Chapter 4476: Shared Grief (Part 2)
Chapter 4476: Shared Grief (Part 2)
The meal was hearty and delicious, but the dessert was even better.
Lith served everyone a molten chocolate cake with plenty of powdered sugar and fresh cream. The heat of the chocolate and the cold of the cream hit the spot and filled what little space was left in everyone’s stomach.
"Gods, that was delicious." Mirias did her best to suppress a burp. "I’m afraid I’ll have to go on a diet after this, Magus Verhen."
"I hear you." Solus patted her stomach.
"Thanks, Mirias, but please, call me Lith." He replied.
"I wouldn’t dare! I mean, fine... Lith." She spoke the last word as if she expected to burst into flames, and when Mogar kept spinning and the sun shining, the Baroness sighed in relief.
***
"Are you sure Jirni is safe at the Mansion?" Kamila asked after they moved to the guest house for the afternoon nap.
"She said so, and I believe her." Lith shrugged. "Besides, she’s still swamped in paperwork. Supervising a Kingdom-wide investigation is a full-time job."
"I feel guilty just being here." Kamila sighed. "The silver lining is that Jirni has plenty of company and can join us whenever she wants."
She took a Home Stone from her dimensional amulet and placed it outside their room window.
"By the way, this is nice, but it doesn’t count as a date. Too many extras." Kamila nodded at the toddlers that had just fallen asleep.
"I never said it was." Lith smiled. "I thought that since I had to come to Jambel, I could use the opportunity to check on the Wyalons and Clila."
"I know, and it was really nice of you." She imprinted the Camellia, and its four flowers shifted to the icy-blue of the water element. "Where are you going?"
"I’m not tired, and neither is Val." Lith took the boy out of the crib and into his arms. "We can use a bit of alone time without Ely throwing a fuss."
"She’s so jealous and bossy. I wonder who she gets that from." Kamila sighed as father and son exchanged a glance.
"It’s a mystery." Lith replied. "See you later, and call me if anything happens"
He Blinked out of the house and then Warped outside the city walls. One more Steps from there brought him to the edge of the faraway woods.
"It’s alright, Val. You can shapeshift here." Lith said, and the baby boy’s hair turned emerald and his eyes silver. "That’s not what I meant, silly."
Lith shapeshifted into a human-sized Tiamat while holding Valeron’s hand, and the baby boy quickly followed suit, turning into a small Bahamut.
"Come on. Fly all you want. You are free."
The baby boy took a short sprint on his stumpy legs and flew towards the sky, quickly followed by the Tiamat. Lith always gave Valeron the Second some space, but kept close enough to reach him in a single Blink.
The baby Bahamut loved those moments when he had his adoptive father all to himself. Valeron felt safe flying in Lith’s shadow, and dared to attempt aerial maneuvers that pushed his small frame to its limits.
He soon flew faster than an arrow, yet Lith was always behind him, the distance between them unchanged in a silent promise of love and protection. Valeron enjoyed knocking the snow off the treetops with swift sweeps of his claws and scaring the birds with his squeaky roars.
Away from walls and barriers, Valeron felt normal again. He didn’t have to hide who he was and who his parents were. He was just a small Divine Beast playing under his father’s watchful eye, just like Elysia and Raldarak always did.
Valeron screeched his challenge to Mogar and infused himself with Life Maelstrom. He became almost five times faster and bolted upwards, as if he were trying to reach the sun.
Lith followed him without losing a beat. His adoptive son wouldn’t have outsped him even if his small body could actually withstand the silver lightning’s full prowess instead of just barely half.
The baby Bahamut turned around, squealing in joy when he saw the familiar black figure exactly where he was supposed to be. No matter what he did, Lith didn’t give up on him and was always by his side.
Valeron pushed himself as hard as he could, flying higher and higher until the air grew so thin that the boy struggled to breathe. When fatigue weighed down on his body and his lungs burned from the strain, the little Divine Beast performed a U-turn and dived into his father’s arms.
Lith felt the little boy’s weariness through the Dragon Scales, but also his excitement and the trust he had in Lith.
"Let me show you true Dragonspeed, little fellow." Lith held Valeron close to his chest and flapped his wings with his true strength, turning into a black blur that soared through the sky.
It scared the baby boy, but only for an instant. His body adapted to the new speed as he leaned against his father’s chest, the thrill of speed and awe for the vastness of the horizon replaced fear.
Lith flew over the twin lakes, circled the woods, and reached the peak of the barony’s highest mountain. Valeron didn’t feel cold thanks to the heat radiating from his father’s body, while air magic ensured he had no problems breathing.
Once he was done with the tour of Jambel’s wilderness, Lith returned to the woods. Father and son sat on flat stones before each other, their inner fire melting and evaporating the snow covering their seats without them even noticing.
Valeron loved those little outings with Lith because not only did he have his father all to himself, but also because it was the only time the young boy could ask Lith all the questions that tormented him without upsetting his siblings.
Elysia had only a vague understanding of Valeron the Second’s circumstances, while Raldarak had none. Valeron couldn’t talk about his original parents in front of his siblings, mostly because he himself didn’t know what to say.
His young mind failed to comprehend how people who loved him so much and whom he considered good and loving parents could have become enemies. Luckily for Valeron, he didn’t need mind links or words to convey his doubts.
The Dragon Scales allowed Valeron to ask complex questions and express concepts he could barely grasp in a form Lith could understand. At the same time, the Scales allowed Lith to answer the baby boy’s questions without sharing information that would traumatize him.
[Do you hate my parents?] Valeron asked via the Dragon Scales. [AN: the words in square brackets are expressed through feelings, not words.]
[I don’t hate your father. I have great respect for him, and I tried until the last moment to reach a peaceful solution to our situation.] Lith replied, adding images of his encounters with Jormun via a mind link.
During those peaceful moments, Valeron loved to see his father through Lith’s eyes. To smell Jormun’s scent, observe his gestuality, and hear the tone of his voice exactly as Valeron remembered it.
[I don’t hate your mother either, but I can’t forgive her.] Lith continued. [She did things that forced us to fight, and she took someone precious from me.]