Chapter 7: Xena
"Do you know about an expert wielding snake powers? Someone whose spells can elude even my Father and Mother?" Han asked, getting straight to the point.
The woman’s eyes shone mischievously. "Yes."
This feisty bitch. She’ll drag it out until I ask specific questions to get all the answers.
Han was too tired to bully this woman with his Dark Cauldron Art. He decided to take it slowly. He needed a breather too.
He sat in a chair and rested his arms on his thighs, looking down. "Your name?"
"Xena. Finally asking for my name after torturing me for a week? You’re so considerate, Han!" Xena raised her head and glared down at Han, who still didn’t care to lift his head.
He clenched his fists to control himself. "How many experts like that could plot against me and my parents?"
"Like what?" Xena asked, smirking.
"You really don’t want to head outside, do you?" Han asked.
"Yes. I really want to go outside, do your bidding, and maybe die saving your trash self!" Xena replied.
Her words drew a smirk from Han. He didn’t think that way. Instead, he believed Xena would do her best to serve him well so that her future would be more than a simple cauldron. The realization made him think he was still too kind and too focused on Earth’s moral code.
Well, there’s always some sentiment to ’first-timers.’ She’s my first cauldron, and she’s hot. Feisty and vulgar, too, but I don’t expect a fairy given my origins. My Mother also caught her, so her potential should be high. But she’s right. It’d go more her way than mine. I’d use her, even as a shield if I needed one.
"You’re correct. I will use you a lot. Let’s continue with the questioning. How many snake experts in the underworld can elude my Father?" Han asked.
Xena had no way of dodging his question this time. "At least six."
"How can I find out whether any of them had a connection to my family or visited us twenty-one years ago?" Han asked.
"Just check your family’s records!" Xena barked, mad that this man was asking such a naive question.
"Oh, our family keeps records like a company?" Han mumbled aloud.
Xena clicked her tongue. "Even in the underworld, you have to pay taxes!"
Han widened his eyes. Actually?
Xena continued, shouting. "There are no family ties in the Dark Families, just contracts and businesses! Your Father demands records of every member of your family so long as they use the Tenaxis surname and operate in its business areas. Anything suspicious, and you’re fucking dead!"
"Who usually has access to those records?" Han asked.
"Competent people, so you’d better forget about it!" Xena spat.
Han ended the conversation having learned the names of the snake experts. Along the way, he also learned that there were demi-human races, and snake people were one of them. It broadened the circle of potential suspects, but Han was excited to meet different races.
Leaving Xena’s room, Han spotted two maids waiting for him.
One of them asked, "Young Master Han, how many spells have you learned?"
"Dark Cauldron Art and Dark Dragon," Han replied.
The maid nodded. "Remembering your desire to hunt, would you perhaps be interested in clearing the forest of monsters with us?"
Han nodded. "Yes. We’ll do it tomorrow. I’m spent right now."
"Of course." The maid bowed, and the second one did as well.
Back in his room, Han plopped onto the bed face-first. He thought about this monster hunt. From his memories, he knew that many powerful monsters dwelled in the forest around his mansion. They kept the ecosystem in place and were also a major deterrent to the Tenaxis Household’s enemies.
His maids knew safe paths and would be able to guide him through the forest.
Clearing monsters means there are too many, or they’ve grown complacent, forgetting who the master of this forest is.
That was naturally Han’s father, and his command of so many people able to clear the monsters sent a clear message.
Han looked forward to tomorrow and quickly fell asleep.
—
It was early morning. The sun had just risen, and the rest of Han’s mansion was waking up, too. He walked to Xena’s room and woke her with a shout.
"Wake up, Xena!" Han called.
She opened her eyes and grimaced. "You’re such a fucking sadist. Don’t you know that women need beauty sleep?"
"You just want to sleep more, bitch," Han said. "We’re going out to have some fun with monsters. I want to see what you’re capable of! Shit’s going to be fun. Hanna, dress her up. She came with some clothes, right?"
"Yes, Young Master Han. Please give me five minutes," the maid replied.
"Sure." Han nodded and left the room, humming.
He couldn’t wait to see how his Dark Dragon fared against monsters!