"Can we please change the subject?" Selia shuddered. "I'm already creeped out by what happened to the poor Zinya and at the idea of what might have happened if we didn't follow Faluel on her vacation. I don't need to hear about one more madman."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." The Hydra said with a sad smile.
Fyrwal had never liked Oghrom much when he was alive, but now she missed him dearly and rarely had the opportunity to speak about her youth.
"Yeah, I need to apologize to that poor woman once we get back." Faluel said. "I didn't expect that someone would target her nor that the other Lords of the Distar region would just sit there and do nothing. Especially Athung."
"So young and naïve." Fyrwal's seven heads rubbed against her daughter's with the same tenderness of when she was just a one-headed hatchling. "Undead can't move during the day, plants don't care about anyone but themselves, and the human Lord had no reason to intervene.
"Not only is Athung the youngest and the weakest among the Lords of the Distar region, but she has only one apprentice under her. Going alone against an army of elite fake mages would have put her life at risk for no gain.
"The Council wouldn't have supported her since we don't mess with the affairs of the non-Awakened and Lith has no way to reward her properly. He has not enough resources for his own research, no political influence, and no standing in the Council.
"Never forget that humans have no interest in silly things like protecting their own unless it hurts their profits." Fyrwal hissed every word while one of her heads stared at Selia with spite for a split second.
Faluel opened her mouth to reply, but then she realized that her mother was right and remained silent.
"You don't like us much, do you?" Selia instinctively tugged Ryman's fur in fear.
"How could it be any different?" The Elder Hydra replied with a scoff. "Back when I unified the Kingdom, every one of those who knew my real nature treated me either as a monster or as a tool in the shed. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com
"I was their ruler, yet my so-called subjects dared to propose to me to cut my heads and use them as ingredients just because I can grow more. They questioned my decisions, claiming that a beast can't understand the needs of humans.
"Only when they messed up, be it with some crazy magical experiment or by triggering a conflict with the other races, did they conveniently remember that I was in charge and treated me with respect."
Fyrwal's eyes brimmed with mana and fury until she realized that she was scaring even her own daughter.
"I'm sorry for my outburst, Selia." She said with a sigh. "It's just that I was so proud of the Kingdom Valeron built with my help and I'm disgusted by what it has become. It's the reason why I moved to the Empire.
"This country has its fair share of problems, but at least it has never given birth to a monster like Balkor or like the madman who attacked your village."
"About that, Faluel." Selia said. "Not to sound ungrateful for everything both you and Lith did for us, but what happened to Zinya is one of the reasons why I'm considering moving to the Empire as well.
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