Zeke licked his lips, searching for the right words. He hadn't intended to lie, but Khai'Zar's words suggested that even a simple misunderstanding could lead to a confrontation.
How strict was this rule exactly?
For example, the woman had called him a half-dragon earlier. Was it fine not to correct her, or was that already considered deception? Zeke frowned deeply. He hated to play games where he didn't even know the rules. However, judging by her excited gaze, it was already too late to back out of this conversation.
"I am human, not a Dragon," Zeke stated, deciding not to take any unnecessary risk until he got a feel for the woman's character.
She looked surprised for an instant, glancing at Khai'Zar out of the corner of her eyes. "So, he is not your father, then?" she asked with a nod towards the Dragon.
Zeke almost choked upon hearing that. Khai'Zar? His father? Why would she think that? Wait... The woman could clearly detect the Draconic Essence within him. Perhaps she could even tell that they were similar. Was that why she had looked so surprised?
Zeke fell into deep thought. If his hypothesis was correct, revealing the nature of his relationship with Khai'Zar might not be the best choice. After all, who could predict how a member of the Ancient Races would react upon learning about their bond?
At times like these, Zeke really wished the Dragon had been more forthcoming about the customs of his people. He might be worrying for nothing, or it could be a matter of life and death. Either way, he had no way of knowing. Whatever the case, Zeke needed to answer before she suspected he had something to hide.
"He is not my father," Zeke confirmed. "However, that is all I'll say about our relationship."
The Titan stared at him for a long while, and Zeke felt increasingly certain that she would beat the truth out of him at any moment. However, she did no such thing. Instead, she smiled, looked between the two, and nodded. "Very well. It is not my place to pry into the familial relationships of you Dragons. Keep your secrets, if you want."
Zeke felt a wave of relief wash over him. Thankfully, the woman seemed content not to pry. More important, though, was the fact that she had called him a Dragon once more. That meant she hadn't attacked despite not believing his earlier statement.
There was a clue to be gleaned from that.
Zeke could think of two likely explanations. The first was that the Titan assumed he had spoken what he believed to be the truth, even if it was factually untrue. The other possibility was that she thought Zeke had declared his affiliation with the human race despite knowing his Draconic origins.
Either way, Zeke had already corrected her misunderstanding, and nobody could argue that he hadn't tried to be forthright at this point. He cleared his throat, focusing on the present once more. "May I ask a question, Miss?"
The Titan nodded at him, a hint of warmth on her face. "You may, child."
"Is there something else you want from us, or are we free to go?"
The woman swept her gaze over their group before returning her attention to Zeke. "I'm not sure if it's a good idea to simply let you go," she said. "No matter how I look at it, your group is very suspicious."
Zeke's heart sank upon hearing her words. Why couldn't it ever be easy? His gaze turned serious as he met her eyes. "Then what do you propose, Miss? There doesn't seem to be an easy way for us to prove our innocence, is there?"
The woman smiled at him. "There is," she said. "I'll take you to see my husband. He'll know what to do."
Zeke blinked at her. "Your… husband?"
The woman nodded, a wide smile on her lips. "He is a very smart man."
"Is he… a Titan as well?" Zeke asked tentatively.
The woman shook her head with a disbelieving expression. "How many of us do you think there are out here, child? Of course, he is not a Titan."
Zeke frowned, not understanding the meaning behind her words. "What do you mean?"
"I've not met another Titan since leaving the island, child. Thanks to the Warden's rules and those damn Druids, the chances to survive the portal are less than—" The woman cut herself off mid-sentence, looking at Khai'Zar with an apologetic look. She returned her attention to Zeke a moment later. "Anyway, I'm sure your... erm... relative will tell you about all that when you're old enough."
Zeke glanced at Khai'Zar, curious about what else the Dragon was hiding. He was also intrigued by the connection to the Druids. For some reason, Zeke had the distinct impression that the mysterious festival of the Druids was related to this situation. At that time, Khai'Zar had a strong reaction when he heard the man talking about it. However, that was a topic for another time.
"Your husband is a human, then?" Zeke probed.
The woman winked at him. "Something like that," she said, though the words came out garbled as she was already shifting back to her Titan form. A moment later, Zeke felt the earth beneath his feet move, as a large hand scooped out the plot of land his group was standing on.
Ash, Vulcanos, and Gravitas looked shocked while Snow clung to Zeke's arm with bone-crushing force. Only Khai'Zar retained his poise as he looked out over the sea of trees with a thoughtful expression on his face.
False or not, the Dragon's relaxed demeanor was a source of confidence for Zeke and allowed him to keep his composure as well. He could only hope that this mysterious husband was more reasonable than his wife.
***
Zeke marveled at the vast stretch of greenery passing them by. In just a few minutes, they had traveled farther than they had in hours. If they weren't still in danger, Zeke would have asked the Titan to take them all the way to the other side of the jungle. She could probably get them there in less than a day.
The Chimeroi, including Snow, had relaxed considerably. It had become clear to them that the Titan didn't mean them any harm. At least, not yet. They were now enjoying the break from the strenuous journey. So far, there hadn't been a single beast that dared to stand in the Titan's path, and Zeke suspected that there weren't many such beings in all of Irroch.
As the Titan's lumbering pace slowed, Zeke caught sight of a nearby clearing. At its center stood a solitary, unusually large tree. It stood out starkly amidst the jungle's flora, its colors, size, leaves, and fruits distinctly foreign. Zeke was certain it wasn't native to the jungle.
The Titan gently lowered them to the ground, displacing some of the soil to make space for the patch they were standing on. Zeke marveled at the ease with which the woman reshaped the land. If she wished, she could likely flatten a human village in moments. It was no wonder her kind was so feared.
He glanced over at Khai'Zar, curious about the capabilities of a fully grown Dragon. If the stories were to be belived, then Dragons were purportedly the strongest of the Ancient Races, although Zeke had yet to see any evidence to support that claim. Witnessing the Titan in action only fueled his curiosity further.
Zeke's thoughts were interrupted by a flicker of movement as a man emerged from the nearby treeline. He was tall and striking, with long, flowing green hair framing a handsome face. It was hard to pin down his age since there wasn't a single wrinkle on his face, though his demeanor somehow made him appear ancient. Most striking, however, were the long, pointed ears that peeked out from his hair, unmistakably marking him as a member of the elven race.
The man watched them in turn, assessing each member of their group with a scrutinizing glance before directing his gaze upward. "What is the meaning of this, Rhea?"
In response to his words, the Titan changed form again, appearing just a step away from the newcomer. "I felt a presence and got curious," the woman explained cheerfully. "Two of them are Dragons."
"Two?" The elven man asked as he glanced from Khai'Zar to Zeke, lingering on the latter for much longer than Zeke was comfortable with. There was an expression of deep concentration on his face as if he were trying to solve a puzzle. After a while, his serious expression softened.
"Interesting," the man said. "It has been a while since I saw such intricate spellwork."
Zeke's eyes went wide. This was the first time anybody had realized that his [Blood Manifestation] wasn't actually Summoning Magic. But if the man could find out that much with just a glance, what else could he see?
"Who are you?" Zeke asked, barely keeping his voice from trembling.
The man blinked owlishly. "Apologies," he said eventually, bowing slightly. "It seems the long time away from civilization has dulled my manners. My name is Cassius."
Zeke felt an itch in his mind, certain he had heard the name somewhere. Yet, judging by Akasha's silence, it must have been a long time ago. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that this man was somehow important.
"Are you from Rukia, Mr. Cassius?" Zeke probed.
The man raised an eyebrow at him. "That was a good guess."
"I was just lucky," Zeke replied modestly. In truth, it hadn't been difficult to guess. Outside the Elven Forest, the country of Rukia was the only place the elves lived. And it was common knowledge that the Forest Elves rarely left their home.
"Will you allow me a question next, young friend?" the man asked.
Zeke nodded, glad to have met someone so easygoing. However, his impression swiftly changed when a monstrous pressure descended upon him. The man's Mana was as vast as an ocean, suffocating yet invigorating at the same time.
"Who is your teacher?" the man asked in a hard voice. There was no trace of his earlier levity to be found on his handsome face.
From the corner of his eye, Zeke saw that his companions had been trapped as well. Strange plants had emerged from the ground, encasing them completely. Even Vulcanos flames proved utterly useless against them. Only Snow and Khai'zar remained free, likely because the two of them were too weak to pose any challenge.
"Who is your teacher?" the man repeated. "Who taught you that spell?"
Zeke tried to focus, but the pressure bearing down on him made it impossible to think straight. On top of that, any attempt to gather Mana failed, as there wasn't a speck of any of his affinities to be found. The man had utterly overwhelmed him with nothing but his pressure.
"Answer me," the man commanded, his voice turning cold.
Zeke gulped for air, forcing out the only words he could think of: "Maximilian… von… Hohenheim."
A moment of tension followed his words. Yet, an instant later, the force bearing down on Zeke vanished as if it had been a lie all along. He fell to his knees, greedily gulping in the damp forest air.
"Impossible," the man said. "I've not heard that Maximilian took a student."
Zeke stood, rubbing the snot from his face as he did so. He met the Elf's eyes with a determined expression. He had finally remembered where he had heard the man's name before. Maximilian's name, alongside the two affinities he just felt, had given him the clues.
"Maximilian once told me that only three people had ever broken through to the Archmage level despite having multiple affinities."
Zeke raised a single finger. "Himself, wielding Fire and Earth Magic and combining them into an explosive combination. He was awarded the name Bombastus for his achievement."
He raised a second finger. "Aurelia Thorsten, wielding both Life and Death Magic. She has long since reached the pinnacle of her tier and is hailed as the strongest Archmage on the continent."
Zeke raised a third finger, meeting the gaze of the elven man. "...And lastly, there is Cassius Leafless, the illegitimate child of an Elven Matriarch, wielding Life and Nature Magic."
The man remained silent for a long time, staring at Zeke with an undecipherable look in his eyes. Then, all of a sudden, the vines holding the Chimeroi disappeared, freeing their prisoners.
Cassius' expression softened slightly, though bitterness lingered in his eyes. "So it is true," he said with a sigh. "Very well, you may come inside. As a favor to Maximilian, you'll have my hospitality."