The Throne of Bones.

7. A Mansion, A Meal, And an Arena.

"My home is protected by several S-Class magical barriers, illusions, and spacial runes, i am the only one able to use the gate, and only a select few have the privilege of using my teleporter to the inside." She explained as everyone gaped at their surroundings.

"What inside?" Miriá asked looking at Astrá confused again. "The house is as small as a one-man cottage." She stated.

"Miriá, she has allowed us refuge, do not be rude." Shaél reprimanded the girl, but then added. "Is there enough room for all of us?"

Astrá laughed as she reached the door and simply pushed it open.

What they thought would have been a small house turned out to be a large upscale house on the inside, completed with a waiting area.

"In all my years." Shaél gasped. "I cannot recall seeing such a sight, your understanding of spacial magic and runes far exceeds mine."

"I Welcome you to my home, feel free to roam about as you please." Astrá said to the flabbergasted trio who couldn't stop gaping. 

She then turned to the merchant who had silently been tagging along the entire time. "Sir Merchant, please follow me to my study." She gestured before smiling to her guests. "Please excuse me."

The walls were wrapped with beautiful red and black flame and dragon designs in every corner, and the roof was a large dome with several large and multicoloured chandeliers rotating in the air without any support.

The windows were all as large as the door, with a bright white light radiating through all seven of them and the floors all had a faintly glimmering red carpet, that went up the stairs and beneath the many doors that occupied the halls.

In the middle of the large room was a statue of a Crimson-Dragon breathing a small breath of actual fire.

"Welcome to the Crimson fortress." Came a voice from beside them causing them to look to the side.

There stood a tall male elf dressed as a Butler wearing red and holding what looked like a book. "I take it you are the guests our Lady-Astrá has informed me of, yes?" He asked with his eyes half-closed and smiling warmly. "Can I have our guests' names please?"

"Minto." He shook his wings before retracting them.

"Good day, I am Miriá." She smiled with a small nod.

"I go by Shaél." The old elf gave him a small nod as well, folding her hands behind her.

"Sir-Minto, and the Ladies- Miriá, and Shaél, I look forward to serving you for your stay here."

"Thank you." Shaél responded kindly.

When his sights fell on Shaél however, his eyes opened wide and he took a step backwards but as he was about to speak, she closed her deep blue eyes and looked away from him causing him to still.

"I am Dariél, a servant here in the Crimson Fortress, if you would please follow me." He began walking sideways expertly. "Lady-Astrá will be with you shortly, in the meantime, please make yourselves at home." He said entering another door with them in tow, the door led to a small dining hall with a table set and packed to the sides with food of all kinds, only four chairs were there and they all lined on one side.

Aside the table stood three maiden elves wearing red uniforms with black and white trims at the edges and at another door they suspected lead to the kitchen stood another elf wearing an apron and a chef's hat.

Minto, Miriá and Shaél in that same order sat slowly and passed looks at each other before Minto raised his hand toward a steaming piece of meat.

"We wait until our host is seated Minto."

While they waited another male-servant arrived and took their little luggage back through the door they had come through.

"But I'm starving, it feels like I haven't eaten in days." Minto rested his back on his chair and looked to the floating chandeliers.

"Even myself who has very little can understand the basic concept of magic Minto, there will always be drawbacks for using magic as recklessly as you do." Miriá looked at him with a pained expression.

"How I use my magic is none of your business you Buffalo." Minto retorted with a scoff. "You have no grounds to lecture me when all you'll be good at is punching people." 

Shaél was about to intervene but Minto's head suddenly slammed against the table causing several utensils and small plates and glasses to go flying, none of them reached the ground though as the elf-maids skillfully and acrobatically contorted and caught everything food plates spoons forks knives and even the water and juices and wine.

Nothing was spilled.

"Are you feeling okay young sir?" The butler asked from behind Minto carefully setting back the table with the help of the maidservants.

"Minto?" Shaél called to him, but his expression seemed ghastly. Beneath the table his toes were steaming as Miriá removed her heel.

"I'm fine." Minto replied hoarsely glaring daggers at Miriá who had a bit of a victory smirk as she stared back at him. "Miriá, there is something on your face."

She grabbed her cheeks and began slowly inspecting her face but found nothing.

"You liar." She pouted, but then a second later one of the plates full of sauce arose hypnotically and flew across the table, spilling its contents all over her. 

Miriá stood up and pointed at him with a knife.

"You wish to die!"

Minto responded by picking up a fork, standing and pointing it at her. "You dare try you callow rhino?!"

"Both of you!" Shaél snapped. "Sit down and behave!" 

Miriá was the first to sit, composing herself and glaring at Minto. "Lady-Shaél, members of the Crimson Fortress, please forgive my behavior." She turned to the food.

Minto on the other hand sat without a word of apology to anyone.

"You have yet to begin?" Astrá came quickly through the door, taking a seat beside Minto and reaching for the piece of meat he had been eyeing all that time. 

She had yet to change from the clothes she borrowed from Miriá. "Shall we?" Astrá asked before barbarically grabbing the meat with her other hand, ripping it in two and taking a lion-sized bite from it.

Minto and the others' mouths hung open as the red-haired beauty savagely ate what would normally be enough for any lady within seconds.

"Dariél, these plates and stuff are in my way." Astrá looked around at her head servant with gravy dripping from her chin. "Can you please remove them?

"Right." Dariél snapped his fingers and the three maids came forward and swiftly took away everyone's plates and eating tools.

"We are beyond introductions; you have no need to hold back." Astrá said without looking at anyone grunting as she dipped her bread in a bowl of sauce and began devouring it with the ferocity of a starving Devil Goat.

"In that case!" Minto snapped from his stupor, taking a large bird leg and biting into it, Shaél and Miriá eventually joined into the feast, though much less enthusiastic than Minto and Astrá.

A full hour later all of them sat there staring blankly at the table having eaten every last bit of food on it.

"Lady-Astrá." Shaél turned to her. "How old are you?"

"I am Nineteen, and please, you are my savior's master, so please call me Astrá, my position should not change how we see each other." Astrá replied, taking a napkin from Dariél and wiping her face.

"Only Nineteen?" Miriá asked shocked. "You do look young, but Nineteen?" 

"Yes, I joined the guild as a child and they ensured I received the best of everything, but all that I own is because of my own hard work, I have already repaid all they have done and am now an independent guild member." Astrá smiled, then her face went blank as she remembered something. "My savior, you wanted to train am I correct?" 

"Yes!" Minto replied seriously, shifting his chair. "I have to become strong; I have to become the strongest!" He looked at her.

"You wish to avenge your Homeland by confronting the Vermilion Dragon, Ashrótt."

"That is correct, Shaél replied there as Minto went silent. "I was taking him to Drofox where I had land that could have served as proper training grounds, but..." 

"You need not go that far, you have full permission to use my property as you see fit." Astrá waved excitedly. "Any damage done can be repaired with time and spacial magic, and well, this seems like the most I will be able to do as thanks for you saving my life."

Shaél turned her gaze to Minto and Miriá. "Are you ready?"

Both of them stood at attention. "Yes, Lady-Shaél." They both replied in unison.

Moments later they were walking through a side door with the three maids and Dariél in tow, back in the kitchen the chef and another elf were busy cleaning their mess, the training group they had seen earlier turned out to be set like a natural arena, the land sinked about thirty metres downward and then the surrounding land was shaped like steps slowly climbing back to three metres above the ground then spilling over the sides like more steps, the large area itself was about five hundred metres wide in radius and almost perfectly round, in the very centre stood a small cabin surrounded by five trees, a broad tree stump and a sheltered stone well.

And all around that large opening the earth was charred and cratered from what seemed like purely fire-based magic. "Astrá." Minto called while she began leading them down toward the cabin. "How strong is your fire magic?" He asked, the damage he was seeing contradicted what he saw her use against the Fanged Bisons.

"My magic is top tier, dear savior, in truth there is no other in all of Eliós who can wield fire as well as I." 

"But that day... you could barely fire off a bolt of fire." Minto deadpanned.

"I had fought for two days and then I had run for another three without a chance to catch my breath, I was at my wit's end with both magic and stamina." Astrá raised her chest and rubbed her nose proudly.

"That is impressive, for a human." Shaél hummed. "It would normally take half a day before a fighting human became unable to even lift a limb, yet while using magic you were able to last five days, and on top of that you only rested a few hours before making a full recovery, impressive indeed." Shaél praised, causing the redhead to grin.

When they finally reached the cabin Shaél wasted no time, without even looking at the place they would be rested she turned to the two. "Minto, before we begin, I must know all that you are capable of, how far along were you with learning how to fight and if you are able to use any kind of magic other than that of life." 

"Before today, I have never raised my hand against another, be it training or fighting, my father hadn't taught me anything yet." He replied causing everyone to look at him like a four-headed caterpillar.

"That is quite impressive!" Astrá drew closer and grabbed his hands. "Without knowing how to fight you threw yourself in front of Fanged Bisons, my dear savior you keep surprising me!" 

"Astrá." Shaél cleared her throat.

"A-Apologies, please continue." Astrá stared to the side trying and failing to compose herself, before, she had been eternally grateful, but now she saw the halfling in a totally different light words were not enough.

"Minto, take off your shirt." Shaél ordered then turned to Miriá.

"Miriá, because I witnessed you fighting before, I know the concept of still new to you as well..."

"And yet she knocked Wolfsword unconscious with a single blow?!" Astrá interrupted again with her mouth hanging agape.

".. you have immense strength surpassing both your parents, but you lack technique and perseverance, so for the first three months of your training you will be alongside Minto learning about the limitations and extensions of your body before I teach you any magic.

"W-w-w-what?!"