They arrived at the town and went straight to Christopher's house and noticed many things such as: today there were two humans standing guard whom they had not seen until now and that the town was very quiet, everyone was hunting or creating some formula or a product to sell.

They left the parts of the Electric Horned Servant in one of the cold boxes, which were used to store food. In this case they did this because they would only clean the parts properly at dawn and they did not want them to have an odor.

Christopher could be seen chatting with his mother while laughing and pointing towards the girls.

-I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU- Christopher kept his word and told his mother about the girls' desire to protect nature. As Alexander had unintentionally mentioned, Valentina went crazy with love.

Both Selestia and Anita were being pampered with kisses on the cheek, hugs and caresses. Anita was completely red, but not at all upset with the situation, while Selestia showed a smile full of happiness. Why would anyone even think badly of her? The girl totally admires and idolizes Valentina, from her point of view she was someone she wanted to become, so receiving pampering and affection from the one she idolizes so much was something she would enjoy with all her soul.

-You girls are true angels- he lay down on the couch, sitting the girls on his lap and hugging them, Selestia on his right, Anita on his left and Diana in the middle. He couldn't stand the little girl's angelic face so he also showered her with pampering, laying them all on his chest and showering them with hugs -I love you so much, I'm glad to know that there are still those who care about the well-being of the forest- he rubbed his face against the heads of the three who were happy.

-You guys- Valentina then looked at the others growling like a wild beast -why can't you be like that?- she complained with fire coming out of her eyes.

-In fact, we don't harm the forest either- Christopher mentioned as Mathias and Sebastian nodded.

His furious beast gaze immediately moved to Alexander who gulped, "I didn't do anything."

-We'll talk later- she continued with her thing, pampering the girls more.

Suddenly Valentina stood up, holding Selestia by the abdomen with her right arm as if she were a sack of potatoes. It was the same with Anita, except she was holding her on the left side and finally Diana was mounted on her shoulders.

-Perfect, I'll adopt them. I'll go talk to their parents right now-.

"Huh?" Anita murmured with a comical look.

Diana clapped because she did not understand what was happening.

-Lady Valentina, I can't do that to my parents- Selestia covered her face with her hands while steam emanated from her Elf ears.

With a kick, Valentina knocked down the door and ran off to each of the girls' homes, leaving a trail of dust behind her.

A drop of sweat fell down the back of everyone's neck.

-I'm not going to help you fix your door- Sebastian.

-Me less- Mathias.

-Dad, is Mom really going to go to each of their houses demanding to adopt them?- Christopher questioned comically.

-What nonsense you say, of course not, you know your mother...-

3... 2... 1...

They both ran off, chasing her furiously.

-NO DOUBT MOM CAN DO IT! WE MUST STOP HER!- Christopher shouted, running as fast as he could, trying to catch his mother.

-IT'S OBVIOUSLY SHE'LL DO IT, DAMN IT!- father and son comically chased the mother throughout the town, leaving behind a huge cloud of dust.

...

Finally, and after a few days of waiting, the time has come to make the trip to the city of Nepal.

Although it was quite early in the morning and the horizon was barely painted the colour of the sun, the town of Gignit was already showing signs of life.

People were making preparations for the trip, which would last a total of four days.

Packages of coffee beans, clean and fresh vegetables, easy-to-read illustrated magic books, bread rolls and sweets made from a new recipe, pretty Gignit-style clothing and many more products packaged and wrapped for sale.

On the other hand, there were also those who dedicated themselves to hunting various beasts. Christopher and his group, awake at this hour for obvious reasons, were amazed and at the same time a little nervous observing the beastly corpses.

A slight shudder ran down everyone's spine as they imagined what fearsome beasts were hiding in these woods. In truth, they had no idea that there were ferocious beasts other than the Feathered Serpent and the Electric Horned Servant.

-Hey look- said Sebastian pointing towards the corpse of a magical beast, it was relatively intact -is that thing a Manticore?-.

-I see you recognized him- they heard a voice behind them, it was Mathias' father, Mansot Taigiur, smiling with a scar on his face -I hunted her with Tobias-.

-WHAT?- Mathias smiled with immeasurable pride, damn it his dad had hunted a terribly deadly beast. -ARE YOU SERIOUSLY DAD?- he hugged him.

The Manticore is an extremely dangerous and aggressive magical beast, a kind of Chimera with some distinguishing characteristics. To start with, it has a head that is very similar to that of a human, only monstrous and with a pair of horns.

Surrounding the head is a mane resembling that of a male lion, and the body is also that of a lion, although with a reddish hue. A strong and thick scorpion tail from which it is able to shoot poisonous spines or simply use it as a weapon, its venom is even more potent than that of the Plumed Serpent. As a final feature, it grows a pair of bat wings when it reaches adulthood.

-It's incredible, Mr. Mansot- Christopher was truly surprised, this beast was not something to be taken lightly. One false step and it could poison you, condemning you instantly or simply tear you to pieces and devour you. -And only the two of you took care of it?-.

Mathias's father smiled again - like that, but don't think it was easy for us -. He scratched the back of his neck - in fact, we were close to dying a couple of times and she almost got away. We had to chase her, it wasn't an option to let her free since in the future she could attack the village -.

-I think that's the best option- Selestia slowly approached the Manticore's tail, some poison was still flowing from the tip. When she was about to touch it, a strong arm grabbed the belt of her clothes, lifting her up -daughter, you must not touch that-.

The group could see the owner of said voice, an Elf, Selestia's father, who greeted everyone and smiled at them while leaving his daughter in that position.

"Good morning, Mr. Salesio," all the children greeted him in a very friendly manner. He was nice, but the Elf always found the way all the children addressed him funny. They were extremely polite and respectful, even though he was just another inhabitant.

-Guys, don't be so polite to me, it'll make me think I look like an old man- he laughed lightly, even with Selestia hanging at his side.

-We can't help it, Mr. Salesio- said Anita in a very good manner -you give us a feeling of protection and security- Salesiano laughed, he would take it completely as a nice compliment.

-What are you carrying, my good friend? - Mansot asked, observing the package that Salesio was carrying - is it a product? -

Salesiano looked at his friend, these two really got along very well -ah yes! They are books of elementary magic that are easy to learn, you know... not everyone has the possibility of acquiring good books-.

"I know what you mean," Mansot added.

-Dad, can you put me down now?- Selestia, somewhat upset and with embarrassment on her face, asked her father to put her down and stop embarrassing her.

-Ah! I'm sorry, daughter, but I don't want you to get close to the tail of a Manticore again, do you understand? - I look at the boys -The same for you children, it's very dangerous- with that said, Salesio proceeded to check his books before loading him onto one of the carriages.

Mansot realized that the Manticore's corpse was really too dangerous not to cover it with something -Mathias, come with me for a moment, and help me cover the Manticore- they said goodbye to the boys and both went to look for a thick blanket to cover the beast.

The sun was rising more and more, and they would soon be leaving the village. Those who were going on the trip were extremely excited, especially those who were going to another city for the first time.

The Governors arrived at the place, smiling at the happy faces of everyone around them. It was obvious that they were very eager to go, obviously not everyone could go and that is why they left their products in charge of some of those who would go.

The people of Gignit trusted each other blindly, they knew that no one would take the village from them. Here everyone is honest.

-Mom, we want to go too- Christopher complained.

-That's right Lady Valentina- added Sebastian -it's not fair-.

Selestia glared at the two of them - do they dare to question Lady Valentina's decision? -

Anita sighed in defeat - come on guys, you know it's very dangerous for us-.

-I see- Valentina said in a mocking tone -in this group, Selestia and Anita are the most intelligent, I hope Diana is like you girls and not like...-.

-WHAT DID YOU SAY?- angry and with their eyes rolled back in a scream and at the same time both Christopher and Sebastian and Mathias.

-Dear...- Alexander called after her- it's time to decide...-.

-I understand...- added Valentina.

They both stood facing each other as everyone surrounded them.

The anticipation was incredible. The boys were sweating profusely while the girls clenched their fists tightly.

Both Alexander and Valentina brought their right fists back as if they were planning to throw a good, strong punch.

-COME ON ALEXANDER, DON'T LET THEM DEFEAT YOU- both Tadeo and Tobias exclaimed in jubilation, hugging each other.

-LADY VALENTINA, DON'T LOSE- said some of the girls, both Elves, humans and Demihumans. Even some boys were on her side.

-Ready?- Alexander asked.

Valentina nodded with a very serious face -ready-.

The situation was becoming incredibly serious. All the observers, of whom there were quite a few, began to place bets on who would win.

-What do you think will happen?- Sebastian with a drop of sweat.

"I don't know," Christopher replied.

Selestia with her eyes wide open and a happy smile -you can do it Lady Valentina-.

Selestia's parents had a drop of sweat on their faces. They also encouraged Valentina.

Only one of all those present sighed heavily and, holding the bridge of his nose in some annoyance, complained Herman, "how exaggerated."

They both threw their punches.

Everyone was silent, then half of those present let out a shout of joy when they saw that Alexander had won. His hand with the symbol of what represented the rock and Valentina's the scissors.

-WOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHH- they screamed, others like Tobias began to howl. The children sighed because everything went well, no one was hurt. And once again Herman sighed in Boredom.

-Then I will go and you will stay to protect the town, dear- proclaimed Alexander while his friends lifted him into the air.

Valentina sighed, although she didn't care. In fact, she didn't feel like going. She just wanted to put on a show for everyone.

...

-Everyone get ready- Alexander called, many would walk while others would go in the carriages. The packages went in the carts. Both the carts and the carriages were pulled by strong horses raised by Beastmen and demihumans, they know how to raise strong animals.

There were at least five carriages and eight wagons. It was a very diverse group. The lucky ones to go were Alexander, Herman who for obvious reasons would accompany his Lord, Tobias the Werewolf, and the Elf brothers ONE AND TWO, "the powerful trio" as they called themselves: a group of three girls who were very strong warriors, their members were a human, a demi-human from the feline clan, a cat and an Elf woman.

In fact, there are a total of ten beings who are considered the strongest beings in the village. They were not listed, but were simply the strongest.

The strongest are the following:

Alexander, Valentina, Herman, Tobias, Tadeo, Mansot, ONE, TWO and two other beings that very few knew. They were in charge of the night watch.

-Daughter, are you sure you can take care of the bakery alone?- asked Jhon Valencia, Anita's father, who was now wearing clothes worthy of an Adventurer -if you want, you can close it until I return-.

-Yes, dad- answered Anita -as I told you, Lady Valentina's friends are going to help me, so you can go with peace of mind...-.

-That's right dad- A bunch of girls approached the two of them -just go and get all the gold you can for your daughter- the man smiled. Then everyone around the two smiled mischievously while one of the girls hugged Anita.

-And above all- it was hard for them to regain the serious attitude they had previously had- you must bring a new mother for Anita... she needs it-.

Jhon's face almost exploded with embarrassment while the little girl with the crimson face brought her hands to each cheek - a mother? - she thought to herself between joy and bewilderment, she really didn't know which way to go.

The people present laughed, it seemed that what they said was a joke, but it was not. Although everything was in laughter, they had said it very seriously. Anita is a sweet girl who needed the warmth of a mother. And her father was considered one of the most beloved people in the town, and he really needed a life partner.

Before his wife died, she had asked him to move on with his life and this was the moment.

He stroked his daughter's head - take care of yourself, sweetie.

The girls present screamed like young schoolgirls, they knew that the seed they had planted just a few seconds ago had already germinated.

The preparations were finished, it was time to leave.

-Please take care of yourself- Valentina hugged her lover giving him the most tender kiss on the lips. Christopher looked away, as he is a child he was a little embarrassed to see his parents being so affectionate.

-Behave yourself, my sweet girl- Selestia was hugged by her mother Alestia, cloying her in the process -it will only be four days, you will stay with Lady Valentina- she winked at her, she knew that the girl idolized Valentina. She nodded thousands of times in just a second.

-Dad, bring me something- Mathias hugged his father's leg while his mother tried to separate him. His father laughed, saying goodbye to both of them. He hugged his son and kissed his wife.

-In these four days you will help with the defenses if something happens- ordered Herman as Sebastian nodded. -Yes dad- he said and thus received a hug from his father, it wasn't hard, he truly loves his son.

Suddenly her father's serious attitude completely vanished when Diana hugged his leg.

-I love you- she said and the strong Herman almost had a heart attack. He was only a breath away from fainting, he hugged his daughter crying comically -MY GIRL, MY SWEET GIRL, DO YOU WANT ME TO BRING YOU A TOY?-.

Diana nodded, her eyes shining as a few drops of sweat fell from Sebastian and his mother.

-I forgot that not even dad can stand up to Diana's Tenderness- Sebastian said out loud -how do you put up with it, mom?-.

"I can't either," Rachell replied.

…

Finally, the caravan set off, slowly making its way to the point where it left the village. They looked at the gate which was open but no guards were in sight. Alexander looked to the side, far away over the wall some figures were watching him.

Alexander just smiled and nodded, and then the figure disappeared.

-I also have to bring something for those two. I think information would be the best gift I could give them, although I know she likes sour candies, so I have to bring her a few packages-.

They had already left the place, it seemed that everything would calm down and it is a serious mistake to think that way. Valentina became serious, all trace of having laughed disappeared and she began to give new instructions.

-Organize the guards and have them begin the routine of safeguarding the gate-.

-Yeah-

-All sentries who did not go on the trip return to their posts, covering both their areas and those of all those who are not present-.

-Yeah-

-Tadeo, gather some men and in an hour I would like a group to search the surroundings of the forest, at least in an area no larger than a kilometer- he began to walk -I want to know if we could be under threat or not, remember that some of the members of the ten strongest are outside. We do not want the same thing to happen again as with the Feathered Serpent. If there is any threat, eliminate it as quickly as possible-.

-Yeah-

-And you guys- he looked at both his son and Selestia who would be under his care these days -it's time for breakfast- just at that moment the stomachs of both sent out their threats ''feed me or perish''.

...

-This is delicious, Lady Valentina- Selestia exclaimed with extreme joy, happy to have the chance to try the breakfast prepared by the target of her admiration.

"You are such a sweetheart," Valentina replied. Breakfast consisted of slices of various fruits with peanuts, honey and sweet pastries for both Selestia and her. For Christopher it was the same, but with the addition of some strips of ham and bacon.

-Hey mom- called Christopher- what is the city of Nepal like? Have you been there before?-.

Valentina sighed -yes, at least a couple of times, actually- and drank some of the juice she had prepared -the city is very pretty, but, certain inhabitants...- she remained silent.

The boys looked at each other. As Christopher just happened to have some food in his mouth, Selestia spoke up. "What does Lady Valentina mean by 'certain inhabitants'?"

Valentina hadn't realized that her thoughts were filtered and brought out to the outside, it was something she didn't want to talk about with the children or at least not with their current ages yet. Using her wit she simply diverted the conversation completely.

-Guys, how are you doing with magic?- he said -I hope that you not only stay with my lessons but that you also continue learning on your part- he achieved his goal. Curiosity about the inhabitants of Nepal had vanished, giving way now to magic.

-Of course- Selestia mentioned, bathed in pride and with a smile full of satisfaction -I'm about to achieve Elven Magic- she said this with even more pride accompanied by happiness. It was a true achievement, so young and she was already about to perform Racial Magic.

-That's great, Selestia!- Christopher commented, he was truly very happy for his friends' achievements, that's something that true friends do. -As for me, I can perform more magic attacks without getting tired-.

Now it was Selestia who was surprised, "you're always ahead of me," she said, but in a very good way.

They finished breakfast, both helping to wash their respective dirty plates used for breakfast. They would prepare for magic class, but that was not the case. "Ummm guys, I'm really sorry, but I have to suspend classes until everyone returns from the trip." Valentina apologized, scratching the back of her neck.

-And why is that, Lady Valentina?- Selestia asked somewhat disappointed, she was always the most eager to have classes with Valentina.

Christopher spoke up - it must be because you have too much work and you have to supervise the defenses, right? - Valentina smiled internally, Christopher hit her in the eye. A good part of the people in charge of many of the tasks in the village went on the trip. Order must be put in place within the village, maybe it will only be for four days, but there is still a lot to do.

-Likewise- Valentina confirmed -there are too many things to do in the town and I must help with that- she looked at the two -but don't worry, I have a few tasks for you-.

...

-Thank you very much guys, I appreciate it so much-.

The children were currently cleaning the house of one of Valentina's many friends. The woman is a young half-human Cat, at least sixteen years old.

Long brown hair completely braided. She was wearing a pretty greenish dress, just where the tail would be, a triangle-shaped hole was visible, through which the tail passed without problems and danced happily.

Christopher, Selestia and Mathias were in charge of tidying and cleaning this house, there was a reason for this. The woman couldn't do it because of her pregnancy. There were at least three months left before she gave birth.

-Let me help you, even if it's just a...-.

-NO!- they claimed again for the thousandth time since they arrived at the house.

-Please, Kathy- Christopher again pulled a comfortable folding chair towards her -just have a seat and let us take care of it. You won't have to do much effort-.

-That's right, you just sit and watch us- added Mathias.

-But children, it makes me a little sad that only you work even though this is my house- said the beautiful lady while her ears drooped with some sadness.

-Don't worry about it, Kathy- Selestia arrived at the place from the kitchen where she had prepared some fruit juice for the lady -it's a mission that Lady Valentina gave us, also...- she observed the lady's swollen belly, smiling tenderly and caressing her belly -we don't want you to do something and hurt yourself, that could harm your baby-.

Kathy smiled sweetly accepting the juice, she ran her hands over her belly caressing it while wagging her tail very carefully.

The children paused for a moment as they approached her. “Do you know if it’s a boy or a girl?” Christopher asked. The three of them positioned themselves in front of her, sitting on the floor, caressing her belly with extreme care. They felt the baby move inside.

-I don't know- he replied.

-What would you like?- Selestia joined in.

Kathy looked away at Mathias, reached out and caressed the little boy's ears, leaving him completely KO - a boy - she said with a blush on her face - although my boyfriend wants it to be a girl -.

-Well, I hope it's a girl, so she can learn magic and play with Diana, Anita and me- Selestia crossed her arms and closed her eyes.

-Well, I hope it's a boy so he can train with us- Mathias.

Kathy smiled, "Although we would both like to have siblings, maybe a boy and a girl, a human and a demi-human."

-Wait- Christopher -isn't your boyfriend a demihuman like you?-.

Kathy smiled, revealing her teeth, blushing with some embarrassment. “No.”

-IT'S A HUMAN!- both Selestia and Mathias exclaimed, now the three of them were even more interested.

-That's great, I wonder what her baby will be like?- Selestia asked.

-What if he has a cat's tail- he stretched his own tail leaving it in sight, although he is a tiger, he let go and held his ears -but not the ears, or maybe he only has the fangs- Mathias.

-Or it could be the other way around- Christopher added-or be a fully human-.

Kathy can't remember the last time she had so much fun talking to children. Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she imagined her future child talking to her and calling her "Mommy."

Since she confessed to her partner that she was pregnant, her lover had not let her make the slightest effort. To the point that he almost treated her as if she were a disabled person.

She didn't do it out of malice, her boyfriend has shown her on countless occasions that he loves her more than his own life. Kathy, more than anyone, knows that her boyfriend is crazy about her and he showed it in every way, both on a sentimental level, friendship and even sexually. She thanked all the Gods for having given her a chance with him.

Kathy has a very painful past, before being rescued by Alexander and Valentina she had suffered a lot at the hands of her former master who enjoyed hurting and torturing her, likewise, she was a slave. She deeply hated humans, the town made her change her mind and especially her boyfriend.

She decided to play along with the kids, it was fun to make theories about how her future child would turn out.

-Well, I want my baby to be born without my features- she touched her ears and let her tail be seen moving.

-And why?- Christopher tilted his head -I think your ears and tail are pretty- a true Don Juan in the making, Selestia frowned, something that Kathy noticed and quickly changed the subject.

-He'll surely be like his dad and want to become an Adventurer- she thought about her boyfriend who loved that life of adventures. Facing beasts and earning gold for it.

For obvious reasons he decided not to become one, but he felt that his son/daughter would want to follow that life. That's why she wanted her baby to be born without inheriting those traits, that way he wouldn't have problems within the Human Empire. It wasn't something she would tell the children, they are still too young to know about the cruelty of the world outside the village.

-I want to be an Adventurer too- Mathias added happily -but my mom says that if I want to be one I should go to the territory of the Beast Empire, Beast-Land, that's too far away- he complained, crossing his arms.

Beast-Land, the empire of the Beasts. Even though there is currently “peace” there are still very high tensions between Hyuman-Land and Beast-Land. In the past when three of the four great empires were at war, thousands of souls were lost. The peace treaty is what still preserves the fragile peace of the empires to this day.

Kathy completely understood Mathias's mother, it would be impossible for her to have a happy life within the Human Empire.

Selestia looked away from Christopher, somewhat annoyed. She said, "Kathy, you want me to be more human, what does your boyfriend want?"

Luckily, the tension Kathy felt died instantly, she laughed lightly thinking of her beloved. With her right hand she stretched one of his ears and with the other his tail, finally she smiled revealing her cat fangs -look at me! I have these cute little cat ears and tail, guess how he wants our child to be born-.

-Like a demi-human!- Selestia replied, completely on target.

They talked about some silly things, Kathy was so happy to be able to share with them. The kids were great and their imagination excited her.

Because they had wasted a lot of time chatting, they were late and had to continue cleaning. They set off.

-Perfect, while you clean I will...-

-NO! YOU JUST REST- the boys shouted again as Kathy pouted her lips and crossed both arms between them -they are just as bad as my boyfriend, they don't let me do anything-.

...

They finished cleaning and said goodbye to Kathy who thanked them again for having cleaned and tidied up her home completely. She gave them some sweets which were very well received.

The children walked through the village with their mouths full of a candy made from orange, a delicacy among delicacies. A real delight for their palates.

-I'm very hungry- Mathias's tail began to move from left to right, giving the impression that it was warning him that it was time to eat.

-Let's go to Anita's bakery- suggested Selestia- I want to try the new fruit-based bread- Christopher and Mathias could swear they saw a tiny thread of saliva fall from Selestia's lips.

Leaving that aside Christopher couldn't help but laugh silently, as far as Elven customs are concerned, Selestia is a copy of her mother, in fact, all Elves were like that. Quite faithful to their beliefs and feeding method.

-Why not?- Christopher led the group, all heading to the bakery.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Meanwhile.

Valentina took another sigh of the day, checking the stock the town had. They were short of some very essential products, such as medicines. She hoped Alexander could get every medicine on the long list she provided.

"Please," she murmured wearily, "let no one get sick... just for four days."

-Valentina, calm down- sitting at the same table was her best friend, Sebastian's mother. Rachel Leon, also one of the few people who can call Valentina directly by her name without the honorific "Lady" before.

A woman with an extremely relaxing presence - you shouldn't call for bad luck either.

-But what if it happens?- Valentina held the paper in her hands again. They were really short of medicine.

-You have to think that everything will be fine- she touched Valentina's head. She was one of the few people with whom Valentina can let out an immature side and even act like a spoiled and pampered child.

-Rachel, cuddle with me- Valentina's eyes became glassy while a vein of annoyance appeared on Rachel's forehead. -…Do your job-.

...

-HOW DELICIOUS- Selestia filled her mouth, taking bites of the fruit bread she had just acquired -ANITA'S DAD IS A GENIUS!-

"Well, I can't say otherwise," Christopher said, taking another bite of the bread he had bought, also with fruit.

Mathias, on the other hand, opted for some juices, thinking the same as the boys.

They laughed for a moment until another of their friends finally appeared in front of them, accompanied by his cute sister - Oh! How are you guys?

-WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN THAT YOU DIDN'T HELP US WITH THE CLEANING?- Christopher, Selestia and Mathias.

-Ha?- Sebastian's head tilted to the side trying to understand what was happening -do you know that I'm busy with some things for my dad?-.

-Oh right- the three of them collided their right fist with their palm in a vertical direction. Making Sebastian simply furious beyond belief.

...

-Valentina, it seems that the children have already finished cleaning Kathy's house- Rachel took another sip of the green tea she recently prepared -won't she give them another task or something like that?-.

-Ah- she again adopted a position more worthy of a ruler, she has been receiving 'petting' on the head from Rachel while she was putting together a new inventory -I was thinking of sending them to patrol the outside, but...-.

-But now there is more beast activity around the village, it would be very dangerous to send them because they could run into a Manticore or something worse- Rachel was absolutely right.

Valentina sighed, she knew her son very well and most likely:.

-Mom, we're done with the cleaning! Could you give us some chores like patrolling the forest?-

Most likely she asked for something that couldn't be given to her, the children in front of her started shouting a lot of things like, for example: Fight against a beast, against a feathered serpent or a manticore. Valentina felt like she was going crazy.

Rachel called them in a calm but dark voice - calm down - just by saying that the children lost their desire to fight.

-You still have your touch- Valentina joked.

-Guys please, Valen... Lady Valentina is very busy right now- he said -she has no time to waste-.

-But Rachel- Christian complained, calling her by her name. In fact, he knew the woman very well since she was his best friend's mother, and because of that he could afford to call her directly. -We want to do something more than just clean houses-.

-If you want, I could help you, Lady Valentina- Selestia.

-I agree with Christopher, some training wouldn't be good. Especially now that the beasts are gathering- Mathias.

Valentina smiled, at least the children were quite animated.

-I'm sorry kids, but Lady Valentina can't let you go outside. It's too dangerous- Rachel frowned but instantly her lips curved into a friendly gesture -how about another clean-up mission...?-.

"WHAT?" Christopher, Selestia and Mathias exclaimed in question. They seemed slightly annoyed.

-Cleaning a house again?- Crossing his arms, Christopher pouted.

-That again?- Mathias.

"I wouldn't have any problems doing that," Selestia added, although she would really like to do something that would allow children to use magic or some ability.

-I like that energy that they possess- hands on Rachel's cheeks, resting her head on her elbows -but they didn't let me finish, what they're going to do is clean the garden of one of the most important spirits that live in our town-.

- WITH GREAT PLEASURE - the three of them exclaimed with glassy eyes on the verge of letting out a few tears of happiness.

-They are easy to convince- Valentina sighed between giggles, holding the papers again.

-You just have to go behind the big tree and get rid of the algae that prevents the aquatic flowers from growing properly. Can you do it? - Rachel sat back down, holding her cup of tea.

-OF COURSE!- With that said, the children took off at a dizzying speed, the two adults looked at each other laughing at the children's attitude.

"They're smart, but they still have that innocence of little children." Rachel sat down next to her ruler as she removed the sheets she had already seen.

-I would feel very bad if my Christopher lost that innocence that I love so much- she pouted.

Rachel couldn't deny it and had to agree with him completely. She thought of Sebastian and Diana, a mental image of both of them smiling and hugging her filled her mind - me too, I wish Sebastian and Diana would never grow up.

Rachell placed all the papers they had already reviewed to one side, to one side towards a family photo. There both Valentina and Alexander were hugging Christopher, all three with radiant smiles.

-Valentina, you already know when you will reveal to Christopher that he…-.

-Rachel...- she called -he's still very little and right now I don't want to talk about it... please-.

Rachel narrowed her eyes, smiling. She then snuggled up to Valentina's right arm and proceeded to hug it -whatever you want- she took advantage of the fact that no one was there and rubbed her face against Valentina's arm -mom...-.

The friendship between the two is extremely strong, in the past they were mistress and slave and after that mother and daughter Valentina never treated her like a slave. From the day she bought her from some slavers, she rescued her from a life of abuse and mistreatment, most importantly she gave her a name. Rachell swore to be by her side and protect her until the day she dies.

Rachell tends to act tough when in public, but when alone she loves being pampered by the person she considers a mother.

Of everyone in the village, the relationship between the two is only known by Alexander and Herman.

...

-It should be around here- Christopher stood on the banks of the stream, very close to the big tree, and moved aside the flowers that were growing in that particular area. The flowers were very pretty and striking. Their roots were completely under water.

-Don't even think about pulling them out- Selestia gave Mathias a very unfriendly look.

-I know it- Mathias complained as he gently pushed the flowers away again -I wonder what kind of spirit it is? It seems like a very small one if it lives in this place, is it true that it is a very important spirit?-.

Selestia squatted down smelling the pleasant aroma of those flowers while, in the best way possible, she touched the petals, feeling them -size doesn't matter- she looked at the flowers which were extremely beautiful -it must be a very nice spirit, these flowers show me that she takes very good care of them-.

-Rachell said that the spirit would be around here, if it is at least similar to the spirits that live in my mom's garden it should appear by moving these flowers- Christopher moved them gently, all of his mother's reproaches about taking care of them were engraved in his head, so he did it with great care.

-Come on, great spirit- Mathias called -come with us, we want to meet you- Selestia couldn't cover her mouth as she stifled a giggle; the scene of Mathias talking to the flowers was cute.

Behind them, the sound of a splash could be heard. "Are you looking for me?" The children slowly turned their heads until they could see behind them. "Do you want me to help you with something?"

There was the one who was apparently the blessed important spirit. First of all, blue skin, completely blue eyes and black irises. Quite long hair, also of a blueish hue and quite pretty.

On the sides of the head there are two lotus flowers which she used as an ornament. Long ears shaped like fins without any scales. Most striking, the naked body and being covered only in its intimate parts by lotus flowers, the breasts and its most important organ.

Fine mouth, soft voice and a magical beauty.

-Do you want to talk to me about something?- the beautiful spirit tilted his head.

"How beautiful," the boys murmured, they were totally captivated by the mere presence of the spirit who felt very flattered by the compliment.

I let them see a friendly gesture form on her lips - thank you very much for the compliment, do not be afraid, I will not hurt you - the spirit woman with a divine appearance approached them - do you want something from me? -

They had finally been able to emerge from the trance-like state they seemed to be in as they looked at the pretty spirit.

-Yes, we are very sorry, Miss Spirit, my name is Christopher!-.

-Nice to meet you, my name is Selestia-.

-And I am Mathias-.

The beautiful spirit looked at the children from bottom to top, noticing Christopher.

-Your name is Christopher- he said- are you Valentina's son?-.

Christopher nodded. “Do you know my mom?”

Laughter, the spirit began to laugh in a friendly manner, looking at him again now with half-closed eyes - she is my friend, she asked me to keep the entire area of the little stream that crosses the town clean and drinkable.

-Woaaaah- the children were amazed, once again they discovered something incredible that made them shudder with excitement.

-You're great, Miss Spirit! - Mathias exclaimed with an excited good attitude.

The spirit woman smiled, "Please call me Nidya."

-Nidya- Selestia approached her with marked interest shining in her beautiful eyes, slightly clenching her fists almost shuddering with emotion -are you a Water Nymph?-.

-In fact, you look a lot like the drawings of the Nymphs that I have in my books- he looked at Nidya again, from top to bottom, blushing slightly as he looked more at her body, don't think badly, Christopher is not a pervert or anything. But who wouldn't be attracted to such a beautiful magical spirit -but...-.

- Am I bigger? - Nidya stroked Selestia's head and then pulled on her ears. She put her aside and approached Christopher, squatting in front of him. That part of the stream was not deep, the water only reached the children's knees.

Because of that, when Nidya took a squatting position, it seemed that her lower body blended with the water - tell me little Christopher, did you discover who I am? -

-Emmm- he felt very intimidated by the beautiful spirit, that vaguely clouded his judgment and therefore the memories about the books about magical beings that he had read -I give up-.

-Water Nymphs look like girls because of their height- she tilted her head in a friendly manner -I'm a pretty Naiad- somewhat self-centered, but who would argue with her.

- Great, a Naiad! - Mathias smiled showing his fangs, Christopher sighed - You don't know what a Naiad is, do you? - in this way a heavy drop of sweat fell down the Demi-Human's forehead.

Nidya laughed lightly, these boys made her smile like she hadn't smiled in a while.

Selestia decided to speak. "The Naiads, Mathias, are greater spirits of the waters. They are capable of purifying contaminated waters. In the case of a large lake, a group of Naiads could make it completely drinkable in a few days. I also believe that you serve as guardians of the water Nymphs until they grow and mature."

Nidya looked at Selestia with great sweetness -You are a very intelligent Elf, it is rare that someone knows so much about my race-.

-Yes, but aren't there supposed to be more like you if this is a little stream?-.

-Smarter than I thought you were- the Naiad looked up at the sky -all my friends are gone, I came to this town with your parents Christopher- she looked sweetly at the little one -they rescued me-.

-How is that?- asked the little boy.

-A long story-.

-But isn't the stream too big for you alone to be in charge of purifying it?- Selestia.

The Naiad laughed. “I'm very strong, you know? It offends me a little that you don't believe in me.”

"I'm so sorry Nidya," Selestia apologized, bowing slightly. In fact, Nidya only said that to tease her a little. She liked the intelligence of these kids.

"Hey Nidya," Christopher called, "will you attack us?"

The question made Selestia raise her face with a drop of sweat, she knew what he meant.

-Why would she attack us?- Mathias was truly confused, Nidya looked so friendly that it was impossible for him to imagine her attacking any of them, no matter that they had only met her a few minutes ago.

The Naiads looked at the two boys who did know the answer - Elf girl, no... Selestia, would you have the answer? -

-The Naiads can be aggressive with anyone who enters their domain, in this case this little stream, and... we touched their garden without permission-.

The Naiad smiled at them again as she stood up, looking at Christopher who was unfazed. The tension disappeared again as Christopher spoke up. "Nidya won't attack us or anything like that, right?"

-OHHHH, and how do you know?- asked the Naiad.

-We were given the mission to clean your garden- he pointed towards the water flowers -if there was a possibility that you would attack us, they would never have given us that mission-.

-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA- Nidya laughed extremely amused while her hair moved from one side to the other -I would never lay a finger on you guys, any of you or anyone in this town. I live here too! And I like you all, even if I don't show myself much-.

He brought a hand to his chin as if he was thinking - sometimes I play with the children who come to fish, I just ask them not to dirty my little stream - he stopped thinking and adopted a serious attitude for a few moments - but that only applies to those who live here, if someone from outside invades my territory without my permission I will be forced to attack him. Obviously I won't kill him, but I will hurt him. I don't like strangers entering my waters, I don't know if they are clean or dirty people, I don't want my little stream to get dirty -.

Selestia understood her completely, her eyes shining. She thought the same about the cleanliness and care of nature. Christopher slapped his face as he watched the scene of Selestia with shining eyes hugging the Naiad.

-And you're really strong?- Mathias asked, wagging his tail again.

-I don't fight with melee attacks, but my strong, cute little demihuman...- he caressed the little one's ears, leaving him totally at his mercy -it's Water Elemental Magic, I'm even stronger than everyone in the village when it comes to water and if I add my Race Magic I'm unstoppable-.

-Even more than Lady Valentina?- Mathias was amazed, Valentina had great mastery when it came to Elemental magic. She also handled many water magic spells very well. And the Naiad is stronger when it comes to water, that's a lot.

"That's right," she said. Selestia marveled, Mathias with his ear and tail moving with a life of their own.

Christopher thoughtfully had an idea -hey Nidya- he called her -could you teach us Water Elemental Magic?-.

-Yes!- both Mathias and Selestia exclaimed.

The Naiad thought for a moment, until now she had never passed on her knowledge of magic to anyone. She became excited, imagining the children calling her teacher, she almost died with the image, she had to regain her composure -with great pleasure-.

-YESSSSSS- the boys shouted.

-Nidya, we'll clean up your garden as quickly as we can and then teach us some water magic-.

In this way the children increased their pace, collecting the algae that spoiled the beautiful view of the flowers.

Nidya smiled, feeling her heart vibrate with joy. It had been too long since she felt this happy. She looked at the water running beneath her, using her race magic the lower part of her body became one with the water. She had a moment remembering the past.

...

-I'm alone, all my friends are gone. All that's left of my beautiful lake is this little puddle of water-I was standing in the middle of what had been said to be a simple puddle of water. Barely a foot deep and a mere half metre in diameter.

­­-Possibly in a few more hours my lake will dry up completely and I will die- what seemed to be a tear slid slowly and leisurely down Nidya's blue face -friends, I will soon join you...- sporadic spasms occurred above the rib cage, it was the difficulty of crying and breathing at the same time.

She fell to her knees, stretching her arm out towards the water. "I don't want to..." she murmured to herself, remembering the beautiful days when the lake was full of life. "I don't want to, I don't want to disappear, buaaaaaaaahhhh, don't dry up, please don't dry up. Hold on a little longer." Nidya wanted to see her friends, but at the same time she wanted to keep living. She was afraid, she didn't know what would happen to her when she disappeared.

Fear drove her to despair, and being alone made everything a thousand times worse. With each passing day she saw what was left of her once beloved lake evaporate. Sadness and hopelessness plagued her.

Her life would end with the lake, only half a meter in diameter of the puddle kept her alive. She resigned herself and would simply wait to die.

-According to the map this should be a big lake- she heard a woman's voice behind her.

-It seems that the sun has evaporated it, it is really a shame- accompanying the woman's voice was that of a man.

Nidya turned towards the owners of those voices, she was surprised by the sight. A human man and a beautiful Elf woman holding hands.

-Look, honey! A Naiad! - the Elf woman exalted herself with joy.

The man did not notice her almost naked body, much less her extreme beauty. He only looked at the feet of the Naiad. The small puddle that would disappear in approximately three more hours.

-You're in danger, if that puddle dries up you'll die...- said that man, causing Nidya to just look down. She already knew her inevitable fate, there was no need for them to make fun of her.

-Would you like to come with us?- the Elf asked, Nidya looked up bewildered. Now seeing how that man was filling a cylindrical glass container with water from the puddle.

-This way, even if the puddle dries up completely, you can still live if you come with us- I let the container full of water from the puddle be seen.

-But that's only if you agree to join us- added the Elf in a very friendly manner, extending her hand.

Nidya raised her eyebrows in anger - you are making fun of me - she clenched her teeth tightly, she was frustrated and desperate. Obviously in that situation she would think badly of everything - they just want to keep me as a trophy forever in that horrible jar, I want to be free! -

-We would never do that to you- said the man -we will found a town where everyone will be welcome, no matter what race they belong to- Nidya saw how the man and the woman held hands, she realized that these two were a couple. A human and an Elf.

-You will only be in the container for a few days, we promise, when you reach the place where the town will be, you will be free again! - the Elf woman extended her arm again -we don't want you to die, I implore you, trust us-.

Nidya looked into the deep eyes of the Elf woman, nothing she had said was a lie. These two really have a desire to help her. Once again she looked at the container with the water from her puddle, the man was holding it.

-Where we will found our village there is a small stream which runs through it. There you can live with us! We will take care of it and it will never dry up. And you can purify it as much as you like. Come with us, don't disappear.

Nidya couldn't bear everything she had inside, her broken heart couldn't take it anymore and she shed the last tears she had kept. She looked at the two of them with a great desire to continue living -PLEASE, SAVE ME-.

...

Nidya looked at Christopher who had a face full of happiness as he threw some seaweed at Mathias, at the same time Selestia got upset with both of them for doing that and scolded them with her arms raised. -He has undoubtedly inherited the way of thinking that both of them have-.

-Guys- Nidya called again- when you're done I want you to take care of the algae that grows around my house- she pointed behind her, precisely towards the part of the great Tree that was submerged- I live in here-.

Approaching the specified location, the children could see a small cave completely submerged under water. It seemed to be quite deep, as they were unable to see beyond a few meters in front of them.

-Is this your room?- Mathias made a move to try to enter but was instantly stopped by Selestia who pulled his tail. -AYAYAYAY IT HURTS! WHY ARE YOU DOING THAT TO ME?- he complained, moving his arms up and down repeatedly.

Selestia, arms crossed, seemed to be very upset with the Demi-Human's attitude - you are so rude, how could you try to enter a girl's room without her permission-. With that said, and for a brief moment, Nidya's eyes twitched in surprise.

-Stop it you two- said Christopher separating them- remember that she herself asked us to clean, I mean she gave us permission. Although with all this water...-.

- Her? A girl? - Nidya smiled, although this was a very different smile, it seemed to be more of a grateful one - It's not just your son who has those thoughts, it seems everyone is like that. In this town there is really acceptance towards any race. I think she should start interacting with others - Nidya looked up at the top of the big tree. From there it seemed like a person was watching them all.

Although due to the distance it was impossible to identify it - you should do it too.

...

"Nidya is great!" Christopher exclaimed at the dining room table of his home as he brought some rice and meat to his mouth with a wooden spoon.

I swallow the cud - why didn't you ever tell me that there are spirits in the village that can communicate with us? - referring to the Naiad, by communicating with them she meant that they can have a conversation.

-You never asked-.

The little spirits that live in their mother's garden cannot speak, but they have their own way of communicating, for example. When they want someone to throw some water on their home (the garden), they approach Christopher, Valentina or Alexander and walk around them.

Maybe for other people that doesn't mean anything, or they might think that the spirits just want to play. But for these three, every action had a different meaning because of all the time they have been living with them.

-She seems to be a very kind person- Selestia brought to her mouth the vegetables that Valentina prepared for her lunch. The dish consisted of a salad of various vegetables. With a few slices of apple and pears, bread and even mashed potatoes.

-That's great! - added Christopher -I never imagined that that little stream was the home of a Naiad- he put his hand to his chin in a sign of thought -although that could explain why the waters that cross the interior of the town are always so clean-.

Selestia stopped eating, looking at the boy and approving the hypothesis - you're right! So it's because of Nidya that our river is so beautiful and that the flowers and plants that grow around the big tree are so full of life-.

-In fact, there is another reason why the flowers and plants are so full of life- Valentina smiled quite expectantly, she wanted to see the reaction of the two little ones once they receive the following information -the truth is that this is due to the spirit that lives inside the great tree!- another secret was revealed.

-WHAT- the excited scream of the pair of children was like music to Valentina's ears. -There's another spirit! What's its name? What kind is it?-.

-Why didn't we see it when we were fixing Nidya's room?- Selestia asked energetically. -We were very close to the big tree. We should have been able to see it-

-The spirit that lives in the big tree is quite shy- for a moment the children felt somewhat disappointed, they thought that in the end it would be impossible for them to be able to speak with the spirit of the big tree -but don't worry, you just have to give it some time until you gain its trust-

The children nodded enthusiastically.

-I understand- Christopher put aside his empty plate, directing his attention towards Selestia -we will try to talk to the tree spirit once we return to Nidya-.

Selestia nodded -Yes!-.

-Oh, they'll come back with her, will they continue cleaning?- said Valentina while collecting the dirty dishes.

-No, she will teach us Water Magic- and Christopher said it in an euphoric manner. Something that the boy liked, among many things, was magic and learning new magic spells.

-Lady Valentina- Selestia called- I love taking magic classes from you, but having a Naiad teach me is not something I want to pass up-.

Valentina placed her hand on top of each of their heads, shaking them. -I hope you take advantage of this opportunity, you know that it is very difficult for the spirits to agree to pass on their teachings to any being of another race. You better learn something-.

-YES!- they responded enthusiastically.

...

This time both Sebastian and Diana were invited to the Naiad's private class. They were both enchanted by her beauty. But they wasted no time and got started.

The only one who didn't attend was Anita, she was invited, but the little girl was really busy and didn't have time because she is currently in charge of the bakery. Actually, one of Valentina's friends was in charge, but she had to take care of the orders.

But I would do my best to at least meet and greet Nidya.

Regarding the class, Nidya explained many things about water magic:

-As I told you- she said- if there is a body of water near you, you could make your water attacks much more powerful, you would also use less magical energy, this is because most of the energy will be taken from the body of water, that way you can save a lot of magical energy-.

He gave a demonstration, he didn't throw any magic attacks or anything.

-Water Elemental Magic: Water Ball-.

He raised both arms to his sides with his palms open. In one use his own magical energy to form a small ball of water.

In the other one, he used some of his magical energy with that of the stream. What happened was that bubbles floated up from the stream and combined with the sphere of water. The size was the same as the other one, but in this one a greater concentration of magical energy could be felt.

It was both her own energy and that of nature, which increased the strength of the spells. "If you learn how to use nature's energy, you'll save quite a bit of magical energy, and you'll be able to perform large magical attacks using very little of your own magical energy. Do you understand?"

The children nodded, in a battle using nature's energy would be a tremendous advantage against the adversary. They had to learn it, this information was extremely useful. Each of them was already thinking about how to apply it in their own way.

The children began to practice, as it is water magic and what they seek is to control the magical energy of the water. Nidya lined them up, all facing her. The water reached their knees. Now the children tried to apply Nidya's teachings to their own style.

-The best thing you can do is try to feel the energy of the water- with that she moved her right hand upwards and in front of her a sphere of water rose from the water. -Once you understand it you will see that it is not difficult, it is simply like performing magic using each one's magical energy. Only to this you must add the external energy-.

"Easier said than done," Sebastian muttered. The water ball then crashed into him.

-Any complaints?- she said.

Sebastian shook his head.

Minutes passed and Nidya answered questions about the style each of them used:

Mathias, almost exclusively in hand-to-hand combat. The type of magic he uses is Reinforcement Magic. Nidya made him understand, although he only used that type of magic and his fights were more hand-to-hand. He could learn to use the energy of nature, for example, and in this case create a sword of water at very high pressure or imbue the sword he always uses in a thin but sharp layer of water, which would cut almost anything.

He could also mold water gloves or a water-based defense. There the Demi-Human understood the importance of controlling energy both internally and from nature. His eyes were opened.

Selestia, whether with the bow and arrow or with magic, focused on long-distance attacks. According to Nidya, it would be much easier for Selestia to master external energy, firstly, because of her genes since she is an Elf. Also because of the great affinity with external energy, she would only need to practice and in a short period of time she would master it.

Sebastian, he prefers sword fighting, as well as Reinforcement Magic. Although he is quite open to the use of external energy. Precisely because he tends to use defensive magic spells when fighting. He should practice a lot and most likely he will be able to use it.

Christopher, Nidya laughed when she spoke to the little boy. He could apply any style. Be it hand to hand (fists, swords, etc.) and magic attacks (short, medium and long distance). Nidya instantly understood that Christopher would have no problem in mastering energy. In fact, from the first moment she saw him practice she knew immediately that this child had tremendous potential, it was impossible for her to calculate how much this child could grow.

And he was even more surprised when he saw how Christopher, after trying a couple of times, was able to perform the combination of energies before the others.

-Aaaahhhh, now I understand- he said to himself, but out loud, observing the ball of water, trying to give it some other shape. His friends stopped what they were doing and demanded that he tell them how he did it.

And Diana? Well, little Diana couldn't practice yet because of her age. Being only three years old, she wouldn't understand at all what Nidya tried to explain to her, so so that she wouldn't feel sad, she decided to play with the girl, creating many shapes by manipulating the water, making the little girl laugh. It wouldn't be wrong to say that Nidya had fallen in love with the little girl.

Mathias laughed as he watched the scene, breathing with some difficulty. The practice was quite tedious -look- he pointed at Nidya and Diana -another victim of Diana's charms-.

-The only thing I can think of...- Christopher dropped the water sphere planning to create another one while he took a breath- is that she possesses Unique Magic, most likely it consists of being irresistible or something like that-.

Selestia crossed her arms -most likely-.

A drop of sweat fell down Sebastian's neck again - do you really believe that? -

Now Nidya sat above the water, holding Diana on her lap, who smiled like a sweet and harmless girl.

...

Slowly the sun had set, leaving at least one hour of daylight. The boys said goodbye, they were extremely tired as they spent the whole afternoon learning about controlling the magical energy from outside.

Each one went home, agreeing that the next day, after breakfast, they would ask to do some work for the town. Just to highlight, the children loved the town.

Only Christopher and Selestia went together, but not before Mathias and Sebastian threatened him with death if he tried to get ahead in the conquest of the beautiful Elf girl.

-Hey Christopher- she called somewhat shyly- can I ask you something?-.

He looked at her totally innocently -sure, tell me!-.

-How do you train?- she said -you always manage to be one step ahead of all of us, do you have a secret?-.

He scratched his cheek without realizing his steps slowed down -I swear Selestia...- he said in order to make the aforementioned understand that what he was going to say was not a lie -I don't have the slightest idea, and I'm not lying to you, if I knew why I'm able to learn so quickly I wouldn't keep it a secret from you all!- Despite his young age, he was acting like a young adult. Expressing himself very well -But I really don't know how I do it-.

He looked down, slightly blushing - please believe me.

Selestia could feel that every word coming out of her friend's mouth was filled with nothing but truth. What would she say to him? Her friend was telling the truth about not knowing why he was capable of all of this.

She looked at him and stretched out her arm. "I believe you," she said as they walked that way, causing both her and Christopher to blush slightly. "So let's go quickly, surely Lady Valentina must be wondering about us."

...

Back at the house, Valentina greeted them with some sweets and a little juice for each one. Selestia, who admired Valentina to death, couldn't help but enjoy with all her heart the sweets made by the person she admires most in the world.

Christopher was the "normal" one between the two. They talked and commented about training while the little one was in charge of watering his mother's garden, for a whole week as he had promised.

Selestia looked at him smiling, taking a sip of her orange juice. While Valentina covered her mouth -fufufufu-.

Night came, they talked, laughed, and joked with Christopher until bedtime. Both of them had full and happy stomachs. They had to replenish the energy they lost during the hours they trained.

-Sleep in my bed Selestia, I'll sleep on the mattress-.

-But it's your room, and I'm the guest!-.

Christopher laughed - that's precisely why you have to sleep in my bed - he grabbed her and almost threw her off - I would never let you sleep on the floor -.

Selestia nodded, somewhat embarrassed.

Before going to bed Christopher went to the nightstand next to the bed. He touched a sphere which was perfectly balanced on a small board. The sphere was about the size of a fist.

The sphere then levitated about five centimeters above the table because Christopher had given it some magic - it is the sphere of cold, in a few moments it will cool the room and we will not feel hot.

Selestia nodded, watching the sphere for a few moments. She was captivated by the way it floated, and suddenly she could feel cold air running over her face. Quite pleasant in her opinion.

...

In the early hours of the morning, Selestia opened her eyes. She frowned, she always hated waking up in the middle of the night. She wanted to go back to sleep until she noticed the window near her. "Huh?" she muttered almost like a zombie. "Why is it open?" She slowly regained consciousness. She turned around and what she saw left her extremely perplexed.

Above Christopher, or rather, flying just a few inches away from Christopher, were a total of at least ten or fifteen little spirits.

They were the same spirits that inhabit Valentina's garden. "What does this mean?" Selestia thought to herself. The scene was magical and incredible, she had never seen spirits do this.

They were so close to Christopher until he noticed that they were even resting on top of him.

She realized Christopher was awake when he reached out his hand in front of him, using his finger to invite one of the spirits to descend upon him. Just like when you invite a bird to come up and sit on your finger.

His gesture was reciprocated, one of the many spirits flying above him decided to descend and rest on his finger - you know, I have often wondered why they come to my room and just fly around me.

With that, the spirits only came closer to him. They were quite small, about half the size of a little finger. They were humanoid in shape, although they were luminescent, the only thing that could be distinguished from them were their small black eyes that contrasted with the white light they emitted.

It could be seen that these had wings similar to those of a dragonfly, although only one pair.

-I wish so much that they could talk- at that moment some of those spirits descended and walked over the blanket that she used to cover herself.

Selestia was now sitting on the bed, her eyes wide open.

Christopher looked to the side, noticing that she was watching him, perplexed. "Selestia," he called out. "I'm sorry if I woke you up, I was trying to talk to these little ones."

-Why do they let you touch them?- that was the only question she wanted to be answered. In her house she had many plants which housed spirits, but she never experienced anything like this. In fact, those spirits rarely let themselves be seen. And now this was happening in front of her.

Christopher let the spirit on his finger take flight again, but it landed back on his finger. "I don't know either," he said, looking at the spirits. "Sometimes these guys come into my room and fly around me for a while, then they leave again. You've probably heard the question I asked them, but I don't really know why they do that. Unfortunately, they can't speak our language, but I know they understand me."

Selestia couldn't stop looking at Christopher and the spirits. Shyly and with a face full of desire, she decided to ask what her heart was telling her at that moment -could you ask them for permission so I can touch them too? I promise not to do anything bad to them. I only want to touch one, please tell them that-.

Christopher looked at the girl, it was obvious that she really wanted to touch one of those spirits. Christopher looked at them all -Guys, she's my friend and she wants to meet you. Could you play with her? She won't hurt you-.

A total of five spirits came towards her, now flying around the Elf girl who was extremely amazed. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, her mouth open in a sign of extreme happiness and a tear was running down her right eye.

She was happy, the spirits descended until they were just centimeters away from her. She followed them with her eyes, until one of the spirits descended right in front of her eyes. Selestia extended her hand and the spirit landed on her. -Chri-Christopher look- she said with marked emotion in her voice and face -I'm touching them! I'm touching them!-.

Christopher smiled as he had a small spirit standing on his head and the others along the blanket covering him.

Suddenly all the spirits took flight and each of them headed towards the slightly open window, leaving the room.

Selestia's eyes curved in disappointment. She wanted to keep playing with the spirits. Christopher laughed and calmed her down. "Don't worry, they'll probably come back again the next night and you'll be able to play for longer."

-Yes!- she exclaimed happily. Surely now it would be hard for her to sleep because she would think about what she had experienced all night. Although now a slight blush ran across her face. She covered her head calling her friend -Christopher... you are the best, thank you very much...- and pretended to fall asleep instantly.

The boy looked at her too with a slight blush, he smiled foolishly - you're welcome, I'll always be there for you... - it seemed like they really had a romantic affection for each other, they didn't know it, but the truth is that it wasn't like that.

...

The days passed with remarkable normality and fun for the inseparable friends.

Of all of them, Anita was the one who was working the hardest in the bakery. The others came by every morning to greet her before starting the tasks assigned to them. They were happy, doing cleaning jobs, getting rid of weeds, taking care of Diana and even visiting Nidya.

They would never have imagined, in fact, none of the townspeople would have imagined that anything bad would have happened.

Today the group that went on a trip to the city of Nepal returned and with them some terrible and sad news.

Noon had arrived, today it wasn't Valentina who prepared lunch, but Rachell.

At the table were Christopher, Selestia, Sebastian, Diana and Valentina, all drooling heavily. The table was small but they still made room for everyone to eat at.

Rachel was going a mile a minute, and even more so because Valentina, who was dying of hunger, was hurrying her and bothering her. Rachel faked a smile as best she could, but the tic in her eye was more than visible.

-Okay kids. One, two, three...-.

-WE'RE HUNGRY MOMMY RACHEEEEEELL- all the children shouted in unison.

A throbbing vein appeared across Rachell's forehead, the children were already silent and each of them looked away except for Valentina who was still laughing.

-Do you want me to do something funny?- he hissed as Valentina gulped.

-NO RACHELL, PLEASE WAIT, STOP, NOOOOOOOOOOO, I DON'T WANT THAT- Rachell had Valentina on the ground, holding her arms above her head with her left hand while with her right hand she tried to make her eat a piece of meat.

-This is delicious yum yum, come on, try it- he hissed again with a dark aura.

-RACHELL PLEASE I'M SO SORRY, DON'T DO THIS TO ME- Valentina cried comically, Rachel laughed maliciously and the children calmly ate lunch.

Tears fell down Valentina's beautiful face while Rachell beside her sighed for the umpteenth time -please, I already said I'm sorry- but Valentina just looked away.

-You tried to make me eat meat- she made a tender pout with her lips while breathing sadly, both spoke in a low tone to avoid the children hearing her -you are very mean to your mother, you tried to make me eat meat, that was very cruel. You know that Elves do not eat meat-.

Rachel sighed again as she stood up. "I'll make you that dish you like so much with your favorite juice, okay?"

Valentina nodded, still angry, but waiting for said dish.

Apart from that, the remaining hours of sunlight were passing relatively calmly, there was not much left to do. Only the expectation kept everyone restless.

...

Anita, with her head propped on the counter, was barely keeping herself sane. "F-finally I'm going to rest a-a little," she muttered to herself. All the people who had been helping her these days were doing a deep cleaning.

They asked her to just rest, the girl had given her all.

Although she was really having a hard time staying calm. The comment that had been sent to her father before her departure, about how she needed a new mother, kept going around in her head.

She was anxious because she really seemed to be waiting for him, she had to sigh deeply because she knew that would be impossible -what am I thinking?-.

The others were waiting for their loved ones. Christopher, Sebastian and Mathias missed their parents.

Selestia missed her parents. Four days without them, although she really enjoyed being under Valentina's care and being able to play with her, she missed her parents. She wanted to see them and hug them and have them shower her with pampering.

He wanted to know how they fared, to hear what the city was like, its inhabitants, if they sold the books as they did, and many other things.

She looked at the gate, knowing that everyone would only arrive at night. And she felt her chest tighten -Mom, Dad, I want to see you already-.