Soft daylight was coming into the kitchen of the Eos Family villa through the opened window. It was falling on a dark-haired teenager’s handsome face, enhancing his serene demeanor. The youth was quietly helping the old housekeeper to peel the vegetables despite her frequent glares. If the old woman was stubborn enough to refuse to use the smart kitchen appliances, he was stubborn enough to help her despite her rebuttals.
A slight smile curved the youth’s lips as he heard the grunts from the inner courtyard. Another tall teenager looking exactly like him was training in spear stances. His serious dark blue eyes critically observed his hands to check their position on the weapon before going on to the next move. His black hair was damped with sweat, but instead of making him look disheveled, it revealed the sharpness and the nobleness of his face structure.
“Galen,” the housekeeper said in a grumbling voice, “go and tell Artem that the dishes will soon be ready. I want your brother to wash up before sitting at my table. I won’t let him eat if he’s dripping sweat all over like yesterday!”
“As soon as I’ve finished cutting the vegetables, Melia,” Galen answered softly.
The old woman gave him a stern look but didn’t insist. She knew the twins would never do anything to bother or pain each other, and Artem loved training so Galen wouldn’t interrupt him. She wished the master and mistress would come home soon to control their children.
***
While they were eating - Artem having gone through the trouble to at least dry his face -, the doorbell was rung heavily and repeatedly. Melia naturally rose from her seat, but Galen held her arm to stop her. The youth stared fixedly at his brother as if they were silently communicating while the old woman sat back on her chair. Then, the two boys rose together, Galen going to the door and Artem to get a weapon.
Galen kept his face neutral as he used the entrance camera to check who was at the door. Several heavy-built men were standing in front of the house.
“Boy,” one of the burliest ones said in a loud voice as soon as he saw his face on the exterior screen, “we are here in the name of the Beast Tamers Association to search your house. Let us in.”
“How do I know you are not lying?” the teenager calmly retorted.
“Prosperous!” the big man exclaimed. “Do you know who we are?”
“I don’t, which is why I’m asking you to show me some identification.”
As the first man was ready to explode in anger, another one with distinctive small eyes pushed him back. Galen couldn’t explain why, but he found him untrustworthy. Not that he would have let anyone in to search the house in the absence of his parents, even without their specific warnings before they left.
“Here, my Beast Tamer license. As you can see, we are indeed from the Association.”
Galen discreetly took a shot of the license. He planned to show it to his parents later. When he nodded, the big man impatiently said, “So, can we come in now?”
“Why do you want to come in?” Galen asked without apparent fear.
“To search the house! Are you deaf?” the angered big man answered before the small-eyed one could keep him in check.
“Why?” Galen insisted.
“This matter shouldn’t be of concern to minors. Just open the door,” the calm small-eyed man said.
“You are all strangers. You are aggressive, and you refuse to tell me what your purpose is. I won’t open the door. Come back when my parents are here if it is an adult matter.”
“You little conceited prick!” the burly man shouted. “Your parents are dead! How do you expect them to come back? Open the door before I ask my Ground Buffalo to destroy it!”
Galen had to rely on his brother’s quiet presence to hold on and keep calm. Artem stayed out of the camera, but his eyes were intensely fixed on him and his left hand was squeezing his own. As the older brother, Galen needed to protect his Family. He wouldn’t let these vultures in. “My housekeeper is calling the police as we speak. If you trespass, they will arrest you. Leave.”
“Do you think the police will protect you from beast tamers? How naive are you?” The big man sneered.
It was true that the police couldn’t do much against beast tamers, but they were working closely with Beast Enforcers – beast tamers whose job was to take care of beast tamer criminals. “Am I really the naive one?” Galen retorted, staying strong by tightening his hold on his brother’s hand since he knew his bluff didn’t have much weight: the Beast Enforcers were from the Beast Tamers Association like these men were. “Would you open the door without any doubts to the first guy claiming to come to search your house? Where is your warrant? Where is the notice of the death of my parents? Where is your mission order? Do I need to spell to you what you look like right now?”
Seeing how firm the adolescent was, the small-eyed man shook his head. They wouldn’t get through to him. He let his colleague threaten to burst the door hoping to frighten the boy, but he couldn’t let him act on it. He had to report the situation to his boss. With a sigh, he gave the order to retreat. The burly man threatened the boy a few more times, but he was disciplined and soon joined the group.
The twins watched them leave, as still as statues. They could hear their heartbeat thumping in their ears. They didn’t want to believe what these men said. How could their parents be dead? Their father, Xander Eos, was a legendary Beast Warrior. With his main pet, Regulus, a Giant Star-Blazing Lion, he had destroyed several armies from the Abyss. As for their mother, Tana Eos, she was known as a legendary Beast Healer thanks to her qualifications as a pharmacist and her legendary healing pets like the Rainbow Shamanic Serpent. However, she was also the inheritor of the Eos Family. As such, she was the secret contractor of the Eternal Sky-Golden Phoenix, a mythic beast protected by the Eos Family for centuries. When Xander and Tana Eos were together, nothing could happen to them.
“Boys?” The housekeeper’s worried call woke the twins up.
They knew their parents’ strength, but they also knew their mother often had to go on secret and dangerous missions for the Triad. The secrecy made the twins suspect that their mother worked more specifically for the Agency, even if they didn’t know what that entailed exactly. A lot of rumors surrounded the Agency.
No matter which missions Tana Eos had to complete, Xander Eos always went with his wife to protect her. However, they were mortals like any humans.
“Are you all right?” Melia asked them worriedly.
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The twins didn’t know if they were all right, but they had to act fast before things got worse.
“Melia,” Artem asked to let his brother rest a bit more, “do you know anything about our parents’ mission?”
“Of course not. It isn’t my place to know.”
“Then, maybe we should call one of their colleagues, or their chief,” the adolescent went on. “Do you have the contact information for these people?”
The old woman led the twins to their parents’ office. They had never gone in before, as they understood the secret aspect of their parents’ work. As soon as their eyes fell on the big desk, the twins saw an envelope with their names written on it. Melia tactfully left them alone to clean up the kitchen. The boys sat on the sofa and opened the letter. Each holding a side of the paper, they silently read.
My dear boys,
Your overconfident dad wouldn’t believe anything could happen to us, but my little snake warned me that bad times were coming. Its predictions aren’t always right, but both birds are also restless. I didn’t tell you about this letter before we left because I still hope it won’t be needed. I’m also taking a risk by leaving it out in the open, but I trust you both to be smart enough to prevent anyone but you from reading it.
Their mother’s trust warmed their heart, but they couldn’t help but notice she was careful enough not to write anything directly about the Family’s secret. The boys exchanged a quick look before going on with the reading.
If things go as bad as Snaky predicted, you’ll have to be strong. Don’t trust anyone from the Families, not even from our own. You’ll have to stand alone, but it is inevitable. You know what you have to do for the Family.
Melia’s loyalty is unquestionable, but she won’t be of any help in this. The poor woman is getting old, and you should be careful to leave her out of all these troubles. As for the people who can help you, you’ll have to find them yourself. I can see you frowning, Artem my love. Not much difference between telling you that and telling you nothing? Ask our sweet Galen what he thinks about it.
You know your father and I love you dearly. We won’t abandon you. We’ll do our utmost to give you what you need to go on without us. Be strong, boys. We believe in you.
Although their mother wrote it, both their parents’ signatures could be seen at the end of the letter. Under his brother’s gaze, Galen obliged and explained their mother’s thoughts.
“There are obviously traitors, both in the Family and in the Triad. If the letter gets in the wrong hands, writing down the name of loyalists was too big a risk.”
“So, how are we going to find them?” Artem was frowning, exactly like his mother had predicted.
“Thanks to Melia,” Galen mouthed without any sound going out of his mouth.
Galen could feel his brother’s gaze, but he stood up without explaining and went to the kitchen. His dad had only contracted fire pets, so this was the only place left in the house where you could get a tool to start a fire. Galen wanted to keep the letter, especially if their parents were dead, but he knew he had to burn it. While the boys were patiently watching it burn, Melia had finished cleaning up the place.
She frowned. “You both haven’t eaten much. I should cook you something light. What do you say?”
“Thank you, Melia,” Galen answered, “but we don’t feel like eating. And you know I don’t like it when you cook alone. You’re not young anymore.”
“You rascal! That’s not something you should say to a lady!”
“You know I mean well, Melia. By the way, when are you buying the groceries this week? I’ll go with you.”
“Is this another dig at my age? There is no need!”
“Melia, be reasonable. You are too stubborn to ask for help, and I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“Nonsense!”
“Really? If you don’t have enough money for the groceries, will you tell us?”
“What are you babbling about? I keep tight accounts, as I’ve always done. Everything is in order. You have nothing to worry about!”
“I’m not doubting your work: I wouldn’t dare. I just want to help and keep you out of trouble.”
“Bah, who needs your help!”
The old woman, flushed with irritation, went to her room with the boys on her tail. They politely stayed at the door as she opened her desk to find the account book. Galen quietly looked around the room.
“Melia,” the boy called softly.
“What?” the housekeeper hotly answered.
“Do you have any family left to take care of you?”
Instead of answering, she handed him the book with a fierce look. Artem took it and began to read. Galen knew that by now, his brother should have understood what he had to look for, so he chose to keep the conversation going.
“You saw what happened today, Melia. They’re going to be back.”
Her look became even more haughty, and she spoke to him in a cold, formal tone. “I’m not a beast tamer, young master. Their matters have nothing to do with me. The master and the mistress asked me to take care of your daily needs. Those are my orders, and you don’t have the authority to change them.”
Galen went to the old woman and hugged her, taking her by surprise. “We love you as we would have loved our grandma. We had to try to get you to safety.”
The old woman snorted. “And why is Artem still looking at my account book?”
“You know he is awkward with expressing his feelings.”
The housekeeper snorted again and abruptly pushed them to the kitchen without taking the book from Artem to put it back in place.
“I am cooking, and you are going to eat!”
***
The account book was left to Melia in the kitchen soon after they had eaten. The twins hesitated, but they finally didn’t bother to call anyone from their father’s original Family since Xander Eos had cut all ties with the Seirios Family when he married into the Eos Family and adopted its name. The Eos Family sadly had a high mortality rate and a low birth rate, so its direct members were rare. If their parents were dead, Galen and Artem were all that was left of the Eos Family.
The twins still halfheartedly called some distant family members from the minor branch of the Eos Family and some of their parents’ colleagues to know if they had any news of their parents. Galen wanted to give the illusion they were reacting like normal teenagers. Of course, nobody knew anything.
Late in the afternoon, Galen returned to his room. Artem followed him in. The older boy knew that his twin was waiting for his explanation. Galen had to act as the head of the Family, even if he would rather collapse on his bed and put the cover over his head.
Leaning on his natural bond with Artem, he asked him without words to write down the numbers he should have memorized earlier from the account book. Artem didn’t comment and went to find a piece of paper on the desk to write them down. When Galen sat next to him, the younger boy wrote on another piece of paper.
How sure are you that there are some messages in the account book? Melia didn’t seem to be aware of anything.
Galen took the pen from his hand to answer in the same way.
That is the best safeguard: give the information to someone who ignores they have it. But honestly, I think Melia knew and was pretending otherwise. At least, we have confirmed her loyalty: she reacted to the right keywords and let you bring the book out of her room.
However, it also confirmed we are right to be so careful if she is. I’ll memorize the numbers, then burn everything. I’ll try to break the code as soon as I can.
Artem nodded and put his head on his brother’s shoulder. When Galen was done memorizing, Artem went out to burn all the papers. Waiting for him to return, Galen watched the sun setting down as he wondered how he could keep these men from entering as they wished.
They wouldn’t come back without the means to get what they wanted, be it the lawful papers or enough force or tricks to get in without the law. Their behavior didn’t inspire Galen any trust, and the youth thought them capable of anything, like putting the house under surveillance or using some means to listen in.
Galen and Artem should have been preparing to return to Dascalos High School – one of the best high schools in the City-State of Olympia – as new third-year students. However, they had tacitly decided to stay home, at least until they knew for sure what happened to their parents. And to prepare for the worst.