Ascendants: Tides of the Morn

Chapter 30

Ardashir and Carlo waited patiently for my return at my mansion. Ardashir sat calmly and sipped a glas of blood while Carlo paced back and forth. Dragica and Leonide was also visiting, both showing the polar opposite of emotions. Dragica was calm and seemed quite delighted when speaking with Ardashir. Leonide looked like he had eaten somethings sour and tapped impatiently at the table. He lit up though when I entered the room.

"You are back, and look good I might add!" he exclaimed while perusing me for wounds.

Dragica rolled her eyes at Leonide. "Have some faith in the lady for heaven's sake."

Carlo walked forward and held me close to his chest with an expression that screamed of reluctance to ever let me go again. I sighed, though in satisfaction as I cuddle close to his chest. I felt so tired all of the sudden. Almost like I've been running for days and only now stopped to rest.

"Result?" Ardashir asked, but the answer was clear on my peaceful face.

"Lucretzia is dead. My family has been avenged. The Sovereign has been discredited enough to be replaced," I replied without hesitation.

"Alessandro would have been proud," Carlo said with a gentle voice, but his eyes was filled with bitterness. The absent of the man who had been his company for around fivehundred years was still painful. I leaned in and let him hold me close for comfort.

"I am proud. It is rather interesting that of all my kin, it's my granddaughter who is most like me," Ardashir said and gave one of his rare smiles. He looked like a satisfied cat and I could almost hear him purr. I held back a chuckle, but cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Is that so. Care to explain why me mentioning your name caused a riot at the trial? They even mentioning that you was reknown to dethrone Sovereigns."

"Only those who irk me," Ardashir replied with a shrug.

"If what you are saying is true, then the other clans who wants the throne is going to wage for your support," Dragica mused.

Ardashir nodded solemly and rose from the couch. He walked closer to me and I reluctantly released myself from Carlo's arms.

"Which is the reason why I intend to send little Valeria away," said Ardashir without blinking. I raised my eyebrows in surprise but the others started to protest.

"What for? That won't solve anything! She is the one that set this in emotion," exclaimed Dragica and Leonide followed suit," she did well! Why do you punish her?"

"He is not," Carlo muttered while watching Ardashir. "You are sending her to be tested. Aren't you?"

Ardashir nodded and laid his hands on my shoulder. "It is time for you to follow the path of Alessandro and your anscestors. Return to the land of our origin to walk the Path of the Sun to become an adult and more importantly a full member of the Sun Clan."

"This is a tradition we of the I Soli have. Alessandro walked it before you. It was there he learned his technique Facula from the from the Primemordial of the Sun Clan. The first of all of our clan," Carlo explained and I nodded as I recalled Alessandro telling me about this in the past.

"Alessandro mentioned it as the reason why he couldn't teach me Facula, but he never told me where you should walk this Path of the Sun."

"The Sahara desert between Libya, were our Primemordial was born, and Egypt where he once ruled. Our Primemordial Aten along with his twin brother Kakhensu belonged to the berbers, a clan called Libu Clan, who wandered the desert for trade. It is hidden among the sands of Sahara, were we of the Sun clan have cities filled with our history and most of all, where our Primemordial live."