Chapter 6.

CHAPTER 6.

~ TWO HOURS AGO ~

Hashton and the others arrived in Tribarian City and on their way to the academy.

"What's your plan, Hash? I don’t think Rose would be here at this time." Lenrick commented.

"I'll be visiting the children soon, I truly miss them." Hashton answered while taking a deep breath.

Hashton started to walk at the opposite direction, and went to the Arizalma Forest. A fastest pathway to take to go to Arizalma Town, wherein the house of the Crossevell Family is located.

After several minutes, he arrives at the familiar house, and saw a man wearing black clothing, sweeping the leaves on the ground.

The guy stops when he felt someone’s presence, turned to look at Hashton and smiled brightly. He let go of the broom, ran towards Hashton and hugged him tightly.

"Dad, I'm happy to see you again. It's me, Sheign." Sheign introduced himself happily.

"Hey, son. I'm happy to see you too. You've grown a lot and became taller the last time I saw you." Hashton commented while hugging Sheign.

"How are you, son?" Hashton asked. "We're fine, dad. We all missed you and mama sent you a lot of letters." Hashton smiled.

"I miss your mom, so much. I wish I could see her again." He said with a sad smile.

"We miss her too, dad. But, we should wait for her – for now." Sheign answered then they went inside the house.

Hashton sits down on the sofa while Sheign went inside his room to get the letters for his father.

"For you. Mama said to give that to you when you visit us." Hashton accepted the box then Sheign sat down beside him.

"Houston will be back home later, because he went somewhere in the forest. While Elia and Lea are studying on the academy."

"Rosell is sleeping in the Spring of Awakening."

"What happened?" Hashton asked worriedly but, Sheign just shook his head. Hashton sighed.

"If you're going back to the academy, you're would know whose Lea and Elia immediately, they really looked like mom." Hashton nodded.

"And, if you want to visit Rosell, just tell me or Houston. Unlike before, we created a barrier there to protect the whole place." Sheign explained.

"While Roseria and Roséia, I don't know where they are right now." Sheign answered and sighed.

"Why you don't know where they are?" Hashton asked while creasing his forehead in question.

"They're always going around and I can't keep track of them." Sheign explained.

'So, our daughters are too adventurous, huh?' Hashton asked within his mind.

"Okay, I'll remember that." Hashton answered then looked everywhere. He felt something was strange.

"Roselea... Roselia... That's their real names, dad." Hashton nodded.

"They're not here right now... Is there a problem?" Hashton asked worriedly. Hashton already felt that something out of place around them.

"To be honest, dad... Grandpa and grandma felt something was strange, but they didn't say what it is." Sheign explained.

"So, they went out to investigate what it is. Houston went out to see the Spring of Awakening just to make sure that it is safe and also Rosell."

"Now I know. To be honest, I just felt that now, but I didn't know where it’s coming from." Hashton answered side eyeing his surroundings. 

They both stood up when they hear a sudden explosion in the distance. They both ran outside the house and saw two people fighting midair.

"That's Demonaire, right?" Shegin nodded. Then, they saw someone running towards them.

"Brother! Someone's attacking!" He screams in alarm. Sheign brought out his scythe and Hashton brandished his wand.

"Witch hunter." Sheign said with gritted teeth. Hashton took a deep breath, this is the first time that he's going to fight again after twenty years.

"What is a witch hunter doing here? I thought that we already defeated them twenty years ago?" Hashton asked in suspicion.

"Grandpa said that the witch hunters who are still alive until now are attacking the academy to take revenge." Hashton stared at the new guy and thinking if he is Houston.

"Houston, that's dad in front of you. Greet him." Sheign commented.

Houston looked at Hashton and smiled at him. He hugs his father and Hashton hugs him back then Houston attacks the witch hunter with fire magic.

"That's useless..." The witch hunter commented while deflecting the attack. Sheign run towards him and attack him with his scythe.

The witch hunter protected himself using his own scythe that he is holding and Hashton prepared to attack.

"Terremoto!" The ground around the witch hunter floats then Sheign already went away from that place.

All of the rocks spun around the witch hunter, then fully covered the witch hunter to refrain him from escaping.

"Et obscuratus meam." Sheign's scythe turns into violet and he release a lot of sharp winds covered with electricity then he hit the enemy. There's a small light came from the fallen enemy and it went somewhere.

"Brother, you already perfected it." Houston commented with a smile and Sheign nodded but still not contented.

"Still need more practice, this is far from the form that I saw auntie Eula showed before." He answered.

"I should head straight to the academy now, make sure that all of them are safe." Hashton said. Sheign and Houston nodded at him.

"Dad, please take care of Elia and Lea even though they can be very stubborn." Sheign commented.

"Brother, let's go to the Spring of Awakening. I haven't checked it yet because that witch hunter is chasing me." Houston said.

"Be careful, if you need any help, tell us." Hashton stated then run back towards the academy to check the situation there.

•*•*•*•*•*

After being told to follow his daughters, Hashton when out of the dungeon. They saw his daughters leaning on the wall with the witch hunter.

"Hey, are you okay?" Hashton asked. They nodded at him in reply. Hashton observes the two of them and he can see resemblance of their mother.

"I know that we had only met each other now, but if there's any problems, you're going to talk to me." Hashton stated.

"I'll always be here to be your father, okay?" Elia and Lea nodded at him as an answer to him.

Hashton caressed their hairs then turned to look to the direction of the witch hunter. He doesn't want to jump into conclusions, he is hoping that he posed no danger to any of them and is different from his predecessors. 

"Hurt my daughters, I won’t be merciful, witch hunter. Understand?" Hashton warned and the witch hunter nodded.

"Always remember that I was the one who killed your leader in the past, and I’m not afraid to do the same to you." He added.

"I understand, sir." Vicente uneasily answered. "I'm really hoping that you're different from the others." Hashton commented, then looked back at his daughters.

"What is the head wizard's decision?" He asked them. The head wizard talked to all of the students previously without them that's why he didn't know what he said.

"He suspended the class and all of us should stay inside our dorms." Lea answered.

"These brings back memories." Hashton commented, with a smile while reminiscing the past when they are still students within the academy, along with Rose.

"Dad please, tell us a story about what happened before." Hashton laughed softly then he signals them to come with him inside the vacant classroom.

Even Vincent came with him, his very curious and wishes to learn more about Rose. He is determined to atone for the sin that he didn't do but have to - for him to be released from his own guilt. They all sat down on the chair and leaned.

"Where should I start?" Hashton asked. "Sir, I have a question. How's Sheign?" Vicente asked.

'He knows him?' Hashton asked in his mind.

"He's fine. I visited him a while and he's okay and very happy. How'd you know him?"

"I am the son of the witch hunter who hurt someone from Crossevell Family. I want to make it up to her because I didn't like what my father did to her before." Vicente answered guiltily.

"I see... Rose is very heartbroken with him before. She doesn't trust us enough just because of him."

"Then how, dad?" – Elia

"I courted her. I proved myself to her that I'm not like the witch hunter who hurt her before. I proved myself that I won't hurt her."

"I remember from professor Lenrick's class a while ago, who's the familiar of mom that is nine-tailed fox?" Lea asked.

"Yeah, I'm also curious about that too since a while ago." Elia commented.

"Acane. She's the only one who's with her always." Hashton answered when he remembered that.

"Is it really true that she knows everything? I heard rumors from the alumnus from the academy and also from the other professors who is well acquainted with her." Vicente asked.

"What's your name? So that, I'm not going to call you witch hunter every time I see you." – Hashton.

"Vicente Atlas." Vicente answered simply.

"But, yes. She possesses knowledge unknown to others. Even written legends and stories, she knows it. Then later on, we learned that she is well acquainted from those stories in person." Hashton answered.

"Wow! No wonder why there are a lot of books at the house " Elia commented in wonder.

"I brought some of those books with me, but I haven't read all of them yet." Lea said then sighed.

"All of you should head back to your dorms now before something bad happens." Hashton commented.

"Let's continue our talk tomorrow. We'll be investigating along the way as well." He added then they stood up.

He escorted them to their dorms just to make sure that the three of them are safe.

'I won't let anyone lay a finger on them...'

==== END OF CHAPTER 6. ====