Arad looked at Amber, “You’re doing well, considering everything. You didn’t get smaller when the door closed on your wings.”

“I can barely hold this magic, and it takes a toll on my mana reserve.” She took a step forward. CRACK! She rammed her small toe on the table edge.

“GAA!” She cried, her body disappearing in a puff of smoke and fire. A tiny, palm-sized fairy emerged.

Arad approached her, “Are you okay?”

“I might have broken something,” Amber cried, curling into fist fist-sized ball.

“You’re fine,” Zephyr looked at her, “That body is more durable than you think, but you still feel the pain.” She flew from where she sat to Amber’s side, patting her back.

“Should I get you to Lydia for healing?” Arad looked at them.

“No, I’ll be fine.” She transformed and waved her hand, Enlarge

Puff! With a puff, she got back to a humanoid size.

“Why don’t just stay in your fairy form? It’s convenient,” Zephyr looked at her.

“No way I’m letting people see me like that,” Amber gasped.

“Would it matter?” Zephyr sighed, “You’re a fire elemental now, and that is merely a vessel. So you won’t burn everything around you.”

“I’m a human,”

“You were,” Zephyr mumbled.

KNOCK! KNOCK! “Arad!” Tina called, “Someone is looking for you. He says why don’t you come drink with them,”

“Who’s he? Did he leave a name?”

“He said his name is Charlie,” Tina replied, “Been mumbling about himself being a prince, but that doesn’t seem the case. He has no guards.”

“Wait?” Isdis who was in the back in her underwear trying to decide between two dresses gasped, “What’s he’s doing here? Did father already arrive?”

“I’ll go look,” Arad approached the door, “The black one looks better on you, and it matches with your dark wood tool.”

“It’s called a violin,”

“Well, it matches,” Arad opened the door and left.

Isdis looked at the dresses, “And I was about to go with the white one for some contrast,” She threw the white back on the bed and started wearing the black one.

Aella giggled, “You’re the one who spent an hour looking at them,”

****

Arad walked through the hallway and found Tina, “Where is he?”

“I kept him standing outside,” She replied, “No prince comes like that,”

“I thought I asked Aella to buy you a few dresses?”

“I went with her and chose some,” Tina replied, “But for now, I’m working as a maid.”

“Nobles are coming from everywhere to the party. If any one of them annoyed you, tell me, and I’ll throw them across the mountains,”

Tina smiled, “I’m sure you would,” She looked back at his face. He wasn’t joking about throwing them across the mountain part. He’ll do it.

“Don’t throw them, they’ll die.”

CLICK! She opened the door.

“Arad, it’s been a while.” Charlie waved his hand, standing alone outside with a smile on his face. “It’s a bit cold out here, won’t you say?”

“What brought you here?” Arad sighed, “You should be arriving a few hours later,”

“Wait? He’s the prince?” Tina gasped in the back.

“Surprise, I told you that. Nobody would’ve guessed.” He looked at her from Arad’s side.

“So?” Arad looked at him, “Come inside. The party didn’t start yet, but you could sit and wait.” .

“As much as I would love a toasty seat and something warm to drink to fill my freezing throat and heat my rear.” He looked back at his horse, “Our carriage broke a few kilometers before we could reach your land. Father and Mom are stuck there with the guards,”

“And you came to call for help?” Arad looked at him, “Was it a broken wheel?”

“It was a majestic feathery blessing that came from the skies, giving the horses a chance to see the heavens’ beautiful gates.” He looked at Arad with a passive, emotionless face, “A griffon snatched the horses, and the impact shattered a large part of the wheels. Only one horse survived, and that’s the one I came on.”

“Wait!” Arad gasped, “It was a griffon attack? You should’ve said that earlier!”?Arad rushed out, flying into the sky as he transformed.

“What a majestic beast,” Charlie stared at him, “Would he know where they are without me?”

“He can follow their smell. He should’ve picked some on you,” Tina said, moving out of the door, “Prince Charlie, please get inside and rest with the early guests.”

“Thank you, beautiful maid of the dragon,” He bowed, stepping inside. “Where is the guest room?”

“To left,” Tina walked forward and stood at the door, opening it for him, “This is it. Please take a seat and rest. Master Arad would make sure your parents arrive safely.”

With a happy face, Charlie walked into the room, feeling his blood instantly drying up.

“You bastard! You’re cheating!” Gojo growled.

“Ho! Ho! Ho!” Cain laughed, combing his beard, “You’re naive, young one.”

Kayden growled at the side, looking at the cards in his hand. “The damnable luck,”

“How foolish,” The wind devil put a card on the table. “I’m taking this win,”

“I’m really not good at this,” Grey smiled, scratching the stitches on his face. “What do you say,”

“Hmmmm!” Jack squinted his eyes, sweating, “I might lose this one.”

“What are the rules again?” Kinryuu whispered to Cain, “I never played this before.”

“This wine,” Grant took a sip, his bald head reflecting the light from the ceiling, “It’s dwarven fire wine.”

“It’s my win!” Abel smacked his hand down, “Look at this! You can’t top it,”

Tap! Cain put his hand down, “A royal flash, I win,”

CLING! Kayden pulled his sword, pointing it at Cain’s neck, “You’re cheating,”

“It’s not cheating if I don’t get caught.”

“I caught you,”

****

Charlie looked at them, shaking in place. ^What’s this? Why is it so chaotic, and is that Kayden, the strongest of the world powers? What is he doing here?^

They all went silent, staring at Charlie.

“Toothpick, who are you?” Kayden stared at him. “You looked at me, didn’t you?”

“Sorry, I was just surprised to see someone pull their weapon here.” He replied, shaking in place.

Kayden looked at his hand, “Sorry, my bad,” He sheathed the blade, but instead clenched a fist full of demonic power, “I’m going to smack him with this.”

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