''Don't you go getting your grandfather into trouble, you little gremlin,'' Elysia said with a playful giggle. ''But hey, it's good to see you up and causing chaos, sweetheart.''
Raegar chuckled before looking at his grandparents and could feel the love they had for him. He sighed while rubbing his head. ''Sorry, I didn't know it would hurt. I was confused when waking up.''
When Griffin heard this, he felt guilty, but Elysia stepped forward and suddenly hugged him before playing with his snow-white hair. ''I was so worried after laying my eyes on you. Your body was breaking down from the inside out.''
He stiffened at her words, but his grandmother gave him a reassuring smile as she continued, ''No need to worry, sweetheart. I healed you as much as I could before running out of Aether. You're lucky I'm not charging you for it!''
Raegar laughed as a memory from his childhood popped up when seeing that smile as he instantly recognized it.
''Little one! Come see your grandmother!'' his mother, Victoria, called from the backdoor, her voice warm and full of affection.
Raegar, however, sat fully immersed in his own little world in the garden, surrounded by the Aether toys his father had bought him. He was utterly unbothered by his mother's call, too enthralled with one that resembled a wobbly slime.
''Slum... Slim... Slime!'' he tried to speak until getting it right.
He holding up the toy like it was the greatest discovery of his new life. Victoria crossed her arms with a smirk. ''I see where I rank compared to a blob of goo!''
''Goo!'' he repeated her words, which shocked himself as it was the only one he got right on the first attempt.
His mother giggled softly, but her amusement faded as a stranger appeared in the garden. Raegar froze, clutching his slime toy tightly. She looked a lot like his mother, but something about her was different.
'She's powerful. The surrounding air seems to move around her like an unknown force was controlling it,' he thought while staring at the newcomer.
It felt like a monster was gazing at him until it vanished, which confused him even more. The woman smiled warmly, shooing Victoria away with a wave of her hand before settling down beside him.
Without hesitation, she scooped him up and placed him in her lap, her gentle demeanor easing his nerves. ''No need to be nervous, sweetheart,'' she said, her voice soothing. ''I'm your grandmother, but you can call me Nana if you like. Can you say that? Nana?"
''Na…Na,'' Raegar attempted, his tiny voice struggling to form the word, but it just wouldn't come out right.
She laughed, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. ''Close enough, darling. We'll work on it after your slime finishes its world conquest.''
''Nana,'' Raegar said, which made Elysia go stiff.
She pulled back with a big smile while speaking, ''I see you remember the day where we helped your slime toy conquer the garden,''
He chuckled when hearing that. ''It came to me when you smiled.''
''Seems like you take after the women of our family. You have Elysia's beautiful smile,'' Griffin commented, with a voice laced with jealousy.
The grey-haired woman chuckled softly before sharing the news, her eyes twinkling with warmth. ''You and your mother will re returning home in a few days. The healing is progressing even better than I expected.''
Raegar's heart soared with surprise and excitement, but his grandfather's commanding voice interrupted the moment. ''You'll train here until it's time for you and your mother to leave. After that, I'll fly over every evening to continue your lessons.''
Following that, Griffin said his goodbyes and went to bed, as Elysia stayed behind to heal him as much as possible. While sitting there, he finally realized the strange feeling emanating from her.
''Grandmother, you're above Tier Four, aren't you?'' Raegar asked. ''I could feel a strange power around you when I was young, but now I know it's your Aether.''
The older grey-haired woman looked at him and nodded. ''Yes I am sweetheart, Tier Seven, to be exact.''
When Raegar heard this, his eyes widened in shock, causing his grandmother to giggle while pouring more Aether into his body. This made the remaining pain subside, which made him sigh.
''That feels a lot better. The sharp pains have gone,'' he said with sweat running down his brow.
Elysia stepped back looking tired herself as she spoke, ''I'm going back to bed, I've run low on energy and need to recover.''
''You were using Water and Light Aether to heal me, correct?'' Raegar questioned with a curious glint in his red eyes.
The older woman smiled before nodding, ''Yes, it's a healing spell names Mermaid's Touch. I learned it on one of my adventures many years ago.'' ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ N0v3l.Fiɾe.net
Raegar became fascinated but Elysia commented, ''Get some rest sweetheart and ensure that you eat some of the Aether Fruits, they will help you recover.''
''Thank you, have a good rest,'' he replied before getting comfortable on the bed.
A while later, Raegar found himself restless and couldn't fall asleep. He climbed out of bed and grabbed the basket of Aether Fruit. His legs felt unsteady as he made his way toward the room's balcony.
Sweat beaded on his skin, and he stepped outside, drawn by the soothing touch of a warm summer breeze, which cooled him as it brushed against his body. Following that, he grabbed a blanket before sitting outside.
'This is peaceful and the Aether in the air helps me relax,' he mused while picking up a Water and Light Fruits.
Raegar started eating and soon after that he felt the energy rush into his cores while filling up the two pools while leaving some in the center. He was still confused, but ignored it as he continued eating.
After eating a dozen fruits, the Water and Light vessels were about a quarter full. It was then that Raegar recalled how his grandmother had used the spell to heal him. Being the curious goblin his parents often called him, he couldn't resist trying to copy Elysia's method.
He focused intently, feeling the Aether flow through his body, its energy repairing the damage within. Pain shot through his entire being, but it vanished thanks to the copied spell that dulled it.
Raegar let out a tired sigh as the last of his Aether drained away, leaving him feeling both exhausted and better than before. He slumped into a nearby chair, pulling a blanket over himself.
Curling up, he let the comforting warmth lull him into a deep sleep. The next morning, Raegar stirred awake to the sensation of gentle fingers running through his hair. Groggily, he opened his eyes to find Yuki gazing down at him.
A radiant smile lit up her beautiful face as she greeted him. ''You're finally awake, young master.''
Still disoriented, Raegar blinked at her in confusion. Before he could respond, she leaned down, her voice soft and filled with gratitude, as she kissed his forehead. ''Thank you for saving me. I never expected you to appear by my side so suddenly.''
''Always and forever Yuki,'' he mumbled while sitting up. The morning sun was high in the sky and he felt much better. ''Where is everyone?''
''Your grandparents are meeting with the Valmont Family and your mother is healing the injured down in the Healer's Wing,'' the cat woman answered.
Raegar shook his head while grabbing a handful of Aether Fruit and started eating, which poured energy into his body, but her worried voice reached his ears. ''How are you eating so much, young master?''
''What?'' he mumbled, turning to Yuki as he bit into a Fire Fruit.
The fiery taste exploded in his mouth, burning like a mouthful of hot chili, but he powered through and finished it. She watched him with a mix of amusement and astonishment before explaining, ''A Tier One Aether Mage couldn't possibly consume the amount you are.''
Raeger shrugged, ''It's filling up my pools and healing my body, so it feels good,'' he replied just as a maid appeared at the door.
''Young master, Master Griffin has requested your presence at his meeting,'' Yuki suddenly revealed, her tone calm but expectant.
Raegar blinked in surprise, momentarily baffled, but he nodded and rose to his feet. As he went to walk out the cat maid, she smiled warmly and added, ''I'll be assisting your mother, so I won't be joining you this time.''
He said goodbye before continuing his walk through the manor's corridors. The floors echoed beneath his steps. Ten minutes later, they arrived at a meeting room where the woman knocked on the door.
''Come in!'' his grandfather's voice boomed out.
The maid gracefully opened the door, and Raegar stepped through, his curiosity piqued. His eyes immediately fell on two individuals seated inside, but it was their distinct appearances that left him momentarily speechless.
'What are these people?' he thought while standing there.
Griffin's smile grew wider before speaking, ''Sit down and take a seat, you little gremlin.''
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