I let out a groan as I opened my eyes. My stomach was still protesting my channeling of that Blood Magic. It was daylight now so we had been here for some time. And I was in my tent, my side still hurting like I had been stabbed. Which wasn’t inaccurate.

  I glanced down to see that my shirt had been removed, just a bra and some bandages over my wound covered my chest. I was thankful for the heat of the day rolling in to warm me. I could hear words spoken outside, a few hushed whispers from Eren and a laugh from Callax. I found Callira still within my mind, adjusting as I awoke.

  ‘I have not been able to keep an eye on them since you passed out.’ She said softly.

  ‘Well, the world isn’t ending so hopefully they haven’t told her about what happened.’ I replied, pushing myself upright as I slipped out of the tent.

  We were in the same area I had set up camp previously, though someone had erected stone walls around the clearing and my coin was on Eren given her show of magic before I passed out. Some more whispers dragged my eyes to the far side of the clearing where Eren and Callax were sitting next to a fire and speaking. And between us was Masai, looking calm and content as she watched the Black Mountain in the far distance.

  “How long have I been out?” I asked.

  “A little over a day. We’ve been speaking with Eren. I figured out what you two were up too and we tried not to inform her of any more than she already figured out on her own. She knows you are her daughter, and that our bodies are dead. I do not know that she is certain of Callira’s fate but… She has always been a bit more clever than she lets on.” The Mage said as she rose and strode up to me, holding out my shirt which had been patched.

  I slipped it on and stretched, wincing only slightly as my wound ached. When I looked back to her, Masai was looking me over with interest.

  “What?” I asked.

  “You cannot be much older than Eren was when she first turned and you… you look very much like her. Had I seen you before we spoke, I would have guessed you were her.” She replied, looking amused.

  I looked her over myself. She looked identical to Callira’s memories of her and I had to admit she was beautiful, but off putting. Long blood red hair fell in a cascade down to her waist, her skin was near flawless and pale as moonlight. She was slender but carried herself with confidence. Knowing about her glamour I could focus and see the mechanical frame underneath but even that was carefully sculpted and had a certain beauty to it. But the eyes, her eyes were icy blue and cold as ice.

  “I’m a bit younger than she was actually. Does she know about her Father?” I asked.

  “She heard bits and pieces. She knows he is after her but we haven’t told her why. I believe she wants to speak to you about just that actually.” Masai replied.

  “I’ll speak with her then, and try not to give anything away that may tip her over the edge.” I said as I walked past her and towards Callax and Eren.

  They had set up a small grill over the fire, likely using magic, and they were cooking some small game on it. Eren was staring into the fire as I approached and glanced up as I drew close.

  “Ah… Sister…” She said, barely bothering to hide the anger in her voice.

  “Eren.” I said softly while giving a nod to Callax.

  The Prince was sideyeing me, a disconcerting action when his eyes were so brilliantly green and shrouded by wavy shoulder length black hair. He was a well built man, larger than even Argan and his armor was a mix of Plate and Brigandine with the metal being stained black and the rest being golds and reds. A Hefty greatsword with the same design hung from his back.

  Eren leapt to her feet and glared up at me, fury in her eyes.

  “You could have told me!” She cried, her eyes wet with tears even against the rage.

  “Which part?” I asked, trying to remain calm.

  “That you are my Daughter! I heard you talking to them the other night! Why did you lie?! H-How are you… What am I? If you are like this and these two are… What happened?” Her anger buckled into frustration as she spoke and she rested her head against my chest as tears ran down her face.

  I ran a gentle hand through her hair and a sad smile crossed my face. This was how she must have seen me all those times I got overwhelmed with emotion. It was strange to be on the other side. I waited for her to calm herself before we both sat down next to the fire with Masai and Callax sitting on the other side.

  “So… where to begin?” I asked.

  “Why didn’t you tell me who you were?” Eren asked, her voice hollow as she stared into the fire.

  I let out a sigh before I spoke, Callira offering advice on how to choose my words carefully.

  “Because I was trying not to hurt you. I… When I found you in Grandmother’s Den, you were in a fragile state. I went with what seemed easiest to explain away at the time with what you understood and… to not damage your mind anymore than it already was.” I explained.

  “How old am I? Actually.” She asked.

  “Nearly a Thousand years old.”

  “And I’m guessing they died a long time ago.” She asked, gesturing to Masai and Callax.

  “Yes, when you were just around thirty.” I replied.

  “Where is my home?”

  “A Land far to the Northwest, called Calanai.”

  “I don’t remember that.”

  “Your mind is hiding much from you.”

  “But why?”

  “You went through a very traumatic experience back then and I think it has affected you since then, like a wound that festered and never healed.” I explained.

  “Is that why you all won’t tell me what happened?” She asked.

  “Yes. From what I understand about your condition, telling you what happened is the worst thing we could do for you right now.”

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  “Can you tell me why?”

  “Because it would be like… pulling the cork on a bottle of Champagne. All of the emotions would burst out at once and could kill you from the exertion of your magic or you could bring great harm to people around you.” I explained.

  “But I can’t! I’ve never been good with Magic and there is no one besides us for Leagues and Leagues!” She roared as she leapt to her feet.

  “Ereneya!” Masai snapped before I could speak.

  Eren’s gaze whipped around to her and she pointed out towards the desert, where a long line of red trailed off into the desert. After a moment Eren’s fury faded and so did the glow. She looked confused as she glanced down at her hands.

  “What? How did I?” She asked.

  “The sands of the Desert are suffused with your magic. They respond to your emotions.” Masai explained.

  Eren went silent for a moment before she quickly glanced at all three of us.

  “I did this? I made the desert. I…” She fell back onto her seat and stared off into the distance vacantly.

  “You have great power within you, I understand it too. A few months after you and I met I lost control of myself and drowned thousands of soldiers who had attacked our home.” I explained.

  Eren stared at me with a mix of horror and awe.

  “So I caused the Calamity that made the desert… I’m guessing you two dying was the cause?” She asked, looking at Callax and Masai.

  The two of them said nothing but looked to me.

  “That is something you will have to find out in time, Mother.” I said softly.

  She glanced up at me with an expression as if she had eaten something foul.

  “Don’t call me that. I don’t feel like your mother. I’m a young lady who is trying to figure out why my life is so fucking weird. I attacked a dragon and she became my mother. I am a creature of magic who absolutely fails to use spellcraft. I finally managed to get with the two people who I loved and then I wake up a thousand years later with no memories of what happened! Godsdammit!” She cried, not in rage but frustration as she buried her face in her hands.

  Callax shifted in his seat as he handed me a plate with some of the meat he had prepared and held another for Eren until she was ready.

  “The last thing you remember was the three of us… hmm. That was at Necara wasn’t it?” Callax asked.

  Masai let out a satisfied noise at the mention of Necara and she smiled.

  “Ah, Tura’s wine was excellent and just what the three of us needed to actually breach the topic. Our little dragon was far too shy to bring it up without some liquid courage.” The Mage recalled with a smile.

  “I remember Necara… but everything beyond that is a blur… Could we… could we go there? See if it helps?” She asked.

  “It seems as good a place to start as any. But what about Yasan?” I asked, mentioning our original destination.

  “I remember more of that now. I think its because I’ve been talking with them, I started remembering more and more.” She said, gesturing to the two sitting across from us.

  “Yasan was wonderful but too many of your Father’s guards getting in the way. But I do remember the library… and our secret alcove where I tried to help you learn more of magic.” Masai mused.

  “Among other things…” Eren said blushing, before she snapped upright and looked down at herself. “That was one other question I had! Why am I so young?! I remember so much being older and… developed. I look younger than I initially did when I turned!”

  “That… I cannot answer. I don’t know that the magic had much of an idea what it was doing when it changed you.” I explained, amusement tugging at my mouth as I saw her pouting.

  “She’s been making passes at us since we got you stable. But we have both made it clear we don’t feel particularly comfortable trying to lay with a child, even if we do know her.” Callax explained.

  “She is cute right now but… My morals would not let me lay with someone so young. And in our current state I’m not sure that we would be able to even engage in such activities.” Masai said softly.

  “So… We have to avoid whatever nasty things Father sends to try and capture me and try to mend all the broken pieces of my mind. With two dragons and a pair of souls possessing construct bodies.” Eren said softly as she took the plate from Callax and began crunch on the bones and meat.

  “Thats about the long and short of it.” I agreed.

  “Can you carry the two of them?” Eren asked, glancing towards me.

  I studied our two compatriots and a grimace settled over my face at the thought.

  “We are lighter than our frames would suggest. Part of the enchantment I placed upon these bodies. I envisioned us trying to cross a body of water to find Eren would be useful if we were not quite so heavy.” Masai said when she saw my look.

  “Then… Maybe. I will probably have to rest more than I have been though.”

  “That’s okay. Necara isn’t much further but its close to Callax’s Castle. It has… oh.” Eren’s ears drooped and a grim look settled over her face.

  “Eren?” Callax asked.

  “If its been a thousand years then even if the Calamity that I caused… Even if people weren’t affected. Everyone I know from back then is dead aren’t they?” She asked.

  None of us spoke but we all nodded.

  “I… I think I need to go lay down. Rest up for the trip and all that. I’ll see you all in the morning.” She said as she shakily got to her feet and walked over towards the tents.

  We all watched her go and we waited a few moments for the soft sounds of her crying to fade.

  “So we will watch over you both while you rest and in the morning we set out for Necara?” Callax asked.

  “That sounds right.” I said dryly.

  “The other benefit of visiting Necara is that it is close to one of my people’s old clan grounds. Scrolls and tomes were stored there… if there is a chance of information about what her Father has wrought, I may be able to uncover it there.” Masai explained.

  “Anything that helps is good. I… I hate seeing her like this.” I said, running my claws through my hair.

  “Hmmm?” Both of them asked.

  “She always seemed, I don’t know. Unstoppable. Powerful. Unshakeable. Seeing her as emotional as I have been for the past year is strange and it makes me feel… scared. Like I have to be the one who is unstoppable for her. But I’m not. I’m weak. I’m scared. I have nearly died half a dozen times in the past year alone.” I said, hugging my sides and digging my claws into the soft flesh.

  ‘Welcome to being a parent. This is how we all feel. In your case it is temporary, hopefully, but still. This is much of what we feel all the time.’ Callira said in my mind.

  ‘Well I never want to feel this way again.’ I replied.

  ‘When you find someone who you view as your hatchling, that will change. But that is a long time off I hope.’ She laughed.

  Masai and Callax both were chuckling when I looked back to them.

  “Sorry, it is just… our Eren was always a bit… timid.” Masai said with a smile.

  “A bit? When she first approached me she looked as if she were going to shatter from fright. The first time I scooped her up in my arms she practically melted. She was always so easygoing and carefree. It's what brought me to fall for her so hard.”

  “For me it was her dedication. Her loyalty. In my tribe, it was expected for one to eventually grow apart from their love and embrace another. But when I saw her defend me from that Ogre in Halend, I felt something for her that I had never known. I will never abandon her, not when I can help her.” Masai said softly.

  “You both know her so well. I think I only knew the mask. The fake one.” I said softly.

  “I imagine it is who she had to become after her grief overtook her. It was her, just jaded and worn by time.” Masai said.

  “So will you two be around after we deal with her Father?” I asked.

  “That is a question I have wondered myself. The magic that binds us stems from the machine he has utilized, in theory we could separate him from the machine and we could remain but… I would not know how to go about that. My current guess would be Eren would be able to break his hold over it with her blood tie to him but I do not know. Would you like us to remain?” Masai asked.

  “I think it would be wonderful for her to have you two alongside her.” I said softly.

  “But in this state we… I do not know how much we could help her. We could just be painful memories of the past.” Callax said quietly.

  The three of us sat in silence for a long while after that, each stewing over our own thoughts as dusk settled in.

  Who should we focus on next Chapter?