"Why?" Lith asked with a pained whine.

"Because you're still 19. You are young and small. An adult Phoenix always reaches at least 30 meters and so do Dragons." She replied.

"Then I definitely must go to those ruins. Even a single ingot of Adamant can make the difference and I need hundreds of them!" Lith said in frustration.

"Wish you luck. I'll be waiting for both the good news and your arrival. Bye." Salaark hung up the call with a huge smile on her face.

'Gods, I've yet to find a single Dragon that I can't play like a fiddle. Their logic and calculations about risk and rewards make them so easily predictable whereas a Phoenix is more emotional but also less straightforward in their way of thinking.' She thought.

"If it's of any consolation, I did something similar back when I became fifty." Lenanna spoke with her own voice now that Salaark was gone. "It's not that bad and there's no telling what you can find."

"Thanks for cheering me up." Lith said. "By the way, why are you guys still here? I didn't join the nest. I doubt that powerful people like you and your brothers have nothing better to do than be watchmen."

"You are correct. We should have left for a while but our mother gave us a new task. Now we are here to study Tezka the Fylgja and his techniques. Protecting your home and people is just a side job." She replied.

"Tezka? Is he that powerful?"

"Yes. Ages ago, when he was still an Eldritch and Mom was a young Guardian, they fought to a standstill. She has long surpassed him in terms of power but now that Tezka has become a hybrid, his abilities and experience make him a formidable foe again."

Lenanna checked Tista's beautiful silver-veined red feathers one last time before leaving.

"Congratulations, little sister. I can't wait to give you flight lessons in the Desert. As for you, little rascal…" She turned toward Aran. "Don't you ever give me a big scare like that again."

"I'm sorry." He gave her a deep bow.

***

Blood Desert, the Fringe where the World Tree lived.

The Yggdrasill was more than just the elder of the plant folk and the inheritor of the wisdom of the first Awakened on Mogar. It was also the most powerful violet-cored individual among their race and an important member of the Council.

Along with the countless information stored within their bark, the World Tree possessed the secret of the white core, but refused to use it. Eternal life meant that the body couldn't age, but their mind would.

On top of that, not only was their life span already very long, but also far from entertaining. Every member of the Yggdrasill species was a tree, hence incapable of moving around.

Once they became old enough, being forced in the same place for millennia became akin to torture and if not for the awareness that death would relieve them from their burden, they would use their knowledge about forbidden magic to change themselves.

Yet by doing that, they would compromise everything their kind had worked for eons. To relieve part of the stress that arose from their condition, the World Tree housed several tribes of elves inside their bark, on their branches, and even under their roots.

The elves' songs and their daily activities would keep the Tree's mind busy while their guards would protect them from any threat. The Yggdrasill was a mighty magician, but their inability to move made them physically helpless.

The World Tree needed the elves as both their protectors and as their Chroniclers. The Chroniclers would travel Mogar, being the Tree's eyes and ears in those places where the Yggdrasill's mystical senses couldn't reach, allowing the Tree to explore the world without the need to move.

In exchange for their services, the World Tree Awakened their loyal retainers, making them a force to be reckoned with. Elves were incapable of Awakening without external help, making their relationship with the Tree symbiotic.

"The time has come for you to earn your stripes, Aalejah." The Yggdrasill said to a young maiden that was kneeling in front of them.

A tree couldn't speak, but the Tree's mastery over wind was so great that they could form words simply by rearranging their leaves, without the need for magic.

"Ruins have been found, yet there's no record of any civilization living in the Sazra region in my memory. The Council is organizing an expedition and you will take part in it."

"I understand." She replied.

"No, you don't." The Tree replied. "It's not just a matter of curiosity. An entire civilization escaping the notice of my ancestors is beyond unsettling. I feel that there's something wrong with it and you're going to find out what it is."

"Anything else?"

"Yes. The Tiamat, the new species will be there as well. Study him thoroughly and if the opportunity arises, convince him to come here so that I can examine him. The birth of the first successful mix of two Guardians' bloodlines might be a threat to the balance.

"If my fears are correct, we need to snuff him out before it's too late." The Yggdrasill said.

"Do I need to conceal my appearance or can I show those hairless monkeys what a real mage looks like?" She asked with a sneer.

"Hide while you travel among mortals. The Council, however, has been informed of your coming. I'll leave the rest in your hands. Fail me and you'll go back being a farmer. Succeed and I'll give you a violet core and make you one of my Chroniclers."

Aalejah silently clenched her fists in triumph at those words. After being stuck for centuries inside the Yggdrasil's Fringe, she yearned to see with her eyes all of the marvels that she had read about in the books and that she had studied through the Tree's mind.

'Finally a real adventure instead of a simulation!' Aalejah thought. 'I'm dying at the idea of talking with a non-elf. I don't really care about becoming a Chronicler so much as to get the opportunity to take a look at the outside world under the Yggdrasil's protection.

'If I can find a place for myself, I can move out of the Fringe even in the case I fail. Screw the violet core, I just want to have fun.'

***

Meanwhile, back at Lutia, after sharing the news of her breakthrough with her family and friends, Tista was surprised by Nalrond asking her to speak privately. For some reason, he seemed to be more excited about her Red Demon form than she was.

"Can you please let me examine your body?" He asked.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Come on, you know me long enough to know that I'm no creep and that I'm not interested in you one bit." Nalrond said.

"You sure know how to make a woman feel special. Did you take rudeness lessons from Morok or what?" Tista replied with a scoff.

"I'm sorry, I'm just very excited." The Rezar told her all about Lith's hypothesis that while Nalrond's bodies had been kept apart, the beast and the human minds were likely to already be fused.

"That means that there must be a way to break the barrier between my life forces."