Chapter 277 – Misty Truths

Chapter 277 – Misty Truths

 

Kai had crossed an ocean and the untamed lands of the mainland, faced pirates and bandits, gone through more unforeseen accidents than he cared to admit. With his sister standing before him well and alive, it had all been worth it.

I made it in time.

He stepped forward, arms raised, about to run towards her when he became conscious of all the eyes on them. There’d be already plenty of cracks to fix in his cover. The journey to the continent could explain many changes in Matthew’s personality and skills, but he couldn’t change his acquaintances from the archipelago.

I wish Mom could have explained to her the whole situation.

Woken from her stupor, Kea abandoned her bow and strode as if she intended to march over him. She stopped in her tracks within arm’s length and studied him with an unblinking gaze.

“Uh, hi.” Kai reciprocated the look, trying to recoup the changes he missed in over two years. “I’m Mat—”

A punch caught him in the shoulder, strong enough to push him back without seriously hurting him. “Ouch.” He massaged his arm. “What was that for…”

Kea pulled him in a tight hug, nestling her head beside his neck. “I— I had to make sure you were real. You’re… really here…”

“I’m…” He gulped to keep his voice steady, whispering, “I’m sorry I made you think I was dead.”

“Uhm…” She hung her weight on him. “Flynn insisted you were alive… but why… why didn’t you come back sooner…”

“I…”

What could he say? The truth hardly changed what he had put his family through.

“I came back as soon as I could.”

Kea continued to hug him amidst the fog, accepting his answer with a low huff. There was so much they needed to say, so much to catch up on. But not now. Beyond her, the trio was observing them with intent gazes, Caeli was already coming closer.

Not even a moment of peace…

Was that too much to ask? Having their reunion without worrying about how breaking his identity could mess up their lives? The world kept turning, uncaring of who it crushed or inconvenienced.

There’ll be time.

Kai was about to speak when Kea pulled back. Her arms still held onto his, while her face was an impassive mask. “It’s nice to meet you again, Mat. We should talk later.”

“Yes, I…”

“Mrooow.” Hobbes grumbled at his feet, peeved at being ignored. He gave Kea the stink eye.

His sister jolted back before finding the source of the noise. “A cat? Where did you come from?” She leaned in to pet him but the furball turned and swatted her hand with his tail.

“Hobbes is my familiar—”

“Is he really yours?” Caeli lost any interest in them upon seeing the fluffy silver ball. “Here, kitty kitty!” She extended her hand, palm up, with a baby voice.

From the height of a domestic cat, Hobbes managed to look down on her. His violet eyes weighed what punishment befitted such impudence: to think he had to move to get scratched—simply preposterous.

Caeli giggled at his grumpy face, then raised her head to glare at Kai. “How could you bring him to such a dangerous place? What if the fairies attacked him?”

It would have made all this a lot easier.

“I—”

“Kea, you’re safe.” Niel reached them with a bright grin, throwing a curious glance at Hobbes before focusing on him. “I guess you already know Mat.”

Mari walked behind him. Her eyes darted between them to make sense of the situation.

“I told you to wait inside the tower.” Kea rested her hands on the hips, her scolding look reminiscent of Alana. “Tell me you didn’t fight a swarm of yellow fairies. You could have all gotten killed.”

“Well, you left us little choice.” Caeli stopped her attempts to coax the cat. “You were gone for hours. What were we supposed to do? Did you find a way out?”

Kea crossed her arms with a harrumph. “I was getting close.”

“Actually, it was my fault for convincing them to go out.” Kai rubbed his neck.

“You…?” His sister pursed her lips and shook her head. “These three should have known better.”

“Huh, how do you know each other?” Niel peered at them. “Don’t take it personally Mat, but I was half convinced you lied. Kea never mentioned you.”

“We’re more like acquaintances. It has been a while since we last met.”

“Really? It didn’t loo—”

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

“Mat!” Two more figures approached through the thinning fog. Rain stayed aside, taking in the scene with a furrowed brow. Flynn hurried closer to scan him for injuries before turning to Kea with a relieved smile. “Thank the spirits you’re fine. You made us all worry. Why didn’t you reply to our letters?”

“Sorry, I’ve been busy,” his sister muttered without her usual edge. “You didn’t have to come here…”

“Of course, I did. You know I’m a sucker for trouble and creepy towns. How could I let you have all the fun? I missed you.” He leaned in to hug her.

Kea bit her lip but didn’t pull away. “Uh… Thank you for coming.”

She has really changed…

Another round of greetings and presentations between the two groups brought everyone up to speed.

“So, you were the family friend Mat told us about,” Niel gave Flynn a friendly pat—apparently, they had already met. “It’s good to see a face from home.”

“Who else could it be?” Flynn also gave a nod to Mari though without any recognition. “What about the other guys that traveled from the archipelago?”

“Oh… It’s just us now,” Niel smiled bitterly. “They thought the mainland would be different, and the case in Limgrell didn’t help. The last two left for Arphusa a month ago. Though we got Caeli in exchange.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” The girl snapped at him. “You’d be lost without me.”

“Nothing. You’re much better than them.”

“Oh.” She turned away with a slight blush. “Thanks. Anyway, why did you all come here?” Her gaze lingered a second on Rain who smiled politely. “Kea’s right. While I appreciate it, you all didn’t need to come.”

“Really?” Flynn craned his neck to look at the ancient stone tower. “So you weren’t just trapped in there waiting to get finished off? What even happened…? Mat disappeared into the mist. Then it suddenly cleared up.”

Niel scratched his jaw. “It’s a bit of a long story. We might have been in a little trouble if Mat didn’t help…” The young man turned to him. “Your skills with mana are amazing. How did I never hear about you in the archipelago?”

“I’ve never seen someone cast spells like you,” Caeli said. “Isn’t that right, Mari?”