2609 Painful Lessons (Part 1)



"It makes sense, but I have one question." Lith pondered. "What if Mogar gives you a solution that would take too long to achieve or that simply can't be reached in your lifetime?"

"In that case, after discussing it with Friya, I'll tear down the barrier between my life forces and pick one without even attempting to merge them." Nalrond replied.

"Why discuss it with her? It's your choice." Lith countered.

"Yeah, but it's our life." The Rezar shook his head.

"She has less than 100 years before she either becomes Faluel's Harbinger or dies. As an Awakened human, I can stay with her for less than 1,000 years while as a Harbinger she'll live as long as Faluel.

"Which means three times my lifespan if her research fails and ten times as much if Faluel becomes a seven headed Dragon like Ufyl. I'd rather stay a man, but if I do, Friya would have to move forward in our relationship knowing that she's going to outlive me.

"As an Emperor Beast, I can be her companion. As a man, I'd be almost like a pet."

"That's putting yourself down harsh, man." Lith patted his shoulder. "Kami is in your same situation. She didn't even want to be Awakened and she knew that I'll probably outlive her, yet things work just fine for us."

"It's different for you two." Nalrond sighed. "Your life force is cracked and your life is constantly in danger. There's no telling how long you have left and Kamila probably didn't want to be Awakened to not outlive you.

"How long did Manohar say that you have left?"

"A few hundreds of years. Maybe." Lith lowered his voice to not spoil the mood for the others.

"See? This means that even if Kamila lives just for 700 more years, she'll be grieving you for centuries. I don't want that for Friya. That's why I need to make this trip and why I'm going to talk to her before making my decision."

"Alright, I'm sold. When do we leave?" Lith asked.

***

It took a while to organize the trip to the ancestral Rezar Fringe. Reaching the Desert from Lith's barn and then the location of the external barrier of the Fringe needed but a few minutes whereas the preparations took weeks.

Friya wouldn't let Nalrond go to the Fringe without her and Quylla wanted to cover her sister's back. So they had to wait for Quylla to return from her honeymoon and then give her some time to prepare.

Also, Lith had to give the Royals notice of his leave. He couldn't just drop his Void Magic lessons and abandon the Tablets' trial run without it triggering a Manohar scale manhunt.

Faluel was going to come as well and she too needed some time to put her business in order and find a replacement as the Distar regional lord during her absence. Someone who also had to work with Bytra on the Harmonizers in her stead and keep studying the Tyrant's bloodline legacy with Kalla.

"Thank you so much for your help, Mom." The Hydra packed most of her things inside dimensional amulets but kept many tools and weapons hung to her belt and inside her pockets just to be safe.

"Like you gave me a choice." Fyrwal snarled. "I can't let some schmuck mess with the best shot the Hydra bloodline has in millennia to reach Dragonhood. Also, I can't wait to work with the Eyes of Menadion again.

"Speaking of that, are you going to leave the Hands behind?"

"Nice try but no." Faluel shook her head. "The Fringe is rich in world energy which makes it the perfect place to learn how to tap into the Hands' full potential. If things go south, between me and Solus it would take a natural disaster to stop our escape."

"I see. Yet you look way too excited for someone who's potentially sticking her head in a death trap. What's your angle?" Fyrwal tilted her head in curiosity.

"Are you kidding me?" Faluel couldn't believe her ears. "I'm going into a Fringe. I'm going to talk with the vital essence of our planet. I'm going to meet legendary creatures, maybe get a few hints about how to overcome the limits of our species, if not even achieve enlightenment like Grandmother."

"Be careful about what you wish for." Fyrwal replied. "Knowledge can be dangerous, especially when the answers you get aren't what you were expecting. By the way, have you informed the Council?"

"Of my absence? Yes. Of the Fringe? Of course not." Faluel said. "I'm not going to reveal the position of Nalrond's home nor am I going to put so many lives in danger without a good reason.

"You know how Awakened think. The Council would follow us en masse to both strongarm the elves to help Jiera and see if they can benefit from the Fringe. I want a mediation, not give ultimatums.

"Unlike Zelex's monsters, elves have no bone to throw the Council and once their home's location is exposed, they will think it's the War of the Races all over again."

"A noble but naïve choice." Fyrwal lowered her gaze. "If the treaties fail, what is going to stop them from trying to shut you up forever?"

"I'm not stupid. That's why I'm bringing Aalejah along and the Hands with me. She's going to act as our ambassador and do the talking while the others contact Mogar on the down low.

"As an Awakened elf and a former emissary of the World Tree, she should be able to ensure our safety." Faluel replied.

"Yes, she should." Fyrwal said with a somber tone.

***

"So you are going away." Salaark drummed her fingers on the desk of her office.

"Yes." Lith replied while using his Overlord permit to grant access to the Blood Desert to the members of his group without going through customs.

"For days." There was an enthusiasm in her voice that irked him to no end.

"Again, yes. Why?"

"No reason, bye!" A wave of her hand Warped everyone straight to their destination even though not like usual.

Warping arrays were supposed to just switch locations at a great distance from each other whereas Lith's group experienced the closest thing to being tossed away like confetti.

Some fell on their head, others on their butts, and Morok ended up sprawled on the sand.

Luckily between their enhanced bodies and the limited strength Salaark had put behind the gesture, no one was hurt.

"What was that?" Friya thanked the gods for her armor's shapeshifting abilities since she had sand even in her underwear. "Why was Salaark so eager to get rid of us?"

"Beats me." Lith tried and failed to conjure some water to clean himself.

Meanwhile, in the Desert, the Guardian took the answer to Friya's question in her arms before Warping herself and her honor guard straight to Lutia.

"Thank you for bringing the little Valeron with you Grandma." Kamila said while holding the almost one year old baby against her bosom.

Even though Salaark and Leegaain took care of him most of the time, Kamila went to visit the baby every time she could.