novelraw Chapter 206 - 205 - Mother and Son
Chapter 206 - 205 - Mother and Son
"You have come so far, Lind." Granny was serving tea despite Lind offering to do so but it was a warm feeling being back with her. Like everything else, his methods to compare made what was once a grand set of quarters seem rather drab but the feeling of home could not be compared. No grand hall or massive castle would ever compare to having tea with Granny in her courtyard.
"I had been stuck for a long time but I also would have rather found another way than being stuck in a Relic for 6 years." It was the plain truth but Granny pinched his cheek like she used to and they enjoyed chatting with each other.
"That little girl you brought loves you dearly. I know she is your first disciple but you treat her more like a daughter than a student." Granny smirked at him while he blushed. It was not entirely correct but Fey was special to him as she was the first to learn from him.
It was both an affirmation of his theories and she had been a bright font of joy with her innocence. When she had been injured, he had felt rage and refused to leave things to fate again. In the time since, he could list on one hand the number of times he had been called Master.
Big Brother, on the other hand, was impossible to count.
"She had a rough start and her grandparents took her in after her parents suffered severe Qi deviation." He had thought it odd her parents had never come up but after he returned he learned the sad truth. Part of the reason Hal tried so hard to find a sect to take Fey was he was terrified if she would suffer the same fate.
"Poor child." Lind nodded at Granny's words but then he frowned.
"I wasn't there for her. I wonder what she would have become if I did not get trapped. Annabelle too. She is still the woman I love but there is a harshness to her that was not there before." Lind found it hard to compare Shoti and Qing, but Cyntilla was always hard edged. It made him wonder what if but he could not dwell on it.
"You are here now, Lind. You are shouldering too much!" Granny gently patted him on the head but Lind knew she had been worried too. "So, I heard Mira gave those 4 a few harsh evaluations."
Lind nearly choked on his tea. He knew his mother had met 3 of them at least once but he had made his intentions clear in both his letters and his final will. From what he had gathered, things were not as simple as he had hoped after his 'death.' It made him wonder if any will was ever followed truly.
"I will be having an evening meal with her at last. Things have been a little hectic, but before I head out, I want to spend one peaceful night with her like we used to." Lind had a sad smile on his face as Granny looked concerned.
"Do you really have to go that far?" The question was a bit vague considering all the problems ahead, but there was at least one thing he could no longer ignore.
"I can't move forward without closing this chapter forever, Granny. Trust me, heart demons are not worth it." He hugged her and they talked about lighter topics as the afternoon waned into twilight.
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Lind brewed the stew on the stove. His mother and he were only separated by a tier so they could share food as they had when he was a boy. He relished the sound of her humming as she worked on the desert that seemed a lot like flan from what he could recall from Earth. He was curious what it was as it put a sweet smell in the courtyard.
Lind was smiling far more than he had in a long time. He had enjoyed his time with the Maidens but coming home brought a solace to his soul he had not realized he was carrying around. Now, he was spending an evening alone with his mother.
He had spent the last few days with Kor, Seyla, and Nya as well as the twins and their families. His mother had been with Cyntilla, Qing, Shoti, and Annabelle for the same amount of time and they left earlier looking a little tired but satisfied.
Fey was asleep in his mother's bedroom after working hard to improve her alchemist skills. He was so glad his mother had re-inspired Fey to pursue alchemy.
"You are always welcome home, my son." The sudden words caught him off guard but he looked confused at her as her dark green eyes sparkled. "You had that troubled look on your face. I am sure you have so much to deal with but I will always be here for you."
Lind smiled and scratched the side of his face before he had to quickly stir the wooden spoon to stop the stew boiling over. The aether beast meat and grade 3 herbs were combining at last to a wonderful aroma.
"It is ready." She glanced and nodded with a smirk as Lind poured the stew into a large bowl on the pale wooden table. There were 2 sets of plates, cups, and utensils to eat. Lind realized he had become used to eating with chopsticks in Indelia but the Frey Clan used simple forks and spoons like he had grown up with on Earth.
The food was tasty and his mother's appreciation of it made him proud. They talked about simple things at first. How was he finding the Clan, did he see Shou and the others that had once bullied him now were barely scraping by.
Lind had not minded being a tier ahead of most of them or a whole major realm by a few. It still floored him how much they struggled to reach even the Stone Tier here in the Southern District but it was so common to reach Iron Tier in most of the places he had lived in until recently.
"So, are you going to speak what is weighing on your heart, or do I have to be a little mean to you too?" Lind laughed shortly but shook his head. He had heard a bit about what happened from Qing and Annabelle but Cyntilla and Shoti were tight lipped. His mother was far more fierce than he expected and stronger than anything to face Gold Tiers as if they were unruly children.
"I wanted to ask something difficult, something I have wanted to ask since I was little." The somber mood descended. Lind wanted to know the most basic of things all children asked their parents eventually but his convoluted origins had made him afraid. "Why–why did you keep me?"
Cultivators had many ways to prevent or control pregnancy. The cultivation itself could prevent pregnancy unless the 2 partners were in the same major realm at least and even then it could be difficult for a myriad of issues after that.
It also was complicated by obligations to clan, sect, or other powers but his mother had put herself into the lion's den to bring punishment to the man that resulted in 3 orphaned children and 3 dead women.
Lind had wanted to know but now that he asked, he could not look up. The silence stretched until gentle arms embraced him tightly. The shake of her body told him she was crying. He felt tears flow as he grasped her back tightly.
"You are my son. That monster may have contributed but he has nothing to do with you! You are an innocent and you are mine!" Mira's voice was fierce and without an ounce of doubt in it. Lind felt a final weight fall from his heart as they simply embraced each other for an unknown amount of time.
She could have given examples of his choices, how people loved him, and how he worked to help others but none of that came until after. At the moment he was born all that mattered was that he was her son. She did not need any other reason.
"Now that you have that notion knocked out of your worries, what else did you want to tell me?" Mira brushed her tears aside but did not leave the side of her son. She knew he had more to say from what she had gathered from the women that came with him.
"I have made a decision. I am going to close the chapter of Altair forever in my life." Lind looked up into her eyes and was firm in his resolution. He saw fear and worry flit over her face but she only hugged him tighter. "I can't move forward without bringing this to a close. They toyed with me and they brought suffering to my Clan. I can't let that slide."
Mira smiled sadly at him as she put her forehead against his.
"Your home is always here, my son. I don't care about the world, all that matters is you and your happiness." Lind felt a warmth in his heart that felt familiar. He had felt it before and suddenly a vivid memory of his old life on Earth came back. It was not the exact same but he had been getting pressured to marry and start a family but his parents back then had said something similar.
The world is not Lind, what mattered was his own definition of happiness.
"I wish I could live that way, but what I am won't allow it. Also, I want to protect what I love from any further issues with my own power, not borrowing another's." Lind explained his thoughts and Mira nodded in understanding. The aggravation of Altair was only the latest in a long line of greater powers that had come knocking trying to earn favor with Lind.
"Will–will you go see him?" The tremor in her voice made Lind's rage rise but he controlled it. No matter the resolution, he had no idea what she faced when in the room with that man.
"Not yet. There is no point. I confirmed he had faced the Trial of Stone I will be. It was why he was worth using as a hostage back then." He had been given a lot by Silvia in exchange for his help back at the Lotus Academy. He really owed that woman a lot.
The least he could do was face the monster of their tragedies. The Kingdom of Altair could not continue as it currently was. It had to be changed and only one chance remained for that.
Mira nodded and hugged him tight once more and he hugged her back. The meal was no longer warm but Lind drew comfort from his mother before he went to face the trials ahead of him.
They changed the subject to more mundane things and laughter slowly returned. Lind smiled wide to hear how excited his mother was to have a gifted pupil to teach. She had declined to teach anyone from the Alchemy Guild as she worried her discoveries thanks to Lind's theories would be taken by others.
He did not tell her to share them, as she had comprehended them based on his guesses. The various notes and herbs sent via the Maidens had helped her progress far faster than was normal in the Southern District.
Lind then summoned several low grade 4 font tempering elixirs with a couple more. She tried to stop him but he just smiled and retreated to his room. He was about to slip in when he realized there had been changes.
He slowly observed the courtyard had been altered to allow for a larger bed and it was not empty. There were 4 women chatting and happily sitting there on the mattress in simple sleeping robes. There was nothing obscene but the blood rushed to Lind's head and it took quite a while to calm down.
"Would anyone care to explain what is going on?" Lind's voice made all of them only turn to smirk at him. They simply pulled down the covers and patted for him to come to the center. Sighing that he could not get answers, he simply moved to the side before changing to his own sleeping robes.
He prayed to any God listening to grant some mercy on his control to not snap during the night before crawling under the covers. Without words, Annabelle and Cyntilla laid on his right while Shoti and Qing laid on his left.
It was a strange feeling but then he felt them comfort him with their auras and all the stress he had been building for tomorrow finally fell away as sleep claimed him. Just as darkness closed in, 4 voices spoke in unison.
"Sleep, beloved. We will watch over you." Lind smiled as dreamless sleep claimed him at last.