After everyone was introduced, the parent"s all left to discuss some matters. Matters that we as children weren"t prived to. Instead, we"d been ushered into one of the many lounging areas within my house. It was now just Silvyr, Cecily, Ekon and I, in a room with a few maids and butlers that were serving us snacks. It was night and a fire had been drawn for us. I"d long ago shed my shoes and the jacket, we all found blankets and curled up on the couch.
The boys on one couch, and us girls on the other. Ever since I said that I would be friends with Cecily she"d not left my side. Her brother was staring with down with blatant envy, and I even caught a hint of envy off of Silvyr.
But I think it was envy at the fact that little Cecily was occupying my arm.
"You shouldn"t hug on her like that Cecily it"s not ladylike at all," her brother scoffs at her raising his nose up.
"What would you know Ekon? Your just jealous that I finally have a friend," she retorts.
I sigh softly to myself and reach out grabbing the gla.s.s of blood that was out for me on the table. There was an a.s.sortment of delicacies on the table that are made out of blood, and of course, non-blood ones for my guest.
Silvyr was keeping quiet and sipping on the tea that had been brought for him. Although, I knew that he was paying close attention his ears would twitch every now and then as the two siblings argued with each other over nothing.
I was a little jealous of their rapport since I was the youngest child and the youngest by a long stretch, I didn"t have that sort of relationship with my Brother. I hadn"t met any of the others either.
"Ekon, how old are you?" I ask trying to break up the bickering.
Tilting his head to look at me, he pauses but answers me after a moment.
"I"m seven, two years older than everyone," he says sitting back into the couch.
The fire gives a small crackle, as one of the logs in the fireplace breaks apart from the heat.
"Ah, then do you plan on trying a temple for a cla.s.s soon?" I ask.
"I"m a bit young for that, most humans tend to challenge a temple at fifteen, there are cases where some try at ten, but it would be unthinkable for me to try earlier," he says with a hint of annoyance.
It looks like I"ve asked a bit of a dumb question.
"You"re being rude," his sister snaps at him.
He shoots her a glare. "I know that it might seem odd, but humans aren"t as strong as Vampire or Elves, we"re off a lower race in terms of physical strength. Most will learn combat arts before and try to pick up skills to survive the temple. It might seem like we start late, but at fifteen we"ve hit a growth spurt and our stats get raised naturally," he elaborates while reaching out and grabbing a cookie.
He takes a bit out of it, and his brow wrinkles slightly.
"I see, it was my mistake," I say with a small nod.
He opens an eye and gives me a once over.
"You"re a bit odd aren"t you for a high-born. Most of your kind hates my kind," he says as he takes another bite, "Most actually don"t care for my kind since my kind"s uncooperative."
I smile and swirl my gla.s.s before taking another drink.
"That"s true, that your race is one that isn"t well-liked. But I don"t hold prejudices, one can"t be judged solely on their race. Everyone is different and unique; besides you don"t hate me for being another race do you. Nomads have held to the belief that all are created from a G.o.d or G.o.ddess, therefore we are all equal. I quite like that belief," I tell him with a smile.
"You"re indeed being small-minded, my father always speaks highly of the kindness of the nomads, but you"ve been nothing but combative," Silvyr says with a stern voice.
A bright red flush appears on Ekon"s face and stretches to his ears.
"Why don"t you ask them to be your friends" brother?" Cecily says.
He looks up from the half-eaten cookie in his hand and makes eye contact with me.
"I"m sorry, I didn"t mean to be disrespectful. I"ve just- "
I clear my throat, effectively stopping him midsentence.
"Ekon would you like to be my friend?" I ask.
A small smile breaks out on his face. "Yes, if you"ll have me," he says.
I laugh and nod my head.
"Don"t forget about me! Any friend of Hollis is my friend!" Silvyr snaps.
"Yeah, alright. Let"s be friends as well then! The four of us will be friends for the rest of our lives!" He shouts standing up all of the sudden, the cookie in his clenched hand crumbling to the ground.
"A life friend isn"t something simple!" Silvyr"s says standing up as well.
"Well this isn"t some simple friendship, you both stood up for my Sister! Anyone willing to do that will be my friend for life!" He continues with gusto.
Even little Cecily jumps up and they gather around the table. All of their eyes turn towards me, I was the only one that hadn"t moved at this point. I raise an eyebrow and look at the three of them.
"What do you say, Hollis?"
"Why don"t we swear to be life friends!" Cecily tosses in.
"We should! Get over here Hollis," Ekon says and I shrug before I stand up and walk over to them.
Gathered around a table of sweets and drinks, Ekon sticks out his tattooed hand, and Cecily does the same. Soon followed by Silvyr as well, and then my own hand.
"As life friends, we"ve always got to stick together, through thick and thin! We"ll always have each other"s back. We"ll always support each other, and we"ll conquer dungeons together!" Ekon says with a wide grin on his face.
"Conquer the dungeons?" Cecily questions.
"We"re going to do it together?" Silvyr asks.
"Are you sure that we"ll all do it together?" Cecily asks again.
"Well isn"t that what we"re promising. Plus, who doesn"t want to become an adventurer and explore dungeon"s and what"s better than doing it with friends?" I can"t help but ask.
"If Hollis agrees then I"m in," Silvyr says.
"We"ll if my two friends and brother are going to do it then, I"ll do it as well," Cecily says with a big grin.
"It"s settled then! It"s a promise that we"ll be friends for life and we"ll adventurer into the dungeon"s together!" I say.
"AGREED!" Everyone says at the same time.
If only, I knew how special that promise was going to be in the future…