“No, you can’t.” Vastor’s voice was flat but the hybrids could sense a tinge of sadness. “Even after evolving into whatever I am now, I’m sterile. My Abomination side may have no longer consciousness but it still drains the life out of me.
“Maybe I need to further merge my life forces and cores. Maybe I need to fuse them to perfection. We might never know.”
“Not to pry in your private life, but have you tried doing it while you are in the partially merged state?” Bytra asked. “It should reduce the toxicity of your Abomination side.”
“Zinya said the same thing so I’ll give you the same answer.” The Master raised his eyes from the papers, the ink he was maneuvering with water magic whipped the documents rather than writing on them.
“No, I have not and I have no intention to try. While in the merged state, everything of me is infused with Abomination tissues but I can control them because they are part of my body. The problem starts when they get outside.
“We all know how even a minuscule fragment of an Abomination can thrive as long as it has enough life force to prey upon. It’s how I turned whole tribes of monsters into Abominations. It’s how you guys became hybrids. I’m not going to put Zinya’s life at risk on a whim. End of discussion.”
Zoreth wanted to keep arguing, but she knew he was right.
Vastor had sacrificed many things to get where he was now.
He had betted his own life and those of countless others to give humanity a better future. The Master could shoulder the burden of that choice solely because he knew that it was for the greater good.
If something were to happen to Zinya or her children just to satisfy his ego, Vastor would never be able to forgive himself. He would become the villain of his own story and lose the last tether of morality he desperately clung to.
***
City of Lutia, a few hours later.
Aran and Leria had come home straight after waking up in the Desert.
Only after they were done complaining about missing so many hours of sunlight that they could have spent playing and practicing magic with their friends did Rena finally get the opportunity to inform them about Selia’s Awakening.
“Damn, when it rains it pours.” Aran grumbled. “Now even Aunt Selia is Awakened. This is not fair!”
“What do you mean, it’s not fair?” Lith furrowed his brow.
“That it’s not fair!” Leria said like it explained it all. “Everyone in the family is Awakened. Everyone but us!”
“That’s not true, sweetie pie. I’m not Awakened and neither is your dad.” Rena said while helping to set the table for dinner.
Selia, Protector, and their kids had been invited to celebrate the return of the Verhens to Lutia. While the parents helped with cooking and food, Lilia and Leran had shared the big news with their rivals.
After that moment, they had paraded their mother like the best thing after the discovery of fire, cheering whenever she performed even the most insignificant of cantrips.
“Only because you didn’t ask for it, Mom. Uncle Lith would have done it for you.” Leria replied.
“She has a point.” Lith flaked and gutted the fish he had brought from Jiera to give his family an exotic meal.
“Don’t encourage them.” Rena snarled, tired of Leria tugging at her gown.
“We instead have asked him for years! Dozens of times.” Leria ignored both.
“More like hundreds of times.” Lith filleted the fish and skewered the meat for the grill.
“See, Mom? Uncle Lith recognizes our hard work.”
“I said don’t encourage them!” Rena was about to snap when Senton and Raaz abandoned the peace of the fireplace and quelled the whining of their respective children.
“Leria, stop pestering your mother and be a good girl. We have worked hard today in Grampa’s shop and we could use some quiet.” To keep their minds off the shocking events of Jiera and the possible involvement of Orpal, the adults had chosen to work despite the lack of sleep from the previous night.
It had worked like a charm, but they were now dead tired since they had been awake for almost 24 hours.
“Leave your sister alone, Aran, and don’t even think about bothering your mother with this nonsense. She already has her hands full with Surin.” Raaz pointed at the baby girl who was crying for apparently no reason while Elina tried to calm her down and Tista to understand with a diagnostic spell the source of the baby girl’s distress.
“Seriously, guys, it’s no big deal. This is the best I can do. No kidding.” A small red flame burst from each fingertip of Selia’s right hand, no bigger than what a lighter would produce.
A few seconds later, when Lilia and Leran were still cheering and Aran and Leria gritting their teeth, the flames disappeared and Selia panted heavily.
“Gods, I think you were right, Lith. Red-cored Awakened must have become a myth because they probably hide out of shame until they get at least the orange. I suck so bad.” She winked at him, chuckling.
At her level, the best she could do was manipulate already existing elements, like stirring the water in the pots with water magic or adjusting the heat from the stove with fire magic.
And even that had to be done sparingly and with moderation. Things like Life Vision, Fire Vision, or conjuring a small amount of elemental energy drained her in less than a minute.
“Why don’t you want to be Awakened, Dad?” Aran asked. “You would become strong like Lith and we could fly together in the sky.”
The last part was the only thing Raaz missed, feeling the distance from his youngest son increasing as Aran’s powers grew.
‘It’s not as bad as it was with Lith, but the two situations don’t even compare.’ He inwardly sighed. ‘Still, compared to Trion, Aran is not going to appreciate much what I can share with him.
‘Carving wood and farm works must be dull, boring things compared to magic.’
“Because magic it’s not a miracle, son. It requires time and study. I don’t want to become a mage. I already have a job I love. I prefer spending my days with you, your little sister, and your mother rather than reading and training.”
“Same.” Elina, Rena, and Senton said.
Even though the relationship between the blacksmith and Lith was lukewarm, Senton was certain that Lith would Awaken him, if Rena asked him to.
“But, Aunt Selia…” Leria tried to rebuke but Selia herself shut Leria down.
“I’m not going to become a mage either. A magica at best. My first goal is to learn chore magic and reach your mother’s level. Then, as my core grows in power, I’ll practice just enough to make sure I don’t hurt anyone by mistake.
“Once I learn how to fly, my magical education will be complete. No spells above tier three, no fancy dimensional magic, nothing. I’m a huntress and that’s what I’m going to keep doing.”
Since there seemed to be no chance of victory there, Aran decided to try a different angle.
