Beyond?

“In the far north exists the world's biggest mountain, The Claw of the Dragon. Amidst the ice and snow of the north is a green paradise growing around it. The plants and wildlife there are kept alive by the hot water which rises from the earth around the Claw. Everything there depends on this source of heat and many fear that the hot water will cease to flow one day. Others prophesied that the earth itself will open up and consume everything.

Though it's far more likely that the barbarians who are living there will one day succumb to a particular strong winter, when even the hot water and geysers can't hold back the ice, which grows over everything.”

-Travelogue II

***Free City States of Nict, Tri***

***Azir***

“We repelled them!” Valeria sighs and smiles weakly at the people who are gathered in our parent's  living room. My mother invited all members of the main family to a gathering, though two people are missing this time. It's only me and Stella, my sister, my parents and grandmother. Strictly speaking Stella shouldn't be here since this is an assembly of the Zait main house, but she still snuck her way in as my wife.

My father nods and looks down into his glass of wine. He is wearing casual clothes and the tip of one of his horns is broken off since he was close to the Gate when the explosions went off. Luckily he wasn't injured too heavily. “I would've never thought that my own aide was one of them. We sat together every evening and drank. How could I misjudge someone so badly.”

“You shouldn't blame yourself. I always doubted that you can truly learn to know someone by going drinking throughout the night. The one who was the closest to that bastard was my sister and she paid the ultimate price.” Valda says without emotion in her voice. “If someone should have known his true nature, then it's her.”

“I always found that he was acting a little cold towards her, but now it makes perfect sense that they didn't have children for so long.” I throw in my opinion. “Probably he slipped up while working for his own agenda.”

We investigated the circumstances around Daylen and found out that he opened a portal to let enemy troops inside our city. Obviously they promised him wealth and power in return for his services.

They caused the explosions as a distraction to give us an excuse of why the Gate was suddenly deactivated. Luckily the city was already evacuated of any unnecessary civilians long before that. The mana stream supplied the Gate with energy and when they tapped into it to supply their portal the Gate simply shut down. As soon as the portal was closed by me the Gate immediately powered up again.

I suppose that all the Gates are powered by their own mana stream.

“That leaves the matter of what to do with the little Zana. She is about to become five years old and both her parents are gone.” Quarma is the first one to stick her nose into the dreaded topic. The old leathery hag survived another close to death experience. That's three, four times so far? I am beginning to believe that she stole from the god of luck.

Valda closes her eyes. “Of course we take her in, that's without a question. Right Yoran?”

My father nods. “Of course. There is enough free area in this mansion. But we have to lock Valeria's room in that case. The child shouldn't be corrupted by her... weird hobbies.”

“Weird hobbies? What are you doing in your room Valeria?” I am astounded. There I went, investing so much time and effort in her, just to make sure that she evolves into a proper little sister. And now I have to hear that she deviated from her path?

“Hobbies?” Valda's eyes fix on Valeria. “I never knew that you had a hobby.”

“Did you ever visit her room? I thought as her mother you knew, so I never said anything.” Yoran asks flabbergasted. “Her whole room is full of-”

“F... Father! You are exaggerating! My hobby isn't that bad!” Valeria stutters with a red face.

Not being able to endure the curiosity I stand up and head for the door. “I'll take a look at Valeria's so called hobby.”

My sister gets up from her seat and jumps at me with a howl. “No! Don't look, Brother! The shame! I'll die!” She wraps herself around my leg like a stubborn child.

Valda stands up and leaves through the door. “Now I've to see it! When I visited her room it was always normal, clean and tidy!”

Valeria lets go of me and grabs Mother's tail. “Noooo! Don't! Give me one minute before you enter!”

Valda ignores her and simply keeps on walking, dragging Valeria with her. The rest of us follows her to my sister's room, ignoring the wailing Valeria who is trying to stop her mother from steadily advancing.

My mother opens the door and steps inside. I follow with Stella. Yoran and Quarma peek inside through the doorframe.

The scene is breathtaking. The walls are plastered with pictures of me in different poses. Many of them are drawn with coal, but there also breathtaking accurate works with acrylic colours, canvas and oil paintings.

In the middle of the room are some unfinished works on a wooden rack. Valeria is kneeling on the ground, sobbing like her greatest secret was just exposed. “Now he has seen it...”

“See? It's really not good for a child to be in here.” Yoran proclaims from his post at the entrance.

“If it weren't for her choice of motifs I would call her a great artist.” I force a smile onto my face. What did I do wrong with my sister's education? Did I spoil her too much? “It could be worse.”

“What could be worse? If this gets out our family's name is ruined!” Valda turns around with a red face.

“She could have drawn me naked.” I state, which makes Quarma gasp for air. The old woman is very conservative in that regard.

“I see, I see. My close friend Valeria has indeed a dirty secret like this.” Stella's eyes wander to Valeria. “It seems like I have to re-evaluate our relationship.”

“Nooo!” Valeria gets up and hugs Stella around her waist. “It's just platonic love I swear! It's nothing physical! There is a perfectly fine reason for drawing so many pictures. You have to believe me! You are my only real female friend. You understand how it is to be the daughter of a clan head!”

Stella pats Valeria's head. “It's fine. I understand, you really love your brother... but these pictures have to go. Why don't you paint someone else for a change?”

Valeria sobs. “But my brother was always so nice to me, so I wanted to paint the perfect picture for his graduation from university!”

“Eh?” Stella stops patting Valeria. “But why draw so many!?”

“Because they aren't perfect!” Valeria gets up and points at one picture at the wall. “This one for example! Don't you see that his hair colour is slightly off!? Or this one! His eyes changed since then, so it became unusable!” She continues to ramble on about the different, almost unnoticeable mistakes in each of the pictures.

Ohhh... now everything is clear to me. My attitude of perfectionism while performing a task rubbed off on Valeria. She wanted to draw the perfect painting of me, which is almost impossible by all means. Someone would need to be a machine in order to accomplish such a task.

I choose one of the nicer coloured pictures where I look slightly downwards in an earnest manner. “It's a nice idea as a present. I think I'll take this one for our staircase. If I place it on an elevated spot it'll look like I am watching everyone who enters our mansion.” With the picture under my arm I leave Valeria's room and pull Stella with me. “We'll be on our way then. The kids are surely already waiting.”

“One moment!!” Valda calls out and follows us. “Didn't you forget someone?”

I purse my lips and knit my eyebrows while thinking hard. “No?”

“You have to take Zana with you!” Valda crosses her arms in front of her chest.

“Pardon me?” Stella's eyes widen.

“I just want the best for the child.” Valda gestures with her hands. “Isn't it obvious? My city was heavily damaged. I have no time to take care of her because Yoran and I have to organize the repairs as the clan heads. My niece deserves something better than being treated like a push around. You two just got two youngsters and since Zana is almost five she shouldn't be too much of an additional hassle. If you can shower your twins with love, then sparing a little time for her won't make that much of a difference.”

“Then why don't you let Valeria take care of her? Maybe it's good for both of them?” I complain.

Valda raises an eyebrow. “Were you just in the same room as me?”

“Urgh...” I don't know how to defend myself.

“We can't force her onto a branch family. That's out of the question. First, I wouldn't accept that and second, it would look like we don't care for our own. Quarma is too old and your father and I are too busy right now to help her properly through this difficult time. Maybe I can take over in a few months when the city is working again, but until then you have to help her.”

“It's fine. Where is she?” Stella asks.

“Stel?” I am not entirely sure on how to feel about this. The child just lost her parents and you want to sell me as a new father figure? That's a bad idea on so many levels, I don't even know where to begin!

“She is down that corridor in the guest room, probably still hiding under the bed.” Valda points in the proper direction.

Stella sighs and walks off to get Zana.

“Don't give me that sour look Azir. Make sure to smile when she sees you.” Valda snorts. “Probably you are imaging this in a worse way than it is. Zana is soon going to school in the capital. Most of the day the teachers will be responsible for her once she gets over the shock of losing her parents. This is only about the first few months.

It's also good that your house is directly on school grounds, so the surroundings will be familiar to her.”

My wife returns, leading a small girl at her hand. Zana is a small and silent little doll with steel blue hair and facial features similar to her mother. Stella kneels down and points at me. “And that's Azir, you'll live with us from now on.”

I lock eyes with the frightened girl and force myself to smile. Maybe I can enlist Ivy to do her job with more devotion.

.