Her eyes fluttered open, and she awoke before the sun did, feeling well-rested and exhilarated. When she looked around the pillow mound stacked within a small pavilion similar to Thor's, at first, she neither recognized her whereabouts nor had any memory of the evening prior—it seemed like a dream. Yet when she looked down, she shuffled through the blankets to cover her naked body.
"Good morning, my dear." Amused by her bewilderment, Silver sat cross-legged in a chair near the archway with an open book in his lap that he snapped closed and set aside. "Did you sleep well?" Selena bit her bottom lip and tightened her grip on her safety blanket as he came over to sit beside her and laughed. "You don't need to hide from me."
"Have you been watching me the entire evening?"
"What? Oh, no." Silver reached over and grabbed the tome he was reading. "I left after you fell asleep to work on your new hand. I returned from the laboratory a few minutes ago." He squinted at her with a curious brow. "Do you believe me to be a creep?"
"Of course not. I just—" Before Selena could brace herself, Silver tickled her back and arms. Her laughs echoed in the bedroom as she pushed him away, but Silver stopped and rushed in to kiss her when he saw an opening. Instead of fighting it, she pulled him down into the pile as the two locked in a tight full-body embrace. She broke away but held her hand to his lips to stop him from kissing her again. "If we continue, you know what will happen."
He laughed. "And you still wish to stop?"
"But you still have work to do on your project, remember?"
Silver wrapped his arms around her and rested his head on hers. "Must I? I would rather stay here in bed with you and make love to you all day." He laughed and kissed the top of her nose when he noticed the furrow in her brow. "I know. I was teasing."
"No, you're not."
"You're right. I'm not, but I'm not the one who's naked right now." Her face turned red as she pushed him back before he could rip the blanket away and scurried to her feet with her clothes ready. Even as she was getting dressed, she could still hear Silver laugh at her.
After finally donning her full attire, the two shared morning tea and breakfast of fried eggs with tomatoes and mushrooms served on top, sizzling bacon and buttered toast on the side when Selena voiced her concern regarding Thor outgrowing his harness. Silver agreed to help her resize the leather, but she couldn't help but blush every time she met his gaze between tea sips, even in the middle of casual conversation.
It didn't help whenever Thor kept snickering at her silliness and tugging at their mental link. I know what happened last night.
Seriously?
Yes, seriously.
I need you to leave that be. That's between Silver and me.
I will do as I please.
Selena was about to argue with him but noticed that his behavior seemed slightly off; his odd mannerisms made her face burn when she realized why. You have no right to judge me after the times you and Ebony were intimate.
Oh? I never said I was judging you.
Good. The pair settled their differences on spending their evening as she took another bite of her bacon. Still, Selena couldn't help but be happy that Thor found a mate, but she never imagined it to be Silver's sister, of all people, or dragons in this case.
"Are you all right?"
It took Silver's voice for her to realize that she stared into space, and she forced herself to snap out of her trance. "Yes, I'm fine."
Silver set his tea down and gave her an inquiring eye. "Was Thor giving you a hard time? I can usually tell whenever you two are talking." Twisting her fork into the yolk of her eggs, she went over Thor's behavior since he and Ebony grew close throughout the previous night. The news didn't surprise Silver, as he shrugged and took another bite of his toast. "Honestly, that's her business. If Thor's happy, I'd say good for them."
While waiting for his project to finish over the following week, Silver assisted Selena in resizing Thor's harness after taking his new measurements. In a much-improved mood, Rahim agreed to help and moved the provisions tied to the saddle, such as blankets and nonperishables, away from their workspace. The leatherworking task took most of the day only because they waited for Thor to return from his flight with Ebony so he could try it on and ensure it fitted properly. Ebony kept a reasonable distance away from the tower, looking like a black sliver in the sky.
The new harness was equipped to carry a large crew of about a hundred and fifty, though Selena knew Thor could ferry more if he wanted. After they finished tying the last straps, Thor stood up and shook his body like a wet dog after a bath, and to both Selena's and Silver's satisfaction, the improved saddle held, and Thor assured them he was more than comfortable. As a small added detail and at Thor's request, Silver used his skills in alchemy to change the gem shining from his front leather buckle, imbuing the stone in a flicker of yellow energy. In seconds, the dazzling ruby transformed into a brilliant sapphire casting azure specs from the sparkling setting sun.
Selena smiled when Thor inspected his new gear. It's beautiful, but why did you want a sapphire instead of a ruby?
It's for you. I wanted my new gem to always remind me of you. Selena was confused, but Thor explained, When you're a dragon, your scales are blue, and I want to carry this shimmering testament.
His beautiful words made her think of the massive ruby emblazoned upon her chest in her dragon form, and Selena realized it was the same color as Thor's scales. Much like the ruby pommel from Dragonheart, she always carried a reminder of him wherever she went.
After propping the improved harness against the pavilion's marble column, Silver rushed back to check on the new hand, followed by Selena and Rahim. Thor rejoined Ebony in the sky, and the two vanished through the pink and purple clouds wafting through the twilight sky.
Since he was much more talkative in the days following, Selena had plenty of time to speak with Rahim and Thor about the plan to defeat the Lich. However, Thor was absent-minded for most of it. He would join in on small bits of their conversation but would go silent for long periods; she assumed he was spending time with Ebony, so she left him alone.
As tempted as she was to ask Rahim why he lashed out, she didn't want to dampen his good spirits and ultimately decided it was best to wait until he felt ready to bring up the subject himself. Instead, the two sat together in the confines of Silver's laboratory, waiting for him to finish tweaking his project. His jaw almost dropped to the floor when Selena mentioned her plan to use Revelation and defeat the Dark Master. "Do you believe that Revelation will work?"
"It's a soul eater that can trap any soul, so yes. I believe so."
"Wicked. I still can't believe that your beloved had this weapon the whole time."
Selena rolled her eyes. "You can't tell everyone, 'I have Death's weapon.' That's not how it works."
Rahim waved his hand in her face as if to shoo her away. "Oh, rubbish. We'll swing this thing at the Lich, and ta-da! No more bad guy and no more war." His smile disappeared. "Maybe we can rescue Niamh if we can stop the necromancer."
"I hope so too, and save Azrael and Doragon."
"Aye, and the Mythic Flight eggs."
And Aydin.
Her stomach tightened into knots when she recalled Aydin's journal, and she wondered if she could save him. Selena twirled the pocket watch in her fingers, yet to show Rahim its true nature, but she figured it was best to wait on that for the time being. He knew Revelation was within her possession, but she didn't specify where it was. Rahim, of course, asked her if he could see it, but he understood when she explained it was best to leave Death's weapon be. The Divines always hid their artifacts from mortals—even if only a god could wield them—for a reason, including Ragnarok. Selena knew that it was for the best that she destroyed the ebony blade; she could only speculate that the sword returned to Xyaxon upon its physical destruction, as he never clarified what happened to it.
"It's finished." Selena hopped to her feet and rushed past Rahim to the hand display that Silver had already unhooked from the dangling wires. The device pulsated and hummed with Aether energy like it was alive.
"Whoa." Rahim pressed his face close, but Silver pushed him back and held it out for Selena to get a good look. She glared at her still bandaged arm before reaching out to touch the metal hand, and much to her surprise, it was as warm as her body temperature. Silver already had a chair pulled up by his work desk and asked her to sit; Selena gulped, but she sat down, fearing that Silver was about to start surgery. He explained that, shortly, he would unwind her tourniquet and mark specific points on her skin before the procedure.
During his briefing, Selena reiterated the plan to Thor, but he remained absent-minded. Are you listening to me?
I'm still here, and I'm paying attention.
Then what did I just say? When Thor didn't answer, Selena felt her chest swell in pain. Forget it.
What's the matter with you?
I'm upset because you seem not to care.
That's not true.
Her eyes shimmered. I thought it was lovely when you told me about the new sapphire, but your behavior flipped. You've been ignoring me ever since you and Ebony have been together. I truly understand, but don't shut me out when I need you.
Bullocks. No, I haven't. Selena turned a deaf ear to Thor when he explained his reasoning; she didn't want to hear his excuses.
"Do you understand, Selena?" She huffed when Silver called for her attention and nodded, but he remained unconvinced that she was listening.
"How long do you reckon she'll be in surgery?" Rahim interrupted.
Silver didn't tear his gaze away as she hung her head and sulked. "Maybe six hours, perhaps more. I will have to put her under anesthesia while I work, and then she will need to rest for at least a few days once it's all over." Selena sunk even further into her chair and drew her legs up to her chest.
Rahim squinted at him. "Since when did you become a doctor?"
Silver waved a hand at him as if he were shooing away a pest. "I'm a demigod; I can do anything." When Rahim groaned at his smugness, Silver rolled his eyes. "Seriously, I can do anything. I've learned different trades over the years, including being a doctor. I may not be licensed, but I've performed many different medical procedures." The look on Rahim's face was priceless to Silver. "Oh, take care—I am licensed."
Selena didn't pay attention and was trapped in a daze when he showed Rahim all of his certifications in one of his desk drawers, nor did she look up when Silver finally escorted Rahim out of the room. He wished her luck as he walked away, but she withdrew to her somber silence, and Silver closed and locked the door. "Did you want to talk about anything?"
Selena rested her chin on top of her knees. "I'm fine."
"No, you're not. You've been looking down since I said the hand is finished. Is it because of Thor?" She hated that Silver knew what she was feeling and why but was grateful and relieved he could read her actions without her needing to convey them directly. Her tears betrayed her, and she wiped them away before Silver could see, but it was too late. He set the mechanical hand down on the table and knelt beside her. "I don't think Thor meant anything by his absence. He's probably learning how to make time for you and Ebony." He touched her forehead and brushed her hair back. "Remember when I first asked you to marry me? That must have been awful for him, and he most likely didn't know how to handle it."
Selena turned her head away. "You're right, but I am happy for him. I just don't want him to ignore me when I need him. This surgery is mortifying." She nodded to her bandaged arm as more tears trickled down her face. "I don't think he understands what I must go through, and I'm scared."
"What are you afraid of?"
Her face grew glossy, and soon she wouldn't be able to hold herself back from bursting anymore. "That it's not going to work. I'm scared that I won't wake up when I go under for surgery. I'm afraid of dealing with the pain and won't know what to do. I...." Selena's voice trailed off.
Silver stood up and cradled her into his chest while whispering, "Shhh...." As much as she trusted him, she was still frightened and didn't know if she would ever wake up again.
When she finished venting, and while he took his time to get her operating table ready, she finally opened her thoughts to Thor, only to receive a flood of questions and emotions built up during their brief separation. Thor sounded ashamed, as his voice was all but a low rumble Selena often heard him make from the back of his throat. As much as she didn't want to hurt him, he had to understand the gravity of his mistake.
I overheard you two.
And? Selena still felt sour.
I'm sorry. I didn't realize how terrifying this is for you, and I should have listened.
Yes, you should have.
Don't make this any more difficult than it already is. I'm usually too proud to admit when I'm wrong.
Selena wrapped her arms around her legs and buried her face into her thighs. You're usually never wrong.
Be that as it may, Silver is right. I must figure out how to balance my time with you and Ebony.
I needed you to be there for me while I was going through this. You didn't seem interested in what was happening at all.
Again, I am sorry. What more can I do?
Please don't do that again. I need you here.
My dearest one, I'm here now.
Selena swallowed hard. I soon won't be.
You will wake up again. Silver and I helped you before, and we will do it again if we must. Selena didn't answer, but Thor followed up with, Come outside and fly with me like we used to.
Selena knew it was reckless to ignore a dragon's demands, even if it meant flying, though she was grateful that Thor wanted to spend time with her. She kept eyeballing Silver while he worked, but after enduring Thor's never-ending proposition, she finally agreed to meet him by the pavilion, only after receiving clearance from Silver. "Please, return soon."
Trudging outside with a sour stomach, she didn't intend to admit she wished to be with Thor. As soon as she stepped foot outside the tower, she was greeted by Thor's sun-blazing eye peering over her. His blood-red diamond-encrusted snout nudged her intact arm, and Thor began chittering in glee. You've kept me waiting long enough.
Selena reached up and hung her good arm over his tree-trunk neck. I'm surprised you're not with Ebony.
Who says I wasn't? Thor snaked his head around her body and pointed his snout skyward.
A black dragon as dark and mysterious as the void blasted through the plume of pink and orange clouds radiating from the sunset. True to her name, her silky smooth onyx scales glistened with iridescent radiance. It looked like a coat of oil was applied to her hide; fins flared from the side of her regal-looking face, brushing against the rushing wind. Two long, tentacle whiskers flowed from the edge of her snout and danced wildly about her. Her wings unfurled like a lady's fan, only for the glowing sun to glitter through the obsidian membranes dabbed in specs of amethyst and amber. Each beat made the air scream from her incredible velocity; Ebony flew away as quickly as she came, vanishing through the fluffy sky pillows.
Selena felt the thorn of envy piercing her side, but Thor swung his body around her. There is no reason to be jealous, my dear. When he noticed the look on her face, he inched his head closer, and his forked tongue danced through his clamped serrated fangs, brushing against her cheek.
I'm not jealous. Selena wasn't a good liar; even her inflamed cheeks betrayed her defensive stance.
Thor tapped his ivory claws against the stone pathway, waiting for a confession. Selena bit her lip before spinning around on her toes, ignoring the growing anticipation echoing from every click he made. I know you.
Fine. I admit it. Are you happy now? When he didn't reply, Selena continued: I'm glad for you two, honestly. But—
But you still feel the same way I did about you and Silver, Thor finished for her.
The lingering silence grew more uncomfortable with each second Selena wasted in not answering. Eventually, she muttered, Yes.
My dear, I will never leave you, nor will you ever leave me. We are a part of each other, always. Thor pointed his snout towards the harness still propped against the marble column, and Selena smiled when she caught the gleam from the new sapphire. She fetched the newly mended saddle as he lowered his body to the ground.
It was complicated strapping his harness with one hand, but Thor helped by pinning down the buckles with his claws to keep the leather from shifting. After tugging at the straps to ensure they would hold and were comfortable enough, Thor lowered his gem-scaled-adorned arm, and Selena clambered aboard his saddle. When Ebony made another pass over Heaven's Tear, Thor raised his wings and climbed towards the throat of the world.
Thor and Ebony soared higher and swirled through squall spires as the cold mist kissed Selena's cheek. She held on as best as she could with one hand; the arctic winds attempted to cut through her skin, but she was warm from the dress and Thor's radiating body heat. As the dragons flew above the clouds, Selena enjoyed watching the line where the earth met the divine cosmos. The golden sun made its descent, and the moon and stars weaved in the nether tapestry. Different shades of blue and green trailed across in a burning display like oil paints spilling across a canvas; the northern lights looked close enough to be within her reach.
I want to stay up here forever.
I know your envy in wanting your wings. This burning desire runs deep in your veins, as it does mine. We will fly across the heavens when you master your powers, and you and I will conquer the sky. Our Divine fire will reign.
Thor's maw opened wide to unleash a mighty roar, making the world tremble beneath them. Together, the dragons drifted with the wind in heavenly solace. It wasn't until the moon vanished from the world that Thor and Ebony decided to return.
Silver waited patiently near the pavilion while the dragons landed beside the mountain's edge, but Selena noticed his slight indifference to Ebony; he ignored her entirely and didn't attempt to greet her. Likewise, Ebony kept her back turned to her brother as she nuzzled Thor before leaping a whole body's length upward with one sweep and disappearing over the yielding trees.
When Silver assisted Selena in dismounting and unbuckling the harness, she asked him about the sudden hostility towards one another. "I don't know what you mean." Judging from his harsh reply, she didn't think it appropriate to press the subject further; instead, she followed Silver inside after returning the saddle to its usual spot.
Thor lowered his head to the ground and maintained eye contact until he was all but a crimson slice through the door's opening, and it fully closed. Even as Silver and Selena made their way back to the surgery-prepped laboratory, he continued reassuring, I won't leave you.
Rahim immediately dashed over to the two, but Silver shook his head and pointed for him to leave before returning to the sterilized study.
"There we are." Silver re-sanitized all his equipment and washed his hands while Selena undressed to cover herself with a thin sheet. Her hand shook as she tried to tie her hair up in a loose bun while convincing herself she was only going to sleep and would wake up with a new hand. She hoped this would work but carried no doubts against her surgeon; Silver was a genius.
Even as she got ready, Thor's words continued to warm her cold thoughts. You're in good hands.
I know.
You're unbent and unbroken. You are unstoppable.
Even as she lay on the operating table and donned the mask—attached to a tube connected to a strange apparatus—Silver gave her, she felt her heart trapped in her throat; her beats sounded like a ticking clock. Air pumped through into her nostrils from the device, and as she inhaled the gas, Thor kept talking to her until she ultimately passed out. It was almost like an induced death, faster than falling asleep.
Her eyes flickered open before realizing it, and Silver had already finished. Her arm was sore; it burned like fire as if her limb had been sliced off by Medusa again. She felt dazed and confused, and her blood ran ice-cold. Silver stood over her and held his hand to her forehead after disposing of his operating gown covered in blood and his plastic gloves. Her eyelids felt heavy. "I-is the surgery over?"
Silver smiled and offered her a blanket. She flinched at the touch of metal on skin, and only when she looked down did she see her newly attached hand. After receiving his nod of confirmation, Selena focused on moving her index finger; a burst of energy surged through her arm towards the device. Heart racing, she then worked on moving the rest of her fingers, and much to her delight, it functioned as well as flesh and bone. It worked.
Silver was satisfied with his work after inspecting the hand to ensure all was in order. "Everything went very well, but you will need to rest for a few days. I told Rahim of the news, and he will be able to see you tomorrow."
Selena wanted to sit up, but her muscles melted into the bed. It seemed unreal that the entire day had passed while trapped in a dreamless sleep. Despite Silver insisting on a good meal, she couldn't and slept for the remainder of the late day and evening, her foggy dreams echoing Thor's words as he kept talking to her during recovery.
Over the next few days, she moved her arm around and extended her fingers to grow used to the strange cold sensation flowing through her arm—oh, how great it was to have two hands again. With the new appendage tapping into her Aether energy, as Silver promised would happen, she could also feel what she touched. It would still take some time for her to adjust to the constant feeling of metal-infused flesh, but she was thankful for what Silver did.
He had Selena practice reaching out and grabbing small objects to get more familiar; all was working correctly, and he was pleased to see there were no issues and that she had grown accustomed to how it felt. "I don't know if I've already told you this, but you are amazing, Genesis Altessa. Is there anything that you can't do?"
Silver grinned. "You can stand to mention it more and not that I'm aware of."
With Silver's clearance, Rahim was finally able to visit and see how Selena was doing. He was in complete awe when he watched her operate it. "I'll even admit, Silver, you've outdone yourself." His smug expression glowed from Rahim's compliment.
Later that evening, Silver graciously prepared roasted pork with seasoned boiled potatoes and vegetables drizzled in brown gravy made from the pork's leftover juices for dinner. She welcomed their pleasant company and the delicious dishes. Among their many topics of conversation, Silver believed that she should be well enough to resume her usual routine but advised waiting for at least one more day before making their trip to Mortemholdt.
"It's not like I'm going to be doing anything strenuous." She was itching to leave. The longer they sat and waited, the worse off her father would be. "Besides, I can always rest on the flight there."
Though Silver still disagreed, Rahim wiped his mouth with his napkin and interjected. "Selena is right. I think she'll be fine, and besides, I can always help her. It's not like we're going to be fighting anybody."
"Let's hope we don't have to, but I don't want her pushing herself." Silver hissed at Rahim and nodded at Selena's new hand.
Selena dropped her knife and fork against her plate with their bickering, and the clank caught their attention. "It's insulting to talk about someone in front of them. I'm right here, and you two can speak to me directly." Ignoring their ashamed faces, she rubbed her new hand, the metal pressed and sewn into skin still alien to the touch. "I don't need either of you two helping me. If I need to rest, I will have plenty of time to do so on the way to Mortemholdt."
"You should rest here."
"I want to go, and you can't stop me."
Silver closed his eyes as he dropped his utensils, metal clattering against the porcelain plates, and his chest swelled. She could tell he was getting angry, but she didn't care and was ready to go, either with or without Silver's help. "You're right, my dear. I can't stop you. I...." Silver held his tongue and sighed as his lower lip quivered but eventually gave her a firm, jerky nod.
This confirmation was as much acknowledgment as she would receive from him, and to Selena, it was enough; she nodded and declared, "We'll leave in the morning."
After she squashed all future arguments about their hasty plans, Rahim took his leave after supper and tea to prepare for the evening. On the other hand, Selena marched towards Thor's pavilion despite Silver's objections to fetch her sword still propped against the marble columns. Thor and Ebony were gone, probably out hunting; she wished to see him soon, hoping to show him her new prosthetic but settled on the idea that it could wait until morning. Eventually, Silver followed to ensure that she wouldn't overexert herself or the device but kept his distance so she could have her space.
Regardless of how simple their plan was, she needed to be ready, and through practicing swinging her blade at a tree with her new limb, she was pleased to see her untarnished skills; touching the cold metal made her hand feel sensitive, like an icy treat touching the bottom of her teeth.
Can you hear me, or are you two too busy?
It took Thor a moment, but he responded. I am here. I'm not too busy to talk to you.
I'm able to use my sword again.
That's great. Ebony told me earlier how she wanted to practice with you after you felt well enough.
That's fine, but it will have to wait until we get back from Mortemholdt.
She is agreeable to waiting.
Silver watched as she made her last few swings and beckoned her to return inside. While making their way back up the stairs, he bombarded her with questions about how the new hand felt, and other than the minor sensitive inconveniences, she assured him that all was well. Yet, the only detail that she didn't like was that her mark was gone. Like how she felt in the dream, it was strange not having it anymore, as the symbol defined her, and she felt Medusa had stripped it away.