Chapter 3361 Dragon Hearth (Part 2)

The spells insulated the Origin Flames so as to keep anything they could burn away. and preserve their strength.

The metal lids drew in world energy and fed it to the spark of Origin Flames. The Firekeeper ensured that the Origin Flames it stored would burn indefinitely until Aran's life force was consumed or the supply of world energy cut off.

"Bright yellow." Ronak commented while tapping on the enchanted glass. "We can't have that, Hatchling. Grow strong and replace it with a stronger fire!"

He offered Aran his hand and the boy shook it.

"I will do my best!"

After bidding Erghak and Ronak goodbye, Lith's group opened a Warp Steps leading towards the closest mana geyser.

"How come I've never seen that toy?" Kamila asked in the attempt to change the topic and lift Leria's sour mood.

She and Aran shared a friendly rivalry that usually saw them even but this time he had scored a point that no amount of effort could emulate.

"Because my father made it soon after I graduated from the White Griffon academy and the Royals bestowed upon me my family name and crest." Lith replied. "You and I started dating years later and by that time Aran and Leria had already developed a finer taste in toys."

His words made the two kids turn their heads, ashamed of their own behavior.

"Is it true, Leria?" Kamila asked. "Do you have one as well?"

"Yes." She nodded. "I keep it in my room back in Lutia. Grandpa Raaz made it one for me too. It's like a big white tower from chess with the black dragon coiled around it. I, uhm, stopped carrying it around after Uncle Lith's skills improved enough to enchant artisan-made toys."

"It's true." Aran said. "Back then big bro only enchanted the toys Dad made because even if he destroyed them, he wouldn't lose money. Even as a human, Lith was already as stingy as a Dragon!"

Aran puffed his chest with pride as if he was praising his brother. Kamila furrowed her brows, staring at Lith until he too turned his head, ashamed of his own behavior.

"I was young and money was tight." Lith cleared his voice. "Tell her, Solus."

"It's true. He was as stingy as a Dragon." Solus sighed. "But he got better."

"I know." Kamila chuckled and kissed him on the cheek. "Why didn't Raaz make one for Elysia and Surin, though? It's not fair."

"It's safer that way." Lith replied. "Surin might choke on it and Elysia would bite it into

oblivion. Dad carved the toys before the babies were born and I enchanted them. We are just waiting for Surin and Elysia to grow a bit before giving the toys to them."

"I guess this is a blessing in disguise." Kamila nodded.

"What do you mean?" Lith asked.

"What about Valeron? Did Raaz make one for him too?"

"No." Lith connected the dots the moment the word left his lips.

"That's what I meant." She sighed. "If Surin and Elysia had already gotten their toy, Valeron would have grown up thinking he was being left out of the family tradition. He's smarter and has a better memory than a regular baby.

"This way, instead, he can get his own toy at the same time as the baby girls and grow up knowing he belongs to our family no less than them."

"Aunt Kami is as wise as a Dragon!" Leria said and Aran cheered.

A couple of Warps later, they returned to the Desert where it was still afternoon.

"Mom, Dad! You'll never believe what happened!" The two children ran to their

respective parents who widened their eyes in shock.

Aran and Leria still had wings coming out of their backs. On top of that, Leria's face and Aran's hands were still covered in scales.

"Did they Awaken?" Elina asked, trying to hide her fear under a false smile.

"No. Like it's that easy." Lith tutted.

"Did they catch the Dragon flu or something?" Rena examined Leria's scales, getting only more worried once she noticed her daughter's eyes had become vertical-slitted.

"Don't be silly, Mom. Dragons don't get sick." Leria said with an annoying, lecturing tone that Rena recognized as her own. "This is just Grandpa Leegaain's gift not to make us feel out of place. It's temporary."

The disappointment the little girl put in those last two words was matched by the relief with which the two mothers sighed at the news.

"How did the funeral go?" The parents noticed that their respective children didn't look as burdened by grief as before.

In Leria's case, however, the feeling had been replaced by a mix of envy and annoyance.

The kids shared their impressions about the guests and their interactions with the Dragons without adding context or caring about the order in which the events had taken place. It made little sense to their parents but they nodded, smiled, and praised the kids whenever it was necessary.

Then, Lith told the story again from the beginning and with the aid of holograms.

"Dragons have magnificent traditions." Raaz nodded, thinking back at his late parents buried under a tree in Lutia and wishing he could have done more for them. "I'm glad it

helped you let go of your sadness."

"I'm proud of you, Aran." Elina trapped the boy in a bear hug and kissed his forehead. "Even the Dragons recognized your good heart."

"Thanks, Mom," Aran returned the embrace and the kiss, making Elina beam with joy. "I feel a bit guilty, though. I'm supposed to feel bad for Grandpa Valtak and instead, I'm excited about breathing Origin Flames for the first time and being praised."

"You can't be sad forever, sweetie." Elina said. "As Erghak said, it would make Valtak sad too. Losing someone you love is always painful but the best way to honor them is by remembering the joy they brought to us and sharing it with others.

"That's what you did today. You let everyone know how much Valtak meant to you and helped the other Dragons to overcome their grief. I'm sure he wouldn't want you to feel guilty for doing a good deed."

The kids then told their parents about how shiny the Wyrms they had met were and how exalting the effect of Primal Spark was.

Once they were done, Kamila made her request to Raaz.

"I'm sorry. I should have thought about that sooner." He scratched his head in embarrassment. "It took me a while to get used to Valeron and by the time I started to

consider him family, I had completely forgotten about the toy."

"Luckily, you have plenty of time to make up for it." Elina said. "While you are at it, why

don't you make one for each of our children?"

She pointed at Lith, Tista, Rena, and Trion.

"But, dear, they are too old for toys and they were born long before we had a family

crest." Raaz replied.

"True, but if it has to become a family tradition, we should give it deeper roots." Elina

said. "This way, when Surin, Elysia, and Valeron grow older, they will see that everyone of their relative has the same toy and treasure your gift more!

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