Half-Bloods R • 2 : Growing Shadows

C • 12 : Sun over Concrete, Moon over Stone

Animus placed down his half-filled glass of unsweet tea as Elizabeth picked up and chomped down onto a carne guisada taco, groaning as she relished the flavor. She smirked, "Stronger than you thought, huh?"

"I'll admit, your magic is definitely strong, but I gotta say that your physical strength is lacking in comparison," he bit into a soft bean and cheese taco.

They had been sparring and training for a few hours at this point, taking long breaks between each session to let Animus' body settle. His ribs were still sore, and his mana would begin to destroy itself if he used too much magic too quickly. Meanwhile, Elizabeth was still concentrating on unleashing her veil marks.

She stuffed the rest of the taco into her mouth and looked at the pile of tacos still left on her plate. Animus' plate still carried a taco with half of one in his hands. Elizabeth picked up the pace, quickly devouring tacos in single gulps while Animus and a few other customers watched in bewilderment.

"You know, although it's hard to keep our half-blooded nature a secret, it's still a good idea to keep attention away from us considering that we're in a rebellion," he hissed a warning.

Elizabeth picked up her cup of tea and gulped it down for a long while Animus watched with a sickened expression.

"So what else is on your agenda today?" He asked.

Elizabeth looked at him, "Wanna go to Southtown Café with me?"

"Southtown Café? Isn't that where the Agent said he'd be?" Animus squinted his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. We shouldn't trust him, but I can't help but think, what if he's telling the truth? Both my parents couldn't have been Anthraahlan, and there's clearly something going on. So come on, go with me as a," she trailed off for a moment, "We'll say a safety precaution."

He shook his head, "I still don't like this."

"What? Scared he'll kick your ass again?"

"I ain't scared of nothing," he growled.

"Then let's go, talk to the guy, see what's up," she excitedly said, food still in her mouth.

"Fine, but we're doing this my way. He'll have precautions of his own if he's still expecting us for some reason," he said, placing a finger firmly on the table.

They planned their trip for two hours, going back and forth on what was necessary and what wasn't. Ultimately, they decided they would meet the agent with Animus being displayed as a silent bodyguard with mana-pills on hand in case either of them needed a boost for any possible complications. Elizabeth would carry her best and strongest candies with her, that way she'd be ready to either go all out or make a daring escape with Animus. She created a portal and the two stepped through, winding up in a dim alley across from Southtown Café. She placed a cherry-flavored blowpop in her mouth and nodded.

They walked across the street, luckily few cars were passing through. In fact, few pedestrians were in the area as well.

"He chose a good spot," she said.

He nodded an agreement as they walked in, a barista said their welcome as the two looked around.

Elizabeth spotted the agent immediately, his deep blue eyes burning into her. He wore a grey-blue button up and the fingers of his right rapped against the table as his left hand sat close to a cup of coffee. Her crystal-covered hand tingled as she sat across from him. Animus sat next to her.

"Glad you could make it," he smiled, "If I'm being honest, I thought you weren't going to. But you sure proved me wrong. So, how are my two beautiful daughters?" He picked up his cup and sipped his coffee.