Tale Of The Half-Blood Wizard

Having finished with the banquet, we were sent to our rooms. The house is apparently like matryoshca, looking small and simple from the outside but it is filled with many rooms inside. 

Azalea and I were placed in one room, while Yoru and Naar were in a room in front of ours. She said that the meeting would be conducted the next day after breakfast. And we would directly go home after lunch. I, who knew nothing when it was day or night, just nodded to agree with her. 

"I heard you talked about Dark Moon while you were speaking with Naar. What were you talking about?" She interrogated me. 

"About the illusion we had today. I told him that it was almost similar to what I had experienced in Dark Moon when I was about to pass out. It was due to seeing very odd and disgusting worship stuff. The shop owner gave me a sweet drink with a soothing scent. Strangely after that, I felt much better, not feeling sick when I saw that disgusting stuff." I explained. 

"What did you do there?" She urged me to know more. 

I was quite intimidated by her gaze so I told her the truth, "Looking for fire lily," I was very nervous. 

"And you found it of course," She walked and drew her sword to my neck, "Right?" 

"Yes," my voice was soft, but I believed she could hear it very well, "I found four lilies at that time," I saw a shocked expression on her face, "A robber or whatever he was, took one from us. I planned to give one to a friend who lost her child. But she refused it, so I gave them to Manjis when she took me to meet them for an exchange of spirit, but I did not ask anything to them," After listening to my explanation she put down her sword, "I wanted to give that flower for Mika but she threw the mummy of that child in front of me. And the following morning she killed herself. And the last two flowers I gave to Manjis as a farewell gift. I had to go back to my own dimension. 

"Did you meet the Manjis?" She snapped that question fast. 

"Yes, I did," I answered. 

"It means you have ever met the Manjis. Really?" She seemed to really want to know them. It reminded me of Hana who told me that Azalea ever sent her soldiers to stay in other dimension to look for fire lily and to meet them, "They are two wonderful women," it was clear that she adored them. 

I did not want to tell her that it was the Manjis who helped me kill the witch who was hunting me. I did not know why, I just thought I did not have tell her everything. It was because I did not really trust her. 

"Have you ever met them?" I did not know why she adored those two ladies, "I mean, you seem to like them," 

"Although I have not met them yet," She looked disappointed, "I have tried so many ways to be able to meet them, even once!" 

"What make you admire them?" I needed to know so that I could decide if I needed to help her or not if she wanted my help later. 

"Everything!" She replied enthusiastically. "Everything about them charm me. I know all  story about them. When there was a say that they really existed and there was only one way to do that, I did all things possible for that. But unfortunately I always failed," She sheathed her sword again. And put it on the table in the room, "I don't ask much, only to meet them. That is enough," She looked at me hoping, "Can you help me?" 

I remembered her promise that if I joined her, she would guarantee Zie's safety and would not let anyone chase him again. "You have to keep your promise first," I said firmly. "Meet me with Zie, I want to make sure if you really keep your words or not," put all my luck and courage at stake to speak up all of this.

"Deal," She replied, "So to make you trust me, I will take you to meet that wooden boy right after this meeting," Azalea looked pretty sure. Honestly, I was really happy at this moment. It felt so long since the last time I met Zie. 

I could not sleep all night, and neither did Azalea. I wondered why there were so many crows outside and their voices were really disturbing me. I decided to go up the window frame and peep from the window I could reach.

At the outside, some of Azalea's guards and the others were guarding. There were pretty many in the number. They were standing on almost all withered twigs of trees in the yard.

"Miss, do crows go out ayt night?" I was very curious so that I decided to ask her, "don't they usually search their food in the day,?" I knew they were crows and not owl, nocturnal animals.. 

"They are not ordinary crows, Tha. They are magic creatures created to guard this place. I just did not expect that they would be so noisy like this," Azalea pulled her blanket to hide her head under the blanket.

I kept looking at them. Apparently not only guards and crows were there but also that smoke creature that could make the weather drop, the skinless creature that attacked me in that forest, and many more. In short, they were groups of creatures owned by the guests in this meeting. 

While looking at them, I was also thinking of other things. 'If they are creatures guarding every witch, that means they are here with their masters. And if that smoke creature and skinless creature are here, then the witches hunting me are here too because they are the owner of those creatures,' when I thought about that I was grateful that I was in harpies so that they might not recognize me, 'If it is true, does my father come here?' I thought. 

...

This morning I woke up early. When I saw the bed she was lying, she was still closing her eyes, and her breath was even. It seemed she was in her deep sleep. 

I crawled from my bed, feeling so much bored only to stay in bed for nothing. I wanted to make myself accustomed to my new wings, but unfortunately I could only flew low a while then fell down again.

While jumping by using my both wings, I wanted to meet Naar and Yoru who stayed in the room opposite our room. I scratched the door as I arrived in front of their room by using my four fingers on each hand to get their attention. 

"Naar," I tried to raise my voice to call his name after waiting for some time but no signs of his coming. And soon after that I heard someone's footsteps and the sound of the door being opened. Yoru was by the door. He was ready in silver armor with gold ornaments, "Where is Naar?" My eyes peeped inside the room but I could not see that man in there. 

"He is not around," He was unfriendly. 

To tell the truth, I did not like this cold man. "Yoru, take me to walk around," As I spoke I lifted my hands, asking him to hold me as Naar did to me, "Come on. Only this time," I set a pleading look hoping he would do me a favor. 

But I was wrong. Yoru's expression turned to be really unpleasant, but I did not care, he simply had to help me to get that information, "You are really a pain in my ass," It was iriitated reply. He helped me though, taking me on his shoulder. 

I sat on his shoulder and smiled to him, "Yoru, smile please. You look cool when you smile," I tried to break the ice to make the situation a bit melting. 

"Shut up!" but Yoru was just the same man, replying me sharply, "Where are w going now?" 

"Can you take me out to meet those guards with shadow look?" I said, pointing out of the window. He was silent, perhaps he did not really understand what I said. "Just take me there. I need more information. 

"Does Miss Azalea ask you to do this?" Yoru investigated. 

"No," I said the truth, "This is my own will," 

"I am Miss Azalea's guard, I do what she asks me to, not yours," he was right but I also needed to get information that I needed. 

"Yoru, you are not an eagle with iron chains on your feet. You need to fly freely to know he battle field so that you can help your master in the war," after saying this I got off from his shoulder. 

Although I could only flew low, I jumped out of Yoru's room and landed on one of the nearest twig. I used my claws to get strong grip and watched all the guards under me. 

From the room where I was, I knew that cold man was watching me from the window. I ignored him, and looked at the yard that was now full with guards of many different kinds of creatures. 

Among those guards, I could see Naar, he was talking with one of them. I could not hear their conversation and I did not want to hear, either. I chose to fly to the outer side of the yard near the gate, with a struggle. 

The stone wall arranged around the yard split this house from the world outside of it. in front of the gate, a soldier in shadow shape and skinless monster flying to guard the house. 

"Hello,"