Clan Hitam

The inside of the manor was more familiar to Sana than the city. The decorations were equally elaborate, but instead of wood, most statues and furniture were made of white stone.

They were shown to their rooms inside the tower-like building, their windows looking over the city. Their packs were delivered to their rooms and they were shown the bathing room.

After so long on the road, Sana felt extremely refreshed and finally took a bath again. They cleaned up and put on new, nicer clothes her mother made her pack for exactly this reason.

When they were finished cleaning up they were led into a large dining hall. A big stone table was set in the middle of the room, set with plates, bowls and cutlery.

City Lord Hitam was sitting at the head of the table opposite the entrance, "Come in," she said, standing up, "Sit," she said, gesturing to her right.

Two other people were in attendance, standing to her left. The one closest to her was a tall, bearded, muscular man in white-silvery armor. He looked about the same age as her father, and she could see the family resemblance to the other two people in the room.

The other person stood next to him, grinning at her mother with a face-splitting smile. He looked even younger than her mother, but was completely bald. When Sana got closer she could see he even had his eyebrows shaved off. He was wearing a finely tailored robe made of silk, like the dresses Aria and Sana were wearing. But while the dresses were a light blue with darker accents, his robe was a dizzying mix of greens, yellows and reds in swirling chaotic patterns.

Her mother led her to the seats to the right of City Lord Hitam. City Lord Hitam sat down first, allowing the others to take their seats. Her mother sat across from the larger man while she sat across from the weird-looking one.

"Lady Aria, Lady Sana," City Lord Hitam began, "let me introduce you to my sons, Acram," she said gesturing to the bigger man, "and Radus" she said pointing to the other, " with whom you should already be acquainted with, Lady Aria."

"What a joyous time it is for you to visit me, Aria!" Radus exclaimed, half leaping out of his chair. His deep, black eyes turned to Sana, and he tilted his head, curious, before he broke into a smile again, "And this must be your and Andrus's daughter." He leaned in her direction and asked, "How would you like me to paint you? This dinner is a waste of time anyway. Come, no time to-"

"Radus!" Acram exclaimed. He put a hand on his shoulder and pushed him back in his seat. He glared at him but Radus simply smiled up at him in return. Acram turned to Sana and apologized for his brother's behavior before sitting down again.

He addressed her mother, "Lady Aria, it is a pleasure to be able to meet you. I must say, I have deeply admired you and your husband since hearing of your return. Surviving in the Twilight Lands for so long is truly inspiring."

"Thank you, Lord Acram." her mother responded. Their superficial conversation continued even when the dinner was being served. City Lord Hitam interjected occasionally but stayed mostly silent through the meal.

Sana tried to pay attention but was distracted by Radus grinning at her from across the table. He was staring at her face intensely as if trying to brand it into his mind. When her mother noticed this, she glared at him. He simply stared back until he eventually closed his eyes and sat back in his seat.

After the meal was finished, Acram turned to Sana and started talking, "Lady Sana, I heard you started training in Martial Arts yourself. What do you think about it so far?"

Sana thought a bit and answered, "It has been very exciting so far. The meditation was difficult at first, and I still have problems controlling the Primal Qi in my body, but the sparring is very enjoyable."

Sana saw the eyes of Acram and City Lord Hitam widen, and Acram couldn't help but ask, "How old are you exactly? And when did you start your training?" "I'm ten, almost eleven now. I started training about two months ago." Sana's answers seemed to stun both of them, and only her mother's chuckle shook them out of it. "Yes, my husband and I are very proud of Sana." Her mother said, gazing softly at her.

Acram laughed loudly and said, "Just two months of training and already almost a Martial Squire. Truly worthy of being the child of two Martial Kings." Throughout the whole exchange, Radus was still sitting back in his chair with his eyes closed, seeming to relax.

"I would be honored to spar with you sometime during your visit, Lady Aria," Acram said, turning to her mother with a smile. She smiled back and answered, "I would be delighted. How about the day after tomorrow? I want to settle in with my daughter first." "Of course, I look forward to it." he accepted.

Suddenly, Radus opened his eyes and leaned over the table, staring intensely at Aria. "How about you visit me with little Sana then? I want to show you my newest works," he fired rapidly.

Her mother closed her eyes briefly and exhaled. Then she turned to him and said, surprisingly for Sana, "Very well, despite your eccentricities it is good to see you again as well. Your paintings were always wonderful and I look forward to seeing them again," she ended with a hesitant smile.

Radus almost vibrated out of excitement and stood up so quickly that his chair toppled over. He ran out of the room in full sprint, throwing the doors to the room open, startling the guards standing outside. When Acram yelled after him to stop, he simply yelled back, "No time! I have to prepare!"

City Lord Hitam sighed at that sight and turned to Aria. But before she could say anything, her mother said, "Do not worry; I can see he has not changed much despite being back home for more than a decade."

The City Lord shook her head and eventually said, "Very well. Still, I have to thank you and your husband again for looking out for my fool of a son in the Twilight Lands. He would not have been able to survive without you." Her mother accepted the thanks in the manner it was given.

They excused themselves after that and returned to their rooms. When Sana laid down in the bed she sighed in comfort, grateful to be able to sleep in a soft mattress again, and quickly fell asleep.