2362 Embers of War (Part 2)

"Valeron is used to the nutrients that his mother, a Golden Griffon, provided him." Tyris replied.

After taking care of the baby, they left him with the handmaidens that Leegaain had also saved from the collapse of the lost academy. Ophya and Vyla were part of Valeron's life and the last bits of his family who were officially still alive.

Kamila had none of Lith's hard feelings for Thrud and her heart clenched at the thought of the hardships that Valeron would have to face alone growing up. Yet she cared more about her husband and decided to make no mention of the baby's presence in the palace.

When they returned to the dining room, Lith was done eating and Solus had returned.

"Is everything okay?" Lith asked after noticing Kamila's inner turmoil.

"Peachy. Nothing that you have to worry about, I swear." She said with a sweet smile. "How do you feel, Solus?"

"How long do you have?" She sighed. "I only want to go to sleep and forget-"

Suddenly, most of the communication amulets lit up in unison, even Salaark's and Tyris'. As for Lith, his military amulet turned on by itself due to a Royal Override.

"What is it now? More enemies? Explosive devices left by Thrud as a contingency plan in case of her defeat?" He asked in frustration.

"Sort of." Queen Sylpha replied. "I used the Royal Override to make sure to reach you before any member of your family answered their amulet. Believe me, your parents don't want to see Thrud's final message."

Raaz looked at the amulet, noticing that the blinking rune belonged to the Kingdom's information network. It was used for important updates and news relevant to the survival of people.

Draughts, famines, and all kinds of political and natural phenomena that could compromise the livelihood of the citizens of the Kingdom were reported through the channel.

"What is it about?" Salaark asked.

"Nothing much. Just a compilation of Meln Narchat being tortured, pissing himself, begging, and all the most humiliating things he did while Thrud held him prisoner." The Queen replied.

"In her message, Thrud says that she made sure that even if he escaped, his reputation would be destroyed.

"After seeing that video, no one will ever respect Narchat. The Undead Courts, the Criminal underworld, and even regular citizens now consider him a joke. The fearsome Dead King has become a laughingstock. The bad news is that he's clearly alive.

"Thrud wouldn't taunt a dead man. The good news is that he's alone. No one will help him in his quest for revenge and without Baba Yaga's support, it's only a matter of time before we find him."

She took a pause to let the news sink in before moving on to a different topic.

"Supreme Magus Verhen, the Kingdom thanks you for your help and contributions in ending the War of the Griffons. Yet this is far from over. The Kingdom is still split in two. There is a lot to rebuild and millions of people to bridge back to our side.

"The Crown still needs your help. It won't be tomorrow or next week, but I'll summon you again and I expect you to answer. I know it may sound of bad taste, but there will soon be a gala.

"If we don't celebrate our victory, if we don't show to the citizens of our country that the War is over, they'll never believe it. I hate the idea of dancing while the corpses of so many friends are still warm, but life is for the living. Queen Sylpha out."

Everyone deactivated the blinking rune but Raaz. He needed sheer willpower to not grin from ear to ear.

'As soon as Elina falls asleep, I'm going to watch that video until my eyes give out. Giving me the chance to see that fucker get his due is the only good thing Thrud did.' Raaz thought.

"I was afraid of this." Lith sighed. "Meln is still alive. Yet as the Queen said, he's a much lesser threat now. If Thrud did to him what I think she did, his mind and body are in ruin. While he was trapped and his power sealed, mine kept growing.

"He can only rely on himself and we all know how Meln is his own worst enemy. We'll deal with him, but not today. Now I only want to rest."

Lith stood up, still needing help from Kamila to walk, and slept until dinner time in the Kingdom.

***

Vastor Mansion, the Master's private quarters, right after the end of the battle.

Vastor and the monster-Eldritch hybrids returned home in dire need of rest and food. They were exhausted but happy. Not one of them had died and when pushed to their limits, their newfound powers had surpassed the Eldritches' highest expectations.

Even better, they had learned from the fight how to further improve and merge their life forces. Now that the War of the Griffons was finally over, they could afford the time to take turns in the new and perfected Madness.

Vastor had thoroughly studied the blueprints they had acquired from the Wisdom Palace and created what he believed to be a masterpiece.

Until that moment, his version of the Madness was based on the few fragments left for study in the Royal Archives and the device he had barely glanced at in Thrud's lab in Othre.

Now, instead, he had the schematics of every single spell and iron bolt.

Yet it would have to wait for another day.

"Daddy!" The moment Filia and Frey used that word to welcome the Master back, all of his plans to cure Mogar and further mankind's evolution took the backseat.

The children didn't say much, just calling him dad and crying non-stop, but it was the best speech Vastor had ever heard. It made him feel at home, loved, and needed.

"Don't worry, kids. Dad is alright." He hugged them, lifting them off the ground with ease. "We kicked the bad guys' butts and no one got hurt. You should have seen us. Your Aunties and Uncles were the real heroes today."

"Don't listen to him." Nelia assumed her human form, that of a stunning redhead with silver eyes. "Dad was the best. Look with your own eyes if you don't believe me. He even worked with Valeron's companions and took his place in the legendary When All Are One array."

She projected a doctored hologram of the battle that was kept family-friendly from start to finish. The children yelled, cried, and chanted their father's name all the time.

"I'm proud of you, Zogar." Zinya came close to him second, letting the children experience for the first time in their lives the feeling of having a father they loved and of whom they could be proud.

"I told you that you aren't a monster. You should stop beating yourself so much and believe in yourself." Her kiss and embrace were as sweet as honey yet they tasted like poison.

The Master felt guilty for the lives he had taken and those he was already planning to take in order to further his plans. The new Madness couldn't be fueled by rainbows and happy thoughts. It needed live sacrifices and hundreds of them.