It had been a mere chance encounter with Raile, a one in a million chance one would say. The eccentric merchant was rarely ever seen outside of his office, let alone known to show up unannounced. The merchant had wandered into the castle and happened upon something rather unique; Lewis fluttering away at the keys of a magnificently made piano. What shocked him more was the eloquent voice that rang alongside it; the voice of a songbird, Simone…

Silver crescents flickered across his eyes…and he knew then and there that he was sitting on a wealth of opportunity.


—-

Vibrant and delicate sounds filled the air at the Angel Cabaret. Tonight was a special night, one where the dancers took a night off. It was a different kind of event, a showcase of elegance and beauty. A silver haired man, dressed in a dark red tuxedo, his hands dexterously dancing across the keys of a piano. A solemn melody filled the air, accompanied by none other than the dark-winged Simone, her voice following in perfect harmony. The two melodies intertwined, creating an ethereal atmosphere, entrancing all who listened.

The spotlight was on the Terrowins, for all to see. Yet, none of their friends were there. For a show such as this, their friends had to have known and come to support them, yet…

Raile was in the back room, counting out the silver. “Those two are definitely a weird bunch…dunno why they want to keep this a secret.” He smirked, and pushed a pile to the side, marking it down in his notebook. “A promise is a promise…”

“Is it now?” a curious Xeik asked as he entered the room. “And what exactly did you promise them?”

“Busted,” Raile replied with a sigh.

—-

The show ended with a roaring applause as usual, and Lewis took a half bow. He hated the theatrics that went with the show, but he couldn’t deny that there was a sense of satisfaction that came with the whole spectacle. Perhaps this was something he could do long term as well…the duet between him and the beautiful songstress…

His eyes, though, laid upon a familiar face in the crowd, and his enjoyment collapsed into irritation. Xeik. Of course that nosy healer would find out. Raile was going to have a lot of explaining to do…

Simone and Lewis were finding new hobbies to do. Ever since Lewis retired it was getting harder and harder to remain very busy despite all their children. That was when they took up music. They already knew that Simone could sing and her voice had only gotten better since her transformation into a bird. Lewis finding out he had musical talent was a plus.

Locking arms with her husband she gave a graceful bow with him. They were a popular attraction on their music nights at the Angel Cabaret. She was dressed in an off-shoulder midnight blue gown. The fabric sparkled like stars under the candlelight.

Once Lewis noticed Xeik she tilted her head as her and her husband exited the stage. “So… Xeik found out,” Simone solemnly said. It wouldn’t be long before the rest of the group found out. “You owe us, Raile… Now we have no choice but to perform in front of them.”

Was that what their issue was? Performing in front of people they knew. Or the fact they had to deal with requests from their friends. “SO what do you need from us since you literally hunted us down?” As soon as Xeik as shown up Simone was sitting down in Raile’s office. Though she had something in her hand. It looked like a packet of papers. “We can discuss this after Xeik leaves~ It’s a secret.”

Raile was not looking forward to what they wanted. It was usually expensive when the Terrowin family made requests. Of course, the Terrowin family was also a figurative gold mine when it came to talents and things he could exploit to make money, so there did seem to be a trade off.

Lewis crossed his arms, glaring at Xeik. “Couldn’t you just let this one go? We do want to have a life that doesn’t involve everyone sometimes.”

“Somehow I doubt that,” Xeik responded with a sigh. “Besides, it’s not often I get dirt on you two. I am obligated to take full advantage of thi-”

Out of seemingly nowhere, Raile appeared at the side of the conversation, a sadistic grin across his face. “Oh Xeeeeiiiikkk,” he said in a rather ominous tone. “Angela owes me some favors…”

Lewis rolled his eyes, “Oh great…here we go again.”

“What is it Raile,” Xeik replied with a solemn look on his face. “What could I possibly provide you…”

Raile stared at Xeik for a moment. “Your violin.”

Xeik seemed to freeze a little. “I…don’t know what you’re talking ab-”

The merchant smirked. “Oh please. Leilah told me. Lady Angela has you learning it on the side. And that means…”

“Oh no,” Lewis and Xeik both replied in complete unison.

“Oh yes,” Raile shot back with glee. “I want you to help. As a favor to me. After all…a world class songstress and two world class instrumentals on the side…I could make millions!”

The Divine Healer closed his eyes, “I’m regretting this already…”

Simone smirked a bit at Raile’s request. Was he trying to save them or condemn them all? “We practice on Mondays in the afternoon and Wednesdays at night. Also, sometimes Lewis and I practice at night when we can’t sleep. We have a specific diet that we’ve been trying on days we perform and if you are going to help us you are going to have to do it too.”


“Anyways…” Once they got done picking on Xeik she shoved him out of the room. “Stay here for a second. Away from the door. Twenty steps that way. I’m putting up a silencing spell too.” She pulled Lewis back into the room and slammed the door on Xeik.

Simone smacked the papers down on the desk. “This is what Lewis and I want. We won’t take less. The plans are in there and what we require. We’ve been thinking about it and drafting the plans up for nearly two years now.”

Lewis crossed his arms and nodded alongside Simone. It was easy enough to go along with her absurd demands, and when she mentioned the diet, Xeik gave them an incredulous look.

Now it was his turn to seal the deal. “A very specific diet. Bird seed. Not the regular kind either. Ayato Special Blend. It stimulates the mind and body. Real game changer when it comes to focus. Of course, we’re civilized about it. Straight off a plate. It’s not half bad when you mix it with the morning greens either and-”

Xeik threw up his hands. “Fine, FINE whatever…” He was curious at why Raile seemed impatient and ready to talk. Unfortunately, Xeik was pushed off by Simone. After all, they had to have their own secrets…

Lewis smirked, “Oh this is going to be fun…”

They turned their attention to Raile, and proceeded back to his office. Simone was quick to drop down a pile of paperwork.

Raile sighed, and opened it up. “A home away from home,” he said, flipping through papers. “All of this seems pretty run of the mill for a summer vacation home…except.” He paused. “You don’t…want it to be a summer home. You want it to be a winter…home?” He looked up at them with a curious gaze.

“We live in a summer home basically. Might as well go for something on the opposite end of the spectrum,” Lewis stated with a matter-of-fact tone. “It gets too hot sometimes.”

Raile nodded slowly, and flipped through more of the papers. “Let’s see…” He opened his desk drawer, and pulled out a folder full of what looked like titles and deeds. “No, no, no,” he said as he flipped through them. “Ah. Here it is.” He pulled out a set of papers, and handed them over to Simone. “Ómun Isle. It’s quite literally in the middle of the ocean, between Onnen and Itjivut. I won it in a low stakes card game, and haven’t found a way to offload it onto anyone, but…seems like a good fit for what you want location wise.”

Simone looked at the title and looked back up at Raile. “Is there a castle on the island already? Or mansion. Lewis won’t settle for anything small or medium. Only the best he says.”

Raile shook his head, “Only a large natural field of hot springs.”

“THAT’S PERFECT,” Simone clasped her hands. “We were thinking about making our own but if it has some already. I’ll be right back…” Simone gated into her office and came back with several dozen blueprints.

“This is what we want for a home. We want it just in front of the hot springs.” She sprawled the large mansion blueprints out for Raile. “We’re willing to pay of course. I’ve been stashing away all my writing funds for this. And this is the tropical greenhouse we want built off to the side. Complete with indoor gazebo and the works. The list of plants we require…. Everything.”

She crossed her arms, “When can this all be ready?”

Raile looked over the blueprints, and closed his eyes. It was obvious that he was doing some mental math, and when he opened his eyes, he looked as if he had an answer. “If we do it the traditional way, it would take a few years. But I think if we pool your funds alongside some labor from a very talented woman I’m in love with, we can make it happen a bit faster. And, the other very talented woman I’m in love with can help with the plants.”

“You’re terrifying sometimes, Raile,” Lewis stated.

“So I’ve been told,” he replied with a grin. “I estimate this will take…” He ran some more numbers. “1,800,000 silver. At least.”

Lewis and Simone both shrugged, as if the amount were trivial to them.

“Figured,” the merchant replied with a smile. “You two are always prepared. All right then, let’s start laying the groundwork. I’ll call around and we should be able to get started by the end of the month. I’ll get it taken care of.”