Veneri walked through the trees with Valeria perched comfortably on his shoulders. Her small hands were resting against his hair as she swayed back and forth, singing something that had no recognizable structure yet somehow carried a melody that was far too refined for a four-year-old.
Asenane stood a short distance away with her arms folded, looking entirely too proud for someone who had claimed she wanted a boy yesterday. She inherited her voice. Veneri, however, was not listening to the song.
He was staring at the translucent System panel hovering in front of him.
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Name: Valeria Cassie Richinaria
Alias: Vale
Age: 4
Title: None
Species: Hybrid (Half-Dragon Half-Aeterium)
Affiliation: Dynasty Richinaria
Status: Divine Rank, Fourth Enlightenment, 99%
Pinnacle Tethers: None
Base Tethers: Soul and Body Reconstruction, Soul Vision, Limitless, Draconic Strength, Dragonheart, Dragon Transformation, Inventory
Major Divinities: Artist Creation
Minor Divinities: None
Codex: None
Artifacts: Bowl of Wisdom
Overwrite: None
Divine Transformation: ???
Boon: The Star of Adoration
Bane: Absolute Greed
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Valeria hummed loudly above him, inventing lyrics about stew and dragons and "Dad being tall," while he analyzed the deeper implications.
First, Base Tethers.
Soul and Body Reconstruction was expected. Aeteriums leaned heavily toward structural reformation. The fact that Valeria already had both integrated at a Base Tether level meant she would regenerate without fragmentation. That alone placed her survivability above most Fourth Enlightenment beings. Limitless was available in all Aeterium, giving them access to summon and hold a lot of energy.
Dragonheart, Dragon Transformation and Draconic Strength were self-explanatory. Dragonheart was her heart that contained and produces a lot of Draconic Energy. Dragon Transformation enables her to turn into a Dragon. Draconic Strength gives her immense physical capabilities. That's why he felt her hold on his neck before he woke up.
And then there was Inventory. The system had automatically assigned her Inventory without her doing anything. It was a normal Base Tether if one is put in Phaenora System.
"She doesn't need to carry anything."
Asenane glanced at him. "What?"
"The system gave her Inventory as a Base Tether."
Valeria leaned forward slightly on his shoulders.
"What's inventory?"
"Where you hide things," he replied absentmindedly.
She gasped dramatically.
"I can hide snacks?"
"Yes."
She looked delighted. Anyway, he went to the Major Divinity, Artist Creation. That one made him pause the longest. He expanded the information panel.
[Artist Creation: The Divinity to manifest, alter or conceptualize reality through artistic expression. Creations may gain form, autonomy or attributes proportional to enlightenment progression.]
Veneri slowly lowered the panel.
"She's a narrative constructor."
"Explain."
"If this develops properly, her drawings could become real. She can create anything she draws—"
Valeria interrupted them by singing louder. He glanced upward and they saw a faint golden shimmer through the branches. Asenane noticed it too but they said nothing.
He moved to the next section and opened the description.
[The Star of Adoration: The subject naturally draws affection, loyalty, fascination and protective instincts from sentient beings. Emotional resonance amplifies social influence and emotional bonds.]
He stared at it and then he looked at Asenane and Valeria, who was now patting his head affectionately as if she were the parent.
"That explains a lot."
The Boon was not mind control. It was resonance. They would feel drawn to her and justify her existence instinctively. That was dangerous because if she ever learned to manipulate it intentionally...
He exhaled slowly when he read the Bane.
[Absolute Greed: The subject possesses an insatiable internal drive to obtain, create or claim. May manifest as possessiveness over objects, people, concepts or ideals.]
He went silent. Asenane read over his shoulder.
"Greed?"
"She will want things. Maybe that's why she eats a lot."
Valeria leaned down suddenly and wrapped her arms around his forehead.
"You're mine," she declared happily.
Valeria began singing again, this time inventing rhymes about "Mom's pretty horns" and "Dad's big shoulders." Asenane crossed her arms with visible pride.
"Her voice is beautiful."
He reached up and gently adjusted her legs on his shoulders.
"Vale."
"Yes?"
"I'm giving you something."
He removed the Bowl of Wisdom from his own Inventory and handed it up to her. She held it carefully.
"It's mine?"
"Yes. You need it more than I do."
The Bowl of Wisdom was perfect for her. For a Fourth Enlightenment hybrid with accelerated growth and no Ascension Curse suppression, nutritional equilibrium would matter. He gave it to Shimmer to handle her Bane before she became a Divine. Thankfully, when she became a Divine, the effects lessened. Also, he made far too many dishes to keep in her inventory whenever it acted out of control.
"Thank you, Dad!"
Asenane watched the exchange with softened eyes.
"You're spoiling her."
"I'm not. She'll actually need this."
Valeria placed the bowl dramatically over her head like a crown.
"I am the Queen of Stew!"
Eventually after a while, they found a river. It was wide but not intimidating. The river was broad enough to feel grand and gentle enough to feel welcoming. The waterfall at the far bend poured down in a clean white veil, causing mist to rise and drift lazily over moss-covered stone.
Veneri paused at the bank with Valeria still perched high on his shoulders as she sang something wildly off-key and completely confident.
"Sparkle sparkle dragon light,
Dad is tall and Mom is bright,
River big and sky so blue,
Fishy fishy, I see you!"
Veneri's eyes dimmed slightly as he activated his Soul Vision. The river changed in his perception. He spotted small schools of fish moving in loose patterns. There were no hostile beings embedded in the currents.
"There are a few fish, nothing dangerous. We can swim."
"Why do we have to swim?"
He glanced at Asenane as if the answer was obvious.
"Because it's a river."
"That doesn't explain anything."
"It's normal. People swim in rivers."
And before she could counter his argument, he leapt. Water exploded upward around him in a glittering arc. Valeria shrieked in unfiltered delight. They resurfaced moments later, both laughing. Valeria blinked water from her lashes and immediately began paddling. Veneri froze for half a second, watching.
Her body aligned with the current without thought. Her small limbs cut through the water with surprising coordination. It was not perfect technique but far beyond what a four-year-old should naturally possess. She dove briefly beneath the surface, resurfaced with a gasp, and shouted,
"Dad! It feels amazing!"
"That's called relief."
"It tickles!"
Asenane exhaled slowly at the riverbank, shaking her head as if resigned to the inevitability of both of them. With a soft shimmer of divinity, her clothes vanished. In their place formed a thin white robe that draped fluidly around her figure. She stepped into the water with far more grace than either of them. When she reached them, she gently scooped Valeria into her arms.
"Alright, it's time to say goodbye to Dad for a little while and swim with me."
Valeria's expression changed instantly.
"No. I stay with Dad."
"You can swim with me."
Valeria clung to Veneri's shoulder.
"No. Dad floats better."
"I do not float better."
"You do."
Asenane narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Valeria."
The child crossed her arms. Veneri adjusted his hold on her and lowered his voice just slightly.
"It's okay."
Valeria glanced at him.
"You can swim with Mom. I'll still be here."
She studied his face carefully as if searching for some hidden deception. Finally, she sighed in exaggerated reluctance.
"Okay."
Asenane hid a smile. Valeria released him slowly like someone surrendering a treasured possession and allowed herself to be guided into Asenane's arms.
They moved deeper into the river, away from Veneri but still within sight. Valeria's earlier hesitation vanished almost instantly. She splashed and kicked. She tried to copy her father's dive and ended up swallowing a mouthful of water, which she declared "disgusting" before immediately trying again.
She lifted Valeria gently and spun once that it felt like flying rather than turning. The child's laughter got louder and freer. The sight was almost similar to a painting.
He stepped forward again, submerging briefly before emerging closer to them. Valeria saw him and squealed.
"Take this!"
She kicked free from Asenane and swam toward him. He caught her easily.
"You're getting better."
"I'm fast."
They swam toward the waterfall, letting the mist coat their skin. Valeria insisted on standing directly beneath the falling water once, only to shriek when the pressure hit her head and scramble back into Veneri's arms, laughing hysterically.
They floated on their backs. They chased small fish shadows.
Valeria attempted to command the water to move because she had "seen Dad do stuff with water," and when nothing happened, she declared the river "stubborn." She didn't have the Water Divinity and it was for the best. At one point, she clung between both of them, one hand gripping Veneri's arm and the other wrapped around Asenane's wrist. The current nudged them gently, rocking them in place. The three of them drifted like that for several quiet minutes.
Asenane looked at Veneri over Valeria's head. Valeria suddenly announced;
"We are the River Tribe now."
Veneri hid his laugh. "We are?"
"Yes. Mom is Water Queen. Papa is Tall Fish. I am Dragon Splash."
Asenane covered her mouth to hide her laughter.
Veneri sighed. "Tall Fish?"
"You jump good."
"That is not a fish trait. I'm so lucky that I can't taste fish."