The Book Of Fate

Chapter 11: The Reeves

ELIZABETH

Screw etiquette. Elizabeth thought while she wolfed down her potato soup.

She wasn't sure how they had survived almost all day long without any kind of food. Yesterday, she had been kidnapped by the Order, who didn't even have the time to feed her because they got themselves into that hellish storm; then, she had been adrift, unconscious for hours until she woke up in Ibis Island, the sun had already gone up by then; and finally, they had spent the entirety of this day running around, getting into and out of pointless brawls without so much as having a sip of rum. The curious thing was; they had never really complained about being hungry, not once.

Adrenaline was an interesting thing.

However, once the smell of warm soup hit their nostrils, the four of them turned into starving savages.

The Reeves were very welcoming indeed. The mother, Meredith, a woman with long curly blond hair and an interestingly crooked nose, was kind enough to serve their famished guests first while the father looked around some old clothes for things to lend them.

Once Elizabeth's belly was full and warm, she finally decided to take in her surroundings. The small house they were in looked like a hoarder's paradise: the kitchen walls were littered with all kinds of interesting looking plates and mugs as if it were some cutlery exhibition; and through the archway that separated the kitchen from the living room she could see pillars and pillars of all kinds of books, clothes and strange artifacts which stood atop the massive columns. A small fireplace peeked from even more racks of curious devices, and one big green sofa sat in the middle of the room, facing the fire. There was a wooden staircase that led to the floor above, where the father had gone to look for some clothes they could change into -which Lizzy was immensely grateful for since the mix of saltpeter, sweat, sand, and mud was probably about to give her some strange rash.

"Thank you so much for the food, it was delicious," Elizabeth said with a polite smile.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Meredith replied grinning.

"You looked like you hadn't eaten in ages," Gillian said with raised brows. Lizzy noticed how, while she was a very peculiar mix between her parents, Gillian had inherited the same light brown eyes of her mother and the same deeply tanned skin of her father. She scrunched up her nose. "Or bathed,"

The crew shared a look. "Well... kind of, actually," Theo slightly chuckled as he said it, probably amused by his own answer.

Gillian blinked a couple of times.

Kai cleared his throat slightly. "I didn't mean to pry before," he said a little awkwardly. "But I couldn't help but hear you talking about some mercenaries coming again?"

Upon that, Meredith's face twisted with worry while Gillian's with anger. She looked at her mother, who nodded once.

"Yes," she breathed out. "It all started three years ago, Ibis Island used to be a hotspot for merchants and travelers because of its brimming atmosphere and hardworking people; but then bars opened everywhere and mercenaries just kind of started dropping by frequently... Many families were terrorized, slaughtered, and chased out of their homes and into distant lands by the same men who say that without their 'protection money' they can't do anything about that. We're paying them rent for the place we own. They come about every week and God forbid those who are late on the payment,"

"Every week?" Mina asked with wide eyes.

"Yes, they're bound to come in three days' time," Meredith shook her head. "Right before you leave," she shot her son a pointed look.