"Is that a dragon's egg?!" Tiriara blurted out.
Her voice was loud, deafening to the boy sitting beside her. It made Aeneas jump, then he glared at Tiriara who mouthed, "Sorry," when she noticed.
"How did you even come up with a dragon's egg?" Aeneas asked.
Tiriara pointed at Arsen, "The sword was made from a dragon's scale wasn't it?" she said.
Aeneas nodded as he realized that Tiriara did make a great point. He turned to his mother and asked if she was correct.
Lyra shook her head, "I also don't know," she paused, "but that egg wasn't from the same ancient ruin where I found the dragon's scale."
Lyra found the black egg at the same place where she found the book--the storage of the auction house in Laochyro. It was trapped inside a huge amber when she first saw it. The personnel in the auction house believed that it was amber smuggled from the same ruins in the kingdom of Kankavi, north of Decatris.
As it didn't display any sort of magical capability or even the signs of mana, the huge cluster of amber wasn't sold. Ambers in Nusterra could amplify fire, and even store it. These gemstones, although not the most common, were still affordable for many. No one finds it worthy to buy something of no use, even though it was claimed to be from an ancient ruin.
"Yet you buy it, mother?" Arsen asked.
"My son. You know I've never been scammed or bought something with a bloated price."
Lyra said that she bought it for two gold coins. It was more than fair for a researcher like her, but what made her more set to bring it with her was the words of the person who sold it in the auction house. The one who sold it mentioned that he found it at the center of a small room, placed in some sort of a circular metal plate. At least that was what he told the personnel Lyra met.
"Doesn't it sound like it was something important?" Lyra asked with a smile.
Arsen nodded. While his mother continued speaking. After bringing it back, Lyra studied it. But, she found nothing and decided to crack it open. And inside, she found the egg.
"But, how are you sure that it is an egg?" Tiriara asked.
Lyra smiled, "Try tapping it, Aenie," she told her son to also place his ear at its surface as he did.
Aeneas did as his mother asked, "It sounds like something is returning my tap," he said.
"Let me try," Tiriara said, she already reached for the egg before Aeneas agreed.
Tiriara's mouth widened. She passed the 'egg' to everyone to let them give it a try. All the while, Aeneas stares at her, telling the girl to be careful with it.
Arsen was still doubtful after giving it a try. It could've been some kind of liquid inside and not an offspring of an unknown creature. Lyra argued that its shape and size resemble an egg. Although it is one she couldn't find in any book, she mentioned that her hypothesis was more likely to be correct than not.
Then, Tiriara returned to Lyra. And with a gleeful smile, "How do we hatch it?!" she said.
Lyra shrugged. She had the item for months but didn't find anything.
"I even tried to force it open by smashing it." Lyra continued that at first, she tried to hammer it, but the hammer bounced off. Then, using the Zeal of the proud Lion, she struck harder but ended with the same result. With her continuous pleading with the other researchers, Lyra managed to attack the egg with every one of the four elements. But, even magic has no effect. She tried other things, yet no matter how hard she tried to crack the egg open, nothing worked.
"That weird amber might've preserved that egg and turned it into a fossil," Lyra continued.
Aeneas took the black egg from the overexcited girl, "Are you sure about giving it to me, mother?"
Lyra nodded in response, "Maybe, you'll find a way to hatch it," she said as a joke. Yet her words didn't sound as one to the boy who was excited to try his best to see what was inside of the mysterious egg.
With a clap, Lyra stood, "Okay, I'm quite famished. We should eat," she said.
Crisa hurried to the kitchen and started cooking the ingredients they had prepared. Yri and Issa joined her. Lyra was a bit confused by their sudden actions. It was his son, Arsen, who commented that it was her idea for everyone to receive her gifts first, which included Crisa who was preparing their dinner.
"Oh, right," Lyra said. She stood up and went to the kitchen to offer help preparing the meal. Crisa obliged as she knew that Lyra wouldn't take no for an answer.
The Caspius manor's vibrancy reached its peak at the dining table. Aside from the meal, everyone shared stories and laughter. Lyra was the core of the joyful chatters. Her travels and research in the central nation, Decatris, and other neighboring kingdoms were filled with interesting finds and encounters fitted to be told in a story.
Donos and the other knights remained silent, listening to the unfolding conversation and laughing whenever something funny was brought up. Unlike them, Haemon would ask silly questions and Rhene or Kyra would ask him to shut up. On the other hand, Tereus was a bit chatty. Aside from Aeneas, he was the other person who kept asking when Lyra was talking about her research. When it comes to clothing shops, flower shops, and one selling ornaments, the women were the ones who showed great enthusiasm. Tiriara was just there butting in with random words, while Sir Konon who was watching her, continued to eat his fill.
"So, when will sister return home?" asked Aeneas.
Lyra said that her daughter, Lois, will return home in the month of the summit. The yearly meeting of all kings of the twelve ruling kingdoms. Held at the city of Laochyro in Decatris, the summit is an obligatory event that each king needs to attend every twelve months. Last year's summit was held in the month of Cancer (July), so it will be held in the month of Leo (August) this year.
Tiriara joined the conversation, with her loud voice, "You're not going to attend the summit?!" she exclaimed. The girl turned to Aeneas, "Come on, let's go! I know some good shops in Laochyro. I think I even saw a huge library there, but I didn't go in. Anyway, you can come with me and sister and father."
Aeneas stared at Lyra, then turned his gaze to his older brother.
Arsen smiled, "I received a letter from the king months ago," he said that the Panteran king had asked him to be one of Pantera's representatives in the summit's main event. A tournament for each kingdom to showcase their best warriors in a series of friendly matches. The letter indicates that the participants for the year's main event must be of the age of twenty to thirty.
With a smile, "So, we're going?" Aeneas asked.
The boy's reaction was quite a surprise to his mother. In the past years, Aeneas would deny only seconds after the mention of going to the summit. He'd rather stay at the manor and read or swing his wooden sword. Lyra turned her gaze to Arsen with a heartfelt smile. Arsen did the same and nodded at his mother.
"Yes, we're going. And, you have to come with me, little brother."
Aeneas nodded. But, his face lit up as he remembered something, "How about sister? Isn't she returning home?"
Lyra said that Lois would go home in the first week of the summit's month. Then she'd return after.
"The main event is held at the last week of the summit's month," Arsen added. He said that they could go to Laochyro with Lois.
Learning that her friend was going, Tiriara stared at Aeneas with a grin. Meanwhile, he smiled and averted her gaze.
Long after the delightful meal, when most of the knights had returned to the other building and their quarters, and those in the main residence were sleeping in theirs, Arsen was sitting at his office, looking at documents and reports. Then, someone knocked on his room's wooden door. It opened and Arsen saw that it was Lyra.
"Why aren't you asleep, mother?" Arsen asked.
Lyra went inside the room and sat on one of the chairs, she had a genuine smile as she looked at her son sitting at the seat that once belonged to her husband, "Your father would've been so proud," she said.
"Thank you, mother," Arsen replied with a smile.
Then, Lyra's expression took a sudden turn, it became serious. An expression that only a few have seen. She stood and walked closer to Arsen.
"I need more time."
Arsen sighed, "Mother… Maybe there is no other way, we need to tell him. We have been lying to him since he was a kid, it's his right to know," he said.
Unknown to them, Tiriara was at the other side of the door. The girl pleaded with Konon to tell her father to stay the night. She left the room she stayed at to drink a glass of water. But on the way back, she heard what Arsen said and rushed back to her room thinking it was about Aeneas being a bastard.
"No. He might be too excited and get caught. What horrors will befall my baby if people find out."
Arsen stood and placed his hands on her mother's shoulders, "We are in Pantera, such things won't happen to Aeneas. I am here."
Lyra's eyes were starting to water, "You don't know that," she blinked multiple times and wiped her eyes. Then, she hugged her son, "Just, please… I need a little bit more time," she said.
Arsen took a deep breath, she hugged his mother back. Then, he walked a bit backward and looked Lyra in the eyes.
"It has been too long, mother," he paused, "But… I will give you until the first month of next year, if you find nothing, you need to tell him. And if you don't, I will."