When she had first talked with Vuthe upon her return, she had thought that that was all there was to her sister now. Vuthe had talked for hours on end, poured her heart out with every last bit of regret it had held, yet despite that and despite the time they had spent together, there were still more surprises to be had.

What worried her more, however, was the tale her… other sister had told. Scythe had been sparse with details, preferring not to talk about it at all, and the little bit she did speak of was once more shocking.

At this point a kind of grim acceptance had settled over Scarlet, the feeling that the worlds out there were far more hostile than she had hoped for. When she was young she had read a few of those reincarnation stories, even more so after her sister’s disappearance.

She had always hoped that if anything, she would enjoy a happy life somewhere else, beyond her reach.

What she hadn’t wanted was to hear tales like these.

The three of them walked in silence, not really paying attention to the sights around her, despite Vuthe’s claim of wanting to explore the city.

Scarlet also hadn’t missed the exchange before they had left, spoken in a language she didn’t know, and that only increased her worry. By now she had realised how much of a workaholic her sister was, the way she always put others before her, and she was worried that she was doing so again now, although she couldn’t be certain that it was indeed the case.

Life around her sister always seemed to find complications, as if she was cursed somehow. From what she understood Vuthe had always some new problem to deal with, some more issue to take care off, and no matter how many solutions she found it simply didn’t stop.

Life wasn’t a holiday cruise, she knew that first hand, but the amount of things surrounding Vuthe just didn’t want to abide. Especially the more unique situations.

Scarlet had no illusions that she understood what exactly Vuthe was on about when it came to the “laws or reality” as she had called them, but she understood enough to know that something was wrong.

It was to the point where she started seeing some correlations in things she wasn’t certain there were any. She had a pretty good understanding of the geopolitical situation, a given considering her position, and by now she wasn’t sure if she just saw things or if there really were some connections.

The monsters, the church, the anti-human movement, the damned warlords in the former pakistan region, all things that seemed so disconnected, yet also so intertwined whenever she looked at Vuthe. It was a strange feeling, as if fate itself told her to keep an eye out for her Sister, like she was some kind of key or prophet or something.

When Scarlet had first met Vuthe she had sworn an oath to help her to the best of her abilities, but by this point she wasn’t sure anymore if she even could still help her. It all seemed so much.

With a sigh she banished those thoughts, she was being pessimistic again, of course she could help. She held influence like few others, with an entire international company to rely on, she had people she could call upon if need be and had the resources to put some serious pressure on entire countries if need be.

She would do her best, she always had. With that newfound determination she let the reality around her fade back into her awareness.

Just as she was about to open her mouth to say something her phone rang. She fished it out of her pocket and saw it was from Martin, one of her two sons.

She looked at Vuthe and Scythe for a moment, both seemingly in their own little bubbles, although she had no illusions about them not paying at least some attention. In that way they were very similar to some of the soldiers she had seen after they had returned from the combat zone. They had a certain rigidity in their stance, a certain aura about them that told of their readiness.

With a sigh she accepted the call. “Hello, dear”, she said in a soft and motherly tone, unable to suppress the small smile on her lips.

“Hello, ma. We haven’t talked in a while and when I called up your secretary he told me that you were currently out and about. Fancy coming over for a coffee? You are in Essen right now, right?”, Martin asked with a friendly smile in his voice.

“Uh…”, Scarlet hesitated for a moment, noticing that both Scythe and Vuthe looked at her with… difficult to read expressions.

The entire topic of family was something they usually avoided, only really settling that they would be there at Scarlet’s next birthday, but now… A part of her wanted to tell Martin that she was busy, to not spring it on her sisters, but another part… She had kind of hoped for a situation like this. She just hoped that things would go well, but it would force her sisters to finally move.

Vuthe and Scythe had obviously overheard both sides of the conversation by their expression, and just as Scythe was about to say something Scarlet decided.

“Yes. I’ll be over in a bit, I’ll also bring two guests. I’m not sure about what you had in mind, but it’s probably best to get the wine out, I am pretty sure we’ll be there for a while.”

Alarm registered on both Vuthe and Scythe’s face, but Scarlet shook her head defiantly, they would not get out of it this time.

“Uh… Okay? Something happened?”, Martin asked, his confusion apparent.

“You could say that”, Scarlet said with a small smile, “Nothing to worry, however, it isn’t a bad thing. Talk to you in, say, half an hour?”

“Okay, see you then. Love you”

“I love you too, son”, she said and hang up.

There was a moment of silence as Scarlet put her phone away, before she looked at the two dragons in front of her, “You heard it. Let’s get cleaned up and get going.”

The trip over to Martin's house had been surprisingly quiet, Scarlet had expected her sisters to buck and complain, but they seemed to take things a lot more… she wouldn’t say easily, but more quiet.

Of course she could feel their uneasiness, there was a certain… feel to their presence, but it wasn’t like the kind of torrent she envisioned.

Eventually the three of them arrived at Martin's house. It wasn’t a big affair, while still suitably pompous it had its own flair of… simplicity.

While the Savarts were, out of necessity, informed about the magical side of the world, not all of them had a job in a magic related industry, and Martin was the perfect example. He was the manager of a restaurant, not his own but part of a chain, and therefore he lived in the nicer area, but not the wealthy one.

Yet there were smaller enchantments worked into the building for defence, nothing major but enough to ease Scarlet’s mind. And she was certain her two sisters could feel them, considering just how immense their knowledge about the arcane was. Or magic in general, the people of Earth only differentiated between the arcane and faith magic, and even that only because the Church was adamant there was a difference.

While the general truism of Vuthe’s explanation between the different kinds of magic was known, well outside of Void magic, that was news even to Scarlet, they normally didn’t really differentiate between them.

Most research centres had a form of magic detection in the form of an arcane computer program, which could display different values for different things, but despite being developed throughout the entire History of the magic society Scarlet was aware of, it was just another displaying spell, so the information would be useful in only very specific researching circumstances.

Of course, there had been numerous researchers and magicians who tried to make it a full blown part of the magical society, but the simple truth was, it was so unreliable that outside of a laboratory it simply lost all usefulness.

Regardless, with the help of spells like those displays, mankind and the various demi-human races had managed to piece a few things together with it. Yet after she had listened to the, admittedly short, explanation Vuthe had given her friends after the gruesome sight of the execution a while back, her old interest in the arcane, or magic, had been rekindled, and as they walked towards the door, she idly wondered if she should give magic another try. She was no mage, she had no talent for it, and any attempt beforehand had failed, but now that she knew beings like her sisters were out there she couldn’t help but worry that the feeble enchantments placed on her son’s home was enough.

Clearing her head of these thoughts she arrived at the door, Vuthe and Scythe uneasy behind her. It was quite amusing for her. These two girls, these two dragonesses, older than the calendar of Earth, and more powerful than anything Earth could possibly muster, were uneasy to meet her son for the simple fact he was family.

She rang the doorbell, gave both her sisters a quick reassuring glance, before turning to the door as it opened. In the doorway stood a young man around twenty, with short and dishevelled hair, Scarlet knew that it was simply its natural look, her grandson did take care of himself, a muscular although not bulky frame, and piercing blue eyes that he had inherited from his mother.

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“Ah, Grandma! How are you?”, he greeted her with a friendly smile and hugged her dearly.

“Jonathan, good to see you. I’m quite fine, thank you, how are you guys doing? Everything alright? I heard that your mother finally got that promotion she was so eager for”, Scarlet replied as she returned the hug.

“Yes! She was really happy! And you now have a competent Lead Developer!”, he said with a laugh, finally letting go of her and turning to the two Dragons behind Scarlet.

“Who are they?”, he asked with the same friendly smile he had given his grandmother.

“Vuthe and Scythe. I will explain who they are exactly in a bit, but I think it would be best to go inside, the tale is long and I don’t want to explain it twice”, Scarlet said with a hint of mischievousness in her eyes, something her grandson took note of and raised his eyebrow.

He didn’t push, however, simply turned to greet them with a handshake. “Hi! I’m Jonathan Savart, Scarlet’s grandson. Nice to meet you!”

“Uhm… Hey… I’m Vuthe de Thal…”, Vuthe murmured and timidly shook his hand, a sight that seemed entirely unfitting for the normally very aloof and mature dragoness.

“I’m… uh… Scythe, I guess. Don’t really have a surname anymore”, Scythe shook his hand afterwards with a sheepish smile, again entirely unfitting for the normally brutish and arrogant Scythe.

Once more Jonathan raised his eyebrows, but he didn’t comment, since he knew Scarlet would just give him the same excuse again, and finally motioned them to walk inside.

The home was… homey. It had its style, although still simplistic, and it was very obviously well lived in. Clean and orderly, but the everyday use kind.

They were led into the living room where Martin was just getting up from the sofa to greet his guests.

“Mom! So good to see you again!”, he said with his energetic friendliness that always seemed to cheer others up, while hugging his mother.

“Son, it’s good to see you well”, Scarlet returned the hug, then motioned to her sisters, “These are Vuthe and Scythe. You will not believe me when you find out who they are.”

The awkward greetings from the two dragonesses repeated, before everyone sat around the living room table, cups and a coffeepot already prepared and waiting.

“Now then, I am curious. I have the feeling I’ve seen you two before, but I can’t place my finger on it. Mind enlightening me?”, Martin asked with a friendly smile.

Scarlet had of course shown her sons old family pictures, and while both her sisters had some changed features, they still very much resembled Rin Savart.

“Uhm…”, Vuthe stammered, diverting her eyes to the ground and feeling quite small, despite being one of the two eldest people in the room.

Scarlet chuckled, “You know, the last time I saw you this timid was when you were reprimanded by your teacher”, she said with nostalgia, before looking at Martin and Jonathan with a wide smile.

“You do know them, although not as two people and only from pictures. They are both, although do not ask me how, I could not explain it to you if I tried, Rin Savart.” As she spoke Vuthe gave a weak and shy wave, while Scythe continued to look at the ground.

Jonathan needed a moment, quite confused by that sentence, while Martin’s eyes went wide. “WHAT?!”

With a laugh Scarlet began to explain how she had met the two. It took quite some time and the more she spoke the more Martin’s and Jonathan’s eyebrows tried to escape their foreheads.

Eventually she finished, “That being said, they aren’t really ready yet to face the family, so to say, I had to drag them here today.”

There was a long moment of silence, before Martin spoke. “I mean… You told me about her… But… How… You said they were both the same person, yes?”, to which she nodded, “This is… a lot to take in. And you said that… uh… Vuthe was a Queen, yes?”

Scarlet was unsure if Vuthe was finally getting a grip or if the question brought her onto more familiar ground, either way she seemed to be a bit more herself again as she answered.

“Yes. I am Shade Dragon Vuthe de Thal, rightful Dragon Queen of Thelvadore, and protector of Thelvadore and its people”, she said with a nod, showing a bit more of her normal body language. “Although, I should add, you don’t need to be formal with me. Firstly, we are, uh… family? I guess, and secondly, as long as we are in private I’m not a big fan of the formalities. I mean, I am not a big fan of formalities ever, but needs must, and I am a Queen, so you know…”

Martin nodded, then Jonathan spoke up. “And what about you?”, he asked Scythe.

She just shrugged, “I’m nobody special. I mean, I guess, I am? I’m pretty sure you can consider what we did on Amnellium to be a war crime, so I guess I am important in that sense, but I’m no fancy Queen or some shit. I’m Scythe, just Scythe.”

Both Martin’s and Jonathan’s expressions got more complicated.

Scythe sighed, “Yeah, I know, sounds kinda bad when you say it, ay? Well, too bad, cuz I ain’t apologising for shit when those fucktards used me and my friends as labrats to turn us into some mega weapon.”

Vuthe sighed in the ensuing awkward silence, “You know, Scythe, I am sometimes a bit baffled at your utter lack for social clues. I get that you are rebellious and take no shit from anyone, but you are very good at ruining the mood sometimes.”

“Hey, shut it, miss important! We both know we won’t lie and if they ask, they get an answer. It’s not my fault that I landed in that shithole and had to do what I had to do to deal with it”, Scythe snapped back.

Scarlet was a little happy to see that they got back into their normal patterns, it made her feel like they finally relaxed a little.

Vuthe just shook her head.

“Uhm… To return to the more pleasant topics, why don’t you tell us how you became a Queen, Vuthe?”, Martin tried, although Scarlet winced as he managed to hit another sore spot. Not that he could have known.

With a sigh Vuthe shook her head. “It wasn’t exactly pleasant. It also involves a few topics I do not wish to talk about just yet, I apologise. You are family, therefore I trust you to a degree, but I do not know you, and the knowledge you would need to fully understand how I became a Queen is something I do not yet wish to discuss with anyone.”

Another moment of awkward silence, this time Scarlet tried her luck. She asked about something that Vuthe had never explained, despite telling her pretty much everything else.

“Vuthe… You always introduce yourself as ‘Shade Dragon Vuthe de Thal’, why is that? I noticed that none of the others had a similar title, and while you spoke at lengths about your roles and titles, you never explained where that one came from.”

By the wry expression Vuthe wore, that seemed to be another unpleasant topic and Scarlet cursed herself inwardly.

“Well… I suppose it’s not as bad as the rest? I’m sorry, my life so far has been mostly negatives, and all the important bits are connected with events I have a strong dislike for”, she said, shaking her head before she continued, “Shade Dragon notes me as someone who has mastered all aspects of Shadow Magic, similar to how the Dragon Lord of Flame would be addressed as Flame Dragon Chatan, as he mastered Fire Magic. As I have already told you before, the most important aspect to Magic is Intent. With sufficient Intent even a small amount of mana can summon forth disastrous changes. Mastering magic requires you to explore all there is to an element, and the same as rage and courage are part of Fire Magic, Terror and Calm are part of Shadow Magic. Once I acquired the title ‘The Living Nightmare’ and mastered the art of using Shadow Magic to inflict both terror and calm upon others I acquired the right to call myself Shade Dragon Vuthe de Thal. Normally I could have done so without the title ‘The Living Nightmare’, but as with everything in magic, it was that final push, that final intent to embrace my heritage and bloodline by becoming the embodiment of fear, that I earned both that title and my prefix.”

After a short moment she added, “And to your earlier point. The others usually don’t introduce themselves with it, but some of them have prefixes as well. The majority of draconics who live to be older than a millennia have one, although most are minor ones that they don’t care much about. The only draconics that put importance in the prefixes are the ones who earned them by doing something significant, a show of their strength. And while Tizanta’s prefix of Realmbreaker does note of her strength, she just isn’t the type of person who finds it important. Her prefix comes from her act of using Spatial Magic, or pocket dimensions in particular, to create an explosion by overloading it. It’s quite destructive, one of the few ways Astral Serpents have immense offensive potential, but it’s so highly inefficient and hard to do, so most don’t bother. On the other hand, Calagrophy’s prefix Bringer of Light, or Light Bringer depending on who you talk to, denotes her as acknowledged by the Church of Light, who amongst others, worship her distant draconic relative, Sha’gath de Thal, Goddess of Light. That one is mostly an honorary title, although she had to become quite good in Aura control to even earn the Church’s attention.”

Jonathan spoke up, “Aura?”

But Vuthe shut him down, “I apologise. I realise there are a lot of things you would like to know, and I am willing to teach, however right now I would much prefer to focus on… family, I guess. How is everyone?”

Scarlet wanted to interject here, to tell them not to talk deeply about it yet, but she also didn’t want to miss the chance of Vuthe and Scythe opening up more about it. So she let it go for the moment.

“Pretty good on our end. My wife just made her promotion in the KISS Development branche, so we are pretty happy about that. She should be home in two days.”, Martin explained.

“Two days? Where is she right now?”, Scythe asked, a little confused. Back when she, or rather Rin, was still on earth their family was always concentrated around their hometown of Essen, so it would be surprising for the twins to hear someone being further away.

“At work. The KISS Development Branche has its headquarters in America, so she is there at the moment. She’ll be back tomorrow, but before she comes home she wanted to visit Grandpa Robert to help him with some stuff, and since the flight will come in-”, Martin was explaining, but was interrupted by Scythe.

“Wait, Grandpa Robert? You mean dad?! He’s alive?!”, Scythe looked torn, as did Vuthe but she remained quiet, although Scarlet could see her trembling.

Martin looked at Scarlet in confusion, before he spoke, “Yes, both your parents are. Did Scarlet not tell you?”

Tears broke out both on Scythe and Vuthe’s face, although the former seemed to try and suppress them, with no great success.

Everyone could feel the relief and happiness flowing off of the two dragonesses as they silently wept, tears unabaiting as they both trembled in their seats.

“They’re alive… they’re alive…”, Vuthe repeated again and again, like in a trance, while Scythe remained quiet.

“I hadn’t told them yet. When we first met Vuthe didn’t want to know, unsure if she could handle the news and after I talked with Tizanta and Calagrophy, two friends of Vuthe’s they told me to make it a surprise when she met them. Ever since I met Scythe both Vuthe and her dodged the topic, so I thought it best not to mention it and surprise them”, Scarlet explained.

“Oh… I’m sorry for spoiling the surprise then…”, Martin looked a little conflicted, while Jonathan stood up and moved over to the twins. They didn’t know him, but Jonathan was a very caring person and he pulled out some tissues for the twins to clean up eventually, before sitting close to them, not touching them, but probably his way of showing his support.

“No… Don’t be…”, Vuthe said between sobs, “I… I was so sure… I thought they were dead… I… Oh fuck…”

Jonathan then got up and spoke with a caring smile, “Well, if that isn’t an occasion to celebrate I don’t know what is. I’ll go grab the wine, this requires a toast!” With that he wandered over to his mom’s wine cabinet and started sorting through it.

It took the two dragonesses a while to calm down, but eventually they did. They all picked up their glass of wine before Vuthe spoke.

“Today has been… a lot… I don’t even know how to put all my emotions into words. I’m just so fucking thankful they are still alive”, she paused and took a deep breath, “To family. Good, bad, or ugly, I’m just so glad to still have what is most important.”