The sun illuminates the paved road as the noise of excitement and talking are buzzing in the air, people of different races, mostly human, was seen here and there.
The sun is soon to settle, yet the people of Neap are all already going home from their jobs or places. This crowded the streets of Neap, and as a father carries her daughter in his arms, Larry kept the pace so that Xian can rest peacefully.
Despite the buzzing street, Xian hasn't woke up yet. This made Larry think that his daughter is really tired from her journey.
Just rest for now, we'll be home soon.*
The city is big, but for a father with will to sent his daughter home, it felt like he only took a couple of minutes but actually took almost 30 minutes just to walk from the tall walls to the middle section of the city.
Southwest District
As he saw the sign, Larry turned right from the paved road. Greeted him is another huge but slightly smaller gate, though no walls intact, it sepwrated the neighboring districts and the main paved road.
After a real couple of minutes, Larry arrived at his destination. It was a slightly bigger house unlike the smaller houses in the Outermost Southwest District he just passed by probably 15 minutes ago where a much more crowd coming in.
The house is a two story building, walled with red and orange bricks. At it's front is a small space for a fence and a garden to be, floweres bloomed in the pots at the front where a door at it's center slightly wider than normal as it appears to be a double door.
Just like the deep brown wood materials used in the door, the single window on the left was made out of it too. As Larry went closer, a small compartment with a stick stood just beside the door, it was called a mailbox meant to store delivered mails for the household.
Using a brass iron key, Larry opened the brass door with a twist and went inside. He went straight to the bedroom at the 2nd floor and lay her daughter free on the red silk bed.
Looking at his daughter, Larry sighed. He took a step backwards before going out the room.
I hope she rested well...
...
"You will let that girl stay here?" Said by a woman infront of Larry, not coldly but with concern. She seems to be atleast 40 years old but despite that, she had a soft skin with no wrinkles in her face. Though soft, she had a slightly tanned skin tone coupled with her black hair, cascading until her breast that is slightly plump just like her curved body, her blue blouse adorned with yellow patterns proved that.
"She had nowhere to go Natalia... Atleast for now." Larry answered, his voice hinted a tint of concerned. Right now, Larry still had his silver armor suited on and the both are sitting in a sofa with a table between.
"I mean, with the news right now, can we trust that girl?" Asked Natalia. "She may be your daughter and Noire's half sister but..."
"Sigh... Enough Natalia, if our little Noire was like that too, you would do the same aren't you. And please, like her mother, Xian can be fully trusted on." Larry replied and continued. "And if it go down the worse, I can just give her a temporary room at the castle or some hotel out the center district."
Natalia was silent for a while. Larry massage his temples as he talked.
"I don't know what happened to Xen nor Xian right now, I'm still waiting for explanation frm her but... Looking at her state, she endured a lot, I even think Xen is not well right now, Worse is..."
Larry stopped right there, unable to continue. He turned around as a knock on the wall had broken the silence.
At the entrance of the living room from the hall stood a girl, old as Xian with a slightly similarities to Natalia.
"Noire..."
She was slightly smaller than her mother who appears to be atleast 185cm and her father who's height is atleast 200cm. Her short cut hair cascades until just her shoulder. She wore a blank face.
"She's awake..." She simply said, before going to the study room where she came from earlier.
Sigh, Larry stood up, glanced at Natalia who just nodded at him. He walked passed the hall and went to the 2nd floor. Just before the room, he knocked.
...
Xian was awake long before the two talked about her staying and with her enhanced senses, she can clearly heard all of their conversation.
"Come in." She said.
Larry opened the door and saw Xian sitting in the edge of the bed. Right now, she removed her cloak and sling bag onto the bed and her eyes still red from teary rest earlier.
Silent came to the room as Larry sat opposite of her using a wooden chair of the desk just below the window.
Xian was the first one to broke the silence.
"It has been another year, father." Xian forced a slight smile.
Her father didn't greeted her like she do, instead, went straight.
"What happened?"
Xian know the concern of her father thus she didn't blame him for not greeting back, she answered instead.
"Mother is dead..."
Xian continued, from the assailant who her mother took with her to the dead and the assailant who fled the scene, how she ended up to the village of Mornca towards the city of Neap with accompany of Joana and Federick.
Xian explained in details but kept the fact that she had the Mother's Embrace Artifact and her being in the 2nd stage, this is not due to her being afraid of the news leaking out but afraid that with her power now, her father would not take care of her.
Xian fully trusted her father, if its slightly lower that her trust to her mother, but she still trust him. This fact alone can be reason to tell him about the artifact and 2nd stage but Xian was afraid of another abandonment... She was just a child after all, immature in both mind and life.
Larry was silent, but the fist clinging into itself and blood dropping down the floor in specks and the mix of anger and frustration is shown in his face.
Xen... Is death?
My daughter almost died!?
Imperfect Demons!!??
Malicious thoughts flashed in his mind, mixing with the sadness and disappointment to himself.
There this state where a person on transcendence is on the edge of madness and losing control. They show a sign of agitation and frustration. They bodies emiting malicious and evil aura as their mind went blank.
That state is Larry is showing right now.
If it weren't for Xian's loud cry, Larry would become a monster right now.
His blurry vision returned and instantly saw her daughter swinging her shoulder back and forth, shouting and crying his name.
"Father!"
"Wake up father!"
Xian doesn't know why she acting like this, but due to instinct that her father was turning and losing control, she immediately shook the old man out in desperation.
"It's alright now Xian." Larry grabbed the girl arms, it might look refined but to him and the state of the girl, it looks frail and fragile. He grabbed the girl's shoulder and hug her tightly.
The head of the guardians, renowned for being the most powerful transcendence in Neap's Guardians, and a father for two, this old man cried along with her daughter for the very first time in decades.
...
The loud commotion alerted not only Natalia on the living room, but also her daughter Noire as they both climbed the stairs at the same time and was expecting a bad thing happened but to her surprise, Noire saw her father crying for the first time.
Larry wiped the tear in his eyes, though blurry, he can saw the mother and daughter at the door of the room, looking concerned.
At the same time, Xian also wiped her eyes and saw the two person standing in the door, they both look beautiful but not comparable to her cherished mother.
There this case where a transcendence can gain a enhancement in their body, not through physical stats, but their looks. This made them look young despite being old and that is the case for Xen and Larry.
Larry stood up, to his side is Xian.
Seing the two woman at the door, Xian unintentionally glanced at her father.
"Xian, this is my family." Larry with slightly blurry eyes, pointed at the two. "Natalia my wife and... Noire, my daughter."
Xian turned to them again, she was out of blue. Being raised in solidarity, except the rude and experimental introduction of her towards the twin Joana and Federick, and a cold and rude personality againts the people at the village of Mornca, this is the first time she met someone she doesn't know and was unprepared to met them.
"Oh... Uhh... Umm..."
"Xia-"
She was unable to finish as she bit her tongue.