"Aleeeeex," Louie said telepathically, his voice filled my head, "these sausages are soooooo delicious. You really have to come try them."
"I will," I replied mentally. "A bit later, buddy."
"Hey, Alex," a female voice said behind me and I felt a tap on my left shoulder.
I turned around to see Leo's younger sister, Marina, wearing a long teal dress that complimented her waist-length silvery hair and green eyes, and a large staff on her back.
Name: Marina DiFiore
Race: Elf/Human
Class: Elemental Conjurer
Level: 21
"Oh, wow, Marina. You've really grown up," I said, surprised she had already surpassed Leo's level and upgraded her class.
"Alex, I'm only half your age. No wait, you're thirty-five right? I'm less than half your age," she said, sounding a bit offended.
I rushed to backtrack what I had said. "No, I mean, because Leo said that you had a mage class like his and now your level's higher than his, and your class--"
"I'm just messing with you," she said and punched my shoulder. "It's so nice to see you and Louie here though. I mean, in the Apocosmos."
"Well, we didn't really have a say in it," I admitted.
"So I heard," she agreed. "So you've got an S-grade artifact? Can I see it?"
"Hey!" I said, surprised, then spoke in a conspiratorial tone. "Does everyone know?"
"Well, the guild knows," she replied, "so yes, everyone here knows. But you don't need to worry. Your secret's safe with us. Now, can I see it?"
"No, you can't," Leo's voice said from behind her, and he pulled her back.
"Owww-a," she said, mocking being in pain. "You know, you can't bully me anymore. I can summon a flame elemental in your robes and roast your ass."
"Whatever," Leo said, stepping in front of her.
"Exactly. Anyway, I'd better go now," she said, and winked at Rory and me. "I don't want to be seen with low-levels too much, you know."
"Ugh, can you believe her?" Leo said as soon as she left. "She's been acting like that ever since she completed her class-upgrade quest."
"Well, ye should hurry up and do the same then," Rory replied.
"I guess I should," he muttered. "Yelena is making new friends by the way. She's getting along great with my uncle."
"Ye think she's gonna be okay, half-Celt?" Rory asked.
"I wish I could say yes," I replied honestly. "She's acting like she's fine, but I guess that's not a good sign given how recently everything happened. We'll just have to stick around and see, won't we?"
"You've changed, man," Leo said, bringing up his hands in a defensive stance when I turned looked at him. "And I mean that in the best way possible."
"I know," I said. Then I tapped Rory's shoulder, trying to change the subject. "Is the whiskey here up to your standards, old man?"
"He's right, ye know," Rory agreed, completely ignoring my question. "And Louie feels it too. That's why he finally started looking into things he wants to do."
"You mean his plan to save all stray dogs?" I asked.
"His what now?" Leo said, surprised.
"Ah, right, you don't know about that. He has this whole plan to--" I began explaining, but was interrupted by the loud tapping of metal on the marble floor.
"Later. Father's here," Leo said hastily, his demeanor shifting immediately. He no longer looked like the confident man that had greeted us when we arrived, but rather like a fish out of water. "Come, come. Let's move toward the stairs," he said, tugging my elbow.
I waved briefly at Rory who was enjoying his drink and followed Leo toward the center of the large room. In front of us, a wide staircase rose up a dozen steps before reaching an empty seat. The music had now stopped and everyone had stopped talking, having turned their eyes toward the minimal ivory throne. Then a couple people came out of an opening to the left of it.
Leo's parents.
His mother was wearing a silk gown that seemed to shift colors as she moved and completely covered her legs and feet, making it seem like she was floating. Her long black hair was moving as if it had a mind of its own, almost defying gravity as she walked down the stairs.
Name: Isabella DiFiore
Race: Ita Elf
Class: Ranger of Lupa
Level: ??
She approached us, and briefly stopped next to Leo to caress his cheek.
"Hello, boys." Her voice sounded nothing like the woman I'd met before I became part of the Apocosmos. "I'll go fetch your dwarf friend."
Even those two simple words carried a certain gravity in them. She was powerful, and I couldn't believe I hadn't noticed something like this about her before.
She continued behind us and finally I looked to Leo's father, who had now taken his place on the throne. His attire was very similar to that of most of the older men in the hall--a black tuxedo with a black shirt and a blue pin in the shape of a gladius on the right lapel. His hair was almost as long as mine, twisted up in a bun on the back of his head, while his dark mustache and beard were impeccably trimmed. Never had I seen a man his age, or at least a man that looked like he was in his fifties, look sharper than him.
Name: Gianni DiFiore
Race: Human
Class: Keeper of Romulus
Level: ??
I really needed to do some research on their classes. Both of Leonardo's parents carried a certain aura of power around them but I had no idea what they were able to do, other than that they weren't spellcasters. Another thundering tap of metal on marble was heard and I realized it came from one of the guards at the side of the room hitting her halberd on the floor.
Right on time, Rory appeared behind us and I nodded at him, not daring to break the silence. A couple of seconds later, a long line of people--all of whose levels I couldn't
