Kamila already knew a lot about Lith's secrets. The next step was to tell her about Awakening or at least introduce Solus to her. The longer they stayed together, the more awkward the elephants in the room would become.
Just like Phloria, Kamila was starting to notice the many things that didn't add up like the secrets and silences that too often were the only answers he could offer to her questions.
"Well, at least she knows that you are a hybrid, so explaining to her where you disappear during your apprenticeship with Faluel will be easy." Solus's human form had lost most of its luminescence over time.
She was worried about it, whereas Lith was certain that it was a good sign. He believed the phenomenon was caused by her form turning from pure energy into flesh and blood.
The fact that she was now able to retain her humanoid appearance for a longer period of time backed his theory, yet it made Solus even more worried. Once she would become fully human, the excuses she had exploited to postpone facing her own feelings for Lith would crumble.
They were definitely more than friends, but that was it. Also, once it happened, Solus wouldn't be able to delay finding the secrets behind her origin any longer. She had fully devoted herself to Lith for all that time and now she needed to think about herself.
'To become a proper person, having a physical body is just the first step.' Solus thought in a hidden corner of her mind. 'I need to learn why master Menadion did this to me and what happened to her legacy.
'It's the only hope I have to find a way to be more than just a magical artifact and get a life of my own. Otherwise I'll always be relegated to the role of Lith's plus one.'
"True, but that's not enough. If she keeps sticking with me, Kamila is bound to meet more and more Awakened. Not to mention that even after I complete my apprenticeship, she wouldn't be able to understand why I have to keep traveling, nor how I can freely move around.
"If she wants to be part of my life, then she must be able to accept you as well. Whatever the future holds, I don't want you to share with me only the bad stuff and keep you hidden like some sort of past mistake I am ashamed of." Lith replied.
"About that, what if we start with your family? It's really painful for me to know so much about them and yet they don't even know I exist or how much I did for them." Solus said.
Lith nodded and went to sleep, nostalgic for the times he could sleep hugging Solus's wisp. Ever since she had got her human body, it was too awkward a situation to continue with their tradition, making him feel as if he was cheating on his girlfriend.
***
The following day, Lith called Faluel the Hydra to make sure about Xedros's lair location and that she would announce his coming to the Wyvern. Lesser dragons loved to hoard treasures and being mistaken for a thief was the last thing Lith wanted.
"I'm glad to hear you have decided to become my apprentice." Faluel was in her human form, wearing the sweetest smile Lith had ever seen.
"It's the only possible course of action. The Kingdom is becoming too reliant on my help and I prefer to fly solo." Lith's words made her giggle, yet he preferred not to ask questions and keep their relationship strictly professional.
He wasn't aware of Solus's emotional turmoil but had enough of his own to not wish for more trouble.
"As for Xedros, I'll call him as soon as our call is over. I'm sure he will take a liking to you since you two have so much in common. Wings, Origin Flames, mastery over the light element…"
"Are you saying that he's a Healer as well?"
"No, I'm a Healer, whereas he's a Light Master and a Dimensional Mage." She shook her head, making her rainbow-colored hair dance under the morning light. For some reason, she was taking a stroll instead of working in her lair as usual.
"Meaning?" Lith asked.
"That unlike you who just project illusions, he's capable of giving them substance. A Light Master can achieve with elemental magic almost the same results of Spirit Magic by consuming a lot less mana. It's a rare and powerful discipline."
A greedy light appeared in Lith's eyes while he wondered if the Wyvern would be willing to take him in as an apprentice as well. Faluel would teach him Spirit Magic and Runesmithing, while Xedros could educate Lith about Origin Flames and hard-light constructs.
Being part of the beasts' Council was turning out to be the biggest stroke of luck Lith had experienced ever since he had met Solus.
"Hold your dragons, Wyrmling." Faluel said, recognizing the look on Lith's face. "Xedros is a good friend of mine, but in your place, I wouldn't trust him much. Wyverns are considered to be the upper tier of the lesser dragons, which makes them all the more dangerous.
"They are prideful, greedy, and arrogant like real dragons yet they are rarely as wise as our common ancestors. Wyverns are desperate to find a way to take the last evolutionary step and become Wyrms. Xedros is no exception.
"He considers all those who don't belong to the draconic bloodline to be inferior beings, so you better always keep your hybrid form in front of him. Also, he's no Forgemaster, so never mention to him about your skill in the art, or he'll place an exorbitant price to the smallest of favors."
"Why someone wielding Origin Flames wouldn't practice Forgemastery?" Suddenly Xedros sounded like someone whose ego could barely fit in a football stadium.
"Because he doesn't need it. Unlike us who are constantly in search of ways to improve our skills, Wyverns only need a few decent weapons and protections to be content. They are apex predators who resort to weapons only when fighting their peers.
"Old Wyverns like Xedros can sell their flames at a huge price because of the few creatures capable of using Origin Flames and even fewer of them are capable of controlling them to the extent that a Forgemaster requires.
"All mages, no matter their race or if they are Awakened or not, need Origin Flames to purify and smelt the most powerful metals, tipping the scale of supply and demand in Xedros's favor.
"If you consider that it's up to the client to provide materials like Adamant or Davross and the means to purify them, you can easily understand why he doesn't waste time learning Forgemastery."
'Yeah. If I wasn't forced to find a solution for my reincarnation problem and if I had been born into an Awakened bloodline, I would have no need for Forgemastering either.' Lith nodded.
"Last, but not least, Xedros is in the second half of his life span. This means that he is determined to succeed where everyone else failed and evolve into a Dragon. There are bad rumors about him, not to the point of making me suspect he might resort to forbidden magic, but enough to require caution.
"Your bloodline is unknown, but more draconic than most I've ever seen. If he asks you for blood or anything else, give him a polite but firm rejection. Since I'll introduce you as my disciple, you'll be fine, but otherwise you might find yourself in a pinch if you pique his curiosity."
