Vastor gave her a soft kiss, wishing he could stay home with her.
“How long will you be away?” Zinya asked.
“I don’t know. This is bad, Zinya. Really bad. We might even have to postpone the wedding.”
“I don’t care about the wedding. I just want you to come back alive.” She held him tight, perceiving the immense strength that his stumpy body concealed so well that even his owner failed to see it.
Yet Vastor’s power was gentle and his touch always kind. He never raised his voice with her, not even when they argued.
Even back when she was just a nameless blind woman to him, Vastor had always treated her as a peer, without the contempt or sympathy that her condition usually inspired.
It was the reason why she had started to like him. Then, after her recovery, when she was a housemaid at the Verhen’s house, with nothing but her first name as her possession, Vastor had helped Zinya to get her children back.
It had earned her admiration and eternal gratitude, but not her love. That had come gradually, with each moment they had spent together. After being blind for most of her life, Zinya didn’t care for how people looked, only for who they were.
She had no idea that while Vastor lost himself in her warmth, he also burned of a hatred beyond what words could express. Hatred for those who were forcing him to leave her side, for those who kept messing with his life and ruined his happiness.
Before the end of that day, most of those people would still be alive, yet they would pray for the merciful release of death that wouldn’t come until they lost their minds to pain.
***
Blood Desert, Heavenly Plume tribe.
Lith returned to the tower right after his talk with Brinja.
“Why didn’t you take me with you? I might have been of help.” Solus felt hurt from being left behind.
“Please, Brinja is an ally. I didn’t go to battle, just to hear what she had to say. Besides, your deep blue core has yet to be completely filled with mana. I want my partner to be at the top of her game once we go on the field.” He replied while sharing all the details of the mission with a mind link.
“Thanks.” She nodded. “Gods, I hate being so emotional. Getting my body back has actually made things worse. I’m not used to having this monstrous strength and the tower has troubles nurturing my human form along with all the new floors.
“On top of that, I keep going from furious to crybaby in less than one second.”
“As I said, I want you at the top of your game.” Lith wiped the tears that her short outbursts always caused. “I delayed the mission for two days because I want to craft the Sage Staff for you before we leave and then I’ll spend the rest of the time practicing Demon Grasp.”
“We already have the Sage Staff. Why craft it again?” Solus asked in confusion.
“Because it’s the only way we have to make you take your human form and keep it stable even in my absence. If I need you to blend in with the crowd, a walking cane covered in white crystals and Evil Eyes defies the purpose.” Lith replied.
“Also, right now it has no useful abilities. It just provides you with elemental energy. I want to give it a simple but useful power core.”
“Good thinking.” Solus pondered. “Are you sure it’s safe bringing Salaark’s crystals out? No mission is worth pissing her off.”
“Nope, that’s why I’m going to ask her permission.”
The Overlord didn’t like much the idea of Lith leaving so early, let alone that of him bringing her stuff along.
“Don’t worry, Grandma. I promise to get back here as soon as I’m done. Please, let me borrow the crystals for a bit longer. Carving new ones out of the Eye of Kolga would delay the refinement of the violet gemstones.
“On top of that, I don’t have the time to adjust the Forgemastering process to the new crystals.” Lith said.
Since he was leaving the rest of his family in the Desert and there would be no protection in Lutia until he completed the mission, Salaark agreed.
The Forgemastering of the new Sage Staff went without a hitch. Lith gave it the ability to shapeshift to more ordinary appearances and a few spells that might come in handy.
“Three complex pseudo cores are nothing to Yggdrasill wood.” Solus said after checking the final product with Abyssal Gaze.
The mana they had imbued it with felt akin to the last drops of water on the bottom of a glass.
“I know, but more means risking to fail and I can’t afford do-over. I need a full eight hours of sleep to reset Invigoration and every second I can spare to refine my mana core while you practice with your body.” Lith replied.
Solus could now walk without Lith’s help even away from a mana geyser, but she had to work through the pain and focus to slow down the energy seeping out of her core as much as she could.
“How am I doing?” She asked Tista while they walked among the desert’s dunes.
Being able to move on her own wasn’t enough. Solus had also to learn how to appear normal and not let her emotions appear on her face. During the past few years, she had gotten used to her golden featureless body doing the trick for her.
“Well, you seem to have a stick up your ass and you grimace at every dirty joke I say as if you are about to puke.” Tista replied.
“Because they are disgusting!”
“I know, but you can’t afford to draw attention on you like that in a market, let alone while working undercover.” The Red Demon sighed. “A nice word and a cute smile make people open up to you without the need to beat them up.”
“You can’t go around looking like you’re about to murder someone. Not even Lith does that. Often.”
“Why don’t you come along with us?” Solus asked.
“I can’t. This is an official mission for a Spellbreaker. We are not even supposed to know about it and unlike you, I can’t hide on Lith’s finger at will.” Tista shook her head.
“By my Mom, this is going to be a disaster.”
“Nah. Whenever you are talking with a man, look at him in the eyes, puff out your chest, don’t mind him talking to your breasts and everything will be fine.” Tista pointed at Solus’s petite but shapely body.
Her figure was emphasized by the sweat that made her clothes stick to her like a second skin.
“Thanks for making it worse.” Solus snarled.
“Solus, I’m not being a smartass. You are capable of punching a hole in a wall and casting spells powerful enough to turn a building into a crater. Yet violence can only bring you so far.” Tista said.
“You must be aware of yourself, of your surroundings, and act accordingly. Otherwise even taking a walk in Lutia will end in a disaster. ”
