A Hell Called Serestral - Chapter 75

Aries was surprised when he and Gale arrived inside the sanctuary. It no longer looked like a small hut but a cozy stone house. The single bed had been replaced by three double decks. The small dining table changed into a long one with benches around it. There were couches in front of a fireplace, thick curtains over the glass windows, and chandeliers on the high ceiling. Even the bathroom had improved. The door was wider. No one would feel suffocated in it. The wooden floor was shining as if it had been recently polished.

Aries felt like they entered a different house.

“What happened here?”

“Magic happened,” Gust beamed proudly at him.

“This is all magic?”

“I asked Master Aika and Cari to help me renovate this place. You don’t like it?”

“I do,” Aries sat on one of the double decks with the help of Gale. “I’m just surprised that Guardian Aika and Cari helped you renovate this place.”

“Master Aika was the one who asked Cari to help. I think she agreed on it because of you,” Gust was obviously teasing him.

“Stop that,” Aries lay down on the bed. His head was starting to ache but he could not fall asleep.

“Do you want to eat something?” Gale asked. “I will prepare it for you.”

“Grilled fish,” Aries blushed.

“I already asked Jodien to catch a lot of fish,” Gust smiled.

“I’ll help him out,” Gale hurried outside the house.

“I’ll wake you up when dinner is ready,” Gust put a blanket over Aries.

“I’m tired,” Aries admitted. “But I can’t sleep.”

“Are you waiting for the princess?”

As soon as he asked that question, Pieffer appeared from the shadows on the wall near the double-deck where Aries was resting. Gani was tightly holding on to her.

“It was better when I am inside your body,” Gani slumped on one of the empty double decks.

“I’ll be right back,” Pieffer blinked before stepping into the shadows.

It took her an hour to bring Sunrei, Pines, and Cari to that place. And by that time, her strength was already depleted.

Pines helped her lay down on the third double-deck. He also put a blanket over her.

“Take a nap,” Pines whispered and Pieffer only nodded.

Aries was a little irritated but he could not do anything for Pieffer in his weak state. Since everyone was already in the sanctuary and Pieffer was already resting, he finally closed his eyes and let sleep claim him.

^##########^

Aries was awakened by the smell of grilled fish. His eyes instantly opened and his body immediately hopped away from the bed.

“Aries,” someone tapped his shoulder and asked, “Are you sleepwalking?”

He looked at the person who talked to him and realized that it was Cari.

“Are you okay?” she asked with growing concern.

“Yes, I am,” he quickly replied and looked around him.

His eyes widened when he realized that the interior of the house had changed again. There were more decorations. White paint, green leaves, and red flowers. There was also a small pine tree decorated with tiny light bulbs of different colors on both sides of the main door. The table was filled with both simple and elegant dishes.

Tauren and Quaria were also in there.

“Are we celebrating something?” Aries asked with confusion.

“Yes. We are celebrating,” Sunrei wrapped an arm over his shoulders. “We finally have the time to relax. Isn’t this worth celebrating?”

“I can finally get drunk!” Gani raised a mug of beer and gulped its content.

“Yes! Let’s get drunk!” Jodien tapped his mug against Gani’s and they sat on the couch drinking and eating.

Sunrei had also joined them with a barrel of beer.

“Aries,” Tauren called. “This is for you.”

He had given Aries a necklace with a ram’s head pendant that was similar to one of the ornaments of the transport bracelets.

“Wear it.”

Aries quietly obeyed.

“Now answer all my questions,” the Bull House Leader had instructed.

“Who are you?”

“Aries Del Luna?”

Tauren shook his head and said, “You should start with I am then your name and don’t end it with a question mark. It should be a statement. Is that clear?”

Aries was confused but he restrained himself from asking questions. His stomach was near to growling and the smell of the grilled fish was not helping. He only nodded to Tauren.

“Let’s start again,” the Bull House Leader had said.

“Who are you?”

“I am Aries Del Luna.”

As soon as he said those words, the pendant released a faint glow and a warm sensation that lasted for a few seconds.

“Done,” Tauren said. “You can start using that object to communicate with any of us.”

Aries realized only then that everyone was wearing the same necklace. Only the ornament was different. The pendants represent their Houses.

“How can I communicate with this?” Aries could no longer stop his hunger. He took a plate and filled it with rice and grilled fish.

“Just say the word contact then follow it with the name of the person you want to talk to,” Tauren explained with a proud smile. He also grabbed a plate and filled it with steamed vegetables and freshly sliced fruits.

Quaria also joined them. She also took a lot of fruits and vegetables.

“Contact Princess Pieffer Celestine,” the Pitcher House Leader muttered with a teasing smile.

The pendant of her necklace glowed for a second then a faint voice had quickly responded.

“Quaria?”

It was truly Pieffer.

“Aries is awake. Come here and eat with us.”

Aries glanced at the double-deck. None of the three was occupied.

“Okay,” Pieffer replied. “I’ll come right away.”

“How long did I sleep?”

“Eight hours,” Prince Sunrei answered while taking another barrel of beer. “You like to sleep a lot these days.”

“Of course, he needs a lot of sleep!” Pieffer entered at the main entrance with a platter of grilled fish in her hands. “And a lot of delicious food!” she placed the plate she was carrying in front of Aries. “Here. Eat all of these.”

“Thanks,” Aries blushed.

“End conversation,” Quaria said more loudly and the pendant of her necklace glowed once more. “That’s how you end the effect of the necklace.”

“But there is also a time limit to this object,” Tauren sipped some beer. “This stop working ten minutes after you start a conversation. And you have to wait for three hours before you can contact another person.”

“This is already a big improvement, Tauren,” Pieffer tapped him on the shoulder. “The first time you introduced this thing to us, it can only work for a few seconds and the waiting period is an entire day.”

“This will be useful,” Aries sincerely said. He was rarely using a phone but it was the most convenient thing a person could have. “Thank you, Tauren.”

The Bull House Leader only gave him a proud smile.

“I’ll excuse myself,” he got up on his feet with the platter of grilled fish and a mug of beer. “I want to eat outside.”

“Go ahead,” Tauren said.

“Pieffer,” Aries cleared his throat before asking, “Do you want to eat outside?”

He ignored the teasing smile that curved on the faces of his comrades.

“Sure,” Pieffer walked out of the house with him. Her cheeks were also blushing.

Outside the house, near the river, was a bonfire. Sitting around it were Gust, Gale, and Pines.

“I told you, Pieffer,” Gale said while chewing on a fish. “He prefers eating here. This is our dining area.”

“What if he is still weak to move around?” Pieffer settled right next to Pines. “Let’s not forget that only hours had passed since his body had been resurrected.”

“Thanks for worrying,” Aries sat between Gust and Gale. “But I’m really okay now.”

“Princess, I’ll take my leave now,” Pines rose to his feet and stretched his arms and legs. “Siorre should also enjoy this relaxation time.”

“Thank you, Pines.”

“I’ll see you in a week,” the Fish House Leader winked at Pieffer before shattering a transport bracelet.

“I’ll get us a few mugs of beer,” Gale bolted upright but his excitement quickly faded when the princess rushed to his side.

She told him, “Only glasses of juice for Aries. He needs nutrition.”

“I have to agree with Pieffer. I just woke up. I don’t want to fall asleep any time soon. Let’s get drunk some other time.”

“Understood, Brother!” Gale smiled before rushing inside the house.

“Is this really okay with you?” Aries asked Gust. “I remember that you don’t want any other people stepping here in your sanctuary.”

“These people are no longer strangers to us,” Gust gazed at the bonfire with a satisfied smile. “They are family. This place will always welcome them.”

“Thank you, Gust,” Aries was extremely grateful that he had been saved by the twins and they allowed him to enter that peaceful place. “Let’s return here once all of these is over.”

“We can always sneak back in this place,” Gust beamed wider then stretched his legs. “Gale is taking so long. I’ll just check him out.”

He followed Gale inside the house, leaving Aries and Pieffer alone in front of the bonfire.

“It’s also good to eat while walking,” Aries handed Pieffer a stick of grilled fish. “Do you want to try it out?”

Pieffer only nodded and they strolled around the perimeter of the house.

“If I remember things correctly, this is the place where I first got a glimpse of you.”

“I was practicing shadow traversing,” Pieffer smiled. “I don’t know why but every time I am practicing a new skill, I find myself crossing paths with you.”

“I’m sorry for trying to kill you many times,” Aries bit at the grilled fish to hide his embarrassment.

“It’s understandable,” Pieffer also took a bite at the grilled fish she was holding. “I really am someone you should be wary about.”

“About that…” Aries faltered as a blunt object hit the back of his head.