Nathan answered the knock at the front door an hour later. "Hey, Griffin's just finishing up lunch," he greeted Dray and Felix. Standing back Nathan let them enter, closing the door behind them.
Griffin emerged from the kitchen with the last dish just as Dray and Felix were settling into their seats.
Dray smiled, greeting him. "Hey, Griffin. Thanks for the invite."
Griffin grinned back. "You're welcome." He settled into his own chair, waiting for Nathan who'd wandered into the kitchen.
Nathan came out shortly, carrying a pitcher. "Anyone want iced tea?"
Confirmations echoed across the table. Smiling to himself, Nathan poured everyone a glass of tea before taking his own seat.
Later, after everyone had eaten their fill, Griffin and Nathan exchanged glances.
"It was your idea to ask him. You do it," Nathan said.
"But it was your question," Griffin retorted.
Nathan gave him a look, tilting his head.
Griffin sighed, defeated. "Felix?"
Felix looked up from where he and Dray had been talking about him joining Dray and Nathan for training. "Yes, Griffin?"
"We had a few questions we were hoping you'd have answers for."
Felix straightened up in his seat. "Of course."
"Let's move into the living room."
Dray stood while stacking plates. "You guys go, I'll clean up."
Nathan walked up to him, gently placing his hand on Dray's shoulder. "Thank you," he said quietly.
Dray nodded.
As the three of them settled into their seats, Felix started talking before Griffin or Nathan could formulate their first question.
"This is about why Draken sent me here, isn't it?" Felix stared at his hands, clasping his knees, trying to settle his nerves.
Griffin cleared his throat, glancing at Nathan. "Yes, Felix, it is. If he wanted to send you to Red Peak, why'd he ask you to check here first?"
Felix sat there for a long moment, thinking back towards that conversation in the dark office. "I honestly don't know. He just asked me to go to Red Peak. When I told him I'd have to take the long way, he just sat there studying the path for a while before asking me to stop here. I really don't know what he was thinking."
Felix shook his head, lost in his own thoughts.
"Still, I'm glad he did. Otherwise I might not have found Dray."
Griffin smiled wryly. "And are you going to tell Draken?"
Felix's head shot up, finally meeting Griffin's eyes. "No!" He said emphatically. "No way! I wasn't planning to anyway!" He blushed, dropping his head again as he continued shyly, "I was actually using this as an opportunity to leave the capital and hopefully convince Dray to leave for good too."
"It wouldn't have taken that much convincing," Dray's voice called out as he wandered into the room, drying his hands on a towel he then threw over his shoulder. "I was looking for any excuse to leave the city to be honest." He smiled softly. "And then I got the Goddess's blessing and my current purpose in life."
Felix looked at him, confused. "You got the Goddess's blessing? When?"
"Right before I left the city. My father witnessed it, thought it was a sign that what he was sending me to do was righteous." Dray sneered at the idea. "Self absorbed bastard," he muttered to himself.