Chapter 246 – Goodbyes

Chapter 246 – Goodbyes

 

Kien’s giggles filled the southern beach with a cheerful melancholy. The toddler chased a flock of pixies and a puppet dragon with outstretched fingers. Delicate mana constructs with wings of ice and fluid frames flew circles around him, leaving a trail of shimmering mist in the late afternoon air.

His eyes sparkled with wonder and delight. Each time one of the fairies tickled his nose, his laughter grew louder. He extended a chubby hand to grab the dragon’s tail, only for his fingers to slip right through the water construct. Kien lost his balance and landed with his knees on the sand.

“Are you okay?” Kai asked, dissipating the puppets into thin droplets of water and ice.

Kien sat stunned by the fall, then clapped his hands together and giggled. “Again! Again!”

Kai sighed with a fond smile. “What’s the magic word?”

“Pleeease, big brother.” Two large aquamarine pools above a trembling lip looked up at him. At that moment, Kai would have agreed to any request.

Spirits, he has gotten too cunning for his own good.

He didn’t fail to notice how Kien only called him big brother when he wanted something.

I’ll take what I can get.

“Fine, one more time. Then we need to go home before Mom starts to worry.” He shaped a new flock of fairies that had an uncanny resemblance to a particular god’s vessel. Thus, the chase between the sprites and his little brother began anew.

“You’re spoiling him.” Ele sat beside Kai, signaling it was probably time to go. “He’s never going to want to play with the other kids if he gets used to your shows.”

Her hand rested on her belly. She still hadn’t given him an answer about using the elixirs. With the increased trade and tourism, potions had become more widespread—if you could afford the inflated prices.

Kai sent an ice dragon to join the swarm of pixies. “What’s the harm in a little magic? He’ll have time to bond with other children when they also start talking.”

And when I’m not here.

It was his fault for failing to consider the consequences of enhancing Kien’s grade. Every other baby in the archipelago was born at the bottom of red. Being a couple of attributes higher was particularly noticeable with toddlers, though the difference would lessen with age. While no one would complain about the grade advantage once they grew up, he should have realized the issue sooner.

Flynn plopped down on his other side, cradling Hobbes in his arms. “I have to agree with Ele. You’re bribing him with your magic tricks.”

“Yeah, and the only reason you don’t do the same is because Shadow and Lightning don’t work as well. I’ve seen the sweets you slip to him whenever he looks at you with pleading eyes.”

“I’ve got no idea what you’re talking about.” Flynn harrumphed. “That’s plain slander.”

“Are you worried you won’t be his favorite anymore?”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Hobbes has already dethroned me from that position. Isn’t that right?” He scratched the silver furball’s neck. “I’m just making sure Kiki doesn’t get taken advantage of by sly and cunning individuals.”

“Meow.” The cat lazily licked his paw in agreement and sent a wave of smugness through the bond.

I feel like I’m being purposefully targeted.

Kai sent out a clacking ice crab to chase after his little brother. “It was you two who taught him Mana Sense. Now you can’t complain that he’s interested in magic.”

“Well, you do have a point. I thought he’d get bored after the first lesson, but he must’ve taken your stubbornness.” His sister sighed, throwing a glance at him. “How do you manage to control that many spells while talking with us?”

“By being a genius.” Kai flashed the two a lupine grin. Despite his casual demeanor, moving so many delicate spells was touching upon his limits. “And Split Mind also helps.”

It’s good training.

“How do I get that?” Flynn asked, feeding fish treats to the purring cat.

“Hmm, I think you need to perform at least half a dozen tasks at once. But it’s probably easier if you learn Multicasting first and use the Guide to upgrade it.”

The sun was sinking behind the Veeryd jungle and left them secluded in that corner of the beach. They mused about various skills while Kien played with magic puppets. Each second was precious—Kai didn’t know how many more afternoons they would have together.

“Well, I better go calm him down before dinner. Not everyone can be the fun brother.” His sister dusted off her skirt and bowed before Hobbes. “Could you help me convince Kiki to go home?”

The cat stretched in Flynn’s lap, watching the sand with horror and disgust. “Mrooow.”

“I won’t let a single grain touch your fur, I promise.” Ele extended her hands to let the cat jump in. She took on the thankless task of telling a hyperactive two-year-old that playtime was over.

Upon her arrival, Kai made his magic constructs fizzle into mist. Perhaps she was right, and he was spoiling his little brother a bit much. Knowing their time together was limited, Kai had tried to compensate with crafting memorable experiences.

“Have you decided when you’re gonna tell them?” Flynn mused. “We don’t need to leave immediately, but I think Ele already suspects something.”

She was always very perceptive. Hmm… could she have a skill?

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The Republic couldn’t find out that he was alive, and his best lead to obtain a legitimate ID was in Higharbor with Valela. As a relatively new territory, official IDs were still being issued to adults in the archipelago. He might slip in if someone oiled the bureaucratic machine from the inside.

Kai couldn’t fathom how the little princess would react to his reappearance. If that failed, they would have to resort to shadier means and far shadier people.

“I’ll tell Mom soon.” He wanted to preserve their carefree life for a little bit longer. It wouldn’t be the same if his departure loomed over them. Spirits only knew when he could visit again, or how much Kien would have grown by that time.

“Just let me know when you decide. Valela won’t be back from the mainland for a couple weeks,” Flynn muttered while he rummaged through his pockets. Somehow, he always knew where everyone was. “I almost forgot. Here, catch.”

Kai grabbed the object an inch from his face. He was about to return the throw when he realized what he was holding. A cold silver disk with three nubs and concentric circles of runes flowing into each other. The symbols looked strangely familiar. Runic Scholar informed him it was of a similar alphabet to the one he studied in the Sanctuary, prompting Mana Analyst and Arcane Enchanting to pick apart the artifact.

The runes etched on the flat sides gave him a sense of disrupted destiny he couldn’t explain. His attention moved to the dense web of enchantments beneath the surface, the heart of the mechanism that could disrupt Fate.

Nothing.

Mana observer could barely make out the minuscule symbols when he let the rest of the world fall into shadow. Its workings remained far beyond his understanding.

It was a long shot.

Kai kept his fingers away from the nubs. The Fate Fulcrum shone with all the accumulated energy of more than two years, and he wasn’t eager to call a calamity upon their heads.

“I kept it close in case of an emergency,” Flynn said. “Though the charge hasn’t changed much for the last year.”

“Wait, you mean…”

“I don’t think it can gather any more Favor. It’s kinda comforting knowing even that thing has a limit. It helped me sleep at night.”

“Mhmm…” Kai nodded. It made sense that Virya wouldn’t give him an artifact of unlimited potential. The circle of runes showing the charge burned like a crackling bonfire. It stored more Favor than he had ever consciously used, and likely enough to get him killed.

It was like holding a ticking time-bomb that could create as many problems as it solved. Kai stored it in his ring, relieved when the weight disappeared from his hand.