"What's so dangerous about a Lich?" Salanoth shrugged.
"Maybe the fact that he built his own fortress here, you moron." The Black Throne replied. "We are talking about a Council Representative with infinite life and mana.
"Soone without a mage tower, yet with the ans and wits to travel through space just like I did. Do you think you can fight soone of that caliber?"
"No." The Ring of Space gritted the teeth of her host.
"Did you try to explore further than the moon?" Uragar pointed at the distant stars.
"Yes, and I almost died for it." The cursed tower sighed. "I never realized that Mogar actually moves in space, not just on itself. Even worse, there is no world energy out there. Nothing but light and radiation.
"I managed to reenter Mogar's aura just in ti before my power core depleted, and I turned into space rubble. Yet I didn't give up. I built probes, and I scattered them across the cosmos. That's how I collected the information you can see in my orrery."
"What's the point of doing that?" Salanoth asked.
"The probes are fueled by white crystals and have only two enchantnts. Detection on Homing." The Black Throne replied. "They have no consciousness and no propulsion system, so they consu little energy.
"As they scatter, I collect more information without moving. Also, if any of the probes ever lands on a land with world energy, I can use it to open a Gate there. Or rather, that's my hope.
"So far, I have found nothing but dead worlds. Mogar is a damn rare blue gemstone, kids."
"One more reason for giving our all." Jorl could feel the Life Maelstrom in the air resonate with that stored inside his body. "We need to train hard and learn the other Upyr abilities before Orpal. It's our best shot at victory."
***
Lith's birthday arrived, and the Frorls had yet to receive the sweet relief of the executioner's ax.
To be precise, it was the day before Lith's birthday. He always held two parties. One was a social event where he hosted the most important people of the Kingdom, and the other was a private celebration for his family and friends.
The gala associated with Lith's birthday always took place the evening before the private party, so that at the stroke of midnight, the two events overlapped and both occurred on the correct date.
Lith and Kamila stood at the main entrance of the Mansion, welcoming their guests in order of arrival. He wore his high uniform under his Supre Magus robe for the occasion.
It was comprised of a pristine white jacket with golden epaulets, mid-waisted white trousers with galon, a trim with two silk stripes to conceal the outer seams, and black shoes.
He wore a silver brooch shaped like his family crest on the collar of his white shirt, and the gold embroideries on the lapels of his jacket were shaped like feathers. They marked both his allegiance to the Griffon Kingdom and his nature as an evolved human.
The pristine white wings on his back further emphasized the point. This ti, Lith avoided displaying his horns and extra eyes. The public was used to associate them with his Tiamat form, and he wanted his guests to focus on his Indech side.
Kamila, instead, wore an ocean-blue evening dress that left her shoulders, neck, and arms exposed. The silk of the fabric was embroidered in gold, creating a feathered pattern.
She wore the original Callia on her heart, another as a corsage, and her parure was made of gold molded to resemble the mystical flower. A small blue callia shone on her baby bump as a decoration for Raldarak.
Kamila's set of jewels consisted of a golden circlet, a golden necklet, and earrings, all decorated with magical icy callias. She also displayed two white Indech wings on her back to make sure that her noble guests received the ssage.
The lords of the house were supposed to stand at all tis, but due to her advanced pregnancy, she was allowed to sit while waiting for the next group of guests to arrive.
The Mansion's Park was covered in snow, but the enchantnts kept the red carpet leading to the main entrance clean and dry. Ice sculptures of ancient heroes and mythical creatures decorated the aisles and fountains, greeting the guests as they approached the Mansion.
Small snow castles were arranged in the playground and fully equipped with snow-loaded weapons for the noble kids to enjoy themselves in mock battles. Lith had even arranged for saddled magical beasts that would serve as cavalry if needed.
The waiting area in front of the main entrance was filled with richly decorated stagecoaches and a few DoLoreans, each carrying nobles who had already been identified and waited for their turn to enter.
Only guests of secondary importance would access via the Warp Steps inside the Mansion. They wouldn't be introduced by the valet, and would undergo many security checks before being allowed to join the rest of the nobles.
The only exception was the people of Zelex. Lith invited them again to renew their bond of friendship and Warped them personally to the Mansion.
They weren't actually an exception since the tower perford full scans upon arrival, but what they didn't know couldn't offend them.
Anyone else who wanted to avoid both being announced by the valet and being questioned by the Royal security detail had to arrive early and disguise themselves among the family mbers.
"Who would have thought that violent emotions would unlock the runes for the higher tiers of Mirror Magic up to tier three?" Baba Yaga was in her Mother form, wearing a lovely cream-colored dress.
"I believed that Elysia's calm mind and pure heart were the key, but I was wrong."
"Maybe Elysia hears the first magic rune exactly because she's calm and relaxed enough to listen even to Mogar's lowest grumbling." Silverwing's puffy red dress was a modern version of the one she once wore at the court of the First King, and so was her enchanted parure.
"Yet that sa calm keeps her from hearing more powerful runes. Based on what you told , Mogar expresses its anger with Mirror Magic, and Lith managed to conjure those unknown spells because, in his fury, he resonated with that anger."
"Do you mind saving the magical jargon for another ti?" Elina shushed them both. "Your beloved magical breakthrough happened during a tragic event. I don't want you to ruin this night for my son by reminding him of poor Elfiam's death."
"You're right. I'm sorry, Elina." The white cores said.
Even though he wasn't much in the mood for magic, Lith had taken plenty of notes about the Zero runes he had discovered right after leaving Clila in Solus' room. Once he had returned to the Mansion, he shared his findings with Baba Yaga.
She had confird Lith's hypothesis and ensured his newfound Zero Spells were safe. Or rather, safe-ish.
'There is still the issue of conjuring the Mirror Runes with true magic.' Baba Yaga said via a mind link to hide the rest of the conversation from her host's grumpy mother.
'It's a good thing that despite his anger, Lith had the presence of spirit to chant the Zero Spells.'
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