“Wait, what?” The Scorpicore who had snored through Kalla’s rant suddenly woke up at the mention of her name. “Why should I come along?”
“Because you’re a tracker even better than Lith. Also, I’m too weak to ensure my own safety let alone that of my daughter. You’ll serve as both our bodyguard and Lith’s aid in the case something goes wrong.” The Wight said.
“No way! I’m glad if you spend some quality time with Nyka, but don’t drag me into this mess. Whenever I asked the Council for help, they always turned me down. I’ve got no obligation toward anyone here.” Scarlett stood tall with a stone-cold gaze.
She didn’t like the Council nor Lith and she liked the undead even less. Either the Forbidden Magic went awry and bit the undead’s ass or it succeeded, forcing the Council to move theirs, the Scorpicore would win just by doing nothing.
“Please, you’re extremely gullible and easy to manipulate.” Kalla gave a nudge to Nyka who caught her drift and hugged Scarlett’s huge snout.
“Please, aunt Scar, we need your help. You know that Mom can’t be trusted when books are involved and once Lith is out hunting, I would be all alone surrounded by strangers.” She said.
“I said no.” Scarlett’s insensitive heart took Nyka’s big puppy eyes head-on without flinching for almost five seconds before starting to beat with motherly love. “Okay, fine.”
“Slow down. We need to contact the Council and share with them your analysis of the situation. Forbidden Magic is considered a crime even by Awakened, there must be something they can do.” Faluel said.
“Can? Sure. But do you think they want to?” Kalla shook her head. “I’m pretty sure this Haug fellow addressed the problem to the Council before trying to get Lith involved. They have much better experts than me, yet they didn’t care.
“Awakened only care for crimes committed by other Awakened. That’s why back in the day the Council did nothing against the slave collars in the Empire or against Hatorne. They were fake makes, hence none of the Council’s business.
“Guardians follow a similar policy. Leegaain washed his hands of the Empire just like Tyris considered Nalear’s ploy a price that her people had to pay to learn their lesson.
“On top of that, Lightkeep isn’t in the Kingdom, but in the Empire. My money on Leegaain not caring one bit, Inxialot making excuses to not leave his lab, and the rest of the Council bickering for so long that before they are done, we’ll be gone and back.” The Wight said.
Faluel contacted the Council nonetheless, and when Kalla’s prediction came true down to the last detail, she had to admit that the Wight may be an airhead, but she had done her homework about politics.
“I can’t believe our gang is hitting the road from the first time.” Tista hugged Solus and Nyka, eager to share an adventure with them and to visit an undead city.
“You’re not coming.” Lith, Kalla, and Faluel said in unison.
“What? Why?” She asked with eyes wide open in surprise.
“Because you’re too weak.” Lith said. “Someone at the bright cyan would be a liability. I’m close to reaching the violet core while Scarlett is going to have her hands full with Kalla and Nyka.”
“Not by my choice!” Tista angrily pointed at Faluel. “I worked my ass off day and night, but she forbade me to use Accumulation. How can I have a breakthrough without it?”
“I understand your anger, child, but your body isn’t ready yet.” Faluel used Lifestream, her breathing technique, to show Tista her condition along with a hologram depicting a perfect cyan-cored body.
“I know that compared to Lith I Awakened later, but I survived the process. Compared to that-”
“Wrong.” Faluel cut her short. “Don’t you remember Mogar’s words? To alter Lith’s bloodline, they messed with your parents’. If it affected yours as well, then the blue level means the awakening of your beast’s life force.
“You’d become a hybrid and your body would undergo deep changes that would make the breakthrough way more dangerous than usual. You are already 21, past the age when normal hybrids have to choose their final nature.
“I have no idea if you are going to turn into a Wyrmling nor if you have to choose your life force right off the bat. That’s why I won’t allow you to use Accumulation until we’ve done everything we can to ensure your survival.” The Hydra said.
“Don’t worry, Tista. We’ll take good care of your brother.” Phloria said while she and Friya patted her back.
“Right. I have to stay home because I’m the only non-Awakened in the group.” Quylla sighed deeply, knowing they were right.
A human among undead would have been as helpless as a roasted chicken and drinking too many body-enhancing potions would have killed her of mana poisoning.
‘I wish I could swear that I’ll work even harder to become an Awakened, but that would be idiotic. I’m already doing my best and without caution, I’m more likely to become either a corpse or an Abomination.’ She thought.
“Don’t worry, Quylla. They’re not coming either.” Lith and Faluel seemed to share a mind link, finishing each other’s sentences.
“This isn’t fair! I’ve finally Awakened, I’m incredibly strong and I even have Silverwing’s hair!” Friya said flaunting her six elemental streaks.
“You still have to get accustomed to your new body and powers, let alone converting all of your spells into true magic.” Lith shook her head. “You are an Awakened who still fights like a fake mage. In a way, you’re weaker than when you were human.”
“Agreed.” Faluel nodded.
“What about me? I’ve Awakened for a while and Dad even gave me new equipment!” Phloria said.
“I noticed and I know they are all masterpieces, but you have Tista’s same problem. Without Accumulation, your body is even weaker than Friya’s who Awakened with the Hydra’s bloodline technique.” Lith said.
“This isn’t Jiera. I’m not going to explore my beast side or making new experiences. This is a mission in hostile territory and all of you would be liabilities.”
“That’s not all.” Faluel said. “Your mother has forbidden you to leave home and your disappearance would make noise throughout the Kingdom. There would be no way to stop Jirni from searching for you and her absence would compromise everyone’s security.”
“It seems it will just be you and I, sister.” Nyka said while hugging Solus’s stone doll.
No one asked Nalrond to come and he was happier that way. He hated the undead and the thought of helping them made his stomach churn.
‘Instead of wasting my time with those vermin, I’d rather practice Spirit Magic. Now that I have a wand as well, I can use the mind link to try and communicate with my sealed beast half. Without his help, I’ll always remain a hybrid.’ He thought.
The lesson went particularly well because everyone was eager to show Faluel and Kalla that they wouldn’t be a dead weight, but the Hydra didn’t change her mind.
Lith informed his parents, Jirni, and Mirim of his mission, to give them the time to adjust the security detail before his departure, leaving Kamila for last.
07/25/21: These extra chapters are dedicated to Brian MK. Thank you very much for your generosity during hard times.
