"Not as grand as palaces or castles, but should suffice for a small group of us. Do take note not to go behind the Old Chapel, you might accidentally step on little Mavis" garden," warned Gillian, resting his hand on the Dark Mage"s shoulder. He looked confused as Ysabeau opened the room window to reveal a colorful patch of land in the middle of the lush green carpet around the building."If only I had known you were opened to guests, I would"ve taken my family here to be safe," said Baldwin, voice cracking. Mavislin smiled as she gazed upon the mini garden below.
"Abi would"ve loved it," said Ysabeau, looking at the Angry Man in sadness.
"So you are telling me that I can stay?" asked Baldwin, in bewilderment.
"Why not? Provided you don"t destroy the area and make Mavislin p.i.s.sed off, you should be fine." Baldwin was puzzled.
"You are willing to accept a Mage of Dark Element in the same s.p.a.ce of a Mage of Light Element?!" Baldwin"s face was of shock; how could Mages of the polar opposite Elements live under the same roof?
"She"s still a child, so she won"t bother you too much. Besides, she hasn"t got many friends to play with, so you could help in that aspect." Baldwin looked hesitant as he gazed upon the young Valkyrie. He had heard tales of the mighty race of the Valkyries born from the planet Valokia. Beings of pure light. Its true form was enough to destroy continents with a single step. And now, with all the stories written down and legends told, a young child of the fearsome race stood before him. The last survivor, all alone. Then again, he was on the same page as her. No home, no family... Where could they possibly go? Anyone in that situation would not have been able to deny the invitation the couple gave. And yet, Baldwin showed reluctance as he agreed upon terms.
"Now then, show "em what you can do, little Mavis," said Ysabeau, ruffling the young girl"s hair. The young child of Valokia went towards the window. The sun was about to let the moon take over its shift as the sky showed shades of red and orange. Mavislin"s palms were opened as trails of Earth Elemental Energy were given from her fingertips and to the garden below. In the span of a second, the lush green carpet around the building had bloomed several more patches of vibrant colors.
"So look"s like someone has been training behind my back," said Gillian, smirking. Mavislin gave a sweet smile and giggled as Gillian tickled her nose.
"Happy Birthday, Gillian!" laughed Mavislin. Since it was sundown, Ysabeau decided to make dinner. As Mavislin helped her out, the two men of the house decided to have a pep talk.
"Any idea how dangerous to place the both of us in the same house?" asked Baldwin, looking at Gillian directly.
"As I said, she"s just a young child. She doesn"t know the true concept of Light and Dark. If you manage to get along with each other, there won"t be a problem when she"s all grown up," explained Gillian. Baldwin shook his head in disagreement.
"How long do you plan to shield her from the truth?"
"Isn"t losing all your family and people painful enough for a young child? I can tell that she"s hurting. And yet, she is still able to put on a mask and act all happy. Whatever she"d seen and been through, I can"t possibly comprehend how much it hurts. The truth will reveal itself soon, but it doesn"t mean I can"t try to cushion the impact for the poor girl."
"Food is done!" yelled Ysabeau.
"So, what is the version of Valkyries on this planet?" asked Baldwin, gnawing happily on a stag"s thigh. Mavislin was busy trying finding different ways of eating the deer"s body until she finally settled on its leg. Its eyeb.a.l.l.s were quite nice, after dunking it in some blood.
"Technically, a Valkyrie is one of a group of women that determines who may live or die on the battlefield. They then select some, those who are worthy, amongst the ones who have been slain in battle, to be in Valhalla, They are known as the "Chooser of the Slain", Angels of Death," explained Ysabeau.
"Why are we so complicated on this land. We don"t choose anyone, we just fight. We don"t determine, we kill. That"s Valkyries work, we wage wars to show our status. We are the G.o.ds of war, not angels at all," replied girl who had an eyeball in her mouth, particularly p.i.s.sed at how her race was being defined. Ysabeau sighed as she got a piece of cloth and wiped away the blood that was trickling down the young child"s chin.
"You guys are still better respected than me," commented Baldwin.
"That"s true," replied the Valkyrie.