"Grandma Oriole! Please take him back inside the house!"
Anaise shouted, covering Hawke's bloodied and burnt body with her wings so that Berkah doesn't see him in that state.
"Okay!"
The old lady grabbed Berkah and took him back inside the house, she then closed the door and went back outside to help.
"... What is with this world..."
Berkah muttered behind the closed door and balled up his tiny fist.
"It's like death is always close by... First mom almost died and now..."
Berkah grit his teeth.
"I need to become stronger so I can protect them. "
"Even if I have to use the ability that killed their children. "
He whispered to himself, his gaze full of determination.
[Let's see...]
He closed his eyes and sensed his Harpy father's life force.
[It's feint... I think he'll make it if they heal his external wounds, it's not as bad as when mom was injured.]
[But...]
He glanced down at his palms.
[I will heal him like I healed mom if the need arises...]
Berkah silently listened in on the people who were hurridly trying to save Hawke, and he carefully monitored his life force, ready to step in if need be.
///
Around an hour and a half passed and the noise outside died down a little bit.
"Whew... I think he should be okay after a week or so."
The doctor said, glancing at Anaise and Lark whilst wiping the sweat off his forehead.
"Thank goodness..."
Anaise said, tightly holding Hawke's left hand as he lay there unconscious.
"I have prepared a new house for you lot to stay in, please take him there so he can rest."
Grandma Oriole said with a gentle smile on her face.
"Thank you, we apologize for the inconvenience. "
Anaise said, bowing her head down slightly.
"What are you saying? Sir Hawke fought for all of us, who knows what would've happened if it wasn't for him."
The old lady said, bowing deeply to the Featherblades.
Two young men who were a part of the crowd carefully picked up Hawke, carried him and followed Grandma Oriole to their new accommodation.
"Do not worry Lady Anaise, the Captain is very resilient, he has been through much worse than this so he will definitely survive."
Lark confidently declared with his right hand on his heart.
"Yes... He has more reasons to live now."
"*sigh*... So, are you going to tell me what's going on Lark?"
Anaise narrowed her eyes at Lark, her emerald eyes piercing through his soul.
"I myself do not know much, but I know he was attacked by a Demon."
"A... Demon? What..."
Anaise was shocked because she knew that Demons occupied the central part of the continent and they are so prideful that they would never set foot here, a place that considered "lowly."
So what did they want?
"The Demon must have been powerful if it got through the barrier at Frostfront without being detected."
Anaise said, stroking her delicate chin with her feather.
"Indeed, and the fact that it also drove the Captain to near death speaks volumes."
"The Captain is a very powerful individual, so I would guess that the Demon is a member of the Umbral Congress at the very least."
Lark said, fixing his puffy hair.
"What?! A member of the Umbral Congress? The ones known as the arms of the Demon King?"
Anaise screamed out loud, her wings trembling in disbelief.
[Now that I think about it, didn't I see a figure with a Wyvern corpse on the pastures before I saw Hawke and Lark? Was that the Demon?]
Anaise mused, her wings still trembling.
"So... Does this mean we'll go to war with the Demon King?"
Anaise asked.
"I hope not... He has not attacked us despite our refusal to be under him, we can only pray he keeps that mindset."
Lark said, fastening the rope on his waist which was tied to the mummified limb of the large Wyvern.
Anaise opened the door of their old house to take Berkah to their new one.
She was met with the tiny frame of her son with his gaze to the floor and his hands fidgety.
"Hey Berkah~"
"Have you been standing behind the door this whole time?"
Anaise said in a soothing tone, picking up Berkah and cradling him in her wings.
[I can't... look her in the eyes...]
"Hm? What's wrong are you mad at me?~"
[No... That's not it mom...]
[If you knew... you'd probably hate me forever.]
"Awww... Don't be like that, are you worried about your Papa?"
[Nope, not at all.]
He replied inwardly, his once sulky expression now blank.
"Fufu, let's go I'll cook something nice for you okay?"
[!!]
[Fuck... Anything but that...]
Berkah flinched, which caused Anaise to frown.
"... Looks like your Papa has rubbed off on you."
"I'll have to teach him a lesson as soon as he heals..."
Anaise spat, her emerald eyes laced in bloodlust.
[Damn... RIP blue-haired dude.]
"Ahem! Lady Anaise, who is that child?"
Lark stepped forward and glanced at Berkah.
"This is my son. His name is Berkah..."
"Berkah Featherblade. "
[!!]
"Wha — The Captain didn't say he had a son..."
Lark was slightly taken aback by the news.
"Fufu, he's our little blessing, isn't he just adorable?"
Anaise said joyfully, rubbing her soft cheeks against Berkah's.
[What in the world... Black wings???]
Lark narrowed his eyes at the child in Anaise's wings.
[Huh? Why are you glaring at me you fucker.]
[You wanna go? I happen to want to blow off some steam.]
Berkah spat inwardly.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, my name is Lark, I work with your father."
Lark extended his hand to Berkah with a very soft smile on his face.
[Why are you suddenly acting so chummy?]
[You were just glaring at me just now, no way I'll shake your hand.]
Berkah shook his head and refused to shake Lark's hand.
"Aww, are you shy Berkah? How adorable."
Anaise continue rubbing her cheek against Berkah's.
"Kuku, that's understandable."
"Anyway, I must take my leave now Lady Anaise, I will return tomorrow to check the Captain's condition. "
Lark said, bowing deeply.
[Hurry up and go blud, why are you even still here?]
Berkah glared at Lark.
[Haha... he must not like me very much...]
Lark mused with a bitter smile on his face.
*vrr!*,*vrr!*, *vrr!*.
[!!]
[What is that sound? Is that a phone vibrating?!]
Berkah's eyes shone brightly as he expectantly watched Lark reach into his bumbag.
[Tch... A book? Why is a damn book vibrating??]
"Now then... I'll be leaving."
Lark said, turning his back and walking towards the edge of the thick branch.
He opened his Aetherlink Codex and read its contents.
[!!]
Upon doing so, his expression became extremely bitter.
"Shit..."
He Muttered.
[Anyway... The Captain has a son huh...]
[I hope he's as talented as his father for the sake of Frostfront.]
He turned his gaze back to Anaise and Berkah who were already walking toward their new house.
He saw Berkah peeking from Anaise's shoulder.
He put on a soft smile but Berkah responded with a smirk like a delinquent's and briefly raised his middle finger at Lark.
[Eh? Did he just....]
[No... I must be seeing things because of all this stress.]
Lark pinched his eyebrows and flew away.