Storm and the Nogitsune survivors continued to travel at night for more than a week before they managed to finally reach the safety of their hidden city.
Progress was especially slow once they crossed into the borders of Stone Helm.
The roads were showing regular activity from patrols of guards and twice they were almost discovered.
Only Augustus's keen senses and expertise in pathfinding stopped it from becoming a fight.
Once they managed to circumvent the Dark Forest though, they abandoned the roads entirely and traveled all throughout the day and night to make up their lost progress.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they managed to make it to their destination.
Aurora rushed out to embrace Storm once news spread through the city that he had returned.
"Where have you been!!?
Everyone was so worried about you!!?
Especially when the Matriarch lost all contact with the city!!?
We were about to organize a expedition to the city to find out what happened!!" Exclaimed Aurora.
"Cancel all those plans and tell them to keep everyone away from the city!
Northburg has been lost to us!
I'll arrange a meeting with everyone in an hour or 2.
Right now I want to eat something, and see my son!" Explained Storm.
Aurora seemed to get a troubled expression at the mention of their child.
This worried Storm greatly.
"Just to let you know, Orian is safe and sound.
But there has been some 'developments'... while you were gone."
"What kind of 'developments'?!" Asked Storm.
"DADDY!!!!!!" Came a small voice Storm hadn't heard before.
He looked up and saw Orian rushing towards him from the city.
He tried to hug Storm's leg but was too small to completely wrap himself around Storm's thick leg.
Storm was completely speechless, unlike his son that continued to ask questions.
It normally took around 2 years before a hatchling learned to speak.
Dust'an had only been a few months old by the time of his disappearance.
Orian was even younger than Dust'an had been before his disappearance, and yet he was already capable of speaking!
Storm looked up at Aurora in suprise.
"He started maybe a week after you left on your trip.
The Grans looked him over and assured me that everything is still fine.
They suspected that it was the unique circumstances of his birth that is causing this..." started Aurora
"I'm spuciall!!!" Exclaimed Orian.
"It's 'special', Orian. And yes you are!" Answered Aurora.
"Is there any other side effects to this!?
Is he rapidly maturing?!" Asked Storm with concern.
"Physically he's still fine, but he's growing at a faster rate mentally.
As his mind expands, more of Mimereus's old memories and knowledge are resurfacing. " Explained Aurora.
"What's a Mimer.... ?
Mim...?
That word?" Asked Orian.
"That's not important, son.
Is there a way to stop this process?" Asked Storm with concern.
He did not like this at all.
The whole reason for doing this in the first place was to give Mimereus a second chance at life.
If his mind rapidly matured, then he would have less time to be a carefree kid, before the weights and worries of adult life pressed down on him.
Having an adult's mind in a child's body was also out of the question.
"The Grans thought you might have wanted this, so they devised a way, but we wanted your input before we proceeded." Explained Aurora.
Storm went with Aurora and Orian to go and have a fresh meal in the city, while Leyocan left to go oversee the resettlement of his Nogitsune.
After their bellies were full, they went to go see the Grans together.
Orian quickly lost interest in his parent's conversation and instead occupied his time trying to catch the butterflies flying around the fields and playing in the dirt.
Leaving his parents to discuss his fate.
"How much of Mimereus has already leaked into his mind?" Asked Storm.
"Not a lot, no memories for certain. "
"Just some skills and abilities.
He's learning them at an extremely fast rate and seem to have an almost instinctual understanding of some abilities. "
Especially spellcraft. I imagine he'll be an exceptionally skilled mage when he grows up." Explained the Grans.
Orian suddenly jumped up and caught a butterfly in his mouth, only to spit it out while rubbing his tongue with his hands to try and get the taste out of his mouth.
Storm smiled fondly in response.
"Is there a way to stop the process?" Asked Storm.
"There is, but it does carry some risks for the child." Replied the Grans.
"What is the process, and what kind of risks are involved?" Asked Aurora.
"Currently, the knowledge is leaking in slowly, gradually even. "
"Like throwing out a tub full of water one bucket at a time."
"We could hide the knowledge in his subconscious, behind a barrier.
That would release at a certain age and stage of development.
But doing so would be like turning the entire tub over at once.
The sheer amount of knowledge he would receive all at once could overwhelm him.
And the rapidly shifting personality could cause significant mental instability. "
"We could decrease the flood of information by setting them to release portions of it during different periods of his growth.
But even this still carries some risk." Explained the Grans.
"So, the natural way is still the safest option?" Asked Storm.
"It is."
"It will allow his mind to slowly adapt to the changes. " Explained the Grans.
"How long until the process completed naturally?" Asked Storm.
"It's difficult to say, but we estimate that in roughly 5 years, Mimereus will have completely resurfaced. "
"So soon?" Asked Storm sadly.
"I'm afraid so!"
Storm shook his head.
"He'd be an adult in a child's body!
Is there really nothing else we can do?!" Asked Storm.
"Unfortunately not."
"It feels like we're stealing his innocence from him!" Said Storm.
The Grans placed a hand on his shoulder in comfort.
"His unique circumstances meant that he was never going to be a normal child.
Mimereus knew this when he did the ritual.
You're not stealing what he has already chosen to sacrifice. "
"I just thought we had more time!" Said Storm.
"You should make the best of his fleeting childhood with the time you have left."
"Besides, it's not like he's dying!!
You'll still be able to make his life comfortable, he'll just be mature then."
"You know how stubborn Mimereus is, he'll want to join in the fighting immediately once he awakened. ".said Storm.
"Then as a responsible parent, We expect you to tell him 'no'." Said the Grans
Aurora rubbed up against Storm.
"I know how you feel, Storm !
But the other option is too dangerous!
Could you really live with yourself if something happened to him because of it?" Asked Aurora.
"No... I could not..." answered Storm.
He nodded to the Grans.
"Keep him as he is!"
Storm only prayed that he made the right decision.