"Now stop wasting my time and start practicing Spirit Magic." Faluel said.

"Am- Am I really this good?" Tears veiled Friya's eyes as she couldn't decide whether to cry or jump in joy.

"First, being so happy right after someone died is bad manners, child. Show some respect to your colleagues." The Hydra stared at her coldly. "Second, I own your a.s.s for the next 100 years. If by then I don't trust you, I will not hesitate to put you down.

"Third, you'd better get to work. You're still a liability, I just gave you the means to defend yourself. Whoever killed Lark, might target you the next since it would mean striking at the Ernas and me at the same time."

***

One month later.

The death of Count Lark caused a delay in the Royal Gala. Security had to be strengthened and the investigation required the help of many important figures in the Kingdom, leaving them no time for parties.

Yet the Council of Awakened had no such problem. Lark was a speck of dust to them and they didn't care for anyone but their own kin. Securing Kalla and Faluel took them little effort, especially since everyone did their part in order to meet Lith as soon as possible.

"This is unfair!" Quylla w.h.i.n.ed. "Now I'm the only one who can't come to the Council."

"That's not true, babe. There's always me and mister mopey face here." Morok tried to embrace her at the end of the Domination lesson in which Friya had taken part, but Quylla angrily dodged.

"Don't call me babe! We only had one date."

"Not for lack of trying on my part! It's not my fault if you're locked in your home and your father sends the Royal Guards after me every time I tried visiting." Morok replied.

"Maybe if you didn't hit on my mother before asking to see my room, he would have tolerated your presence. On top of that, suggesting Mom to get divorced was really rude!"

"I never said that. I only told your mother that she's really hot for her age and that she could aim for much better than a hairy brute with mean eyes. Then, I just pointed out that Lith is much better looking and that he appreciates older women, I wasn't suggesting anything." Morok clenched his heart as if she had stabbed him.

"It sure sounded like a not-so-veiled advice. My father is already strict about dates, threatening his marriage did more than put you on his black list, it put you on his hit list!" Quylla snarled.

"I'm sorry, but the Council's rules are stricter than your father." Faluel chimed in to put an end to that bickering. "I can't bring non-Awakened, no matter who they are. As for you, Friya, always stick with me and talk as little as you can.

"We're going to kick more than one hornet nest today since I doubt that the humans are going to like that after a mixed Guardian bloodline, I also got a hexa-streaked woman as my apprentice. Those like you are very rare."

Friya gulped at the thought of being in the same class as Silverwing, Menadion, and Queen Sylpha. If before her competition was tough, now making a name for herself would be nigh-impossible.

"Don't worry, Quylla. I'll try to bring back home a hot stud for you as well." She said in an attempt to calm her nerves.

"Don't you dare!" Morok said.

"Fingers crossed!" Quylla replied, almost making him cry.

"What the heck are you doing?" Faluel said after noticing that her disciples were following her in random order.

She was wearing an elegant suit of armor made of Adamant that was as light as silk but sturdier than a mountain. It had mana crystals of different colors on its gloves, shoulder pads, c.h.e.s.t, and tights that powered up its power core.

The armor could grow in size with her, covering even her Hydra body, and changed color according to the element that Faluel needed to boost. Whenever a ray of light touched it, a small rainbow would appear.

"Walking toward the Warp Gate." Lith shrugged.

"Kid, this isn't a mere formality like the last time, this is a formal introduction visit. You walk behind me on the right. Friya, you do the same on my left. Tista, Phloria, same as them but with Lith at the center."

"What why?" Friya didn't like her sister being treated as a servant.

"You two belong to me while they belong to him. The pecking order is a big deal during official visits. It determines who can speak with who and the degree people can mess you with." Faluel replied while forcing everyone to shapeshift their armor from clothes into its original form.

Friya wore an Adamant armor identical to Faluel's but with violet crystals.

"You can't go in there looking like that." She said to Lith. "No one is interested in your human form, only in your bloodline."

"Do you mind telling me what's so different from the last time?" Lith said while shapeshifting, which turned out to not be enough.

"During your first visit, you were just an oddity. Lith Verhen, the talented anomaly, was just one of the many reasons the Council had assembled that day." Faluel forced him to take out his four wings.

She made him fold the first set around his shoulders like a cape and the second set around his h.i.p.s like a kilt.

"This time, everyone is coming to witness a successful hybrid between the Phoenix and the Dragon bloodline that might not turn to be a lesser species. It never happened before, but there's always a first.

"My advice is to stick with me, smile a lot, and talk only if questioned."

Lith nodded while inhaling sharply with nervousness.

'I've barely got over Lark's death and now this. I can't shake off the feeling that picking the Blackest Day to kill one of my people had a significance. The start of my very own dark age.

'If I'm right, the next attack will happen during the winter solstice, after my birthday, or as soon as the culprit thinks it would hurt the most. Killing many people at once would not only be difficult, it would also have a much lesser emotional impact.' He thought.

"By the way, you're young so it doesn't matter, but for future reference, remember that giving good stuff to your apprentices is a sign of wealth and authority." Faluel said, snapping him out of his reverie.

"Phloria is okay thanks to Orion's equipment, but Tista looks like your neglected daughter. Why do you think I gave Friya one of my armor?"

"I did the best I could with what I had at my disposal. I don't have enough Adamant to gift people." Lith said.

"Orichalc.u.m is still good, but those puny crystals scream 'I'm just a prototype'. Being a cheapskate is fine, flaunting it to the rest of the world, not so much. Now shut up and follow me." Faluel said while Tista made rude gestures at Lith and they all walked through the Gate.

"Great Mother almighty." The Hydra had just failed to follow her own orders but she had also expressed everyone's feelings at the sight of what waited for them on the other side.