"Where the heck are Leari and the others?" The Sekhmet blurted out in surprise.
"Either dead or back home. Just like you." Tezka extended his open hand before closing it into a fist and giving it a small twist.
The cracks in space surrounded the newcomers, trapping them inside a dimensional fissure that closed shut and squashed them like bugs.
"Uncle Tezka, this is really cool, but if we get home late Mom will worry." Frey said while pulling at the Fylgja's fur to get his attention.
"Damn, you are right. Time to wrap things up." At a flick of Tezka's fingers, the cracks seeped inside the dimensional doors, keeping them from closing and reaching the other side.
"He found us! Quick, cast the Restoration spell and move the Golden Griffon, we can't let our position be exposed!" Thrud ordered and Hystar complied.
Chaos Dimension was already spreading throughout the lost academy like a disease. The distorted space killed anything it touched, made matter collapse, and exploded like a tier four spell at the slightest attempt to stop its advance.
While her soldiers cast Restoration to relax the space and stop Chaos Dimension from spreading further, the Headmaster activated the Static Field array to compress space and cut the infection at the root.
Thrud used the Domination powers of Arthan's Sword to cross the Warp Gate safely and see if there was something she could do to salvage the mission.
"Make it quick. I'm on the clock." Tezka beckoned at her, uncaring for her white aura and her Davross equipment.
Thrud pursed her lips, her face twisted in rage and pain at the sight of Frey and Filia laughing happily as if nothing bad had happened.
"Why, Mogar? Why is my son the only child with no one to protect his happiness?" She asked yet the planet remained silent.
The Mad Queen would have loved to vent her anger and grief on a worthy opponent, but she knew to be outmatched. The black sun and Tezka's reputation were enough to make her know that she was already beaten.
She could feel that somehow, the ancient Eldritch had crossed over the limits of both white and black cores, becoming something different.
Something new against which she had no hope of victory.
Thrud turned around and left, hoping that the capture of Archmage Ernas would be enough to enact her revenge on the Kingdom for taking Jormun's life.
***
Griffon Kingdom, Capital city of Valeron, Griffon Peak restaurant.
"You have no idea how happy I am that our families are now bound by both blood and law." Zinya chuckled. "Once the War of the Griffon is over, I won't hesitate to consider my life perfect if we manage to spend more time all together, Kami."
"Me too, Zin." Kamila nodded. "I really missed-" They had yet to finish dessert when everyone's communication amulets lit up like Christmas trees.
"What the heck?" Lith and Vastor said in unison as their army amulets turned on and conjured the hologram of the Queen, answering the call without their consent.
It could mean only one thing. The situation had suddenly turned dire enough to require the Royal Override code.
"Come back to the Royal Palace immediately. The Mad Queen made her move and we were completely wrong about her goal. Sylpha out."
"What about my father? What about Rena and-" Lith asked but the hologram had already faded.
Raaz, Rena, and her family were the only ones who had come back to Lutia. They had followed the plan, pretending to be unaware of the Mad Queen's threat and keeping the illusion that nothing had changed.
Lith cursed at the Royal bloodline down to Valeron as he pressed the runes of all the members of his family at once.
"Good gods." Kamila grabbed his arm, showing him the red alert that had caused her amulet to go off. "They have taken Phloria."
"And my children!" Zinya jumped on her feet in terror as reports from the Essagor Duchy about the kidnapping kept popping up on her amulet.
"They who? What the heck is going on?" Vastor clenched his Yggdrasill Staff, hoping it would help him make sense of that chaos.
"I don't know." Kamila replied. "I guess there's only one way to know. We must go to the Royal Palace."
"Screw the Royals!" Zinya yelled, making the other customers turn toward their table. "Zogar, we must go back to Essagor and find Filia and Frey. Phloria can take care of herself whereas they are just children!"
Vastor was about to tell her to calm down but the fear in her eyes told him that he had to tread with caution. One wrong word and Zinya would have ditched him, running alone in what was likely the next step of the enemy trap.
"Agreed." He stood up while taking her hand. "Just remember that they are not alone. Tezka is always with our children."
Mentioning the Eldritch made Zinya's heart skip a beat with hope. Vastor using the word "our" made her thank the gods for having blessed her with such a good man.
"You are right." She took a deep breath to calm down. "Let's call him first. If Tezka doesn't answer-"
"Hi, Mommy! Hi, Father." The hologram of Filia answering the Fylgja's amulet cut Zinya short and made her knees buckle in relief.
Luckily, she was still at the table so she just fell of a few centimeters before hitting the chair. Zinya wanted to cry and ask the kids if they were fine but she needed sheer willpower just to keep breathing.
"Are you alright? Is everything fine?" Vastor held her hand tighter and took the questions out of her mind.
"Yes, Father." Frey widened the hologram, showing that they were back in their room.
Tezka was back in his magical beasts form and the kids were feeding both his bodies with tasty treats.
"Some bad people wanted to take us away, but uncle Tezka kicked their butts. You should have been there, Mom. It was awesome!" Zinya couldn't disagree more with Frey's definition of awesome, but seeing her kids safe, sound, and happy was everything she had just prayed to the gods for.
She just nodded, looking at the Eldritch with the love and devotion of a believer witnessing a miracle.
"Thanks, Zogar." Her voice cracked and her eyes became veiled with tears but Filia and Frey were too busy grooming their steeds' fur to notice.
"Don't thank me. It's likely that our children got attacked because Thrud wanted to get back at me." He replied.
"Or me." Lith said. "Kami is off limits and Zinya is her only relative."
"Only one way to find out." Vastor sighed. "I'm really sorry, Zin, but now I have no excuse to ignore a Royal Summon. I have to go."
"Don't worry, I'll be fine on my own. I just need a few moments to collect myself before calling for a coach." She said,
"Nonsense. You are not going to spend a single second longer than necessary away from our children." Vastor lifted her in a princess carry, showing that he was much stronger than he looked.
Then, everyone accompanied Zinya on the ride to the nearest Warp Gate.
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