"Agreed." Solus nodded, caressing the edge of the blade that emitted a silvery sound of happiness. She was the only one besides Lith who could touch War. "I wonder how powerful I would become if I mastered Blade Tier magic and used it with the Fury." Lith looked at the Guardian crafted artifact and sighed in envy. "I bet that you would be stronger than War and me." "Thanks." Solus replied with a dazzling smile. Lith and Solus always asked Salaark for a secluded spot to train with Blade Magic. Even a failed spell would cut the dunes asunder for hundreds of meters, spreading shockwaves that flattened the land. They didn't want to kill the local fauna or destroy the little flora that guaranteed the survival of countless species. Luckily for them, the Blood Desert was full of desolate areas where they could go all out without any worry. It took them a while to notice that while casting Blade Tier magic, the state of the mind was the most important thing. The strength of the muscles while wielding the weapon was pointless and so was controlling the output of the mana core. Only when the mage managed to feel the mana flow in his equipment as well as his own and make the output of every artifact in his possession match that of his core did a Blade Tier spell take form. To perform such powerful magic, raw power was pointless. The secret lay in complete mastery over one's own mana flow, to the point of perceiving even the mana that the imprint carried from the owner to the equipment. Yet that was just half of the problem, otherwise most of those who had achieved the violet core on their own would have been able to cast Blade Tier spells. The other half consisted of the equipment's enchantments having a suitable matrix. The mana circulating system, the mana pathways, and even the cores needed to match the way the mage circulated their mana. The artifact had to be crafted to be a literal extension of its owner. Mass-produced weapons were pointless, making the skill of the Forgemaster the second key element needed. Rulers of the Flames were highly sought after because of their skill to craft such artifacts. In Lith's case, things were easier. He was a beginner, but Solus and War were more than mere powerful enchanted tools. Simply by spending a few seconds remembering the moments or the battles they had shared, made harmonizing with them second nature to him. On top of that, both Solus' core and War's enchantments had reshaped themselves after the bonding. In their case, the imprint hadn't just marked them as his property but had also changed their very nature. 'I don't know if the treaties with the Kingdom will go well or not, but we are going back anyway. Meln needs to be stopped and if I can't get my home back, I'd rather destroy it. 'Yet I can't do it alone. To survive a fight against the entire Undead Courts, I need your help. Will you follow me?' Lith asked via their mind link. He considered Solus as his irreplaceable partner, not as just his tower. Lith didn't want to put her happiness at risk because of his own personal grudge. She had 50% of the shares in their partnership and her opinion mattered as much as his own. Especially since he had no guarantee they would come back alive. As for the angry blade, Lith thought of it as one of his Demons. Someone whose life was entrusted to him, not a disposable tool. Orion had given it a semblance of life that made War capable of feeling joy as much as pain. That was something that Lith respected. 'Always.' Solus and War answered in unison. After receiving their answer, Lith spread his mana from the violet core to the auxiliary cores. Then, it kept flowing through the Voidwalker armor that Solus had coated with her stone form. The metal didn't offer any resistance to the mana that coursed through it in the same mana channels that the armor's power core used to circulate its energy. Lith's mana resonated with that in the armor, turning the power core into another mana core. Then, it flowed into War, and not only did the blade accept it, but War also amplified and spread the mana throughout the massive body of Double Edge. Lith had cast a simple tier three darkness spell, yet what came out of the blade split the land, blotting the moon and the stars out of the sky. A few days after he had started practicing Blade Tier spells, Lith discovered that he had gained a new nickname: the Black Star of the Desert. After a bit of research, it turned out that Salaark had sent him to deserted areas that passed relatively close to the merchants' routes. His training cleared their way by flattening the dunes and gave them a terrifying show to witness. The merchants spread the rumors of Lith's new prowess even past the Desert's border. 'I'm not going to interfere with his treaties with the Kingdom, but I bet that when the Royals hear about the feats of my little Feathering, they will think twice before cornering him with a bad deal.' Salaark thought while a warm smile broke on her face. 'I really like him and I love Kamila's passion for her job. She would make a great Constable here and I'd love to keep them close to me. Alas, it's not about what I want, but about what they want. 'I can't stop them from leaving the nest. Only after they spread their wings and see the rest of Mogar will they understand if this is their home or just a nice place for the vacations.' 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺 Lith was true to his word and since the honeymoon was coming to an end, he invited Aran, Leria, and Salaark to join them on the beach. The kids brought the magical beasts with them and had lots of fun. After their parents heard from their respective children their enthusiastic impression of the ocean and Lith's cooking, Elina asked Lith if she and Raaz could come as well. Lith had examined her body countless times as a healer and being seen in a one-piece swimsuit by her son and her husband didn't bother her. Also, Raaz could use a change of scenery and spend more time with his sons. His mood was slowly and steadily recovering, but he still hated crowded places and couldn't bear being touched, even by mistake. Trion was brimming with joy when Lith summoned him and then with embarrassment when he saw Kamila and Solus in their one-piece swimsuit. It only left their limbs exposed but they were still a sight for lonely eyes. Then, after hearing from Elina only good things about the cottage, Rena and Senton came as well, followed by Tista who at that point felt stupid being the only one left behind. "Good gods. What have we done?" Kamila said with a sigh as their once secluded spot was now filled with the noise of a joyous family. "We can always keep the Gate closed tomorrow." Lith shrugged. "This was your idea."