"It seems we were lucky, son." Said General Vorgh while dispelling the arrays he was keeping at the ready.
"Usually when Jakra manages to get out, things go downhill fast."
"Is Jakra the dragon's name?" Lith asked.
"No, that's how we call him. Her. Whatever that is. We've tried multiple times to communicate with him, but it never works. A dragon would be a powerful asset, so we've tried bringing language experts and giving him food.
"Yet the only thing he is interested in is getting out, so we are forced to kill him every time. We still have no idea why so many powerful creatures have been locked inside Huryole, but we cannot allow any of them to escape unless we are sure they can be trusted.
"In my book, whoever spews fire first and talks later, is unworthy of trust." Vorgh waved his staff, creating a Warping Array leading to the closest Gate.
"Ranger Verhen, you'll remain here until the next reset. If by then Jakra is still trapped, then you'll resume your regular duty. Don't hesitate to call for help."
After Solus confirmed Lith that they were alone, he Warped to the nearest mana geyser and had her assume her tower form. He had no need to camp in the middle of nowhere when he could use the Surveillance Mirror on the tower's first floor to keep an eye on Huryole from a distance.
"I know it may sound hypocritical coming from me, but I think Vorgh is too paranoid. That dragon can only escape out of pure luck. Huryole has several floors and we never managed to fully explore even one of them in the short time between resets." Lith said, taking their most recent prizes out of his pocket dimension.
"Agreed, but if you look at the bright side, it's like you got a few hours leave." Solus welcomed him in her wisp form.
"Yeah. There are far worse ways to spend your birthday, Solus. Happy birthday." Lith confirmed on his clock that it was more or less the same hour when thirteen years ago he had spoken with Solus for the first time and given her a name.
"Thanks!" She said brimming with joy. She only needed a shred of consciousness to stand watch with the Mirror. The rest was focused on the task at hand. It was one of the most difficult things Solus had ever done, but she wanted to do it anyway.
"Lith, can I ask you something as a birthday present?" She asked.
"Anything you want. Within reason, of course."
"Can you promise me not to get angry?" The wisp rested on his shoulder, wobbling in anxiety.
"I can try. That much I can promise. Are you sure that's all you want for your birthday? You're making me feel like I set the bar so low for you that…"
The wisp left his shoulder and stopped in front of his eyes before starting to grow in size, cutting Lith short in surprise. Soon Solus was in her humanoid form, wearing a simple dress with a flower design that left her shoulders and arms exposed.
"Well? What do you think?" She searched his neck for the vein that she knew would throb whenever he was really angry, no matter how good his poker face was.
"That it was about time you told me. I was really starting to feel left out." Lith said, his neck vein calm and composed.
"Plus, if you waited more, it would have made my birthday present kind of awkward." He handed to her one of the Orichalcum hammers they had forgemastered. Its shaft was slimmer and more delicate compared to the other one.
The words "Maker of Wonders" had been magically engraved of both sides of the shaft. The hammer's head featured an actual hammer on one side and a pick on the other.
"You knew all along?" Solus felt embarrassed and frustrated at the idea of having spent so much time worrying for nothing.
"It wasn't that hard to guess. First, you refused to keep me company when I bathed…"
'That happened way before I got my body.' She thought.
"… then, you started to press me to 'go to sleep' or left me to spend time with Tista. Plus, there was the increase in the food expenses and the bills for clothes Tista bought but never wore.
"If you consider that I knew that once the first floor of the tower would be restored you were meant to acquire your body made of light, it was almost obvious." Lith shrugged.
"So, you're not angry?" She asked.
"No. I know all too well the difference between sharing your secrets because you want to and because you have to. I honestly don't understand the reason why you kept it a secret from me, but I was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt.
"You look gorgeous in that dress, by the way." Solus brimmed with joy at those words, and so did the tower.
She hugged him, feeling for the first time Lith returning the embrace. Solus then told him that the reason she hadn't told him about her new form was that she didn't want to mess up his relationship with Kamila.
"I just wanted you to be happy. I realize that now it��s like you are living together with two women at once and I didn't want to force you to lie to Kamila. I decided to come clean with you because I think my past could help us with your problem."
Solus started to share with him all of her memories, about the Forgemastering method she had witnessed during her visions and how different the enchanted items she remembered of were from those they currently used.
They watched the memory of her adamant hammer over and over, comparing it with the sword they had recently acquired. There was a striking resemblance between them.
"Maybe this Master Menadion of yours was also a teacher in an ancient academy. If I'm right and Huryole really is some kind of twisted version of the six great academies, maybe this sword was one of her works." Lith handed Solus both the book and the enchanted item, hoping they would trigger one of her flashbacks.
Solus ran her fingers over the runes engraved in the blade. Each time she did it, they turned from blue to gold for a split second, emitting each one a different musical note.
"This hasn't been crafted by Master Menadion. Don't ask me why, but I'm sure of it. I think it might have been Forgemastered using one of the techniques she shared, though. It feels so familiar to me that it can't be just a coincidence." She said.
"What about the gibberish. Can you read it?"
"No. What's worse I don't recognize any of these spells. I don't think I have ever seen them before." She replied.
"Maybe it's because Menadion was an Awakened too. If like Master Silverwing she decided to pass her knowledge onto fake mages, this is not what she would have taught you. According to your memories, you were likely to be her Awakened disciple." Lith pondered.
"If you are right, why did she do this to me?" Solus pointed at the tower and then to herself.
"Most powerful mages are batshit crazy." Lith didn't know what to tell her.
