Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

"Anything, you say…" Rain shrugged. "I am not sure if that is truly possible even for you."

"We wouldn't know unless you say it out loud," Seadrei said, visibly confident.

"Well, if you say so," Rain said. "I want to lead my family in a way that I see that will benefit them, so I would like that you doing mettle in our affairs. Of course, I am willing to hear your opinion, but I will make the final decision when their fate is on the table."

When Seadrei heard that Rain didn't want to entertain his meddling, a bit of surprise crossed his face. It was an unexpected response for him, and this unexpectedness showed in his facial expression. It was as if Seadrei had been taken aback by Rain's straightforwardness, and this reaction was quite evident in the way his eyebrows lifted slightly, and his eyes widened just for a brief moment.

The surprise Seadrei displayed was coupled with a hint of confusion, as if he was confused with the idea that someone much younger and with significantly less life experience would openly reject his involvement or advice. It was a puzzling situation for Seadrei, and this confusion was evident in the furrow of his brow and the way he momentarily hesitated in his response.

For Seadrei, who had lived for five centuries, talking with a human who had barely reached the age of twenty was an experience that was both weird and, to some extent, annoying. The very notion that someone so much younger could confidently dismiss his insights or preferences was hard for him to grasp.

It was as if he were dealing with a precocious child who believed they knew better than their elders.

"What makes you think that my… meddling wouldn't benefit you and your family?" Seadrei asked.

"Well, because your sense of urgency is severely lacking," Rain explained. "Another thing is the fact that you underestimate anyone that isn't a dragon. For those reasons, I believe that they will be fine with my choices, if I fall in keeping them safe, you can claim my head with your spear when that time comes."

Seadrei was too much in a good mood to get angry, but he sure was confused. Rain was right, anyone that wasn't a dragon wasn't a real problem to him. Even the ones that were one thousand years old he could defeat on land or in the sky. It would be even easier on the sea.

"Very well, I won't get in the way of your choices since you are showing that much determination to defend them," Seadrei said while nodding. "I can't say that I will just watch something happen to those two."

"Well, that is to be expected," Rain shrugged again.

Once again, Rain confirmed that he couldn't trust Seadrei for counseling or for anything else that doesn't relate directly to his daughter and grandchild. He only cared about those two… meanwhile, Rain had to consider and act with the safety of his family and friends all the time.

"About the future of Sealyn," Seadrei said. "While she is half human, and she has human siblings, I believe she should spend most of her time here. Nothing is determined yet, but she could end up becoming my successor, and she will have an easier time with that if she gets used to our society and people here get used to her as well."

"... It is a bit too soon to determine that," Rain said after he crossed his arms. "Once she becomes older, I will talk with Seara about it. If she feels that she doesn't fit in with human society, then perhaps when she becomes an adult, she can make the choice of living here. For now, I can only say that I am fine with them staying here for one week every month. No more than that."

Seadrei studied Rain with a serious gaze… he didn't look like he would budge in that choice of his. That was troubling, but in the end, he knew that things might change in the future, so he didn't have to worry about that much. Things will be fine if she comes to live in the castle once she is five or around that age. It was a small period compared to how much the sea folk usually live.

"That is fair, I suppose," Seadrei said. "I just hope that you can keep an open mind regarding the subject."

"Yeah, of course," Rain said. "If that is all, I am leaving."

Rain could read Seadrei like an open book… While he claimed to dislike politics, he sure learned a few things while dealing with that. One could identify kilometers away a scheming face, even much easier when that face was on someone as straightforward as Seadrei.

If Seadrei didn't let his rejuvenation get to his head, Rain would have expected his wisdom and experience a lot more, but since it was like that, he couldn't rely on it that much. Experience tales with empireNôv(el)B\\jnn

"I have to be mindful of changes in my behavior as well when that transformation happens to me," Rain thought. "I can't let the idea of power or overconfidence blind me."

Rain went to say bye to Seara and kissed the forehead of his daughter before leaving. It was a bit sad to separate from her so soon, but Seara also needed time to spend with her siblings and friends that lived in the underwater capital.

After returning home, Rain explained how the conversation went to Terra. She was glad that Seadrei didn't insist on anything troublesome this time.

"While I can understand your thoughts, you expect too much from him, he is responsible for hundreds of thousands of lives, you know," Terra said.

"I expected a lot from him once, thinking that he was a true friend, but I guess he doesn't see me as an equal, so we can't be true friends," Rain said. "I expect a lot from you guys as well. I wouldn't have chosen you guys as my friends if that weren't the case."