"Because it"s the exact opposite of what is happening to Radusk, my son." The Firstborn clenched his own hands to keep at bay the rage that transpired from his voice. "His Vampire half literally sucks the life out of him, making him grow thin and sickly."

Radusk was a naturally born Vampire-human hybrid and the presence of the blood core had turned his hair silvery like that of an old man and his skin as white as an albino"s.

"I"m so sorry for you." Despite the rea.s.surances, Kamila was actually scared for her baby. Yet if there was anything wrong, she had three Guardians to count on whereas Vladion was alone. "Is there anything you can do to help him?"

"Feeding helps, but there"s only so much that a few spoons of "cough medicine" can do. I don"t have the heart to give so much blood to a little boy. It might scar him for life or even worse, it might trigger his hunger." He replied.

"Where is Baba Yaga now?" Lith asked, eager to change the topic since as a soon-to-be father he understood Vladion"s pain.

"Travelling around. She spends half of her time keeping an eye on Dusk and the other half trying to talk some sense into the Undead Courts." The Firstborn replied. "Even though Mogar asked her to leave Thrud alone, mother hates the Mad Queen"s guts for the events of Lightkeep and doesn"t want her influence to spread over her children."

"Sounds like a good reason to give us a hand instead of sitting on her thumbs to me." Lith said with a scoff.

"She-"

"It"s time." Sylpha cut Vladion short as the collective power of the Council representatives opened a Warp Gate leading thousands of kilometers away in the Essar region, in a blind spot of the sentinels that stood guard over the Golden Griffon.

Kalla and Vladion already had their cloaking ring and the map of the lost academy. Sylpha just needed to give Lith his own ring to complete the final preparations.

"Don"t worry, I"ll make sure that Kamila is fine and that no one plays any dirty trick in your absence to get their hands on the Eyes." Tyris appeared out of a dimensional fissure as thin as a hair and hugged Lith.

"Thanks." He failed to understand the Guardian"s affectionate gesture until the Voidwalker armor signaled to him the presence of a foreign object in one of his pockets.

Lith"s paranoia had demanded him to make his clothes sensitive to any unwanted gift people might leave on his person. Like trackers, poison sacks, or devices meant to study the secrets of his bloodline from a distance.

"By my Mom, Tyris gave us a second cloaking ring!" Solus said. "She knows about me and that with only one ring, the Golden Griffon might have spotted our presence, or at least we wouldn"t be able to split if necessary."

"Thanks." Lith repeated once more with feeling, this time meaning it and accompanying his words with a deep bow.

"It"s nothing." Tyris" warm smile, the amount of time she spent at the Verhens", and Lith"s resemblance to Valeron gave everyone the wrong idea. A cold s.h.i.+ver ran down their spines at the thought of a second baby girl also carrying the blood of a Griffon.

"This is for you, instead." The Guardian handed Vladion a small ampoule, holding barely a few drops of an unknown golden liquid. "Give Radusk just one drop per year and he"ll grow up healthy."

"Thank you, Great Mother." The Firstborn Vampire fell onto his knees, holding her hand with both of his own and bringing it to his forehead in submission. "If there"s anything I can do to repay you for your kindness, just name it.

"Even my life for that of my son is a small price to pay."

"The Eyes! Ask for the Eyes!" Everyone thought so intensely that Tyris could almost hear them.

"It wouldn"t be a gift if I asked something in return." Her words made them fall onto their knees as well, but not because they were moved. "Also, you are already putting your life on the line for my Kingdom as well as your own.

"Your loyalty to your friend and your dedication to protecting your people can"t go unrewarded. Dragonspeed."

Vladion stood up, giving her a deep bow before turning around and walking through the Gate along with the others.

"Was that really necessary?" Sylpha asked once the dimensional corridor closed. "The Eclipsed lands are already negotiating trade routes with the Empire and have the d.a.m.ned Eyes."

"Do you know how old Vladion is, Sylpha?" Tyris sat on Lith"s chair, conjuring a table with a pot of hot tea, cups, and a few steaming sweets for the cravings that Kamila was about to have.

"Millennia." The Queen answered.

"Good. Do you know how many children he has?"

"Hundreds, if not thousands."

"I meant children he sired, not thralls he turned." The Guardian rose an eyebrow in annoyance while stuffing her face no less than Kamila and making people inwardly cry in fear.

"Dozens?" Sylpha needed sheer willpower to not make her voice crack.

"One." Tyris corrected her. "The Firstborn of the Firstborn Vampire deserved a proper gift."

"What was in the am-"

"It"s none of your business." The Guardian cut Raagu short, her voice brooked no more questions.

"Is death energy really coursing through my baby?" Except for Kamila"s, of course.

"Her life force is part Abomination so yes. You have my word that neither of you is at risk. You can see it for yourself." Tyris placed her hand on Kamila"s womb, activating her breathing technique, Mother Earth.

The fetus was too small to even resemble a humanoid creature but her life force was already definite. The red of the human, the blue of the Divine Beast, and the black of the Abomination spun together, forming a circle divided into three equal parts.

The end of each one of the life forces faded where the next one began, fusing together in a white sphere from time to time before splitting up and start spinning anew.

Kamila saw all this via Mother Earth, feeling the strength of her baby girl growing with every cycle.

"Thank you for your kindness and the hearty breakfast." Now that the Guardian had lifted a huge burden from her chest, all those emotions had made Kamila work quite an appet.i.te.

"No need to thank me, I"ve been in your shoes many times. Eating for two is a tough job, especially when you carry a Divine Beast, but someone has to do it."

Meanwhile, in the Essar Region, Lith"s group was trying and failing to find a way to get inside the Golden Griffon without being spotted by the sentinels that patrolled both the ground and the walls.

"f.u.c.k me sideways, this is much worse than I remembered it." Lith said while taking a mental note of all the changes the lost academy had undergone from his last visit.

Back then, to an outside observer it had looked like a giant stone dome the size of a stadium with one entrance for every cardinal point of the building. Now, however, the dome was gone and the Golden Griffon had a.s.sumed its real form.

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