Supreme Magus novel Chapter 3891

Chapter 3891: Deep Scars (Part 2)

"They’ll stay with me here until I’m done with my business. After that, it’s up to them to decide whether they want to stay in the Blood Desert or return to the Gorgon Empire with me. Either way, I’m going to help them start a new life."

"Nice to meet you, Milady." Aryk and Lilax bowed as deeply as they could, feeling like dirty rags dropped in the middle of a throne room.

Salaark’s imposing figure, her office, the magnificent dress she wore, everything spoke of a wealthy, noble ruler who probably bled blue instead of red. Lilax and Aryk, instead, were illiterate orphans who owned nothing but their worn and torn clothes.

"The pleasure is all mine." Salaark replied while giving them a perfect curtsy. "Make yourself comfortable. You are my honored guests, not my servants. If there’s anything I can do to make your stay in my realm more enjoyable, you only need to ask."

The two youths opened and closed their mouths with their eyes wide, yet emitted no sound, performing a remarkable impression of a couple of goldfish. Once they realized their blunder, Aryk and Lilax bowed repeatedly in apology.

"Guys, if you don’t start talking, this will take all day." A snap of Leegaain’s fingers switched the tattered clothes for the cotton robes of the Desert.

The new and soft clothes made wonders for the youths’ self-esteem, promoting them in their minds from dirty rags to servants.

"I think I have a solution." Salaark Warped everyone to the dining hall, where the young mages of the Verhen Household were having their morning snack.

Leegaain and Zoreth had disappeared, sent by the Overlord inside Lith’s tower.

"Aran, Leria, these are Aryk and Lilax." Salaark said. "They are friends of your grandfather. Introduce them to your friends and be nice to them. Okay?" 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

"Yes, Grandma." The kids replied in unison while Onyx, Abominus, and the Fastarrows sniffed at the newcomers.

Leegaain’s potions gave them a powerful aura that contrasted with the evident weakness of their bodies.

"Great." The Overlord nodded. "Please, don’t disturb me, your grandfather, and Lith unless it’s a real emergency. Your auntie Zor is sick and needs our help."

"What happened to Aunt Zor?" Aran jumped from his seat in worry.

"Good question. You can ask Lilax and Aryk. Bye!" Salaark Warped away, leaving the kids alone and confused.

A long, awkward silence fell over the room until Leria took charge of the situation.

"Hi, my name is Leria, and this doofus is my uncle Aran." She introduced everyone and offered their guests a seat. "Would you like some ice cream while you tell us how you’ve met Grandpa Leegaain?"

"What’s ’I scream’?" Aryk asked with a coarse voice, his throat drier than the Desert.

Even away from Lutia, everyone still wore their everyday clothes, and Aryk and Lilax were the oldest in the room. Yet, hearing Leria call a mighty Dragon "grandpa" made the two youths from the Empire tense as bowstrings.

***

"What happened to Zor?" Lith asked as Leegaain appeared in the middle of the Forge.

"Her life force is damaged almost beyond recognition, but nothing that a Guardian can’t fix." Lith Warped everyone to the Heart of the tower and activated the Immortal Body array, focusing it on the Shadow Dragon. "Why didn’t you treat Zor yourself, Grandpa?"

"Let me show you." Leegaain used a mind link to share Raum’s now-broken plans and ambitions with Lith and Solus. "That’s why."

"Fuck me sideways." Lith raked his fingers through his hair. "That nutjob tore Zor’s troll and Eldritch life forces apart to understand how her Dragon mana organs had adapted to the Chaos of her body."

"That’s not the reason she’s not healing." Solus said while sharing the readings of the two pieces of the Menadion Set with Lith and conjuring her Body Sculpting spell, Vital Flow. "Raum put barriers and separators to keep Zoreth’s life forces apart.

"The Forbidden Magic he employed feeds on her mana like a parasite, so the barriers have lost none of their strength after Raum died. Unless their connection with Zoreth’s life force is severed, she will stay like this forever."

"That still doesn’t answer my question." Lith joined Solus and activated his own spell, Healer’s Edge. "There’s no way you didn’t know all this already. Why did you bring Zor to me, Grandfather?"

"Because I find myself in an impossible situation." Leegaain replied. "Please, believe me, Hatchling, I wouldn’t burden you with this if I had a choice."

Zoreth gasped as the Body Sculpting spells undid the alterations on her life forces. Her fingers gripped the floating chair so hard that the armrests cracked, and her face twisted in a rictus of pain.

Her primal instinct made her run her hands over her chest. Zoreth checked the parts where Raum had poked, prodded, and cut her open, discovering she was whole again. The relief she felt, however, didn’t lessen her agony one bit.

Every inch of her body burned and froze at the same time. Pins and needles tormented her skin, while blunt knives twisted her flesh. The split life forces were finally free to meet again, yet they didn’t recognize each other any longer.