Friya raised her head only to stare at the magnificent violet dimensional crystal etched on Endless Night. She was dying to know how to craft them but she bit her lips and kept her mouth shut.
“I call bullshot on you too, kid, but thank you for your kind words. It’s been a long time since someone didn’t call me names, let alone master. You owe me nothing.” Tezka said with a wolfish smile.
“If you achieved the violet core just by watching me fight, if you reached enlightenment from a few words of mine, it’s only because you could understand everything on your own.” He waved at the other spectators who seemed oblivious to whatever Friya was talking about.
“I was right about you. There’s talent in here and here.” His long, clawed finger tapped her forehead and bosom. “Having a good brain is just luck. Having a good heart is all on you.
“You combined them to reach the point you are today and I can’t wait to face another true dimensional mage instead of these farming cheaters.” Tezka pointed at the Guardians. “Yet if you really want to do me a favor, there’s something I need.”
“Anything.” Friya nodded.
“If something were to happen to me, please, teach these children in my stead.” The Suneater patter Filia’s and Frey’s shoulders. “In exchange, I’ll give you a tip. There’s a reason only dimensional mages can craft violet crystals.
“The same for which I can still make them even without Spirit Magic. That reason is the very thing that sets us apart from normal mages. We don’t feel the elements. We are the elements.”
Friya furrowed her brows having no idea what those words meant. She took ink and paper out of her dimensional item, writing everything down to the letter to never forget.
“Thank you for your teachings. You have my word that I’ll train the kids as if they were mine.” She rapped on her heart and then fainted, succumbing to exhaustion.
“I’m sorry, Grandma. I’ve been a jerk and you are right. Knowing how strong you are is no excuse for my lack of care. Are you alright?” Lith had Blinked his side of the family near the Overlord and was now handing her a giant bowl of ice cream in apology.
“Too little and too late young man.” She scoffed. “I had my organs blown out over and over and no one gave a farm. You guys are- Is that coffee and hazelnut ice cream with fresh whipped cream?”
“And fresh cookies.” Solus took them from her own personal reserve.
“Damn, all that sweating made me work up quite an appetite.” Salaark smiled.
“Me too.” Kamila drooled at the sight of the frozen ice cream and steaming chocolate cookies, her stomach grumbling no less than the Overlord’s.
“Guess I’ll have to forgive you. And to share the ice cream.” Salaark chuckled. “Don’t worry dear. I’ll work your husband to the bone if it means to fill our bellies!”
“Mother, we-” Surtr attempted to say and with him the members of the Nest.
“Too little, too late, and no ice cream. Bye.” She said with a snort while Warping everyone back to the Verhen Mansion, including Tezka.
That day was remembered throughout Garlen for several reasons.
For the Desert, it marked the birth of the Glass Plains. For the Empire, it provided images and words from a fight that their mages would study for centuries in the attempt to deepen their understanding of dimensional magic.
For the Kingdom, it was the day when Friya Ernas achieved the violet and Magus Verhen needed to consume all the daily production of milk from his father’s cows to feed gluttonous women.
***
As time passed Kamila grew stronger in magic and body as her belly grew bigger.
Her feats of strength like those she had displayed at the Royal Gala, forcing elves, undead, and even beasts to back down in front of her fury, aroused many rumors about her real nature.
Some said that she was actually a Divine Beast as well, others that she was the reincarnation of a goddess of magic who had awakened from her slumber. Bottom line, her life in the Royal Court became peaceful and no one dared to cross her.
Then, someone bothered researching the effects of pregnancy of a hybrid baby from a powerful mage and everything went back to normal.
The silver lining was that with the pregnancy coming to term, Kamila stayed home for longer and longer periods of time. She read and studied magic more than ever thanks to Elysia boosting her intellect and magical prowess.
She also cooked more than ever in order to relieve her boredom and put what she learned into practice.
Cooking allowed her to employ Fire Vision to check on the pots, Spirit Magic to do everything from her chair, air magic to cut the ingredients, fire and water magic to keep the temperature of the stoves stable, and darkness magic to get rid of pesky insects.
Elina would sit right beside her, teaching Kamila how to cook and knit at the same time. Kamila would bring a spoon for both of them with Spirit Magic for tasting or a full plate for snacking.
“Gods, I love you so much, Kamila.” Elina burst into tears. “Yet I’m also envious of you. Why do you get all these amazing powers and I don’t? It’s not fair! It’s not!”
Unlike Kamila, Elina went through the full hormonal rollercoaster, going from happy to angry and from sad to aroused in the blink of an eye multiple times a day.
Luckily, it wasn’t Raaz’s first rodeo so he was always near to laugh with her, calm her down, console her, or stop her according to the circumstances.
“You’re right, it’s unfair.” He hugged her, bringing a handkerchief to her nose that she blew into. “Those Guardians are farming bastards. If you want, I’ll go there and kick their asses!”
Raaz didn’t believe a word he said, he just needed the bring the emotional swing back.
“Thanks, dear, but it’s not necessary. I’m just being silly.” Elina chuckled, realizing how preposterous the idea was. “Did I ever tell you how handsome you are?”
She whispered in his ear with a sensual voice, almost panting.
“Gods, Mom!” Lith became beet red. “I can never unhear that.”
Then he noticed that aside from him and Solus, no one was embarrassed.
“How can you be this calm?” He asked in surprise.
“Because unlike you, we’ve all seen Mom pregnant at least once.” Trion shrugged. “I was there when she was expecting Tista and you.”
“And I was there for her when she was expecting you and Aran!” Tista scoffed. “You were the last born and then you were too busy with the academy to help. You came back only to deliver the baby.”
“I’m so sorry!” Elina bawled her eyes out. “I’ve made my baby ashamed of me. I’m a failure of a mother!”
Everyone rolled their eyes, glaring at Lith for dragging Elina back to square one.
“No, Mom. Don’t say that.” He said in a perfect example of locking the stable door after the horse has bolted.
