“I beg your pardon?” Lith and Tista said in unison, both shocked by those words.
“Not your Demons, hatchling. They are loyal followers of your Brood. Correct?” The Father of Fire asked and Lith nodded. “Yet they are not the only ones who dwell inside of you. Am I wrong?”
The Tiamat shook his head, remembering how Trouble’s soul had exploited Lith’s moment of weakness in Zelex to become an Abomination and resurrect himself. Then, the memory of Urgamakka came back haunting Lith.
To survive the encounter with Vareen the Plaguespreader, Lith had been forced to open a gate inside of him. Souls he didn’t know or care about would have ripped him apart if not for Aalejah’s help.
It was the same thing that had happened against Jormun, when Lith had surrendered himself to his Abomination side to obtain the strength he needed to best the older and stronger Emerald Dragon in combat.
“I’ve watched the videos of your fight in Urgamakka, hatchling. I’ve talked with the female elf who helped you unlock the rest of your forms. I know what happened the day the little Elysia was born.” Valtak continued.
“When I asked you about Death Vision, I didn’t do it for conversation’s sake. I was studying you. Understanding you with the help of the knowledge I’ve garnered through my millennia-long existence and my Dragon Eyes.
“Maybe you’ve never realized it, but your dead side can manifest in the physical world and affect it the same way it does with your body.” The Father of Fire pointed at the black veins in Lith’s eyes that appeared whenever he let go of Death Vision.
“I believe you’ve gotten so used to repressing that power that you keep doing it without even noticing. Today, we are going to let it out and see what it can do for you.”
“It sounds dangerous.” Lith said.
“It sounds promising.” Valtak replied. “You can’t reach the full scope of your abilities until you embrace every aspect of your being. If it’s of any consolation, I’ve talked at length with Grandfather about you.
“He told me how you look through his eyes. Of the experiments that Rogar would love to perform on you to test how deep your connection with the souls of the dead is. I know about your fight with Jontun and how you defeated him.”
“Jormun.” Lith corrected the Elder Wyrm. “How did you learn so much about me and why did you go to such lengths for someone you didn’t even know?”
“Hatchling, I might have slept for over a millennia, but after the Dragon Dance woke me up, I’ve spent my time carefully. I’ve researched and studied everything noteworthy with the help of my fellow Brood.
“In your case, sometimes I had to ask Grandfather in person since you are really good at leaving no trace of your actions. As for the why, because finding the next Father of Fire is that important to me.
“I want to leave this world without regrets and knowing that, even if just by a teeny-tiny bit, I left Mogar better than how I found it.”
“Shouldn’t you take it easy?” Tista looked at the Fire Dragon with Life Vision, remaining shocked as always by how little life force he had left.
It was barely a spark, but it shone with the vigor of a sun and brimmed with power. Its warmth seeped deep into the Hekate’s heart, dissipating any worries she had that Valtak might drop dead at any moment.
“I’ll rest when I’m dead, hatchling. It shouldn’t be long now.” He said with a joyous laughter.
The Father of Fire had no regrets and nothing left unsaid. Everything about him spoke of a long life lived to its fullest.
“If you too are worried about me, Lith, then you should humor this old fool.” Valtak turned to the Tiamat. “Consider this my dying wish. The two of you are my final project and I’d rather go out doing what I love than passing away in silence.”
“I’m afraid not only for you, but also for myself.” Lith said. “How sure are you that I won’t put anyone in danger? Those blue flames are unpredictable and I have no control over them, let alone over the dead who don’t answer my call.”
“Pretty sure.” The Father of Fire nodded. “This is the Valley of Life. If I were a Guardian, this would be my turf. Here I can tap into more raw power than you can imagine. Also, thanks to your resonance with Elysia, your own abilities and will are greatly amplified.
“Last, but not least, I don’t want you to go all-out or perform one of Roghar’s crazy experiments. We are not going to open that door, only to see what happens when you stop pushing it back.
“Feel free to back out the moment you feel things are getting out of control. I’ll be there, ready to intervene if you need me.”
Lith pondered Valtak’s words for a while, seeing the truth in them.
‘I can’t run away from this any longer.’ He thought. ‘Ever since their first appearance, the blue flames keep burning in a corner of my mind. Several times when my life was threatened or while in great distress, they burst out of my body against my will.
‘With Meln back and the thieves of the Ears still at large, I must at least learn how to contain the blue flames safely. If Meln targets Mom or the thieves attempt to murder Solus again, I might end up being more dangerous to them than my enemies.
‘Here I have a controlled environment and the help of an expert. This is my best shot at figuring the blue flames out or at least learning how to keep them locked away.’
“Okay, I’m in.” Lith nodded. “What do I have to do?”
“First, we are going to rest, hatchling.” The Elder Wyrm took out Dragon-sized nutrients potions and servings of food. “We are all going to need our strength. You to withstand whatever menace we might unlock, and Tista and I to stop you.”
“What about the babies?” She asked.
“They are adorable and will be fine.” The Father of Fire shrugged. “The Guardians watch after Elysia and you’ll keep both babies at a safe distance, just to be safe. You’ll intervene only in the remote case I need help.”
Tonics, food, and the abundant world energy in the Valley of Life helped everyone to return to the peak of their strength in a little over an hour.
Tista was still a bit tired, having spent a lot of strength to activate her bloodline abilities on her own, but that was it.
“Now, keep your eyes open, hatchling.” Valtak said after bringing Lith to a charred plain surrounded by active volcanos. “Let go of Death Vision. Try to feel it instead of fighting it.”
Black veins popped out in Lith’s pupils and slowly spread to his sclera, blotting out the white.
He focused on his eyes, then his life force, and lastly on Death Vision.
“It doesn’t work. It’s no different from when I willingly use Death Vision. There is no flow of mana or anything.” Lith said.
