Ep 96. It’s Not Too Late. (3)

Ep 96. It’s Not Too Late. (3)

Ep 96. It's Not Too Late. (3)

Once the matter was settled between Rozerre and the two dragons, he was quick to rush back to the shed his mother was at. It was an odd sight to see a thousand-year-old entity tugging on their mother’s robe, but at the same time, it seemed only right given his small stature.

“Mother, the dragons are crazy! They’re going to invade the capital!”

Aldrid merely sighed in response, grinning sarcastically at her own son. She turned towards the two dragons walking into the shed behind Rozerre, and neither of them seemed keen on denying the boy’s words.

“...Lord Serenis. You’re decided on your next destination? Is that where Aymeia is?”

“No, unfortunately not. But we may be able to find someone that does know of their whereabouts at this...capital.”

“...Is that so? Well, I...better prepare to leave, then.”

At Aldrid’s declaration, Rozerre stared at his mother wide-eyed. He pulled on her sleeves even harder, preventing the deity of life from taking a single a step away from him.

“Mother, what are you talking about?! You’re not thinking of going with them, are you?!”

“It’ll be okay, Rozerre. I’m quite well-known, even among the Twelve. I’m sure the people will be far more willing to speak in my presence.”

“I could care less what humans normally do, but this time the empire’s looking to march right into Aymeia’s lair to kill her! What guarantee is there that they won’t do the same to you?!”

“...I’m sure Lord Serenis will keep me safe. If I can help, I should.”

“In what world?! You’re not a dragon, you have no obligation to help them!”

“Well...”

Serenis watched the two deities argue in silence. Although their topic of conversation was somewhat farfetched, it was still just another form of a child nagging their parent to stay with them; given that they’d been separate for hundreds of years, it may have been a reasonable response for Rozerre. If anything, the dragonlord was surprised the boy was at least trying to persuade his mother instead of throwing an incoherent tantrum about it.

But what caught her attention most was the reluctance in Aldrid was showing. Even if others failed to catch the odd shadow in the deity’s eyes, it didn’t take long for the dragonlord to take note of it.

And finally, Serenis broke their argument with a simple solution.

“Stay, Aldrid.”

“...Huh?”

Both deities blankly stared at the dragonlord. Both their mouths were open, though one was out of joy, the other out of shock.

“...Lord Serenis, I can come! I’ll talk matters out with Rozerre, so-”

“I will not repeat myself again. You will stay with your son.”

“But...”

“And take your son outside. I’ve more questions to ask these soldiers in private.”

“...”

This time, it was Rozerre who stared at the dragonlord with a quizzical gaze.

“Wait, what do you mean? Don’t you need me here to ask them things? If I leave, they won’t- woah!”

It wasn’t long until the boy was felt his mother’s arm wrapping around his waist to lift him into the air. She then left the shed with nary a word, closing the door behind them.

Raizel stared at the shut door for a while longer before turning to her lord. As far as she could tell, Serenis was doing nothing but staring at the other wall.

“...Lord? Weren’t you going to ask them things?”

“...”

When Serenis turned towards the four soldiers, two were fast asleep. One was facing the corner in brooding silence, and the lead officer was staring at them with crossed arms and sealed lips.

“...No. I’ve nothing further to ask of them.”

“? Then why’d you kick ‘em out?”

“...”

Serenis smiled back at the questioning steel dragon. She gently rubbed Raizel on her head, returning a rather vague answer to the question.

“They needed it.”

✧ ✧ ✧

When they were sufficiently far away from the shed, Aldrid put Rozerre back down on the ground. By the time she thought to scan her surroundings, the deity of life belatedly realized she’d long left Hilia’s parameters without realizing.

“No, you...made the right choice. The Reaper was at our throats. You had to send me away.”

“But you didn’t want to be sent away, did you?”

“...No.”

“Then it wasn’t the right choice.”

Unlike Rozerre, Aldrid could not read emotions at will. Their one-sided understanding was inevitable the moment her son attained his divinity.

Rozerre couldn’t have cared less for his own safety. He’d only remained in Hilia for his mother’s sake – for his poor mother who had once been torn between her son and her duties as a deity. Staying apart for centuries was perfectly worthwhile for him if it meant his one and only family could be happier.

But from the opposing perspective, Aldrid had pushed her son away – against his will – to better her own position. Keeping Rozerre safe was something she’d wanted, not him; her son had wanted to remain at her side, even if it meant he’d die for it. Unfortunately, such thoughts hadn’t even crossed her mind at the time.

Finally, the deity of life faced her son once more with her usual warmth.

“I’m sorry I forced you.”

“...”

“...I’m sorry I failed you.”

In her haste to keep the boy safe, Aldrid had overlooked how important her son’s happiness had once meant to her. In her duties as deity and dragonkin, she’d overlooked how important it was to be a mother to her son..

A miserable survival wasn’t what she’d wished for in her son.

Making him feel cast aside and unimportant wasn’t what she’d wished for in her son.

No, what she’d really wanted to say was...

“...I missed you.”

When Death was no more, all I wanted was to see you again.

When I saw you, all I wanted was to hold you again.

I missed you, so very much.

✧ ✧ ✧

“Lord.”

“Yes, child?”

“Are we just gonna sit here all day?”

“Just a while longer.”

At this point, Raizel was slouching on the floor, back against the wall and eyes fixed on the ceiling. The youngling was almost jealous of how indifferent Serenis could be.

“...What’re we even doing here?”

“Waiting for the parent to speak to their child.”

“You mean goldie? Wait, is that why you told them to leave?”

“Perhaps.”

Raizel snorted at her lord’s gesture. Though, it was a shame the youngling had to remain trapped in a tiny shed for that gesture to be made.

“Pft. What’s she gonna say now, ‘you can’t talk back to your elders’? I used to hear that one a lot.”

“...Not quite. I’m sure she has more to speak on how she feels about her child.”

“What’s there to say? She loves the kid. It’s practically dripping out of her eyes.”

“It may not be so obvious to those involved.”

The youngling rolled her eyes at first, only to realize that Serenis had actually meant what she said. The steel dragon then tilted her head quizzically while asking her next question.

“Really? You think that kid can’t tell?”

“Likely not.”

Of course they wouldn’t know. Reading and understanding what was being read was a completely different matter; even if one could read another’s emotions, some things still remained out of reach.

Serenis closed her eyes, curving her lips in a reminiscent smile.

“...If the parent never shows it, how will their children ever know?”