"I feel like we"re missing someone, " Atiri commented."No, all of us are here, " Raff clarified.
"Wait, what about the Almighty?"
"I saw him and Earth going somewhere. Probably to the Archives where he will be staying."
"Alright then. So Time, you said that three of us were replaced. Which three are you talking about?" Atiri asked.
Too lazy to explain the matter, Time simply said, "You will know when we get there."
Finding that there was no choice but to wait, she switched to another topic. "By the way Air, why are you tagging along with us? Don"t you have to report to Archia?"
"If I go back there I will have to learn everything that has happened in the past few thousand years. And that"s going to take forever! The policy at the mansion is much more lax. I told I will work from there."
"And she actually agreed to that?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I threatened her that I will create a mess at the Archives, " he said casually.
"A mess that you"ll have to clean up, " Raff added.
"She cares more about the fact that there will be a mess than the cleaning up part. Besides, with Games and me working together we"ll be done in no time."
"What?! When did I say I was going to help?!" Games questions, wondering how he got involved in this conversation.
"Just a few (thousand) years ago. Don"t you remember? We even signed a contract about it."
"But that already expired!"
"No, there was still a thousand years left when we were sealed so those thousand years still count now."
"That"s not fair!"
"It is. Clause number five says that special circ.u.mstances can stop the countdown."
"That"s only if all of us agree! Water is not here and I don"t agree so the deal does not count!"
"You can"t just exclude her opinion. What if Water agrees?"
"She certainly won"t!"
"Where is Water in the first place?" Raff interjected.
They all turned to look at Time, who pretended not to see their expectant gazes.
Finally, Air, overcome with curiosity, asked, "Where is she, Time?"
"Sealed."
"Don"t be so miserly with your words. Explain, " Raff complained.
I miss those days with peace and quiet. Sighing deeply, Time responded. "She is sealed in the Underworld."
"Why did you not seal her with us?" Games asked.
"The main consistently of those crystals was water. She could have escaped easily, " Raff supplied.
"Oh. So will she be set free now?" Games asked eagerly.
"We"ll see."
"What do you mean you"ll see?" He pouted childishly.
Feeling a headache start to form, Time was happy to see the Mansion coming into view. Ignoring the question he said, "Oh, look. We"re here."
Starting from the beautiful fountain to the cobblestone steps to the manmade lake at the side teaming with fish, the entrance gave off a grand yet homely feel.
The bushes and trees are well maintained and added to the overall appeal of the place.
The double doors made of antique wood led into a simple yet refined reception hall.
Though not as grand as Life"s palace or as s.p.a.cious as the Archives, Time still liked his mansion the best.
A man in formal attire came to greet the group. Dressed like a butler from western culture, he greeted them with a curt nod.