"If only you could see farther than your smug nose, you ungrateful bunch would realize how much you owe to people like Fyrwal, , and many others whose nas have been forgotten by history simply because no one bothered writing them down." Silverwing said.
"Enough, Lochra" Baba Yaga grabbed Silverwing's shoulder while shaking her head. "The Hydras can believe what they want. We ca here to do a job. There is no point poisoning our collaboration before we even start."
It took Silverwing only a glance to notice the angry gazes and clenched fists of the people around her. What she said may be true, but that didn't an others would accept it or even like it.
"Lead the way, Fyrwal." Baba Yaga took point. "I need to study the data you have collected until now before I can start fixing your Harmonizer and adapt its technology to my children."
"Of course." Fyrwal noticed that the Red Mother's business tone and polite attitude had quelled the rising fury in her clanmates. "Please, follow ."
She led the group toward the center of the cave where Ufyl's pod was. The assembled Hydras made way for nadion's group, forming a corridor while extending their arms in the hope of a handshake.
nadion sighed but was happy to oblige. She gave more slow high-fives than handshakes but the Hydras didn't care and the mood in the room improved greatly.
"What changed your mind?" Baba Yaga asked. "How co you agreed to my terms after all this ti?"
"Because we are slumped. Fyrwal said. "As in, we have run out of leads and ideas. Our hope for a breakthrough was shortly rekindled after we gained more willingly test subjects who have been transford by Thrud's Ambrosia, but in the end, their contribution proved fruitless as well"
"What are you talking about?" Baba Yaga raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"Allow to introduce you to the rest of our guests." Fyrwal replied. "These are Protheus, Leari, Ophius, Arka, Isha, Phoma, Rhak, and Ufyl. You already know Friya, right?"
"These eight all carry Thrud's mark and I can sense a unique Divine Beast bloodline coming from them but they are supposed to be dead!" The Red Mother was flabbergasted. "Why are they here and since when is Friya part of this research?"
"Leegaain spared them due to their unique abilities." Fyrwal replied. "Once we ran out of options with Ufyl, Lith put us in contact with the surviving mbers of Thrud's army and they agreed to help us.
"We hoped that by comparing their life forces with those belonging to the mbers of their clans of origin, we would have found a clue to further our research. For the rest of Mogar, however, all of Thrud's generals but Ufyl are dead.
"Per our deal with Leegaain, the truth can't be revealed to anyone outside this lab. Is that clear?"
"Crystal." Baba Yaga nodded, glad to have the opportunity to study the effects of the Ambrosia on multiple test subjects.
"To keep the secret, we could only contact a few lesser Divine Beasts of proven trust. On top of that, we have guaranteed them that we won't hoard the fruits of our research. We are doing this for all lesser Divine Beasts, not just Hydras."
"A noble goal." nadion said. "But what about Friya?"
"She's my daughter's future Harbinger and your great fan, Ripha. She asked to be here." "Hi, Lady nadion. I an, Ripha." Friya stepped out of the crowd amid many grumbles. "I couldn't miss the opportunity to see you at work,"
Like this wasn't already bad enough.'Ripha inwardly rolled her eyes.
"Don't expect too much from . She actually said. "I'm rusty and grumpy so I apologize in advance for anything my mouth might say before my brain filters it."
"Don't worry. I understand." Friya said and the rest of the room nodded.
"Do you prefer to consult holograms or paper?" Fyrwal asked.
"Holograms, of course! nadion replied before Baba Yaga could say anything.
Xubari pressed a button on a console and images of blueprints for the Harmonizers and reports of the experints' results filled the air in front of nadion, Baba Yaga, and Silverwing.
"Not this." nadion dispelled the holograms in confusion. "For this kind of information paper is better. We can take our ti reading at our own pace. I ant the holograms of the life forces' scans during your experints."
"We don't have that." Anata, the lead Forgemaster of the Harmonizer lowered her head in sha. "We can only study the life force of a test subject during an ongoing experint." "You can only what?" The honest surprise and shocked disbelief on nadion's face were worse than any insult she could dish out.
So Hydras wrung their hands, others fiddled with their feet, and all of them kept their eyes low like a bunch of students who had failed to complete their assignnt.
"Yes, Ripha." Baba Yaga patted her shoulder. "They are not incompetent, it's just that there is no such technology. You, I, and the Guardians are the only ones who can do that."
Her words gained the Red Mother admiration for her achievent and respect for
defending the Hydras.
"I'm sorry for my outburst. I didn't an to be rude. I've just returned after seven hundred years and I'm still unaware of what you consider common knowledge." nadion gave everyone a bow, making the Hydras feel even worse.
"Paper for everyone, please."
Fyrwal handed a thick folder to every mber of Lith's group and conjured a table and chairs for them. Lith had just opened the first page when a familiar noise made him raise
his head.
nadion and Baba Yaga were flipping through the docunts like they were a picture book. They glanced at a page and then turned it over for a second before moving on to
the next.
'Fuck sideways, I haven't seen that kind of speed since I worked with Manohar.' Lith knew Ripha wasn't using the Eyes because otherwise he and Solus would have experienced a strong headache through their connection.
"That's talent plus experience.' Solus replied. Look at Aunt Loka.'
Silverwing was fast by Lith's standards but slow compared to the other two won. She took several seconds to read each page but was fast enough to make the Hydras' jaws
drop.
'She's a polymath genius but has never focused her studies on a specific subject.' Solus said while flipping through the Forgemastering pages almost as fast as Lochra. The parts about the Healing techniques took her more ti than those about Forgemastering.
'Damn, you guys are making look bad.' Lith sighed.
Without Soluspedia he was the slowest among them. The design of the Harmonizers was complex and he was unfamiliar with most of the runes they employed. The analysis of the life forces was just as complex but it took him even more ti.
ssing with a rune while Forgemastering ant a failed experint. ssing with a rune while using healing magic ant killing the patient. Lith took his task seriously so he put his pride aside and read at a comfortable pace.
By the ti he was done, nadion and Baba Yaga had read the material several tis and were already discussing points they considered controversial. Lochra and Solus, instead, were asking the Hydras for clarifications on a few aspects of the Harmonizers.
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