance she has to become a man again is to go to the temple of Ambrosia herself and demand that the goddess reverse her handiwork. I know the Tramen Fohar continent is a land of great dangers, but it's also the path to something that might be the only way to restore my child's happiness. I can't go with her, I have my work and Natalie to look after, but if you could protect her, I swear to return the favor graciously."

There was a look of open-mouthed shock from the two girls at the table, Luthial looked away from the television and paid more attention to the conversation.

"Nadia was a boy!" Luthial gasped.

"Yes, she was. The three of you may know something of the legends regarding Ambrosia."

"Our realm has no place not filled with danger," Delia said after recovering, "but the Tramen continent is almost completely lost to the lifeless scourge. Why should we risk ourselves? Just so she can become a boy again?"

"Your daughter is really nice sir," Nefri said, "but even if what you say is true, I think being a woman is better than being a man, so why should I help a fellow woman become one?"

"Forty thousand silver cords," Norman said, "To be paid once my son is returned as a son, and not a daughter."

"You have that much?" Delia asked,

A case was laid on the table and snapped open, the forty-thousand strands of thin silver filling it to the brim. Each one had the miniscule stamp of the Lothalos empire, a powerful group of kingdoms in the western side of the main continent of Pozalm. They were left to take a few samples as an advanced payment, but it was snapped shut before they could investigate much further.

"I assure you, on my honor, that you will be paid in full, and have my everlasting gratitude to boot. All I ask is that you get her to the temple safely, everything else will be up to her."

"We'll do it," Nefri said, "We'll get her to the temple at all costs and protect her with our lives."

"Thank you. I'd prefer that Dew be kept out of the way, if at all possible. I've arranged for him to be distracted so as to give Nathan some space to recuperate. Maybe once he learns the truth he'll leave her alone, but if you would please keep it from him until you are back in Pozalm, it would be appreciated."

"Will do," Nefri said, "Do you know why all this happened?"

"I don't know why Nathan was turned into a girl, but it involves the wizards, the goddess Ambrosia, and the fact that he has guardian blood. Do you understand now?"

"We understand enough to do our jobs," Delia said.