The woman smiled, but said nothing during our brief exchange.
As she approached, she had a presence around her that I found difficult to ignore. Her eyes were sapphire, which, to my limited knowledge, had no designated realm for it, but they were entirely unavoidable. She moved with the grace of a feather, stepping more lightly than the most highly-trained Synner, but there was a power that emanated from her that I felt could crush realms with a snap of her fingers.
Even with the flood of information my mind was receiving, there was an underlying sense of familiarity toward her that I couldn't explain. It felt like seeing a long-lost family member, but one I was wildly estranged from. "Lady Syldir," I said and bowed without thinking. "Oh, so you do know who I am. I'm impressed that you could sense that so quickly," she said with a tone that suggested mild surprise.
"My apologies, I don't know why I said that," I winced at my own stupidity. A soft, melodic chuckle came from her as she outstretched her hand toward me. "We are bound by blood, Thoma. I consider you as much my family as I do my own daughter," she smiled warmly. Not knowing what else to do, I took her hand in mine as she helped me back up.
"I see my blood has healed you well, but you'll still need some time to learn our ways," she said, though I was evidently confused by what she meant. "Learn our ways," I muttered to myself accidentally. "If you and your family are going to stay here a while, there are things you must learn about bearing the blood of a dragon, as well as a number of other things that I'm anxious to see you try," she gave me a knowing smile.
"Oh, I-I see," I smiled nervously, though I was hardly able to constrain my excitement. However, as excited as I was, I knew that I couldn't just stay here without checking in on the others, training in the fifth stage, and figuring out what to do with Ed's core.
Speaking of which, I realized shifting my eyes from Syldir to my bedside.
There was no sign of the core anywhere I looked, not near the bed, desk, or even on the floor. A mild panic began to set in as I began to fear that it had been destroyed when Ryfon and the others had made their entrance. "It's alright, Thoma. Ed's core is about as safe as it could ever be," Ysevel said in a calm, soothing voice. Even without knowing where it was, I knew Ysevel wouldn't lie about something like that, so I could only breathe a sigh of relief and gently squeeze her hand.
"Thank you. Thank all of you for everything you've done for us," I said weakly, giving both Ryfon and Syldir my most humble bow.
"As I'm sure Ryfon already told you, it is us who owe you a great debt. If Mideia had been successful in unleashing the full power of that relay, I fear we would have been in a much more difficult position were it not for your and your friends' sacrifices," Syldir placed a gentle hand on my shoulder to comfort me.
I hadn't even realized it, but the effect her blood had on me allowed us to share emotions freely, much like the connection I had to the others through the Wraith realm, though this was far more intense. The only reason I did notice was when I saw a single tear crawling down the side of her face as her emotions mirrored my own at the mention of sacrifices.
Guilt, anger, rage, and sorrow filled me to my core, and while I tried my best to bury it all deep down, it wasn't entirely possible. I looked back up at Syldir with bloodshot eyes, only able to offer her a solemn nod and a quiet whisper to those who had passed on to the next stage of their lives.
However, whether it was my own thoughts or Syldir's, I couldn't help but notice there was a silver lining to it all. Like a distant thought clawing at the entrance to my mind that was too far to hear or see, something was telling me it wasn't over.
"Is there a way to bring him back?" I asked, unsure of my own question. My experience with Athar had taught me that it was at least possible, but how that was going to play out would be another story entirely. Syldir's eyes widened at the feeling I'd passed to her, the slight tinge of hope at the edge of thought.
"I-It might be, but…" she trailed off, looking at Ryfon for guidance. I turned to look at him as well, and he raised an eyebrow at me. "Are you suggesting you do what was done to that boy Athar?" he asked me with a serious tone. I wasn't sure if I'd just said something they considered blasphemous or even taboo, but I needed an answer.
"I'm only asking if it's possible. Nexis, my ancestor, knew the way to do it using a strange combination of Vexing, Leech, and the power of the Nethersong Mask, according to Athar, at least," I said, trying to deflect the weight of his stare. Ryfon looked at me, then to Syldir and the others.
"I can vouch for Athar. He might be a little disturbed, but he's honest and a strong warrior. Even Kerre Kalia of the Iron Plume clan has accepted him, and from what I know about them, that was no easy feat," Mom spoke up, coming to my rescue. "Bernar?" Ryfon asked with a raised eyebrow. "Like my mother said: he's a weird little fucker, but I've never seen him as an enemy," Bernar shrugged, prompting Ryfon to nod and slowly turn to Ysevel.
"He's the founding member of The Order of Nightfall's Blade, and I would trust him with my life," Ysevel added with a solemn, respectful bow. I could sense Ryfon's apprehension even without a direct connection to him. He stroked his chin and began to pace, as if considering the weight of the decision to be made.
"I can't allow you to do this…" he finally sighed.
W-What? I felt my stomach plummet like a stone in a lake.
"I can't let you do this without a guide and a promise, I meant to say," he added with a wry grin. "Th-Thank you, Ryfon," I bowed quickly, reveling in the wave of relief that washed over me. I held it for a few moments, then found his pale hand outstretched toward me. "And by a promise, I mean a vow, from one Wraithborn to another, and from an absent grandfather to my future son-in-law," he said, his right eye flaring with scarlet mana.
I'd come to know the value of such a bond through my experience with Kalia, but I had no idea he would be the one to offer me that. As I rose, I did my best to hold his gaze and clasped his forearm.
This time, however, no words needed to be spoken. I felt his mana racing through my arm and into my core, as well as a secondary binding that I assumed was due to my new relation to Lady Syldir. As we exchanged our intent through the scarlet mana, Syldir placed her hand on ours, and gave me a knowing smile.
"You two, come as well," she said, gesturing with her still-free hand to Mom and Bernar. "A-Are you certain, Lady Syldir?" Mom asked as if she knew the weight of what was happening. "Of course, child. You both already have my blood flowing through your veins," she said with a warm smile.
Are we getting adopted by a dragon? Bernar asked me with no small amount of concern, prompting both Syldir and even Ryfon to chuckle. I guess so? I shrugged, earning me a smile from Syldir.
"You may come as well, child. You are the granddaughter of a Duke, after all," she spoke plainly and evenly to Ysevel. I saw a flash of hesitation come over her, but with a nod from her grandfather, and some other form of unspoken communication, she stepped in toward us, placing her hand on ours.
Mom and Bernar quickly followed her example, though it was blatantly obvious that they were both just as confused as I was. However, before any of us could say anything, her power surged through me like a bolt of lightning, and I thought my skin had caught fire for a moment, but it wasn't painful.
There was a brief flash of light that faded quickly between us, and when it was over, I felt an immediate wave of relief and warmth coming from her that radiated out from around us in the form of pure white mana.
As we stepped away from each other, I hadn't realized just how much more connected to the realm I was. It was like her power, coupled with mine and Ryfon's vow heightened every sense I had, nearly doubling what I already felt in the fifth stage, which was already nearly more than I could bear.
"So that's what it feels like," Mom said half-distractedly, taking a deep breath through her nose, earning her a nod from Syldir. "I can hardly believe it. I thought my senses were already at their limits but this," Bernar looked at his hands, then rapidly shifted his eyes around the room.
"There will be plenty of time to test your powers later," Ryfon waved dismissively. "Right now, Thoma's friend will take priority until that mission is complete, and while I don't know where the one who will help us is now, I do know his last known title after the Great Partition," he continued, prompting the four of us to raise an eyebrow in unison.
"What might that be?" I asked, but it wasn't Ryfon who answered. "The Mouth of the Twilight Sea," Bernar said with a knowing nod.