Once Osiris arrived and assessed the situation, he deducted that some power had likely awakened in his son prematurely, wrecking his body and sending him into a coma.
There were records of such things having happened before, albeit rarely. Lady Isis was still unconvinced when Jody's body suddenly combusted into a vast mass of green followed by black flames that took the silhouette of a winged wolf. The emerald glaze could be seen from every corner of the Magus district and even some parts of the inner city.
Several mortals on the House staff were burned to cinders in the blast and seemed to become one with the flames.
"What is that?!"
"Jessica!!"
"Mosi is on fire! Save my child, help me!"
"My eyes!"
"Enemy attack! Take defensive action move now!"
"Mercer, secure the Lord's family!"
"Everyone, get back!" shouted the Lord as a wind energy barrier erupted from his outstretched arms, preventing the extreme heat from slaughtering the mortals of the House.
The five warriors by his side quickly responded, significantly reducing the pressure on the Lord. The Lord disengaged and moved like the wind as he helped his subjects.
"What the hell…is this the effects of the Seamless Aether Physique? What is happening?" said a young man in gray robes who had just arrived on the scene with another elder.
The flaming emerald wolf released a howl that shook the entire estate and the surrounding areas before the wolf silhouette faded as the fire raged on.
An enormous crowd surrounded a blazing square at the center of the House Trillwolf estate grounds.
"How could this be? Did someone poison the young Lord?"
"It must be nefarious in design! We must investigate this thoroughly! We will murder the culprit's next five generations, nay! The next twenty…"
"Shut up, Phil. The honored Lord Trillwolf is approaching."
Osiris Trillwolf was laced in magnificent white cloth armor, dual sickle swords on his waist. On his shoulder was a silver badge with an all-seeing eye overlooking a jackal branded on it. Behind him were five warriors radiating a fierce aura, no less than that of the Lord.
In fact, the hunky red-haired elder at his right radiated a pressure that felt even more stifling.
The five warriors stood at attention in a line, their black armor blending in with the night and standing out simultaneously. The intricate designs on each breastplate cast a radiant light that outlined the fierce fangs of the mythical creatures etched into them. Each hieroglyph was comprised of glowing runes, indicating that these were honored elders who had risked their lives for the glory of the Trillwolf.
After helping the mortal and weaker members of the House, Lord Trillwolf and his retinue returned to the scene. The House Trillwolf crowd automatically made room for them. These seven warriors were the most prominent figures in the House. No one would dare to show them any disrespect.
"It does not seem like he was attacked at all, my Lord. If anything, it looks as if this was an accident during force formulation," said a blonde-haired middle-aged scholar in black wolf armor who walked next to the approaching Lord Trillwolf. "It's similar to the case of a voodoo practitioner from the Southern Ward who tried to cultivate a Devil Path method from the Cove. We went looking for him after he was reported missing. When we found him, his appearance was almost precisely like the young Lord's now. The aged appearance is most striking. That practitioner had broken through in realm and power, but his body's potential was exhausted."
"What happened to the voodoo practitioner in the end, Uncle Fontaine?" asked the Lord. Seeing the hesitant look in his elder's eyes, he asked, "Do you not wish to tell me?"
"Not really," replied Fontaine Trillwolf simply. "I truly hope this is not the case."
Two hours later, Lord Trillwolf, clad in jewels and gold robes below his exposed upper body, stood thirty feet away from the fire.
He had to remove his armor and weapons as the flames threatened to devour all ambient mana in the area. As Osiris slowly inched his left foot forward, his clothes were instantly flooded with flames. Osiris dropped back half a step, and the obsidian wolf pendant on his neck covered his body in a grayish-black glow that extinguished the fire.
Osiris then looked to the five warriors whose white robes had replaced their wolf armor and were standing behind him.
"It is no use, Sage nephew," said the elder with flaming red eyes and hair.
He stood close to seven feet tall, and his voice was loud and aggressive. This was none other than the dynasty's legendary fire Mage, Fire First Mercer, an Honored Elder of House Trillwolf and a member of the Five Element Wolf pack. His official title was Fire First, while Mercer Trillwolf was his actual name.
"This is a flame that should not exist in our world. I've never felt such a terrifying fire force. There seems to be some blend of neon mixed within. It is comparable to sagefire powered by a high-level dragon force," said Mercer.
"Second brother Mercer is correct. Even my Evanescent Water force is utterly ineffective in the face of these flames," the first elder agreed.
He looked identical to Elder Mercer, only with blonde hair and blue eyes. This was the House's Disciplinary elder, Frenzied Rain Fontaine, an Honored Elder of House Trillwolf and a Five Element Wolf pack member. He was the only member to have also been a part of the previous pack.
Lord Osiris was silent as he stared at the mass of emerald flames. He hadn't forgotten that this single flame was made of two parts in harmony. His face looked indifferent, and no one could tell what he was thinking. However, if one were to look at the obsidian wolf pendant on his neck, one would see the eyes had an eerie pale red glow.
"My lord, if I may hazard a guess." Suddenly, Ke Si appeared holding his cane artifact while standing at Lord Osiris' front. "The young Lord doesn't seem to be in any peril. His life force is far stronger now than when we first arrived. These flames absorbed the surrounding mana and the vital essence of anything they encounter, feeding it to the young Lord. Perhaps this isn't harmful to the young Lord at all? We all sensed that howl that shook our souls. That was surely the howl of a Sky…"
"That's enough, Ke Si," Lord Osiris's voice was icy as he cut across before the other could finish, making Ke feel like he'd sunk deep into the abyss.
This was the first time his Lord displayed a sliver of killing intent towards him. It was at this moment he realized he had said too much. In his excitement, he didn't lower his voice or disguise his words.
However, it was already too late.
Ke noticed that after the Lord stopped him, a strange glint flashed in the eyes of two gray-robed elders who stood not far from their group. It seemed they had not come with the same motives as the Lord. Ke inwardly cursed his carelessness.
The previous young man of the two gray-robed dignitaries stepped forward at this time, bowing toward the five elders in white, "Monte greets the esteemed Five Elements Wolf Pack and the House Lord. I wonder, House Lord. Will you allow this one to speak freely?"
This man was around thirty years old and stood a bit above six feet. He had a lean athletic build and looked about 40% similar to the twin elders, Mercer and Fontaine. Though his words were polite, his tone displayed absolutely no respect.
Osiris glanced at Monte Trillwolf, the offspring of the Grand Patriarch of the House who had taken him in. Monte was his foster father's biological son and hence Lord heir to the House, so he was very conceited and contented since childhood.
Although the Lord had the same status as him, he never felt like an equal. Abercorn Trillwolf had always looked down on him and favored Osiris more despite them both having the same ranking. He wanted recognition and respect but knew it was hopeless. Being a Lord of the House wasn't enough. He wanted the House Lord and family patriarch position.
"You are already doing so, no?" Osiris responded to this rhetorical question indifferently.
As they had the same status, Monte did not need to ask before speaking.
"House Lord, this child is a threat to the safety of the entire estate! This threat must be eliminated before it completes its transformation!" Monte spoke with heroic enthusiasm as if he were a martyr for the clan. "As Lords of the House, it is our duty to protect from all threats, internal or external. I beg the Lord to see the bigger picture."
"Lord Monte, if you wish to approach and rid us of this 'threat,' you may be my guest," Osiris couldn't be bothered to take this clown seriously today.
They were both lords of the House, but Osiris held the reins. Still, he was currently only worried about his son. Osiris didn't fear Monte taking action. Not even he could approach that menacing fire, much less the weaker Trillwolf.
Having arrived here secretly before the Lord had returned, Monte was the most aware that such an action was suicide. He had hoped to use the situation to incite unrest. This would pave the way for him to take over the House.
However, Osiris' response immediately shut down his plan. Indeed, no one could approach this brat. What was the point in discussing how to deal with him if they couldn't even get close? Monte only now realized he was wasting breath. But having already spoken, he decided to commit. Most of the House treated Osiris' strength as if it were already legendary level.
Monte felt he could leverage this belief to damage the people's faith in his brother.
"Sage Brother Osiris, I implore you. If this child of yours burns down the city, then this calamity is on your hands," said Monte, grimacing heavily.
He then turned and departed with his companion. How could he go out of his way to embarrass himself further? Since the House Lord couldn't be bothered or coerced into action, Monte may as well let it be. Maybe the child would murder even more innocents. That would also make it a little easier for Monte to get rid of him.
He could not afford to fail again.
At this time, Jody was no longer visible in the fire as it continued to burn. Two days later, Lady Isis had passed out from grief three times as the fire raged on, too fierce and mysterious for anyone to approach. It seemed hot enough to burn mana into nothing, making it the bane of Mages. In fact, Isis noted that the fire wasn't truly burning anything.
It would be more accurate to say the flames were devouring whatever they touched. Though a powerful aura burst from the flame, the fire didn't spread any further, as if it disdained to move even an inch farther.
An hour later, the fire suddenly vanished, quicker than it came. If one had blinked at that moment, they would have to question whether there was ever a fire. Little Josiah Trillwolf was lying in the same spot as before, as if he had never heard of a flame before. The sticky black impurities that were on his skin previously had long been burned away, and his skin was smooth and lustrous like copal.
Not only that, but he had grown quite a bit taller. His small frame also looked more toned and strong. Jody could now easily pass as a strong five- to six-year-old martial artist at barely three years old.
However, Josiah remained unconscious.