Regardless of how bad he wanted to continue to the next fragment, Ethiel chose to rest for the day — Lord Veer was very convincing, and it only made sense to not overwork to only break altogether at once; rest was needed, especially since he and Tifa were new to risky voyages.
They found a well camouflaged spot in the desert to open the mirror portal and go back to Alice’s "haunted" hideout back in Earth.
All worn out and completely drowned in fatigue, they first freshened up. After, it was time to confront and calm the angry beasts in their empty stomachs. The cook was none other than Lord Veer himself and his assistants were Tifa and Maya. When the cooking was finished, they all sat in a room and tended to their hunger.
The smoking aroma let itself drift freely about and it was mouth-watering. More impressive than the aroma was the taste — it was just ecstasy. That was the first time Ethiel and Tifa got to eat food cooked by Lord Veer himself. Never did they think that his cooking were as incredible and pleasant too. He literally had magic in his hands. The non-veg dishes were done by Maya though since Lord Veer was a vegetarian.
For the first ten minutes or so, there was no talking, just the sound of food being chewed and scarfed down, soup and drinks getting sipped and slurped, and the clanking of spoon and forks on platters — everyone was that hungry.
Then at last, Red Wings' tongue slipped and buried secrets made their way out of the grave dug by egoistic pride.
"This is the best thing about Veer, aside from everything else." His eyes became round and his face became embarrassed immediately after those words sneaked out of his mouth. He choked on his food. "I mean — everything else — it's just unpleasant!"
"Sure," Tifa grinned at him with a mouthful. "I believe your lies, don't worry!"
"I am not lying!"
"Satiated hungry stomach," Lord Veer amusingly took a graceful bite of banana, "You have no idea of its effects."
"Despite being a meat lover, you are eating King Veer’s dishes more than mine!" Maya pointed her finger at Red Wings, a mocking smile spread across her face.
"Well blame your bad cooking!" Red Wings started making unreal lies.
"Give me back my dishes right away then!" She held out her palm in demand.
"I have my needs!" Red Wings pulled his meat plates closer swiftly with his wings. "And you all just made me exceedingly tired today! Now let me eat!"
"Sure my cuddly birdie! Let him eat everyone." Tifa laughed.
"Really though," Ethiel swallowed his morsel, "this food is unrivaled! This beats all other food! Even those fancy restaurant food! You're amazing Lord Veer! Hungry stomach and this exhaustion makes it even tastier, oh God!"
That food is exactly what they needed after everything they went through that day; it was nourishing and refreshing.
For almost an hour and more, they ate joyfully until drowsiness finally weighed over them.
In that big mansion, there were only two bedrooms — or at least those were the only ones that remained as bedroom since others had been turned into rooms for research and the sort by Alice — one in the ground floor and another in the top floor. The one in the ground floor had a King sized bed and Tifa fell in love with it. She shared it with Maya. Naturally, the other one with two separate beds became Lord Veer and Ethiel’s room — Red Wings decided to sleep on the comfy sofa by the long window of the room in an attempt to escape from Tifa.
The beds were very fine and everyone slipped smoothly into sleep. Sweet was the slumber after savouring so satisfying a splendid supper.
But for Ethiel, that didn't last long...
Blackness surrounded him. Whispers without clarity echoed dimly. Slowly, they became the voice of his mother. The whispers were moments from the past.
"Mom?!" Ethiel called out, only to realise he couldn't hear himself.
His fears started shaping the words that followed and their tone wasn't pleasant anymore. The whispers became dreadful and called out to him, asking him for help. Suddenly, they sounded like Tifa too.
"Tifa?!" He got more nervous. "Where are you?!" His voice was still inaudible.
The dread in the whispers became heavier until the whispers exploded into excruciating screams.
"Oh no! What's happening?!"
Explosions, thunders, growls, spine-chilling wails, and all nerve-shredding sounds backed the screaming. From the centre of all those distressing noise rose an atrocious laughter becoming ferociously and eerily ear-splitting. The blackness became heavy and weighed over him. He felt himself getting pressured.
Ethiel associated the laughter and pressure to Rak Sharas.
"You!" His body tensed up. The pressure increased and became unbearable.
His eyes opened wide and he sat up on his bed shivering and shaking. He was angry and scared — so scared that he couldn't even scream.
Red Wings' nasty snoring snapped him out of the fear that had gripped him.
It was a relief to know it was a dream.
Outside, it had started to rain. Beads of drops formed on the window with the beating rain and dripped down as soon. The unsteady static of the rain sounded comforting, it was way better than the tortuous screams.
He turned to his side. Lord Veer was sleeping soundly. Looking at his face, he felt a weight lift off of him.
Immediately he got off the bed and silently rushed down to Tifa’s room. Softly, he opened the door and peeked at her. She was sleeping like an angel. The moonlight streaming on her face made her look all the more adorable. There was a sad smile on her face.
Ethiel sighed, wiping the tears that sprung up his eyes. Slowly, without making any noise, he shut the door.
The night felt dark and cold like the nightmares shuddering his heart. Sleep was no longer an option. To at least get some warmth, he went to the hearth room.
Sitting alone in the big room by the warm fire was comforting, but he still felt cold inside. He found his own self in the dimly dwindling flames whose embers flicked away till there was nothing left but ashes that grew colder, ultimately fading into thin air. Even life seemed to be taking away parts of him without which he felt incomplete, and he felt that it wasn't done stealing. He feared of losing what he had. After all, as he had said back in the Cave of Truth, life wasn't all sugar and sunshine.
The skies were trembling with thunder and the rain ferociously pelted the windows, but strangely, it still felt quiet.
"Trouble sleeping?"
Maya’s voice startled him.
"I thought you were asleep with Tifa?"
"I was," she came and sat by him. "Until someone opened the door 'thinking' they were being stealthy."
"I'm sorry." Ethiel drooped and held his forehead.
"It is alright, but are you alright?"
"Bad dreams."
"I'm all ears if you want." She wiggled her bat ears and leaned closer to him.
"I—" it was hard for him to even speak of it, but he didn't want to choke from bottling it up either. "I — I... feel like... mom is calling me... and that I need to save her. But... I am afraid... of losing what I have... That's what the spirit of the cave said too... Today, Tifa was... she could've been..." He clicked his tongue and looked away.
"Everyone are safe... Do not worry, Ethiel..." Maya patted his shoulder.
"Still. Am I being a good brother? I feel so... self—"
"You know that is not true. You are a very good brother."
"I don't know, Maya. And at times, I don't know if I got what it takes to protect anyone. Right now, I don't even know if I can finish this quest... And at the centre of all this fear... the greatest fear... to make things so much more difficult... worse... frightening... Rak Sharas..."
"We will do it together. Rak Sharas will fall! And despite all these odds, I don't doubt you at all."
"Thanks..." He smiled dully at her. "I just wish I could believe you."
"You will. It doesn't always have to be now."
"You know, all this, it reminds me of my talks with mom. She'd always know what to tell me how to comfort me. And when nightmares troubled me, she'd sing me to a blissful sleep. I wish I could hear her sing right now."
"Oh I may have just the thing!" Maya snapped her fingers. "Sorry, I forgot to show you this before. I always keep it with me."
From her skirt's pocket, she pulled out a small iridescent crystal that was ocean green and blue.
"These are called Hymn Stones. Anigmans use it to capture beautiful melodies so that they can hear it later whenever they want, and wherever they are. Ms. Alice sung me a beautiful song in this. Would you like to—"
"How to use it?" He shifted in his seat and got closer to her, curious eyes mesmerised on the Hymn Stone.
"That is easy," she put the crystal in his hand. "Now wish to hear it, and it shall begin."
Ethiel remembered his mother’s songs, those nightingale melodies.
The crystal started to sparkle and floated up.
"Huh?"
"Now listen — and watch—" Maya’s eyes twinkled with excitement.
A beautiful piano started to play and musical shapes popped gracefully out of the crystal, hopping about to its rising and falling tones. A mesmerising flute followed and strings of glowing musical notes reeled out of the crystal, dancing like languid flames. Finally, Alice’s voice started and a cloud of iridescent star dust burst out of the crystal; it separated and scattered throughout, morning dazzlingly in sync with the pitch of Alice’s singing.
The song... it was the one she used to sing to him a lot.
"It feels like... she is rights her...This is so beautiful... Thanks, Maya..."
"You're welcome." She smiled, her face softly lit by the iridescence that hung over the room.
The song, the colourful and enchanting magic around, the warmth of the hearth in the cold rainy night, the soft sofa, and the beautiful company of Maya; Ethiel never knew when his fears left and when he sank into the comfortable cushion of sleep.