208 EYES THE SAME EMERALD GREEN AS HIS (1/2)

ANTHEA and Aurum were both standing at the runway where vehicles that entered the island usually land.  They were waiting for the carriage that was about to enter the island.

When Black told them that Jaxon's gryphon-drawn carriage was closing in, Aurum and her mother quickly left the villa and walked here.  Aurum told her mother that she should just wait at the villa.  After all, she could see that her mother was still exhausted from all the ordeal she went through.  But Anthea refused and said that it would be rude not to welcome a friend personally.  Especially when that friend was about to experience something that might change his life forever.

Aurum had no doubt that his mother was talking about the upcoming meeting between Uncle Jax and Janea.  A meeting that would confirm if the half-elf was indeed Uncle Jax' son.  But based on the reaction of her mother when she met Janea, it was definitely the case.

”Mother, how did Uncle Jax become lovers with an elf?” she thought of asking while they were waiting.

Anthea chuckled.  ”'Lovers'?  When did my Aurum learned of such a word?”

Aurum blushed and then pouted when she realized she was being teased.  ”Mother, I'm turning 15 in less than a month.  In some countries, I could already get married.  It's not weird for me to know such word.”

Anthea stroke Aurum's soft golden hair.  ”Yes, my Aurum is all grown-up now.”

”Mother--!”

Anthea chuckled again and then looked up at the sky.  ”I'm not really sure of the specifics.  By the time I met your father and Jax, Ylannea was already sailing with them.  Ylannea, that's her name.  She was very beautiful.  With long white blond hair and a pair of the bluest eyes.”

She actually thought that she was Dorian's lover.  They just fit so perfectly together.  Like two beings with out-of-this-world beauty.  That thought, of course, made her angry.  After all, she left her tribe for him.  She didn't do that just to find out that he had another lover.

But she was soon proven wrong when he saw Jaxon and Ylannea together.  Just seeing them standing together, one could see how much they loved each other.  And then, he soon learned about her being an elf.  Ylannea was always wearing a hood, so she never suspected that she was one.  Heck, that possibility never even crossed her mind.

”Then how did Uncle Jax and the elf separated?” Aurum asked.

”I also don't know the answer to that.  She just vanished.”

When Dorian and Jaxon separated for that particular voyage, that was also the last time she saw Ylannea.  Because she disappeared right after that.  Anthea was not really privy to what happened.  She asked Dorian, but he also wasn't sure of what happened.  They also couldn't make themselves ask Jaxon.  Because the guy was in so much anguish and pain, just the mere mention of Ylannea's name was enough to make him suffer.

Then years passed by.  Jaxon stopped being an adventurer and took over his family's business.  Dorian went missing.  She gave birth to twins.

And now all of them were in this situation.

Aurum also raised her head and looked at the sky.  ”This would be very hard for Uncle Jax.”

The woman he loved suddenly disappeared.  And then many years later, he suddenly found out that he and that woman had a son.  Aurum couldn't imagine what she would feel in that situation.

A moment later, they saw a carriage being drawn by four gryphons entering the shield protecting the island.  It flew down and swiftly landed on the runway.  It stopped a few distance away from where Aurum and Anthea were standing.

The door of the carriage opened and a man climbed down.

Aurum was slightly startled when she saw Jaxon.  His dark blond hair was in a wild disarray, there were dark circles under his eyes, there were stubbles on his face – in short, he's a complete mess.

”Thea, Aurum,” he greeted, walking to them.  He tried to smile but it only appeared forced.

”Hey, don't force yourself to smile if you couldn't.  It's just making you look ugly,” Anthea joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Jaxon's awkward smile disappeared.  His expression immediately turned serious.  ”Where is he?”

”You're not going to clean yourself up first before seeing him?” Anthea suggested.  ”I don't know if you notice, but you don't really look presentable right now.”

Jaxon looked down at himself and only then realized his current state.  He looked absolutely shabby.  How could he meet the boy looking so shabby?  What if he thought he's just some poor random guy?  No, he couldn't possibly make such a bad first impression.

”Then, if I could borrow your bath,” he said.

”Then, follow us,” Anthea said.