Chapter 37 – Then Lithin were born

Only the pain keeps me rooted to reality, but my mind wanders off to worries of Fara and the Prophecy. There was no real way to confirm the answer to… was it really over?

"Lady Flame has come, that's everyone!" someone says into some kind of a machine engraved on the wall.

"Thank you for the confirmation. Do brace," Shine's voice comes through the machine, loud and clear.

I feel the tilt in the ship, and like everyone else: I hold onto the supports on the wall. I feel it get faster with firepower of thrusts shooting down to the ground, after lifting off into the air.

"Oh my god," I say, as my feet leave the ground. "What the heck is this?"

Everyone else was floating too, same as me. The feeling as if being in water suddenly… makes me nauseous and ache.

"Anti-Gravity will be on in three… two… one," Shine speaks again.

As the countdown ends, I fall to the ground and clench my teeth. I could feel my pants being wet.

"Aster!" Rusty exclaims.

"Her water broke, somebody call for the doctor!" Tony pleads.

Pain and more pain.

A dragon. The queen of the dragons. Yet a mother. The pain of producing life was a toll on anyone's life.

The doctor eases my pain by a little, with his powers. But he had to limit it… or, it was dangerous, according to what had occurred in the past.

My mind runs through the questions of how being a dragon is just a beautiful curse, which loses its value in front of the norm. Even all this power couldn't sum up to ease nothing. Perhaps Est-

"Agh!" I scream, grabbing onto the sheets.

Right, when had I come into this room? I should be glad that all my deeds had led for me to have help at such a moment, and more. Maybe all of it wasn't a waste then.

Rusty holds my hand through the pain, and I realise that 'sheets' was actually his hand.

Why did I think of his hands as sheets? No idea.

Like all things… even the never-ending pain seems to fade. And my ears ring with laughter of a baby. Not a cry, but laughter.

Even the little pain is ignored by my body, as I find myself laugh too, while extending my arms to hold the baby.

But the doctors don't fulfil my request just yet.

Even as they cut the tube from the baby, just like they had done to Elena… the baby doesn't cry. Whimpers. But doesn't cry.

"Your baby sure is…" the doctor says and seems to scan the baby properly. "He sure is something else."

Time passes and everyone assures me that it is fine, as I cry. The doctor just sits at one part of the room, wordlessly.

I hear cheers from the outside, and Rusty returns back with our son… Lithin.

"Aster…" Rusty softly says, while placing Lithin into the makeshift crib.

"Why do we have to have one problem on another?" I ask, still tearing up.

"T-tyle… he has powers. Since he was born. It isn't wrong. Can't be th-"

"-you weren't there, Line! You weren't there when we were told of how it is a serious problem on their planet! We can't… we can't even tell Shine. Not this."

"I don't think it'd be so bad," Tony still goes on to say.

"Dragons…" the doctor says. "Only Fara has had such powers. I mean… powers without a gem. Lady Flame… do you understand that your son is actually… even if there are others like him."

"They're called Shrouders. Outcasts. Cowards…" I say. "That… that is how Rahambose happens."

And at that term, Lithin starts crying.

"We can't…" Rusty says. "We won't let that happen."

"You know they're wrong to judge this way, Aster. And we can make them understand," Sam says.

"And you think we can do that on THEIR planet?" Max asks.

"Max, you're not helping."

"Not helping? You're just comforting her, Sam. With all due respect… we can't just throw his life away for… for what we believe is right, over their thoughts."

"Okay, then what are you both even suggesting here?" Tony asks.

I and Max look at each other.

"The important thing is for us to stand for what Lithin is. One mistake and…" Sam says. "We can't just… what… what even is your plan?"

"We never let them know," Max says.

"That's ridiculous," the doctor says.

"Yes. Won't they just push him around for a weakling?" Line asks.

"He'll have a gem soon enough. Perhaps sooner on there," I say.

"Didn't Maison say that was impossible for a Shrouder?" Rusty asks.

"Then what do you suggest, we just run back to Earth? FACE YJALE AND SATURN?"

Lithin cries louder at the increase in my voice.

"You guys are just scaring him," the doctor says, going closer to the crib.

As the doctor reaches the crib, Lithin gets silent. This puts a kind of shock on all our faces.

"Why are you staring into the crib… that way?" Tony asks.

The doctor looks at me with pity, as if assuring me that I'm right to worry, finally. "There are two of them."

***

"Elena," I say, approaching her when she's looking off the balcony… just outside her chamber. "Just what…" I say and peek towards the little gap to the chamber, where I could see the kids… safe, but terrified. "Why did you tell them?"

"Think about it, Tyle… I think one thing the whole lot of our parents…" Elena says, thinking. "Alright, but your parents didn't stop it either, so hey. But I don't completely blame them."

"I'm not angry for that," I sigh. "I'm worried of our kids, Elena. My kids. Leo sure is strong, but Hailo…"

"I feel it coming," Elena says.

"No you don't," I throw the meanest glare I could.

"Oh… don't believe my instincts… AGAIN? Lovely."

"Elena, you can't be serious."

"I know what I said before. Won't harm Wise and all… but you think Rahambose wouldn't have gone past that already?"

"Then what the fuck are we to do now?"

"I and Wise-"

"-no."

"Then Hailo dies, Tyle," Elena looks at me strictly. My glare turns meaner. "I can't save my children. Please save yours… along with mine."

"I can't… I'm not strong. And I cannot leave you."

"You leave and maximum two more will become Rahambose. You don't… you'll be one too. Trust me."

"I fucking hate you lot, you know that?"

"I'm sorry. I really am," Elena holds my shoulders.

***

"No, they're not having an affair," I say, approaching Agusth.

"Oh my-" Agusth jumps, while taking her eyes away from Mom and General Tyle, and glares at me. "You have gotten better at sneak-but what the hell is with your guess on my thoughts?"

"Just being sure that you don't chase another conspiracy."

"Heh, call me Buster Fabula. I always find something interesting."

"Yeah, yeah. Sure."

"Hey, I found you, didn't I?"

"Gross. That was cheesy," I say, making a disgusted face… which, as usual, doesn't work. "Alright, you can tell me."

"Told you so."

"Yep… good job. Now. For the solution?"

"That is what… Lithin: The Wise, you know… the King, he has gone to get it."

"The Rahambose-killer? Impossible."

"If so: it is messed up. Because it is our only option."

I sigh loudly. "Now it all makes sense. What Drego saw was right. What I claimed was too. Because there exist two of them."

"Isn't it weird that they weren't born together? There isn't an explanation about this… miraculous twins."

"What is the mystery?" I sigh, and Agusth fixates her eyes upon me. "He was scared, and made another. Or maybe when he thought that they thought him to be Rahambose… he protected himself by… making another."

"That is terrifically put," Agusth says, looking shook. "Getting influenced much? Your own vibe is good, you know. Keep at it."

"Just a possibility mention," I shrug. "Rahambose is way past so many things, surely. We found that together, didn't we?"

"We did… and I also found that the Rahambose-killer will be here. So, don't worry."

"Hope so," I sigh deeply, as if I'm a full-grown adult. "I hope the others are okay."

+

"How did your dad lose his arm?" I ask, curiously… but hiding my excitement.

"There is Rahambose at hand… Spythun," Drego says, and I shush her.

"He never shared," Hailo replies in Leo's stead.

"Why?"

"He just doesn't want to say stories which could haunt you," Leo replies with grimace.

"I love horror stories," Drego says.

I sigh and Leo just stares at Drego. "You should ask him yourself then. Then you'll know."

"Nothing could do such damage to the to-be king. I'll be fine."

"You're sixteen. Maybe when you're old enough. And I think Skyto has more chances on it," Leo says.

"Are you guys really discussing this?" Stree, the youngest, asks.

"Well, no need of discussion. Answer is: soon enough."

Leo just shakes his head.

+

"They'll be fine, Sky," Agusth says.

"And the adults will save him? Haven't they done… great."

"Wow, look at you rebel," Agusth says.

"I'm serious, Gust."

"I know you are, when you call me that. But look… we will fight, if it comes to it. We all trained for this exactly."

"None of us are trained Ag-Agusth. Not enough. You're the best we have. I only have knowledge and no skills, honestly. Spythun can't get himself to change forms. Nor can Wyrom or Drego, even when they retain powers."

"Stree is too young," Agusth interrupts me. "Hailo has some serious problems with her powers, like but unlike her brother who can seemingly be seen as WAY far stronger than me."

"I-"

"-I know, Sky. You know I do."

"Then you should know that I can't protect you."

Agusth shakes her head. "You're the calm one, Skyto. The smart one. The patient one."

"I'm afraid I will lose it… if I put you in danger. I couldn't think straight."

Agusth looks at me for a long while, as I awkwardly try to avoid her gaze. She takes my hands and putting it closer to my face, kisses between my fingers… right in front of my face.

"It may seem like a fake promise but… I know Stree's got it. She'll have her moment if I'm in danger. She'll pull me through. I feel it."

I feel a lump in my throat, with a question pounding at my head. But I smile it off. "I know… if it comes to it, she could kick your ass too."

"Wow, someone's getting a different kind of training. Or did you just want to-"

"-don't even."

Agusth just snickers.

"We should call you Agusth: The Wise. Don't have a evil twin per chance, do you?"

"No… I killed her to claim you."

"Trying to sound scary… makes it scary."

We both realise that we couldn't drag on the talk for long, how much ever sarcasm we used... everything couldn't be eased back to norm. We'd just turn more worried, as is.

So, instead, hand-in-hand… we watch the sun set…. into the dark night.