Firemane (5) : Time To Dot The (i)s And Cross The (t)s

To think that guy can make chains out of 'Fire Magic' then used them to get on the Flame Atronach Hawk and sit behind me. Truly a monster

"Haha! Look at that atronach flying! One doesn't get to see that every day! How can you do that?"

"Just get down already!"

"Come on! I never flew before!"

"Aren't you a mage? Go learn that 'Levitation' spell."

"I am a Dragonknight! I am not really anything special in any magic other than the Fire Magic I trained on. I can do some Restoration and some Alteration, but Destruction is my thing."

"... This is the first time you say something understandable!"

"Little bastard! You are really asking for it, huh?"

"Shut up! We are landing!"

"Huhu! Better land with a sty... hey! Little bastard! Hey! Come back! Control that thin... woaaah!"

I reached the edge of the Fire Garden and jumped from the Flame Atronach Hawk using 'Featherfall'. Still, I didn't forget to send the old bastard on a roller coaster.

"Hehe!"

"Jonhild, is that your father over there?" Tyr was still there.

"Depends! He's under my mercy now so I get to be called 'daddy'."

The Flame Atronach Hawk was going up and down with my commands. He already revealed his weakness to me. If he is not that great with any magic other than Fire Magic then he will fall short in diversity compared to me. He may be a strong Dragonknight who can jump from the Flame Atronach Hawk easily but people who experience flying for the first time don't really think straight.

"Woaaaah! Make it staaap!" The old bastard was about to start screaming at this point.

Fine!

I commanded the Flame Atronach Hawk to come down.

The old bastard jumped down huffing for breath.

"Looks like the Firemanes aren't ready to ride the skies just yet."

"Little bastard! You do that to your own father?"

"Seems like you too can only be my father when it suits you."

"Seriously! This kid is too much! Tyr, grab him!"

"Leave me out of it! We should hurry back, half of the clan have heard you two already!"

Yes! Let's head back before trouble comes.

"... I am afraid it's already too late!" The old bastard said as he pointed behind us.

I looked to see who came and I found it was a stiff-faced Hilda.

She came towards us and was glaring at the old bastard, I was about to think of something funny but I noticed that she was pissed to the max. This is one of those moments when whoever speaks first gets all the yelling.

"We need to talk!" That's all that she said then she turned around and walked back to the fort.

Dammit! 'We need to talk' are the magic words.

The old bastard deserves it. Uncle Tyr, maybe. I don't think I need to talk though.

Still, I walked with them to the fort.

***

We are back at the dining hall, except this time there are only Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle Forseti, Uncle Njord, Aunt Skadi, Nurina, Hilda, Old Jon, Me, Jullanar, and Nefertiti. Uncle Tyr was told to go, lucky him.

It was one hour before dawn and the place was quiet.

Still, that 'We need to talk!' was a bit more than the 'We' I thought of.

"First thing first! Why didn't you come at dinner?" Hilda talked to Old Jon who a bit composed this time.

"I went to the garden to relax until you and Jonhild arrive! I lost the track of time in there." His reply was solemn.

I noticed that there is some bad chemistry between Hilda and Old Jon. Seems like it is not all peaceful.

Uncle Forseti who was sitting right next to me started explaining some stuff.

During the time I was left in Riften, both Hilda and Old Jon went into a state of grief and sadness. Hilda vented that grief in the form of violence and anger, she attacked all the clans that helped the Thalmor chase her and made some scary things. Old Jon, on the other hand, wasn't in the state of rage Hilda had, his sadness took the shape of staying in his place or staring to space and doing nothing. He started meditating in the Fire Garden and would lose the track of time in there. The only thing that could get him out was his friends Tyr and Glemet who would go out with each other from time to time.

During this time of meditation, Old Jon got absorbed in studying the Fire Magic to a point that made him invincible when it comes to that magic. He put all his sadness aside and started studying the old ways of the Dragonknights so that he can keep his grief from manifesting into rage like Hilda.

During their state of grief that lasted for five years, a rift grew between them and their relationship took a turn for the worse. The next few years, the Clan tried to fix their relationship and it worked a few times but they always go apart again. It is not a form of hate but it seems they had lost track of how much each one of them has changed.

The only good thing was that they were always trying to fix it on their own every once in a while, even though they always got stuck at some point, they still tried.

At this point, I understood what the two of them were thinking and smiled. The probably thought that everything will return to normal once I get reunited with them.

Sigh! I think they may have gone too far beyond that point. But also I think it will be unfair to break their hearts like this. Jonrad and Hilda probably still have feelings for each other or for their past selves. They are trying to deny how much the other has changed and desperately looking for the chance to fix everything.

People need hope! Without it, even the heroes will fall apart.

Fortunately, there is one thing I am very sure of, I am a hero. If I am no good to fix the relationship between my mother and my father then I am one big waste of a hero.

I looked at Hilda and Jonrad and saw how much they were looking at each other. Hilda was looking at him as if he should stand up and scream his emotions that were caged in years to his son the way she did. Jonrad was looking at her as if she should sit down and calm her emotions that were wild for years of grief over her abandoned son.

Expectations! Everyone was expecting the opposite from the other and not even realizing it.

Jonrad and Hilda both are war veterans who fought in the Great War, due to that, their ages should be much greater than their appearances. I learned that we, Firemanes, live longer than most Nord because of the Giants Bloodline in us, it seems that a healthy Firemane can live up to 300 years. If my calculations are correct, both Hilda and Jonrad should be in their 50s.

In their 50s and they look as if they were in their 20s, this Titanborn Bloodline is sure troublesome.

Still, with their age and they can't reach a point where they can understand each other, I guess there is no helping it then, I have to give a hand here.

I made an innocent face and spoke, "Mom! Dad! Are you guys always like this?"

I said and everyone in the hall looked at me, even Nefertiti read the mood and looked around to see how funny humans look when something unexpected happens.

I noticed that the one who was amazed the most was the old bastard! Well, calling you dad is a one-time thing, don't get used to it.

The one who reacted first was Grandma Jenna, she covered her mouth who curved into a smile and spoke, "Sometimes! Don't worry about it, Jonhild! Adults get things right in the end, right?"

Grandma Jenna said and acted very calm and cool. You can't imagine something can't be solved for that woman.

Hilda, whose face was angry just before I speak and became stupefied after I spoke, heard what Grandma Jenna said and nodded. "Yes, ma! It's okay, Jonhild. Mother and father were just arguing about nothing important!"

Jonrad made a wide smile and nodded to me to confirm her words. I was a bit worried but it is good they got some self-awareness. To tell the truth, if they arrived at a point where they can't see eye to eye after my arrival, their relationship would have crumpled instantly.

They have already gone too far from each other. I guess they at least deserve some guiding to the path where they don't screw it up.

Sigh! If it wasn't for fate, then I guess they would have become great at being parents. I should at least help them based on that.

Their smiles hanged on their faces for a while and they seemed to have come to a realization about what I did then they laughed at the same time.

"I said it before. This brat can be just too much!" The old bastard was shaking his head while laughing.

Hilda too was laughing. The rest started understanding what have I done one by one and laughed as well.

I guess not every word of power is a Thu'um after all.

Still, I was not out of the woods yet. The next word that Grandpa said made my mood turn gloomy.

"Now that we can put this aside, thanks to Jonhild! We need to talk about the most important thing. I also must apologize to Arch-Wizard Nurina for not waiting any longer and depriving you of your rest time."

"It is fine, Patriarch Turmond! If this matter is regarding the boy, then I will be there anytime."

Regarding me, huh?

"Thank you for your consideration. Sigh! I have been imagining how this conversation we are about to have will go for the past sixteen years. Our child has finally grown up and came back to us. I think it is the time we dot the (i)s and cross the (t)s."