Lith shapeshifted quickly, assuming his hybrid form that was taller than two meters (7′), yet Lith felt that he could get even bigger if he wanted to.
Faluel looked with interest at both the hybrid and his armor. Her professional curiosity was piqued at the idea that someone had realized an Orichalcum Armor without the need for runes.
Yet the Wyrmling was far more interesting. Just like Scarlett had told her, whatever the Lith-thing was, it looked like a dragon, and yet it was nothing like one. The wings were upside-down, making them useless in theory, yet she could feel they were more than a tool for flying.
With their ability to flex like a hand and the many spikes at their extremities, they were meant to fight. Dragons were supposed to only have two eyes and their power was supposed to increase with their age and wisdom, yet there were seven.
“Can you please breath Origin Flames for me?” Her request left Lith flabbergasted. He had shared that part of his secret with no one, only Solus was supposed to know about them.
“Your fight in Zantia was recorded.” Faluel said, almost as if she could read his mind. “One of the late elders responsible for one of your attackers mistook you for one of Xedros’s children since Wyverns are known to be able to use them.
“Xedros vouched for you after mistaking you for one of my children and then he showed me the record. That’s how I know about it and why I was eager to meet you.”
Protector looked at Lith in surprise. He knew that Lith was able to breathe fire, but he had no idea they were something that precious.
“Where, exactly?” Lith asked while gesturing to the Skoll that he would explain later.
“I don’t want you to make a mess, so just breathe a small amount of flames upwards.” Faluel pointed at the ceiling.
It was so high that it could easily accommodate the Hydra in her true form, so there was no way that a bit of Origin Flames could do it any damage. A small burst of blue flames erupted from Lith’s mouth and then Faluel raised her hand as her eyes turned to an emerald green.
The jet of fire performed a U-turn, stopping a few centimeters above her open hand, making both Lith’s and Protector’s jaw drop in surprise. The Hydra didn’t pay them any attention, waving her hands around the small flame that was shrinking by the second.
The Origin Flames’ shape changed with each one of her gestures, getting split and reunited multiple times while producing a crackling sound. Lith was almost sure that it was almost as if the fire was a living thing and the Hydra was dissecting it.
“They are a bit coarse and amateurishly done, but they are definitely Origin Flames, kid.” She said after snuffing what was left of them by clenching her fist. “You are quite a mystery, but maybe I can help you unravel it a bit.
“Can I use my breathing technique to study your hybrid body?” She asked.
Lith made sure that Solus was far enough away before stepping forward. Faluel placed her hands on his chest and started using Abyssal Gaze. She immediately noticed the cracks in Lith’s human life force and the existence of the hybrid one.
Yet her attention focused the most on his eyes and on the source of the heat that reddened the tip of his scales.
“This is really odd, but I think we can work with that. Before making you my predictable offer for an apprenticeship, what do you want to know about first? Your eyes or your flames?” Faluel asked.
“My flames.”
Most of what Faluel told him about the Origin Flames Lith had already discovered or guessed on his own, yet there was more.
“Origin Flames can be used only by a few creatures, like Dragons, Phoenixes, Wyverns, and more. There are other Emperor Beasts, like Lindwurms, who can turn the world energy into some kind of universal acid, or like Rocs, who can turn it into Living Thunder.
“What makes Origin Flames special, is that they can be manipulated at will and used to purify almost any substance. For a Forgemaster, it means the ability to work only with perfect materials and to obtain items that would be impossible otherwise.
“Not only do impurities alter a material’s physical properties, but also their ability to conduct mana. All kinds of metals, if properly purified, can be greatly enhanced by the use of Origin Flames.”
“For example, it’s impossible to purify Adamant without them. The strongest flame can liquify it, but not make it boil, leaving the impurities trapped inside. Only Origin Flames can remove them without harming the material or losing most of it in the process.
“The second and most important property they held to a Forgemaster, is to allow them to melt not only the physical form of a metal, but also to remove all the traces from a previous enchantment, failed or not.
“Some metals are so rare that it is up to the client to provide them, hence a single failure can ruin the name of an artisan. That’s why Origin Flames are highly sought.” Faluel said.
“Is it enough to engulf Adamant in Origin Flames to purify it?” Lith asked.
“You wish. That way you only risk to evaporating it. What you need to do is to use your breathing technique to spot the impurities that you want to cleanse and then manipulate the flames to attack them.”
‘Damn! Luckily, I never tried to reset the Odi sword. Otherwise Solus might have been injured in the process of scrubbing the Adamant off her walls.’ Lith thought.
“How do I do that?”
“Beats me.” Faluel shrugged. “I’ve traded my services for Origin Flames a lot of times, but no one ever explained to me how they work. You must experiment on that yourself, but beware.
“While some metals like Adamant are at their strongest once you have completely removed all external elements, others, like Orichalcum or steel, only maintain their properties as long as they hold a certain amount of impurities.
“Just spewing Origin Flames is the recipe to waste a lot of money and resources.”
“Wait, what do you mean you don’t know? I just saw you manipulate them.” Lith said.
“No, not really. That’s another matter entirely and it has to do with your eyes. Protector, do you mind leaving us alone?”
“Why should he leave? He already knows everything about me, I trust Protector enough to stay.” Lith rebuked her since he didn’t trust her enough to remain alone with her.
“Maybe you do, but this is a secret you and I share, not him. I know and trust Ryman as well, but I can’t risk exposing something like this to someone who’s barely more than a child.” Faluel shook her head.
“You’re not making any sense. I’m way younger than him and I’m not even your apprentice. What makes me so different from Protector?”
“Your ignorance. Yet it doesn’t make you different, only more dangerous to you, me, and even my species.” Her voice was stone cold and so was the air in her cave.
“I understand that being born from humans you’re suspicious. I’m aware that you have no reason to trust me, but remember that no matter what, once you stepped inside my house, if I really meant you any harm, you would already be dead.”
