Walking home she was feeling a lot better, or more alright at least, after her outburst of nervosity. With Dex next to her she showed him around; telling him what was what. The Tarajan Forest was a safe zone for them but feared and admired all on its own by outsiders.
There was plant life in the wilderness, part strikingly beautiful, part dangerous as hell. Many of them were ingredients for Chry’s Laboratory, growing here wildly in chaos ever since the small greenhouse accident where Emery burned down half the house for stain removal. What the reason for that had actually been she could not remember, but it had been sort of funny, in the unbelieving kind of way.

A Rosebush was growing up a tree in full bloom like a lady flaunting her colors for the world to see, blossoming in soft shades of whitish pink. Picking up one of the delicate flowers she admired the rose before tearing off the few thorns and tucking the flower behind Dex’s ear. The boy was puzzled by the sudden fact he was wearing a flower. 

“Suits you.” Gene said, and laughed at him. 

“Th-Thanks.” He smiled slightly awkwardly, taking the flower out and admiring the colors, “But is it not a bit too delicate for living out here?”

“Don’t worry these roses look pretty and delicate but they have thorns, and if I had not removed them they would have hurt you.” Titania said, “Everything in nature has its weapons and the reason nature is like it is today is because humans forgot.” 

“Humans forgot?” He asked, tilting his head at her questioningly. 

“Yes, you won’t hear about it in school but actually there had been a time without mages, without monsters, and with a peaceful earth. They called it the golden age.” She explained and stopped at a white barked tree, “This is a Birch.” she said. “It is deathly poisonous if you get into direct contact with your bloodstream. Even touching it causes terrible rashes.”

Dex took a step back and she smiled at him. 

“Once upon a time it had been simply a white barked tree.” she explained, “Without poison. But then Humans became greedy, we took and took from nature until it fought back. Except for a few major cities, the human race was closing in on its destruction… And then the mages appeared. It led to the life we live today, many of the great human cities were rebuilt and humans lived there again… But it was never the same. Outside of the carefully maintained walls we build around ourselves if you were not a mage you would be little more than prey.” 

“But you are a passive mage, your abilities are centered around humans, no?” He asked as they continued walking. Titania caressed a few leaves that trembled underneath her touch.  

“Who says that striking deals making and contracts is only possible between humans?” she asked him with a faint smile countering the question and looked at the forests, “Oath Magic is ancient, it was among the first kinds of magic that appeared, but then was lost; no one knows what its limits are. There are stories around, lots of stories. I believe it possible to make deals with monsters.” 

“But monsters' only goal is to grow stronger and to hunt humans. Nobody even knows why they are so fixated on humans.” Dex said. Titania shook her head. 

“Not entirely true, I want to introduce you to someone.” Titania waved to Dex and he followed along as they walked through the forest, “This is Tarajan territory, human trerritory, and you know why no human ever comes in here despite that?” 

“Because everyone fears the Tarajan, since they are strong.” Dex said, “That is why I wanted to become one. I wanted to be strong, no longer in the gutters.” 

“That is a goal, and you are right but that is only partly the reason.” Seeing a small tree she smiled and knelt down, “Hello my friend.” She greeted a purple leaf swaying into her direction. 

“Friend?” Dex asked with hesitation taking a cautious step back from the plant. 

“Friend.” Titania said and felt a leaf take her hand carefully, as a greeting. 

Dex saw the action and approached carefully and kneeled down next to her. “Hello.” he greeted the little tree and earned a tremble from it as the purple leaves swayed in his direction, “I believe that monsters and humans can live in harmony with each other.” Titania said, “My mom calls it a naive dream, but she could not refuse that dreams may very well make reality happen.” 

“Dreams make reality happen?”

“Without a dream, a goal, how is one to achieve something?” Titania tilted her head asking Dex if he saw any difference. 

“...There is…” Dex stopped before smiling at her, “You’re right, without a dream of getting stronger I wouldn’t have ended here.” 

“See, it doesn’t always have to be the big dreams.” Titania shook her head. She took Dex’s hand and started walking the small beaten path, winding its way to the Tarajan residence. The iron gates, the giant building in the middle, and the well maintained gardens. 

“Leafie is not the only one in the Tarajan Forests, there are others you only see rarely but they are there.” She explained, giving a wave to their gatekeeper who promptly opened the doors for them. Walking through the Gardens Dex observed the rose bushes that their mother was growing. 

“Why a Phoenix?” He suddenly asked, “Why is there everywhere the symbol of a Phoenix?”

“It is our coat of arms.” Titania explained, “The Phoenix is a mythical beast, maybe above the tenth Order they say. It lives deeply in the forests where no human ever sets foot. Whenever a couple of Centuries pass, it is reborn through fire, burning itself to cinder and then rising up from the ashes. Though, that’s just a legend.” 

“Above tenth Order?” He asked with wonder and Titania nodded, humming her agreement.

“Yeah, there is no official designation to it since there has never been any being even getting close to one, but there are stronger things then a tenth order mage. As I said, we humans rank pretty low on the totem pole now, even though we were once on top.” 

Dex seemed to be more fascinated with everything she said, running after her and suddenly stopping in front of the house, “I really have a place now.” He muttered and Titania started laughing. 

“Yeah you’ve got a home now, we are keepers, a bit mad but keepers and you are a Tarajan in  all that but blood like Chrys little birds, with the difference that I am not Chry.”

“They scare me a bit, you, your mom the most, your brothers, your sister and her people.” Dex said, “Though your sister's people are scary and strange, they obey her every word, even though they are strong themselves they don’t have to. I also don’t know why you are called sane, because you are not really.” He moved his fingers and Titania started laughing. 

“I know it seems strange, but Sis and her people, they all have their own story. You have to know every single one of the Birds had a choice; they weren’t forced into it. Sis is a bit wild but she is not really into rape or forced servitude.” Looking up to the third floor windows she sighed, “None of them can really leave where they are today, but that isn’t my story to tell. If you really want to know their reasons you can just ask them. As for me, to be honest, I don’t care about other people, they are my Family and that is that. If I were sane I would do more to change them, I would maybe leave, see that they are getting their justice. But they are my family, and that goes above all, it’s about loyalty.” 

“Ask them…” Dex muttered and looked up before he shook his head. “Well it doesn’t really matter. They said I am their little brother and that’s enough for me. Besides, you gave me a home that is all I needed. Now I just have to grow real strong then no one can bully me, or the Tarajan.” 

Dex ran into the building leaving Titania with a light feeling as she ran after him, “Hey wait.” 

Inside she saw him kneel on the floor as soon as she came in and her mother standing in front of her, “Titania.” She spoke and went to her daughter. Moving her hand, she patted Titania's head, “Good work with the monster and a decent illusion.” 

Decent Illusion. Mom said decent Illusion. 

Titania looked after her mother having trouble believing what she just heard there, had her mother just complimented her with a decent illusion. A decent Illusion, there was no higher praise from that woman. 

Someone pinch me. Did that really just happen? 

She stood there having trouble believing it. Suddenly, a shadow pinched her cheek, “Hey. Cedric.” Titania complained loudly, receiving just a giggle in response. 

“Well done, little sis.” Her brother said from somewhere. 

“Come here you, I am the older one you know!” She shouted back and rushed to the sofa, grabbing and throwing a pillow in the direction the voice was coming from. Next to her, Drake, who walked out of one mysterious servant pathway shot her a sharp glance which had her putting the second pillow back on the couch. 

“Ouch. A mile wide miss.” Cedric said and laughed, popping his head out of the shadow he stayed in. “And I may have snagged some of your exam questions, want them?” He held a few papers up and Titania rushed towards them. 

“Maths?” she asked and looked at the content. Internally humming joyfully when she saw  the solutions to the math exams in a week. 

“No cheating in school!” It thundered out of their mother’s office. Titania handed the math test back to her brother with a pout. 

Meanwhile someone stormed down the stairs. “Titania, good job!” Chry shouted jovially, hugging Titania tightly, “I saw it all. That was awesome how you pulled it. ” 

“I did it, didn’t I?” Titania hugged her back and Chry let out a happy shout before snuggling closer. 

“Do I even want to know how you saw it happen?” Titania asked and a look from Chry later she knew she didn’t really want to know and stopped herself from asking any further.