Leo had been waiting for 10 minutes and these dumb asses were still arguing! They…were bickering like children over how they should be arranged.
"In a HORIZONTAL line! HORIZONTAL"
"But I am!?"
"No! Thorosa, that's sideways!"
"But my love, from the side it's horizontal."
"DO NOT TEASE ME!"
Bags were already starting to form under his eyes, it shouldn't be that hard to form a damn line! Wanting to end the dumb debacle, Leo walked over to his uncle, grabbing his shoulder hard.
"This is fine, uncle."
"But—"
"It's fine."
Sensing he'd pissed off his nephew, Zander sucked up his pride.
"Alright then…Time for introductions!"
Spinning around for effect, Zander pointed towards Leo and pulled him towards the others. Leo glared at him the whole time. To think, his uncle could be this vibrant, it disgusted Leo.
"Think the two of you have already been acquainted. Meet our ambitious goddess Thorosa Yander, one of the providence beings in swordsmanship."
Thorosa stood before him with a lovely curvy build and was quite tall, with flowing red hair. It even caused Leo to blush and quickly turn his head, could anyone really blame him? She was the hottest woman he's ever seen.
Questioning Leo's intention, she looked down at him, a curiosity sparking towards him. Soon her expression changed and she smiled defiantly.
"Zander seems to admire you. I hope you live up to both our expectations"
She stretched out her hand expecting Leo to take it. He did, then shook it, the both now on equal footing.
"Next, is the one who brought me back from the afterlife. Nilia Forando, an elf. A tremendous force to be reckoned with, moreover a beauty to boot. A saint magic user"
"Fufu, you flatter me too much. It's nice to meet you… Leo, was it? Looking closely at you, you do bare a resemblance to Zanny." she softly spoke, a gentle look in her eyes.
Compared to Thorosa, she was shorter and a bit leaner. However, her silky skin, blood red eyes, refined and captivating appearance more than made up for it. Her demeanor was elegant, a calming presence. Reminding Leo of a mother soothing her baby.
She was a priestess by the looks of it, wearing much lighter clothes. A long violet dress down to her knees, along with a white veil.
She then bowed as a show of respect to Leo.
Then were the last two, the mature and young man. Both of their bodies were honed as if they'd been working out their whole lives, Leo only wished he had that kind of physique.
"Last, are my brothers in arms. The prodigy, Remus Alex. And the master of combat, Famulus Themeday."
The old one, Famulus bowed, one hand to his side.
"A joy to be in your presence, young master."
"He's been my servant since even before I was born. I think more of him as family." Zander added, rubbing the back of his head.
Soon after approached the young one, Remus. Never meeting Leo in the eyes.
"Yeah…nice to meet ya. Sorry bout' takin' yours blood…"
Leo raised his eyebrows slightly, questioning the aforementioned blood. There was blood involved? Until he remembered the small cut on his bicep.
"Oh that? It's good, can barely feel it. No problem on my end. So just forget about all that, here's to being friends.
Remus shock could be read straight from his face. Having been forgiven so quickly wasn't what he expected. Nevertheless, his hand balled into a fist, as he pounded his exposed chest.
"Now that's what I'm talking bout! I like you already, Leo!"
With a lighten heart, he gave a Leo a hard smack on the shoulder. It hurt quite a bit but Leo liked the energy Remus was giving off, so he didn't mind.
"Well that's the whole party for now. I'll introduce you to the others when we venture back home."
"That's quite hypocritical Zanny, considering you've introduced us to him but not the other way round." inquired Nilia, with a pouty gaze.
With everyone's eyes on Zander and Leo. Uncle and nephew huddled together for a solution for the problem they themselves created.
"So…what's the plan here? Should we tell them I'm a family member from another world?—"
"NO! Trust me, being another worlder is not something anybody. And I mean ANYBODY should know about… I-I'll explain sometime soon ok?" boomed Zander as sweat started to form on his forehead.
Leo had never seen his uncle react like that before, thus he didn't pry for answers.
"I get ya… I have an idea!"
"As expected of my nephew! What is it?"
"How about we say… I'm an ancestor you met in the afterlife! A-And like, you offered to take me back with you so that's why I came out from your corpse!"
"Yes, an excellent idea!"
"Wait a sec, that won't work… We look nothing alike anymore. You have a different body.
"Did you not notice yet? You also have a new body from before. One similar to mine."
Learning this, Leo was stun-locked. His body was well—his body. Was that what he felt when he first arrived? Questions raced around his mind but now he had no time to wrap his head around it.
"Alright then… Well we'll think about that later…Back to the topic at hand. Mhhhhhm… Oh! The reason we call each other uncle and nephew is because… Ahhhhh, I'm your great, great, great, great nephew or something if they ask. And we used to communicate through like… sermons?"
"Li you wonderful boy! Even I couldn't come up with something like that!" affirmed Zander, patting Leo's back
Confident and smirking, they turned back to the others. Now sure they'd be getting off scot free.
"Everyone! Meet my ancestry nephew. Leo Hanse, please treat him with respect."
"Ancestor?"
Nilia questioned, along with the others also confused by the statement.
"Yes. We found each other in the afterlife. The poor boy met his unfortunate end so early in his life. I then offer to bring him back with me."
The silence was palpable, everyone looking back and forth at each other. No way the plan would work, so Leo tried thinking of another reason.
"Of course! That's exactly what I've come to expect of you Zander! Even helping your nephew from death!" stated Thorosa.
"Excellence I am not surprised you have yet again displayed, master." affirmed Famulus.
"That kindness is the reason I love you so much Zanny!" declared Nilia.
"That's our Lord for ya! Never fails to amaze us!" grinned Remus.
That worked? Leo expected at the very least a few questions. He didn't mind though, saved him the trouble of having anyone suspicious of him. However, combined with the fact his uncle of all people was being praised, left Leo questioning a lot of things.
At least he had some idea what was going on, sighing out of relief. Despite that, one thing still bugged Leo's mind. Why in the hell were they in a place that looked as if a yellow devil ruled over?
"Hey uncle, what is this place?"
Zander was caught a bit of guard by the question, he himself was still disoriented. Dying is a pretty big deal after all.
"This monument…is one of the abyss mazes that lies in the dunes of despair."
The dunes of despair, a sandy hell-scape. One of many perilous zones only the most skilled of warriors go. A country sized hellhole and if the blazing temperature of the black sun doesn't do you in, the creatures that dwell here, will. Things well beyond what Leo has ever faced. The maze lays dead center at the border of the sea, spanning miles and miles. His uncle explained all this but struggled to remember why he and the others were there in the first place.
"I…why are we here…and not in—"
"I do not blame you my love, death can take its toll on those who have met it."
"Nilia, would you mind helping him? I don't want to push him further with anymore explanations, but I would like to know what's going on."
Smiling, confirming she would. Nilia gestured the others to also join the conversation.
"You see Leo, we were here on a quest. To find something to cure Lady Alhein, Zander's mother."
"How could I forget!?"
Zander then raised up his arm, smacking himself hard, leaving a mark. Ashamed he forgot something of that caliber.
Rushing over and hugging him tight, Nilia and Thorosa held him back from any more harm he'd bring himself.
"Zander, don't do that to yourself!"
"No one blames you! We're just happy you are even mentally stable!"
Consoled the two, Remus and Famulus soon joining to comfort Zander. Leo stood to the side, he felt he should let them have their moment—he wasn't used to seeing his uncle having someone who cares about him, except himself.
After calming down, Zander apologized to his friends, guilt still gnawing at him. One thing still waved heavy on his mind.
"Did we find the cure? A-And what about the Mingrab?"
"I cut it down shortly after it grasped your mind and forced you to… "
Thorosa put her head down in sorrow. Zander understood this and didn't push further.
"And the potion for the mistress…We have it."
"How!? I thought…"
"The creature dropped it soon after Thorosa slayed it."
Affirmed Famulus, putting Zander at peace.
"Well since we got what we came for, we were gonna sets' out the moment we got you back! But it haaasss been three weeks since that!"
"I've been out for three weeks!? We have to hurry then! We'll start going back to Rango right now!"
Remus informing Zander, quickly got him up and going. They could waste no time whatsoever! But Leo was stuck on the fact his uncle had a whole new family, it hurt his heart more than he'd care to admit.
'Also, who the hell is Rango?'
The others quickly agreed with Zander, packing up the camp they've set up.
Thorosa then pick up some gear they came across on their journey and handed Leo a well worn tunic and sword to defend himself.
"Here. Please wear that until we arrive back home. I promise you some better gear then."
"Deal."
Having put on the clothes on and arming himself, Leo approach his uncle.
"Hey unc, can I ask for a favor?"
"Course Li, what is it?"
"You can create water with magic, right?… I assume anyway… Mind producing some so I can see myself."
…
"I understand. Sure thing."
A bright light then appeared in his hand, forming into a water ball. It then dropped on the ground creating a mirror for Leo to stare into.
When he looked in, he saw why he felt so unfamiliar with himself. European like his uncle, an blue eyes unlike his own. The worst of all was that he was sixteen again, the last time his uncle saw him before he went into a coma.
Great just, fucking great.