“Sir? Misinformed?” The gentleman in the incredibly fancy white tie suit was taken even more aback by those words. “What’s with all these formalities? I’m Gentor, the Golden Dragon, and I’d like to meet my niece, sister.”
“Sister?” Elina looked around, but there was only her.
“Yes.” Gentor nodded while shaking her hand. “You did a wonderful job with Lith and Tista, dear sister. I’m sure that your youngest will be no less amazing. Where is she?”
Elina felt greatly embarrassed and didn’t know what to do.
“Give me one moment.” Raaz gave the Dragon a polite bow and walked away, returning after less than a minute from the side room where the baby slept.
“Can I hold her?” Gentor asked and Raaz passed her to him. “She’s a beautiful baby. If you ever need an Awakened mentor, you can count on me.”
He had yet to start cooing at the giggling baby when a woman with feathered wings grabbed his shoulder.
“Typical of Dragons. Hogging stuff that doesn’t belong to you and keeping others in the dark.” She said with perfectly veiled rage to not scare Surin. “Give her to me.”
“First come first served. Go fish, you oversized bird!”
“What if want worms? Or Wyrms?” She replied with a snarl that drew the attention of more guests, quickly escalating the matter into a bloodline war.
“What have you done?” Leegaain was flabbergasted. “Why do you think we kept Elysia in a separate guarded room? It was to keep this from happening! If you wanted to introduce Surin to society, you should have told us.”
“Do you guys really…” Raaz couldn’t find the strength to express his incredulity for such powerful creatures caring about a mere human girl.
“No, we don’t.” Salaark’s voice oozed sarcasm while pointing behind her. “Our children are throwing fists because there’s not enough wine.”
Dragons and Phoenixes had split into two sides. One who protected the baby making sure that Surin wouldn’t notice the conflict and another beating the crap out of each other.
“In case you are wondering, you two are now considered part of the family and your children even more.” Leegaain said. “Lith proved and Tista confirmed that your bloodline is powerful and can be Awakened.
“You may be simple humans but as their progenitors you are considered the source of two new bloodlines. It gives you great powers and comes with great responsibilities. I would have never expected you two to be so careless.”
Watching the small war taking place just to determine the order of who would hold Surin first was scary, but it also filled Raaz and Elina with pride and joy.
“You know what? Maybe growing together with Elysia is going to be hard for Surin, but not as hard as we feared.” Elina said, leaning her head against Raaz’s shoulder while the Guardians put an end to the conflict.
***
At the same time, in Elysia’s room.
Elysia was really annoyed by all the people who kept barging in, holding her without feeding or cuddling her, and then leaving without a shred of explanation. She wanted to sleep and eat, and she also missed Surin.
The other baby girl was a bit slow on the uptake but at least was great company, enjoying the mysteries of life that the grownups seemed insensitive to just like Elysia.
She would have liked to cry to express her disappointment but everyone already did and their loud voices and wet tears flabbergasted her. They acted like overgrown babies and Elysia couldn’t understand if they were consoling her or if she had to console them.
On top of that, the scaled ones were just like her dad. They were all so happy just to see her and loved her so much that Elysia couldn’t help but giggle at them and hold their big fingers.
The latest batch of visitors was weirder than the rest, which already spoke volumes about their demeanor and aura. Elysia was dead tired already but she was afraid of leaving Solus without someone watching her back.
“Elysia, these are Aunt Loka and my dear friend Malyshka.” Solus said while holding the baby. “Loka, Malyshka, this is Elysia.”
Lochra Silverwing, the First Magus of Garlen, looked like a woman in her mid-twenties but she was actually over one thousand years old. She wore a silver-colored gala dress that emphasized her shoulder-length silver hair streaked with the seven colors of the elements.
Her rainbow-colored eyes were also proof of her innate talent toward all elements but with her 1.68 meters (5’6″) of height, she didn’t give any of the imposing, tyrannical presence that legends attributed to her.
“Let me get this straight.” She asked. “This is Lith’s and Kamila’s daughter, correct?”
“Correct.” Solus nodded.
“Not yours?” Silverwing neared her own hair to Solus’ and then to Elysia who sneezed fire when a strand of hair tickled her nose.
“It’s not mine but I’m taking care of her to the best of my abilities.” Solus brought Elysia to her bosom who sniffed at it with enthusiasm until recognizing another dry well.
“Are you sure?” In her mother form Baba Yaga looked like a woman in her forties, about 1.70 meters (5’7″) tall with flaming red hair and emerald green eyes.
She was wearing an emerald gala dress that highlighted her hair and matched her eyes.
“I mean, the colored streaks, the vigorous mana flow, and the explosive talent for magic aren’t something Lith ever had, let alone that lovely Constable.”
“Malyshka, please, explain to me how could I sleep with Lith, get pregnant for nine months, and then give birth without my knowledge.” Solus was getting annoyed by the implications.
Under any other circumstance, she would have been flattered, but those words were the stuff that Kamila’s insecurities were made of.
“Maybe, just maybe, you and Lith wanted to try something different and had sex with Kamila while fused.” Lochra said.
“Aunt Loka!” Solus blushed up to her ears and covered Elysia’s. “First, I would remember that. Second, not in front of the baby!”
“As long as it was consensual, there’s nothing to be ashamed of.” Malyshka patted Solus’ back. “You know you can tell me anything, don’t you?”
“Yes, I know. Now please let’s talk about something else.” Solus kept blushing harder and Elysia started snarling defensively.
Too bad that due to her size and shape, she looked as threatening as an angry puppy barking and wagging its tail.
Solus then told them about what had happened inside the Fringe with M’Rael and how easily he had restricted her after bonding with her.
“It was terrible.” Solus shuddered at the memory. “Luckily, it lasted barely a few minutes or I think I would have gone insane.”
“Oh, Epphy. That’s why I told you that you would have been safer with me.” Silverwing said. “Verhen can’t protect you-”
“And neither can you.” Solus cut her short. “If you really give me the freedom you promised me, M’Rael would have still broken our bond via the stone ring since I’m the one who needs it to rest.
“At least, Lith is always with me whereas you would just notice that I’m gone and then start looking for me. Again. And we both know how it ended the last time.”
