Supreme Magus - Chapter 3734

Shargein’s feat had dispelled the awkward tension of breakfast, and Surin’s closing act had shifted everyone’s attention to her.

Lith pushed the stroller in which Valeron and Elysia sat side by side. They babbled something he could only hope was an expression of their joy of being reunited and not some clever plan they didn’t want him to understand.

Kamila walked to his right while Solus to his left, offering a toy or a flower to the babies from time to time.

Elysia always took them with a smile. Valeron was gloomier when meeting their gaze, but at least he always accepted the small gestures of affection.

Shargein was forbidden from spending one more minute with them until further notice. The Guardians needed time to assess how much of their security he had cracked and explain to the Wyrmling that he wasn’t allowed to share their secrets with anyone.

Not even the other parent.

’This is not as cheerful as our usual strolls, but it’s better than nothing.’ Kamila said via a mind link.

Valeron looked happy only when interacting with Elysia. Whenever he met the grown-ups’ eyes, his face expressed all the conflicting emotions that ravaged his tiny heart.

He wasn’t angry anymore, just confused.

Even his joy was flawed. Sometimes, while looking at Elysia, sadness and envy stole his smile until he banished those emotions to the back of his head again.

’This is more than enough for me.’

’You know, I’m happy that Valeron feels better, but also a tiny bit disappointed.’ Solus said, rushing to change the topic. ’With his perpetual frown, he looked a lot like you as a baby. You and Valeron looked like father and son.’

’Thanks, Solus.’ Lith said with a sad smile.

Kamila, instead, felt hurt by those words.

’It’s silly of me, but even though I know everything about Lith, I never realized how much he must have suffered to have such an expression since he was a child until I saw that same expression on Valeron’s face.

’Lith and Valeron have more things in common than Leegaain’s blood running through their veins. They both have two sets of parents, trust issues, and childhood trauma. I can only hope it helps them to understand each other instead of pulling them apart.’ She thought.

***

"Man, that thing with Surin saying ’no’ was wild." Nalrond still laughed at the thought. "But still nothing compared to your sister’s ’damn’, babe."

"Shush, silly!" Friya giggled as they took a stroll in the Mansion’s park.

Friya and Nalrond kept themselves close enough to keep an eye on the Verhens but far away enough to give them all the privacy they needed.

"Remember that ’damn’ is a taboo word now. If anyone, and I mean anyone, says it in front of Dripha, my parents take it personally. Now they are not competing for first place anymore, but for second place, and the loser gets third."

"Has she learned any new words?" Nalrond asked.

"No, just the one." Friya sighed. "Which is a mystery since Dripha is a normal baby. She’s far too young to-"

"Did Surin really say ’no’? That’s wild." A silvery laughter cut Friya short and made the Agni stiffen like a deer in headlights.

"She did, pretty lady." Aran lowered his gaze in sadness. "Mom and Dad are sad that’s her first word instead of mama or dada. They are as sad as Auntie Jirni and Uncle Orion."

"What was your first word, young man?" Dawn asked.

"Dada, or so they say." Aran shrugged. "I don’t remember anything before big bro became a Ranger, and I wish I didn’t remember anything until a bit later."

Aran slouched his shoulders while offering his hard-light construct to the Horseman to study it.

"And why is that?" She asked while kneeling to observe the spell.

The Bright Day had switched her appearance to that of a woman in her mid-twenties, about 1.78 meters (5’10") tall, with golden eyes without pupils. Her skin was as white as milk while her waist-length hair was pitch-black.

The two conflicting features, together with the pure luminescence that exuded from her body, made Dawn a majestic figure that embodied sunrise.

"Because I remember how I first met sis Kami, and I’d rather not." Aran blushed in embarrassment. "I came out of the bathroom with my pants down and my hands unwashed."

"Oh, my!" Dawn giggled. "Don’t worry, women love confident men. I’m sure Kamila didn’t mind-"

"What are you doing here?" Nalrond cut her short.

His body was still tense, and his face expressed resentment and fear at the same time.

"Do you know each other?" Aran asked in confusion. "Why are you making Valeron’s face, Uncle Nalrond?"

"Yes, we know each other, but we are not friends." Dawn stood up to match the couple’s glare with one of her own. "You’d better go, Aran. We’ll resume-"

"Wait for me, pretty lady!" Leria cut the Horseman short as well, but for a completely different reason. "I’m sorry for being late. Mom was scolding me for laughing in my grandparents’ faces... What’s wrong with you two?"

The young girl had just conjured a hologram of her own when she noticed Friya’s and Nalrond’s ill-concealed hostility.

"It’s nothing." Dawn smiled at the kids as if nothing were wrong. "Go to your parents, please. We grown-ups need to talk a bit. I’ll give you your pointers in a jiffy."

"Promise?" The Horseman had never formally agreed to teach Light Mastery to the kids. They were following her around in the hope of cajoling her to help them.

Leria ignored the tension in the air and exploited the situation by extending her pinkie finger and turning a possibility into certainty.

"Promise." Dawn pinkie-promised and sent the kids away.

"Great move, Leria!" Aran patted her shoulder as they scurried away. "You pulled a Lith. As your uncle, I’m proud of you."

"Thanks, but Mom will kill me if she hears about it." Leria sighed. "Let’s keep this between us."

They were supposed to be whispering, but in their rush and excitement, they failed to realize how loud they were.

Dawn couldn’t help but smile, whereas Nalrond and Friya remained tense and ready to fight.

"To answer your question, Agni, I’m here as an honored guest." The Horseman of Dawn said after making sure nobody could hear them. "My mother lives here half of the time to help Ripha, and I often visit her."

"An honored guest? You?" Friya clicked her tongue in contempt.

"Yes, me." Dawn’s golden eyes narrowed. "In case you forgot, it’s thanks to me that Solus didn’t become a slave to the Chroniclers after the World Tree split her from Lith. I went to the Fringe to rescue her and led the charge of Mother’s Firstborns.

"Solus and I are not really friends, but we’ve reached mutual understanding and respect despite our past conflicts. Is that a problem for you?"

Nalrond was stunned, but not because of Dawn’s words. He already knew all those things. The Agni’s mind had refused to piece them together until that moment, unable to cope with the idea that the Horseman might one day become his neighbour.