“Why do you think many mages learned Light Mastery over the millennia yet none of them bothered organizing it in a manner anyone could learn like Dawn did?
“And don’t get me started about the rivalries between Awakened belonging to different races. It took Lochra’s legacy to give fake mages the edges they needed to finally broaden their horizons and get one step closer to true magic.
“It’s because of my runes that artifacts considered impossible to craft without Forbidden Magic became accessible to the Council and fake mages managed to develop more than flashy toys.
“Once the wheel of progress started to spin, stagnation would last only until the second Magus and the second Ruler of the Flames appeared. In the short three hundred years of my existence, there have been four Rulers of the Flames and many more Magi.
“The seeds Ripha and I planted allowed fake magic to improve by leaps and bounds. In turn, the explosive progress of fake mages forced the Council to put aside their differences and start working together.
“I preserved and spread the pieces of the Set because I wanted them to act as catalysts for the development of magic. Thanks to their help, my apprentices were supposed to build a legacy of their own and share it with the rest of Mogar like I did.
“Instead, those morons ended up dead due to their arrogance or hid like rats, afraid they would end up dead like me. Bottom line, I don’t need the Ears and make no claim on it. Feel free to give the Ears to the Fire Dragons if that’s what you want.
“My hope is that they’ll combine it with their mastery over Origin Flames to craft marvels of magic but my cynicism tells me they’ll tear each other apart over it.” Menadion sighed.
“About Origin Flames, is there any floor of the tower that can make them or Life Maelstrom? I’m okay even with Elemental Flow.” Lith said.
“Thanks for the vote of confidence, but not even I could replicate the powers of the Guardians.” Ripha replied. “I had no opportunity to study their mana organs and even if I did, crafting something that can mimic a bloodline ability is beyond me.
“I’m not a Healer like Baba Yaga. Also, consider that the Spirit Crystal necessary to emulate a life force would make the artifact useless to anyone but me. Yaga made Dusk exactly because he was sentient and could share his powers by bonding with a host.”
“So it’s a Horseman-level of complexity? Even for a single bloodline ability?” Lith asked.
“No, for a single powerful bloodline ability.” Menadion said. “There’s a reason Yaga gave Dusk only three powers that all work by adding a spark of life force to the world energy.”
“I see. Thanks for your advice, Ripha. Now I know what I have to do.”
***
The following day, Lith had Salaark undo his imprint over the pieces of the Apprentice Set and returned them to their rightful owner.
“Thanks, Scourge.” Kalla the Wight said. “I was starting to get worried saving Solus might take weeks.”
“Mom, Uncle Vlad told you about the success of the mission back when he got back home and every day after that when you pestered him about the Eyes!” Nyka the Vampire, Kalla’s daughter said. “How can you forget about Solus and remember about a trinket?”
“That’s not hard, dear.” The wannabe Lich answered the rhetorical question with the soft, gentle tone of an adult talking to a naïve child. “I miss the Eyes every time I sit down to work whereas I don’t miss Solus unless I’m the mood for a social call.
“Don’t get me wrong, she’s a lovely young woman and your dearest friend, but her contribution to my research amounts to nothing.”
“Mom! How can you be so rude? Solus is standing right there!” Nyka pointed at her friend who was chuckling.
“Rude? Me?” Kalla was flabbergasted. “I’m not the one who called a masterpiece of magic ‘trinket’ right in front of its creator.” The Wight pointed at Ripha. “Please, forgive my daughter, Master Menadion. She’s an airhead but she has a big heart.”
“You are the last creature on Mogar who can call anyone an airhead, Mom! You-”
“Bye!” Lith said.
Mother and daughter kept quarrelling for a few more minutes before realizing the tower was gone.
“There was no rush to bring me back the Hands, Lith.” Faluel took the artifact with both hands, giving a deep bow to Menadion. “How are you doing, Solus? It’s nice to see you again.”
“I’m great, thank you for asking.” She chuckled.
“What’s so funny? Did I say something wrong?” The Hydra was baffled.
“Quite the contrary.” Lith replied. “We just returned from Lightkeep and let’s just say that Kalla’s welcome was weird. To say the least.”
“I can imagine.” Faluel shook her head. “I’m sorry for not taking part in the rescue mission, Solus, but without the Hands and a Royal Fortress armor, I would have been a burden to everyone.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Solus replied. “Now let me introduce you to my mother. Professor Faluel, this is Ripha Menadion. Mom, this is Faluel the Hydra. She taught us everything we needed about true and Spirit Magic.”
“I know, dear. I was there.” Ripha said. “Thank you for everything you have done for Epphy-”
“Solus!”
“Solus, Faluel. Very few Awakened I knew back in the day would have trusted a living legacy and even fewer would have respected her privacy. I also appreciated your lessons, especially those about Forgemastering. Filly must be proud of you.”
“Thank you, Master Menadion. You are too kind.” Faluel had a hard time looking her idol in the eyes.
“Just call me Ripha, dear.” Menadion replied. “Once we move back to Lutia, we are going to be neighbours.”
“Thank you, Master- I mean, Ripha. I know only the heirs of your chosen apprentices are supposed to learn the secret of the Hands and that my request is beyond shameless since we have just met, but can you please unlock it for me?”
“Of course. Kolga is dead and her bloodline has proven to be unworthy of my legacy. I was there when Lith and Solus retrieved the Hands. The sight of the horrors crafted with my unwitting help still haunts me.
“Lith and Solus chose the right person to wield the Hands and I’m not saying this just because you are Filly’s daughter. You are a great Forgemaster and an even better person, Faluel.”
Ripha took the Hands from Faluel, tapping the right glove’s blue gem and then the left glove’s black gem, alternating between the gauntlets until she had touched once all twelve gemstones.
They didn’t light up or made a sound when touched, making it impossible to find the code by chance. Lastly, Menadion wore the Hands and slammed its palms together. Only then did a visible change occur.
The elemental crystals started to burn with power and golden mana pathways became visible, connecting the gemstones on the gloves’ fingertips with each other and the overedge of the cuffs.
A click accompanied the release of thin blades from the back of the Hands that carried the darkness crystals.
