Chp.22: Brother and sister discussion

Finally, Haku had obtained the power he had longed for: the invisibility. With just a few drops of his blood, he could fuel the rune for a long time. Basically, he had finally overcome the only real weakness of dragons, namely their size: he and his siblings could move silently, hide their scent, remain still for hours, but were still visible from a distance due to their huge bodies. But now, thanks to invisibility, the problem was solved.

Of course, the rune didn't last forever. Haku hadn't been surprised: it, unlike the other runes he had used up to that moment, was constantly active, so it clearly consumed more mana than it could recover, breaking the delicate balance that Haku had theorized after discovering the mana core. However, with just a few drops of dragon's blood the rune could remain active for nearly two hours; which meant that he and his siblings could use it for long periods without having to bleed to death.

Also, the rune was very versatile. Haku remembered that Mirta had confessed to him that the most experienced ninja could even create illusions. Since the rune was always the same for each ninja, this difference in ability could only lie in the concentration, since it was necessary to have clear in mind which image one wanted to create. However, as Haku had proved several times, the mind of dragons was much stronger than that of newcomers, and in fact after just a few dozen attempts both he and all his siblings had been able to create perfect illusions. After just an hour, they had gotten so used to it that it was natural for them to focus a part of their mind to maintain the illusion even while they were doing other things.

Thanks to this ability to create illusions, dragons could now 'morph' into any animal they wanted to hunt, or even into newcomers. They had managed to replicate the images of fairies and ogres perfectly. Obviously, Haku had no intention of using such a method to enter the military camp of either of them: it was too risky. That was still just illusions: if someone had touched them, even if only by mistake, they would have realized that what they touched didn't correspond to what they were seeing. In any case, however, those illusions could prove very useful in the future.

Despite the terrible experience that Tikka and Kotaru had had to go through, Haku was happy that the fairy had tried to escape, because in this way he had discovered the versatility that his blood had and now he could use the invisibility as he wanted. Not only that, but dragon's blood could also fuel all the other runes that he and his siblings already knew, saving them from having to wait hours immersed in a spring. Therefore, he could thank Mirta for drinking his blood and let him discovered about the mana core.

Regarding the mana core, Haku had verified his hypothesis. Armed with his invisibility power, he had exited the cave and returned within minutes dragging an indrik with his mouth. He hadn't even had to force himself to kill it: he had simply walked beside it without it being able to see him and then he had snapped its neck. Once he brought it to the cave, he and his siblings quickly dismembered it and pulled the heart out of its body; after which Haku opened it and searched inside.

And there they had found it: a tiny, fleshy, spherical organ, no more than two centimeters in size, perfectly round and smooth. It was so loaded with mana that when Haku pulled it out it was still pulsing slightly. And so, Haku had verified his hypothesis of the mana core: it existed and was the organ that allowed living beings to use mana.

Haku could consider that discovery as momentous: he finally had a more detailed idea of ​​how the processes that regulated mana worked. The 'mana theory' had been updated with the new information he had just obtained.

Haku wondered how big the mana core inside his body must be. If even his blood (which barely carried some residue) was that powerful, then his mana core must be overflowing with mana. It was too bad he couldn't use it, or both he and his siblings would already have been safe from most enemies of that world and they wouldn't have had to hide like that. But unfortunately fate knew how to be a real infamous, so Haku could only sit back and wait for his body to finally unlock his domain.

After a few hours, his siblings were still trying out the various functions of the invisibility rune, playing with each other to see who would be discovered first. Haku, as usual, had avoided playing, preferring to be alone with his thoughts. So he came out of the cave and lay down to look at the sky. By now it was late at night and the stars dotted the sky. Fortunately, the moon hadn't appeared for a few days, and so those little bright dots were very visible.

"We need to talk"

Haku turned his head at hearing that voice and found Kotaru just a few centimeters away from him. "You just found out how to use invisibility and you're already using it to sneak up on me?"

"No, I just forgot to turn it off" his sister said. "Don't try to change the subject. We need to talk. I'm serious"

Haku sighed. He knew that when Kotaru had that glare, he wouldn't have been able to change her mind. "Okay. Speak, I'm listening"

Kotaru seemed tempted to punch him; evidently she knew from the tone of her voice that he wasn't taking her seriously. However, she kept her cool. "Haku, you have to tell me and everyone else what you are planning"

Haku rolled his eyes. "We've already had this talk..."

"This time it's different! Tikka realizes you're hiding something from us" Kotaru exclaimed. "And with all due respect, she's not exactly the smartest among us. Others must have figured it out too, they just don't talk about it"

"If they don't talk about it, then I don't see why I should" Haku grumbled. "As long as it's just talk, I don't care"

"It's not just talk, Haku!" Kotaru snapped furiously at her brother's stubbornness. "Tikka was angry. She probably still is. She doesn't like that you don't trust her enough to tell her everything that's on your mind. And the same probably goes for the others too. If you continue like this, you will alienate their sympathy"

"Do you think I haven't already thought of that?" Haku exclaimed. "I'm not so ignorant in social relationships as you think, Kotaru. I know some may not like my behavior"

"And so why..."

"Because I've weighed the pros and cons, and I've decided that for what I want to do is best to kept you in the dark!"

Kotaru gritted her teeth and let out an angry huff. "Don't talk to me like that! I remind you that you aren't our boss. We are a family. You cannot make decisions that are important to us on your own. Do you think everyone of us will always agree with you?"

"Exactly because I know for sure that they wouldn't agree, I decided not to tell them anything"

"You know, right, that this is manipulation? We're not ogres or fairies, Haku! You shouldn't treat us like we're your puppets!"

Haku felt anger rise in his chest and burn his throat as soon as he heard those words. His claws dug into the rock and made a screeching sound as they dug deep furrows. "Puppets?" he growled. "Is that what you think? That I would treat you like puppets? Do you have any idea what I've done for you? Who fed you when you were starving? Who taught you to hunt? Who came up with the plan to survive out here? Who killed our father? Who manipulated the ogres and fairies into fighting? Who planning every single strategy we've implemented since we started this war? I did! I, I've always been I! I literally cooked my brain for you and for all our siblings! And you say that to me you are nothing but puppets? That I would use you as pawns for my personal gain? Maybe that I would put you in danger? Is that what you think, Kotaru?"

Kotaru felt a little intimidated by her brother's outburst. Indeed, she had to admit that she was a little indelicate. "I didn't say that I think you'd treat us like puppets, Haku. I know you just want to protect us. But you can't deny that's what it seems, can you? If you'll not be careful, some of others could start to think about it seriously"

Haku turned his head away. "I'm just doing what needs to be done. As I told you days ago, I know what I'm doing"

Kotaru sighed. "You know, it almost seems like you think you know what's best for us. Being the smartest doesn't make you infallible. Who's to say that what you believe is right for you is also right for us?"

"Because it is what has to be done, that's why!" Haku snapped, then he turned to her. "Do you really want to know what I'm planning? Alright, that's it. I want to destroy the fairy city"

Kotaru was speechless for a moment. "What?"

"You got it right" Haku replied simply.

Kotaru didn't know what to think. The fairy city was very well defended. Storming it was hardly like storming an ogre city. From her point of view, it was impossible. "Why would you want to do this? We already have everything we need"

"I don't want to take anything. What I want is to ascertain the existence of a possible enemy of us"

"What enemy?"

"The gods"

Kotaru put on a stupid expression. "You mean like the ogre god or the fairy gods? I thought you thought they were just superstition"

"A few months ago, yes. When Ethan told me about it, it seemed like nothing more than silly beliefs. But I'm not so sure now" Haku explained. "I have spoken to Sarpa many times during these months. I have supplemented the information he has given me with that contained in Ethan's journal. And even though the gods are still a very abstract concept from my point of view, their influence on the world it is not as non-existent as I thought. For example, in several stories both the god Baat and the fairy gods personally intervened to save their people, although they only did so when they were on the verge of destruction. And these are not ancient myths: many of them date back just a few centuries ago. Also, thanks to Ethan's diary I discovered that apparently the fairies have a relic, which is an object given to them by the gods themselves. With all these clues, I can't help but wonder if the gods are real or not"

Kotaru listened very carefully. Indeed, it seemed strange that there was no grain of truth in the mythology. "Why is it so important for you to know if the gods are real?"

"It seems obvious to me! Because they could be dangerous for us!" Haku exclaimed irritated by that silly question. "If we want to survive, we can't step on the wrong opponent's toes. If gods exist, they might be the most powerful enemies we could ever meet. Even if they apparently don't interfere much with mortals, that doesn't mean they will continue to do so in the future. If gods exist, then we will have to take countermeasures for them. Therefore it is necessary that we verify their existence immediately"

Kotaru thought about it. Indeed, the reasoning made sense. Ethan had described the gods as being superior to all, even to legendary levels; if they found themselves fighting one of that creatures, they absolutely should have been ready. "So why do you want to destroy the fairy city?"

"To lure their gods out of hiding, of course" Haku explained. "According to the myths, the gods have always intervened when the people they protected were about to be obliterated. Therefore, if the fairy city should experience a cataclysm, then the gods will be forced to intervene. If they don't, we will know that myths are just stories. If they do, we'll know the gods are real"

"And how are you going to do it?" Kotaru asked. "We certainly don't have the skills to destroy the fairy city"

Haku nodded. "That's right. We can't"

"What do you mean? Do you want to rely on someone else? I doubt that even the ogres..." Kotaru stopped. She had seen that light in her brother's eyes before, and she remembered exactly where. The realization hit her and she gasped for breath. "NO!" she almost screamed. "You don't want..."

"What is it? I thought you had no feeling of attachment" Haku said blankly.

"It's not about feelings here! What you want to do... no, Haku, it's not a good idea!" Kotaru exclaimed. "If you do, I can assure you that you will never have a family again! Our siblings will never see you in the same way again!"

"I don't care how they see me. What matters to me is that they're safe" Haku replied. "See? That's exactly why I don't want to talk about it. You are trying to hinder me"

"And I'm doing it for a reason! Haku, you can't do such a thing and expect to keep the family together! You'll scare them!" Kotaru said. "Is this what you want? Do you want our siblings to be afraid of you?"

"They'll understand" Haku replied. "After a while, they'll understand"

Kotaru shook her head in despair. "I'm afraid you're the one who doesn't understand. Or maybe you don't want to". A growl came from her throat. "You think you're better than us, don't you? You really think you can control everything. Well, let me tell you this: you may be the smartest among us, but sometimes you're really an idiot"

Kotaru turned and walked away. Haku didn't try to stop her. He knew she wouldn't have said anything to the others. He knew his sister well and the way she thought. Sooner or later, Kotaru would have came back to him to apologize. He had no reason to worry about that.

The last words his sister had said came back to his mind. Did he think he was better than his siblings? Maybe that was true, he had to admit it. But he knew what had to be done, and he would have done it. With or without his sister's consent.