Side Chapter: Ryze

*** Ryze ***

I give my wings a stretch and then shoot out towards the tallest mountain. I was nice and gave my daughter the one with the city under it, but I had to have some status as the elder of us three. Of course, Eos had to take the rest.

I have no idea why she needs a nest on every mountain. It makes it rather difficult to find her when I have something to talk to her about. It's good exercise, but what if something truly important comes up and I can't find her until I check her last nest?

There's no sense of duty with her.

Of course, that doesn't matter too much when all the fighting has been in the lower realm, which made it a lot safer up in our private realms until Alzi found a way to convince everyone to fight in the lower realm.

"Someone is in love," Eos shouts out, passing by.

"I am not in love," I say.

"You are," Eos says, looping back. Someone wants to give the city below a show. "I've never seen you start to apologize that quickly before. Just yesterday, I had to listen to you rant about Alzi for a full hour before you began mumbling about everything working out alright."

"I'm not in love with my daughter's mate," I say. "I wouldn't do that to her."

"Oh, you have limits, Auntie," Eos says, circling over me. "It's just jealousy. You want to be pregnant again."

"Of course I want more kids," I say. "But I'm not jealous of my daughter. I'm happy that she's happy."

"Sure, sure," Eos says. "That's why you're flying so slowly and keep darting your eyes back to your daughter's mountain."

"Go jump into one of your holes," I say.

"Hahaha, maybe," Eos says. "But don't chase Alzi off. I'm a little jealous, too. Mother always said I would get a sister before she died in a stupid raid over nothing. The only reason I haven't buried myself deep after that lie is that you welcomed me into your family. But I want one of my own, with some kids I can promise I'll give a sister, and maybe a brother, and keep that promise. If you chase Alzi off, that may just stay a fantasy for us. I know it may not be Alzi that actually gets us old folk pregnant, but we don't know what she may say to Eterna's kids that could mark us as unwanted."

"I'm not going to do anything bad to her," I say. "I can't blame her for getting everyone willing to fight for her, even my silly daughter. She did that to survive, and it worked out for everyone."

"Because you're in love," Eos says, before darting away into one of her many nests.

I could chase after her to make sure my silly niece understands that I'm not in love with my daughter's mate. Sure, I wouldn't mind getting pregnant from her mate, but I'm not going to share a mate with my daughter.

Being the adult of the group is difficult.

Eos can always run away to some hole of hers, so I'll let her be for now. I should stay close to Eterna to make sure she doesn't need anything.