“No sweetie, he’s gone.” Lith shook his head. “Valtak had a long and happy life. Before dying, he asked me to send you his love and tell you he was happy meeting you.”
It was a white lie and something the Father of Fire would have said, had he had the time and opportunity to give his final farewells.
Aran and Leria burst into tears, their mothers quickly wrapped them in an embrace and whispered reassuring words in their ears.
“It’s okay, baby.” Elina gently caressed Aran’s hair. “It’s nobody’s fault. Valtak was just old.”
“Don’t cry, sweetie.” Rena rocked Leria in her arms. “I explained to you why these things happen. Remember the old horse you liked so much? It’s the same thing. He didn’t suffer, it was just his time.”
Of course, Rena omitted the part where the horse had been butchered and eaten for dinner. That was a story for an older and less impressionable Leria.
“You are young so you can’t die, right Mom?” Leria asked amid sobs.
“Correct.” Rena lied as sweetly as she could.
“Dad and Grandpa Zekell are young as well, right?”
“Of course.” Rena nodded.
“Mom? Dad?” Aran asked. Suddenly being the youngest son of many older siblings sounded terrifying. “What about you?”
“We are still in our prime, young man.” Raaz patted his head. “As your mother said, it happens only to very old people.”
Much to everyone surprise, Aran and Leria started crying harder. To the point that Elysia and the other babies in the crib joined them.
“Please, don’t die, Grampa Leegaain!” They tackled the Guardian’s legs, leaving him flabbergasted.
“I’m not going anywhere, your runts.” At first, Leegaain was moved by their concern but soon he found it mighty annoying.
‘Why are they tagging only me as an old coot?’ He thought. ‘Salaark is not that much younger than me and Tyris is even older!’
‘Because I look as old as their mothers and act like their aunt, old lizard.’ Salaark replied. ‘You instead look as young as their fathers but act like a fossil. It’s not the kids’ fault if they fell for your grumpy old man act.’
‘The next person who calls me old and is not a kid is going to get the beating of a lifetime!’ Tyris’ telepathic roar brooked no doubt about how serious her threat was.
“Don’t worry, Hatchlings, I have still a very long life ahead of me.” Leegaain grabbed the babies who were crawling and grabbing at his face. “Can’t you see how healthy and vigorous I am?”
“But Grampa Valtak was your grandson too so you are even older than him! You are actually our ultra-super-grandfather.” Aran pointed out.
“Great-great-grandfather.” Leria corrected him. “And your hair is all white, Grampa Leegaain. Grampa Zekell only has a few white streaks so you must be also much older than him.”
‘I see.’ The Father of All Dragons thought. ‘Valtak is the only Divine Beast they know who died of old age so they assume I’m the oldest of the bunch. My silver hair makes it even worse, painting me as a decrepit elder in their eyes.’
“First of all, my hair color is whatever I want it to be.” Leegaain’s thick mane turned blond, dark, and red in quick succession, making the kids gasp in awe. “Second, Guardians are special existences. We are not old. We are ancient.
“Last, but not least, we are singularities where infinity and eternity meet. Here, let me show you.” He held Aran’s and Leria’s hands, temporarily awakening their bloodline.
The Dragon scales that now covered the kids’ skin proved to them the Guardian’s sincerity, shared his confidence with them, and even allowed the children to get a glimpse of his real nature.
The Leegaain standing in front of them was no bigger than the average man but what lay behind his human shell burned bright and majestic like a sun. In front of him, size didn’t matter and neither did time.
“Ba! Ba!” Elysia, Valeron, and Shargein stopped crying and started slapping Leegaain for scaring them witless by pretending to be old.
“How on Mogar can I be the bad guy? I didn’t say anything that could make you worry, you did all by yourself.” The Guardian held the babies tight until they felt reassured enough to turn their anger into peaceful cooing.
Shargein in particular was terrified of losing his father. The Wyrmling shrunk his size and wrapped himself around Leegaain’s neck like a scarf, using the powerful heartbeat of the Guardian to drive his fear away.
“You are so cool, Grampa Leegaain!” Aran and Leria said in unison, their eyes filled with awe.
Their minds were too young to fully understand what they had just witnessed, but, unlike the babies, they were old enough to be affected by the revelation on a deep level. All the secrets of Mogar and magic had been unveiled in front of their eyes.
It had lasted only for a second and the details were vague like a dream but the experience still left a mark in their young hearts and souls.
“You look awesome with dark hair.” Aran said. “You should always keep it like that so that people would see the family resemblance.” The young boy pointed at himself, Lith, and Raaz, in this order.
“Don’t listen to him. Blonde hair is the best.” Leria puffed her chest out with pride. “It complements your pale skin and gives you a noble look.”
“I share with you some of the most profound mysteries of Mogar and you focus on the color of my hair? That’s what impressed you the most?” Leegaain was flabbergasted.
“Yeah, right.” Aran ignored the Guardian’s grievances. “You’re saying that only because you are blonde yourself! Grampa, don’t listen to her. Black is the new black! Also, you should try a goatee. Can you grow a goatee?”
“Blonde is the color of gold and all Dragons like gold, right, Grampa?” Leria pulled Leegaain’s hand. “Also, don’t get a goatee, it would make you look like a bad guy. Either a full beard or nothing.”
“I hate my life.” Leegaain said, ignored by everyone.
“Dragons are such a cheat.” Salaark scoffed. “In his shoes I would have to coddle the kids for hours and stuff them with sweets to calm them down whereas the o…af lizard only needs a touch of his scales.”
After the recent events, the Overlord decided to avoid the word “old” in front of the children and Tyris for a while.
“I don’t see anything wrong with it, instead.” Rena sighed in relief. “I was afraid Leria would be too scared to sleep alone in her bed for days. Don’t get me wrong, I love my baby girl but her fluffy pillow turns any room into a sauna.”
Abominus ignored the remark and lapped Rena’s face while wagging his giant tail.
“And covers you in slob!”
“Tell me about it.” Raaz caressed Onyx’s head, making her purr.
“Grampa Leegaain, Grampa Leegaain!” The triplets had never met Valtak so Lith had brought them out of the room during the last part of the story.
Now that they were back and seeing everyone clinging to the Guardian, the triplets assumed it was the perfect timing to make their move.
