Supreme Magus

Chapter 3715: Mistaken Identity (Part 2)

Like Elysia, they had no idea what had gone wrong, but unlike her, they trusted their parents and gave the baby boy the time and space Valeron needed. Yet their pain was nothing compared to Fluffy’s.

Kalla the Wight was still a guest of the Verhen Mansion and forced the young Byk to endure grueling training sessions whenever they met.

"How many times do I have to tell you I’m not Nok?" Fluffy panted heavily as ghastly Wraiths chased him around the Mansion.

He had gotten too fast for skeletons, so Kalla had moved on to flying lesser undead.

"Just don’t." Kalla shook her head. "I’m not falling for that trick again."

"Aren’t you going to intervene?" Garrik asked Nok while they had a mid-game snack.

"Nah, it helps Mom keep her mind off work and Fluffy busy." The Byk munched a giant version of the young Tyrant’s honey bread. "He’ll thank us later. Trust me."

Fluffly had to concede that since the start of Kalla’s mandatory boot camp, his body and mana core had developed steadily. Yet seeing the source of his trouble stuffing his face while Fluffy ran for his life angered the young Byk beyond reason.

He had tried to point at the real Nok more than once, but the moment he did, the undead caught up to him, and while he screamed in fear, Nok hid behind the closest tree or bush.

"Fluffy!" A familiar voice brought the frenzied chase to a halt.

"Mom! Thank the gods you are here." The young Byk had never been happier to see his mother.

"Fluffy? Mom?" Kalla stopped the Wraiths, trying to make sense of those words.

"When did you get so fat?" Fluffy’s mother examined her son, finding him overweight since the last time they had met. "Don’t mind me, and keep running. You need some exercise."

"Mom, we meet for the first time after months, you arrive to see me chased by undead, and the first thing you notice is my weight?" Fluffly snarled in outrage.

"You look fine, and the undead release no killing intent." The huge Byk gave him a reproachful look. "Your weight is the only dangerous thing in this beautiful mansion, and I pointed it out."

"Do you finally see it, old hag?" Fluffy turned to Kalla. "I have been telling the truth all along. Your real son is sitting right there. How can you be so stupid that you don’t see him hiding in plain sight?"

Fluffy pointed at Nok, catching him by surprise.

Then, Kalla did something nobody expected. She started to cry.

"I’m sorry." She sobbed. "I thought you were my baby cub. I was so worried about you. I just wanted you to live a long and healthy life with me."

Fluffy felt terrible. His mother was glaring at him and the children stared at him like he was the scum of Mogar, even Garrik. Worst of all, as Kalla kept weeping, Nok charged at Fluffy in hatred, releasing the killing intent of a murderous war machine.

There was no more training ahead of him, only a fight for survival.

"Stop right there!" The female Byk put herself between Nok and her son. "I’m Thula, mother of Fluffy, and I deserve an explanation."

Nok bared his fangs and roared, but Thula didn’t flinch.

"She’s right, baby." Kalla sobbed. "Please, let me do the talking."

She explained everything amid tears, taking the full blame for the misunderstanding and owning her own mistake. All the while, Nok stared at Fluffy, panting in barely contained bloodlust.

"Let me get this straight." Thula said. "Garrik took you as his steed."

"Yes, Mom." Fluffy sighed in relief, noticing she was as outraged as he was.

"Then, you turned yourself into a pig even fatter than you are now, and this poor mama bear mistook you for her beloved cub."

"Yes, Mo- Wait, what?" Fluffy gulped hard.

"Kalla took care of you like her own and kept you healthy." Thula’s voice turned into a growl and then into an angry snarl. "And that’s how you repay her kindness? By calling her names and showing no gratitude?"

"But, Mom, he was just there watching me suffer and eating food-"

"Food? You want more food?" Thula cut Fluffy short while poking at his flabby belly. "You have eaten enough to survive two consecutive winters! No more food for you. As for you, young cub."

She turned toward Nok.

"Do what you want with Fluffy. He deserves it. Just no spells and no deep wounds. He’s still my baby."

"Hurr, hurr." Nok laughed the cruel laughter typical of a Byk fighting for his food, territory, or revenge. "I’ll do my best."

"Mom, you can’t be serious! He’s going to kill me!" Fluffy was still talking when Thula moved away.

"Now you’re mine!" Nok stood on his hind legs, roaring his fury and giving his hated enemy a head start. "No one makes my mom cry! No one!"

Fluffy ran for his life. The bigger, stronger, and meaner Byk made all of Kalla’s undead look cute like sock puppets in comparison.

"Don’t cry, Kalla." Thula licked the Wight’s snout. "I’m the one who has to apologize for raising my son so poorly."

"No. It’s all my fault. I’m a scatterbrain." Kalla sniffled. "Do you think Fluffy will ever forgive me?"

"He will." Thula turned around to check that Nok didn’t hurt her son too badly as he slammed the smaller Byk around like a dirty carpet. "You have my word."

***

From his crib, Valeron felt some kind of twisted pleasure seeing Nok avenging his mother. Valeron too wanted to punish those who spoke ill of Thrud like those mean Awakened had done, but he was too weak.

He was grateful to Lith for saving his life, but also resentful for everything else. Valeron had so many questions, but with his young mind and no one he could trust, he didn’t know who to believe.

Then, as Lilia and Leran joked about Kalla mistaking Fluffy for Nok, Valeron realized he had done the same with whoever had played the part of his dead parents.

"Adya! Adya!" Valeron hated to speak the Dragontongue word for grandfather, but he needed Leegaain’s help.

"Yes, child?" The Guardian answered the summons so quickly that Valeron believed his rage would have killed him.

He stared at the Father of All Dragons for a while, wondering how Leegaain could run to Valeron’s side for something so trivial yet ignore the baby boy when he was seconds away from death.

"Do you want me to leave?" Leegaain asked, snapping the baby out of his daze.

"Mom. Dad. Who?" He demanded to know the identity of the one who had impersonated his parents all along.

"Protheus, your brother." Leegaain replied. "Do you want me to bring you to him?"

"No." Valeron shook his head and tapped his finger on the ground. "Him. Here."

All the love and affection Valeron felt for Lith had turned into resentment after the revelation, but even though the baby boy didn’t trust Lith to tell him the truth, Valeron trusted Lith to protect him.

While his so-called loving grandparents had left him to die at the Awakened’s hands, Lith had stood by Valeron’s side.