“Is it?” Salaark countered. “Look at Lith. Compared to us he’s a novice. When he first came here, he had already learned the importance of putting cloaking runes on his creations.
“Yet he gifted me one of his DoLorean, he shared with me his original blueprints, and, in time, he opened the tower to me. Look where we are now. It didn’t take us three hundred years to become this close.”
“I did what I thought was right.” Menadion still looked the Guardian straight in the eyes but a hint of doubt had crept into her mind.
“And we all paid the price.” Salaark shook her head and dropped the argument. “Thanks for the ride, Featherlings. We can go back home now.”
“We are not done yet.” Menadion said as the Tower Warp brought them back to the palace. “I haven’t explained to you how to use the remaining pieces of the Set now that their limiters have been removed.”
“We are done for today.” Lith replied. “I promised Solus a life, not a life of duty. She’s gotten out of that accursed Fringe for barely two days and we both deserve some serious rest.
“Besides, I have still much to do and can’t risk getting slumped with work until I’ve tied up all loose ends.”
“What loose ends?” Solus asked.
“Valtak’s funeral, the matter of the Apprentice Ears, explaining to the Royals why I helped the Empire to invade Chalal, and face the people I’ve hurt while amnesiac.” Lith sighed.
“Oh, right.” Solus felt responsible for Lith’s trouble with the Kingdom and sad about everything else. “By the way, when we receive Mom’s lesson, we must call the others.”
“What others?” Menadion felt a knot forming in her stomach at the idea of sharing her secrets with someone other than her daughter.
“Faluel and Tista.” Solus replied. “Malyshka unlocked the Eyes for Kalla and it was quite straightforward to use while the Hands and the Mouth have remained locked all along.”
“Right.” Menadion nodded. “I forgot you’ve given the pieces of my Set to your friends. I have no problem with Lith’s sister since what we say would stay in the family but are you sure about Faluel?”
“Mom, she’s our good friend and former mentor.” Solus couldn’t believe her ears. “Also, aren’t you friends with Fyrwal? She too risked her life for me. How can you be so ungrateful?”
“Answer her, Ripha.” Salaark clicked her tongue. “How do you do it?”
“Natural talent and lots of practice.” Menadion replied with a grunt. “So what’s next?”
Lith checked his communicator amulet again before answering.
“Lunch for starters. Also, I’m a parent and my children deserve more than the crumbs of my time. Grandma, is Elysia old enough to eat baby food?”
“In her human form? Sure. In her other forms, she can eat steak or metal coins, if you want. Why?” She replied.
“Time for some changes, I guess.” Lith said. “Follow me, Solus. Mom is going to need your help for Surin.”
He moved everyone to the tower’s kitchen, summoning Kamila and Elina.
“Since the babies are old enough to be weaned, I’ve thought of a way to make things easier for the girls to digest.” He used a combination of air and water magic to blend fresh meat and vegetables into soft, moist creams after cooking them.
“Gods, this is one of the times I wish I had real magic.” Elina sighed. “Back when you were a baby, dear, I had to boil everything for a long time before pounding the food into a mush with a mortar. You instead did it in a minute.”
“I know, Mom, but I’m sure that it tasted delicious thanks you your effort.” Actually, Lith was more than sure. He remembered what Elina’s every meal tasted.
“Thank you, dear.” Elina gave him a hug. “But why have you brought me here? I can’t do it on my own.”
“True, but you have recipes or ideas from your experience that you can share. Maybe we can even try a few things you couldn’t do due to your lack of magic.” Lith replied.
Elina recognized it as an excuse to spend some time together in the kitchen and was delighted by it.
“It’s a wonderful idea, dear.” She put on an apron. “I’ll teach you how to prepare all the good food that made you and your siblings grow strong and healthy.”
“And in return, I’ll teach you how to make unhealthy delicious food.” Lith filled a large frying pan with oil.
Then he peeled a bunch of brown potatoes Elina had never seen before and cut them into long, slender bits with air magic before throwing them into the hot pan.
“What is this stuff?” The thick oily smell made Elina wrinkle her nose.
“They are called fries.” Kamila said with a guilty look on her face. “Lith hid them from me too until I was pregnant with Elysia and served them to me as comfort food during my bad days.”
She and Solus were the only ones who had tasted fries before.
“Really?” Elina frowned seeing Solus drooling at the fizzling oil. “Why did you never share them with the rest of the family, dear?”
“As I said, it’s unhealthy food, Mom, and finding the right oil and potatoes was a hassle until Dad grew everything I needed in the Greenhouse. Also, I didn’t want you and Rena to be constantly pestered by the kids. This stuff is almost addictive.
“Now, however, they are old enough to learn discipline and you have all the help you need.” He handed the first three fries to Elina, Salaark, and Menadion after salting them, making Solus and Kamila stare in gluttony.
“Gods, this is delicious.” The three women said in unison.
“Can I make it the Desert’s national food?” Salaark asked while licking her fingertips.
“You can, but the Desert produces neither potatoes nor vegetable oil. You can’t use animal fat or they taste horrendous.” Lith replied.
“Fine.” Salaark narrowed her eyes. “I’m still offended you hid these ‘fries’ from me. Even while I was pregnant with Shargein.”
“Back then I had yet to find a potato variety that didn’t taste horrible, Grandma.” Lith said. “But you are right. I should have shared them with you as soon as I perfected the recipe. Let me give you a double serving as an apology.”
“Everything is forgiven, Featherling.” The Guardian ate with a voracious appetite that Solus could match but her body couldn’t handle.
‘If I eat like that, I’ll end up as big as a Divine Beast.’ She inwardly sighed.
Useless to say, the soft creams were a hit with the babies and the kids finished their serving of fries in a minute, asking for more.
“Only if you behave.” Lith replied, deaf to their begging. “The ingredients are rare and expensive. It will take me a while to collect them again and you’ll receive more only if your parents tell me you deserve it.”
Aran and Leria groaned and sighed, but there was no point arguing with an empty plate.
“After the ice cream, I foresee a new culinary shock spreading through the three great countries.” Tyris said with a satisfied burp.
“Are you going to share the recipe?” Leegaain asked.
“There’s not much of a recipe. More like an ingredients list but I don’t see why not.” Lith shrugged.
