Angor met many storms on The Redbud but none lasted for such a long time. The steersman could always control the ship to move out of the stormy area within half an hour.
The cloud whale never stopped flying. Seven hours should be enough for the creature to get around the Old Earth for more than once. So why were they still inside the storm?
How much area was affected by the storm? The entire Devil’s Water? Angor could not believe his own idea. If it was true, this storm was as terrible as the Thunder of Ending recorded in the fairytale of Goldspink Empire.
He could not think of anything else when the truth was right in front of his eyes.
The Thunder of Ending, or whatever it was, did not matter. He was a mortal. Someone else was there to control the situation. With that in mind, Angor relaxed his spirit.
However, he soon began to worry about Toby.
Did Toby get back to the tent in this weather?
The bird might be an asshole, but it had been staying with Angor for a month now, so Angor could not help but to worry about it.
As Angor was lost in his thoughts, someone knocked on the door of the library.
“Come in.” Angor put away his worry and revealed his usual, indifferent expression.
A man wearing a black robe and a mask decorated with bright totems walked in. He bowed towards Angor politely, then spoke in a muffled voice, “Mister Padt. The dinner is ready, and the master is asking you to join him.”
There were many robed, masked men like him on the cloud whale. They appeared to be Sunders’ servants. They were in charge of bringing Angor’s meals and would leave immediately. Angor did not know where they stayed or what they usually did. He could not even tell their genders clearly.
“The teacher asks me to have dinner?” Angor doubted.
The robed man confirmed in the muffled voice. He stepped aside and made a “this way please” gesture.
Angor nodded and followed behind in a casual manner. However, he did not feel casual. He always ate alone. Why did Sunders suddenly ask him to eat together?
Maybe Sunders could not wait for an answer any longer?
Angor decided to go to the Nightmare Realm. However, he believed he should always prepare for changes rather than plans, so he was waiting for the last day, in case Sunders changed his attitude which could allow Angor to amend his decision.
With many questions in mind, Angor stepped into the dining hall.
He never came here before. The floor was covered by a soft carpet, and the red wall was decorated by a number of oil paintings. A square, open-center dining table sat in the middle. The hall was brightly illuminated by candles.
Of course, it still could not compare with the golden banquet room in Barbie’s Restaurant.
Sunders and Flora were already here. Sunders sat at the host’s seat, in his black gentleman wear. He was stuffing a napkin into his chest pocket. Flora sat to his right. She was not wearing her usual rose dress today. Instead, she brought a dark-violet laced bubble skirt. She had been cutting something with her knife.
“Little Red” clung on her back as always. When it noticed Angor, the flames in its eye sockets turned into the shape of a crescent moon. It reached out a skeletal arm and bowed towards Angor.
Angor returned the gesture with a smile.
“This way,” Sunders pointed at the seat on his left.
Angor walked towards the seat, nodded to Flora, and finally sat down.
Flora giggled at him. Her eerie tone ringed around in the hall.
“Angor, from now on, if you don’t have other plans, come here for your meals. Goode will show you the way,” Sunders arranged his tableware as he spoke to Angor.
Goode? Angor was puzzled until Flora pointed a finger at the robed, masked figure. He finally realized there was a fourth man in the room.
So his name was Goode… Angor threw a curious look at him. He was wearing a full mask so Angor could not see any facial features. Even his eyes were hidden.
“Goode is the leader of all Phantom Servants, and teacher’s butler,” Flora explained. She added, “His mask has those red and yellow blood spell lines on it while the other servants do not. Don’t get the wrong guy. Heehee!”
Without Flora’s hint, Angor would not have noticed the difference between Goode’s mask and those of the other servants.
The meal was served in individual shares, with sweet corn and egg as the main dish, sided with seafood stew and roasted meat of some unknown creature. The taste was good, but Angor still missed Jon’s Chinese cooking.
He would not enjoy them again any time soon… Angor felt sad in his mind. Then he recalled seeing many recipes in his tablet. With those, maybe he could try to cook them himself?
Everyone ate in silence. Even Flora maintained her table manner.
After they were finished, no one spoke. The embarrassing quietness lasted for another ten minutes.
Angor glimpsed at Sunders, who was wearing his usual cold look, then at Flora, who had been thinking about her own business. Angor felt his heart shaking.
Maybe they are waiting for me to speak first?
But what could he say? His final choice, of course.
Angor hesitated. Well, he had to give them an answer in ten days anyway.
In the end, Angor chose to break the silence, “Teacher, I’ve been thinking in the last night, and I’ll choose the third…”
Before Sunders could reply, Flora spoke first.
“Third? What third?” She sounded puzzled. Then she followed by another eerie giggle, “Heehee. Are you doing some shady business in private?”
Angor did not quite understand Flora.
She did not know about the options Sunders gave him? Then what was with the silence? They were not waiting for anything?
Sunders’ response confirmed Angor’s idea.
“Made up your mind so soon? I warned you to think carefully,” Sunders raised an eyebrow and spoke doubtfully.
Seeing how Sunders was a little unsatisfied, Angor felt like crying. He thought they were waiting for his answer. So it was not the case at all!
Well, he already spoke that out, now he must go with it.
Angor looked at Sunders and nodded firmly. “Yes. I’ve thought this through,”
Psh. As if.
Sunders paused for a moment.
“Okay then. Wait for me to come back, and I shall prepare to enter the Nightmare Realm.”
“To the Nightmare Realm?” said Flora. She looked between Sunders and Angor with widened eyes. “Him?!”
Sunders nodded. “That channeling method book should give him a good starting point.”
So he wanted to go to the Nightmare Realm for the book…
Flora remained silent. She had been following Sunders for years, so she knew what he was planning.
How could Angor obtain something when Sunders spent nearly 200 years and failed?
Flora pondered. She finally focused her guess on Angor’s talent.
Angor managed to take the rose from Little Red. That was the “create truth” phenomenon which was unique to the Nightmare Realm. Maybe the boy’s talent was “creating truth” with a hundred percent chance? That would be awesome. The Nightmare Realm was full of treasures!