Spirits of the Earth

@Eckhart_Von_Musel
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At the sound of Hildegarde's voice, the elf doctor looked up from his desk. He quickly closed the journal he was writing in and slammed it into the top left desk drawer, locking it up tightly. Her kid brother? Alderon thought. Since when...? Never mind that.

He stood up, cracking his neck with a slight wince and walking to his bedroom. "I'm a busy man, Hildegarde," he mumbled to himself, not caring that she wasn't listening. "I don't necessarily have time."

If I can deal with Randal, I can deal with another Von Musel.

Alderon pulled on his blue velvet robe and walked out of his apartment. Despite the fact he was quite literally walking down the hall, he locked the door before approaching Hildegarde's apartment. With one short knock as a warning, he walked inside. He'd been in her apartment several times before, so the scene was nothing new to him.

"Hello?" He said, approaching her room. There was a scrawny boy no older than twenty who resembled Hildegarde undeniably. He stood up straight, his hands behind his back. "You," he said. "Hildegarde's younger brother, I presume. I am Dr. Alderon Finicci, your sister's on-call doctor, healer, medicine man, or whatnot. Come along." Without giving Eckhart a chance to respond properly, Alderon turned on his heel and started towards the door.

Eckhart sat in his sister's apartment, alone. Her sudden departure was a hidden blessing- it gave the boy time to reflect. "Five years of her being gone, and now it feels like she never left." he mused, sinking into the couch. "I wonder if she actually meant anything she said. She was never the type to apologize- not unless she was angling for something."

"People can change." a small voice in his head told him. "It's been a long time- enough time that she's probably grown up. Remember, she was younger than you when she left."

Eckhart sighed, closing his eyes. It had been a very long, emotionally exhausting day- and it was only lunchtime. "How did she even know where to find me?" was one of the many questions on his mind. "Where's Belladonna?" was another, as was "Will I get to eat today?"

A flat, monotonous voice caused the boy to open his eyes. A tall, blonde man stood with his arms behind his back, introducing himself as his sister's healer. Eckhart's eyes lit up. "Oh!" he said, standing up. "My name is-"

Dr. Finicci didn't give him time to introduce himself, and was already in the process of walking away. "Oh..." the boy said quietly. "This guy doesn't like me I think..."

Rushing to catch up with him, Eckhart followed the man out of the room. "Um, my name is Eckhart!" he squeaked. "I'm a healer too!"

"A healer, you say?" Alderon said, glancing over his shoulder without stopping. The man wasn't exactly one for introductions, nor did he really care if others thought him to be rude. He found that it was much better to be thought of as a brilliant bastard than a friendly fool.

He smirked slightly, his mind flooding with ideas and memories of Hildegarde mentioning her younger brother. Now that his attention had focused fully on the boy, he was able to recall the trouble he was involved with. He's a Von Musel, the man thought. Perhaps I can pick his brain a tad.

"A pleasure, Eckhart," he said. "I've heard quite a bit about you, especially since the unfortunate incident with the assassin from the other gang. Pleased to see it didn't cause any lasting damage." As he spoke, it almost didn't seem like he needed to pause for a breath.

He walked down the hall towards his apartment, unlocking the door and walking in. "You may call me Alderon. Your sister requested I keep you company while she goes to lunch."

His apartment was cluttered - to say the least - with journals and books and stray papers, but he knew where everything was. It was an organized mess that soothed a doctor's mad mind. "Forgive my ramblings," Alderon said, sitting in the clearly expensive, black leather chair behind his desk and touching his fingertips in front of his lips. "I prefer to do away with all unnecessary small talk before a conversation begins. Now tell me... How good of a healer are you? Where did you study?"

Eckhart's eyes slowly widened as he followed Alderon into the hall. "This guy is weird..." he thought nervously. "Where the fuck did Hilda find him? The bargain bin?"

The boy was led into what he supposed was the man's room, and took a seat in comfortable leather chair. He looked around. "This place is a pigsty. Does he heal people here? I hope not, that'd be unsanitary." Alderon's comment about getting small talk out of the way was a bit unnerving, but Eckhart tried his best to answer the man's questions. "Well, um, I'm not amazing yet..." he began, trying not to meet the doctor's gaze. "Sweet Ansgar, I feel like I'm being interrogated."

"Uh, I'm not classically trained. I just read a lot of books, and then did trial and error stuff with my magic. Oh! My familiar gives me pointers too, she used to belong to somebody else..."

Alderon's left brow arched upward, his gaze not leaving Eckhart. He knew that he wasn't exactly making the boy feel welcome, but oh well. If Eckhart was truly uncomfortable, he had two fully functional legs to carry him out of the apartment.

"Your familiar?" Alderon asked. "I wouldn't think Hildegarde's brother was a witch. Never mind, though. To each his own here, and there shall be no judgment from me."

There was a moment of tense silence, then Alderon rose swiftly from his seat and floated to one of the room's seven massive bookcases. He ran his finger along the second shelf and stopped, pulling out an incredibly worn book. "Over my years of medicinal practice, I've gathered many books and written probably just as many journals. The mess you see here is just over half of my collection." The elf flipped through the pages, not looking for anything specifically, then closed the book. "You're welcome to use almost any of them, if you find yourself lacking reading material."

Eckhart looked at the man, flabbergasted. "W...what?" he said, eyes like dinner plates. "I'm not a witch!" The boy crossed his arms. "Witches have cantrips and cast spells from books! I don't do that stuff!"

"Sweet Ansgar, this guy is a fucking loon."

Eckhart looked away, scowling. "I'm sure your journals are very informative, but I already have reading material." he said curtly. "Thank you for your offer."

"Suit yourself," Alderon said, placing the book back in its specific place. The elf had a quality that even he found annoying: he had to have everything a certain way. All of his books, despite being sloppily organized, were alphabetized by title, and the journals without titles were at the end in order by date.

He situated himself back in his seat, resuming his original pose. Alderon crossed his legs, his right leg over his left, then furrowed his brows with a frown. No, he thought, putting his right leg back down.

"Don't stereotype!" Alderon snapped suddenly, looking at the boy with his intense gaze. "I've known a few witches in my time, and not all of them have cantrips or use books for their spells. Sometimes their books are simply to read in their spare time. Speaking of which," he tilted his head slightly to the left, "what kind of reading material might you already have?"

"Is this really the best guy Hilda could find?" Eckhart thought, annoyed. "Come to think of it, the kid with the bird is a weirdo too. Maybe freaks are all she can get to work for her."

Alderon's sudden outburst snapped the healer out of his thoughts. He shrunk back into his seat, clearly frightened. "I-I'm sorry!" he squeaked. "B-Bella told me that was the difference between a witch and a wizard! I didn't mean to offend anybody!" Eckhart seemed to shrivel up in his chair. "I- I read my cat's journal... W-why?"

"Come on Hilda, get back from your date already! This guy is creepy!"

Alderon combed his hand through his white hair, taking a slow breath. Not a witch, he thought, not a trained healer, obviously not as charismatic as Hildegarde... "What does he have?" The elf said accidentally aloud.

He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and his light eyes narrowed underneath his dark brows. It would've seemed to most that the elf was trying to read Eckhart, but anyone who knew Alderon would know he was simply examining the boy's build, clothing, and body language.

"Curiosity," he said quickly, as though he didn't realize he had voiced part of his previous thought. "Your cat's journal? Cat's the familiar, so naturally it would have some sort of magic, but that doesn't usually mean they can write; which means the somebody else had written the journal. Eckhart!"

He snapped his fingers, eyes widening and leaning back in his chair again. "What happened to the 'somebody else' your cat belonged-" He cut himself off, waving his hand once. "Dull question. Ignore that. Answer this. What does that journal contain?"

Eckhart felt his self esteem plummet as the man openly questioned what he could do. "Not much." he thought bitterly. "I'm not very useful at all."

The boy squirmed uncomfortably in his seat as Alderon leaned towards him. The man's eyes were piercing, and his gaze seemed to bore into Eckhart. "Sweet Ansgar, this guy asks way to many questions." he thought nervously. "No way in hell I'm telling him about Maladies."

"Actually, she did write the book." Eckhart said curtly. This was true- Belladonna could levitate a quill if she wanted to write something. "And it's just herbal remedies, nothing special."

I'll bring it up again, he thought, as a faint whistle came from the other room. "That would be the tea," he said softly. "Forgive me, friend. I've been a most ungracious host." He stood up again and disappeared momentarily into the room. Taking the water away from the small fire, he took a few herbal mixes and added them to the tea. Lemon and chamomile were his favorites; calmed the nerves.

Letting it sit for a moment, the elf pulled out two cups. He brought the mugs and the tea into the sitting area, pouring tea into both. "Thankfully, Taza is a wonderful supplier of chamomile. The woman is a lifesaver. Help yourself." Alderon gestured towards the second mug of tea, as he sat down.

"How long will you be staying with us here? I've known of you for some time, but I must say it's nice to put a face to the name."

As Eckhart finished speaking, he heard a whistling coming from somewhere else in the apartment. "Oh thank Ansgar, he's leaving the room." he thought as the man got up to make tea. He took a deep breath, looking around the room anxiously. Everything was in disarray, from the bookshelves to the desks. "This guy could use a maid. Maybe if his stuff wasn't scattered, his brain wouldn't be either."

Alderon came back, pouring the boy a cup of chamomile. Eckhart looked at the teacup apprehensively. "No way am I drinking your crazy juice. The stuff is probably drugged or something." He looked back at the doctor, a cynical expression on his face. "Um... Hilda said I'd be staying untill she took out the assassin and her boss." 

Saying this out loud felt strange. Had this happened only a few months ago, Eckhart would have paled at the thought of his sister killing people for him. At this point however, he'd had enough. Between the dragons, the assassins, and the strange mirror people, all he wanted was to be safe. "Killing is wrong. I know that." he thought sadly. "But what other choice do I have? This has gotta be a necessary evil, right?"

Eckhart shook his head. "So how long has Hilda been dating this Terry guy?" he asked, changing the subject. "Are they, like, serious about each other?"

"Relatively foolish thing to do," Alderon thought aloud. "Take out Spider, sure. Wasp, on the other hand, is quite useful. She's an animal, obviously, but any animal can be tamed with enough patience. Spider simply hasn't given it the attention needed."

He took a drink from his mug, tapping his foot softly. The tea burned his tongue, but he didn't mind it. In fact, he actually preferred it to be that hot.

"Who's Terry?" Alderon asked, narrowing his eyes. "Oh! Yes! That smallish creature she's become infatuated with. Is that his name?" He shrugged. "No matter. I don't pay attention to whoever your sister's newest flame is."

Been too many to keep track of anyway, he thought.

Once again, he gave a little shrug. "From my knowledge, he's been drooling over her for years: they've probably only just slept together, though. Who knows..."

Eckhart stared blankly at the doctor. "He wants to... tame her?" he thought, confused beyond belief. "That seems really... Inhumane?" The boy rubbed his eyes. "Yeah, there's definitely something in the-"

He froze. Face bright red, the healer stared at Alderon in complete horror. "T-that's too far." he sputtered, suddenly feeling rather sick. "I do not need to hear the intimate details of my sister's love life, okay?"

"Holy fucking shit, this guy. This fucking guy. I'm really glad I can heal myself, because I would not trust him with a scalpel."

"Thick skin, Eckhart," Alderon said. "To survive in Zantaric, or anywhere for that matter, you need thick skin." He chuckled lightly and shook his head. "Never mind that, though. I apologize if I've offended you."

Once again, the doctor's intense gaze focused on the boy. He took a long breath, placing the tea on the small desk. This kid will be eaten alive here, Alderon thought to himself. Shame. I like him.

"So," he started, "what is it you would like to do? Your sister hasn't specified exactly how long we're to be in each other's company, and I don't exactly think you would like to sit here to make idle chat with a mad doctor. Is there anywhere you would like to go? Anyone you would like to meet?"

Eckhart simply glared at the man as he apologized. "Asshole." he thought angrily, fists clenched. "Don't talk about my sisters personal business and then blame me for not being okay with it."

The boy crossed his arms. "Take me to room one o'eight. I wanna see my cat."

"Belladonna will tear this guy apart, just wait."

Alderon smiled softly. "Very well," he said. "Excuse me for a moment."

The elf disappeared into his bedroom, opening his wardrobe made of the richest wood. He fished through it a bit, then put on a deep violet robe made of velvet. Tying a blue belt around his waist, Alderon emerged again, having been gone for only a moment. He picked up his ring of keys, tugging on his desk drawers to ensure they were locked.

"For future reference," Alderon said, looking down his nose at Eckhart, "I would appreciate a 'please' and 'thank you' when you ask for something. I do not satisfy demands, rather requests."

Alderon left for a moment, returning with a change of clothes. "For what purpose?" Eckhart thought, eying the man suspiciously. "Why did you feel the need to-"

The man spoke, criticizing the boy's behavior. Eckhart stood up quickly, fuming. "You asked me, you piece of shit!" he thought, shaking with rage. "Who the fuck do you think you are?"

Before Eckhart could say anything, the door creaked open. A boy who couldn't be any older than twelve peered inside. "Knock knock! Doctor Alderon?" the boy said, knocking on the door. "Do you know why the black part of your eyes get smaller when you're on opiates? Because Taza said to ask-"

The child paused, staring at Eckhart. He suddenly grinned, walking inside. "Wow! Lady Hildegarde, that's an awesome disguise! I couldn't even tell it was you at first!"

Eckhart stared blankly at the boy. "Um..."

The elf turned away from Eckhart at the sound of a familiar voice. He smiled warmly, nodding at the young boy. "Welcome," he said, answering the boy's question before addressing his mixup. "Opiates cause the circular muscle to contract. Opiates directly stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, which causes the restriction of the black part of your eyes. The black parts of your eyes are called pupils, by the way." He sighed slightly. "We've been over this."

Alderon put his hands behind his back. His energy relaxed immensely when the young boy entered, as he was familiar and close with the child. "Randal, meet Eckhart," he said. "Eckhart is Lady Hildegarde's younger brother. Eckhart, this is Randal. He's going to be the baddest of bad guys when he gets older." The elf winked at Randal with a smirk.

Watch, Alderon thought to himself. The child will remember Eckhart's name, but forget what a pupil is.

He released a short breath. "I was about to accompany Eckhart to the apartment he'll be staying in. Care to join us, Randal?"

Eckhart stared blankly at Randal, unsure of what to say. "Why is my sister corrupting children?" he thought. "And why is he talking about drugs like it's normal? He's way too young for this!"

Randal, on the other hand, seemed to have a lot to say. "Whoah! Really? Are you a bad guy too?" He took a step closer, bouncing on his heels excitedly. "Did you really beat a dragon? Was it hard? Do you know why Lady Hildegarde eats with her mouth open?" The boy to a deep breath. He looked up at Alderon, beaming. "Can I really come? Does he have cool stuff to look at?" He looked back at Eckhart. "Do you have-"

"Sweet Ansgar, this kid is annoying. I gotta think of something fast..."

Eckhart raised a hand to cut him off, eyes wide. "You can come sure, but..." He leaned down slightly. "My cat is really mean, she might scratch you."

Randal practically jumped for joy, grinning madly. "She'll like me! I love cats!"

Eckhart looked at Alderon, a pained expression on his face. "Um, well, we should get going I guess..."

"I don't know what he has," Alderon said, grinning at Eckhart's reaction to Randal. "But I'm sure Eckhart wouldn't mind showing you when we get there." The child was a handful, no doubt, but the elf doctor had grown to genuinely enjoy the never-ending barrage of questions. He locked his door behind them all.

He walked ahead of them both, his strides being naturally large. "Randal, remember the rules about other people's pets," Alderon said, looking at the young boy. "We don't touch anyone else's animals without permission. Ask Eckhart before petting his cat."

They walked to the door with '108' marked on it. Alderon flipped through four keys, stopping at an iron skeleton key. He unlocked the door and stepped aside for Eckhart to walk in first, putting his hand up to stop Randal if he thought about running in.

Eckhart followed Alderon down the hall, Randal in tow. The child looked up at him in awe, and the healer couldn't help but feel a bit flattered. "What kind of stories has she been telling about me?" he wondered, pursing his lips slightly. "I'm not impressive enough for this kind of attention, so she must have made something up."

The finally reached Room 108, and Eckhart gingerly stepped inside. It seemed to follow the same model as Hildegarde's room- only the bare necessities, with no decorations. His things had been haphazardly thrown on the couch, and his warhammer was laying on the floor. The healer made a small *tch* noise. "Really?"

"There you are." Belladonna meowed, stepping out of the bedroom. "How did it go? Are you and her on good terms now?"

Eckhart nodded. "Yeah, I think-"

At that moment, Randal poked his head into the room. "Awwww!" he cooed. "Your kitty is sooooo cute!" He ran inside, kneeling in front of the now rather stressed cat. "Can I pet her? Please?"

Belladonna scampered away, jumping onto Eckhart's shoulder. "By the goddess, boy!" she exclaimed. "Eckhart, tell him to mind his manners!"

Eckhart cringed. "This is going to be a long day, I can tell..."

Alderon sighed in response to Randal's overexcited nature, pinching the bridge of his nose. He technically didn't disobey, he told himself.

"Randal, stand up and dust off your knees," the elf said, gesturing to Bella, who was now on Eckhart's shoulders. "Apologize to the cat for scaring her."

He raised one brow and stepped into the room, examining the lack of decorum. I suppose he and Hildegarde have more in common than appearance.

Then, his attention was drawn to the warhammer that was on the floor. Walking over and crouching near the weapon, Alderon huffed. "Forgive my bluntness, Eckhart, but how do you carry this thing? It's practically your size."

Eckhart went red in the face. "I- I manage!" he said indignantly. "I took it from a troll that attacked me! I-It's a trophy!"

"Sweet Ansgar, how the fuck does Hilda put up with this guy?"

Feeling something tugging at his sweater, the boy looked down to see Randal frowning at him. "Um..." the boy said. "Sorry if I scared your kitty..."

"What!" the cat hissed. "Apologize to me, not him!" 

Eckhart side-eyed Belladonna nervously. "Um, she'd like you to apologize to her." he told the recoiling boy. "Ah, she's not just a cat, she's smart like we are."

"Smarter, more like." the cat grumbled.

The child blinked, looking up at the two in awe. "Wait..." he said breathlessly. "You can talk to cats? But that's, like, so cool!" Randal looked at the elf excitedly. "Doctor Alderon, can I learn to do that too?" His gaze shifted back to Eckhart. "Can you teach me?"

"Eckhart." Belladonna meowed, fur bristling. "Eckhart, smack him."

Eckhart stared blankly at the boy, then looked at Alderon, eyes pleading.

"Randal, that's enough," Alderon said, his voice firmer than usual. The elf stood up, looking at the boy. "You've excited yourself, and you're going to do the same to Eckhart and his friend."

He looked disapprovingly at the young boy, then nodded to Eckhart. Alderon gestured to the cat with a slight wave of his hand. "This cat's a special cat," he said. "She's called a familiar, an animal special to a witch. And that doesn't mean Hildegarde's brother is a witch, before you ask."

Alderon bent down again and took hold of the warhammer. He lifted the weapon to examine it. Gripping it with both hands, the elf had a sudden rush of flashbacks. The years in prison and living as a gladiator slave flooded his mind, and Alderon dropped the hammer, stumbling backwards a few steps.

Squeezing his eyes closed momentarily, he took a breath and recollected himself. "Randal, uh," he slurred. "I told you to apologize to, uh... Eckhart, what might her name be?"

"Dr. Alderon!" Randal cried, rushing up to the man and grabbing his arm. "Dr. Alderon, are you okay?" 

"Wow." Belladonna mewled, jumping off of Eckhart's shoulder to inspect the elven man. "What's his damage?"

Stepping forward, Eckhart cleared room on the couch and, if the man would allow it, would gently help the him sit down. "Um, stay put, okay?" the healer said nervously. "I'll go get you a glass of water..."

"This day. fuck this day."

"I'm fine!" Alderon snapped, jerking away from Eckhart. His first instinct was to also swat Randal away, but he cared too much for the child to potentially cause a tear in their relationship.

The elf composed himself, taking a breath and straightening his robe. That was dangerous, he thought. I have to keep that under control.

Smoothing out his white hair, Alderon forced a smile for Randal, then looked at Eckhart. "Someone very close to me, you might say from another life, wielded a hammer rather similar to that one. It did great damage, and eventually, it even killed him. It was just memories that surfaced from years of suppression."

He wanted to give Randal's shoulder a reassuring squeeze, but knew that the boy had issues with being touched. "Now, Eckhart, if you would answer my question? Your cat's name?"

Eckhart recoiled, backing away from the man. Belladonna looked up at him, glowering. "Let me talk to them."

The healer nodded. "O-okay. You can speak to them."

Randal quickly let go of Alderon's arm, an upset look on his face. "Doctor Alderon, he just wanted to-"

"Alright elf, listen up." Belladonna said, interrupting the boy. "Are you familiar with synchronicity?"

Alderon sighed, looking downward at the sudden audibility of the cat's voice. "Synchronicity?" He repeated. "Of course, just hold on."

The elf crouched down, so he could be at Randal's eye level. "Randal, you trust me well enough, right?" His voice changed to a much gentler tone. "I've told you that there are some things I don't like talking about from before I came here. Sometimes, when I think about them, it's like having a nightmare when you're awake. It's over now, though. I promise I wasn't angry."

Without rising, he looked at Eckhart, then back to the cat. "I've always felt synchronicity was a tad too coincidental: a way to explain the unexplainable without actually doing so. But something tells me you're about to argue that."

Randal nodded, not really paying attention. "Whoa..." he said softly. "That cat is talking right now..."

Belladonna's eye twitched. "You've never tied your life force to another being, have you?" She lashed her tail angrily. "When I say synchronicity, I mean Eckhart and I are synchronized. I feel everything he feels, including his emotions." The cat's fur bristled. "Normally it's subtle, but right now I can feel his anxiety as it were me own."

Eckhart turned bright red. "B-Bella!" he cried. "Come on, don't sell me out!"

The cat cleared her throat. "Tell me elf, why do you think he's upset right now?"

"I can only guess," Alderon said, rolling his eyes. "Honestly, cat, I could not care less about his emotional state. No offense, Eckhart."

He stood, moving to sit on the couch. "I tend to physical damages, not to the emotionally unsteady. Everyone has their demons: some are closer to the surface than others, which makes anxious energy more prominent. It isn't my responsibility to walk around you both as though I were on broken mirror shards."

I liked her better when she couldn't speak to me, the elf thought.

"How the fuck am I not supposed to take offence to that?" Eckhart thought, balling his fists.

"Doctor Alderon, that was rude!" Randal said crossly. "What would Taza- OH MY GOSH!"

Belladonna's eyes glowed a deep purple hue. Assuming he didn't have some sort of protective talisman, Alderon would find himself being lifted into the air and thrown across the room. If he looked up, the doctor would see the warhammer levitating dangerously in the air above him.

"You wanted to know why he carries the hammer?" the cat asked snidely. "That's just the thing, he doesn't- I do."

Eckhart stared at his familiar, mouth hanging open. "Holy shit Bella, calm down!" he said, beginning to panic. "He's not worth it!"

As soon as the cat's eyes started glowing, the elf realized that she was more powerful than he had thought. Alderon was magically thrown and hit the wall...hard. Upon impact, he bit his lip, cutting it slightly. He then fell to the ground on his right arm, the sound of breathy laughter escaping his lips.

He rolled onto his stomach, catching his breath. Alderon quickly looked to Randal, who was standing too close to the action for the doctor's comfort. He whipped his left hand in Randal's direction. The white markings along that arm flowed a pale blue and separated from his skin, aiming to attach themselves to Randal's arm.

The markings Alderon had could form a protective shield around someone else, so he wanted to make sure the young boy was safe from whatever would happen.

When he heard Eckhart speak up, he looked above him to see the warhammer directly above him. "Bella... Pretty name," he said hoarsely, glaring at Bella again. "Drop it. I dare you."

Randal recoiled as a strange, pulsating energy surrounded him. "Hey!" he yelled. "Stop fighting! Friends don't do this!"

Belladonna chuckled as she saw the man's bloody lip. "Oh believe me, I will drop it." she meowed. "Just let me reposition it." The hammer floated to where it was hovering above the man's crotch. "There we go."

Eckhart tried to rush up to the cat, but found an invisible barrier had formed between him and the action. "Bella, stop!" he cried. "We're supposed to be-"

The door to the room flew open. Randal squeaked in fear as a very large Yorieqi woman walked inside. "Oh no..." the boy said meekly. "We're so dead!"

The winged giant looked at the cat, then at Eckhart. Finally, her eyes rested on Alderon. She raised her hands in a quizzical gesture, eyes narrowed.

Randal's reaction to the shield Alderon had cast was understandable, as it was the first time the elf had shown that little gift to anyone, but that wasn't the time or place to explain. He lifted his head and watched nervously as Bella moved the hammer towards a dangerous area, unable to move himself.

Just then, the door swung open to a familiar face. While Randal was afraid, Alderon felt a flood of simultaneous dread and relief. He smiled and dropped his head to the floor, his breathing growing deeper than the short breaths before.

"Griselda," he said, propping himself up on his elbow. "I believe this is the happiest I've ever been to see you." Now that the winged woman had shown up, he knew that he was finished. "Griselda, this is Eckhart, Hildegarde's younger brother, and the follicly challenged feline is his familiar, Bella. Eckhart, Griselda. She's a woman of...well...no words." He looked at the confused expression that Griselda wore and sighed. "Oh, don't give me that look. You know as well as I do that this is because I can't hold my tongue."

He held his left arm up to summon his markings back from Randal, then started inching backwards. "Bella, I think I've changed my mind about dropping the hammer. If you wouldn't mind..."

It was always something.

Griselda watched as the cat hissed, the hammer slowly lowering itself to the ground. Randal stopped glowing blue and ran over to comfort Alderon. She huffed. The relationship between the boy and the doctor was never one she really understood- Randal had inherited Taza's obsession with being polite, yet Alderon was possibly the most tactless person in Zantaric. It made next to no sense, and yet the two got on wonderfully.

"Are you okay?" she could hear the boy ask. "Did that nasty cat hurt you?"

Sighing, she walked up to Eckhart, extending her hand to shake. He flinched, causing the woman to snort in laughter. It was to be expected- the boy seemed rather shy the first time she encountered him. She grinned and ruffled his hair, and he seemed to relax slightly. It figured- weaker people were always frightened of her if she didn't establish herself as a Friend early on.

Turning, she walked over to the doctor. She stood over him, eyes narrowed. That he had the gall to pick on Hildegarde's brother was amusing, but foolish. Mistreating the boy had caused a small war, after all- who knows what the boss would do to somebody she actually knew.

Overall, definitely one of the man's dumber decisions.

"This is why you always have to remember your manners, Randal," Alderon said with a smirk. He huffed, sitting completely up and twisting his upper body to the left and right to stretch his back. "I'll be fine. Don't worry."

He looked at his arm, once again with the white markings on it, and frowned slightly. Glancing over at Eckhart and Griselda, the elf chuckled. The boy was incredibly skittish, yet he seemed to not be as afraid of her as Alderon had originally expected. Curious, he thought.

The large woman approached Alderon and Randal, her eyes peering down at the man. "I know what you're going to say," he said, looking up at her. Quickly realizing his slip, he simply went quiet for a few seconds and smiled, making it seem like it was an intention mockery.

Why the fuck hasn't she beaten me to a pulp so far? Alderon asked himself, shaking his head with a chuckle.

"I know what you're thinking," he corrected, "but in my defense, the rat - I'm sorry, the cat - was the one who made it physical. I made sure no one got hurt! Well, other than yours truly." He touched his lip and grinned. Alderon reached his hand towards Griselda from the floor. "Come now, my prodigious protector! Help a man back on his feet?"

"Rat? Rat?" Belladonna hissed angrily. "Oh, you'll regret that- just you wait!"

"Sweet Ansgar, can this situation get any worse?" Eckhart thought, shifting on his feet uncomfortably. "Maybe coming here was a mistake..."

The large woman promptly ignored Alderon, turning away as he reached out his hand and walking back towards the healer. She looked at him intently before gently taking him by the shoulder and escorting him out of the room. 

"Um..." Eckhart murmured. "Uh, where are you taking me?"

"Oh, are we leaving now?" Bella asked, scampering after them. "Good, fuck that guy."

Eckhart looked back at the boy and the doctor as he was led out of the door. He waved nervously to them. "Um... Bye?"

Randal waved back. "Bye! Get that cat looked at please, I think she's rabid!"

"Griselda, my flower," the elf called after them. "I believe this is putting a damper on our relationship! I chase and chase, yet you give me only silence and sarcastic expressions in response! Nobody likes a tease, my dear!"

He laughed, glancing at Randal. Alderon smoothly stood, his sight failing for a moment from a rush. He smirked, squeezing his eyes closed briefly and regained his balance.

"Come along, Randal," Alderon said, straightening out his attire. "Lady Hildegarde instructed me to watch over her brother, and that's just what I'm going to do." His quick steps followed Griselda and Eckhart, and he looked over his shoulder to make sure Randal was following.

Ignoring the man for the time being, Griselda eyed the numbers on the doors as the she passed. Every Friend had a different collection of squiggles, which was easy enough for the woman to memorize.

The cat has jumped onto the younger Von Musel's shoulder, mewling. "I don't know!" the boy said, exasperated. "It wasn't worth attacking him over though!"

Smirking, Griselda reached the room belong to the midwife- the one whose neck she didn't want to snap- and gently pushed the healer and his cat inside. Closing the door behind them, she turned to glare at Alderon and Randal with her arms crossed.

"Um..." Randal said nervously, hiding behind the doctor. "I-I'm sorry..."

As the door to her apartment was opened, Meri jumped slightly. She recognized Griselda, but the strange boy and cat didn't exactly make her comfortable. She whipped off her glove, making sure she was prepared if the boy went to make some kind of assault attempt.

She looked the scrawny boy up and down, furrowing her brows. I could probably take him without my magic, she thought to herself.

"Who are you?" Meri asked nervously from her couch.


Alderon glanced behind him with a smirk at Randal's nervousness. The elf looked Griselda in the eyes, as the only one who could remotely rival her size. He folded his arms and tilted his head to the right with the smirk still present.

"Griselda, we've spoken about this," he started. "People don't like it when you take their toys." He reached his arm out and knocked once on the closed door. "Zymeria?" He called. "Open the door."

"No way, Dr. Alderon," Meri's muffled voice said from inside, causing Alderon to groan in annoyance.

"Doctor Alderon, no!" Randal cried timidly. "What if she hits you?"

Griselda gestured to the boy and nodded, a smirk plastered onto her face.

   
Eckhart flinched as the door shut behind him. He eyed the pale woman on the couch anxiously. "Shit, I wonder what her deal is..."

"She could you some vitamin D." a smaller voice in his head mused. "She could get sick like that."

"Um..." the healer started. "I'm Eckhart- ah, Hildegarde's brother..."

"Sweet Ansgar, I'm sure that will make a great fist impression."

Alderon's sarcastic expression disappeared, and he focused on the large woman. "In all seriousness," he started, "you're quite intelligent, Griselda, so I want you to use that beautiful brain right now.

"We both know how frequently Zymeria is visited by a certain woman. The younger Von Musel - let's face it - can hardly defend himself against words. Bella's another story, but never mind her. What would Hildegarde have to say when she finds out that you took her youthful looking brother out of my company and into the path of such a despicable human being?"


Meri leaned forward, gingerly extending her hand with her eyes on his cat. "Here, sweetie." Her voice was soft and gentle, probably a welcome change from Dr. Alderon's abrasive energy. "Hildegarde's brother?" Meri repeated. "Well, um, welcome to Zantaric."

Not the best welcoming committee, she thought.

"I see you survived Dr. Alderon with your sanity." She chuckled, gesturing to a sofa near her. "Would you like a drink? I have water, tea, or wine, though the wine isn't really that good."

Griselda glared at the doctor- talking about Chrys in front of Randal was something the Friends all generally agreed not to do. Already the boy had paled, gripping onto Alderon's shirt tightly. "Will Eckhart be okay?" he asked nervously.

Griselda gave the boy what she must has thought was a reassuring smile. She gestured towards Meri's door, making a show of taking the brass knuckle off of her right hand.


Belladonna recoiled as the woman outstretched her hand, ears flattened against the back of her head. "Goodness!" she meowed angrily as she jumped off the healer's shoulder. "Everybody wants to touch me today!"

Laughing nervously, Eckhart took a seat on the couch. "Ah, tea would be nice..." he said softly. He gave the woman an odd grimace. "Is... Is he always like that?"

Alderon clenched and unclenched his jaw, returning Griselda's glare. He knew that they usually avoided the topic of Chrys in front of the boy, but he was hoping that it would be enough to urge the woman into allowing him to take Eckhart back. Even so, he wouldn't press the issue with Randal already upset.

"He'll be fine," the elf said, looking at the child. He gestured to Griselda lazily. "As she indicated, Zymeria is fully capable of taking care of herself and Eckhart."


"Yeah, pretty much," Meri said with a smirk. She pulled her glove back onto her left hand, standing up and walking into the open kitchen. The sitting room and the kitchen could've been mistaken for the same room, other than change in style.

She poured them both a cup of peppermint tea, then returned to her seat. "He can be kind of rough around the edges, to be gentle, when you first meet him," she said, handing him the tea. "He says he doesn't like small talk, but I think he just doesn't know how to. Word of advice, don't tell him anything personal because his memory is a steel trap."


A figure hid nearby, watching them as Eckhart was taken from his room. The girl quickly snuck into it with eager eyes. She looked around, examining her friend's new digs and grinning. She waltzed over to the nearest window, pulling her lipstick out. Leaning forward with her right leg lifted and toe pointed, she wrote on the window:

Hello, my darling Eckhart! =)

Then, walked out of the apartment, careful to avoid any eyes.

Randal looked at Alderon, then at Griselda, and finally at the floor. "Um... Doctor Alderon?" he said softly. "Can... We do something else?" The boy looked at the man, clearly uncomfortable. "Like, checkers maybe? I don't want to be here anymore..."


Eckhart nodded. "Noted." He took the teacup, glancing out the window briefly. "I... Really don't like him. Hilda said I would though, so maybe I'm missing something? I dunno..."

The boy took a sip of his tea, then flinched as he burnt his tongue. "Sweet Ansgar, why did I do that?" Grimacing, he looked at the woman. "So, ah... What's your name?"


Terrence poked his head into Room 108, squinting. Eckhart hadn't been in Alderon's room, and from the looks of things he wasn't here either. "Hello?" he called softly, stepping inside. He looked around, swallowing nervously. The room was a mess, as if there's been some kind of fight. Taking another few steps, he noticed something that was, in all honesty, rather worrying.

A message had been scribbled onto the window- from the inside. Terrence's eyes widened. "My darling?" he thought nervously, poking the "E" in Eckhart. "What is this, wax?"

The boy hurriedly left the apartment, walking back to Hildegarde's room. "She's gonna want to see this..."

Alderon frowned, not upset but understandingly. He nodded at the child with a briefly forced smile. "Of course, Randal," the elf said. "I believe we've overstayed our welcome, anyway."

He looked at Griselda with a slight sigh and gave her a single nod. The admission of defeat didn't need to be vocalized, nor would Alderon ever actually speak it, so his silent acceptance was familiar to anyone who ever beat him - as few as there may have been.

Turning on his heel, he motioned for Randal to follow, as he started back to his apartment.


Meri smirked when Eckhart burned his tongue. "It's still kinda hot," she said. "My name's Zymeria, but I prefer Meri."

She blew on the tea lightly, tucking her feet underneath her on the sofa. "Honestly, I don't think anyone actually likes him, other than Randal. Taza might also, but I don't know." She paused, trying to think of how to explain Dr. Alderon to someone. "I guess... He's a genius: genius usually comes with a spot of insanity. It takes some time to get used to him, but I think he's a decent enough person when you do. Basically, he can do anything when it comes to medical stuff. I don't know how he does it, but I've heard he was even able to fix a broken bone in just a few days with someone's fat."

"With somebody's fat?" Eckhart said, eyes wide. "Shit, maybe I should read his journals..."

Belladonna jumped onto the couch, sitting down next to Eckhart. "Yeah but does he have a magic book?" she meowed. "I bet not."

Eckhart paused, then nodded. "Yeah..." he mumbled. Shaking his head, he looked at Meri. "Ah, it's good to meet you." The boy smiled, trying to distract himself from his newfound feeling of inadequacy. "So, um, what do you do here? For my sister, I mean..."

I can't exactly tell him I babysit a pedophile, Meri thought to herself.

"I'm actually a midwife," she said with a sweet smile. "I was recruited because Taza and Randal thought Hildegarde would think I had a useful power. I won't go into detail, but basically, I can kill a soul." She wiggles her gloved fingers. "This is made with life magic, a gift my brother made for me, which kind of makes my magic ineffective when it's on."

Meri took a drink of the tea, pursing her lips slightly. It was a tad too minty for her taste, but it would do.

"Wait," she said, looking at the boy with wide eyes. "His journals? Did...did he actually offer to let you read them?"

"Yeah-huh..." The boy said absentmindedly, staring at the woman's glove intently. "Um... So, how did your brother make it? Is it infused? I didn't know you could do that with life magic..."

"Eckhart, don't pester her with questions." Belladonna meowed, clearly exasperated. "You sound like that little kid, it's annoying."

Eckhart's cheeks flushed red. "Ahaha, I'm sorry!" he laughed nervously. "It's just, I'm a healer... This kind of stuff is really fascinating, y'know?"

Meri nodded briefly. "It's fine," she said quickly, not wanting Eckhart to feel like questions were unwelcome. "A healer, huh? My brother would love to meet to meet you."

She smiled lightly, trying to think of when she last saw Abri. I have to see if he can meet me again soon, she thought fondly.

"I don't really know how he made it, but I think it's some kind of binding magic or something. I specialize in death magic, and he specializes in life magic. We don't exactly understand each other's talents." The girl took off her glove and extended it to Eckhart. "You can take a look, if you want."

Eckhart took the glove, a small smile on his face. The cloth felt unusually warm in his hands, as it was alive. "Whoa..." he said. "This is awesome..." The boy handed the glove back to Meri. "Does your brother work for Hilda too? I'd love to-"

Eckhart was interrupted by a sharp rap on the door. Flinching, he shrunk into the couch. "Sweet Ansgar, why won't he leave?" he groaned.

"Miss Meri?" an unsettlingly sweet, singsong voice called from outside. "Are you home? I found a lovely new recipe for oatmeal cookies, you simply must try them."

The girl's eyes snapped to the door at the sound of the familiar voice. She jumped up, spilling her tea slightly. "Okay, listen to me, Eckhart," Meri said, suddenly serious. She took the glove back and slipped it on again, putting the tea down. "This is one of the Friends I was hoping you wouldn't have to meet your first day here."

She looked at the door. "One second, Chrys!" The girl called.

"Her name is Chrys," she said to Eckhart in a hushed voice. "Do not accept anything she gives you. Do not take anything she says as genuine. And do not, for the love of Ansgar, do not leave my presence with her."

Meri nodded at Eckhart, then approached the door, opening it to the woman who made her skin crawl. "Chrys," she said with a friendly smile, "please, come in."

Waiting patiently outside the door, Chrysanthemum Lynnette admired the tray of oatmeal rasin cookies she held in her arms. Baking turned out to be a fun little hobby, and the smell of the sweets she made permeated the halls of the third floor. It was... Homely, a quality the apartment building sorely lacked.

Finally, Meri opened the door. Returning the woman's smile, she stepped inside to see a boy, late teens at most, sitting on the couch. His posture stiffened as Chrys approached, eyes widening in apparent fear. The midwife smiled. "Hello dear." she said sweetly. "And who might you be?"

"E-Eckhart..." the boy squeaked nervously. "Um... Don't mind me please..."

Chrys looked at Eckhart thoughtfully. "Ah, yes." she said, a kind smile on her lips. "So you're the one everybody's been fussing over." The woman handed the boy a cookie from her tray. "You'll be safe here." 

Turning to Meri, Chrys gestured to the tray. "Please try one, they're an absolute delight!"

Before Chrys turned after giving Eckhart a cookie, Meri motioned for him to stick it in the couch cushions. She smiled again when Chrys turned to her. Meri took one of the cookies and smelled it. "It smells wonderful," she said, taking a bite and pretending to love it.

It wasn't that the cookies were bad, but Meri just hated accepting anything from the woman.

She gestured to Eckhart briefly. "Eckhart and I were just discussing Dr. Alderon," the girl said, taking her original seat. She was fully aware that Chrys knew how much Alderon despised her. "Eckhart was saying how he would like to spend more time with the doctor." Meri shot Eckhart a look that told him to go along with it.

Anything to keep her away from him before she tries, Meri thought. Just can't make it too obvious.

Chrys, Eckhart decided, was wrong. It was the eyes- her sclera were visible above her irises. "That's never a good sign." he thought, wrapping his arms around his knees defensively. "Minister Veros and Wasp had eyes like that too..."

"Eckhart, I don't like this..." Belladonna mewled quietly. "Bitch smells like turpentine..."

Chrys's attention had focused back on Eckhart. "Is that so?" she said, he smile lowering a bit. "He's a very..."

"Zymeria!" A shrill voice cut Chrys off before she finish, and a short, grey skinned woman stormed through the still open door. Her hair nearly touched the floor, and Eckhart briefly found himself wondering how long it took to braid. "Zymeria, did you take my new sponge brush? It's not in my room, I just know somebody stole it!" 

"Hello Porcelina." Chrys said sweetly. "It's nice to see you out of your room for a change."

"Huh?" Porcelina looked up, squinting. "Oh. Die, pedo."

The tray of cookies fell to the floor with a clatter as Chrys recoiled, though Porcelina didn't seem to pay her much mind. "What?" Eckhart thought, mind spinning. "What did she just call her?" Blinking, the boy noticed that the miniature woman was now staring at him.

"Wait, are you new?" Porcelina asked, sounding unnecessarily angry. "Did you take them?"

Eckhart glanced at Chrys- who was hastily picking up her cookies and leaving- then looked pleadingly at Meri. "Hey!" Porcelina snapped. "Look at me when I'm talking to you!"

The healer shrunk back, hugging his knees tightly. "Um..."

Meri laughed, biting her lip slightly. She enjoyed Porcelina's company, as rare and...loud...as it was.

"Uh, Porcelina," Meri started, "this is Eckhart, Lady Hildegarde's brother. He's been with me and Dr. Alderon since he's gotten here, so he couldn't have taken your brush." She let out a relieved breath, as Chrys left the apartment. "What's a sponge brush, anyway?"

Meri went to take another drink then stopped herself. "Would you like a cup? Peppermint tea."


Alderon pulled out his checker board, setting it down on the table. "What color do you want to be? Black, or..." He stopped, hearing a shrill voice call Zymeria's name. A slight smirk crossed his lips, and he gestured for Randal to wait for a minute. The elf stood, disappearing into his bedroom.

He was greeted by a white-haired elf woman lounging on his bed with her ankles crossed. "No- How many times do I have to say no shoes on my bed!"

"Come on," she said. "You don't like your girls with heels on?"

"That isn't who I am."

"Sorry," she said, squeezing her eyes shut momentarily. "I meant guys."

"Sel!" He said firmly. "You have to leave.

She scoffed. "But I like it here!"

He pursed his lips together, glaring at his sister. "You can come back another time, but as you can see, I have company and I'm leaving again."

"Fine, whatever. I'll be gone when you get back."

Alderon nodded once, approaching Randal again with a short sigh. "Randal, how would you like to see Eckhart again? Griselda won't mind, I promise." He knew that Chrys would never willingly stay anywhere near Porcelina, as Porcelina hated that creature probably as much as Alderon did. "Come along. It'll be fun."

Porcelina lifted an eyebrow. "Really?" she said flatly. "So you're the one everybody's been fussing over?" The woman made a small *tch*, as if disappointed. "Well, I suppose can see why..."

Eckhart blinked in shock as Belladonna laughed. "Hahaha! I like her!" the cat purred. "She's a hoot!"

Porcelina turned to Meri, pigtails bouncing behind her. "And for your information, it's a rectangular sponge on a stick." She crossed her arms. "What did you think a sponge brush was?"


Randal held up the checkerboard, careful not to let the pieces slide off. "Can we bring our game?" he said, eyes hopeful. "Maybe if we do, he'll like us more! Do you think he plays?"

Meri pursed her lips at the small woman. "Yes, right," she said. "I'm clearly not the artistic one in my family!" She tucked one leg underneath her, shifting slightly to lean on the arm of the sofa. "Maybe you just misplaced it."


Alderon smirked at Randal with a nod. "Of course you can bring the game," he said to the child's bright gaze.

Starting out the door, he shot a quick glance towards his bedroom, then locked the door behind them. I wonder what Porcelina lost this time, he thought to himself as they walked.

"And Randal, I'm sure Eckhart liked you just fine. Don't try to make people like you because you'll waste your life away. Anyone who doesn't like you doesn't deserve you!"

"No, you aren't." Porcelina replied flatly. "Your Feng Sui isn't even right. I mean, look at where you put the couch!" The grey-skinned woman gestured to where Eckhart was sitting. "Talk about bad vibes."

"Um..." Eckhart said apprehensively. "What's fung schway?"


Randal blushed as he followed the doctor down the hall. "Do you really mean that Dr. Alderon?" he asked. "Because Taza says people liking me is important for business..."

"Feng Shui is a way of arranging furniture and decorating that makes spiritual energies positive or negative," Meri said to Eckhart. "And Porcelina, my apartment has perfect Feng Shui! My family is literally linked into the world's energies: it's impossible for my apartment to generate bad vibes."

She's a guest, Meri reminded herself. As obnoxious as she can be, she's a guest.


The elf shook his head. "Business is different than your personal life," he said. "Taza's right in a way. Making people like you is important when you work with the public. Friends aren't always involved in work, though." They descended the stairs to the first floor. "Your life is more than business, right?"

"Then why is your flower pot not center with the table it's on!" Porcelina cried, throwing her hands up into the air. "Come on! You're gonna ruin my chakra flow!"

Belladonna laughed madly. "Hahahaha! Chakra? Chakra isn't even fucking real! Get a clue, you dumb bitch!"

Eckhart squinted. "Wait... What do you mean you're linked to energy? That sounds, um, kinda important..."


"I don't get it..." Randal said, tilting his head to the side. "Shouldn't I be polite to my Friends too?"

Meri simply shook her head with a smile. "Chakras aren't-" she stopped herself. "Okay. I'm sorry about your chakras, Porcelina." She stood up, walking over to the table and moving the flowerpot the few inches necessary to center it. "Better?"

Walking back over to her seat, she crossed her legs and glanced at the cat. In Porcelina's ramblings, Meri had almost forgotten Eckhart was there. She certainly forgot that she had to keep her mouth shut regarding the truth of her family. Well, cat's out of the bag - so to speak.

"Um..." The girl shifted slightly uncomfortably. "My family's kind of strange," she said, tucking her hair behind her ear. "It isn't as big of a deal as it sounds, but my sisblings and I are linked to all of the elements. Abri is linked to life and lives in Connlaoth, Hakan is linked to fire and lives in Essyrn, Taiga is linked to ice and lives in Hyoite." She looked down briefly. "It's not as big of a deal as it sounds."


Did I have this many questions as a kid? Alderon thought to himself, as he walked with Randal.

"Well, yes," he said. "You should always be polite, but you shouldn't try to change yourself at all to make people like you. Your real Friends will like you for who you are."

"No. It's not better." Porcelina grumbled. "Now excuse me, I'm going to find my sponge brush." The miniscule woman left the room in a huff, slamming the door behind her.

Eckhart and Belledonna weren't listening, however. "Huh. Small world." the cat said, clearly amused. "So this broad is a bazillion years old too?"

Eckhart beamed. "Oh! I met Taiga, she helped me get away from that assassin!" The boy blushed a little. "She's really brave..."


Porcelina stormed down the hall, muttering. "Porcelina, my Fung Sui is perfect! I'm a special immortal girl, look at how much I know about stuff! Condescending bitch..."

She stopped abruptly at the sight of two more Friends walking down the hall. Her eyes narrowed. "Alderon..."

"Aha!" she cried, pointing at the man accusatorily. "You took my sponge brush, didn't you?"

As Porcelina walked out, Meri smirked at her back. "Sorry about her," she said. "She's a tad temperamental."

Upon hearing Taiga's name, the girl gave a soft smile. She remembered Taiga telling her all about the ordeal, and she remembered the urgency Hildegarde had shown in relation to her brother's life being in danger.

"I know she did," Meri said. "She's a lot braver than I am, for sure. Taiga is actually the reason Lady Hildegarde was able to get a lock on you. Like, she didn't know anything had happened, so Taiga reaching out me got her really involved. She loves you a lot."


Randal seemed to go quiet to either think or simply accept the answer he'd been given. Anyway, he didn't exactly get much time to do either, as the source of the shrill voice suddenly came into view.

Alderon saw Porcelina approaching with her finger extended at him. She thinks I took her missing brush? The elf thought.

He smirked, pursing his lips. "Of course I took your brush!" Alderon said, folding his arms over his chest. "In fact, I infiltrated your apartment - while you were still in it, mind you - and discovered where you keep your brushes, taking only the brand new sponge brush. Then, with my impossibly good stealth, I made it out without leaving a trace, brush still in hand." His voice was unusually animated. "But here's where it becomes interesting. When I made it out, I realized that I had no need for such an instrument. So, to ensure my efforts didn't go to waste, I decided to hide it by sticking it up Griselda's ass."

Eckhart's eyes widened. "R-really?" he said, blushing profusely. "Taiga loves me a lot? But- but we only spent like, an hour together!"

"She meant Hildegarde loves you, stupid." Bella meowed, rolling her eyes. "Calm down."

Eckhart's face went even redder. "Ahaha! I- I was just kidding! I knew what meant!"

"Sweet Ansgar, that was embarrassing! What if she knows now? I don't want Taiga to find out!"


Porcelina stared at the doctor, shaking violently. "How dare you! I am an artist! I deserve the respect that title brings!"

"Tell me." the dwarf growled, pulling a small frame out of her handbag- a painting she had finished earlier that morning. She held it up for Alderon to see, glaring. "Do you know what landscape this represents?" She suddenly thrust it towards the man, stopping right before it could touch him. "You'll find out if you don't get my brush back right now!"

Randal gripped onto Alderon's shirt. "Ahh! She seems really serious! You should give her what she wants!"

Meri smiled slightly at Eckhart's sputtering and obvious embarrassment. "Your sister, Eckhart," she said with an airy chuckle. "Not mine. But don't worry; I won't tell Tai." She gave him a small wink, taking a sip from her tea.

She may not have had a total grasp on social norms, as she was still figuring her own life out, but Meri picked up on Eckhart's not so subtle clues that he was into Taiga, even if it was only slightly. The girl wouldn't tell her sister, especially since Taiga would absolutely not reciprocate, but she thought it was cute.

"Um, sorry if this sounds strange, but do you understand your cat?"


"You're upsetting Randal," Alderon said in a voice that was too calm, yet held a threatening undertone. The boy clutching onto his shirt always gave Alderon a sudden protective feeling.

He didn't flinch when Porcelina thrust the painting towards him. It wasn't a pleasant thought, being sent to some strange land, but it wasn't enough to strike true fear into the man's heart.

"Randal, why don't you run to Zymeria's apartment? I'm sure she'd be thrilled to see you." He flashed the boy a smile, then turned back to Porcelina. "I didn't take your damned brush, dwarf. Like I said before, I have no use for such a thing."

"Yes I can!" Eckhart said quickly, happy to be changing the subject. "She's my familiar." He turned to look at the cat, smiling. "Bella, would you like to talk?"

The cat yawned. "Not particularly." she said, lying down. "Meri seems rather dull, to be honest."

Eckhart went red in the face. "T-that's mean!"

"So? It's not like she can hear me."

The healer turned back to Meri sheepishly, an embarrassed look on his face. "Um... She, uh, doesn't want to say hi..."


Randal nodded almost dutifully. "Yes Dr. Alderon..."

Porcelina turned to watch the boy leave, then looked back at the elf. "Well if it wasn't you, then who was it! I live in a building full of criminals, I couldn't have just misplaced it!"


Hildegarde looked at the writing on Eckhart's window, a troubled frown spreading on her face. "This isn't good..."

"Do you know who did it?" Terrence said nervously. "I mean, it can't have been one of us, right?"

"No." The gang leader conceded. "None of us use this color lipstick." She threw her hands into the air. "I mean, cherry red? Talk about tacky."

Terrence shifted on his feet. "So... What do we do?" 

Hildegarde squeezed the boy's hand. "Don't worry. I'll have Joan look into this." She sighed, turning to leave. "Find Tiffany, tell him to clean this up. Let's not let Eckhart find out about this for now..."

Meri smirked, shaking her head. "That's fine," she said. "Animals - familiars or others - don't tend to like me. At least not until they're on their way out." She shrugged slightly. "Good news is that means she's still spry."

Taking a sip of her tea, she looked at her door. The girl's elf-like ears picked up on light, quick footsteps in the hall.

"Sorry about the barrage of people," she said, "but it sounds like Randal's on his way, which means Alderon or Taza isn't far behind."


Alderon huffed, rolling his eyes at the tiny woman. "I know I have most of the answers you would crave, but I don't bother myself with these types of matters. If you're looking for your brush, look for Joan or what's his name...? Tiffany! No matter; I don't have it."

"Spry? Really?" Belladonna muttered under her breath. "Are you trying to call me old? I'm only seven, you bitch..."

"Ahaha..." Eckhart laughed nervously. "I wouldn't take it-"

The door opened, and Randal stepped inside. He slumped onto the couch moodily. "Dr. Alderon and Porcelina are fighting again..." he said, clearly upset. "Meri, can you tell me a story?" He looked up at the young man next to him. "Oh yeah. Hi Eckhart..." 


Porcelina gnashed her teeth, fuming. "I'll show you! I'll make you cry! You'll wish you never fucked with me!"

"Did somebody say my name?"

Porcelina's head snapped to the side. Tiffany had appears from seemingly nowhere, his pink hair glimmering in the dim light. The boy outstretched his arm, a sponge brush in his hand. Porcelina gasped. "Oh my god! Thank you! Where did you find it?"

Tiffany beamed, bouncing on his heels. "I found it on the floor outside your room! I've been looking for you all morning so I could give it to you, Porcelina!" He turned his head as the dwarf snatched the brush, still smiling. "Hello Mr. Finicci! How are you today?"

"They're fighting again?" Meri said, frowning slightly and looking at the door, which Randal had left open. The girl didn't really care, but it did allow for Porcelina's voice to enter the apartment slightly.

She rolled her eyes, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees and hands together. "What story do you want to hear, Randal?" She thought for a moment. "I can tell you one of your hero and villain stories, or a new one about my brother and his extra special dragon-fairy-devil friend."

Meri couldn't help but crack a small grin at the mention of her brother's odd conquest. Of course she wouldn't be giving all the details that were given to her!


Alderon rolled his eyes at the happy boy. "Doctor," he said, clearly exasperated. "It's Doctor Finicci, not mister."

Why would he have attended medical school to be addressed as any other fool walking along the street?

"I'm just fine, Tiffany," he said. "I was on my way to Zymeria's apartment with Randal. Care to accompany us? Porcelina...do whatever you want." Without waiting for a response from either, the elf walked around them towards the open door.

Randal straightened up in his seat, eyes widening. "A dragon-fairy-devil?" he asked excitedly. "I wanna hear about that!"

"Um..." Eckhart said apprehensively. "A dragon and a fairy?"

"Sweet Ansgar, what is the world coming to?"


"Oh! Um..." Tiffany looked at Alderon, then at Porcelina. "Oh... Um, did you want me to stay with you, or..."

Porcelina nodded, a rare smile appearing on her face. "Yeah! We could go back to my apartment! I have some new watercolors to-"

"Tiffany?"

The boy turned his head to see Hildegarde approaching them. "Hello Lady Von Musel! You're looking good this morning! Is that new makeup?"

Hildegarde smirked. "Nope! I'm not wearing any makeup today! I think I pull it off rather nicely, wouldn't you say?"

"So that's why you don't look like an oil painting..." Porcelina muttered as Tiffany clapped his hands together in excitement.

Seemingly not having heard the dwarf, Hildegarde put her hands on her hips. "Anyway, there's a mess in Room 108 I need cleaned up. You'll see it, it's pretty obvious." She walked past them, following Alderon. "You should head to Meri's room afterwards!" she called over her shoulder. "My brother's here, I'm introducing him to everybody!"

Tiffany waved his boss goodbye excitedly. "Okay! I'll be there in a few minutes!" He beamed, turning to Porcelina. "Would you like to come with me? It'll be faster!"

The dwarven woman sighed. "Well... Fine, I suppose..."

Alderon strolled through Meri's open door. The girl narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips at the elf. "Seems we'll save that story for another time," she said in a hushed tone. "Dr. Alderon, what are you doing? You weren't invited."

The elf raised his eyebrows in feigned shock. "Zymeria, I'm hurt," he said. "Does an open door not mean all who wander are welcome?"

Meri scowled, clenching her jaw briefly. "That's true, I suppose." Standing and interlocking her fingers in front of her, she took a breath. "Would you like some tea? Perhaps a sedative, or nine?"

"I had some chamomile earlier," he said curtly. "Hildegarde may want some." He stepped aside, allowing room for the pink-clad woman to enter.

"What about Porcelina?"

Alderon scoffed. "The dwarf went another route."

Eckhart froze up. "What? Come on on!" he thought, grimacing as the doctor entered the room. "I just got you to leave!"

Meri didn't seem too happy with Alderon's sudden appearance either, but Randal smiled and sat up straight. Belladonna lashed her tail angrily. "I swear, if you try something I'll- oh, wow."

Hildegarde waltzed into the room, beaming. She clapped her hands together. "Alright! I'm back! Everybody getting along?"

Belladonna burst out laughing, and Eckhart paled. "Umm..." he said nervously. "Uh... Yes?"

"Wonderfully," Meri answered.

Simultaneously, Alderon shook his head. "No," he said blatantly. Earning a sharp glare from the pale woman, the elf pursed his lips sighed. "Well, why would I lie?" His voice was forced.

"Because that's what normal people do," Meri said, sitting back down.

"Normal people are boring," he said, strolling over to the window and leaning against it.

The girl rolled her eyes and smiled at the pink clad woman. "Lady Hildegarde, help yourself to some tea," she said, gesturing to the kettle sitting on the small table.

Hildegarde watched the interaction between Meri and Alderon, her expression deadpan. "Well." she she said flatly, walking over to the kettle to pour herself some tea. "We're going to get along now."

The gang leader walked over to the couch to sit next to her brother, cup of tea in hand. Randal slid over to make room, and beamed as Hildegarde ruffled his hair. "So, have you seen your room yet?" she asked Eckhart nonchalantly. "The view out of your window is nice, you're level with the street so you can watch people."

"Um, I didn't really get the chance to see the view..." Eckhart said, seeming almost embarrassed. "I was kinda... In and out."

Relieved, Hildegarde opened her mouth to say something only to be interrupted by a soft meow. Looking at her brother's lap, she saw what was possibly the mangiest cat in Le'raana. "Aw..." she cooed. "What happened to kitty?"

The cat meowed derisively at her, and Eckhart tensed his shoulders. "Bella! She's my sister, be nice!"

Randal looked at Meri eagerly. "So, what about the story! I wanna know about the dragon-fairy!"

"What happened to kitty?" Alderon mumbled to himself, shaking his head. He put his tongue against the split on his lower lip from the 'kitty' bitch. "Cats..."

Meri pressed her lips together in a tight smile when Randal brought up the story again. She glanced at Hildegarde and couldn't help the laughter that was creeping up. Releasing a breathy chuckle, the girl took a sip of her tea and leaned forward.

"Alright, Randal, but I'm going to shorten it a bit since we seem to have a growing amount of company." Meri interlaced her fingers and nodded once. "So, my brother, Hakan, and my sister, Taiga, were on an adventure with a dragon-elf man, an elf girl, a dwarf girl, a dragon-fairy-devil creature, and the dragon-fairy's son. They were off to fix the dragon-elf's sword.

"It was a long journey, which took several months, but over that time, the dragon-fairy and Hakan got feelings for each other and actually started dating. They had ten babies!" Meri was stretching the truth a bit to make it kid-appropriate, but the basic story was on point. "Can you imagine that? Now, Hakan is living in in Essyrn, where his special friend and babies visit all the time."

Okay, that was a lie. Babies died a fiery death, but Randal didn't need to know that.

"Really?" Randal asked excitedly. "But that's so sweet! Can I meet her and her babies someday?"

Eckhart looked at Hildegarde (who was stunned) and then at Belladonna (who was glowering). "Um..." he began, eyes beginning to water. "Oh Ansgar, please don't fight..."

"You told me your sister was suave." Belladonna meowed darkly. "There's nothing suave about the term "kitty"."

"Eckhart." Hildegarde said quickly, eyes wide. "Eckhart, why doesn't she like me?"

The healer shut his eyes tightly. "I-I..." He shook his head. "Come on! T-this isn't fair to me at all!"

Meri pursed her lips, looking at the energetic kid. "Uh, probably not," she said finally. "See, Hakan doesn't really like coming to Zantaric, and I doubt Taza wants to take you to Essyrn. It's probably best if it stays a story for now."

Can't exactly tell him that the babies were killed and that the mom isn't a woman, Meri thought. Wow, that situation is fucked up...

"Don't take it personally," Alderon said. "She doesn't really seem to like anyone, save your brother." The elf furrowed his brows. "Curious animal, I must say. Regardless... Hildegarde, I'm actually pleased you're here, as it saves me time. I'm departing on my biannual trip tomorrow morning, so I'll be gone for approximately a month."

"Now?" Meri interjected suddenly. "You're leaving for a month when there's a war against another gang? Seriously?"

Alderon glared at her. "I have an important commitment that I mustn't let slip by," he said firmly. "And I would appreciate it if you did not question."

"You're really gonna leave for a month?" Randal asked, looking up at Alderon sadly. "But... I'll miss you..."

Belladonna peered over Eckhart's shoulder at the doctor, her tail flicking. "I'll miss you too Alderon." she meowed flatly. "Be sure to hurry back."

At this point Eckhart had given up his verbal protests and was resting his head in his hands. "I'll be fine. She did this to Kaida too, and I didn't die." The healer closed his eyes. "Sweet Ansgar, why does she always do this?"

Hildegarde studied Alderon carefully. "Meri's right, now is a bad time. I suppose you're still not comfortable telling me what's up?"

Alderon smirked at Randal. "Don't worry, I'll be back. Practice checkers, yes? Perhaps, you'll be able to beat me, once I return."

He ignored the bitchy cat, not in the mood to get into yet another altercation with a feline. Meri looked at Eckhart's defeat, but decided to keep her mouth shut at the moment. She felt it was better to let things play out how they would when it came to his adjusting to Zantaric.

"I'm afraid not," Alderon said to Hildegarde. "I admit the timing isn't ideal, but it's something I can't afford to neglect. I know I've said it before, but with any luck, I'll be able to explain when I return."

Hildegarde sighed, an understanding smile on her face. "Fair 'nuff, I suppose." she said almost wistfully. "We all have our secrets. You really do need to make your trip a fast one, though. Maybe Porcelina or Addie could get you there quicker?"

"Was Eckhart your secret, Lady Hildegarde?" Randal asked innocently. "Cause I didn't know about him 'till the dragon bullied him." 

Belladonna cackled, and Eckhart's eyes narrowed. "Wait... You never told anybody I existed?"

Hildegarde went red in the face. "It- it was to protect you!" she said quickly, eyes pleading with her brother's. "If my enemies had known, they'd have targeted you like Wasp did!"

"Thank you, Hildegarde," Alderon started, "but I can get there myself. I would rather no one knows where I am."

Meri shot the elf a sharp glare. "We're past you, okay?"

Alderon gave Meri a snarky look, then rolled his eyes. "Eckhart, your sister was right to do what she did," he said, thinking about his own secret. "In our line of work, you tend to make a lot of enemies. If anyone had known of your existence, trust me, you would've been dead long ago."

"You really have no filter, do you?" Meri said plainly. Alderon raised his brow with a lazy shrug.

Hildegarde sighed. "Alderon, please don't scare him. He's had a long morning." She gave her brother an apologetic smile. "Don't take it personally. It's just... Standard practice."

Eckhart nodded, frowning. "R-right. I, uh, guess that makes sense..." The mangy cat meowed something Hildegarde couldn't understand, and Eckhart's face flushed. "Sh-shut up!" he whined. "Why do you always gotta tease me about that?"

Hildegarde's eyes lit up. "Wait, what did she say?" Upon seeing the panicked look on her brother's face, she grinned. "Oh... Is this about a girl?"

Eckhart's face couldn't be redder. "Oh come on! Not you too!" The cat purred, and the healer crossed his arms. "Oh, so now you want to talk to her?"

As Hildegarde laughed, Randal tugged at Alderon's shirt. "Hey, if I ask Taza, can I come with you? I promise I won't slow you down!"

Alderon's brow lifted again, that time in confusion. "Scare him?" He started. "I was being truthful!"

"Hey, blabby!" Meri snapped. "My roof, my rules, so shut it." Of course she knew that Hildegarde owned the building, but it was the point. Alderon could do and say whatever he wanted in his own apartment.

The elf huffed, looking at Randal who was pulling at his shirt. "Apologies, Randal," he said. "I'm afraid you can't come along. You know that this is a trip I make alone, so I can't bring you. Besides, you're a bright boy. Do you truly believe Taza would allow that?"

Meri watched the several interactions, resting on the healer's intense blush at his sister and cat's agreement on whatever was embarrassing Eckhart. What the hell is happening?

"Come onnnn!" Hildegarde whined playfully, gently punching Eckhart's shoulder. "Let me talk to her! You're gonna have to let me sooner or later anyways!"

"Eckhart, I want to talk to her." Belladonna purred in agreement. "We have dragons and politicians and talking mirrors to discuss."

Eckhart buried his face in his hands. "Guys, come on!" he whined, his face beet red. "Cut it ouuuut!"

Randal giggled at the scenario unfolding before him before turning back to Alderon. "Yeah... I guess your right..." he said, the ghost of a smile on his face. "Just come back safe, okay? You're my favorite..."

"I always come back," he said, giving Randal a short grin.

He started out until a few key words caught his attention. The elf froze briefly, looking intensely at Eckhart, Bella, and Hildegarde. He let it a small huff. "Hildegarde, I'm going to retire for the day, and I'll see you when I return." His voice lowered slightly, so that Hildegarde would still be able to hear. "Dragons and politicians and...talking mirrors..." Alderon narrowed his eyes at the pink-clad woman. "Should be an interesting tale to hear upon my return."

Alderon quickly turned on his heel and walked out the door, closing it behind him. Meri furrowed her brows. She smiled at the others, though. A little more relaxed that the elf was out of her apartment.

Alderon practically sprinted back to his apartment, unlocking the door and closing it behind him. He walked into his bedroom, jumping slightly when he saw his sister still there. "You said you were leaving," he said.

"I changed my mind. Why do you look like you saw a ghost?"

He smirked. "Not important, Sel. If you'll excuse me, I have to finish packing. I'm leaving to see my wife and daughter tomorrow."