Chapter 1031 - 1033: The Steel Hooves Sounds

Damon was sure someone else wanted a one on one with him, and sure enough, two figures approached. It was his sister and Iris.

Luna had grown. She was no longer the little girl he remembered. She was now a young woman with long white hair that fell past her waist and deep grey eyes that seemed calmer than before. She had curves in all the right places and was, without exaggeration, drop dead beautiful.

Iris had grown too. She was now a beautiful woman, her pink hair tied neatly into a ponytail that swayed behind her as she walked.

Damon was not even sure if he had been gone for three years or a decade because the change in them was that significant.

Both of them radiated the aura of the third class. That alone was impressive to say the least.

He continued rocking the baby in his arms and gave them a soft smile.

"Congratulations on your graduation from Aether Academy."

He spoke gently. In these three years, they had both graduated. Damon had as well, except the academy could not confirm whether he was dead or alive, so they held back on issuing his certificate.

Luna smiled and took a seat beside her brother while Iris settled on his other side.

Damon noticed the way Luna was staring at him and frowned slightly.

"What. Why are you staring."

Luna shook her head slowly. "No, it’s nothing. It’s just your eyes. They’ve changed."

Damon raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about."

"She’s right," Iris chimed in. "You seem less like your usual self. It’s like... how do I put this. You’re not as angry and mean spirited as before."

Damon became even more confused. When had he ever been mean spirited.

"She’s right. Your eyes aren’t as cold. It doesn’t feel like you’re trying to bore a hole through someone with just a look. There’s no suspicious scrutiny. No paranoia," Luna added while studying his face.

Damon laughed at that, and the sudden sound made the baby in his arms stir. He immediately realized his mistake and began rocking her more carefully.

"Shush. Shush. There, there. Sleep. Sleep."

Iris shook her head with a distant look in her eyes. "I cannot believe you of all people became someone’s father. Just being my teacher was hard enough. I still remember the looks I used to get in the academy."

"Easy for you to say. I’m his sister. I didn’t get any friends until graduation. People even thought I was antisocial," Luna said with clear indignation.

Damon suddenly felt a twinge of guilt. That was, in part, his fault.

"Can I touch her," Luna asked, looking at the baby in his arms.

He chuckled softly and passed the baby to her.

Luna was extremely careful. She held Ranar like she was made of glass, her expression gentle and almost reverent.

"She’s beautiful. Her hair is just like mom’s. Is that why you gave her our mother’s name."

Damon shook his head. His daughter did resemble their mother, except perhaps for the eye color, but that was not why.

"I gave her the name because I felt like she was the sun. Warm and bright. It wasn’t because she looked like our mother, but because she felt like her."

It was a vague feeling, but when he had been around his mother, his heart had always been at peace. He had been his best self. She had felt warm, and whenever he tried to remember her, he always pictured her surrounded by golden sunlight.

"She’s cute," Iris said, leaning closer to touch Ranar’s cheek.

The moment her fingers brushed the baby’s skin, Ranar’s small eyes slowly opened. She took a few quiet seconds to survey her surroundings.

Her gaze landed on Luna first. An unfamiliar face. She stared carefully, as if imprinting Luna’s features into her small mind. Then her head turned slightly to the side, and she noticed Damon.

He immediately had a bad feeling. He pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You wouldn’t dare," he muttered.

Oh, she dared.

Ranar’s small face scrunched up, and she released a loud wail while stretching her tiny hands toward Damon, demanding to be carried.

He sighed.

He was going to be up all night again.

Just as Damon resigned himself to the crying, Luna stepped closer, drew Ranar gently against her chest, and began to rock her with slow, careful motions.

The effect was immediate.

The baby’s wail broke off into small hiccups. Her tiny face relaxed as she stared up at Luna with wide curiosity.

Damon blinked in disbelief. "How did you do that."

Luna lowered herself to sit and settled Ranar on her lap. She leaned forward and lightly tapped the baby’s nose with a fingertip. Ranar burst into delighted laughter, her hands waving in the air.

"Because she likes me more. Isn’t that right. You like your aunty Luna best, don’t you."

Damon did not want to feel jealous. But he did.

Iris moved closer, joining Luna, and the two young women took turns making faces at the baby. Ranar’s giggles rang out, bright and pure in the quiet night.

"Who’s her mother," Iris asked.

"Wendy," Damon replied calmly.

Iris nodded slowly, thinking.

"Why doesn’t she have horns. I remember Wendy had very large ones."

Damon rubbed his forehead, a faint headache forming. "I don’t know. I’m still figuring things out."

Luna bounced Ranar gently. "Don’t worry, Ranar. I’ll love you plenty in your mommy’s place."

Damon smiled at that. He lifted his gaze to the moon and felt a quiet certainty settle in his chest. He wanted to stay. He wanted to watch his daughter grow. For once, he wanted nothing to do with war.

Iris elbowed him lightly. "Hey. Aetherus to Damon."

He glanced at her. "What now, Iris."

She tilted her head. "You didn’t forget the promise you made me. To help me get revenge."

He shook his head. "Not at all. You want your noble title back. And revenge on the house that wronged you."

"Yes," Iris said, then paused. "But those aren’t important anymore. Lately, I’ve been investigating the one who killed my father. I’m certain it’s Amon, the Unknown Ruler."

Damon’s heart thudded hard against his ribs, though his face remained calm.

"Amon. Are you sure. Wasn’t your father killed by a monster."

"That’s what the report says. But the claw marks don’t match any known creature. My father was completely devoured by Amon. I found clues. At first it seemed like someone intentionally buried them in the academy records. My biggest suspect was Marcus Fayjoy. He and Amon must be connected somehow."

Damon felt his blood run cold. Marcus was dead. Damon had made sure of that.

"That’s not conclusive," he said evenly.

"I know. But we spent three years searching. We tracked down the exact place where my father died. We used magic to recreate the scene. It was expensive. The headmaster didn’t want to release the files, but we found an adventurer with a tracing skill. We located where my father’s remains, or lack of them, were buried." Her words tumbled out in hurried breaths, like she had been holding them in for years.

Damon knew that place. The spot where he had buried the bow and arrows of Carmen, outside athor’s sanctuary.

"What did you find," he asked.

"A makeshift grave. His hunting gear was buried there. Like someone honored him."

She swallowed hard.

"That confused me. If a monster killed him, why would it honor him. Why would it bury him properly."

Damon wanted her to stop thinking.

"How does that lead you to Amon."

Iris nodded and glanced at him.

"We asked the princess for access to the war games field a year ago. We examined the area where Amon fought. Especially his battle with you. The claw marks were identical to the ones at my father’s death site. The investigation labeled it a monster, but no monster matches those marks. Which means Amon was active long before the war games."

She kept speaking, laying out fact after fact. Each one pointed closer to the truth. People had even begun to believe that the supposedly dead Marcus Fayjoy might actually be Amon. That was why no one knew Amon’s face. No one could even tell if Amon was male or female.

Damon kept his expression neutral.

The prophecy echoed in his mind. The truth is a steel horse. Your lies will be broken.

He looked at the girl whose father he had killed and smiled gently.

"Good work, Iris. That is a very sound argument. But how do you plan to defeat Amon. Even I am not confident of my chances."

Iris’s eyes burned with fierce resolve. "Then I will die trying."

"No, you won’t." Damon’s voice softened. "I won’t allow you to die, my foolish apprentice. I cherish you too much. You will live. You will be happy."

The words rang louder in his head than in the air.

I offer a gentle warning. Beware. Your peril has only begun. The truth is a steel horse. Your lies will be broken. And when they are, you will be betrayed by one you cherish.

Luna leaned her head toward him. "What about me."

Damon sighed. "I cherish you too."

"And little Ranar."

"I cherish her too. Happy now."

They laughed.

But Damon’s laughter never reached his heart.