Meeting The Family
(1 week and six days Post-Incident)
"I've got the dishes," insisted Tasha, shoving her sister away from the sink to clean up after dinner. "Go take care of Talon."
"Okay, okay, but don't say I didn't try to help," Alia jeered, backing out of the kitchen and into the hallway. She had her hand on the doorknob of her bedroom when she heard the knocking on her front door. It was a sharp knocking sound, done in calculated rhythm. Considering this was private land, there should have been no one around to knock in the first place, so Alia was left perplexed.
"Did you invite someone over, Tasha?" Alia asked, voice competing with running water for attention. Tasha turned around and raised an eyebrow.
"No… why?" Tasha turned off the water when Alia gestured for silence. The sharp knock came again, more rapid in rhythm than before. Tasha's hands crystalized, the moisture on her skin freezing and breaking free when she shook them. She grabbed her staff and entered the hallway, bringing the ice crystal crown of her staff to bear on the front door.
"Stay ready behind me," Alia murmured, approaching cautiously. The knocking grew even more frantic just before they reached the door. Alia's hands crackled with electricity as she reached for the latch and flung it open.
"So there is life in this decrepit hovel," remarked the source of the evening's disturbance. It was a middle-aged woman of almost surreal beauty, slender in build with fair skin and straight hair as red as smoldering coals. She was authoritatively dressed in an olive green blouse that ruffled at the wrists and waist, covered by a charcoal grey vest that matched her trousers. As far as Alia could tell, the woman was also head-butting six feet, though the imposing ferocity of those hazel eyes seemed to increase the distance between Alia and their stare. Behind her was a man in a dark blue double-breasted coat, mostly hidden by the night.
"As a matter of fact, yes. I live here," Alia snapped.
"Alia Sunsword, I presume." The woman's words were not a question, but more of an observational statement. Her Dragonspyrian accent lent a certain authority to her words.
"Yeah, and who the hell are-" Alia began as the woman lowered her head and forced her way into the house. Tasha retreated a few steps as she entered, staff still poised.
"Where is he?" The stranger glared at Tasha, briefly eyeing the staff with ill-hid contempt.
"Huh?" Tasha was caught off guard, then realized she likely meant Talon and moved herself between the woman and the hallway. The lady's eyes threw fire at the obstruction. "Oh, him. Right… I don't know who you are, can't let you-" Tasha was cut off when the woman grabbed her staff with both hands and twisted it, knocking Tasha in the nose. Stunned, the thaumaturge grabbed her face and leaned against the wall. Tossing aside the Pillar of Ice, the intruder headed for the door.
"Ah hellll no!" Alia snapped her fingers just as the woman wrapped hers around the bedroom doorknob and a jolt of electricity surged between them, amplified by the metal. When she retreated, shaking her hand in pain, Tasha froze her feet to the floor and crystallized the door.
The ginger snapped her head towards the twins, lip twitching. The door began to steam. "Your only warning; stay out of my way," she brought up her left hand and snapped her fingers. A stream of flame no larger than a pencil slithered towards the twins before combusting in a blast that shook the house and knocked the girls over, but had surprisingly little fire.
"Now darling that was hardly necessary!" The man admonished over the blast, likely unheard by anyone. When the room quieted and their ears stopped ringing, the woman was gone and the door was thawed.
"Raven's tail feathers, who are you people?!" Alia screamed, using her table to lift herself off the floor.
"I apologize on behalf of my wife," spoke the man in a thicker Dragonspyrian accent than the woman. He approached the door and stopping just short of the frame. The girls glanced his way; he was a square-built man of average height, shorter than the woman had been but cutting an imposing figure.
"She just tried to blow up my living room! Apology not accepted!"
"Nonsense, she was only stunning you with a minor concussive blast. Now, may we enter?"
"Blow up house first, ask permission later… Real classy," Alia cracked, electricity brimming over her pajamas. A soft white light orbited her waist; a tower shield Tasha cast on her, in case his propriety was a ruse. "No, you may not come in. In fact, I think you should leave. But first, I want to know who you are, and why you are here! Am I going to have to electrocute you for that information?"
"By the Dragon, I think not," the man chuckled, removing a black bowler cap to reveal short, neatly trimmed platinum blonde hair. His azure eyes smiled as he curtsied to Alia and Tasha in turn. "Proper introductions are in order. Viktor Skullstar, at your mercy. And you already met my wife, Anita Falmea Skullstar."
"Wait… Anita Falmea… did I just get attacked by Talon's mother?" Tasha clutched her nose again.
"Yes, unfortunately," Viktor replied, replacing his cap. "I promise you, she is not normally so bearish. We received the news over a week ago from Dalia, but were incapable of promptly responding as we were trapped in the conference for the writing of the new constitution of the Council of Dragonspyre. The conference is in recess now, so we came quick as could be done. May I enter your home now, or am I confined to the perimeter?" There was a tinge of annoyance in his voice.
"I guess you may as well come in. Keeping you out there with the door open is just letting in mosquitos," Alia sighed, letting her electricity dissipate. She had to concede defeat in this case; despite her behavior, that was Talon's mother. It seemed wrong to not let them see their son at all. Viktor closed the door behind him.
"Umm… would you like me to take your coat?" Tasha inquired, her upbringing making her an automatically polite hostess despite being assaulted by the guests. And despite it not being her house to host. "It must be terribly hot in this humidity."
"No, thank you," Viktor smiled, pulling back the collar of the coat to reveal a thin white inner layer. "Icicle inner coating. Keeps me fashionable in even the hottest weather," He smirked, and then approached the shell table in the center of the room, picking up a chair for himself.
"Should I… get tea I guess?" Tasha looked to Alia for permission, and her twin just shrugged and rolled her eyes.
"That would be lovely, yes," Viktor affirmed, so Tasha went off to the kitchen while Alia sat down across the table from Viktor, arms crossed. The Dragonsyprian wizard looked Alia over with an approving gaze. "I like you."
"Well doesn't that just make my day," Alia groaned. Viktor pointed a gloved finger at her.
"And that is why," he said. "You've got a foul-mouthed, strong willed attitude that reminds of my wife."
"Do not compare me to that woman," Alia snarled. Her eyes sparkled with disapproval while Viktor's glimmered with glee.
"Very well, miss," was all he replied before falling into silence. Neither of them spoke, and the silence between them grew until it seemed like a third person in a conversation that wasn't happening. This made Alia edgy but had no apparent effect on Viktor, who continued to smile amicably with his hands in his lap awaiting drinks.
Well, I think it is safe to assume most of Talon comes from his father, except the looks, Alia concluded. That friendly smile was almost unnervingly familiar.
"Ah, there's the lovely lady with tea," Viktor applauded when Tasha emerged from the kitchen, causing a flush to color her checks. She set down the tray in the center of the table and poured out into each cup. "Four sugars and a touch of milk, if you would be so kind," Viktor requested, and Tasha complied, handing the finished drink over to the man and prepping hers and Alia's.
"I think my son is quite fortunate to have friends like yourselves," Viktor commented after his first sip, prompting a raised eyebrow from Alia.
"Oh really?"
"Yes indeed," Viktor smiled and nodded towards the bedroom. "The way you fought to hold off my wife, giving it your best to defend my boy –without bringing the house down upon him- shows a care and bravery I appreciate from his friends."
"Thanks…" Tasha murmured, "didn't do a very good job though."
"'Tis the effort that counts, miss," Viktor assured her.
"Speaking of friends," Alia interrupted, narrowing her eyes at Viktor, "this whole incident was supposed to remain within our circle of friends. We wanted to keep this private, and we told Professor Falmea that. So why did she tell you all about this?"
"Because my sister can't keep secrets from me," Anita Falmea Skullstar declared from the hallway in a stern voice, her arms as cross as her attitude. When it came to family resemblance, Alia couldn't see it in their mannerisms. Professor Falmea was smooth talking, sultry and alluring; she reminded Alia of a candle flame. This woman's manner was a bonfire at a fraternity party by comparison. "Especially about my son. I will be taking him to Dragonspyre now, for proper medical care."
"Excuse me, but he is my patient," Alia shouted as she rose from her seat.
"And he is my son. Do not presume to know what is better for him," Anita warned her, approaching Alia and stopping just short of intruding the girl's personal space. "Now that I know of his condition, I cannot tolerate him being cared for in this…" her hazel eyes wandered the room with disdain "filthy, insect ridden shack." She glared at something in front of her face –besides Alia- and a mosquito ignited and plummeted to the floor in a stream of thin smoke. Alia followed its descent, suddenly wishing she could do that.
"And I especially cannot allow a woman of your reputation to harbor him in your home. Dragons only know what you might do with him."
"Anita, darling…" Viktor interrupted softly, rising from his chair and setting down his tea cup. "I recall us both agreeing not to take this too far. And impugning her honor is going a bit far."
"You know very well I could do much, much worse," Anita replied, eyes never leaving Alia's angered brown eyes, which had been locked in a glare since her last comment. "Calling out a harlot is meager." She stepped closer to Alia now, gazing down her nose at the student wizard. "Give me my son, or I will take him from you. I can take him to a proper healer."
"Alia, perhaps we should," Tasha started but stopped when Alia held a hand up at her twin. Not breaking eye contact, she slammed her hand on the crustacean table.
"Look here, Miss Inferno, I don't care that you're his mother. I don't care that you're the future Queen of Dragonspyre. I don't give a feather of the Raven that you're twice our age and half a foot taller than both of us." Alia stepped closer to Anita now, closing the distance to mere inches and stepping on her toes to reduce neck strain. "I was there for the defeat of Malistaire. I was instrumental in putting that master Necromancer in his grave. I am one of the reasons you still have a throne to become queen of. And your son was right beside me, and my sisters, the whole way. Where were you," She hissed through her teeth, but Anita didn't flinch. Alia dropped to her heels and took a step back.
"We, his close friends, decided to keep his condition secret from the school to preserve what little social dignity he'd had left. He has stayed with me because I am the best healer among us, except him. And as my patient, as my friend, I have been doing everything in my power to make him better!" She clenched her fists and they sparked.
"And if you want a real harlot, talk to the woman who did this to him!" Alia was shouting at her now, but Anita's sour expression remained steely. "Unlike my older sister, I actually have some morals when I chose my partners! How dare you accuse me of making a move on an injured man!"
"A harlot is a harlot. So long as he stays in your care, sooner or later you will seduce him with your charms and bring him to depravity," Anita scowled.
"That's it! I've had it with you!" Alia snapped, hurling a charged fist at Anita's face. She instead punched a wall of ice, and very hard. Viktor's face was sternly upset and his hand stretched across the table, ice crystals dancing in the air before him. Tasha was likewise posed.
"Mom!" A strained shout came from Alia's bedroom and Anita hurried over to answer. Alia cradled her aching fist and glared at the two wizards.
"Why did you stop me?" Alia snapped.
"For your own safety," Viktor answered. Tasha nodded.
"Trust me Alia, I get the feeling we're in over our heads here. She is well within her rights as his mother to take him from us."
"Don't side with that drake," Alia grumbled.
"I think we should depart now, Anita," Viktor commented. "It would seem we came at a bad time."
"Perhaps," Alia sharply interjected. Anita walked back into the entry room and frowned at the girls.
"For reasons I can only theorize, my son is content to stay in your slow, painful, pitiful care. For now, I will allow this to continue, but you will be seeing us again." Anita told them. She walked briskly to the door and motioned for Viktor to follow.
"It would help if your appearance, and the circumstance and environment of the meeting, were more cordial than this tropical getaway," Tasha stated to Viktor, and the aging man turned to face her. "I have a suitable place for us to meet and discuss Talon's situation. How about one week from now, at noon?"
Viktor regarded the young girl, and then her twin, with smiles, then looked at his wife. Anita crossed her arms and looked away.
"I agree a change of meeting place would serve us well, and a week's time may be manageable; we will have to arrange it with the Council committee schedule. We shall contact you nearer the time." Viktor held his hand out to Tasha and they shook on the agreement. "Now, I really ought to see my son before I depart. May I have a moment?"
"Fine…" Alia sighed, slumping into her chair. "Then get out of here, both of you."
Anita didn't hesitate to leave the shack promptly, not wanting to spend more time than necessary in their presence. After a few minutes, Viktor also said his goodbyes. When they were both gone, Alia groaned loudly and dropped her head on the table.
"You know, it's not so mysterious now, where Talon got his temper," Tasha commented as she grabbed the tea tray to return it to the kitchen.
"Yeah, but Professor Falmea had said his father was the raging one… not the mother," Alia responded into the table. "And he was bearable, I guess."
"Sorry about that," Talon told Tasha when he saw her through the open door. "My dad tries hard to be controlled, but mom has rarely needed to so… she's not very good at it."
"I could tell," Tasha smiled, "your mother is one intense woman, Talon."
As Anita and Viktor distanced themselves from Alia's shack and descended the plank ramp to the beach and the exit door, Viktor continued to send angered glances at his wife. In addition, the temperature of the air between them climbed with every step. Halfway down the beach Anita folded her arms and confronted Viktor.
"There a problem, dear?" The sweetness in her voice was a notable garnish on her simmering anger.
"As a matter of fact," stated Victor with weakening calm, pointing at the shack behind them, "I have a severe distaste towards your behavior in there. If I had displayed myself in such a manner I would be rewarded with two servings of my herbal infusions." Victor pointed at himself, then at his wife. "Dare I suggest you consider looking into them yourself for the duration of this endeavor?"
"You know very well what happens when I take those herbs," was Anita's displeased reply. Victor's face became animated with disgrace and disbelief.
"It is preferable to what I witnessed," he reposted, pointing again behind them. "I know the conditions are deplorable, I know they are merely students, and I know they are not the best stock for him to befriend, but they are his friends." His voice raised now as his arms spread wide. "Never in all my life have I had the good fortune of such friendship as what I witnessed in that hovel! Our son is blessed."
"Pfft, blessed…" snorted Anita.
"I approve of them!" Victor shouted and pointed at the ground. Perhaps unintentionally the water on the shore started to steam, and the sand around Victor started to reflect the moonlight with a glassy sheen. "And I swear upon the Dragon Titan's armies if you do not change your demeanor with them I will retaliate, and it won't be with thaumaturgy!" His blue eyes were glimmering with mystical energy, and for a brief moment they observed fear flickering over his wife's face. Anita sighed and held out her hands.
"Perhaps you're right, m'love," she admitted. "I may not have been as prepared to be civil as I thought after catching wind of this. The instincts of a mother overcame me, but I shall contain them next week. Please let us fight no more over this." Victor grimaced at her invitation, and then half smiled, and then eventually embraced her. Anita removed his hat and rested her cheek on his head, other hand entangled in his short hair. "No further foul behavior, from either of us."
"Agreed," her husband concurred, smiling softly in her arms. "We should depart for home now."