Lith brought Kamila up to speed with a mind link, leaving her stunned. She didn’t know what to say without sounding corny or stupid, so she just brought warm blankets for everyone and lit the fireplace.

The Mansion was always warm thanks to its enchantments, but there was something about the popping of a natural fire that soothed even the most restless spirit.

***

Meanwhile, in the Infirmary, Quylla performed the sixth full scan of Protector and explained the readings line by line in terms that a very young layman, not very bright at that, could understand.

"As I said multiple times before, Ryman is fine." Quylla said with a soothing, motherly voice. "Yes, taking so many wounds and suffering severe mana abuse did a number on his body, but he was lucky.

"The fight didn’t last long, and the intervention of Slash and Crash saved him from the worst. They shielded the kids with their bodies, so Ryman only sustained injuries from their self-harm.

"It’s the only reason his cracked life force didn’t bleed, and he hasn’t lost more of his lifespan." Thanks to her twins, Quylla had developed a tremendous patience in dealing with unreasonable individuals prone to emotional outbursts.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Selia sobbed while crushing Quylla in a bear hug. "And thank you too, you money-eating, fur-shedding creatures! Thank you for saving my family."

"Well, this is awkward." Slash said as Selia hugged him.

"Yeah, the worst thank you I’ve ever heard." Crash snorted, barely patting the huntress on the back.

"How long will it take for Ryman to recover?" Selia ignored them both, inwardly striking off a few items she expected the Emperor Beasts to pay her back for.

"He can leave the Infirmary after a good night’s sleep." Quylla replied. "Yet I want him to rest for at least three days. No magic, no physical effort, no stress of any kind. He needs quiet."

"Don’t worry, we won’t make a peep." Selia said, and the kids nodded, even Solkar.

"I’m sorry, Dad." Leran placed his hand on the crystal tank. "I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just wanted to save our friends. I wanted to make you proud."

"And you did, son." Protector’s voice came out in a reverberating gurgle, but it held its usual quiet strength nonetheless. "You learned the lessons your mother and I taught you since you were little and didn’t hesitate to do the right thing.

"I’m not angry with you, son. I was there with you while you fought, and I know how much it cost you. I’m only afraid that my guidance might end up hurting you. I should have forced you and your sister to run away."

"You couldn’t, Dad." Leria shook her head. "You could only assist us. The choice was only ours, and we were so angry that we stopped thinking. Please, don’t blame yourself. It’s only our fault if you’ve gotten hurt."

"What she said." Leran could almost feel the wet, sticky blood on his hands, and wondered if there was something wrong with him.

He didn’t feel scared, angry, or shocked at the memory. He felt nothing at all.

***

Faluel noticed several things that were off about the Verhens, but hoping to solve them with a few words and a hug would have been foolish. After refilling the cups with alcohol and tranquilizers, she dragged Friya out of the room to have a bit of privacy.

"Where are we going?" Friya asked. "Whatever this is about, this isn’t the right moment."

"This is the perfect moment." Faluel shook her many heads. "The Verhens need to be left alone. They don’t need the pity of seasoned veterans and draw unflattering comparisons of what your parents would have done in their place.

"Tell Orion and Jirni to go to their rooms and give the Verhens space."

Friya had to admit that the Hydra was right and did as instructed.

"Now shut up and listen." Faluel called her mother, Fyrwal, and told her and her apprentice what had happened when she had rescued Surin.

"That poor little fairy. Do you think she’ll lose her smile for this?" Fyrwal asked.

"I hope not, Mom. She’s not Elysia, and luckily for her, aside from a bumpy ride, Surin didn’t see much. Yet that’s not the reason I’m calling you. Didn’t you hear the part about me using the Dimensional Ruler spell and six of my heads turning violet?"

"I did." Fyrwal nodded. "Yet there’s little to say about that and nothing at all I can do. You have simply demonstrated the traits of a dimensional mage Hydra. I would congratulate you, if only the achievement were even partly yours."

"I’m a dimensional mage?" Faluel was flabbergasted. "Why did I never hear about violet scales, though?"

"No, you are not, or you would have been considered a prodigy and developed the violet scales centuries ago." Fyrwal snorted. "Friya is a dimensional mage, and it seems that creating a Harbinger is a two-way street more than we thought."

"I’m sharing my dimensional awareness with Faluel through our bond even from a great distance?" Friya gasped. "Is that even possible?"

"Yes, to both." The Elder Hydra replied. "Why should distance matter? You could go to the other side of Mogar, and you would still be Fanny’s Harbinger. The only limit to your bond is the Hydra blood in your body.

"As for the violet scales, why should anyone mention them? They have no practical effect aside from showing your talent to your peers. There is no such thing as Dimensional Dominance, just Dominance."

"Does that mean that I won’t get an eight head for dimensional magic?" Faluel’s enthusiasm dropped a few notches.

"Now that’s something that would become the stuff of legends." Fyrwal sighed. "Sadly, it never happened before, and I doubt it ever will."

"What about Tezka?" Friya asked. "Fylgjas are supposed to have only seven tails, and he has ten of them."

"The Suneater was a monster in name before and is now a literal monster." Fyrwal dismissed the comparison with a wave of her hand. "Whatever the Master did to him, it’s not something a Fylgja can do.

"My guess is that his three extra tails are related to the Warg’s ability to alter their bodies. If I’m right, Tezka’s powers grew to the point that his elemental tails couldn’t contain them anymore and formed new vessels.

"Your powers, instead, didn’t change after turning Friya into your Harbinger. You have gained a deeper understanding of space and gravity, nothing more."

"Why is there no record of this in our family’s archives?" Faluel asked.

"Because dimensional mages are rare, and one of them becoming your Harbinger is an even rarer event for a Divine Beast." Fyrwal shrugged. "No Lesser Divine Beasts had a Harbinger before you, and you know that our perfect cousins don’t feel the need to share their knowledge with us."

"Thank you, Mother."

"Don’t mention it, Hatchling." Fyrwal replied. "If Lith, Solus, or any member of their family needs my help, you just need to ask. And, sweetie?"

"Yes, Mom?"

"Good job with protecting your turf. I’m proud of you. Fyrwal out."

***

Ever since the Ernas had left the living room, the silence had become less awkward. Everyone was still lost in thought, fighting against their inner demons, but the presence of their family members helped.