Chương 347: Epilogue 21. Foundation, part 1

"Grandfather! Great grandfather! Come! The guests are arriving!"

"Well, little Chorus, wouldn't you say that you count as guests too?" Kite laughed as he scooped up the five-year-old celestine girl with jade green hair as she came running onto the veranda where he and Ardent were standing.

"What? No. We're family, not guests," the girl pouted.

"Grandmother said to get you, and that we had to wait until after your boring speech to eat the sweets."

"Oh, I see," Kite replied, making a show of giving her words careful consideration.

"A most important task then, wouldn't you say, Father?"

"Indeed," Ardent agreed, though he did a much better job at acting somber than Kite himself.

"Come then, little one. Let us bring our charge to his destination. And on the topic of sweets, I do believe that can be arranged as a reward from my personal stash. As long as you promise to share with your siblings." As he stepped up into the air upon conjured panes of force, Kite's heart couldn't help but soar as he looked out over everyone gathered. Especially after the recent calamities, many of them still lingering in a world that simultaneously felt very troubled yet also the same as ever. His wife.

All of his children, thankfully still alive. His four grandchildren from Hawk, the only child of his who so far lived a calm, more stationary life. So many friends, family members and companions, all gathered together there in the gardens of Kite's now rather sprawling family compound. A far cry from the house back in Starberry Peak, though that particular one still held an extremely fond place in Kite's heart.

While most had already fallen silent as they saw Kite step up, a slight nudge of his gold-ranked aura was enough for even the playing children to fall still for a moment and regard him. Kite had promised a speech after all.

"Given the times and the troubles of these lands, I feel truly blessed that so many of you could be here today. While it may not be any special day or event in and of itself, the state of the Kingdom and the world at large is in a time of flux. And whenever I find myself in circumstances such as these, I have found that centering myself around my foundation is what keeps me sane and grounded through tumult and strife. This has been the case throughout my life, and remains so to this day.

And you, all of you, are that foundation. Forging bonds and leaning upon one another in times of hardship is what truly will help us remain standing on the climb towards the heavens." As he spoke, Kite could see and feel various reactions to his words among everyone gathered. Warm acknowledgment, the relative disinterest of the children and the occasional eye rolls of his own offspring as they once again found their father getting all earnest in front of people.

And the occasional pang of remembered loss, one of which he felt needed mentioning in particular.

"When we gather like this, it is also easy to note the absences and the people we miss. They might be like the Queen - apologies, former Queen, may King Pursuing Silver Stars reign with the same confidence - Thousand Forms Unbroken, who keeps pursuing and finding every Messenger stronghold possible across the world. We always knew that Soul would eventually step down from the throne and hunt greater trials, and it seems like a cosmic invasion was too much of an opportunity to pass up.

Others, however, leave a much greater gap to fill. Let us remember the erstwhile teacher of my wife, Force of Raging Torrent, who despite all her prowess fell to these invaders while still trying to climb the last steps towards gold rank. Her and many like her had their paths cut short, ever leaving a gap in our foundation of bonds. Yet her memory also remains, shoring us up even after having joined venerable Death on the path to the beyond."

If Kite's heart was heavy at the proclamation, it was nothing compared to that of his wife. He could feel the stir of sorrow in her aura even now, but Dragonfly did remain composed while the presence of her children and grandchildren further helped remind her that while Death had visited her life, vibrant vitality also remained.

"May these upcoming days be a time when we can keep leaning on one another and keep our homes and loved ones safe, remember those not currently with us as well as reconnect and strengthen the bonds that shall help keep the emerging unity of this sometimes unreasonably proud kingdom of ours. Be one adventurer, parent, craftsperson or even one in a position of authority such as Brilliant Bloom here - Bastion's latest city lord - we can all act together. And let our hearts remain as one."

"Kite!"

"Jarvan! Congratulations again upon reaching gold rank!"

"Disguise's dangling dong, did that take longer than expected. Just shaking the rust from the system felt like it took forever," Jarvan LanCaire laughed as he joined Kite in the general mingling.

"It was a good speech too. You've really come into your own with that budding authority I remember from you back in the day. At least when you put your mind to it."

"You did tell me more than once that there is no better way to embarrass one's children, and I believe that still holds true. It can even catch Wren off guard at times when he's back from between his contracts with Gauntlet." Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

"Oh? So he's still with them?"

"Even to a greater degree than me these days. They are apparently considering having him form an inner circle team of his own, especially after all of the recent clashes with the Messengers," Kite said, glancing towards his oldest son where Wren stood talking with Moth, the two siblings no doubt comparing their adventures. Kite knew that Wren sported more than one scar these days, but his boy's aura still felt solid and centered.

From the way things looked, he would be gold soon, assuming that he kept surviving the dangers of their new and changed world.

"How about the children then? Now that you are gold, are there about to be more?"

"Yes indeed. I am a man of my word, but it shall have to wait for a while yet. Fantina's suggestion, actually. Given all the troubles, we'd rather make sure to do our part. It almost feels like a statistical impossibility that none of our own have fallen yet. Thanks to Fantina's amulets, we would know. A blessing and a curse in one." The two men fell silent as the thought of losing a child took the edge off the merriment.

With long lives and the often dangerous circumstances of essence-users, it was a grim reality that it might happen eventually. However, likely or not it did not make the thought any less terrifying.

"Well, let such grim thoughts remain mere distant companions this night," Jarvan continued, wrapping a strong arm around Kite's shoulders as he led him away.

"We do celebrate all bonds and important people here, and you have become a grandfather since we last met! As one myself, I welcome you to our grand association. Come now, let's get some more of those meat skewers and you can tell me all about the next generation!"

"Ahh…" Fantina sighed as she slipped into the hot spring, the steaming water bringing joy to even her tough gold-ranked body.

"There are of course similar springs and heated baths across the world, but I still find the ones of Hua-Xi to be the best."

"Yeah, to be outdoors yet feeling so much warmth is really something," Dragonfly agreed from where she sat with Laevyeth, Cicada and Glitter - the dragon now in her smaller carp form - and Sprite, the latter one of the latest to join the festivities even though Pom did not fancy joining them in their bath. Silence reigned for a few more moments as the women relaxed, not even Wander - who surely had a body or three nearby - interrupting the bliss.

Only the faint sounds of the festivities managed to get past the folding screens blocking the view, and none of those present found the sounds of loved ones talking and laughing anything but pleasant. However, it was eventually their hostess who broke the silence as Dragonfly eventually opened one eye glittering with curiosity.

"So… Laevyeth… It seems like you and Will finally figured out that there was more to one another's company than him swinging you around," she said knowingly, voice dripping with insinuations, only for Laevyeth to open silver eyes in clear confusion.

"I… Apologies, Dragonfly, but what dost thou mean?"

"The… Child? The little celestine waddling around down there with Grim no more than an armlength away at any moment? That."

"What… Apologies again, but what does our dear little Gift of the Stars have to do with what my Lord and I are doing?"

"... I mean… I know that there are the vats, but many still do like to practice the… Natural process too. You know… Being intimate?"

"My Lord and I are most close almost all of the time."

"Not like that. I mean… Rolling in the hay."

"What? Why would we bother some poor farmer for such a thing? Is it some kind of merriment I still haven't comprehended even after all this time?"

"I– No. Not literally. I mean getting it on. Doing it. Sharing a bed. Knocking boots. Making the beast with two backs. I– Sex, Laevyeth. I'm talking about having sex!" Dragonfly's rising little tirade had caused Cicada to gradually redden, the poor daughter covering her familiar's non-existent ears as she slid lower into the bath. Crow and Fantina were a lot less perturbed though, the first only perking up with some curiosity while the other just kept laying back in the water with her eyes blissfully closed.

Laevyeth on the other hand looked almost elated as she finally seemed to connect the dots.

"Oh! Thou meanest mating? I was most confused there for a while, Dragonfly. Why use all those odd words? And why would my Lord and I need to engage in such an act?" the outworlder asked, seeming genuinely baffled rather than offended.

"Because you are… Well… You've been so close all this time and I know that Will is kind of pure and clueless in this regard but now you have a child and I feel like it should have meant that you…. You…" Dragonfly tried, but lost her words as Laevyeth laid a hand on her shoulder with a knowing, sympathetic look.

"Dragonfly. Many around the world have asked about the bond between myself and my Lord over the years, and I've found that this explanation is what has caused most of them to find a modicum of acceptance: the bond between my Lord and I simply is. It transcends romance, lust and other such concepts. We are one in purpose and path, and that is what matters the most. I am never far from his side, his hands upon my form the most blissful state as we shatter the darkness and disperse lies and half-truths.

Thus shall we remain until the end of our days. And little Gift is merely an extension of that, one we found to be a fitting heritage to leave behind as we have set our sights beyond this world. She is most happy growing up with his family in Gilded and our frequent visits. Thank you again, Fantina, for your church's assistance in her coming to be."

"It's not often that my Lady Fertility has such a head-scratcher on her hands," Fantina replied without opening her eyes.

"To puzzle a goddess in how to cause life to spring from you two and which form it should take… I believe my Lady is grateful for the challenge. A celestine became the best solution, a child of the stars with hair as blue as her mother's ice."

"And a dedication strong enough to rival her father's," Laevyeth giggled with a smile before turning back to Dragonfly.

"I trust that lays some of thy bemusement to rest?" Dragonfly could only stare at the outworlder for a moment more before she eventually sighed and sat back in the hot spring.

"I suppose that shall have to do…"