Chapter 4589: Runs in the Family (Part 1)

’The children I can understand.’ Orion thought. ’After meeting Guardians, Dragons, Phoenixes, and the gods only know how many more mythical beings, I bet they wouldn’t bat an eye even if the sky fell down.

’Moreover, they’re too young to know who Lochra Silverwing is and understand the role she played in establishing the current magical knowledge. Yet how come my little girls, Elina, and Raaz, are just as indifferent to such a shocking encounter?’

After meeting Baba Yaga, Dawn, and many other absurdly powerful figures on Mogar, Silverwing didn’t even rank in the top ten of the Verhens’ greatest surprises. Also, they knew enough about the First Magus to be more annoyed than impressed by her presence.

"Congratulations, Dad." Leria smiled at her father and smirked at Aran, with the triplets following her lead like backup dancers. "I always knew magic runs in the family."

"Well, duh!" Aran pointed at his father, then at Lith. "I’m happy for you, Leria, but remember that my dad reached enlightenment much earlier and without even being Awakened. That’s what real talent looks like."

"You little-" Leria and the triplets jumped off their seats, but Senton raised his hands to stop them.

"Enough! I won’t be used in your silly measuring contests. Sit down and don’t ruin dinner for everyone else. All of you." He said, and his children begrudgingly complied. "How is your work going, Quylla?"

Senton noticed his wife’s dejected expression and rushed to change the topic.

"Better than I believed possible. With Lochra’s help..." Quylla calling the First Magus by name made her parents choke on their food. "And Ajatar’s Dragon Eyes, things have gotten much less complicated.

"I’ve even made some progress about understanding Garrik’s condition." She pointed at the young Fomor-Tyrant hybrid sitting at the other end of the table. "If I’m right, I can further improve his current breathing technique and help him stabilize his life forces in much less than nine years!"

Everyone gave her a short round of applause, and no one was more enthusiastic than Ryla.

"Speaking of experiments, how many dates have you been on with Haugh, Ryla?" Friya asked, and the Fomor became beet red up to her ears.

"A few." She cleared her throat in embarrassment.

"Twelve!" Garrik raised his hand to answer, as if it were one of his magic classes.

"Garrik!" Ryla wanted to scold him, but chuckles and awws drowned out her voice.

"That’s a lot." Friya pressed forward. "And how are things going between you two?"

"They’re going well." The Fomor stiffened up. "He’s a nice man."

"Just nice?" Garrik snorted. "Uncle Haugh is a great cook and storyteller! He’s so good that during their last date Mom lost track of time and spent the night out with him, listening to his stories."

"Garrik!" Ryla turned so red that everyone wondered if she might evolve into an Indech out of embarrassment.

"Why are you yelling, Mom?" The young Fomor replied in confusion. "I’m just telling the truth."

"You’re right. I’m sorry." Ryla whimpered.

Not only was the cat already out of the bag, but she also felt guilty for making her son worry. She had yet to return from the date when Garrik woke up the previous night and had waited hours for her, afraid that something might have happened.

"Just be careful out there, Mom." Garrik shrugged. "I know Uncle Haug’s food is delicious, but if you eat too much, you’ll get as fat as Auntie Friya."

Friya wanted to point out she just had a belly bump, but the recent news about Ryla’s love life shut her up along with the rest of the table.

***

Essagor Region, a few days later.

"I enjoy a good scrap like any other Fae, Rinfen, but you’ve chosen the wrong day to challenge me." Orosir the Pixie said. "I’m expecting guests, and I don’t have time for you. Come back tomorrow."

The Awakened Fae Lord of Essagor was a green-skinned, lithe human woman with bright violet eyes that matched her shoulder-length hair. What truly betrayed her inhuman nature, however, were the antennae-like vines protruding from her forehead.

That, along with the huge chitinous layered wings covered with thousands upon thousands of colorful leaves and vines coming out of her back, made her look like a weird hybrid between a human and an overgrown butterfly.

"You’ve ruled over Essagor for far too long, Orosir." Rinfen the Redcap sneered, making the brambles that formed her crimson hair rustle. "I’ve waited decades for this moment, and I’m not going to wait a minute longer."

Both women possessed an ethereal beauty that belied the predatory, violent character typical of most Fae. Only those privy to the true nature of a Redcap knew that the color of her hair and the ruby-red of her eyes came from the blood of her victims.

"Yet you’ll have to." Orosir activated the arrays of her hearth with a snap of her fingers. "There are countless arrogant fools like you who believe I’ve reached my position through sheer luck, but I only have two friends! You are not worth ruining their day, so go away."

"If you love them so much, then I’ll bury them right next to you." Rinfen’s cruel laugh accompanied the crackling of Life Maelstrom she extracted from the Hippogriff’s blood. "They can fight by your side for all I care. I can take down ten like you, Orosir!"

"Challenge accepted." The punch that crushed Rinfen’s nose and sent her ricocheting off the tall trees of the forest like a pinball was so fast that all the Redcap saw was a blur. "Maybe you’re really stronger than Orosir, but you’d make the kind of Fae Lord I would never trust with my safety."

A kick to the stomach caught Rinfen on the rebound, and would have sealed her fate if she were human. Her body unraveled into a thorny mass of brambles and slithered up the foot that was about to squash the Redcap.

"And who are you supposed to be, sister?" Rinfen tapped into the Oberon’s sap stored in her hair to activate the bloodline ability, Wildlife.

The Oberon race possessed the ability to change their bodies into any kind of plant life in the blink of an eye. One moment they took the form of a tree and even grew fruits, and the next they became a colorful flower bush.

When they fought to protect their territory or their life, however, such an ability allowed them to assume much deadlier and less charming forms. The thin brambles expanded into thick vines, and the thorns grew to the size of a long knife.

Last, but not least, Wildlife replaced part of the organic matter of the Redcap with minerals, turning every part of Rinfen’s new form into something as hard as rock and as flexible as a reed.

"I’m not your sister." The green-skinned, pointy-eared woman who only looked like a Dryad replied as her body shapeshifted into a colossal figure of actual rock.

The stony vines slammed into the stone creature, inflicting only shallow cuts that closed at a speed visible to the naked eye. To make matters worse, the wounds shed no blood, sap, or anything the Redcap could feed on to steal her mysterious enemy’s powers.