Magnificent, isn’t it?” Eluned patted Agwyn’s and Elrhain’s heads as the two children gaped in absolute awe at the view before them. She had taken the kids up a nearby hill for a better look at the clan’s pride.

This would delay them a bit, but Bromwyn insisted on it.

The convoy had left the deep mountainous forest about an hour ago and stopped by the Aenraad river flowing through this misty valley. They handed the Kaloxen and other beasts of burden over to the beast keepers waiting for them at the stables. The convoy members then carried the baggage the rest of the way themselves.

About a kilometre north of their position was a quaint Dhionne village, or township as Eluned called it. It encompassed the valley’s mountain slopes around the river mouth, with stone structures popping out of the green forest canopy like some elven settlement.

Houses, huts, spires, and more, mostly made of white marble stone, wood, and clay brimming with an archaic charm.

Where the river ended, a series of waterfalls fell down tens of meters, hitting one inclined ridge after another. And all the water eventually settled into a vast turquoise lake, expanding far out of the two children’s vision.

It was there that stood another white structure, a thousand times larger than even the largest of stone houses on the valley slopes.

A small mountain on its own, the temple-like-edifice looked far more intricate in design than everything else in the surrounding. Yet, it was scarred with the ruination of both time and war.

Even the smaller huts and buildings that dotted ridges, from the river mouth down to the lake waters, felt like part of a grand archaeological ruin because of that one looming form.

It was evident to Elrhain that all the Dhionne architecture the two had seen until now were designed after it. Even their own courtyard, which was a five-hour Pengyte-ride away, had elements resembling this temple.

“Is that maglev?” Elrhain asked, expecting no reply but wishing for an answer. He pointed at the topmost part of the ruined temple. A giant, elongated piece of rock sculpted into a spire floated there in serene peace. It had cracked runic engravings and occasional pulses of light running through the outer walls, the mystery of its existence almost palpable in the air.

“Ewuned, why’s that waterfall fwoating upward?” He heard Agwyn chirp. She was crouching beside him with one palm shielding her eyes from the sunlight.

The sky was rolling with white and grey clouds, making the surroundings feel like a dark night land. Yet the slight shine that peaked through the gaps of the heavens painted the entire township in a luminous glow, with the ruined temple as a backdrop.

Agwyn’s scrunched up her tiny nose. She stared at the other bizarre sight with her brain obviously short-circuiting.

Half of the ruined temple’s structure extended over the edge of the land, into the vast body of water, on top and below the lake too.

The ancient mossy walls were in even worse shape. Waterfalls of all sizes were gushing out of the many cracks, windows, doorways, and other holes created over uncountable cycles.

It created an enchanting sight, like the fabled Niagara Falls of old.

Except for one striking anomaly. The largest and highest of the waterfalls had water flowing upwards from the lake into a giant open entrance located about fifty meters high from the lake surface, being perhaps a hundred metres in width across.

Everything about it and the floating spire was unforgivingly unscientific, extraordinary, and far exceeded the bits and pieces of magic he had witnessed till now.

He felt something strange in his heart. Until now, Elrhain was happy just speculating on the nature of this world and its magic from inside that enclosed room no matter how boring it might have sometimes felt. Because he had not seen the alternative. Yet now he realized there were so many wonders to see and explore. How many ruins like this hid in Uorys Diosca? What about the whole Fanas Dioscas and the other discs? The history and the mystery.

He didn’t like danger or uncertainty. But the unknown called him like a moth to a flame, so damn much.

Elrhain was absolutely sure that Agwyn felt the same, if not stronger, about venturing out. She had always been more adventurous than him.

“I don’t know. Maybe you can ask the Grand Elder when we meet him, Gwyn. But that’s enough gawking, for now, let’s go back to your father.” Eluned finally answered after pondering on the little girl’s question for quite a while. But then she announced it was time to leave, very much to their discontent.

“But mother, this is a biblical moment for us!” Elrhain protested. This was an experience entirely new for him, even considering all the virtual tech back on Earth. He wanted to savour the moment, to relish in it, and engrave it into his soul, and finally mould it into who he was.

“No buts, my love. No biblicals either; what does that mean, by the way?” Eluned shook her head before continuing, “We can come another day if you want. So let’s not make the chieftain wait any longer. It’s a rude thing to do, you know.”

Sometimes Elrhain lamented the fact that Eluned had none of his drive for the unknown.

As endearing as the woman was to him, she was still the loving, if not the strict and overprotecting mother of his body.

“Ewuned, can we stay for 5 more minutes? Pretty pwease?” He beamed when Agwyn came to his help.

His smile cracked when he saw Eluned just pick the protesting little girl up and lead him down the hill with her other hand.

At the hill’s foot stood a stone building with a large wooden enclosure behind it. The beasts of burden of their convoy lazed around in ones and twos, drinking water from the creeks or snacking on the fresh, dewy grass. Young Dhionne scuttled between them to check over each beast for anomalies.

Bromwyn was talking to a middle-aged antlered Dhionne at the enclosure gates. The claw-handed grandpa was also there, along with a few other Dhionne. Some of whom Elrhain recognized as prominent figures from all the Dhionne settlements they had passed through.

Alleigh, the Red Pengyte, was eating a tub full of meat on one side. His ears perked up as he noticed the three approaching, his tail wagging like a motorboat rudder.

Bromwyn waved at them when they got into earshot. He hid an aggravated expression right before switching to his usual jolly one, which both Elrhain and Agwyn noted.

“How was the sight, my valiant little warriors? I remembered the first time I laid my eyes on the Loch Sagathan Temple. I have not been the same man ever since.”

“I know, right? Can you tell mother to let us go back again? I want to change into another man like you did, big guy.” Elrhain patted the older man’s kilt with an impressed expression. He would even sucker up to this barbarian if it meant he could enjoy that view again.

Bromwyn laughed and patter his head, “What mystique does it still have left if you stare at it in wonder forever. That is not enlightenment but investigation. It only has true meaning in that very first moment, and everything else is just an extra.”

“That’s just sophistry!”

“Now, who has been teaching you such hard words? Did you learn them from me, perhaps?” Bromwyn looked proud.

“That’s not the point. Can’t you see Annie is crying over there? How can you guys be so cruel?” Agwyn, catching her cue, released the floodgates of her puppy dog eyes.

Bromwyn guffawed, “If only I had such a wonderful relationship with Cyra early in our marriage. We could only communicate heart to heart after thirty cycles of companionship.”

Elrhain felt like throwing up blood.

“Ahem!”

A light but audible cough interrupted his back and forth with Bromwyn. He looked in the direction of the sound and saw it was the antlered dhionne Bromwyn had been talking to until they came. The old man had a lightly curled palm in front of his mouth as he observed them with the same weird eyes as a Kaloxen’s.

“Elder Sonora, please accept my deepest apologies for my insolence,” Bromwyn said, but with a jovial laugh. Yet the twitch in that voice was not hidden from the boy. Elrhain looked up at the larger man in confusion.

‘Did he always talk like this?’

He then saw Elder Sonora look towards him from the corner of his eyes. There was something in that expression that he didn’t quite like.

Elrhain subconsciously shifted towards his mother and grabbed her hand.

“No apologies needed, my lord.” Elder Sonora shifted his gaze from Elrhain to Eluned and finally to Agwyn, who was resting in her arms. He looked shocked for a split second, then a glint appeared deep in his eyes that made Elrhain’s skin crawl.

But an eye-blink later, Elder Sonora was back to normal. He questioned with a raised eyebrow and a scowl on his face, “Could they perhaps be the…?”

Elrhain plugged his ears at the booming laughter that followed, “Certainly indeed. But I will leave the formal introduction of my valiant daughter and son-in-law at the ceremony on this holy night. They are still quite young and need proper rest before the hectic rituals begin.”

He then extended an arm towards Eluned with an open palm, “This beautiful young woman here would be Lady Eluned Earthloch Siaglas, the wife of Reanakt Siaglas and our proud in-laws. She and her Siaglas homestead were ones who have been caring for our daughter in me and my wife’s absence.”

Eluned hastily bowed in the noble custom after putting Agwyn down.

She looked unfamiliar with the process and nervous at being scrutinized by so many elderly figures, most of whom were noble homestead owners themselves, if not even having manors and minor dominions.

There were also the free tribesmen in the service of the Earthloch Siorrakty with their sigils removed. Great warriors of vast magical might, with their freedom earned by contributions to the clan by themselves or by the grace of their ancestors.

Either way, they could not be compared with the servants who made up the vast majority of the population. Many of them were even in charge of managing said Earthloch servants.

A few cycles ago, Eluned could only look at their free and unbound lifestyle from afar, not even knowing how to feel jealous. Yet now, she was their equal in name and superior in standing.

“That, I can see.” Elder Sonora spoke with a leisurely tone. His eyes seem to scrutinize Eluned’s attire, her ornaments, and most importantly, her worth as a noble. Elrhain did not like that.

“You were a herb tendering servant working at Clan Elder Landohr’s medicinal garden if the words are to be believed.”

“Y-Yes, Elder Sonora. Elder Landohr had taken great care of me during the time, for which I am eternally grateful.” Eluned raised her head in answer. A naïve smile on her face.

“That she has. Very well then, Caretaker Eluned. I will leave our dialogue at that then. Remember to take good care of all the princess’s needs, as you always have for our noble-blood clan.” Elder Sonora finally showed a slight change in expression from his seemingly eternal frown. A raised corner of his lips followed by a nasal laugh.

Elrhain didn’t like that either, and he could sense Agwyn fuming too.

Elder Sonora, not noticing the discontent he sowed, turned towards Bromwyn and bowed elegantly. His movements natural, none of the clunkiness like Eluned had shown. “It appears that this is not a good time for our discussion, my lord. I will have to trouble you after the week is over.”

After a polite hand wave from Bromwyn in return, he left in the direction of the township with his cohort. But not before giving Elrhain, Eluned, and Agwyn one final glance over. His gaze lingered on Agwyn for far longer than Elrhain was comfortable with.

The little boy scrunched up his face while staring at the leaving figures. Many homestead headsmen had left with the group along with the freemen warriors, with only the grandpa with clawed fingers and two other middle-aged figures staying behind.

They shared a few polite words with Bromwyn and Eluned, much to the chieftain’s delight, and finally wished well for Agwyn and Elrhain.

“My little one has been chattering non-stop to meet you two, young master Siaglas and princess of Earthloch. Do humour her when the time comes a few cycles later, only if you remember this old face by then, of course. Hahaha.” With a toothy grin, the claw-handed grandpa and the other two also left towards the township.

“Well, I am glad that was over with. Shall we make haste too—Is something bothering you, my fair daughter?” Bromwyn was just about to call back Alleigh—who had been quite active this whole time trying to attract their attention—when he noticed a grumpy Agwyn purple in the face.

“… I don’t wike them.” She replied. “They mean. I don’t want to be here anymore.”

Bromwyn gagged at that. He tried to coo her gently, “Now now, princess, it’s not nice to say that about people you have just met. I’m sure you’ll change your mind when we get to the Elder’s rest.”

“You are taking their side! Daddee doesn’t wuv me anymore!” Agwyn harrumphed in the opposite direction while puffing her cheeks and crossing her arms. Bromwyn tried to talk to her with a panicked expression immediately after. Still, she just kept facing away and finally buried her face in Eluned’s bosom, completely ignoring the flustered giant.

Eluned just kept looking at the two awkwardly, not knowing what to do.

Elrhain, seeing it going nowhere, tugged at Bromwyn’s kilt, “Will grandpa Thundham be mad at us if we are late, big guy?”

Bromwyn looked down at him, then let out an exhausted sigh. He said a few more pampering words to Agwyn to no avail, then helped the three get up on the magical husky.

He would walk back with the rest of his huntsmen and watches. As the clan chieftain, he was far busier than even the two children, who were tonight’s event’s main focus.

Elrhain scrutinized Agwyn’s tiny face, now on sitting top of Alleigh again. Eluned was trying to soothe the moody little girl, but that made her pout harder.

“Annie, you look like you ate a whole lemon raw.” Elrhain laughed, poking her chubby cheeks.

When he saw her not responding, he just kept on poking.

“Just keep poking! Just keep poking!”

“… Stop that!” Agwyn finally broke her demeanour with a giggle as she swatted away the offending finger.

A few seconds of playful scuffle later, she asked, “Aren’t you mad at those stuck-up pricks? They made fun of Eluned like they had boiled eggs up their butt.”

“Hey, it’s not their fault they are uncultured.”

“Ellie!”

“Okay, fine, I am mad. But what’s the use of pouting. Will they learn better manners if we do?” Elrhain shrugged. “And stop being so hard on the big guy; he looked like an abandoned kitten.”

“But… it feels so wrong.” Agwyn gritted her teeth. “I just want to punch their faces in, ah!”

“Then remember their faces and wait for a chance. There is an old saying, kindness tenfold, and enmity hundredfold. We can’t do anything now.” Elrhain gave her a tight hug from behind and whispered tenderly into her cute pointy ears,

“But when we make magical tuxedos, soft silk shawls, and shiny leather cardigans for mother while they still walk around in those drab beast hide pelts, we’ll see who gets the last civilized laugh.”

Agwyn paused and turned towards him in wonder. The smile she showed him was so radiant it blinded the suns.