Chapter 24. Can’t you just

“Can’t you just use all your powers?” Arthur asked, he wanted to see what an unshackled Boss can do.

“Heck no! That wouldn’t be fun.” Boss argued as he continued to fiercely rub his wig in displeasure. “Gah, forget it! I’ll do this! Boss tossed the wig onto the ground. “Whatever two I use in the future in front of an enemy will be it. Yep.” Boss nodded his head, he felt that this was the best course of action.

“What about in front of us? You’ve already shown us more than two.” Shelly asked as she recalled every time Boss had used his powers.

“I’ll use everything!” Boss reply made their eyes instinctively wide open.

“Everything?” Arthur quickly asked as if he misheard what Boss had said.

Boss thought for a moment before immediately replying “Except for some things!”

His answer left everyone as wide eyed and bewilder as before, he wouldn’t do some things? Why not? Boss quickly continued “And I won’t tell you what they are.”

No one decided to ask their follow up question about what those ‘some things’ are as they returned to conversing with each other about tomorrow’s training.

Boss didn’t want to help them figure out how to defeat Cobble either as he just sat in bed and stare at them until dinner arrived. Feeling uneasy as Boss’ eyes blankly staring straight at them Michael was the first to buckle and quickly mentioned dinner.

Boss in his excitement hopped out of bed and shouted, “Let’s eat!” grabbing his wig and running down to the cafeteria on the first floor. Boss was the first one who arrived and already had food on his plate as he sat on a rectangular table closest to the food.

The group trickled in one by one as they walked through the door. Arthur and Shelly sat next to each other beside Boss. Michael and Julie arrived shortly after sitting across from the kids. As they were eating another person walked in.

The Auntie of the Inn walked in and got her food and sat at the corner of their table beside Boss. The awkwardness they could feel dining with the Auntie was clearly present. However, she paid them no mind as she began to talk.

“You kids going to school?” She asked while loudly chewing her food. This is normally around the time people start flooding to Inns to stay while waiting for ships to dock on Asmar. The three nodded their head as they ate. No one wanted to talk first since the Auntie was crazy.

“Why aren’t you talking, you think I’m a crazy stalker or something?” Arthur gulped loudly before coughing. He almost choked on his food. Shelly paused for a moment before returning to complete her bite.

“No, not at all.” Michael answered nervously. His voice was visibly stuttering as he spoke.

“Hm…” She paused. “Is that so…?” Her figure disappeared from the table. Everyone started blankly at the spot where she had disappeared. The Auntie was standing directly over Michael’s shoulder, her voice whispered in his ears “You think I’m crazy, don’t you?”

A cold chill crawled up Michael’s spine causing him to shudder as the Auntie’s voice blew into his ear. Michael gritted his teeth trying to compose himself as much as he could before the voice continued.

“Is it crazy to follow the one you love?” She asked before teleporting behind Julie. Her words hissed into Julie’s ear. “Is it?” Julie instinctively shook her head in response.

“Right? It isn’t crazy to follow the one you love” The Auntie said before sitting back at her seat.

“Bu-but isn’t the one you love already married?” Arthur stuttered. He didn’t think it was right for another person to get between to married people. He knew he’d be extremely angry if someone stole his mom or dad away from each other.

“So what? I’m willing to share.” Her blunt reply made Arthur speechless. “Tch, if it wasn’t for my sister being so against it then we could have shared him. Why does she get the handsome guy while I get the ugly one?” The Auntie was getting angrier as she thought about her family’s decision to marry her off to an ugly fellow.

“But Auntie, shouldn’t you find someone your own age?” Arthur asked, he overheard Pebble talking to Julie about their age difference. Pebble was the eldest at 26, Cobble was 24, and the Auntie was just 28.

“So, what if he’s quite a bit older, it was love at first sight.” The auntie began to grumble. “Did Pebble tell you my age?” She asked. Considering both her eldest sister and her looked alike people wouldn’t be able to tell how old she was, only those in the family knew.

“No…” Arthur replied, he wasn’t wrong considering Pebble didn’t specifically told him, he just overheard it.

“It matters not, I love him, and I’ll make him mine.” She her blunt made people speechless. She then turned and locked eye contact with Julie causing her to fluster. “Uh, is there something on my face?” Julie quietly asked.

“No, but your eyes are beautiful, yellow like mine.” She then focuses her attention on Julie’s curly blonde hair “Such a pity you’re an Exotic, it would be fun to have a younger sister to teleport around with.” The auntie was thinking about how she could take Julie along to sneak peaks at Gran and scaring the townspeople.

Exotics are people who are born with their hair and eye color, there is no way a normal person could train their physical energy for blonde hair.

“You and the kid are the only normal ones here?” The auntie asked Michael and the disguised Boss.

“Yeah, it is embarrassing isn’t it?” Michael replied, he managed to calm down from the scare the Auntie gave him. It’s not surprising he should be worried, both Auntie and Gran were Prodigies.

“Oh, why’re you embarrassed about being normal? In fact, the other three should be careful” The auntie replied. She continued “You guys have probably never gone beyond your own hometown.”

“Yeah, that’s right.” Arthur replied.

“Well, let me tell you, not everyone think Exotics are God’s creation.” Her reply shocked Arthur and Julie as Shelly remained indifferent.

“In fact, there are groups out there who believe you’re anything but God’s creation. They believe you are the Devil’s creation here to destroy the stability of the Orthodoxy.” Her comment shook Arthur, he didn’t believe himself, his parents, Boss, and Shelly were evil.

“That’s not true is it?” Arthur asked, he didn’t believe it, but he wouldn’t just outright call her a liar. She replied, “Heavens no, do you see yourself as evil? Is my sister evil?” her words assured Arthur.

“However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t some incredible dangerous Exotics out there. The story of Judas and Uriel is one.” Her comment made Arthur nod is head. She continued. “But the most dangerous are the people’s belief, Exotics are born with extraordinary powers, things they can’t comprehend.”

Her voice serious as she spoke “People know how to obtain the orthodox coloration of hair and eyes, but no one can explain anything about Exotics.”

“They are chaotic as they can do anything, people fear them because they don’t understand them. Be careful in the future because Exotics are as equally detested as they are worshipped.” Her tone grave as she spoke, causing Arthur to clench his fist. He didn’t know anything about the negative impact about being Exotics.

“Thank you, Auntie!” Arthur sincerely thanked. He now understood that in the future learning and mastering his powers isn’t just an easy walk that only required time, there will be hidden dangers everywhere. The auntie nodded her head at Arthur’s thank.

“What’s your name Auntie?” Arthur asked. She gave him a confused look “That blabbermouth Pebble told you about Gran and I, my age, and yet didn’t mention my freaking name?”

Sigh

“I’d thought you guys knew already considering that guy loves to talk.” She let out a smile as she introduced herself “My name is Orchid. You guys can stay here for as long as you’d like.” She got up and walked towards the door. “And I’m not a cannibal.” She gave Boss a glance before disappearing out of the corner of the door.

Boss whistled to himself a random tune as he pretended, he never said such a thing about her. The group that thought she was crazy, and a stalker still believed it, but didn’t mind her as a person.

The night came and went as everyone woke up early in the morning and had breakfast before departing for Gran’s estate. By the time they arrived servants were panicking and running around making a ruckus.

“What’s going on?” Arthur asked as he saw the commotion. Boss shrugged his shoulder and walked up to see what happened.

“This… I’m sorry we don’t know.” The servants apologized as he ran away holding wipes and towels in his hand.

The group finally found Cobble who was still as a statue sitting in the back dazedly staring at the rippling pond. “Cobble? What’s going here?” Cobble looked at the group who had arrived.

“My mother…” Cobble replied before tears started to well up in his eyes. He continued “She’s not waking up.”

“What happened?” Michael asked.

Cobble shook his head. He didn’t know the answer, last night his mother was doing fine he only found out about her situation this morning.

“My father told me last night, mother went through intense pain that caused her to instantly faint.” He paused his voice trembling as he spoke “She hasn’t woken up since…”

Everyone looked at Cobble in shock, the news of what happened was too alarming. Just yesterday they met her, and she was lively and well eating chocolate ginger durian mush. Her bright smile as she welcomed everyone was still on everyone’s mind.

“Wh-where is your father now?” Michael tried to stay calm as he asked.

“He left with Pebble to find a doctor who could help…” Tears flowed down Cobbles eyes as he continued “we-we don’t have any doctors in the village right now…” Cobble’s enormous body at this moment looked weak and frail. He crumpled up into a ball, his head on his knees as tears trickled down his leg forming a puddle on the ground.

No one what to say at the sudden event as they sat beside Cobble to comfort him. The man who was supposed to train them this morning was in no shape to even take care of himself let along help them.

Cobble’s tear dried up sometimes later as he managed to stand back up. His body wobbling as he tried to maintain his composure.

“May we go see her?” Boss politely asked.

“Yeah! Maybe Boss can do something?” Arthur interjected.

Cobble wiped the remaining tears from his eyes and looked at the kids half his size. “Okay…”

They walked up to the second floor as servants and maid continually ran up and down the stairs. The door to her room opened as their eyes shifted from the nursing maids and servants watching over to the woman asleep on the bed.

The woman they saw was entirely different than the one they met yesterday, the vigor and energy once pronounced on her innocent face was nowhere to be seen. Her entire body was pale, her breathing unsteady as she continually released cold sweat from her forehead.

“Mother!” Cobble ran beside her bed as he sat beside her. “WHAT HAPPENED?” He shouted at a nearby servant. Not even 2 hours ago she was just unconscious from the pain, however now it seems like she’s turned into a ghost. “I-I don’t know, this just happened a short moment ago.” The servant replied hesitantly.

The doors to the home broke open as Pebble rushed into the door, a doctor was hanging on his shoulder. Mother!” Pebble stood before her bedside. He placed the man hanging on his shoulder on the floor. “Doctor! Save my mother!”

“Doctor?