"Once we reach the Golden Griffon, you, I, and everyone inside will Awaken, creating the strongest army that Mogar has ever seen. No one will be able to stop us and the throne will finally be mine."
"Are you sure you want to Awaken now? What about the child?" Not even the slave spell could keep Jakra from expressing his worries for his unborn baby.
"Silly man." She giggled, kissing his forehead and putting his hands on her belly. "Of course I'm going to wait, but it's not going to be long anyway. I can feel that the moment is nigh. Our child can't wait to meet their parents."
Jakra could feel the stirring and kicking reverberating from inside her soft skin. The thought of becoming a father made him incredibly worried and happy at the same time.
On the one hand, he considered the baby as the only good thing that had come out of his enslavement. On the other hand, the moment it was born, one of the bloodiest wars the Garlen continent had ever seen would start.
The Emerald Dragon didn't want for his child to be enslaved as well, nor to make them grow during such horrible times.
***
The city of Lightkeep, now.
After telling Kalla and Nyka the events that had unfolded that night and giving the Wight Scarlett's legacy, all that was left to do was to deal with the consequences of the mission's failure.
"I can't believe that aunt Scar is gone." Nyka sobbed, weeping blood tears.
"Hush, child. She's not dead. Our friend has just become something that goes beyond our wildest imagination and probably needs some time to get the hang of it." Kalla replied.
"She's just become an immortal being! Centuries might look like a second to her and by the time she returns, all of us might be all dead." Nyka cried even harder. "Sooner or later, you're going to become a Lich and you'll abandon us as well.
"I hoped that at least I would have been able to rely on aunt Scarlett, but now, once you're gone, I'll be all alone forever. Nok is not going to live long anyway and you'll forget about me the moment you step inside that damned lab of yours!"
Kalla wanted to console her daughter, but she recognized the truth behind her reasoning and remained silent.
"Don't worry, my little robin." Vladion said. "I'm not going anywhere and you'll be always welcome in my home. You are my goddaughter and this will always be your family."
Lith sat on a sofa with a blank stare on his face, hoping that Baba Yaga would pop up at any moment to ask her for guidance, yet nothing happened. His human form felt alien to him whereas his newborn instincts as a Tiamat poked at his brain that didn't know how to make sense of them.
"This isn't the outcome I had hoped for, but you upheld your part of the bargain and I'll do the same." The Firstborn said.
"Kalla, this white crystal is what you need for your experiments, yet I pray you'll never use it." He gave the Wight a gemstone the size of an apple, making Lith wonder how much the Eye of Kolga was actually worth.
"Nyka, I'm willing to impart you the secret Awakening technique of my bloodline and to make you into one of my children. Even in the case that you lose your mother, you'd always have a father." Vladion wiped her tears, hugging her tenderly.
During the last few days, he had seen so much death and madness that even one of the original children of Baba Yaga felt the weight of his mortality.
"Lith, I promise you that I'll spare no effort to find out the identity of the killer of your friends. Even if I have to tear the Undead Courts apart, I will give you the answer you seek." He said.
"Wait, you don't know? Based on Haug's words, I assumed everything was ready to be delivered." Lith snapped out of his reverie, yet his words held no fury.
For some reason, everything felt distant and insignificant to him. Even talking to Vladion seemed just a waste of his time.
"I never trusted you nor your group. As Haug must have told you, I heard about this while I was visiting the Undead Courts. Someone had paid them an ungodly price in exchange for some of their most secret knowledge and artifacts.
"I didn't want to get involved in an open war with the Courts but at this point, I don't care anymore. I know where to start my research and who question for answers. Even if I have to face the Hors.e.m.e.n themselves, I'll find out the truth."
Vladion and Lith exchanged their Council runes so as to be able to communicate. After that, Lith stood up and prepared to leave.
"Any chance I can have a talk with Baba Yaga?" He asked.
"I tried to contact her, but to no avail. I've left her several messages so that the moment she answers to me I'll send her your way." Vladion was unaware that the Red Mother was still busy saving Dawn's life.
"Thanks. Are you two ready?" Lith said to Kalla and Nyka.
"I'm not coming back. I want uncle Vladion to Awaken me and gain the power I need to protect Mom from whoever sent her that card." Nyka's eyes burned with a deep red flame that turned the light of undeath in her eyes into blazing torches.
"I'm sorry, Scourge, but I'm going to stay as well." The Wight shook her head.
"I'm not going to leave until I'm sure that Nyka Awakens safely. Also, as long as I'm here, whoever is targeting me will be forced to alter their plans and the Council can redistribute their escorts.
"On top of that, I need time to learn how to use the Eyes and the libraries of Lightkeep will help me find a way to achieve Lichhood, lessening the risk of leaving my children orphans. Whenever you need me, I'll just be one call away."
"I'll go back on my own, then." Lith said while moving toward the door.
"I can't allow you to go home empty-handed like this." Haug wore a grieving expression, feeling guilty for having dragged him into that mess. "The Travelling Tavern will bring you straight back to Derios without the need to face those ruffians of the Council."
"He can do that?" Lith asked Vladion in surprise.
"Yes. I've made an exception for his tavern in the city arrays. It's not as fast as a proper city Gate for security reasons, but it sure beats the alternative." The Firstborn nodded.
Moving the Travelling Tavern required both Vladion's authorization and Haug's mastery of dimensional magic. The staff had to leave the building so that the barkeep could shrink it in size and bring it out of the sealing arrays' borders.
Once outside Lightkeep, the Tavern Warped on its own several times, until it reached the outskirts of the Capital of the Distar region. The whole journey took them barely an hour, most of which they spent over mana geysers to recharge the Tavern's Warp Drive.
"Here, take them. I've been saving them for my disciple, but neither of us needs them anymore." While they waited, Haug handed Lith two Davross ingots.
