Chapter 4186  Family Tradition (Part 1)

Dawn used air magic to dispel the lingering vibrations that ravaged Protector's body and healed him with Invigoration.

"We are no better than Ryman. None of us knows what an Awakened Light Master can do." Solus was flabbergasted. "How did we win against you?"

"You played it smart while I was conceited." Dawn replied. "You already know the rest. Don't make me repeat myself. How do you feel, Protector?"

"Humbled, but otherwise healthy." He said. "I should have listened to my instincts and surrendered once I noticed you had no openings I could exploit at my current level.

"The skill gap between us is too large. If this were a real fight, I should have run away."

"That was the correct answer." The Bright Day chuckled.

Meanwhile, Nalrond stared at the crystal weapons on the floor of the training facility with a mix of desire and disgust. The prismatic sword and shield might have brought his strength to the next level, yet they also reminded him of his burning village and all the lives Dawn had taken on that day.

Nalrond needed to take several deep breaths until he calmed down enough to ask:

"Can you spar with me as well, please?"

"I can, but it would be a waste of time." Dawn replied. "You use my magic, and I've taught you everything you know. You are an open book to me. No matter what you try, I see it coming from a mile away and can counter it with minimal effort."

"What about Acala?"

"Zepho would never hurt you." She snorted. "He still feels guilty for what happened at the Rezar village. It wouldn't be a spar, but a pathetic farce.

"Then spar with me! Fight me!" Nalrond snarled.

"Okay." Dawn replied, much to everyone's surprise.

Three seconds later, the Agni's constructs lay shattered, and his body broken. His molted armor sizzled against his scales and flesh, filling the air with the smell of barbecue.

"I hate you." He hissed, refusing to lose consciousness along with the fight.

"You wound me, my apprentice." Dawn replied as she gripped her chest in mock anguish. "Which is funny, since your words do a better job against me than any of your spells could."

***

Winter became harsher as the days went by, but despite the abundant free time the bad weather granted to the people living inside the Verhen Mansion, they made little progress in their respective endeavors.

Protector sparred against anyone willing and strong enough to face him inside Lith's tower, under the protection of the Immortal Body array. Without it, Ryman hesitated before delivering a winning blow out of fear of critically wounding his friends.

Unfortunately for him, bad habits died hard, and he had yet to find the proper balance between speed and planning. If Protector attacked too early, he had no answer ready for his opponent's counterattacks whenever he was forced on the defensive.

If he waited too long, he lost the initiative, and the information he gained didn't help him much when he ended up starting on the back foot.

Nalrond diligently attended Dawn's lessons, but the more he learned, the more he realized how abyssal the gap between them was.

Lith too was facing a challenging conundrum that brought him to the brink of despair. Hoping to find a solution, he set his pride aside and asked for help.

"Gentlemen, thank you for coming." Lith looked around the table and met the eyes of Raaz, Trion, Senton, Orion, Protector, Morok, and Nalrond. "I hereby declare open the first session of the council of men."

"Do we really need a pompous name?" Orion asked. "Can't you just tell us what the problem is?"

"It's to set the atmosphere and make it clear this is no joking matter." Lith grunted.

"Why are you staring at me?" Morok asked.

"Because you're rarely serious and I'd gladly do this without you. Yet I'm desperate, and can't dispute that you often offer wisdom and deep insight when it matters." Lith replied. "So, shut up unless you have something useful to say."

He took a meaningful pause to let his words sink in.

"Now that's out of the way, here's my issue. I don't know what to do with Raldarak, and I'm running out of time."

Before anyone could mention the intimacy embargo caused by the baby boy and the inevitable jokes about make-believe diseases that led parts of his body to turn blue, Lith placed three pendants at the center of the table.

They depicted a star, a moon, and a sun, which belonged respectively to Solus, Kamila, and Elysia.

"About a year ago, I had the brilliant idea of forging one of these for every member of my family. The problem is that Kami's pregnancy is coming to term, and I have no clue about what to give my son as a gift.

"This is where you come into play. I need suggestions for a solution that will make everyone happy and avoid problematic sibling rivalry in the future. Go!"

"Where is yours?" Morok asked, glad he had no such problems.

"I don't have one." Lith replied. "The pendants represent what their wearer means to the family and me. I can't tell others how they should feel about me."

"There's your answer. Men in the family don't have one. Problem solved." The Tyrant slammed his fist in his open palm.

"I said no sibling rivalry!" Lith snarled. "I can't let Ral ask me why he has no pendant and feels like a second-class child. Don't get me started about what would happen if Kami and I have another girl next, or even worse, twins like you."

"It would be a bloodbath." Morok nodded. "You should have kept your hands in your pockets instead of creating problems for yourself. Sometimes less is more."

"I know. That's why I need help." Lith grunted.

"What about crafting another sun?" Raaz proposed. "The children would have the same thing, and everyone would be equal."

"Please, Dad." Trion shook his head. "Rena's triplets still argue about who's the oldest among them. If Lith gives Ral another sun, Elysia will claim seniority and say that she came first. That his sun is only a copy of the original."

"Damn if you are right." Raaz sighed. "Children turn even the silliest thing into a competition."

"A twin sun, then?" Protector proposed. "Second child doubles the joy?"

"More like 'mommy and daddy love me twice more than you.'" Orion shuddered at the memory. "I've made a similar mistake once. You have no idea how many cries I had to endure after Phloria was born, and I still don't know if Tulion turned bad because of that."

"Orion is right." Lith said. "A twin sun would be perfect for twins. It would focus on their bond, make the gift special, and not belittle Elysia's pendant."

"Man, I'm so glad I gifted nothing to my children when they were born." Protector swallowed hard, his head hurting already.

"Let's think logically." Senton proposed. "We have the star, the moon, and the sun. The next step must be our planet. Mogar."

"Are you listening to yourself?" Nalrond sneered. "Ask anyone. The sun is warm and powerful. The moon is gentle and magical. What about Mogar?"