The babies knew that so foods were off limits for them, but since the grown-ups always made a big fuss about ice cream, Elysia and Valeron had learned to exploit the occasional chaos to snatch a bite.
The babies rarely shared it because it was hard to grab and quick to lt. On top of that, they had no dinsional pockets or amulets to store the ice cream before it would get discovered.
Elysia had made a fuss at the table earlier both to grab the ice cream and be brought to Valeron in ti. She had used what little mana she had to isolate the ice cream in an air bubble and keep it cold with water magic.
It was a bit dirty and partially lted due to her poor magical skills, but she offered it to Valeron like the treasure it was to her.
"One thing I don’t understand, instead, is why won giggle with joy when we call them mom while n look terrified when we call them dad. Do you know why, big brother?"
"I don’t know." Valeron replied, turning into a Bahamut to accept her gift. "I really don’t."
The sweet of the ice cream mixed with the salty of his tears as Valeron licked it off Elysia’s hands.
***
In the following days, Valeron the Second kept refusing the company of everyone but Elina, Raaz, Surin, Elysia, and Thrud’s Divine Beasts. The baby boy had never distanced himself from Shargein, and now that Elysia was allowed to play with them again, the Wyrmling considered the matter solved.
Shargein loved Surin, but without Elysia and with Valeron always in a bad mood, the situation had quickly beco boring. The baby girl never took part in their gas, reserving herself the role of spectator, no matter how many tis they invited her to join.
There was also little fun in talking with Surin. Aside from easy concepts like happiness, anger, hunger, cold, and hot, everything else seed to go over her head. Because it did.
Surin was a normal human baby with a normal learning speed. Her dormant Divine Beast blood gave her no edge over other newborns. Shargein and Valeron didn’t know it, however, considering themselves to be the norm.
Shargein thought Valeron and Elysia to be less smart than him, but at least they learned fast, whereas Surin was slow at everything. She didn’t walk, run, or fly, and even though Shargein had noticed a clear improvent in Surin’s cognitive functions as she grew older, it was nothing compared to Valeron and Elysia.
Worst of all, no one explained to Shargein what had happened between Valeron and the rest of the family. Whatever it was, it deeply saddened Leegaain, and no matter what the Wyrmling tried, the Guardian’s mood didn’t improve.
Salaark had never been turned away by Valeron as well, which made matters only more confusing to Shargein. The Overlord had played no role in the War of the Griffons and had taken care of Valeron since his rescue.
To him, she was as innocent as Elina, Raaz, and Thrud’s Divine Beasts. Salaark had lied by omission, but her love and care were just that. Love and care.
Valeron’s feelings for her weren’t tainted by the doubts and resentnt that he felt for Leegaain and Tyris.
The two Guardians weren’t allowed anywhere near the baby boy unless he needed Leegaain’s help to communicate with those without Dragon Scales.
The Father of All Dragons regretted many things, but he knew that if he could turn back ti, he wouldn’t change much. Entering the Golden Griffon had been Jormun’s choice, and so had been staying by Thrud’s side and refusing his father’s offer.
Leegaain had long since made peace with the fact that he couldn’t force people to do what he thought was right without taking away what made their lives worth living. As for Valeron the Second, protecting him was off the table as well.
Leegaain hadn’t protected the children of his favorite, most noble firstborns, or wise Wyrms like Valtak. Making an exception for the son of the wayward and traitorous Jormun would have angered the rest of the Brood.
All Dragons would have every right to demand the sa treatnt, and refusing it would have severed Leegaain’s ties with the entire Brood, not just Valeron.
Elysia and Raldarak were two special cases born from Lith, who in turn was special as well due to his cracked life force. On top of that, Leegaain had joined the oath already made by the two other Guardians last.
The Brood raised no complaint because the vow would end when the babies beca adults according to human standards. Sixteen years was a blink of an eye in the life of a Wyrm, and Leegaain’s protection was considered more a testant to Lith’s vulnerability as the only mber of his bloodline than favoritism.
Leegaain was glad of his children’s understanding, but it didn’t help him overco the pain from his shattered relationship with Valeron the Second. The Father of All Dragons was used to losing one of his Brood, but that usually implied their death.
Most of them died either by doing sothing stupid like Syrook or selfless like Valtak, so Leegaain’s feelings of loss were overshadowed by either scorn or pride for his children.
Death had beco part of the Father of all Dragons’ life, and he had learned how to overco his grief quickly.
It was sothing necessary to preserve his ntal health and keep Mogar safe since his most powerful emotions were constantly shared with the entire Brood. Leegaain’s joy triggered Dragon Dances, while his rage Second Suns.
This ti, however, his grief was a nagging feeling that was renewed every ti Valeron turned away the Guardian. It was weak enough for the adult Dragons to shove it in a corner of their mind and ignore it without effort.
The younger Dragons, however, would wake up in the middle of the night crying, clinging to their parents and begging them not to abandon them. It was an echo of the fear that Valeron passed on to Leegaain every ti they touched and Leegaain, in turn, passed it on to the Brood.
That the Brood didn’t take well. Every Dragon Bloodline had Hatchlings, and every Hatchling was a treasure. Feeling attacked in the sanctuary of their own hos enraged the Dragons further, and they needed soone to pay for it.
Valeron the Second was just a baby, and even the thought of blaming him for his own murder attempt was preposterous. Lith was blaless as well, and by defending the son of the Wyrm he had killed, he had proven to the Brood he was no Kinslayer.
Which, of course, put the Awakened Council on the hot seat.
"Listen, and listen well, little mice, because this is the only warning you’ll receive. I’m Quashol, the Father of All Ice Dragons, and I speak as the representative of the Brood." He said in the ssage broadcast on the ergency channel of the Council.
"There is no denying Jormun the Erald Dragon’s cris. He was mad and a traitor to all our races, but he paid his debt to us with his death. Valeron the Second, however, is innocent.
"He played no part in Thrud’s sches, he gave no order, and is not to bla for the way he ca into this world."
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