Chapter 3644: Death Rites (Part 1) "I wasn't lying when I said I wanted the Fire Dragons to carry the torch Pharek dropped." Lith looked her in the eyes. "The bloodline of the apprentice to whom Ripha entrusted the Ears is broken. "All of Pharek's techniques and secrets are lost forever. If the Fire Dragons have to learn how to use the Ears from scratch, it will be decades before they can even come close to tapping into its true potential. "I have no intention of sharing Ripha's lessons with them, but we owe the Fire Dragons that much. We owe it to Valtak." "Is it me, or are we missing context here, Nyka?" Kalla asked. "It's not you, Mom. I'm completely lost, too." Solus pondered the issue for a while before answering. "I'm not fully convinced, but I agree with most of your reasoning." She paced around the room. "This is not only about us or Kalla, it's also about keeping Mom's legacy alive. Mom?" "Yes, darling?" Ripha tilted her head in confusion. "We can't make our decision without consulting you first." Lith replied. "As Solus said, it's your legacy, Ripha. We have no need to guess what you would do in our shoes. We can just ask you." "Thank you, I mean-" Menadion was taken aback, needing a few seconds to recover from the surprise. "I'm not going to lie, I'm jealous of my secrets. Yet I taught everything I knew to my disciples and gave them the pieces of the Set because I wanted Forgemastery to keep thriving after I passed away. "To give Epphy- Solus the competition she needed not to sit on her laurels or become complacent once she got my tower. Solus is not Epphy anymore, but I believe you guys need competition. "Even better, you can use this to get access to the Ears and justify any major breakthrough in your Forgemastering techniques. After all, with such an artifact and my 'help', the sky is the limit to your abilities. "I agree with Lith. You should share the secret of the Garden with the Fire Dragons." "Wait, so I get to share the Ears with you too?" Kalla frowned. "One third of the time instead of half?" "No." Lith shook his head. "Only from time to time and only to keep up appearances." "Good to hear," Kalla sighed in relief. "Mind sharing the Mogar's Garden part with me as well?" "Sure." Solus explained everything to Kalla and Nyka via a mind link. "Good gods!" The Wight trembled in horror. "Are you telling me I have to waste my time in a park just to learn how to use the Ears?" "You are free not to do it." Lith shrugged. "Yet it will take you much longer to master the Ears and progress with your research." "Fine." Kalla grumbled. "Does it count as rest, dear?" "Only if you spend the time in the Garden with me and Nok, Mom." Nyka replied. "If you practice the Ears, it is still work." "But it's boring! Like using Accumulation." Kalla whined. "It's still work." Nyka's answer brooked no discussion, and the Wight gave up arguing. "Do you mind if I conduct the negotiations?" Lith asked. "I already have Erghak's rune." "Not at all." The young vampire chuckled. "You are doing me a favor. I doubt that poor Dragon's nerves have yet to recover from his last conversation with Mom." A few seconds later, the hologram of Erghak's head filled the room. Creatures that big didn't project their full bodies because they would take up too much space. If the caller kept the hologram life-sized, the conversation would be noticed for hundreds of meters. If they shrunk it, instead, they would force the Dragon to look up to them which the Divine Beast would perceive as a slight. By conjuring only the head, a Dragon would take as much space as a regular person and still be able to look the other in the eyes. "Little brother, to what do I owe this call?" Erghak answered almost immediately. "First of all, to give you my congratulations, dear Patriarch." Lith replied. "Thanks, brother." The Fire Dragon gave him a polite nod. "I thought you didn't want to carry Valtak's mantle, though." Lith said. "I don't, but the clan didn't share my opinion." Erghak sighed. "The election of the new Father of Fire can wait until we find a worthy candidate yet the throne of the patriarch can't remain empty for long. "Things were peaceful during Valtak's reign, so he could afford a millennium of slumber. Now, however, things are messy because of the Ears. Your gift is a blessing but also a curse. "No two Wyrms want to use it the same way, and without a patriarch, the Fire Dragon clan would fall into anarchy if not even a fratricidal war. Dragon greed, remember?" "Then I hope my next gift will strengthen your position and not add more trouble to your plate." Lith nodded. "I call you on behalf of Kalla the Wight." "Thank the gods!" The Wyrm exhaled in relief. "Whatever you have to say, it's preferable to dealing with that rude and nonsensical creature again." Kalla stepped forward to protest, but Nyka Hushed and dragged her back. Lith explained to Erghak the limits of the Eyes, which turned the Wyrm's smile into a frown. Then, Lith shared with Erghak the properties of the Garden of Mogar and Menadion's suggestion to use it as a training ground for the Ears. In the blink of an eye, the Fire Dragon was all smiles again. "Thank you, little brother." Erghak said. "This more than makes my bargain with the Wight fair. It tips things in my favor, actually." The Fire Dragon took a brief pause before asking: "Not to doubt your goodwill, but why am I only hearing about this now? You could have added it to the rewards and increased the number of your allies against the World Tree. "We would have lost far fewer siblings and maybe Valtak would still be alive." Erghak didn't sound diffident or angry, just sad. "Because I just learned about it." Lith looked just as sad. "Ripha had never visited a Garden of Mogar until a few days ago. She recognized the value of the Garden when she accompanied my family for a picnic. "Without her, I would have no idea of the treasure I was sitting upon…" "And you called the First Ruler of the Flames back from the dead only after saving Solus. I see." Erghak completed the sentence for Lith. "Since we are already talking about this, would Master Menadion be willing to teach us?" "Don't push it, punk." Ripha stepped forward, joining the call. "I have one descendant alive, and my legacy is for her." "It was worth a shot." Erghak bowed politely. "Still, I feel like I keep taking from you and giving nothing in return. Is there anything I can do for you, little brother?" "You could lend me the Ears from time to time." Lith proposed. "With its aid and Ripha's guidance, I could craft amazing pieces." "I would have done that anyway." Erghak shook his head. "The Ears belonged to you, and without Master Menadion's help, we would have all died in the Fringe. I owe you that much."