Supreme Magus

Chapter 4592: Bad News and Worse News (Part 2)

The combination of the two techniques let Tezka deploy the Organization members throughout the Kingdom and retrieve them without leaving a trace of their passage, as he was doing now.

"How did your lesson go?" Theseus and Abthot remained surprised to find the Master standing beside the Suneater.

"The usual." The Bastet shrugged. "We’ve learned more about our condition, and I’ve dodged the nth dinner date."

"Not all plant folk are bad." Vastor sighed. "Orosir might be like Ryssa, and you are a vigorous young man. You are allowed to live a little."

"I refuse to talk about my romantic life unless you guys do it first!" Theseus blushed up to his ears.

"I’m happily married, and Zin and I are trying for a baby. Do I need to say more?" Vastor asked.

"Gods, no! Please spare me the rest." Sometimes, fragments of the Master’s relationship seeped into the bond he shared with the hybrids, and even that was more than Theseus could take.

"I will only date Fylgjas." Tezka said. "I’ll consider other races after the Summoner Clan is restored to its former glory."

"My taste in men is a mess." Abthot sighed. "As an elf, I like slender, graceful bodies, so Eycos is the most attractive of you lot. Yet as a plant folk I’m only interested in power, and no one beats our resident fox."

"I’m flattered, but I have to decline." The Fylgja gave her a polite nod.

"I stand corrected. I don’t want to talk about my romantic life. Period." Theseus said. "What are you doing here, and why were you waiting for us, Zogar?"

"Because I’ve heard some news that might interest you." The Master replied.

***

Distar Region, Verhen Mansion, at the same time.

"Are you sure you want to do that, babe?" Nalrond asked.

"I’m already a bright violet core. There is no risk of a breakthrough. Our kids and I are fine, you scaredy cat." Friya replied.

She was sitting cross-legged on the floor in her hybrid form. A full set of Rune Stores arranged in Tezka’s sequence floated above her seven heads, each following the movements of her corresponding elemental head.

"I’m not worried about your health, woman." Nalrond snorted. "Three Guardians and two white cores currently live under Lith’s roof with us. It’s easier for the rest of Mogar to turn into a ball of fire than for any of us to get so much as a scratch.

"I’m worried the twins might learn anything you’re doing right now. The Rune Stores are the perfect tool for beginners, remember? Besides, you’re the Master of Space. What do you need the Rune Stores for?"

"Thank you for asking." Friya said with many proud smiles. "I’m working on bringing my dimensional spells to a whole new level. Look."

The golden sparkles of her Dimensional Ruler spell slowly increased in number and then in size. Friya took seven deep breaths at once, and her serpentine faces became masks of focus as the fragments of solid dimensional energy coalesced into a golden dome around her.

"What’s that?" Nalrond touched the nearest dimensional wall just for his hand to disappear and reappear on the other side.

"Careful!" Nalrond stepped back upon Friya’s warning, just in time before the golden dome shattered. "You almost lost your arm there. I’m still figuring out the underlying principles of a dimensional field, and my new and improved Dimensional Ruler is quite unstable."

"Dimensional field?" Nalrond echoed, checking his wrist for cuts.

"You’ve seen Tezka in action." Friya replied. "His Chaos Dimension is the best weapon a dimensional mage can wield. An entire area where space and gravity bend to your will, allowing you to strike at your enemy and redirect their attacks without casting new spells."

"Isn’t that what your Dimensional Ruler already does?" He asked.

"Sure. Friya nodded. "Too bad those golden sparkles give away where my dimensional passages are going to open, and pooling them together to block a powerful spell or the attacks of anything bigger than a human takes too long.

"With a dimensional field, instead, my enemies would have no warning sign where I’m about to attack, and I could deflect anything that comes at me, no matter its size."

"You’re a genius, babe. Too bad you’re a mad genius." Nalrond snarled. "This brings us back to my original question. Aren’t you worried about our twins learning this stuff? Do you really want to chase them around the house as they warp?"

"I’m not mad!" She hissed in outrage. "This is dimensional magic at the highest level. Not even Faluel can do it, and we share the Harbinger bond. People like you and Lith can’t even grasp the first thing about this technique, let alone unborn babies."

"What about unborn babies who share Faluel’s blood, your blood, mana, and feel everything your seven heads feel?" He countered. "Have you forgotten about Ral and Silverwing’s Hexagram? That’s quite complicated as well, yet he learned it."

"Good gods, you’re right! I mean, don’t jinx it!" Friya said, dispelling Dimensional Ruler’s wild energies.

"I didn’t jinx anything. You messed up." Nalrond crossed his arms and tapped his foot in annoyance as the six Rune Stores still floated around Friya and the golden sparkles refused to disappear. "Big time."

"This means nothing." Friya’s pathetic attempt to deny reality crumbled when the golden dome reformed. "Okay, fine. If you don’t say it, I will. You told me so."

"I wasn’t going to- What’s that?" The Fire Store entered Dimensional Ruler, turning it red.

"I don’t know!" Friya reverted to her human form since she only had two hands and could only cover one face in shame at a time. "I’m sorry, kids. If you’re listening to me, please, stop!"

The Rune Stores froze in mid-air for a heartbeat before falling to the ground. The dimensional field collapsed a second later, enveloping Friya in a red light as warm as a hug.

"That’s great." Nalrond took his communication amulet and called his in-laws. "I’ve got bad news and worse news. The bad news is that your daughter kept training despite our many warnings, so your grandsons now know dimensional magic."

"Friya Teleta Aelia Ernas!" Jirni’s voice was a snarl of fury, whereas Orion’s was a roar of joy. "What are you so happy about? Our daughter is-"

"Stop right there. I wasn’t done." Nalrond’s commanding tone silenced Jirni. "The worst news is the twins seem to understand our language, so be careful what you say from now on."

"Friya..." Jirni’s voice was choked with emotion, but not the positive kind.

"Please, Mom." Friya sniffled. "Whatever you were about to say, it’s nothing compared to what I’m thinking about myself right now."

***

"Congratulations, Friya, and thank you!" Morok spun her in the air with a mirthful laugh. "You have no idea how much this means to me. Once your twins are born, Orikan and Jirya won’t be the weirdos of the family anymore."

"This is no laughing matter!" Friya snarled. "I know what I did was a bit reckless, but you can’t expect me to sit on my thumbs until the children are born."

"What’s done is done." Quylla shook her head. "There is no point interrupting your practice now. Moreover, if you think about it, there’s a silver lining in your situation, sis."