Life Vision revealed to Phloria that the bed was made of common materials that would shatter against her enhanced skin.
“Since it will take a while before the Golden Griffon turns you into one of its students, I have the time to explain to you the secret of the violet core.” The Mad Queen said, making Phloria flinch.
“What?”
“You heard me. I checked your condition. I know that you have a bright blue core and that your body is ready for the next breakthrough. Reaching the violet core will make you into a much more useful soldier and boost your prowess.
“I’m eager to see how it will affect your Blade Spell and to teach you the secrets of the Ernas bloodline.” Thrud looked at Phloria with a dry smile. “My father ruled for over one century. He knew about the Ernas’ and the Gernoff’s hidden skills and passed them onto me.”
“What the heck are you talking about?” Phloria yelled in outrage and confusion, infusing herself with all elements while she struck at the Mad Queen’s exposed neck.
“Interesting. You really don’t know.” Thrud stopped the knife-hand with the ease of an adult blocking a child. “It doesn’t matter, I’ll explain everything to you while we spar.”
A fist as quick as a bolt of lightning struck Phloria’s gut, sending her flying.
She managed to perform a somersault in mid-air and land on her feet. Thrud was holding back just enough to not make her apprentice faint so Phloria found herself coughing, gasping for air.
“By the Great Mother, what have you done to me?” Alien thoughts crossed her mind along with notions that she had never learned.
“I’m just keeping my word.” Thrud stood up from her throne. “Words are slow and hard to convey during a fight. A mind link, instead, is easy to understand and can be transmitted with each blow.
“You better be serious or by the time the academy enslaves you, you’ll be ripe for the breakthrough. At that point, I’ll just give you the time to get acquainted with your new condition before sending you out there to kill the very people you have sworn to protect.”
“You are a mon-” The Mad Queen performed a series of quick strikes that cut Phloria short and tested her reaction speed.
Every successful attack carried a portion of Thrud’s technique to achieve the violet core. Blocking an attack worked as well, forcing Phloria to focus on dodging.
Yet Thrud was just playing with her to make sure that no hit could endanger her life. Before Phloria could understand what was happening, she had already learned half of the technique.
To make matters worse, by dodging and blocking the onslaught she was also unwittingly practicing a footwork technique that Thrud taught by experience to all of her generals.
Phloria was no Divine Beast but between her sword that granted her the power of a battalion of mages and her Blade Tier spell, she was going to be no weaker than them.
***
Gorgon Empire, Mount Light volcano, house of Surtr.
“I’m glad about your visit and a little worried by the urgency of your request, little brother.” The Dragon of Light offered Lith a seat and tea. “Also, why did you ask me to call here that party pooper of my twin?”
“Hey, I’m right here, jackass.” Sinmara said.
“I know, that’s why I’m ignoring you.”
“As much as I’d love to listen to a sibling’s quarrel, please shut up and let me talk.” Lith raised his hand to keep them from interrupting him. “I’m in a pinch and I called you two because you can vouch for me to the rest of my bloodlines.”
Then, he told them about Phloria’s kidnapping and how dangerous it would be for him once Thrud learned about Solus.
“I’m really sorry to hear, little brother, but my answer is no. I can’t help you.” Surtr shook his head and Sinmara did the same.
“What? Why?” Lith and Celbas were having the same conversation with their respective relatives and receiving the same answers.
“Because this Ernas girl is just a woman and she’s not worth the trouble that our intervention is bound to cause.” Prasyn the Red Griffon and Celbas’ mother replied.
“She got kidnapped right in front of my eyes and I got beaten to a pulp!” Celbas replied in outrage.
“You are still alive and they didn’t torture you so no harm, no foul.” Prasyn shook her head. “I was going to wait until you were at least a few centuries old before schooling you in the ways of the Divine Beasts but I can’t no longer delay this talk.
“Listen to me, child, and listen well. If Guardians are to be considered akin to gods, then their descendants are akin to natural disasters. We live for too long and are too powerful to willy-nilly mess with the other races.
“Have you ever wondered why even though there’s plenty of us on Mogar people consider us myths and most of them never see one of our kind their whole life?”
“No.” Lith scratched his head in confusion. “Now that I think about it, before the Council summoned me and I met Leegaain, I too believed Divine Beast to be the stuff of legends.”
“Well, that’s because we prefer not to dabble in other’s affairs. The older we get, the stronger we become and the more rooted our personal beliefs. A single interaction leads to another in a domino effect that can only end in two ways.
“Number one, in the attempt to impose what we perceive as right upon others, we cause them to rally together until they become strong enough to fight and kill us. Number two, we crush the opposition and become tyrants.
“History is full of stories of Divine Beasts who went out of their way to help a friend and ended up either dead or on a throne. Even worse, once they got a taste of power, they started to expand their dominion until they met another Divine Beast with enough power and strength of character to stand up to them.
“The conflict only ends with the death of one of them so no matter how you see it, one of us dies for a stupid reason and their entire kin gets branded as cruel monsters.”
“What about Tyris? What about Salaark? Heck, what about Thrud and her Generals?” Celbas asked.
“Tyris never intervened directly. Valeron was defeated more than once and in the end, he died. Salaark is a Guardian. She rules because she’s the strongest in her turf and her children only enact her will, not their own.
“As for the Mad Queen and her Court of runts, they are single individuals with no bloodline to drag in their mess. They all have made their choice and again, it will end with their death.” Prasyn replied.
“If you want to follow in their foolish path I won’t stop you, but I won’t help you either.”
“In the gods’ name, why?” Lith yelled in frustration. “Both of you have offered me your help in the past and I’ve never abused your generosity. Were yours just empty words?”
1/1/2023: Extra Chap and Happy New Year!
