Infinite Finity - Volume 1 Chapter 14 Sassy Ignis

With overwhelming care, Chao hugged her. “It’s okay. I’m here. I came to bring you with me to win.”

Trembling, the woman sobbed. “Sweetheart, can we win this time?”

“We will.”

“Oh, how wonderful!” Another woman approached. She wore a flaming red mini dress matching her hair with a mask over her face. “I know, I know. ‘How dare I interrupt!’ But if it weren’t for me, she would have lost her life. You all know that as long as I’m here, she has a fighting chance.”

“Just because you know that doesn’t exempt you from my anger you wall! Quit blocking me!” Chao yelled in exasperation. “I’ll thank you for protecting her. I’ll make you a temporary container for you so you can go prowl about.”

“Say my name Lady Chao. Otherwise, we’ll be chain-”

“Yeah, yeah. I know. Zephyr, I permit your release and expect you to return when I call once more.” Zephyr glowed in a red light before disappearing.

“Darling.”

“Yes Sweetheart?”

“Put your clothes on.”

“Oh.”

. . .

Zephyr walked out of the room and headed towards Lawrence.

“Brat, give me some goods.”

“I would never sell illegal drugs! How dare-” The young boy feigned shock and fury, but was cut off by her coquettish voice.

“If you want to play dumb, then give yourself to me.” A chill ran down the boy’s spine as he pointed to a chest atop a dresser. “Grab it and go. I don’t like you. You know who’s a dummy? You. Leave!”

Smirking, Zephyr sauntered over and paused when she passed Lawrence. “Young man, you and your lady need to start doc.u.menting.”

Lawrence looked at her in confusion before Marianna looked at her in shock. “How could you tell?”

“Don’t worry about that missy. If you want to keep your memories in order, write down all the important stuff.” Zephyr turned around after getting a small black backpack and walked out.

“Tell them that they owe me a bottle!”

With her left arm raised and her languid walk, Zephyr looked like she was leaving to traverse the world. “Pedophile.”

After murmuring under his breath, the boy turned to Marianna and handed over a small medicine kit. “Use the cream after training, use the powder in the bath, and take the tablets after eating. Don’t use the cream and powder more than 3 times a week.”

“Thank you?” Marianna tilted her head in confusion and whipped her head to the door to see the two women.

“It’s time to go Marianna,” Chao informed. She then left the building with her right arm dr.a.p.ed over the beauty’s shoulders. Disappearing from view, Marianna stomped her foot in anger.

“How are we supposed to get home?”

“Have you made a bond with Chao?”

Marianna turned to the boy in confusion. “What do you mean by bond?”

The boy looked at her incredulously and gave her a pendant. “Just follow the sense with the necklace.” Fearing that dullness would be contagious, the boy led her outside the building and estate before returning once more.

“Do you have any ideas Lawrence?”

‘Don’t we have another body?’

Smacking her forehead, she cried, “How could I have forgotten that?”

‘We haven’t spoken to it though.’

“You’re right. I think there’s a creek over there. I’ll head over there and we can use that as a hiding spot until we get this sorted to return home.”

‘Sounds good to me.’

Marianna sprinted through the field before coming to a stop in front of a creek. A huge willow tree acted as a tent on the other side of the creek while a lone boulder sat right beneath an empty spot where trees didn’t block the sky.

She sat on the rock and closed her eyes to enter the inner mindscape. Inside was a forest similar to where Chao found the beast and the marshes where the two had lived. The lion-like beast laid under the willow tree while Lawrence was trying to converse with it.

“Hey man or woman. Can we talk? I’d like to get to know you. Not in a weird way though, I’m not into such things.”

As he babbled on, the beast’s face grew more and more taut from irritation. Marianna approached the two, slapped the top of Lawrence’s head and spoke to the beast.

“I apologize for his thoughtless remarks. As you might’ve realized, the three of us have to share this body. In order to make this work, we have to cooperate. Could you tell us your name?”

The beast opened its enchanting warm pineapple yellow and orchid eyes and spoke. “My name is Ignis. I’ve no ‘gender’ like you humans or other species. Why do you wish to cooperate?”

“Lady Chao left us to our own devices, but her estate is quite far away. We wanted you to fly back.”

“Why should I comply? What incentive will any of you give me? My services aren’t cheap.”

The silent Lawrence chirped in, “I’ll make sure you eat the best meat!”

Ignis was silent for a while before replying. “What incentive will any of you give me? I’m not cheap.”

“He didn’t even bother to acknowledge-!”

Marianna kicked Lawrence and was about to grapple him when Ignis spoke. “I’ll return to that place. In return, when I converse with the lady on what shall be done from here, neither can listen. I have private matters to discuss with her.”

Before Lawrence could protest, Marianna punched his stomach making him fold over and nodded. “I leave it to you then. He and I will be training so feel free to just let us know later when you’re done or want to switch.”

Ignoring Lawrence’s groans of pain, she dragged him to their house by his collar. Watching this, Ignis felt amused and chuckled. Ignis then proceeded to transform the body into his own form and grew his crystalline wings.

“She probably knows.” Muttering under their breath, Ignis flew.

. . .

“My dears! I’m back and I’m not alone!” Chao yelled once she entered the cafeteria. Gladys showed up in front of her with Inrigo, clearly irritated. “With all due respect Lady Chao, please shut your mouth. Bea is sleeping. I don’t need to hear the mooing of an old cow from so far away.”

“Sweetheart, who’s this adorable little slug?” The woman next to Chao grew icy as she smiled at him.

“Brunch will be in an hour. I’ll explain then. We’re going to be in my room until then understand?” As Chao said this, she swept her eyes over both Gladys and Chao in warning.

“Yes Sweetheart.”

“Yes Lady Chao.”

“Lady Chao, do we have to come too?” Inrigo interrupted the awkward winds with his innocent question. “Yes, all of you need to be here. Everyone is obligated to eat at every meal. You don’t have to eat anything to heavy if you’re not hungry, but you do have to invest something.”

“Alright, I’ll tell the others.” Inrigo’s initially calm eyes turned inquisitive when he looked at the other woman.

“Is she your twin?”

Chuckling, Chao patted his head. “It’s a surprise. I don’t want to spoil it before brunch.”

Inrigo pouted, but relented and went back to his class with Gladys. Gladys, Furvus, Albus, Bea, and a couple others were teaching the children about how to use their powers as well as mathematics, sciences, literature, history, and the arts. Everyday classes ran from breakfast to dinner time. The only homework they got was attendance. Their quizzes would be at the end of every week while tests would be at the end of every month. The final exams would be at the end of the year.

This teaching system was put in place by Chao long ago. She went to different dimensions and studied teachers from every walk of life compiling her observations into a series of books. The booked were classified by age groups, cultures, and outside influences.

An example would be one book with information about how teachers taught children from ages 4-6 in different regions of their world. Some classrooms were in shambles from war while others were posh.

Chao had made the series available in the large library since the occasional urge to be a teacher would sprout in her people. “If you’re going to do something that will affect other individuals, you might as well do it right!”

That was the philosophy she pounded into them. A butler once decided to become an animal trainer, but the young man didn’t know enough about it. As a result, a pack of pet dogs chased him and ripped his clothes while an army of hamsters and guinea pigs stole the rest.

He was absolutely humiliated. To this day, he still gets teased about how his clothes were stolen and shredded.

“I will never underestimate anything again.” He especially became cautious after watching a man named Seiya save a S-class world.*