Threads of the Soul

Chapter 469 - 469: Family Time

Ava scrambled over and peered over the edge of Omelette, only to find herself face to face with Seth. She stared at him in complete shock and confusion, her mind not knowing how to react from the constant whiplash of emotions.Seth smirked and laughed, flicking her forehead to restart her broken brain before he drifted away. He was wearing a pair of thick boots that he had not been wearing before, which were in turn attached to a long board that looked like a blend between a snowboard and a surfboard.

This was the latest version of his personal transport board. Using his new knowledge on forming Requitals he had crafted this lovely new board, and by that he absolutely meant that he got Titus to craft it while he acted as a slightly useful assistant who only occasionally got in the way.

[SSX Thready] as he had so creatively called it, a name that made Titus' 'not a girlfriend' cringe in mental damage.

The most creative part about it was that the boots weren't permanently attached to the board. They were completely separate, and enchanted to magnetise to it when he wanted. Important for when he needed to quickly move between ground and air, so that he didn't need to dismiss and summon it every time.

That creativity came entirely from his talented son. He rightly realised that if two gloves could be a singular Requital, then why not two objects bound together in a different way?

Seth laughed as drifted through the air as he was surfing on the currents of the wind themselves, even dipping down to get the right momentum before ramping up and over Omelette in a slow flip.

Ava's shocked eyes followed his as he flipped over them and 'landed' on the air beside Omelette's head.

"What? You didn't actually think I fell, did you?"

"I uh..." Ava opened and closed her mouth like a carp, before clamping it closed into a pout and turning away from him.

"I hate you so much..."

"Oh come on, don't be such a baby. Here, I'll give you a ride."

He turned the board, flying over Omelette and scooped Ava from the saddle, earning another sharp yelp of surprise from her. He held her hands and moved back on the board, so she could get a firm stance.

Balance and weight distribution wasn't a concern, considering he was personally controlling every angle of the board and was therefore correcting for it. But it was nice to pretend every now and then, just for the show of it all.

Even if it was just for this flight alone, he was still determined to give them some good memories. So he went all out. Ava's attention was scattered all around, feeling the wind in her hair and the way her stomach flipped as they swooped and looped. Her eyes drifted to the views down below and the clouds she could brush her hands through.

While that was her attention was focused on everything going on around her, Seth was focused on her.

The tight squeeze of her hands in his loosening as her fear faded and was replaced with joy, the sound of her laughs and joyous screams being snatched away by the rushing air. It was his singular goal to overwhelm their bad memories with good ones.

After a few minutes of playing with Ava, he dropped her back down on Omelette and scooped up Woe, giving his younger brother his turn.

But it seemed that Woe had some discussions with Omelette while they were alone, as the Wyvern quickly picked up its speed. He snapped his teeth at Seth's rear end, almost tearing his trousers and causing Seth to laugh.

On Omelette's back, Ava got a brief wave of anxiety before she lost herself in the faux chase, fully embracing the chaos as she took on the role of the evil Queen chasing the heroes on her deadly draconic mount.

While Ava's trip was about joy and serenity, Woe's was all about excitement and danger. Swooping and racing through the air, constantly being pursued by the 'murderous' Wyvern that was always just shy of catching them.

For some reason, none of the American Eagle pilots seemed to want to join in on their fun. They kept their straight faces, looking at them like they were nothing more than children, as they tried to keep their mounts in check and flying straight.

Only one person really paid attention to them. The outcast amongst them, the only one not wearing any military armour. The one in the Lion pelt that Xander only referred to as The Hunter.

This Hunter kept his eyes locked on Seth, watching him as he darted through the air and tried to entertain his siblings. His face was still twisted into an expression of contained fear, his hands trembling slightly as he held the reins of his eagle.

Yet despite what was horrifying him when he looked at Seth, he did not dare take his eyes away. Whether out of fear, or something else, was only for the Hunter to know for sure.

***

Seth was not the only one enjoying some peaceful family time. As the Mayor of Emberhearth, the city that rose from the literal ashes of the Lightbringers 'Holy City' Alfie was naturally invited to view the tournament.

He, and many of the other governors, mayors, chiefs and other such titled leaders of the various cities, had been invited as guests of honour. It almost made it feel like a mini Olympics.

He had accompanied Emberhearth's competitors when they had arrived a few weeks ago, but his family had accompanied him as well. Not just his Dryad wife, Juniper, but their children too.

Every time he even thought about that word, he could see Seth's smug face smirking away in his mind, and hear all the irritating comments about 'little saplings' and 'spreading his seed'.

But... as much as he hated to admit it, that idiot was right. That was exactly what he had done.