Chapter 3363 Less is More (Part 2)
Chapter 3363 Less is More (Part 2)
Elina said nothing, losing herself in his warmth. At least until the peanut gallery started complaining about the interruption in their show and loudly at that.
"Tine! I get back to work." Raaz grumbled while Elina chuckled.
"It's the price of fame, dear." She watched him work together with the kids, appreciating his strong yet precise hands.
Raaz had kept his word and improved his skills with the help of Salaark's best
woodcarvers. When he was done, the coiled dragon figurine closely resembled the family insignia.
It was much more detailed and elegant than the one he had made for Aran years ago. "It's beautiful. Elina clapped her hands. "Once you take care of making the wings, claws, mouth, and scales more detailed it will be perf-"
Shargein grabbed one of the spare wooden pieces and started to carve it with the claws of his hands. His figurine took shape at a speed visible to the naked eye and in a little more than a minute, Raaz's dragon had an identical twin.
"You are very talented. Very good, Shargein. Raaz scratched the Wyrmling's neck, making him squirm with pleasure and puff his chest out with pride.
"To think that I spent years learning how to do it by myself and hours in the woodshop while he just needed to see me do it once.' He actually thought. 'Life really is unfair! Usually, Dragon Eyes were useless in learning a physical skill. Unless, of course, one had inherited part of Leegaain's intellect and part of Salaark's talent for craftmanship.
Where Raaz only saw a line in the wood, Shargein saw its angle, depth, and the applied force necessary to obtain it. Where Elina saw the finished work, Shargein saw numbers and proportions.
He repeated all of Raaz's movements in his mind, studying how to replicate and even improve on them.
"Let's see what you guys can do." Raaz gave Elysia and Valeron one piece of wood each. The babies shapeshifted into their Divine Beast form and started clawing away.
"Is it me or do they look like cats on furniture?" He asked as Elysia and Valeron scratched away small chunks of wood with their claws.
"I guess this confirms neither of them has Dragon Eyes. Elina shrugged. "Which is a good thing. Sometimes, less is more."
"What do you mean?" Raaz asked.
"Dear, they are hybrids who will grow up in a world of humans." She replied. "Their life is already bound to be hard. Imagine if they could also breeze through everything just by watching a task being performed once.
"Not only would it make the other kids resent them even more, it would also be a curse that keeps them from relating to humans. Elysia and Valeron are much smarter than the average baby already.
"If they keep up like this, by Aran's age they'll think they live in a world of goldfish and that they are the only intelligent humans on Mogar."
***
A few days later.
Lith and Trion had started taking part in the woodcarving lesson with Raaz, but much to everyone's dismay, Shargein ran circles around all of them, master woodcarvers included.
"Yes, you are right. This way is much better." Murong Ashee had dedicated thirty years to his profession.
He had learned his trade from his father who in turn had learned it from his own father, each generation passing its wisdom and knowledge on to the next.
Being surpassed in two days by an overgrown, waggling toddler was a pill hard to swallow. The fact that the Wyrmling used his teeth and claws instead of special tools yet obtained some of the best pieces of art Murong had ever seen made everything much
worse.
"Everyone, gather around. Let's study the young Master's work together." He said as the various artisans proposed different methods to obtain such fine details with the skill and instruments at their disposal.
To make matters worse, all of them could only grin and bear with it. Raising their voice or hand against the son of the Overlord was universally considered the quickest path to a closed casket funeral at best and a lifelong stay in her Pits of Agony at worst. "My baby!" Salaark called and Shargein jumped in her arms after shrinking his size to a human baby's. "You are so talented. Mommy is proud of you."
The Wyrmling chirped with joy, licking her face while offering her the fruits of his latest labor. A wooden sculpture of the Overlord draped in a flowing dress that reached the base of the figurine, holding a sword in the right hand and the scales of justice in the left. It was so life-like that if not for the lack of colors, Salaark would have thought to have unwittingly shrunk her size as well and be looking into a mirror.
"Is this how you see Mommy?" The figurine's face was stern and focused to the point of being cold.
Shargein nodded enthusiastically, looking at her with his big round eyes and hoping for more praise.
'Dammit! I work too much and spend too little time with him. Shargein already identifies me with what I do instead of who I am for him.' She thought.
"It's beautiful!" She actually said with a beaming smile on her face that made the Wyrmling wag his tail like crazy. "Can I put it in my office? Mommy wants to brag about her baby with all her visitors."
"Yes. Yours. Made for you." Shargein hugged her face, licking her with the utmost care.
"Can you make one of Daddy too?" Much to her surprise, Shargein had already finished Leegaain's wooden statue as well.
Much to her horror, it was nothing like hers.
It depicted the Guardian in his human form, holding the Wyrmling in one arm while reading him a story. Leegaain's expression was warm and fatherly while the wooden Shargein's was filled with love and joy.
"It's just as beautiful." Salaark sniffled, but not because she was moved anymore. Through the ages, countless people had called, treated, or seen her as a monster but she rarely considered herself as such. Today was one of those days.
"What do you say if we spend the day together? We can do whatever you want." She said with the best smile she could make while holding back the tears and self-loathing. "Yes! Thanks, Mom!" Shargein was so happy and surprised that it broke the Overlord.
From so close, her Blood Imprint allowed her to read the feelings and thoughts of those who shared even a few drops of her blood, let alone her son.
"Thankful? My Featherling is thankful because his mother is spending time with him? What kind of monster am I?' She Warped away from the workshop and into her private quarters where no one would see her cry.
"Don't worry, baby." She said as Shargein desperately tried to console her. "You did nothing wrong. Mommy is just happy to have a good son like you. I love you, Shargein."
"Love you, Mom." Shargein licked her tears away happily, making the Guardian cry even
harder.
At the same time, all the scrolls hung outside every tent in the Blood Desert listing the laws turned from white paper written with black ink into black paper written with white
ink.