Chapter 5: Night cravings

-Swiiiiiiish. Swiiiiiiiish...

Faraway in the clear night sky, stars were shimmering like twinkling masters of fairytales, carrying a different story within them, inviting a new baby towards them.

It was an innate instinct of all creatures born on earth to look up at the sky, and most are fortunate to see the vastness above them, knowing just how little they are compared to what exists above them all.

The sky holds the clouds, the sun, the moon, and the stars along with all the celestial objects unknown to mortal eyes.

And along with it, it also holds some secrets.

-SWAAAAAAAAA!

One such secret is a device or vehicle that allows one to be high up with those clouds, the secret devices that are rumored to allow flight to not just a single powerful individual, but to any who desired it.

There was one such ’balloon’ flying above a small town right now. In fact, it was landing just a little distance away from it.

"Slower. A little slower."

Standing in the basket attached to the inflated balloon filled with warm air, the white haired Lady who had just faced a dangerous opponent a few hours ago was instructing the black haired mage right now.

There was a burner attached to the mouth of the balloon above them, and the mage was slowly decreasing the flames as they descended down towards the ground.

The pink haired lady was doing something with what seemed like a machine attached to the basket, a device that made the balloon more than just a means of short distance transportation.

"We’re almost there... ok."

-Dhum.

They slowly descended on the ground as the burner was turned off completely.

"Good."

They had landed in a good open area this time, unlike the many times when they had to crash out into uneven terrains. It was a good landing as well so the balloon filled with hot air would deflate soon.

The enchantments present around it that made it invisible were slowly turning off now that the main engine was turned off, but, the moment the big head of the balloon was about to hit the ground, the pink haired lady closed her eyes with her hand on the basket.

-Ooooooooong!

The black-gold bracelet on her wrist shined once again and the entire balloon, along with the basket and everything in it, disappeared inside of it in the form of light particles.

"Huuu. Alright, we’re finally back."

They were just coming back from the mission in the capital. And they were tired after all the things they did over the last few months.

"I’m famished."

"What do we eat today then? What do you wanna eat, everyone?" Snow, the white haired lady, wore a ring on her finger which turned her hair a lot darker, almost gray as she asked the question to everyone.

She was particularly looking at Andrew, but the others were just as hungry as her.

"I want something good."

"The food in the capital is all too complicated. Can I have something simple? Eggs and rice perhaps?"

While Spot the mage was asking the question to their chef, Snow, Barn the pink haired lady also wore a ring on her finger which turned her hair brown.

Then she looked at her hand as a holographic image of a screen was projected right above it.

"It looks like we don’t have much supplies left. And it’ll take a while before the market opens so-."

"We can just ask around, you know?"

The group secretly made their way inside the town through their usual secret entrance, moving fast enough to not get noticed by the guards on the surrounding walls.

Once they were inside, they removed their stealth and moved as if they were just normal natives of the town: which, in a sense, they were.

"Oh? Who do we have here~. Our beloved young family." An old grandma was walking the streets with a young girl when she noticed them. "How’re you lot? Out on a night stroll?"

She was genuinely happy to see them. Even the little girl with her ran towards the young man and hugged him with a smile on her face.

"Hehehe, big brother Drew~! Have you been well~?"

"Of course, little one? How have you been though? Did your dad buy you that toy you wanted?"

"Hmm? Ahhhh! He did! Yes~!"

It has not been long since she got the toy from her father so it seemed like this big brother here had persuaded him.

"Thank you, big brother~!"

The girl was happy, and seeing her, the grandma couldn’t hide her smile either.

"Alright then, see you all later~."

It was nighttime so most of the shops on the street were closed. Still, the lights inside some of the houses were still on so, when they were passing by a certain house, Spot the mage stopped by it and knocked on the door.

-Knock. Knock.

"Who’s there? We’re closed, don’t you see?"

"Miss Jasmin! It’s me." She did not have to specify who she was.

"Oh!"

The owner of the voice inside knew instantly who the voice belonged to so the footsteps that were approaching the door with a light anger hurried with a transparent joy.

"Sammy!"

"Hello Miss Jasmin~."

The muscular older lady hugged the younger mage who looked like a young girl before her.

"What brings you here... oh! Is the whole family out on a stroll?"

The lady looked past the mage and saw the whole party, rushing out to greet each and every one of them.

"Hello Andrew." She was also a little flustered when she came to greet the young man.

She was the older one and yet, just like every other girl in town, this one had that magical effect on her.

"Hello Miss. I know it’s late but it seems like we have run out of supplies and my dear ladies are having a late night craving."

His way of saying it was a little humorous so the older lady couldn’t help the smile on her face.

"Oh, is that so? Why didn’t you tell me earlier?! Just tell me what you need, I’ll bring out the best ones left. Oh, do you want me to cut some fresh meat? I got a good buck earlier."

The chatter between the two continued even as Andrew refused anything too excessive.

Even as Spot gave her the list of things they needed, the shop owner didn’t just bring out the things from her cold storage but actually had a blood-stained apron on as she came out of her house.

"Here’s the stuff~."

Not just this butcher shop lady, but each shop house that they knocked on were happy to bring out the best stuff they had for the four of them.

At least in this town, there was no one who would turn them down if they weren’t already asleep.

And even if they were, they would still not mind getting woken up by this bunch.

"Thanks a bunch, Miss Jasmin. Here, please have this."

Spot was trying to give her the money they owed her, but just like any other shop they got their stuff from, the muscular woman also shook her head in refusal.

"This much was nothing, you know that, right? You don’t have to pay-."

"But I do!" She pouted her cheeks like a little girl in protest, making the older woman shake her head in defeat.

"If you just want to pay, then just treat me to a meal when I visit the next time, alright? I’m pretty sure the others would have said that as well." She smiled warmly at her, and the rest of them.

She was right as well. Everyone who opened the doors to their houses so late at night did not accept any payment from the group.

If anything, they were happy they came to them even though it was so late.

"After everything you do for us, do you really think we’d charge you for little things?" Shaking her head with the same smile, the butcher lady went behind the door.

"Have a good night... and don’t drink too much. You have to open up tomorrow as well, right?"

"Of course!"

The night would turn into a new day and they would go back to their daily lives once again.

At least, for the people who had been seeing ’them’ these past few months, they had been here in the town, doing exactly what they usually do.

It wasn’t really that simple though.

"Can someone remind me why we decided on this name?"

"Well, that’s the mystery, dear wife."

Andrew kissed Snow’s forehead as they entered their place, the inn that they owned in this small town.

Then, without turning on all the lights, the party went to the back of the hall and secretly entered a closet without making any sounds.

-Zaaaaaa.

When they passed through the passage that opened below them into a flight of stairs, they found themselves on a floor unknown to anyone in this inn or the town.

-Clap. Clap.

The lights turned on when Barn clapped her hands, illuminating a room that was truly suited to be the secret base of a world-class organization filled with the state of the art devices and things some of which one cannot find anywhere outside of this place.

"Greetings, master. Greetings, great Ladies."

Four ’people’ stepped forward towards Andrew as the other ladies scattered around the place to do their own thing.

Snow took the ingredients they brought to make some food, Barn went to sort out their loot and different devices in this place, while Spot went to gather her equipment to service the beings who looked just like the four of them.

Andrew, on the other hand, sat down on a chair before the four (doppelgangers) who were kneeling before him.

"Report."

They were supposed to be the owners of this simple establishment but in truth, they were a secret organization that worked on different high-profile cases.

They weren’t affiliated with any nation or certain power, but they did take on their requests for the right price.

And just as they had proved with the mission this time to the rest of the world... They were very good at what they did.