The estate is beautiful, though very quiet,

  Mel was expecting more pizzazz for someone that basicly everyone bowed to, but it's just average, still it's peaceful.

  "Nice home lord Alector," Cairos said, he is looking around the place, checking out the pottery. "You have really nice taste."

  "Oh, thank you child," Alector replied, then pats Cairos on the shoulder, "though you don't to call me lord, call me uncle," he smiled kindly at Cairos.

  Then he calls out to someone, someone then soon approached "Lairion, please prepare a room, a bath, and clothing for these children," the man noded and moved.

  "Lairion is a good servant of mine, if you need anything and i'm not here, call to him," Alector added, then he looked up at the sky, before turning back at them,

  "I must go i have some buisness to attend to, i will be back by supper." He waved at them and leaves.

  "..."

  "..."

  "H-he left?" Liora asked, confused. "that was so quick, we just got here."

  "Um okay then. How about we just go to where um..." Cairos trailed off, trying to remember the servant's name.

  "Lairion." Mel stated plainly.

  "Yes, Lairion, thank you Mel, let's just go where he went." Cairos pointed to where Lairion went.

  They followed Cairos until they see Lairion, who was preparing beds for them, he hadn't noticed them and continued his work in silence.

  Lairion was wearing a simple chiton, he had tone muscles, and his expression was dull, he looked bored.

  Lairion finished and looked at them, he flinched slightly, then bowed and then left them in the room to attend to other duties.

  "Okay then, let's choose beds-" as Cairos began saying that, Liora sprinted to one of the beds across the room and body slammed herself onto it.

  "...did not expects this feeling," Liora muttered, shifting around the bed, getting a good feel on its comfortability. "Um... it's better than the groumd at least."

  "Oh come on, it cannot be that bad, i mean Alector's an elite," Raquel sais, she going to sit on one of the beds by the wall, "oh. it's lumpy and sags. ew."

  "Don't be rude," Mel said as she laid down on one of the beds, "they're ancient beds, what were you expecting memory foam?"

  Hollis placed his bag on one of the beds, then pulled out a blanket from inside covering the bed with it to make it more comfortable.

  "Well now that we're settled," Cairos began, shall we use the time to get to know each othe..." he stopped mid sentence, he had realized something. "what happened to the bear?"

  "What are you- OH MY GOD!" Raquel shouted, eyes widening, "HOLY FREAKING CARP!" She facepalms.

  "Okay, calm down, and did you just say 'holy carp'?" Mel asked Raquel, baffled.

  "YES. yes, i did. we gotta get that bear back," Raquel stood up, but her wrist is grabbed by Mel.

  "And where to exactly?" Mel added, "Eryx and Myron have it, it's not like we know where they went." She looked at Raquel questioningly.

  "Well we have to get the bear back!" Raquel snapped back, she was visibly frazzled, "we fought hard to kill it, and now— bam! Gone." She clapped her hands, in front of Mel's face.

  "It's not even that important," Mel muttered rubbing her temple. "Listen we just got here let's relax for awhile," she lays back down,

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  "I don't really want to go out and find a bear carcass," she kicking back her feet,

  "but if you wanna go and search for it alone that's fine."

  Raquel grumbled, "that's easy for you to say, don't you have its skin or whatever?" She asked Mel.

  "Oh, i gave that to Eryx. He said he knew a good artisan that could help with tanning it," Mel replied, while digging through her bag for her phone.

  "Ugh. this is useless." Raquel covered her face with her hands, and slumped back on the bed.

  "Excuse me," the group looks toward the entrance to the room, it was Lairion, "the bath's are ready." He says politely

  "Okay, let's take a bath to cool down." Cairos said trying to soften the tension, Cairos stands first followed by Hollis.

  The rest get up and they follow Lairion, they are seperated based on sex, each group bathed in similar bath areas, during the bathing Mel had a thought, after bathing they are dressed by other servants.

  They were dressed in simple garments that they saw everyone else wearing, and some accessories that resembled the local, they meet back in the room.

  "Wow, that was nice," Cairos said, he sits down on his bed he had sat on earlier, "right Hollis?" He looks at Hollis.

  Hollis nodded in response, he folded his dirty clothes, then puts them in his bag.

  "Eh, it was okay, i guess," Raquel said, she then goes and lays on her chosen bed. "but i would've rather the one at home."

  "...why are you treating this like a vacation," Mel said, her voice was louder than she intended, "don't ya'll remember we're suposed to try to go home, we're not here to experience ancient life." Her rone turned cold.

  "We're just trying to lighten the mood, don't be such a stinker Mel, cupcake?" Liora held out a cupcake.

  "No— wait where did you get this?" Mel asked Liora.

  "Oh I just have them." Liora said with a shrug.

  "That isn't an-" Mel was cut off.

  "Listen, like you said earlier, what are we suposed to do? panic?" Raquel asked smugly, she held out her hand to Liora. "And i'll be eating that cupcake."

  "Okay! Here." Liora handed her the cupcake, Raquel starts to eats the cake.

  "Oh, shut up! don't you realize our parents could be worried sick!" She screamed at Raquel. "They don't know where we are, and it's been like two days!"

  "Didn't you just say we should relax?" Raquel said with her mouth full of cupcake, then she took another bite of it.

  "Well yeah, but shouldn't we at least try to figure how and why we're here," Mel said, she starts pacing in the middle of the room. "I mean what if like we were chosen."

  "Hah, yeah right," Raquel scoffed at Mel's words, "If we were wouldn't we get something to help us, you know? Live." She said after finishing her cake.

  "Well how about we find out more about eachother? Maybe that'll give us a clue." Cairos questioned, he looked around waiting fo anyone else to speak.

  "Um okay, I was on my way to my friend's birthday party, then i tripped and just started feeling pain—like electricity." Liora said while makimg wild gestures with her hands.

  "I tripped as well!" Mel joyfully said, "finally, there is a similarity in the occurences." She fisted the air in excitement.

  "Well, I didn't trip, i was in bed sleeping, then i woke up in the forest," Raquel said, "and i was suposed to go on a trip to disney, does that help?" She jokingly said.

  "Ugh. So no tripping, none at all?" Mel asked, looking at Raquel to see if there was actually no similarities.

  "Nope." Raquel stated firmly.

  "How about you Cairos?" Mel looked at Cairos, looling for any–any answer that could lead to a proper theory.

  "Well, for me, i was finishing up some summer homework," Cairos said, and then when i went out to pee, i suddenly appeared in the forest,"

  he paused, "though, i did have a headache when i woke up." He stated.

  "Okay, Hollis?" Mel looked towards Hollis, who was watching them as they talked,

  But before he could answer, Lairion entered, "excuse me, supper is ready, please follow me." He requested them, Mel looled around.

  "We'll continue later, for now let's just go eat." Mel got up and went to Lairion, the rest followed soon after.

  They followed Lairion to a large dining area, it was beautiful, the walls were painted with vivid colours, the collums were large, and the floor was smooth stone.

  "Ah! Children, welcome," Alector's voice bellowed throughout the room, he was sitting at a large table adorned with food.

  "Lord Alector, we are pleased to be in your presence." Mel bowed to Alector, the others nervously followed.

  "What? I told you to call me uncle ," Alector waved his hand, "no calling me 'lord' that's an order." He said firmly.

  "Um, alright uncle Alector," Mel said before she sat down on cushions, the others copied her movements and sat down next to eachother.

  "So what did you children get up to before meeting me." Alector asked them, curiosity in his voice.

  "Oh nothing much, we just got lost." Mel stated, hoping that Alector would believe her lie.

  "Really?" Alector questioned, "if it isn't too much, may I ask what happened to your parents." He asked.

  "It's still hard to talk about it, sorry." Mel answered, she looked at Alector's face for any sign of distrust.

  "Oh no, that is completely understandable, i apologize for bringing up such a heavy topic." Alector said, he sounded very aplogetic.

  "It's fine, i get it, we're strange kids, it's gonna be hard to trust us." Mel said, internally she fist bumped herself.

  "No i trust you..." Alector paused, then it clicked. "How about i set you all up with teachers."

  "Excuse me?!" Cairos said, he sounded shocked at the offer. "We can't accept that-" he got cut off, when a hand covers his mouth.

  "What he meant to say was, we'd like that very much." Mel said while she covered Cairos's mouth.

  "Oh, alright, i will set up some meetings tomorrow," Alector happily said. "but remember, these classes are very hard, so just try your best."

  "I'm gonna eat now!" Liora started eating, the food that was in front of her, her face slowly fell, from a joyous smile to a face of dissapointment. "Ah."

  "Hm? Is the food not to your taste?" Alector asked Liora.

  "Um, it's not that, it's alright really." Liora said carefully before she continued to eat.

  "Don't be rude, i'm sure it's nice," Mel said before she took a bite, she started munching—paused, then continued.

  The others had the same reaction, the food was alright, but it was bland. After dinner, they go to the bedrooms.

  "Well, that was okay." Liora said as she went to her bed, she faceplanted onto the bed.

  "Why did i expect it to be, uh flavourful—i'm not saying it's bad, it's just bland." Cairos said, he sat on his bed, he was looking down at the ground.

  "No one's here, just say it was bland." Raquel said plainly, she laid down on her bed and looked up at the roof.

  Hollis stretched, before he carefully got under the blanket, he flattened the sides and waited for the oil lamp to be blown out.

  Mel went and blew out the oil lamp, before she went on her bed to sleep, she laid down on the beds, she breathed in, then out.

  "Night Hollis, night Mel." Liora said, before turning in her bed.

  "Where's my goodnight?" Raquel asked.

  "Oh, right! Night Raquel, Night Cairos." Liora said, then she promptly went to sleep.

  They all started to drift off to sleep, their eyelids got heavier, their bodies relaxing, and their breathings starts to slow, and they all fell asleep.

  But as the night went on, Mel kept turning in her bed, she was drenched in sweat, breathing heavily, her hands were trying to grab something not there, then she sat up.

  Her tears fell onto her lap, she clutches her chest, then looks around, she sees the others fast asleep, she cried into her knees.

  Then she hears footsteps, she looks up and saw, Hollis, he was holding a blanket, he put it around her, then he went back to his bed.

  Mel's breath settled, she squeezed the blanket, she breathed in, then out, after that she laid back down, 'just a couple nights.' She thought to herself, and she went back to sleep.

  END OF CHAPTER 9

  THANKS FOR READING!