"To be able to just live in peace, with the people you care for, is in itself a blessing. I feel that rather than seeking fame and riches, being able to just *enjoy* life as you have it is probably the greatest blessing one can have." - Saying attributed to the Silver Maiden

"Come, do take a seat and make yourself at home," said Lucea to the group as she beckoned to the seats in the cottage's living room. Cal sat down and found that the couch was soft and comfortable, almost like a down pillow. Kino sat next to her, while the three siblings took their seats on a larger, backless divan. "Adel dear, would you get them some refreshments please?"

"If you say so," replied the small woman curtly as she brought a pitcher of what looked like fruit juice from the kitchen and several carved wooden cups. Adelheid then set them down on a table in the middle of the room, within easy reach of everyone, and with a flick of her hand, caused the glass pitcher to frost over, as its contents were suddenly plunged to near-freezing temperatures.

Lazlo poured the juice into the cups for them as they sat there, and everyone took a sip of the ice-cold drink within. Whatever fruit the juice came from, Cal decided that she liked it. The chilled juice had a pleasant tanginess to it, and wasn't too sweet either, and chilling it to this extent just further enhanced the flavor.

They lightly chatted while they waited, as Adelheid had gone back to the kitchen to help Lucea out with her cooking. Around half an hour later the two women came out with a large steaming pot in Lucea's hand, while Adelheid had several bowls and spoons held in hers.

"Eat first, dears," said the therian woman as she ladled thick stew into the bowls and distributed it amongst the group with a smile. Everyone accepted the bowls handed out by the once-empress and once everyone had their bowls, joined her to sup at the stew.

"Wow. This is good," praised Cal after she tasted the stew. It was not empty praise either, for what the therian woman had cooked was indeed one of the best dishes she had tasted. The vegetables in the stew were tender, yet also crisp somehow, while the meats both retained their natural savor and had thoroughly absorbed the stew's flavors.

"Glad you like it," said Lucea with a smile. The smiling faces of some therian breeds tend to appear fearsome and intimidating to other races, partly due to the multitude of sharp, predatory teeth in full display, and Lucea's definitely qualified. "Feel free to have seconds if you want."

While they ate, Cal took several looks at the Champion of Life. Much like others of her kind, Lucea Miel Tessarii was not that tall, maybe a meter sixty at the top of her head when she stood normally. That was mostly due to her breed's stooped figures and more horizontal frames, however.

The therian woman probably measured twice her height from nose to tail, and was entirely covered with pristine white plumes, ones that looked deceptively soft. Her arms were rather short and ended in four-fingered claws with an opposable thumb, while her legs are noticeably bigger and more powerful. They ended in three talon-like claws, one of which was far larger than the other two and looked almost like a sickle.

Her tail was one that caught attention, as it had longer, more elaborate plumes that positively looked vibrant to the eye. Cal also noticed that the feathers seemed to swell when Lucea was happily eating, so she thought the woman could probably array the feathers of her tail in more impressive ways if she wanted to.

Like many of her kind, Lucea did not dress in what most races consider normal clothing either. Her upper body was left completely bare, but she wore what looked like a wide skirt that ran down to her knees around her lower body, with a slit on the sides to allow free movement and a hole in the back to accommodate her tail.

Kino had told Cal of their story while they were on the way. Lucea was the first empress of the third Elmaiya Empire, which was around… twelve centuries ago or thereabouts, and Adelheid had once been her bodyguard and lover.

They had both been chosen as champions after their lives ended, and had been one ever since. Most of the time they lived quietly in seclusion, in some region of the world that was mostly or entirely uninhabited. At other times, they walked quietly amongst the people, either to help where help was needed, or just to see how life in the current age was like.

Kino had also mentioned that these two were amongst the most senior of the current champions. Not counting the Bone Lord, whose age was unknown to everyone else, not many of the current champions had been one for over a thousand years. Aideen's father and uncle were amongst those, as were Lucea and Adelheid. Most everyone else only had a few centuries of experience as one at most, and some like Ergan were even fresh to the position.

Immortality had not been something that agreed with everyone, and many of those who became champions eventually tire of life itself, and thus chose to re-enter the cycle of life and death, where they were incarnated into new lives with a clean slate.

Even now, the current Champion of Blood was supposedly not the only one who planned to retire his position, as the Champion of Mist also planned to do the same. He had even gone further, and personally groomed those he deemed viable to be his successor, supposedly.

He was also located in the Elmaiya Empire, and Kino mentioned that she'd introduce Cal to him as well when they reached the city where he stayed at these days.