Chapter 973 – Blades and Blushes
The Hollow basked under a sun that felt softer than usual — not the harsh golden glare of battlefields or the dim, flickering light of council rooms, but something gentler. It streamed through the training courtyard where laughter, the clang of metal, and the occasional startled yelp all mingled into a strangely comforting symphony.
Kael stood off to the side, his arms folded loosely, leaning against a post as he watched Lyria and Eris spar.
It was still strange to see Eris in motion — no longer just a presence in his head or an echo behind his eyes, but a person of flesh, breath, and movement. Her strikes were crisp, perfectly measured, each one executed with near-mathematical precision. Lyria, on the other hand, fought like the sea — fluid, unpredictable, her blade arcs all grace and rhythm.
At first, Eris had the upper hand, parrying with clinical efficiency, calculating Lyria's every move before it happened. But then Lyria laughed, spun under Eris's guard, and flicked her sword up lightly — tapping the spirit-turned-woman right on the chin.
Eris froze, blinking twice. "That was… unexpected."
Lyria grinned, lowering her blade. "That's called instinct, Eris. You can't analyze every motion — sometimes you have to just move."
"I dislike unpredictability."
"And that's why you're predictable," Lyria teased, giving her a wink before stepping back into stance.
Kael chuckled under his breath, rubbing his chin. It was strange — seeing the two women like this, laughing and learning together. Once, he might've thought it impossible. Eris, the spirit born from chaos and logic; Lyria, the woman who somehow grounded him. Yet here they were — balance and wildness made flesh, sparring in the sunlight.
When Lyria lunged again and Eris ducked the wrong way, narrowly avoiding a faceful of dirt, Kael couldn't help but call out, "Try watching her shoulders, Eris, not her sword!"
Eris shot him a look over her shoulder — half indignant, half amused. "Are you implying my perception is flawed?"
Kael smirked. "Just saying your logic doesn't stop gravity."
Lyria burst into laughter, using the moment's distraction to disarm Eris in one swift move.
The wooden sword clattered across the ground.
"I call that lesson one," Lyria said between laughs. "Always assume Kael is watching, and he will make fun of you."
"I am beginning to grasp that concept," Eris said dryly, though her faintly pink cheeks betrayed her irritation — or maybe something new she hadn't quite labeled yet.
Kael left them to it, smiling quietly as he walked toward the eastern quarter.
The air inside the infirmary was warm and faintly perfumed with healing oils. Kael found his aunt, Lysara, sitting upright and examining an intricate diagram on a parchment. Her eyes gleamed with that ancient dragon intellect — sharp and ever curious.
"Still scheming from bed, Aunt?" Kael asked with a grin.
She looked up, her golden eyes narrowing in playful reproach. "Scheming? Hardly. I'm educating myself. You've built quite the city, Kael. It's… clever. Structured. Reminds me of how our kind used to build fortresses during the Elder Age."
Kael sat at her bedside. "High praise coming from you."
She studied him for a moment — really studied him. "You've changed," she said softly. "Your aura feels… settled. Stronger, but calmer too. Has peace finally found you?"
He smiled faintly. "Maybe a little. Or maybe I've just learned to stop running from it."
Lysara chuckled. "You always were the restless one. But rest is good, Kael. Let the world spin without you once in a while. It won't collapse."
"I'll believe that when I see it," he muttered, earning a small laugh from her.
Before he left, she caught his wrist lightly. "The two women training outside… they mean something to you, don't they?"
Kael hesitated. "They both do, in different ways."
His aunt gave a knowing smile. "Then don't let the differences divide you. Love, in all its forms, has a way of finding balance — even in chaos."
Kael left her room with her words lingering in his mind longer than he wanted to admit.
Back at the courtyard, the sparring session had clearly devolved into chaos of another kind.
Eris sat cross-legged on the ground, catching her breath — though she didn't need to. Her face was faintly flushed, her hair slightly askew. Lyria, equally winded, dropped beside her, laughing uncontrollably.
Eris glanced over, tilting her head. "I fail to understand what is so amusing."
Lyria wiped her eyes. "You—you tried to kick me with your left foot and then tripped on your right one! I thought you processed movement faster than that!"
Eris frowned. "It was a tactical miscalculation. My balance was… compromised."
"Oh, so that's what we're calling it now," Lyria teased, bumping her shoulder lightly.
Eris looked down at her hands for a moment before asking, "Lyria… may I ask a personal question?"
Lyria's laughter faded into a curious smile. "Of course."
Eris hesitated, her voice lowering just slightly. "When you and Kael… lay together, what is he like?"
The silence that followed was so thick, even the birds stopped chirping.
Lyria blinked — once, twice — before letting out a small, incredulous laugh. "Gods, Eris, you don't hold back, do you?"
"I am trying to understand the… emotional aspects of physical closeness," Eris said with robotic seriousness. "And Kael appears deeply connected to you in this regard. Observation only provides limited data."
Lyria pinched the bridge of her nose, trying not to laugh again. "Data. Right. Well… let's just say he's very attentive. Patient. Passionate when he wants to be."
Eris tilted her head, listening intently like she was analyzing a lecture. "Does it bring you joy?"
"Yes," Lyria said softly, smiling. "But it's not just the act. It's the trust. The comfort. The way you can just… breathe when you're with him."
Eris nodded slowly, thoughtful. "Then it is not merely physical."
"No," Lyria said, chuckling. "And if you ever bring this up to him, I'll make sure your next sparring lesson ends with you face-first in the dirt."
Eris blinked once, then smiled faintly — a rare, real smile. "Understood."
Lyria sighed, amused. "Gods, Kael has no idea what kind of storm he's created with you."
From the balcony above, Kael, unseen and uninvited, muttered to himself as he turned away with an exasperated grin, "…I'm not asking about that conversation."
And for once, he didn't feel the weight of leadership pressing on his shoulders. Just warmth. A little embarrassment. And peace.