Chapter 4187: Family Tradition (Part 2)

"Our planet is a mudball full of assholes and problems. That’s not the kind of image you want to associate with a kid." Nalrond said.

"It’s only logical." Senton raised his hands in defeat. "Then what about the solar system?"

"If Elysia is the sun, it would put her at the center of the family." Lith groaned, having already considered and discarded the idea. "Also, what would Ral be? A bunch of balls orbiting his sister?"

"This is the most stupid yet complex discussion I’ve ever heard." Leegaain joined the fray uninvited. "From symbolism to astronomy with a long detour into petty siblings’ squabbles, this forum encompasses everything. I love it."

"Thanks." Lith grunted. "Do you have anything actually relevant to the discussion to add?"

"Ral carries my blood and is part Dragon." The Guardian pondered. "Our life force resembles a constellation. What about that?"

"It would be great, if it didn’t belittle Ely." Lith dismissed the idea. "It’s like saying that her brother is part of something bigger that also has a cool shape, whereas she’s alone."

"This is hard." Leegaain said with the enthusiasm of someone who wouldn’t be affected by the aftermath of Lith’s decision. "I’m sorry, but I’m out of ideas."

"Great! This covers everything I could think of. We’ve gotten nowhere- What are you doing?" Lith turned at Morok and Nalrond, who were furiously taking notes.

"Jotting down everything I must not do and why." The Agni replied. "I’m sorry for not being of help, but I got the feeling this will save me a lot of problems in the near future. I clearly underestimated fatherhood."

"Same here." The Tyrant said. "If you find a solution, let us know. Who knows. It might come in handy."

***

After dismissing and dissolving the council of men forever, Lith holed up in the tower for hours, hoping that silence and isolation would bring him inspiration.

After banging his head on the tower walls a few times, he got a concussion and what he hoped was a proper answer. A short trip to the moon gave him the space-silver that he needed and allowed him to forge the new additions to the series among the stars, just like the others.

’When I picked Starforge as the name for the tower, I never thought one day it would be a curse.’ Lith grumbled.

Once he returned home, he presented his creation to the panel of judges.

"There. I’ve done it." Lith put a pendant shaped like a slightly deformed sun at the center of the table. "Even if I have to say it myself, I think I’ve surpassed myself this time."

Kamila and Solus furrowed their brows, doing their best to hide their disappointment, while Menadion just stared at Lith like he had gone blind and insane.

"It’s nice." Kamila cleared her throat.

"It’s really cute." Solus couldn’t find anything better to say.

"It’s lame." Menadion said, taking the words out of the other women’s minds. "All this waiting just for another sun? And one of inferior craftsmanship at that? I expected better from you."

"Mom, that’s rude to say!" She blushed in embarrassment but didn’t contradict the statement.

"I could point out that nobody but me here did more than spout off, dear Ripha, but I’m not that petty." Lith replied.

"Weird. You could have fooled me." She crossed her arms, snorting.

"Because I’m that good." Lith snorted back. "Now watch and learn."

He put together the four pendants, and the metal parts on Ral’s sun that Menadion had mistaken for imperfections turned out to be attachment points for the other pendants.

Once put together, Elysia’s sun was right beside Ral’s, Kamila’s moon was equally distant from the two suns on one side, while Solus’ star was on the opposite side.

"As you see, Ral’s not just another sun." Lith said. "He’s the new addition to the family that brings us all together, and is also as important as Elysia. His pendant stands alone, but once joined with the others, it becomes greater than the sum of the single parts."

"That’s beautiful!" Kamila’s thin smile became wider and sincere, extending to her eyes.

"And incredibly thoughtful!" Solus loved how the disposition of the pendants didn’t make her appear as just an extra in the family.

"I know." Lith grunted. "And I’ll never let you forget that I did it all by myself. Aside from nagging and criticizing everything I came up with, I didn’t hear a peep from you three. In my book, that amounts to nothing."

"It’s a magnificent gift." Having nothing to say to defend herself, Kamila rushed to change the topic. "I’m sure that Ral will love it growing up, and so will Ely. My only regret about this is that the poor Val will feel left out. He’ll be the only one without a pendant."

"I know that back when he was born, there was no such family tradition, and that he came into our care only much later, but I still feel bad about it. I wish his parents had at least left behind something for him." Solus sighed, following Kamila’s lead.

She would have liked to poke a little fun at Lith for not having prepared anything for Valeron before moving on to such a depressing subject, but his telepathic glare shut her up.

"Not to justify Thrud’s madness, but I can relate to her." Menadion crossed her arms. "She planned to leave her entire legacy to Valeron the Second. She didn’t expect everything she had built to be destroyed or her life to be cut so short.

"I actually envy her because, even with the ongoing War of the Griffons and all her crazy schemes, she always made time for her son. Happy memories are the greatest gift that a parent can give their child."

Her voice was normal, but she never took her eyes off Solus, making her words sound like an apology. When small puffs of black smoke sizzled from the corners of Ripha’s eyes, Solus understood her mother was sniffling and embraced her tightly.

"Everything you said is right, but you have underestimated me once again." Lith pretended not to notice Menadion’s tears, not to intrude on the mother-daughter moment. "While I literally banged my head for a solution, I thought about Val as well.

"There’s no way I was going to leave him empty-handed. I want Val and Ral to meet on the best terms, without leaving space for regret or envy on either side." Lith pulled a second pendant out of his breast pocket.

It depicted an armored warrior with feathered wings wrapped around his shoulders like a mantle. His hands rested on the guard of a shining sword, not its hilt, whose tip was pointed down.

It was the ceremonial pose the Royals employed in times of peace. The Sword of Saefel was a symbol of their power as much as the crown. They always carried it with them for public events, taking care never to raise its blade.

The act reminded everyone that the Griffon Kingdom was protected by those who wielded the legacy of the First King, not ruled because of it.

The scale armor of the knight was emerald, while the sword and wings were of silver so pure that they looked golden under the faintest of lights.

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