“If being friendly is asking too much of you, please, leave.”
“Please, behave.” Solus said. “I’d love to have you all here and listen to your stories.”
“I’m sorry for acting like a child, Solus.” Silverwing fiddled with her hair in embarrassment. “I never realized how much I resent Ripha until I had her in front of me again. I promise I’ll be good.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Solus.” Baba Yaga hugged her again. “I’ll set my score with your mother at a later date.”
“About that, I’m really thankful for the trust you’ve shown Bytra and me, little brother.” Zoreth said. “We’ll be glad to spend more time with you and Solus in the future but, right now, we’d better go back home.
“Our fellow Eldritches are probably starting to ask themselves questions about our prolonged absence. If we stay too long, they might even question our loyalty.”
“Sure.” Lith brought the tower back to the Desert and from there Bytra and Zoreth took the Warp Gate to Lith’s barn before disappearing into the night.
***
Griffon Kingdom, Arch Duchy of Essagor, Vastor Household, a few hours earlier.
The Master couldn’t trust the official Gate Network so he had to alternate flight and Warp Steps all the way back to the Kingdom. Sharing the burden with Tezka and the others made things easier but it was still an exhausting trip.
“I’m home, Zin.” The moment Vastor reached the safety of his arrays, he shapeshifted his clothes back into his Professor uniform and his body into its real, stumpy form.
“Dad!” Filia and Frey rushed to him in a tackle-like hug. “Are you hurt? How is Aunt Solus? Where’s Uncle Tezka?”
“Calm down, kids.” Vastor effortlessly lifted them up. “To answer your questions, I’m fine, Aunt Solus is back home, and Uncle Tezka is right behind me.”
The Suneater walked out of the dimensional opening after putting away his equipment and checking there was no gore left or lingering smell of burned flesh on his fur.
“The good guys won and the bad guys lost, kids. You have nothing to worry about.” Tezka pouted. “I’m offended you thought we could fail.”
“I’m sorry, Uncle Tezka.” Frey clung to the Fylgja’s massive leg. “We didn’t doubt you or Dad. We were just worried someone might get hurt.”
“Zogar, thank the gods!” Zinya rushed in, following his voice. “Are you hurt somewhere? Is everybody alright?”
“Respectively no and yes, Zin.” Vastor wrapped her in an embrace, feeling her quiver under his touch until his strength reassured her. “What about you? Where is Kigan?”
Nelia had followed the kids and was welcoming her allies back while there was no trace of the Bloodstained.
“We too had… quite a day and he needs a bit of time to recover.” Zinya sighed with a mix of lingering fear and sadness. “Kids, your father and I have to talk. Tezka, there is warm food for everyone. You can eat while you tell your adventure to Filia and Frey.
“Just keep it as clean as possible.” Those last words raised a series of groans and complaints.
“But, Mom! We already know who won. What point there is hearing about a battle without the details?” Filia asked.
“Don’t worry, Zin. The enemy was a big, crazy tree so there was no bloodshed.” Tezka omitted the elves’ presence to keep his story family-friendly. “I don’t think they can get scared by hearing of wood splinters.”
“That’s even better. We’ll join you soon. Have fun, kids.” Zinya said with a warm smile that disappeared the moment she shut the door behind her. “I want the truth, Zogar. What happened and why do you look so shaken up?
“Did something happen to Lith? Did the World Tree do something to Solus while she was his hostage?”
“Lith is fine. Or at least as fine as someone who just returned from the dead can be.” Vastor noticed she was quite shaken as well but his questions could wait. “As for Solus, the World Tree reproduces asexually.
“They have probably hurt her but not in the way you fear. I don’t know the details since I had to keep my cover and couldn’t follow the rest of the group back to Salaark’s palace.
“Also, I wanted to make sure you were alright.” He took her hands into his, smiling gently as Vastor led Zinya to a comfortable couch. “We’ll hear the details as soon as Zoreth gets back home.”
“Then why do you have that face?” Zinya had spent enough time with her husband to know when something big had happened.
The depth of their bond both scared and made Vastor happy. It meant she really cared for him but also that protecting Zinya from the truth would be much harder from now on.
“One second.” The Master rang the servants’ bell, having some strong tea and a few fresh pastries prepared before adding anything else. “I’m glad you are already sitting because this is going to be incredible.”
Vastor used a mind link to share with Zinya a quick overlook of the battle. Just the mind-sight of the colossal Golems covering the ground and the majestic Wyrms eclipsing the sky was breathtaking.
Zinya had little understanding of mana cores so Lith’s transformation didn’t impress her much. Meeting legendary artifacts like the mage towers and figures like Lochra Silverwing, Baba Yaga, and Ripha Menadion through Vastor’s eyes, however left her speechless.
“Mage towers are real? Silverwing and Yaga are still alive? And Solus is Menadion’s descendant?” She ate the pastries like popcorn, sending crumbs on her dress whenever her mouth fell open in surprise.
“White cores are immortal, dear.” Vastor explained. “They can’t die of old age or illness. They can only be killed with extreme violence. As for Solus, so it seems.”
“What do you mean, so it seems?” Zinya asked.
“You know how Lith is.” Vastor sighed. “He’s a bundle of secrets wrapped in lies buried under half-truths. Menadion was bound to his chain so I can only trust half of what she said. Don’t get me wrong, I’m the last person on Mogar who can criticize him. I’m just saying…”
“That it takes a liar to know another.” Zinya completed the phrase for him.
“Exactly.” The Master nodded. “I’m not going to prod but I wouldn’t be surprised if there is more to it. What about you? I’ve received messages from the Royals about you and Kamila being kidnapped and rescued by Salaark’s Nest.
“Is that the reason Kigan is in such a bad shape? Did the Phoenixes try to kill or capture him?”
“No.” Zinya shook her head with a sad smile on her face. “I’m glad you are already sitting because this is going to be incredible.”
Vastor didn’t miss how she was parroting his words and left her control over the mind link.
“Good gods!” Discovering that it was Tyris’ bloodline to be after Kamila’s life and witnessing how easily the Griffons had easily overpowered one of the Master’s chosen was a pill hard to swallow.
“The fuck?” Learning about Lith’s second son and witnessing Leegaain getting rid of so many powerful enemies by using but a fraction of his powers shocked the Master to the bone.
