They made their way back to the throne room, the air thick with a bit of tension. As they entered, the old man sat imperiously on the emerald throne, his gaze fixed on the both of them.
Theron nodded and left the hall.
"Lyssandra," he called. "Come forward."
Swallowing the bitter feelings in her throat, Lyssandra stepped toward the throne, her posture a straight and poised. "Grandfather, I have something to say."
The old man regarded her quietly and gestured for her to come closer. He got off his seat and approached her as well, his back hunched slightly. they stopped a metre from each other, the disparity in height highlighted further by the short distance between them.
Talon brought his wrinkled handled above her and laid a gentle pat on her head, caressing her hair softly. Lyssandra closed her eyes in frustration at the gesture and balled her fists defiantly, pulling back a metre to get away from Talon "Always treating me like a child." Talon laughed uproariously at her statement.
It always brought him joy to pamper this granddaughter of his. He simply could not resist bending to her whims and showering her with affection.
"Because you still are, my dear granddaughter, and always will be. Your face brings nothing but joy and warmth on this old bag of bones" He smiles gently, his gaze filled with nothing but warm affection and decided to address her concerns. "Now, speak your mind child." He said lightly.
Lyssandra took a deep breath.
"Why did we leave my friends behind? You said we must survive, and I understand that, but what about humanity? What about the community?" Her voice was steady, an intense fire igniting in her blue eyes.
The old man remained silent, contemplating her words. After a moment, he spoke, his voice as gruff as before but laced with something softer. "Compassion does not weaken us; it can bind us. But in this harsh new world, we must ensure our survival first before we can aid others. One day you will come to realise that going out of your way to save just anyone will be meaningless in this world. People will die every day, in droves."
"They....are...not...just...anyone. So, we abandon our humanity because the world is changing!?" Lyssandra pressed, she did not like how he was putting things one bit. " What's stopping you from doing the same to your family when things get really difficult. We can't just abandon people just because of things that could be but are yet to pass. Even as the world crumbles around us, we can rebuild and still look out for those who are struggling. Strong alliances can create powerful communities."
The old man's frown deepened, revealing the conflict within. He intended to build his fortress on strength, but there was undeniable truth in her words. "We cannot build a strong, sustainable fortress by housing the weak Lyssandra, that is why I decided to take this approach, those that make it here may not necessarily be strong, but they won't be weak either."
"Strength does not solely lie in power; it can be found in unity and understanding, there's strength to be found in numbers." she continued. "Together, we can forge a new path, one that doesn't shun the weak but embraces them while protecting our own."
Talon went silent, for a long while contemplating her words. After a long awkward silence, he decided to give her some leeway. Being too rigid would make him nothing but a dictator, and he would rather be on good terms with his granddaughter, or all these sacrifices would be meaningless, he was doing most of this for her good after all.
'Besides, who is to say her ideals are wrong and mine are right. It would be good to try out different things in this early stage while things a rather calmer and easier. Once the Invasions start, there won't be much room for the kiddies to grow. I guess I should give them the reigns for now, there's no need for me to babysit them, else they will be crushed beneath the weight when the true challenge begins. It is A Vacation for me then.' Settling his thoughts, Talon looked at Lyssandra sincerely.
The old man's gaze softened further, revealing a glimpse of recognition. "Perhaps I have been too rigid. You carry the weight of compassion, Lyssandra, and that strength may be as essential as any blade. But don't worry, I sent your father to work on bringing in people who need help down the mountain. As long as they are willing to work for it, I have decided to welcome in people. I'm sure you have seen the construction of structures ongoing across the mountain since we got here. We were preparing to have people join us. While it is unfortunate that we could not help your friends and their families beforehand, I do hope that they find their way to this safe haven. Tell you father to see me when he is done."
She nodded her head, trying to contain her happiness, she practically skipped away.
....
The mountain air was crisp as she stepped outside, the scent of pine mingling with the faint sound of hammering from below. She scanned the sprawling construction in progress that dotted the rocky terrain—.
People moved busily, erecting homes and fortifications. For a fleeting moment, hope sparked in Lyssandra's chest. Perhaps this haven could become the sanctuary she hoped for in this broken world. What she understood from her father and grandfather's explanation about their new norm was, things would only get more dangerous from now, it was not going to get easier. That came hand in hand with the chance to grow stronger and soar the heavens.
As she descended the cobblestone path toward the settlement centre, Theron appeared beside her, his expression somber. "How did your talk go" he said, trying his best to keep his voice steady. "I hope you weren't just throwing accusations at him."
Lyssandra glared at him, "I behaved appropriately thank you very much, and yes it went relatively well. I can't complain."
"Is that so." Theron sighed. He could not understand how that old man could treat them so differently, 'You'd think he has a polar personality. I guess since I'm his son, it is only right he is harder on me than the rest of the family. Expectations.'
Lyssandra gave him a small smile. "It's a start. But I won't be satisfied until we're united—I do hope they survive, maybe they are even amongst the people waiting outside."
Theron nodded but remained silent, giving her false hope would be problematic, hope was a dangerous thing after all. "Let's go and receive our new residents then. The living quarters are almost ready, they are coming out quite nicely if I do say so myself. Though now it kind of looks like we are living in medieval times, we did not have all the right tools to construct fancy buildings after all. So, our walls are mostly lined with self-made farm bricks and wood. But it's better than nothing."
"Ah yes I do see that, I'm sure most of these people appreciate the least you have done for them."
Theron looked towards his daughter's side profile, her beautiful face turned heads everywhere they went, every single person who saw her would definitely say she was the most beautiful person they had ever seen. If he had to guess, it probably had something to do with her innate ability or aspects.
Theron knew his daughter had always been one to turn heads wherever she went, she was just that beautiful, probably inherited from her gorgeous mother. But ever since that day, her beauty had gone up by leaps and bounds, and she seemed to grow more alluring every single day. And, by now he could say Aelina, his wife could not hold a candle to what Lyssandra had become.
She had an ethereal sort of beauty, and a gorgeous, petite, well-built figure, that sent men into heat. She wasn't even well endowed, but it was her graceful and captivating presence that drew people in. Her elegant movements and the way she carried herself made her stand out in any crowd. The allure came not just from her physical appearance but also from the very air around her.
There was a certain charm in her every movement and an intrigue in her eyes that left a lasting impression on everyone who laid eyes upon her.
Not that Theron appreciated these people's lecherous gazes on his daughter, but he chose to keep quiet and settled for wildly glaring at anyone bold enough stare at her too long. What was most surprising about the people right now though, was that even the women and young ladies in the small crowds, found themselves staring too long, appreciating Lyssandra's beauty, that or they were locked in some sort of hypnosis.
She was simply mesmerising and pleasing to the eyes. Her presence itself was the embodiment of beauty and seduction. Lyssandra herself did not seem to notice the effect she was having on people. Or simply that it was nothing new to her, hence she threw it off.
"Say, have you taken a look at your system Lyssandra?"
"Not yet, I have other things to worry about thanks to you. I got the gist of the world we are living in now thanks to your and grandfather's explanation though. I will look at it as soon as we leave the gates."
"Okay, I'll need to have a look too, grandfather was asking about it, we need to see if we have anything that can help you in your progress. The envoy left us a lot of resources and artifacts to use."
Lyssandra frowned at the mention of this 'Envoy' but chose to keep her thoughts to herself. Even she knew when to and when not to throw a tantrum.
...