“I respect that, but others might not be so kind. You better take my arm and pretend that you’re enjoying my company since it seems that Faluel has just let it slip that you’re Lith’s sister and not his lover. Otherwise you are going to have a very unpleasant evening.”
Bodya’s fine hearing had caught both the Hydra’s slip of the tongue and the ensuing enthusiasm. Since Lith and Tista shared the same blood, there was no reason for her not having similar abilities.
It was only a matter of time before she achieved a blue core, making her body strong enough to withstand the power of the Guardians’ dormant bloodlines and allow them to manifest.
Tista cursed Faluel’s big mouths and smiled as if she had found the love of her life while Phloria laughed her ass off.
“Lith, allow me to introduce you to Crevan, Lenanna, and Jhet. They had been tasked with the protection of your family during Faluel’s absence, but after they learned about the results of the Blood Resonance test, they volunteered to stay after her return.” Salaark said.
“Nice to meet you. I’m grateful for your assistance.” Lith said while shaking their hands in turns and letting them use their breathing technique on him. Feeling so many energy signatures coursing through his body in such a short time was an unpleasant experience, but he had to suck it up.
“Not to sound rude, but if Faluel is here and you three are here as well, who is guarding my house?”
“Feela put another elder in Faluel’s place and we had three other Phoenixes took over while we’re here.” Crevan said with a tinge of annoyance for the blatant lack of trust.
“You’re welcome, little brother.” Lenanna chimed in to lighten the mood. “Yet know that we won’t stay in Lutia for long.”
“What do you mean?” Lith asked.
“At first, we stayed behind because our mother’s debt to Leegaain couldn’t be repaid in a single day of service. Then, we choose to keep our guard to celebrate the reunion with a long-lost brother.
“Our allegiance, however, comes at a price. Every member of the family can choose to stay in the nest or to leave. If you pick the latter, you’ll have no obligation towards us but neither will we. Loyalty is a road that goes both ways.” Lenanna said.
“Don’t listen to her, little brother.” Gentor the Golden Dragon said. “Dragons always lived on their own and we’re doing fine. Stay too close to someone and they’ll smother your creativity.
“Our kin help each other in time of need without too many strings attached.” Until the “too many” part, Gentor had piqued Lith’s interest.
“Don’t listen to either of them.” A charming blonde man with ice blue eyes, about 2.2 (7’3″) tall said while shaking Lith’s hand. “Phoenixes and Dragons are the same. Always talking about family when picking the right friends is much more important for survival.
“Family is something you’re born with, like the color of your scales, whereas the people you surround yourself with are the result of your choices and say a lot about your personality.”
“Thanks for the advice, but who are you?” Lith felt well-hidden hostility coming from the stranger. That and his brood siblings clicking their tongues in unison gave out that something was wrong.
“I’m Qisal the Wyvern. You should have already met my father, Xedros, and my little brother, Gadorf. I hope that you murdering a member of the Dragon bloodline in cold blood doesn’t make this family meeting unpleasant.”
“Why should any of us care about that?” Gentor said with a low growl. “Your brother disgraced the Dragons’ name by using the Forbidden Arts. He was nothing but a filthy criminal that got what he deserved.”
Lith was grateful to Gentor for stepping in. Without Solus, he needed more time than usual to think, and from the Wyvern’s conversation starter, he had understood where things would go if he let Qisal have his way.
“Indeed. It was not different from what happened to Xedros when he didn’t help against the Awakened humans who used Forbidden Magic as well. Tyris had to step in to cover for his incompetence and punished him big time.” Lith nodded.
“What are you talking about? I saw the recordings. Tyris arrived when it was all over and my father had nothing to do with that incident.” Qisal kept smiling, but from his expression, Lith saw an opening that he could exploit.
“I know what happened because I’m the one who treated Xedros from his injury. If you don’t believe me, we can always ask him, or maybe even Tyris since she’s already here.” Lith sipped a bit of his drink, steeling himself for the retaliation he knew was coming.
Not having Solus with him also meant there was no one to help him keep his emotions under control and Lith didn’t trust himself much.
Qisal threw a quick glance at Xedros, clicking his tongue in disgust.
When he had sent his son to teach the Wyrmling a lesson of humility, the Father of all Wyverns had conveniently left out the part about him needing the help of a healer to preserve his pride.
‘That’s why after hundreds of years that moron finally learned the healing arts and Body Sculpting. Father had always been too prideful to learn how to shapeshift yet now is second nature to him. How pathetic.’ Qisal quickly changed his plans according to the new information.
“There’s no need to bother Lady Tyris for this, brother. I believe you. My father has always been an arrogant fool and it’s nice to know that some things never change.” The Wyvern gave Lith a small bow of apology, lightening the mood.
“Indeed.” Lith nodded but didn’t lower his guard. Not one of his past encounters with a Wyvern had turned out to be pleasant. “Besides, I agree with you. The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.
“I have several relatives whose death would only make me happy whereas I choose my associates very carefully.” Lith pointed at Friya and Faluel who were surrounded by as many people as him, receiving praises respectively from the human and the beast faction.
“Really?” Qisal said in amusement. “Then why do you mingle so often with humans? They are short-lived and so very fragile things. Didn’t you learn anything from that Lark guy? He was a weakling who died a dog’s death.”
“Strength it’s not everything. Without those who you call weaklings, you wouldn’t have the clothes you wear or the wine you drink.” Lith’s eyes softly blazed with mana. “Lark was a good man and when I find the one who killed him, I’m going to make them pay.”
“Isn’t it too much effort for someone who had outlived his usefulness?” Qisal dropped the subject, making it clear that he didn’t care for Lith’s answer.
“If I were you, I would focus on something more productive, like hitting on one of our gorgeous peers. You need someone to continue your bloodline once you get tired of your pet wife or when the poor thing dies.”
Not only did the Wyvern’s words sound like a threat, but he also seemed amused at the idea of Kamila’s death.
