Chapter 32: Scary Voice

Late afternoon. The family consisted of Zax’s parents, grandparents and sisters put aside all unrelated business they had and were idly enjoying each other company in the farm until their beloved son, grandson and brother would return.

“Mm...” Liz mused with a smile while putting her elbows on the picnic table and holding her cheeks up.

“What is it, sweetheart? Do you want me to cut you into squares another watermelon?” Noticing the youngest of her grandchildren daydreaming blissfully, Grandma Shi Oh tried to bribe her into telling her, as she eats, what is on her mind.

“No, grandma”. Liz shook her head and straightened up. “Mom, I want to go to school tomorrow!”

“Eh?” Both Laylen and Marco, who were walking, sometimes just standing and mostly viewing the visage of the farm, were surprising upon hearing Liz yelling and the content of her words. A second later they understood why the sudden exaltation and nodded happily.

“I’ll help you prepare you bag when we get home”. Laylen said. She was far more excited than Marco as it first came to her mind that she rather have her youngest daughter go to school than journey with her big sister to the beasts’ territory. Before she will go to sleep tonight and tomorrow morning, though, she will have to remind her once more to keep the fact that Zax is alive a secret.

WHOOSH!

A figure dashed from within grandpa Ger’s and grandma Ney’s house. Zetsa stood on the lawn with a frown on her face. “This basted spied after her, again!” She muttered angrily.

“Big sis”, Liz jumped from her seat. “Tomorrow I-”

“Mom, dad, grandma, get inside with Liz”.

Marco, Laylen and grandma Shi Oh confusedly stared at Zetsa as they slowly registered her words, actions and countenance.

“Enter the house”. Marco came back to his senses. He pulled Laylen after him and together they helped grandma Shi Oh and Liz to follow them in without delaying.

Short minutes after the door to the house was closed and Zetsa remained the only one outside, a long, golden vehicle, accompanied by another, black, larger vehicle, drove to the farm and parked at its front.

The backdoor of the golden vehicle opened and a gorgeous man who looked just as old or young as Zetsa exited the vehicle, while the driver along with whoever was in the black vehicle stayed put.

“Why are you here, Grent?” Zetsa stared at him like a predator leering at another predator who invaded its territory.

CLACK!

Grent shut the vehicle’s door. His eyes surveyed the surrounding as if searching for something, before landing on Zetsa. “Beastwoman”. He whispered in a voice only he could hear. “You know why I’m here”. He was not about to play around.

The first and last time he took the woman in front of him for granted, he came to learn that though both of them are second level Core Masters, when her cultivated physic is added to the mix even an Intermediate third level Core Master will find it difficult to suppress her. Fortunately, for this trip he managed to prepare in advance support, at least as escorts riding in the black vehicle, in the form of two figures from the family that together can give a headache to any Intermediate third level Core Master who confronts them.

“Oh, I do indeed know. But you know what, this time it’s only a secondary issue”. Hints of blazing and freezing mist energy oozing from Zetsa’ body revealed the hastiness in which the exchange of few words could escalate to a fight. “You actually dared to bring your goons to my family’s property!” There were not Soul Sense obstructing formation on the black vehicle and she obviously did not miss the chance of observing who is behind the blackened windows.

Grent creased his brows. He was not a mere scion of a high class family, nor a graduate of just top Martial school. To his name was one of the great families of Shitou and his Mor was a reputable teacher of none other than Crescent Arms, one of the three best Martial schools in Kingdom Earth. Nevertheless, his family, great as it was, and is Mor, lofty and mighty as she was, all warned him of the power behind Zetsa, a younger woman than him who never enrolled to school other than pre Core one, and her family, save from her deceased freakish brother, was the most common a middle class could be.

Detecting the discreet sign they instructed Grent to use only at the chance that a battle might occur, the black vehicle’s backdoors opened and from each side of it came out the two figures.

They both appeared as middle aged man and woman. The black haired, brown skinned man wore a red robe while the tallest, blond haired, brown skinned woman wore an everyday jeans and tight sleeveless shirt.

“How long is it going to be, Grent. I told you that I have plans for today and your uncle also wants to return to his meditation”. The blond, tall woman feigned an irritate demeanor and excuse for her and the black haired man to exit the vehicle.

“Forgive me, aunty Navida. Soon I’ll be told what I want and we’ll be on our way”. Grent said apologetically and turned to Zetsa, less amiable. “You misunderstood. These are my uncle and aunt. Both are great expert of my family and I simply wanted to introduce them to Anet. If either of them see what I see in her agree to receive her as a Tal it would be far better fortune for her than staying the Tal of Eden Formation’s school principal”. His expression turned somber. “But that’s none of your business, and though I’m reluctant to drag this to a fight like before, I don’t mind telling you to your face, if you stand in my way, I’ll go through you”.

Zetsa’s aura intensified, the roots of her hair rising, turning fiery as her breath turned cold.

Her feud with Grent was not due to him pursuing her brother’s girlfriend, no. At the time she thought Zax is dead, though she never spoke of it with her, in her heart she hoped that Anet will not sink in the depression, even if it means forgetting Zax and finding new love. In this context, her problem with Grent also was not the sincerity of his feelings toward Anet, since they were apparent in his eyes and voice when he spoke her name and how he patiently responded to each of her refusals.

Her deal with Grent was his constant attempts to not just draw, but distant Anet from her family, as if they were the obstacle preventing him from reaching her heart. Moreover, she always detected a trace of contempt from him, which she somewhat was under the impression that its cause in Grent’s mind was the idea of them not worthy for someone with high standing and future such as Anet.

Perhaps his behavior was simply him being overprotective; perhaps it was his upbringing, in the end it did not matter. She was fine with her parents persuading Anet to visit them less often, if it pains her, but it was whole other matter handing her to this prick.

“Young lady, please restrain your aura. We didn’t come here to create a scene. Our nephew invited us to see the woman who captured his heart. That is all”. Grent’s black haired uncle stepped forward, by his side Navida. He spoke of self control but seemed both capable and ready for the worse.

“Zetsa, answer me that and we’ll leave”. Avoiding a seethed conflict was still the best choice and so Grent attempted to mitigate. “Was Anet here? Was it you or someone else in your family that made her halt her training session and come here?” He figured that Anet was not present because he did not see her Sun K-RV2 and he assumed that they might be the cause of her coming to cave twenty five since his intel indicated that she has not left the cave or added to her parents’ home.