"That's lame!" Tiriara blurted out after hearing what Arsen called the sword.
Arsen turned to her with a confused expression. He looked around to see everyone shaking their heads. When he reached Aeneas, "What do you think?" he asked.
Aeneas shook his head. And Tiriara was the one who answered with, "It's not even red."
"Captain, how about 'Dragon's Claw'?" Rhene suggested.
Arsen was deep in thought, thinking whether Rhene's suggestion was a better fit for his blade. He looked at the other knights who seemed to be appealed by the name. Then, when he reached Aeneas, he saw him lost in his thoughts.
The lord Caspius smiled, "How about you suggest a name, little brother," he said.
Aeneas stared at him. He began tapping his lips with his finger as he tried to think of something befitting the sword.
Tiriara raised her right hand, "I have one!" she said.
"Okay, let's hear it."
"Let's name it, Deathblade!"
Some of the knights found the girl's suggestion rather 'cool', and were nodding among themselves.
"Don't listen to her," said Aeneas, "naming your sword Deathblade might tarnish your reputation."
Tiriara rolled her eyes, she placed her hand on Aeneas's shoulder and pulled him, "It's a great name though?" she argued.
"Yeah, that is if you want people's admiration towards brother and his 'Deathblade' turns to fear."
"What do you think he should name it then?" Tiriara replied with a louder voice.
Aeneas brushed the girl's hand from his shoulder, "I can't think with all your barking."
Tiriara didn't like his sentiment and went for a tickle attack which made the boy wiggle, he blocked the second one and gripped her finger. Aeneas increased his strength which made Tiriara tap him in pain.
Aeneas let her go, his face unamused as the girl didn't think of using her Zeal to overpower him with ease. How dumb, he thought.
"So, what do you think, little brother? Should I go with Dragon Claw then?"
Aeneas turned to Arsen, with a smile, "I guess. It's way better than 'Deathblade' or even 'Red Sword'." He said.
Hearing Aeneas's response made Tiriara groan in disappointment.
"That's quite an anticlimactic response, my son," Lyra said.
"Well, I did think of a name, mother. But, it sounded kind of embarrassing."
Tiriara grunted, "Just tell us, you baby!" she said.
Aeneas glared at the girl, who averted his gaze and whistled as if she didn't say anything. Arsen and the others also started convincing Aeneas to tell them his thoughts.
Still embarrassed, "Well, I thought of the name… Hopebringer," he said.
Tiriara began laughing as she looked at Aeneas while repeating his suggestion and also copying his voice.
"How could you laugh when you suggested deathblade? Are you dumb?"
The girl continued laughing and didn't mind Aeneas's words. To which he replied with rolling his eyes and decided to ignore her as if she didn't exist anymore.
Arsen sheathed the sword, "Hopebringer," he muttered. Then, he looked at Aeneas with a smile, "I still think that Red Sword was the best, but, Hopebringer doesn't sound bad. I guess I'll go with that," he said.
His words made Aeneas smile. While the others still tried to think of a different name. On the other hand, Tiriara had her mouth wide open, "Really?" she asked, "But Deathblade was a much better name!"
Aeneas began chuckling while pointing at her. He also did it while saying the name she suggested, mimicking what the girl did earlier.
Lyra clapped to get everyone's attention. She then proceeds to tell them that the next gifts are for his baby, Aeneas. As soon as Tiriara heard her call Aeneas as a baby, she started teasing him as she repeated the word. Embarrassed, Aeneas ignored her with all his might. Their back-and-forth fun altercation was funny even to the adults.
"Don't be surprised, but I also got you a sword!" Lyra said.
Aeneas smiled, "Where's my books, mother," he said.
"Oh, come on. Can't you act like I've fooled you this time?"
Lyra opened one of the huge suitcases. Inside were dozens of books. From different fields of study and journals, but most were story books or novels that have increased in popularity. One by one, Aeneas looked at the front cover to read the titles. His face lights up with each title he reads.
As his mother saw Tiriara a short distance behind him, peeking at the books, she asked the girl to come closer and pick one for herself. She obliged and sat beside Aeneas.
"Don't you think it would be a waste, mother?"
Lyra's brows furrowed, "Why?"
Aeneas pressed his index finger at Tiriara's cheeks, "Tiri doesn't know how to read," he said.
Tiriara was quite happy to hear Aeneas call her with her nickname. But, she told herself that the boy just insulted her and that she needed to retaliate.
"Stop lying, you know I could read," she said.
Aeneas shook his head, "What you did was sleep and leave a lake of your drool in my book, that wasn't read—"
Before he could finish his words, Tiriara covered his mouth with her hand. Aeneas tried to remove it but couldn't, a muffled sound came from him, telling the girl to stop.
"Aeneas," said Lyra. Her voice sounded the same yet felt different.
As she heard Lyra, Tiriara let go of Aeneas. She wiped her hand on Aeneas's clothes.
The boy looks at his mother, "I was just jesting, mother," he said.
Lyra smiled, "Enough with the jokes and let Tiri take her pick."
Aeneas responded with a nod. While Tiriara stares at him with a smile. Not before long, "I'll just read at Aenie's room," she said.
"No! Pick, you're not allowed in my room," Aeneas blurted.
"Who said that?"
"Are you deaf now?"
Their bickering continued. Lyra was happy seeing her youngest being a normal kid with a friend of his age.
Aeneas continued to browse the books in the suitcase, and Tiriara took the ones he finished looking at to check it herself. Though, she didn't figure out what most of the books were about based on the title.
Then, Aeneas found a thick one without a title written on the front cover. He opened it and still didn't see one on the front page.
"What's this," he asked as he turned to his mother.
His mother told him that it was an unknown book. One that was found in an ancient ruin.
"Are you sure about giving it to me, mother? Don't you need to study it?"
"It's a copy," Lyra explained that it was like a journal but also had short stories in it. The copy she gave him has her notes written on it. She said that the book uses a similar language to them but used differently and there are some new words she deciphered the meaning as she read through the book.
"Do you know what's more interesting about that book, Aenie?" Lyra asked.
As if the boy's curiosity was leaking, he stared at his mother, shook his head and waited for her to continue her words. The others were also curious and listened closely.
Lyra took a glance at everyone, and with a smile, "That book never spoke of anything regarding Nusterra. It's as if it's from an entirely different place," she said.
Everyone was blown away by her words, some even wanted a copy of their own. Lyra said that she'll make more and give one to everyone. While Aeneas was taken aback and was excited to open the book and start reading.
"Then where is it from, my lady? Beyond the raging seas? From the lands of the Gods?" An unexpected question coming from the silent Tereus.
"I see that your curiosity has reached its peak, Sir Tereus," Lyra said.
She explained that she also didn't know. Lyra bought the book from the auction house in the city of Laochyro at the nation Decatris. The book wasn't sold and was kept at the auction house's storage for more than a year. Everyone who browsed it just thought of it as another work of fiction. But, when Lyra began reading, she realized that not a single reference to anything that exists in Nusterra was mentioned and came to believe that it was from an entirely different place. Based on the people in the auction house, the book was said to be found in a ruin uncovered in the kingdom of Kankavi.
"Worry not, Sir Tereus. You'll be the first to receive a copy."
Lyra's words put a smile on Tereus's serious face.
After seeing all the books, Aeneas stood up and gave her mother a hug and a kiss on her cheek, "Thank you, mother," he said. Lyra hugged him tight and whispered in his ear that she had another surprise for him.
"Really? What is it?" asked Aeneas.
Lyra pulled the same case and opened the locked compartment. With her right hand, she pulled out an item with a black rounded body. She rests it in both her hands, its size a bit bigger than a melon. The thing has a black shiny surface as if it was polished.
Aeneas reached for it and took a close inspection. Meanwhile, Tiriara stood up to take a closer look, "What's that?" she asked. The others were also curious about the identity of the bizarre thing.
"Doesn't it look like a stone?" Haemon blurted out.
Arsen nodded, "You might be right," he looked at his mother, "is it a magical one?" he asked.
Everyone was looking at Lyra, waiting for her reveal.
"I am unsure, but it might be an egg."