Gifts

Lyra's return has doubled the vibrancy of the Caspius manor. Its noisy halls filled with chatter and laughter might come jarring to strangers who were lost and somehow found themselves on the outskirts of Heos.

Lady Caspius has a great relationship with everyone in the manor, including Arsen's knights. Even Kyra who she just met was left astonished as Lyra greeted her with a smile and told her that she had read about the new knight in Arsen's letter and that it should've included that Kyra was a young beautiful knight. Lyra also gave her a warm hug. 

A friend of everyone, that's how people who know Lyra describe her. Even people who were suspicious of her kind gestures at first came to realize that it was stupid of them to think that there was malicious intent behind Lyra's kind actions. Aside from that, Lyra is also good with words and reading the room.

"She was kind because she is kind," was the common answer of people who knew Lyra towards those who asked why the rich Caspius woman treated them in such a way.

Everyone in the Caspius manor gathered in the main building's spacious living room. Lyra sat in a foam chair at the center. In front of her lies the five huge suitcases filled with stuff she bought in Decatris and other kingdoms she has visited due to her research. 

Lyra was a known scholar. She's part of the team that studies the reason behind the maddened beasts and was one of the pioneers of the serum that tries to alleviate its increasing cases. So far, the serum has been altered many times, yet the results were always disappointing. 

But, Lyra's curious obsession lies in something far different in her current research. Her real passion lies with artifacts and ancient ruins hidden beneath the Nusterran land. 

Lyra pulled out golden bracelets from one of the suitcases. Each one has different magical stones in it.

"Rhene," Lyra spoke. She asked Rhene to step forward and receive her gift; one of the gold bracelets that had a red gemstone, a blood ruby. A rare gemstone that was documented to be capable of sealing wounds by solidifying blood.

Rhene received the bracelet with a bright expression. She shouted her thanks to Lyra which made the lady Caspius giggle with joy.

Then, Lyra gave each of Arsen's knights a bracelet of their own. Each bracelet was custom-made by a capable magic item craftsman with a gemstone that Lyra picked for each knight. 

Donos received a bracelet with a sapphire in it. His ornament would allow him to amplify the strength of his air magic. Tereus's bracelet has a green jade. A gemstone that beasts find pleasing and calming. The perfect gift for Tereus who was feared by most animals. For Haemon, Lyra gifted him a bracelet with a sunstone, the one that stores light from the sun and releases it at night. But Haemon's was tinkered to only work when touched.

One look and you could see the happiness seeping out from all of Arsen's knights. On the other hand, their captain has a weird smile. He was happy for them, but, on the back of his head, he could not stop thinking how much it must've cost for each of those custom-made golden bracelets. The gemstones alone could be worth a gold coin or more, and the pay for a known magic item craftsman is also not something to brush off.

Lyra didn't have a bracelet for Kyra since the bracelets were made before she received Arsen's letter. But, Lady Caspius has a gift for her. From the same suitcase, Lyra took out dresses of different colors. All of which were similar to the one she was wearing, one that would adjust to the wearer for comfort and great fit.

Each dress has different colors and design patterns. She allowed the women to choose their pick, and she included Kyra and even Rhene. At first, Rhene refused since she already received a gift and said that she wasn't the type to wear dresses. But when Lyra replied that she'd be happy if Rhene received one, the female knight couldn't reject it anymore.

Tiriara was watching them, sitting beside Aeneas. Lyra noticed her, "Come, Tiri. I have one for you as well," she said. Like Rhene the girl tried to refuse at first, but it took a few more of Lyra's words for her to accept it.

The men watched them giggle and try to see whether the color and design of the dress were for them by putting it in front of their bodies. They would comment and compliment each other before coming to a group decision about which one of them would get which color. 

After a long revolving conversation among the women, each has obtained their pick.

After that, Lyra took her other suitcase. Inside were sealed foods and fruits she bought before she rode the airboat.

"Let me take that, my lady," Crisa said. Yri helped her.

Lyra thanked the two of them and said that they should just put it in the kitchen first since she still has gifts for them.

"Yours is next," Lyra said with a grin as she looked Eluard in the eyes.

Seeing what everyone has received so far, and knowing the kind of person his adoptive mother was, Eluard was filled with excitement. And his eyes sparkled as he saw her gift.

Lyra pulled out a foldable bow while saying, "Tadah!" It was much lighter and thinner than the one Eluard used. Even though that was the case, it was also ten times more durable and could reach hundreds of meters more with the same amount of pulling force.

Arsen wanted to say that Eluard didn't need one since the one he uses, which was gifted to him by Lyra less than a year ago, was still in top condition, but, when he saw Eluard's expression as he hugged and thanked Lyra, Arsen just sighed, then smiled as he decided to remain silent.

"Yri," Lyra said.

"Yes, mother?" 

"Come closer to me,"

Lyra asked Yri to sit in front with her back facing her.

"This is my gift to you, my beautiful daughter."

Hearing Lyra call her daughter warms Yri's heart but also saddens her a little as she takes a glimpse at Arsen.

Yri felt Lyra brush her long hair to put on a necklace. She held the pendant in front to see what it was. All she saw was a small circular stone-like transparent glass and inside was a greenish liquid.

With a turn to face Lyra, "What is it?" Yri asked.

"It's Bakunawa's tears."

Since it was apparent that Yri still didn't know what it was, Lyra told her that it was a magical liquid made from the blood of the sea serpent, Bakunawa, from Meenish territory. She said that it could heal most kinds of wounds and illnesses.

Tiriara raised her hands, "Why is it called tears if it's made of blood?" she asked.

Lyra said that it's just how people who discovered it named it.

Yri's eyes widened, "Couldn't we use this to heal Aeny?" she asked.

Their mother said that she managed to obtain one a long time ago, but it only works temporarily with Aeneas.

Yri hugged Lyra and thanked her with a kiss on her cheek, as well as telling her how much she loved her.

Then, Lyra gave another necklace to Issa, its pendant was a black pearl only obtainable in the kingdom of Meena. Its known capability is storing a huge amount of water and releasing it back when scrubbed with one's fingers. No one knows how something small and rigid could do such a thing. Due to its magical use, Lyra requested the craftsman to make the lace adjustable in length.

"Thank you, Aunt Lyra!" Issa said. She also kissed her on the cheek.

Lyra took out other ornament gifts with no magic in them. Rings, necklaces with lockets as pendants, and some armbands. She also gave everyone a pocket watch to carry with them.

It was when Kyra realized why his captain, Arsen, acts frugal with money. One thing she doesn't know is that another reason why Arsen acts in such a way is to lessen the temper of his sister, Lois, who he knew would declare war with her mother when she finds out that she's spent a ton of money to things she would classify 'useless' for the tenth time. Of course, that war only involves not talking with her and ignoring her, but, after a few days of Lyra showing her affection, Lois always caves and tells her mother to not do it again or they'll end up coinless. Still, those days of 'war' are tiring for Arsen, as he also hears thousands of words from Lois about not being firmer with their mother's expenditures.

In Arsen's thoughts, he thanked the proud Lion that Lois was at the academy of Decatris. And he knew that his mother sneaked all of those gifts behind Lois's back. Well, Lyra also bought her daughter, Lois, a magic necklace. She put it in her bag with a letter from the last time they met days before her departure.

Lyra also showered Arsen with gifts. Things her oldest son thinks he didn't need. Still, Arsen thanked her and was happy with her gifts. Then, Lyra told Arsen to close his eyes to her great surprise.

She pulled out the most expensive item she had. A sword, made from a dragon's scale found from an ancient ruin. The scale would've cost tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of gold coins if Lyra wasn't the one who found it when she explored the ruin with a small team. She also got a huge discount when a known blacksmith in Decatris found out that her main material was a dragon's scale. A material he only read in books and never worked with. He thought he wouldn't get the chance to do so, since in the current times, dragons only exist in history books. Many already doubted if they even existed.

The sword is sheathed in cheap leather since Lyra knew the tradition of Panteran knights in regards to the scabbard. When Arsen pulled out the sword, it glistened with reddish light although it was the color of silver. Arsen was filled with awe, his worries about how much money Lyra burned disappeared. Everyone in the room also marveled at its sight.

"What is its name, mother?" Aeneas asked.

Lyra shrugged. She said that it doesn't have a name yet.

"But, every great sword needs a name," Tiriara said.

Aeneas agreed by nodding his head. The others also tried to think of one for it.

Lyra smiled, "The blacksmith did try to name it. But I said that I want my son to do the honor." She didn't say it but the blacksmith was adamant in naming the sword, but agreed when he learned that Lyra's son was Arsen. A Panteran knight, many blacksmiths in all of Nusterra wanted to wield their sword.

Arsen smiled, "For a sword of this quality, its name should be..." he paused and raised the sword a bit higher, "Red Sword," he said with a serious face.

Everyone realized then that although Arsen was a genius fighter and commander, they should refrain from asking him to name anything.