That evening,
Aaric arrived at the Hawthorne mansion with the help of Chaya, who promptly went to Edwina the moment they appeared.
Edwina greeted them both with a radiant smile, kissing Chaya's head and Aaric's cheek before ushering them inside.
The family gathered in the living room as Aaric spoke about school, while Edwina, Simon, and Elder Huo listened patiently.
"Elder Huo, what happened with those Ministry offers you were getting?" Aaric asked.
"I've been rejecting them for a long time now," Elder Huo said with disdain. "They want to use my new Wolfsbane potion as bait to register werewolves so they can discriminate against them."
Aaric nodded. Elder Huo continued, "Your father has been hiring werewolves and providing the potion as part of their salary, so I don't need the Ministry's help to support them."
Aaric nodded again. The three adults exchanged looks, a silent agreement passing between them before moving to what they truly wanted to discuss.
Edwina's eyes shimmered with green floral patterns as a golden crystal manifested in front of them.
"We captured a creature called a Grootslang that lives in South Africa," Simon began, explaining their latest adventure.
Aaric looked proud. "We discovered it carries a sliver of actual divinity within," Edwina added, pointing to the crystal.
Aaric raised an eyebrow, inspecting it. Warmth radiated from the crystal familiar, divine, the same presence he'd felt before the gods he had met recently.
He looked up and nodded. "It seems so. I can feel it too." He set the crystal down again.
"Well… use it then," Simon said.
Aaric tilted his head. "There's only one crystal, and we want you to have it," Simon told him.
Realization dawned, everyone wanted him to take the divine power. Aaric shook his head.
"I don't need it. I think Dad or Elder Huo should have it. I've recently found a source of godly power for me and Mom, that will help with our ascension without muck work." he explained.
The adults exchanged glances. "Can you tell us what that is?" Edwina asked.
Aaric nodded and began explaining the Dreamlands and the gods he had met there.
"I get that… I think?" Simon said, frowning slightly. "But how does that translate to you both gaining divinity?"
Aaric smirked. "Well… I have a plan for that, but we should wait a little longer." He rested a hand under his chin. "In the meantime, I'll start collecting the divine seeds I mentioned for all of us to begin the journey." He looked around at them. "Do you all wish to be gods?"
Edwina shrugged. "I know we may already be immortal because of the Moonblood Resin. But there's only so much a human can do with immortality." Elder Huo nodded in quiet agreement.
Simon leaned back, resting his cheek against his palm. "Makara told me about it when we first met. I've been preparing for it for a long time now."
"Preparing for what?" Aaric asked.
"Ascention," Simon said with a grin.
He leaned forward, clasping his hands on the table. "Some time from now, I don't know when. But after Voldemort is gone and this world begins to heal, our gods," he said, referring to Makara and Edwina, "will transport Nightshade Island to a different world. A world far crueler… and far behind ours."
He paused, gauging their attention. "The island will arrive over a thousand years before we ourselves enter that world. It's to give us a foothold before we arrive."
"I've visited that world at different points in time to help settle the island and learn about the world." Simon continued. "Those were the times I went to visit Makara, he facilitated the travels." He raised three fingers.
"I'll tell you about the last three visits. Makara told me we'll enter that world around the time someone named Daenerys Targaryen begins her journey."
He lowered one finger. "First was about three hundred and twenty years before her time. I freed slaves and brought them to the island."
"The next was about two hundred and eighty years.. before her journey begins when I met a man named Aegon Targaryen, who wanted to conquer the kingdoms near our island." He lowered another finger.
"The last was thirty-seven years after that. Aegon had conquered the kingdoms and came to our island, wanting to die there in peace." He lowered the final finger and looked around, waiting for questions.
"How does that world help with our ascension?" Aaric asked.
Simon nodded. "We'll gain worship there. That's supposed to help or so Makara told me."
Aaric scratched his head. "With the method I've found, I don't think Mom and I will need worshipers. We could do it for you and Elder Huo instead."
"And if that world is as cruel as you say," Edwina said softly, "we could go there to help." She reached over to brush Aaric's hair. "You don't need to feel obligated, love."
Aaric smiled and shook his head. "I want to help." He glanced back at the golden crystal, eyebrow raised.
"I think Simon should have this," Elder Huo said, referring to the crystal. "I can wait."
Simon shrugged and turned to Aaric. "Did you recently create a mechanism using a golden dragon scale and dragonsteel to make a new metal called Celestium?"
Aaric nodded. "Yes. By funneling magic through the scale and infusing it into dragonsteel. It'll take a few months, but it should turn into a new metal."
Simon nodded. "I placed a dragon egg there as well."
Aaric only shrugged.
A/N: I know this chapter may be convoluted it relies on if you have read and remembered the little hints i have sprinkled in my previous chapters, i honestly now think i made it needlessly complicated and would appreciated your thoughts on that.
I trust my readers' intelligence, but I'll answer what needs to be clarified.
The next few chapters will shift to the Game of Thrones world, showing how the Hawthornes influence its history i have some cool stuff planned for that.
Power stones and reviews, please.