A World With/Out Home

Chapter 23: A new adventure. (Part 1)

"You weren't sleeping," Lillia began lightly, "well at least you weren't yesterday."

"I'm confused," Kyle openly admitted his state of mind and crossed his arms.

"You might want to sit down first."

"Okay...."

And so Kyle had the events of the previous day explained to him. The strange thing was a part from the initial surprise nothing else shocked him. Although his memory of the day was gone, his body remembered. Hearing it he even smiled.

"Thank you Lillia," he gently took her hand and squeezed it. "It must have been a bit awkward but thank you for looking after her."

"I just did my best," Lillia herself felt a guilty twinge as many of the points in her story had been glossed over.

Maila however frowned, "You really can't remember anything?"

"Not really," Kyle paused trying to conjure up the memories but failed. "For some reason though when I look at you I feel really relieved."

"At me?" Maila asked to confirm.

"Yeah, it's strange."

Lillia pouted, "How about me?"

"Ah... well... like I usually do," Kyle averted his eyes at the sudden intensity of her gaze. Seeing her expression linger he amended his words, "In a good way, maybe even more than usual."

The purple haired girl finally smiled triumphantly, "Good. Keep that up."

"You two stop flirting. This is serious," Maila folded her arms and frowned. "Whoever possessed Kyle knew more about the past than even the Church Council might and that's problematic."

"Only if they know that right?" Lillia looked at her suggestively. "The only other person who knows is Valandus and maybe the Captain."

"You do understand that ultimately I work for the Church don't you?" she sighed and pressed her hand against her forehead.

"About that... Maila you never did tell me what Estile was talking about when she met you."

The older women opened her mouth to speak but hesitated, "That's... that's something that you don't need to know right now."

"And why not? We've told you everything on our end," Lillia huffed.

"It's not just for me to say."

"Don't you trust us?"

"Of course I do but-."

Before she could finish Kyle let out the words unable to stop himself, "You're a half elf." The hints aligned themselves all at once and with Estile's final remark, there was only few reasons why she'd act like that. "And you're not just any half elf... you're related to Callus."

Maila's entire body tensed. Between Lillia's confused wide eyes and Kyle's gentle gaze she finally calmed herself, "Yes... I am."

"What?" Lillia spat. "But elves aren't real."

"They used to be," Kyle corrected her. "But then the fog came and all the races aside from humanity became what we call demons now." A drawn out tension escaped into the room.

"You know more than I thought. Probably more than I do." Maila sighed, "This is why I'm hesitant to take in other caretakers."

Kyle shrugged, "It explains why you look so young and yet you've been caretaker for so long. Are there others like you?"

"Yes... but not many. There's a reason I don't leave the Garden and similarly you'd never see us outside the Temple."

"Hold it!" Lillia cut in loudly. "I'm so confused right now. What is an elf actually, who is Callus, and does this actually matter?"

"Elves were one of the races aside from humans most commonly noted by their long pointed ears, generally slender figures and long lives," she brushed back her hair to reveal a slight point to her ears. "I'm only a quarter so my ears are quite normal but the others are more distinct. As for Callus, he was my great grandfather and lived back in the time before the fog. Does this actually matter? No." Maila hardened her eyes to make the point, "That was in the past and now we're just quiet remnants. What's more important is what's happening to Kyle."

"Why does it feel like I just got scolded?" Lillia quietened and turned to look at the boy opposite her. "So?"

Before he could speak however the patter of feet rustled down the stairs followed by several hungry expressions.

"What's for breakfast!?" Himila enquired loudly as she led the other children into the room. She sniffed the air, "Hmmm? I don't smell anything."

Kyle stood up, "Ah sorry I haven't started yet. Today we'll have bread and cereal. I'll make it up at lunch."

"Mr Kyle!" it was only a few seconds before he was swarmed by several of the children. Their colourful hair bobbed up and down around him. While the older ones kept some distance the younger ones didn't hold back on their tugging. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yes much better," he smiled. "Now who can help set the table?"

A flurry of replies came and with it most the children dispersed but the youngest continued to cling to him. It was only till Kara and Mitsu pulled them away did they let go.

In a quiet voice he turned back to Maila and Lillia, "For now I'd just like to let things continue normally. I owe it to the children after all." With the incursion and the Hero's Guard he had been bouncing around a lot but when it came to it, his job was to be their caretaker. "Don't worry I am thinking about it... and there are some things I'll need to do soon enough but first let's have breakfast."

"Okay," Maila stood from her seat and brushed down her apron. "I'll keep things secret for now but that can't be forever."

"Thank you." His eyes wondered the dining room and kitchen as the children moved about energetically. A lot had happened, but in the end things weren't bad.