"Yesterday." The magnitude of Orion's lie exceeded his poker face, making Nelia click her tongue in reply. "Thanks for the food."
He gulped down the stew like a man who had just escaped a desert drinks water. He cut the steak into fine pieces, holding the bones with his hands and gnawing at them to not miss a single morsel of at.
He tore the bread into big pieces which he used to scoop both plates before chewing them.
Nelia stood in silence the whole ti and refilled Orion's glass of water as soon as he emptied it. Whenever she bent down to do it, her hair ford a flaming red waterfall that blocked Orion's vision.
He noticed it only halfway through his al, when his stomach gave him the respite he needed to notice her clear silver eyes and beauty. She was Tyris' direct descendant which made her appearance dreamlike.
It took him even longer to notice the restraints at his feet.
"Thanks for your hospitality but I'm a married man. Where are we and why are you keeping your prisoner, Griffon?"
"Don't flatter yourself, young man." Nelia's smile was like a sunrise after a stormy night but it left Orion only more worried than he already was. "You are not my prisoner. You are the M-, I an F-, dammit, Vastor's prisoner. I an guest."
She had trouble rembering who knew what and how much she could tell to whom.
"This will be your room until the procedure starts. Here, have seconds."
"Am I still inside the Vastor Household?" Orion asked while wolfing down his food, this ti with a modicum of manners.
"I'm sorry. I can neither confirm nor deny."
"Why do you call it a procedure? Isn't Awakening a common event for your people?"
"No, it's rare even for us and considered impossible for bright violet-cored people like you."
"Can't you undo the straps? I feel awkward."
"No. Do you want more food?"
"Are you telling I slept for a whole day? I need to go back ho, reassure my wife that I'm okay, and make up for the lost training ti!" He said while finishing his al in a frenzy.
"So much for not being a prisoner." Orion grumbled but accepted the third tray. "Gods, how long was I asleep? I'm still hungry."
"That's because you missed dinner, breakfast, lunch, dinner again, and whatever al you usually have in between."
"Are you telling I slept for a whole day? I need to go back ho, reassure my wife that I'm okay, and make up for the lost training ti!" He said while finishing his al in a frenzy.
"No, you are going back to sleep."
"I don't have ti to-" Nelia touched his forehead and a simple healing spell made Orion fall unconscious, snoring.
"Humans." She shook her head and called Vastor on his amulet. "Your friend is fine, Father, but he needs at least twelve more hours. You were right. His body is a ss but I'm fixing it."
***
Twelve hours would have sufficed, but Vastor waited until Orion woke up on his own fourteen hours later, trusting the body more than the mind.
"Help! Soone call- Wait a minute!" Orion was strapped again but this ti he knew what was happening.
"Good night, idiot." Vastor checked his clock, confirming it was half past midnight. "Shut up and eat. Do you have any idea how much ti and money your stupidity cost ?
"The machines for this procedure cost money. My ti is worth a lot of money. Every mont my children spend at your side I'm bleeding gold. You cost a lot, Lord Ernas. You'd better survive and repay for my investnt."
He undid all of Orion's straps with a snap of his fingers and a touch of Spirit Magic. The Master handed Orion a large tray with several dishes based on at and vegetables.
Lord Ernas had many grievances with Vastor but his mouth was too busy eating to express them out loud. All he could do was gobble and glare.
"I had to stay cooped up at ho for almost two days and recall my aides from the field. We've all waited for our sleeping beauty to wake up." The Master had no such problem and even more grievances. "I should be in bed with my wife, not spend the night with a man."
One that they both agreed so Orion nodded vigorously.
"While you fill your stomach, let introduce you to my team. You already know Xenagrosh and Bytra."
"Elysia's godmother, sure." Orion extended them his hand and they shook it. "You helped avenge my Little Flower and now this. If there's anything I can do to help you, please, just let know."
"Don't be silly." Zoreth replied. "Phloria was important to Lith which made her important to , just like you. I'm glad to help."
"You should rember the others from my wedding." Vastor continued. "Nelia, Kigan, Cyare, Hushar, Eycos, and Nandi."
"Damn, usually to et so many good-looking people in a single room I have to go to Lutia." Orion shook their hands in turns.
"She's the only new face. Orion, et Abthot. Abthot, he's Orion." Vastor's voice went stone cold on the last phrase, sothing that Orion recognized as a lack of trust.
"Nice to et you, Lord Ernas." In her human form, Abthot had long strawberry blonde hair and violet eyes.
Her skin was slightly green due to her ogre side still stabilizing, giving her the color and beauty of a Dryad.
"The pleasure is all mine, milady." Orion finished his al and got up from the bed to perform so light stretching. "Do we need so many people just to Awaken ?"
"Just?" Vastor echoed in annoyance. "Do not 'just' , Orion. This is the bare minimum and everyone I could find or you'd see more people here."
A snap of his fingers lightened the room as clear as day, revealing the presence of a large tal contraption that reached the ceiling. It was comprised of five gene tanks. One in the middle and the other four arranged in an X shape.
"Nandi will take control of the world energy, increasing and releasing the pressure on your mana core based on my instructions."
The Minotaur had the gems on his forehead, hands and chest appear on his skin. A single wave of his hand emptied the room of world energy, the unnatural void giving a pit to Orion's stomach.
"Nelia and Eycos will give everyone the power we need." The two won had bolts of silver lightning run from their fingertips to their eyes and back.
"Hushar and Cyare will take care of you, instead, ensuring that your body can resist the process." The Leviathan wore his Maw of Bytra and used it to conjure several arrays that his Elental Flow bloodline ability turned into completely different magical formations.
The Fenrir infused Orion with Mana Body, improving all of his physical abilities and making him resistant to mana, even his own.
"Abthot is a recent addition but she's no less vital for your survival. She-"
"What is he wearing?" Orion pointed at Hushar's Maw, cutting Vastor short. "What are you all wearing? Is that…"
"The Mouth of nadion? No. It's the Maw of Bytra." Vastor replied.
Hearing those nas one after the other made reality click inside Orion's brain despite his attempts to deny it.
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