"No need for hostility. I was only suggesting it."

Letting a disappointed sigh, he walked up to the portal, staring inside.

Yes, he was still wary, but he tried to hide it.

"Well, here goes nothing. Danger is part of an explorer's life."

"Ah... yes, family through bonds, not blood. I knew that."

He locks his lavender eyes on the pointy protuberances on Calico's head.

"The ears aren't the same. Anyway, if he's in the area, you don't have anything to worry about during your absence... right?"

"But, that's--"

He grumbled, but agrees he didn't have the right to be prying. Though, he still found it unfair he had to babble when he's the first to keep quiet in general.

"You've mister-floating-tall back in the wild who can take care of them. I mean, as your pops, he can babysit your kids."

"If you're confident in your skills, you wouldn't be gone for long."

"That's not reassuring one bit."

After thinking few more instants, he set his gaze on the Kitsune.

"If you come along, you can ensure that I make it back for real."

"..."

He didn't budge, folding his arms and staring at the portal with suspicion.

How certain was the other in his abilities? Had Mikleo given enough information of his world for it to work?

"What if that's not my homeworld? I will merely get stranded elsewhere. Who knows where!"

"Urg... fine! Fine."

A sigh slipped through his lips, observing the kitsune with utmost curiosity.

"... I don't know much per say about the fifth lord, aside from its power of purification, but the four others govern over the elements. They're ostensibly the source of seraphic artes, my magic."

"H-Hey, wait a second--!"

He recoiled back when Calico drew his blade.

Ritual swords can be just as deadly as real ones. He would know, his childhood friend wielded one.

"This better not involve blood sacrifice!"

"Right, too vague. I... suppose it's okay for me to speak about them."

He furrowed his brow, contemplating what he could bring up.

"My homeland is governed by-- no, relies on the Five Lords. They're the most powerful Seraphim out there, maintaining the balance of nature."

"The uhh... what?"

He tried thinking up the best way he could describe his world, from a dweller's point of view.

Hand on his chin, he kept pondering as he spoke.

"As written in the celestial record, Glenwood is a continent brimming with interesting locations. Forests, mountains, ruins..."

"You say that, but nothing guarantees you can actually do it."

He let out a sigh, being doubtful won't help him return indeed. He does hold his words, though.

"Mikleo. Now that introductions are done... ask away. What do you need to know?"

He wasn't being secretive, merely cautious.

"I'm okay where I am, here."

Cue the seraph crossing his arms, keeping a close eye on the other spirit as he stood in the same spot.

"Fine, but I don't speak of myself to strangers."

Odd way to ask for someone's name but hey, the message came across.

He answered back with a nod.

"I'm sure this isn't my realm."

It would be difficult to explain how the seraph was certain about it to the kitsune, but he didn't want to blabber everything about himself to still a stranger.

His gaze analyzed the other from head to toe, silently staring for few seconds.

He met a dog and a cat seraphim before. It wasn't foreign to him someone who bore animalistic features.

"... You're the one who knows how to send me back home?"

Blunt and direct to a T, as always.

He got lost in his thoughts, pondering by himself over who or what to expect.

And that's when he saw the flashy individual, realizing the domain he felt when he arrived was theirs.

"... Ah."

Dammit. He should have trusted his sixth sense way before. C'mon Mikleo, that's an amateur's mistake.

Well this is just great, he may have been told to visit this village to meet with... someone.

Idiot, he should have asked more questions. How should he know the person in question was @hybridkitsune.bsky.social ?

That will show Mikleo to not pry into personal affairs.

".....I sense my soul children are fighting cause they are short...how humerus"

"What?"

Oliver tilted his head only to then turn around to look at who the elf was looking at