Yet neither Lith nor Xenagrosh gave up and kept staring at the Phoenix's work as if their life depended on it. Because one day, it might be the case.
"Little brother! You have no idea how much I wanted to meet you in person." Sinmara said after putting away her latest piece and her working clothes.
Her Forgemastering equipment was made from Surtr's scales not because a Dragon's hide offered more protection than a Phoenix's feathers so much as because Sinmara found it creepy wearing the magical equivalent of her own dead skin.
In a similar fashion, Surtr's working clothes were made of black feathers.
"Because I'm a new species and the first successful fusion between two Guardians' bloodlines?" He asked, feeling awkward for being half her size.
'Welcome to my world, beanpole.' Solus said with a sneer.
"No, because of your I-scream thingy. Mom fell in love with it at your birthday party. She always brags to me how it's the best thing along with a cold beer while taking a hot bath after a hard day of work in the Forge." Sinmara replied.
"It's called ice cream, not I-scream." Lith replied. "Also, I've gifted Grandma the recipe. What do you need my help for?"
"Because she refused to share it with me saying that it would be rude of her to betray your confidentiality!" The Phoenix snarled. "The truth is that she uses it to blackmail me into working more.
"Can you share the recipe with me as well, pretty please? I've really had a bad day."
Lith had brought plenty of ice cream for the lunch, but he had assumed there would only be him and Xenagrosh. He didn't have enough ingredients inside his pocket dimension for an extra serving for someone that big.
"Sure thing." He handed to her a regular-sized piece of paper that Sinmara's eyes were able to read solely thanks to her incredible eyesight.
"Finally! See you two in ten." She quickly hugged Lith, kindly pecking his head before disappearing into a side room.
"Hot bath?" He asked while listening to the sound of running water.
"Probably." Xenagrosh nodded. "Let's wait for her in the dining room. Unless you want to go peeking."
Lith clicked his tongue, having no interest in either scales or feathers.
The dining table was already set for three, with proper glasses, plates, and furniture. Everything was of the right size for Sinmara but the moment they touched their respective chairs, the items adjusted their height for them.
Even from a sitting position, Lith had the impression to be a child among adults.
'Now you know how I feel every time you joke about setting a baby chair for me at the table.' Solus knew that it wasn't fair laughing at another's misery, but she did nonetheless.
She had too many shortie jokes that she wanted to repay in kind.
"Thanks for the wait. I hate to admit it, but Mom was right. Ice cream after staying for hours inside a volcano really hits the spot." Sinmara entered the room exactly ten minutes later as she had promised, but not in the form that Lith had expected.
She was now very small, with the appearance of a stunning redhead about 1.83 meters (6') tall with emerald green eyes. She had cute little freckles under her eyes, on her nose, and on the pale shoulders that the bath towel she wore left exposed.
"Why are you in human form and why are you naked?" Lith said with the raspy voice of someone choking on a tennis ball while his Tiamat eyes followed the water droplets that ran from her hair and down her ample bosom.
"Dragons and Phoenixes don't like water much and the feeling is returned. In my other form, I would have turned the bathtub into a sauna on contact. On top of that, do you have any idea how much water I would waste to clean a 40 meters (132') tall body?
"As for your second question, do you bathe clothed?" Sinmara said before reading the hormones in the room. "I'm flattered by your feelings, but I have no interest in anyone younger than 300."
Lith was glad that the pitch-black scales that covered his body kept the two women from seeing how embarrassed he felt.
"Is it better now?" Sinmara went back to her gigantic humanoid Phoenix form while she sat at the head of the table.
"Very, thank you." Lith took the food out of his dimensional pocket and added the recent awkward memory to all those he wanted to repress forever, like proposing to Nalear the day they had met.
"First the ice cream and now a home-cooked meal?" Sinmara clapped her clawed hands in enthusiasm, putting away the still-living cattle that she had intended to offer to her guests as lunch. "This is really embarrassing for me. I didn't prepare any gift for you."
"Then maybe you can give me a few hints. I came back from the Council's mission with lots of questions and very few answers." Lith had prepared the servings to feed two Faluels, but since he and Xenagrosh ate much less than a Hydra, there was more than enough for a third person.
An awkward silence filled the room during the first few bites. Lith was still embarrassed from before, Xenagrosh was lost in thought, trying to make sense of the many enchantments around her, and Sinmara was focused on the food.
So much time had passed since the last time she had eaten a proper meal that the rich flavor of Lith's plates overwhelmed her.
"Good gods. A powerful creature that's good with children and even knows how to cook. You definitely are a full package. If I'm still single in 300 years you have to call me." Sinmara said after devouring the over 1000 regular servings of lasagna that filled her plate.
"Thanks." Those words made Lith think back at Kamila and helped him regain his cool. "How do you know about the kids?"
"The same way I know everything about your training routine with Faluel and that you've ranked first as a Spear during the test in the fake Urgamakka and second overall.
"Mom gives me all the paperwork from the Council and the reports from our siblings watching your house to examine." She replied.
"What's a Spear?" Lith asked.
"In an Awakened army, there are four main roles. The Spear that charges directly against the enemy, the Shield, who protects the main attackers, the Highmaster who deals the damage from a distance, and the Tower, who supports everyone else." Sinmara said.
"The most important role is that of the Highmaster since arrays deal most of the damage in a fight, but without the others, they would never have the time to cast their long-ass spells.
"The Spear pierces through the enemy ranks aiming at their Highmasters, the Shield blocks everything that survives the Spear, while the Tower changes their role according to the circumstances.
"You played your role as Spear very well and so did you apprentice as Shield and that elf as Tower."
"Let me guess. Athung was our Highmaster, correct?" Lith said.
"Correct. That, among other things, helped her to rank first overall." Sinmara nodded, moving to the meat dish that was comprised of a steaming pile of fillet mignon.
