Eh? You dont want to feed you? Minerva asked Tafel. She blinked as the demon shook her head. A snort escaped from the two holes in her beak. Cre, Vur. Arent you hungry?
Vur felt his stomach. A little, he said with a nod. Eating Aunties potato emptied my stomach instead of filling it. He walked over to Minerva, not noticing Tafel and Emiles concerned gazes. I knew it wasnt a potato.
Say, ah, Minerva said, patting Vurs head with her wing. She glared at Tafel and Emile as Vur opened his mouth. This son-in-law of mine is more filial than my actual children. You two should be ashad. Before Tafel or Emile could respond, Minerva leaned forward and opened her beak over Vurs mouth.
Im going to be sick, Tafel said, her face turning green as brown liquid shot out of Minervas beak like water from a faucet. She hunched over and clutched her stomach.
Emile patted her head. Why? Its perfectly normal.
Really? Tafel asked in a flat voice. Then why did you beg to save you?
Im a minor! I cant drink alcohol, Emile said and rolled his eyes. Duh.
Grimmy and Lindyss watched Vurs Adams apple bob up and down. Thats a bit disturbing, Grimmy said. And Ive seen a lot of things. He blinked at Lindyss and poked her scowling face. Are you jealous? Thats your jealous expression.
What the hell is a jealous expression? Lindyss asked with a snort. Im not jealous at all. Im offended. I had to coax and force him to eat a false god, but he willingly lets a phoenix puke in his mouth? Wheres the justice?
Minerva pulled her head back and clacked her beak a few tis. She sighed and patted Vurs head. If only all my children were as obedient as you, she said, shooting another dirty look at Tafel and Emile.
Vur rubbed his nose and burped. He glanced at Tafels green face, Lindyss annoyed face, and Grimmys disturbed face before tugging on Minervas wing. He asked, Can I have so more?
Minerva tittered and hugged Vur with both her wings. Of course! Open up!
Yup, Tafel said, turning around. Im sick now. She lifted Emile and pressed her forehead into his belly, causing him to yelp when her horns dug into him. Can you tell if I have a fever or not?
Emile squawked and kicked his legs while flapping his wings. That tickles!
Grimmy scratched his head and crawled onto his feet. Im gonna go, uh, terrorize those people by Leila, he said, avoiding the sight of a phoenix feeding her young. His paw traveled over Lindyss head. You have fun here now.
Hey, Lindyss said as she ran forward and crawled up his leg. Thats immoral. You cant terrorize people without letting co with.
Minerva released Vur from her embrace and exhaled. She lifted a keg with her foot and poured it down her beak, emptying it all without pause. She shook the keg a few tis to get the last few drops and hiccoughed as she tossed it away when she confird it was empty. You can transform, right? she asked Vur, nudging him with the tip of her wing. How about turning into a phoenix? Let see.
Vur scratched his head. I never tried that before.
Itll be fine, Minerva said, waving her wing dismissively. You already know my skills, and you have enough mana to use them. Youre practically a phoenix already. Go on then, transform.
Vur grunted. Big bird, he muttered to himself and closed his eyes. His skin bulged as feathers popped out of his body. He grew in size as his arms flattened while curving, a flap of skin extending from his forearms to his sides. His legs grew scales as his feet turned into talons. A beak appeared as his lips stiffened and curved. A minute later, he fully polymorphed into an ocean-blue phoenix the size of Minerva. His eyes opened, revealing a pair of golden irises. Did I do it?
Handso! Minerva said and buffeted Vurs back with her wing. She inched closer to him and nudged his side with her talons. I still have seven daughters other than the one you already married, you know? She raised her brows twice and smiled. In five hundred years or so, theyll be ready to look for a mate. She nudged him again. Eh? Eh? How about it?
Vur blinked and took a step away. Im already happily married.
You dont have to marry them, Minerva said, taking a step towards him, keeping close to his body. There arent many phoenixes left in the world after the worms invaded our holand. Just giving them a nice clutch of eggs will do. Im already two thousand years old, but Im not even a grandmother yet. Do you know how sad that is?
Vur took another step away without answering.
Im not asking you to devote yourself to them either, Minerva said, sticking to him like glue. Look at . Do you see my mate hanging around? Nope, he was afraid of commitnt and ran away when Emile hatched, but dont tell my children that. I told them he went to the coast to find a sea cucumber to smoke and that hell be back any day now.
Im right here, Mom, Emile said.
Hush, Emile, Minerva said, glaring at him. Let the adults talk, okay?
Are you really my mom?
Does she always get like this when she drinks? Tafel asked Emile in a whisper. I really want to yell at her for poisoning Vurs brain with her stupid words, but at the sa ti, I dont want to yell at soone who imprinted .
You should yell at her, Emile said with a nod. He sighed and raised his head towards the sky. His body stiffened. Whats that?
Hmm? Tafel raised an eyebrow as she followed Emiles gaze. A giant white wall-like object was approaching from the horizon. A castle, maybe?
Castle? Minerva asked as she released Vur from her wings. Thats too cloudlike to be a castle.
Oh! Vur said. The cakes here!
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