Familiar's War

Chapter Three

Maude was startled into wakefulness by the smell of food wafting into the room. Along with it came the sounds of someone moving around in the kitchen as he took in a deep lungful of air. He took notice of his aching joints before he slowly opened his eyes. 

The room was dark with no light coming in through the window, so he assumed it must be past eight. He slowly forced his body up, the need for food now more important than sleep after his nap. His stomach was cramping from the smell because it was empty. Due to not having the time to make himself lunch that morning before he left for work.

His legs slipped off the bed and he carefully put his weight on his feet when they reached the tile flooring. The tiles were cold and caused him to shiver. Then he was up and moving to the door as he rubbed at the expanse of his arms peeking out from his scrubs. 

He bypassed his bedside table and the dresser that was to the right of the door, to get to the hallway. As he opened the door, he squinted from the sudden onslaught of light attacking his eyes. He was getting too old for all of these long shifts at the hospital, he thought as he walked into the living room before coming to a stop in the kitchen. Xael was humming a tune that was vaguely familiar to him, but he didn't have the energy to guess.

He sat down at the table, leaned back into the chair, and watched as Xael stirred pasta in a pot on the stove. It looked like it was chicken alfredo, which he should have expected since it was easy to make. Xael wasn't really known for going out of her way for things that she wasn't interested in. He watched as she turned off the heat on the stove and moved to plate dinner for him. Then she slid the plate to him across the table, and he thanked her before starting on his meal.

Xael smiled as she saw Maude start eating, before she dished out her own food and sat down at the table to eat. The pasta was creamy, and had almost enough seasoning. It was a learning experience, and she was sure in the future she would add a little more to get the seasoning of the dish just right. She was also still in a good mood from talking with Lettia, even if it had been slightly awkward. She was probably going to be telling Maude about her eventually, but first she wanted to know all about the Managat since she had never heard of them before.

"So Maude, can you tell me more about the Managat? We've only ever talked about the Mangata in class." Xael promoted as she ate another bite of pasta. Maude looked up at Xael as he raised an eyebrow while still chewing the food in his mouth. He had decided the chicken was a little tough, but it was better than nothing. Maude nodded once before he swallowed the food in his mouth and turned his full attention to Xael who was side eyeing him as she took another bite.

"Well, I already told you the basics. I guess I could tell you about the current Managat that we have?" Maude could hear the uncertainty in that statement since he wasn't the most knowledgeable about the topic. He was just the type that knew the basics of most topics so he could talk to other people about current issues. He didn't have to look up to know Xael was nodding frantically, since he could hear the slight rustle of her hair against her clothes.

"The first Managat of recent years was Mercy Vacuous, we don't really know the name of her Mangata but we know Mercy has a fire affinity. The second was Zemyr Norris. He and his Mangata, Kina, both have Barrier magic affinities. We don't really know any of the other Managat besides the most recent named Kimora Carolinus. She and her Mangata, Coda, have fire affinities. Since familiars have similar affinities, or affinities to help their summoners weaknesses." Maude retorted as he ate the last bite of his pasta. 

He then stood from the table and brought his plate to the sink to wash it, starting to feel heavy and tired again now that he was full. Xael though seemed to want his attention at the moment since he had been busy recently, so he supposed he could play one round of a card game with her.

So while Xael was finishing with her food, saving the leftovers, and washing the dishes, Maude settled in at the coffee table in the living room with a deck of cards. He shuffled them and began to distribute the cards into two piles for their game. He wasn't surprised when he heard a happy sound from the kitchen before Xael came zooming into the room and tumbling into her spot. He could only roll his eyes in exasperation as his lips curved into a soft smile at her antics.

***

Beryl stood from his desk, his brown eyes smiling as he opened his office door, his ponytail swaying against his hip as a few black strands broke free and tickled his face. It had surprised his assistants and secretaries at first just how long his hair was. After all, it wasn't often people grew their hair out to their knees. He just figured it added to his unique charm as the second in command besides the king of Saorsa. He also didn't want to go through the hassle of cutting it off.

His door opened to reveal Mercy Vacuous and Silvanus Ravencroft as they walked into the room. He held his arm outstretched toward the leather chairs situated in front of his desk. Mercy and Silvanus were the only Managat who ever came to meet with the higher ups and royalty of the kingdom because they had diplomatic training. Behind them trailed in a long-haired smaller sized black wolf with eight tails and a thin gray wolf with one tail and black eyes. He hadn't learned the names of the two Mangata since their names were mostly kept from the public with a few exceptions.

He closed the door after the two wolves who were staring him down with bared teeth. It was a known fact to him that the Mangata didn't like anyone who wasn't close to their masters since they were loyal creatures. He smiled slightly since he was uncomfortable with the situation, but made his way back to his desk. He then looked at Mercy and Silvanus seriously, he had news for them from the king, since the king was too busy debriefing his generals and nobles.

"So what are we here for?" Mercy asked a slight undertone of irritation sneaking into her voice. Her red-brown eyes downcast as she picked at her nails, her lips in a neutral line though they wanted to curve into a frown. Her black hair was so thick that it was hard to smooth out, so most days it was either a wavy or curly mess. She honestly just wanted to go back to the Managat compound to train, or talk with the others. She was a fierce fighter because of her knack for training long hours and almost surpassing her limit. Though she had a soft spot for her friends a mile wide.

"I was also wondering the same. Though the more accurate question is, who are we protecting your assets from? " Silvanus pondered his tone an icy neutral. His silver eyes were gazing at Beryl as he came to rest his head on his wrist. His arm was leaning against the chair's armrest to help support his head's weight. His caramel blonde hair was slicked back from his face though the strands liked to rebel so the back of his hair was slightly spiky. The gray wolf came to rest at his feet staring at Beryl dubiously but also with a light of curiosity.

" Well, I never," Beryl exclaimed in an exaggerated tone while placing his hand over his heart  "Yes, we need you to keep an eye on the eastern border. We've received word that the kingdom of Malikite might be sending a group of elite assassins to make an attempt on the kings life since he is newly appointed. It's possible that the king might declare war, so be ready."

Mercy and Silvanus stood from the chairs with respectful nods as they left the room purposefully. They knew a dismissal when they were presented with it, unlike some of the more oblivious members. They walked quietly through the castle, and made their way out before they allowed themselves to share a look. Their Mangata running ahead of them to burn off the irritation that Beryl always caused them. It was obvious they would just like to rip the man to shreds, but they weren't able to. You know, Loyalty to the kingdom and all that.

***

There was a hissing sound in the stale air followed by thumps that made the ground tremble. Then the sound of dragging, before there was a giant splash. Dark water flooded the now silent cave until it reached the grimy walls, before slowly receding back into its rightful place. The creature was gone. The shadows of the cave now lifted, but nothing could be found to point to the fact that something had once been living there. There was no pedestal of any kind, only a small opening in the ground where water collected from the nearest lake, river, or ocean.