"What did you say?" Jonathan's eyes turned dark as his eyebrows furrowed. "Some thugs dared to attack my little sister?!"
"Yes, we have our people currently investigating the identity of these people... We'll have to wait and see what clues we get." Alexander replied bitterly. The hands on his knees were shaking as he clenched them in his anger.
Currently, Jonathan and Alexander were in the Golden Cloud Inn, having chose the location to have their discussion on the happenings that lead up to his little sister's happenstance meeting with the little kitten.
Sat at the table, Jonathan and his father sat across from one another while at their side, Andria sat happily with the kitten in her hands, swaying her head back and forth cheerily as the kitten looked on with a dull expression. Her feet danced back and forth as well, hovering a little ways off from the inn's floor.
"So it just happened that my new companion saved my little sister in her desperate moment, fancy that." Jonathan smirked as he eyed the kitten who was being forcibly rocked back and forth along with his sister's movement. The little kitted just rolled her feline eyes at him.
"Indeed... So how did you come across such a peculiar Magical Beast?" Alexander asked as he also took a look at the rather normal looking kitten in Andria's hands. Except from her luxurious silver fur, she looked just like any cat you would find in a families home as a cute pet.
"We found her in Red Winter Forest more than a month ago... We realised she was a peculiar thing as well, and I thought she might make a good companion to Andria when she headed off to Raven Academy in two years." Jonathan explained as he happily reminisced on what seemed so long ago, but in actuality had only been little more than a full month's time in the past.
"I see, that makes sense. She does seem to hold some level of talent, having been able to take down two Magician's without injury." Alexander nodded his head in understanding. "But what are her origins, is she safe?"
"Without a Communication device, our conversation's have been limited. But from my experience so far with her, she's as safe as a cat can get. You know, with all that scratching that they do." Jonathan laughed, getting a hiss out of the cat.
"Big Brother!" Andria's voice suddenly cut in, her eyes seemed to be sparkling in their excitement. "D-did you say you were going to gift Little Fang to me?!"
"Hehe, Little Fang, huh?" Jonathan chuckled at the name, he found it an appropriate name. Despite not being able to understand her, he could tell she had a sharp mouth. "Well, that was my thought. But in the end, that is only if that is what our Little Fang here wants to."
Andria turned to the kitten in her hands expectantly with glassy eyes.
The kitten stayed silent, looking neither here nor there as she thought on this point internally. 'I guess its about time I really gave this some much needed thought...'
"For now, we should get the kitten a communicator so we can have a proper discussion." Alexander said with a smile.
"Oh, will they have one here?" Jonathan was surprised, Magical items that allowed Magical Beast's to converse through it were rather rare.
"While communicator's are rare, in the end they are only classed as Violet Rarity Dull Magical Items. We should be able to pick one up here." Alexander responded nonchalantly.
"Then let's do that." Jonathan was away to stand up when his father gestured for him to stay put, instead signalling a nearby soldier over to their side.
"On behalf of the Wilderwolf family, find a Magical Beast Communicator and return here as soon as possible. I here that there is a rather large 'Howling Paragon' shop somewhere around here, try there first." Alexander rattled off his order with a sternness often seen in leaders.
"Right away, sir!" The soldier replied confidently. Gathering a few other free soldier's that Wilderwolf soldier had around the inn and set off to complete his mission with no fuss.
"Now then, let's talk more about how my eldest son is doing." Alexander returned his attention to Jonathan, a smile on his usually cold face. "I would have thought you and your Uncle would be somewhere outside of Falcio this far into your year of adventuring."
"Yeah, we spent the first half of the year touring Falcio's twelve allied Kingdoms and even stepped into the Winding Dragon Empire for a while." Jonathan reminisced. "Uncle thought that we should spend two months or so back in Falcio, saying that while gaining outside experience would be important for me, exploring Falcio was also important, being that I was destined to be an important figure here. Now that I think about it, its already been around two months since we've been in Falcio. We'll probably be heading out soon in that case."
"If that's so, being that your currently situated in the North, the only direction would be some of our northern allied Kingdoms. Beyond them, to the furthest North is the North Fang Empire and to our North-East is the Claw Reverence Empire as well." Alexander spoke his thoughts aloud. "Being our fragile relationship with the North Fang Empire, I'm going to assume your Uncle will lead you North-East towards the Claw Reverence Empire."
"That sound plausible." Jonathan agreed.
Suddenly, Alexander's face turned serious as he said. "Son, if you do end up going to the Claw Reverence Empire, you need to be on guard and be careful!"
"Oh, why's that?" Jonathan asked before a sudden realisation hit him. "Does this have something to do with the event that Mum, Aunt and Granddad are investigating? I remember Uncle Kil mentioning something like this not too long ago."
"Yes. Just be careful, this is something that has drawn the attention of Magician's at the Sky Realm! You can imagine the danger's to someone at your level." Alexander warned seriously. Jonathan had already told his father that he had reached the Spirit Rank, but despite that, in the eyes of a Sky Magician, anyone in the Earth Realm were like ants to their titanic feet.
"Wah, is Mummy in danger?!" Andria exclaimed with reddened eyes as she was also only learning of this information at this moment as well.
"Ah, don't worry little An." Alexander was flustered as he began to pet his daughter lovingly. "Mummy's going to be perfectly fine. She's got your awesome Aunt by her side, an Emperor Magician! And your Mummies pretty awesome too!"
Andria held back her incoming tears and nodded. "Hmm."
The little kitten stretched her neck and licked the girl's cheek, who smiled happily in return, her spirits lifted.
Casual conversation between the Wilderwolf family continued for about a half-an-hour before the doors to the Golden Cloud Inn opened with the return of the Wilderwolf soldier's. The ones who were sent out to retrieve the Magical Beast Communicator. With an accomplished smile, the soldier in front walked up to Alexander's side, delicately holding a long wooden box of a violet colour. On its top was the symbol of the 'Howling Paragon'.
"We were in luck, the 'Howling Paragon' just happened to have one left." The soldier happily reported, extending the box forward, allowing Alexander to take the box off his hands. His job done, he joined the other soldier's at a nearby table, giving their employers their personal space.
'Is it really?!...' The little kitten's eyes glittered in anticipation and her eyes were glued to that violet box. 'Will I finally be able to talk?'
"So Andria can talk to Little Fang, now?" Andria's eyes also lit up in excitement.
"So we'll finally be able to talk to each other now." Jonathan was also rather excited, his one way coversations were finally over.
"Meow!" The little kitten cheerily mewed her agreement.
"Little An, be a dear and place the cat on the table please." Alexander flashed her a warm smile and she quickly assented. Her excitement about the communicator winning over her possessiveness to hold the soft ball of fur. 'But Little Fang's so comfy in Andria's arms... Andria can only be strong, like the big girl Andrisa is!'
Opening the box, Alexander delicately pulled out what turned out to be a pristine white collar. The collar had intricate cyan runes all throughout it and at its front region, a ruby coloured stone shun beautifully.
On the table, the little kitten walked up to Andria and Jonathan's father with expectant eyes. Alexander didn't waste time, leaning forwards and detaching the collar she was currently wearing, not forgetting the calling bell as well, which he attached to the new collar. Then with nimble hands, the new white collar was attached around the kitten neck.
"There we go... Now all you have to do is activate that red stone, which is the actual Magical Beast Communicator, whenever you wish to speak." Alexander leaned back with a smile.
Now, all eyes were on the kitten and for the first time, she felt she was at a loss for words. In the end, she could only mumble out a "Hi."
When a young, delicate and rather beautiful voice entered his ears, sounding similar to the voice he often hears when she is chanting her spells, Jonathan couldn't help the smile forming his lips.
"That's the longest time I've waited for someone to return a greeting!" Jonathan laughed aloud, exceptionally pleased to finally hear the little kitten's voice.
"Little Fang talked! She talked!" Andria clapped her hands excitedly.
"Looks like everything's in order." Alexander was more concerned about how well the device was working and found it to be working satisfactory.
"Ha... Haha... Hahaha! I can finally talk, now there's nothing holding this cat back!" The little kitten held her chin high. Her biggest weakness had been conquered!
Though some some would argue her biggest weakness would be her unbounded arrogance...