Chapter 59: Transition
On the first day after Livia's departure, the Lava Dragon Court fell into a brief state of chaos.
Kalendil squatted at the entrance of the main hall, staring at the sky outside, motionless.
Valerion was beside him gnawing on gemstones; after finishing one, he would hand him another.
"Brother, eat."
Kalendil shook his head: "Not eating."
Valerion stuffed the gemstone into his own mouth and continued gnawing.
Mihariel squatted by the Lava Lake, recording in her little notebook:
[First day of Mother's departure. Brother Kalendil has been dazing at the cave entrance for six hours now. Brother Valerion handed him five gemstones, and he didn't eat any. Note: Eldest Son Syndrome, needs observation.]
Aetheriel squatted at the training grounds, discharging electricity at a target. After each discharge, he checked his tail to make sure he hadn't shocked himself before continuing. After ten discharges, he had shocked himself three times—one less than usual.
He ran back to the main hall excitedly, wanting to tell everyone the good news.
As it turned out, no one paid him any attention.
Kalendil was dazing.
Valerion was gnawing on gemstones.
Mihariel was writing.
Valensius was nowhere to be found.
He froze for three seconds, then silently squatted back into a corner to continue discharging electricity at his tail.
Valensius was currently disguised as a rock by the Lava Lake, squatting at Mihariel's feet. Mihariel didn't notice him at all; she shifted her position while recording and nearly stepped on him. He held his breath, remaining perfectly still.
The Kobold Chieftain entered with a few Kobold to deliver ore, but seeing this bizarre scene in the main hall, he froze in place.
Kalendil was dazing at the cave entrance, motionless.
Valerion was gnawing on gemstones with a look of intense focus.
Mihariel was writing without even lifting her head.
Aetheriel was in the corner discharging electricity at his tail, muttering as he did so.
There was also a rock by the lake that looked a bit strange, but he didn't give it much thought.
The Kobold Chieftain hesitated for a moment, placed the ore on the ground, and silently retreated.
When he reached the cave entrance, he glanced back.
Did that rock just move?
He rubbed his eyes and looked again.
The rock was motionless.
He shook his head and continued walking out.
——————
On the second day, Kalendil finally moved away from the cave entrance.
It wasn't that he didn't want to keep dazing, but Mihariel couldn't take it anymore.
She walked up to him, tilting her head up, her amber eyes staring at him.
"Brother Kalendil, I'll test you with a riddle: What stays perfectly still, yet makes people worry?"
Kalendil was stunned and instinctively answered: "Mother?"
Mihariel shook her head.
Kalendil thought for a bit: "...A rock?"
Mihariel continued to shake her head.
Kalendil frowned: "Then what is it?"
Mihariel pointed at him: "You. You've squatted here for a day and a night, motionless. We are all very worried."
Kalendil was dazed.
Mihariel continued: "Mother said when she left that you are responsible for the Dragon Court's safety. But if you're here dazing, who's going on patrol? Who's checking the borders? Who's training the servants?"
Kalendil opened his mouth but couldn't find the words.
Mihariel patted his claw: "Mother will come back. She said ten days, so it's ten days. Squatting here dazing won't make the ten days any shorter."
Kalendil remained silent for a long time.
Then he stood up, took a deep breath, and flicked his tail.
"You're right."
He walked toward the cave entrance and looked back at Valerion: "Valerion, come on patrol with me."
Valerion looked up, swallowed the gemstone in his mouth, nodded, and scrambled up to follow.
Mihariel watched their departing backs and wrote in her little notebook:
[Second day of Mother's departure. Brother Kalendil stopped dazing and began fulfilling his duties. Note: My riddle was effective.]
She closed the notebook and looked at Aetheriel in the corner.
Aetheriel was discharging electricity at a rock—that rock was Valensius in disguise. Valensius was being shocked until his whole body was numb, but he stubbornly remained motionless, persisting in his disguise.
Mihariel stared at that rock for three seconds.
The rock trembled slightly.
She blinked and wrote another line in her little notebook:
[Little brother Valensius is currently disguised as a rock in front of Brother Aetheriel. Brother Aetheriel hasn't noticed and is discharging electricity at him. Note: Valensius's disguise success rate is indeed very high, but he shakes when being shocked.]
She put away the notebook, walked over, and squatted next to Aetheriel.
"Brother Aetheriel, what are you doing?"
Aetheriel didn't look back: "Practicing discharging electricity. This rock is very strange; every time I shock it, it shakes. I want to study why."
Mihariel nodded: "Have you figured it out yet?"
Aetheriel shook his head: "Not yet. But I feel like I'm close."
The rock shook again.
Aetheriel's eyes lit up: "Look! It shook again!"
Mihariel silently stood up and walked away.
When she reached the doorway, she glanced back.
The rock was using its eyes to peek at her secretly.
She blinked and turned to leave.
——————
On the third night, five heads gathered in the main hall.
Kalendil lay on his stone slab, his tail flicking back and forth. Today he had taken Valerion on three patrol rounds, checked all the borders, and trained the Kobold for two hours. He was exhausted, but in good spirits.
Valerion squatted beside him, continuing to gnaw on gemstones. While on patrol today, he had conveniently dug up a few pieces of decent quality.
Aetheriel squatted in the corner, dazing at a scorched black rock—that rock was Valensius in disguise, who had been shocked all day and was already reaching his limit.
Mihariel sat by the Lava Lake, flipping through her little notebook, muttering to herself.
Valensius continued to disguise himself as a rock, his whole body numb, yet he insisted on not moving.
The silence lasted for a long time.
Then Mihariel looked up and turned to Kalendil.
"Brother Kalendil, when Mother left, you asked her when she'd be back, and she said soon. How long is'soon'?"
Kalendil thought for a moment: "Ten days."
Mihariel nodded: "Then how many days have passed today?"
Kalendil was momentarily stunned and counted with his claws: "One day, two days, three days..."
After counting, he looked up: "Three days."
Mihariel blinked: "Seven days left."
Kalendil was silent for a second, then his tail flicked: "Seven days is very soon."
Valerion looked up, the corners of his mouth stained with gemstone powder: "How many gemstones can I eat in seven days?"
No one answered him.
Aetheriel poked his head out from the corner: "When Mother comes back, will she bring new younger brothers and sisters?"
Everyone looked at him.
Aetheriel felt uneasy under their gazes and shrank his neck: "I... I was just asking..."
Mihariel blinked and wrote in her little notebook:
[Third day of Mother's departure. Brother Aetheriel asked a dangerous question. Note: Based on Mother's habits, it is indeed possible. But this cannot be said to her face.]
She closed the notebook and looked at the night sky outside the cave entrance.
Moonlight shone into the cave, casting a silver-white glow on the ground.
The light from the Lava Lake reflected on the cave walls, flickering like dancing flames.
She suddenly remembered the claw Mother had pressed onto her head before leaving.
It was warm, powerful, and carried a faint scent of sulfur.
She lowered her head and wrote another line in her little notebook:
[Third day of Mother's departure. I miss her.]
After writing, she closed the notebook, lay down, and closed her eyes.
Beside her, that "rock" shifted slightly, moving to her side and leaning against her.
She opened one eye and looked at the rock.
The rock was motionless, but it was pressed tightly against her.
She blinked and closed her eyes again.
The light from the Lava Lake flickered, shining on the five little heads huddled together.
In the distance, the Kobold Chieftain peeked his head into the cave entrance, saw this scene, and silently retreated.
The Fire Hawk King squatted on the cliff, tilting its head to look at the moon.
"Caw."
A soft cry vanished into the night wind.