NoGift

Chapter 210: a bit of progress

"ARE you sure you don't want to use my healing chamber?" Argent asked Jaxon. 

She was talking about a pod about the size of an adult that would automatically get filled with healing potion the moment someone entered it. She based its design on the healing chamber from her former world. She just modified it to the materials available in this world. She also had to take into account the factor involving Mana. 

It's actually a bit of trial and error, but she finally managed to built one. Now, there's about three here in this lab. She actually wanted to make a portable version. So, she could have her sister and mother carry it with them. Then if they happened to be injured and there was no healer available, they could just use it. But before she could make a working model, all those crap with the Temple of Gaia happened. 

It's actually one of the things she was trying to make while she's holing herself inside her workshop. Hopefully, she could make a functioning product before they had to leave the island.

"No, I'm fine. It's only external wounds. Your little White already gave me a first-aid," Jaxon said.

When that commotion in the forest happened, Argent and Lei Feng were near the area. It's because Argent suspected that something might happen, like, you know, Janea attacking Jaxon. If he just went and told the half-elf up front that he was his father, he would definitely be beaten up. Because that would be what Argent would do if she was on the same situation as the half-elf. And just as she thought, not even 30 minutes after Jaxon entered the forest, a large amount of Mana suddenly erupted from the area.

When she and Lei Feng arrived there, they felt the ground moving like there's an earthquake. They even saw the trees moving, no, it's probably more accurate to say that they were rampaging. Lei Feng had to fly her towards the source of the Mana. 

What they saw was Janea, standing on the center of a clearing, violent Mana constantly flowing out of his tiny body. And not far away was Jaxon, trying to reach Janea. But the half-elf kept shouting for him to not get any closer. 

Argent thought of intervening. But she soon vetoed that idea. That was something only the two could worked out between them. An outsider interfering would only make things a lot worse. 

She and Lei Feng both saw how those trees kept on attacking Jaxon. But Jaxon never tried to dodge, he didn't even use his Gift to protect himself. Strangely enough, those trees never attacked Jaxon's vital parts and only caused him shallow external injuries. Him being attacked by those rampaging trees continued until he reached Janea. It still didn't stop there though. The trees still continued tearing through the forest.

Argent couldn't hear what the two were saying. But after a while, the trees finally calmed down. So, she guessed that Jaxon must have been able to calm the half-elf. That's when she and Lei Feng flew down the clearing. The moment they landed, they saw that Janea had lost consciousness. Probably due to emotional and psychological stress. Meanwhile, Jaxon who looked like a bloody mess, carefully carried the half-elf as if he was holding a very rare treasure. And maybe in his mind, he really was.

What happed there proved that the two were indeed father and son. If not, the half-elf wouldn't have had reacted so strongly. And Jaxon wouldn't have had endured those attacks silently. It was indeed a good idea to inform Jaxon first before they proceed into anything.

That situation in the forest ended up with the two being brought to the built-in medical facility in the lab. Janea was resting in another room while Jaxon was here, looking almost like a mummy because of the many wounds he suffered. But it seemed that he didn't mind at all, as evidence of the stupid grin on his face.

"Uncle Jax, are you sure you're not just trying to gain Janea's sympathy by refusing to use Brother's medical chamber and making yourself look more pitiful?" Aurum said.

Anthea laughed. "Aurum, saying that outright even though it's true is kind of rude."

"So, I'm right then?" Aurum turned back to Jaxon. "Uncle Jax, you shouldn't do that. Janea already hates you. He might just hate you even more if you do this kind of tactic."

Jaxon could only let out a dry laugh. "You really don't know how to pull your punches, don't you Aurum?"

"It's my policy to be as honest as possible to the people I care about," Aurum said as if he was very proud of that fact. 

"But you're right, that boy certainly does hate me." A sad smile crossed Jaxon's lips. "It would probably take a long while before I could even gain a shred of his trust."

Anthea patted Jaxon's back. "But you won't give up until you do, am I right?"

"Of course, that has always been my plan." 

That's the least thing Jaxon could do. He knew it wouldn't be easy to be forgiven. Not after being absent in his life since the day he was born. Even if there wouldn't come a time that Janea would not consider him as his father, he would be satisfied if the boy could at least put his trust on him. To believe that no matter what happened, he would be there for him and his mother.

"Anthea said that you found Janea at Victoria City. What was he doing there?" he asked, he hadn't had the chance to ask Anthea about the details on how they found the boy. He was too preoccupied thinking about the possibility that he and Ylannea had a child. 

"He was being kept captive by the Temple of Gaia," Argent answered.

Anger immediately rose within Jaxon when he heard that. Knowing the things the Temple had put Anthea and the twins through, being kept by those people was definitely not something good. "What have they done to him?"

"He was locked in the dungeon under the Holy Temple. I'm guessing they put him there thinking that they could extract information from him about the elves' ancient artifact. After all, it's not everyday one could just bump into a half-elf," Argent answered honestly. "We don't know what kind of method they used, but it certainly wouldn't be something flowery and beautiful."

"I see. It seems like being the biggest religious organization in the world has really made them think that they could control everything if they so wished." Jaxon's Mana suddenly filled the room, making the objects there, even Aurum and Anthea, float. "They're pissing me off."

Although he said that, his expression right now was more of anger than just simply being pissed.

"Uncle Jax, we would appreciate if you also don't make us float," Aurum said, holding down her skirt so it wouldn't flip upwards. 

As if returning to his senses, Jaxon apologized and gently put the two down. He also took back his Mana. "Is the Temple also the one holding Ylannea?"

If that was the case, then it would answer why he hadn't managed to find her all these years.

"They're not," Argent refuted. "According to Janea, his mother is currently being held captive by the Emperor of Kievan." 

The Emperor of Kievan? Jaxon never expected that answer. He also tried to get information in Kievan. But it was one of the countries in the world that didn't allow outsiders to go in so easily. So, the spies he sent there throughout the years either ended up dying or he simply lost contact with them. At the end, Jaxon never received any information that would connect to Ylannea.

"Did you and Ylannea somehow encountered the Emperor of Kievan during your travels together?" Anthea asked, because if they did then that would explain a lot.

Jaxon shook his head. "No. Ylannea disliked cold weathers, so we never traveled to the Northern continent."

So, how did she end up in the hands of that tyrant? The Emperor of Kievan was known for being merciless and cruel. He couldn't even begin to imagine the things that could have been done to Ylannea while she was there. Just thinking of it was already making his blood boil.

Without him noticing, the air around him was starting to distort because of his Mana. The objects around him was starting to have cracks. 

"Uncle Jax!" called Aurum. "Don't lose control now. We're going to make a plan to save that aunt elf. So, you better direct all that anger once we meet that Kievan emperor."

Jaxon stopped for a moment and then chuckled. That little speech really did calm him down. "You're right."

But before they go and save that elf, they needed to go back to Albion first to look into that record that her father left Argent thought.

Then a weak knock interrupted them. 

Aurum walked to the door and opened it. She smiled when he saw who was outside. She opened it wider and let the person entered. Janea then walked inside.

"We'll leave the two of you to talk," Anthea said before pulling Argent and Aurum out of the room.

"Are you feeling alright now?" Jaxon asked, his voice full of unconcealed worry.

Janea fidgeted with his fingers before finally raising his head. He was startled to see the state Jaxon was in. His body was full of bandages, showing just how many wound he had taken because of what he did. 

"Why didn't you fight back?" he asked instead.

"Because I deserved all these wounds on me right now."

"Don't think that you would easily be forgiven just because you did that," Janea said, hardening his resolve. 

"I know."

"I- I would never forgive you. But, my mother is different. She's still waiting for you. So, if you want to save her, then I won't get in your way."

Jaxon smiled. Well, this was enough. At least they're making progress. "Thank you, Janea."

Janea looked away. And then immediately walked out of the room. 

Jaxon's smile disappeared as he looked at the ceiling. [Just wait for us a little bit longer, Ylannea.]