Call of the Void (2)

"Ugh..."

Anaise let out a soft grown as the golden smoke from Berkah's palms entered her body through her mouth and nostrils.

[I really hope this works...]

Berkah chewed his lips and crossed his fingers inwardly.

The smoke ceased gushing from his palms, indicating that the spell had concluded.

*Sizzle!*

Anaise's pale skin began glowing in a golden colour, the cuts on her body began closing, not even leaving a single scar, as if she had never been cut in the first place.

*Crunch!*,*Crunch!*

Her once broken wings trembled and readjusted. Dislocated joints went back to their place and fractured bones were healed and strengthened.

"...I think it worked, it doesn't feel like she's dying anymore. "

Berkah muttered in a relieved tone.

"..."

"Thank goodness..."

His voice cracked and tears of joy trickled down his cheeks.

"Urgh..."

Anaise slowly opened her bright emerald eyes, the first thing she saw was the cloudy skies above her and the soft sensation of the green pastures on her back.

"You're awake! *sniff!*"

Berkah jumped and embraced Anaise.

"Huh?... Berkah??"

Anaise was visibly confused, the last thing she remembered was falling from the skies after defeating the Wyvern.

[What happened? How did I survive that fall?]

[No... Even if I somehow managed to survive the fall, my internal organs should have been completely destroyed... what happened?]

[My wings... They were definitely broken... all the injuries around and outside my body have healed?!]

[My mana veins...]

[What in the world...]

[My death should have been guaranteed...]

[Only the Golden-Winged Saint would be able to heal such injuries...]

[No... The Saint is always with the King and they wouldn't bother with the likes of us...]

Her green eyes trembled in confusion.

[More importantly...]

[How did Berkah get here?]

She wrapped her wings around Berkah who was silently sobbing.

[I don't know who it was, but... someone definitely saved us.]

[My mana is completely exhausted...]

*FLAP!*, *FLAP!*

"Anaise! Berkah!"

Hawke shouted with a thunderous voice as he beat his wings to rapidly descend toward his family.

He was just at the nest which was completely destroyed, the only thing he found there was the strange Wyvern corpse so he couldn't help but fear the worst for his family.

Had a swarm of Wyverns hunted them down and ate them? The high possibility of that being a reality filled him with dread.

One can imagine the relief he must have felt when his sharp eyes finally caught a glimpse of their figures.

Hawke landed on the ground and immediately ran to his wife and son.

"Thank goodness you two are okay!"

He embraced the both of them in his bulky, chiseled arms.

[Wow, look at this deadbeat fucker finally showing up.]

[Perfect timing bro, were you hiding somewhere?]

[You're ruining the moment here!]

Berkah spat inwardly, narrowing his piercing blue eyes at his Harpy father.

"Anaise, what happened?"

"... I honestly have no idea..."

"I was protecting Berkah from a Wyvern attack..."

"I ... drained my life force in order to defeat it."

Anaise said, her lower lip slightly trembling.

"What?"

Hawke gasped, he knew that there was no way she would still be alive after using her life force as a substitute for mana.

Hawke glanced at Anaise's bloodied clothes and the bloodstains on her wings.

[How is she still alive?]

[It looks like she sustained fatal injuries but... she's not at all injured?]

He mused and glanced at the large Wyvern's mummified corpse.

[It's the same as the one I found at the nest... what could have possibly made it that way?]

His piercing blue eyes trembled slightly.

[It makes sense why she had to drain her life force... She's not strong enough to defeat a fully grown Wyvern on her own...]

[But... what about the one at the nest? She shouldn't have been able to defeat both of them even if she gave her life... I suppose she somehow managed...]

[Just what happened?...]

He grit his teeth and clenched his veiny fist before shaking his head.

"... I'm just happy that you are all safe."

Hawke muttered, hugging his family tight.

[!!]

He suddenly sensed something from his embrace, casting his eyes down he beheld the visage of his son.

[Mana?! Am I sensing mana from Berkah?!]

He screamed inwardly and directed his astonished gaze to Anaise.

"When did Berkah awaken mana?!"

He spat, his body trembling.

"What?"

Anaise tilted her head in confusion.

"What are you talking about Hawke?"

[Ah... her mana still hasn't recovered so there's no way she could have sensed it.]

"Berkah... has awakened mana..."

"He just turned two... so how is this possible?"

Hawke's voice trembled and he placed Berkah on the ground.

"My son... can you do this?"

*crackle!*

Hawke set his fingers ablaze with the blue hues of his mana.

[Fuck... is it a bad thing?]

Berkah pondered for a bit before responding.

"Ah... yes..."

*crackle!*

Bright blue hues of mana enveloped the entirety or his arm.

"HUH???!!!!"

Both Hawke and Anaise verbalized their shock simultaneously.

Why? Because a child who's barely even a toddler awakening mana is deep within the realm of impossibility.

"Hawke... how old were you when you first awakened?"

"I was ten years old..."

Hawke replied, a cold sweat trickling down his temple.

The reason Anaise asked that question is because Hawke was widely considered a genius for having awakened five years earlier than the average person.

But two years old? That would definitely send the world into an uproar.

"... And that density..."

"He just awakened, but he already has that much mana...?"

Hawke swallowed the thick lump on his throat.

"Even my mana isn't that dense..."

Anaise ruffled her feathers in awe.

[Woah... I guess I'm fucking strong based on their reactions?]

[Keke, I don't need a damn system. I'm HIM!]

Berkah puffed up his chest proudly and smirked inwardly.

A small part of him still a little salty that he didn't get a system....

"HAHAHAHA! That's my son alright!"

Hawke picked up Berkah and threw him high into the air.

"HAHAHA! To think my seed would be so strong! Not even that arrogant King or that damn Saint can compare to your potential! HAHAHA!"

Hawke spun Berkah around, tightly embracing him, Anaise watched over them with a soft smile adorning her face.

[....what's wrong with you?! Don't call me your seed you damn deadbeat! That's disgusting!...]

[...]

[So this is what it feels like to have a father who's proud of you...]

[...]

[... it's not a bad feeling...]

[Fuck... Do I have daddy issues?]

///

Around half an hour passed and the earlier commotion caused by Hawke's excitement had faded.

Berkah was fast asleep in the warm embrace of her mother's wings. Due to the fact that he was still a toddler, Berkah's body required him to take a lot of naps throughout the day.

Though he tried to resist at first, he eventually relented and had grown accustomed to sleeping multiple times a day.

"He's so adorable..."

Anaise said, both her voice and eyes radiating with intense affection.

"Yeah... he's going to break a lot of hearts one day, hehe."

Hawke declared, grinning from ear to ear.

"Don't ever say that! I'll gouge out the eyes of anyone who comes close to my baby. "

Anaise declared, her emerald eyes ablaze with bloodlust.

"Haha... I'm kidding."

Hawke apologized, scratching his soft blue hair.

"Ahem. By the way... do you know what happened to that Wyvern?"

Hawke gestured toward the mummified remains of the large Wyvern not too far from where they stood.

"No I don't, even the one at the nest, I just found it like that."

Anaise shook her head.

"Huh? You found it? Aren't you the one who killed it?"

Hawke's eyes went wide.

"No... How could I possibly take on two Wyverns? I just assumed they fought over who would eat Berkah amongst themselves."

She added:

"It's a good thing they did... Otherwise Berkah could have perished."

Anaise chewed her lips and tightened her embrace on Berkah's being.

[That small Wyvern would never have challenged this large one... or even fly with it unless it was its offspring.]

Hawke mused, stroking his chin.

[But what other explanation could there possibly be?]

[Not to mention... The tip of the mountain was completely blown in half, so they must have fought right?]

Hawke furrowed his brow.

[Or was it...]

He narrowed his eyes at Berkah.

[No... that can't be... sure, it's surprising that he's awakened, but he couldn't have beaten a Wyvern.]

"Hawke?"

Anaise noticed that her husband's expression had stiffened.

"*sigh*. I'll have to bring Lark and investigate later on."

Hawke relaxed his expression and reached into the leather bag tied to his waist.

"... We should relax for now and eat, I brought some food."

He took out three containers, each containing two thick slices of soft bread with butter spread on them, with thin slices of grilled elk meat as well as tomatoes and lettice.

Though simple, the sandwiches were quite appetizing and pleasing to the eye.

The couple happily munched down on their food, whilst Berkah was fast asleep.