"I know exactly what you wanted to ask me, and the answer is yes, Featherling. I’ll cover up for you. Trust me. Everything will be alright." Salaark said.

’I see.’ Jirni thought. ’Solus is going to show us her Divine Beast forms in their full size, but she has nothing big enough to wear. She must be worried about exposing herself like it happened to Friya.

’From that angle, it would be the worst thing that could happen to a respectable woman. Not to mention the inevitable questions of the children.’

Her gaze softened, and her suspiciousness subsided as Jirni moved her eyes to the slight swelling in Friya’s womb. It was too small to call it a baby bump, but the idea of having more grandchildren filled her with joy as if the due date were imminent.

It was also the reason she fell line, hook, and sinker for Solus’ carefully worded act.

Jirni was right about everything except the nature of the matter that worried Solus. She wanted to reveal her Divine Beast forms and needed an open space, but the sudden absence of the whole family would have raised too many questions.

Magical research was a perfect cover when Solus and Lith had to disappear for a while to use the tower. Yet Jirni would never believe that a Magus and Menadion’s daughter needed Raaz’s expertise for their experiments.

Hence, Solus wanted to ask Salaark to conceal any anomalies in her other forms from the eyes of those who didn’t know about the tower and protect her secret. In turn, the Guardian had carefully worded her answer to reinforce Solus’ deception.

"Do you mind if I invite Master Faluel?" Friya asked. "She’s dying to see your other forms, and there’s something she wants to check with you."

"Of course, Faluel can come." Solus nodded. "She’s my mentor as well and a dear friend. Yet, let me give you a friendly warning. If this is what I suspect, you two and I are going to have a problem."

The tinge of annoyance in her voice baffled even Jirni, who, no matter how much she racked her brain, couldn’t find a suitable explanation for such a reaction.

"Kids, we are going out for the demonstration." Solus said.

"Five more minutes." Fenrir had gone back into Bash’s nest along with the others and was slowly drifting into sleep.

"It’s fine. I can always show you later." She turned around and walked away, stirring the triplets from their slumber.

"Not a chance!" They said as one, making their parents happy beyond belief.

Maybe it was the drowsiness, but Lenart was in perfect synch with his siblings again.

"Wait for me!" Fenrir didn’t want to be the only one left behind and ran after her parents.

"My clan leader lied to me." Bash looked at the pile of prime ribs that Rena had dropped in his bowl. "He told me that taking care of my protege was going to be a grueling, dangerous task that would test my patience and skills.

"Instead, all I have to do is sit around and sleep. This is a job even a Byk could do!"

"You are indeed a lucky bastard, brother." Myrdin, Lenart’s Byk, licked his lips as he sniffed at the pile of meat. "Are you going to eat that?"

"I was going to keep it for later. We have already eaten. Twice." The Cron said in reproach, but the other newly arrived magical beasts seemed to miss his point.

They had never had so much food in so little time, and winter had yet to end. Being fed instead of hunting to survive was a new concept for them, and they were afraid they could lose such privilege at any moment.

"Do what you want. I’ll store my share." Bash put one-quarter of the ribs inside the dimensional ring that he now carried on his toe. "If Fenrir wants to play later, I can’t afford to have a bloated belly, or I won’t be able to keep up with her."

The other three magical beasts whined at the idea of delaying the feast, but seeing the dimensional ring in action reminded them that they had one as well.

"Thanks, brother." Myrdin stored his share as well. "I take back at least half the bad things I said about your kind in the past."

’I don’t.’ Bash thought, wobbling after Fenrir.

Meanwhile, out in the park, Solus cleared an area large enough to host her and Faluel from the snow.

"Sorry for the wait, but I expect to be as weak to the cold as Lith and I don’t have an armor to keep myself warm." She said.

"Frigging cold!" Faluel had one, yet she jumped from one foot to another while rubbing her shoulders.

"I know it’s nothing you haven’t seen before, so I’ll start with my Indech form." Solus said. "There is still something about it that might help Friya and Quylla."

Before either of the two women could ask her to clarify, Solus started to shapeshift.

Much to everyone’s surprise, the transformation started from her head. The hair below shoulder level wreathed and knotted itself into something that resembled a prismatic coral.

Solus’ hair shone with inner light as the tresses kept growing and their knots shaping themselves into feathers. Once the process was over, Solus had turned into a two meters (6’7") tall Indech with copper-red skin and a single set of pristine wings on her back.

Yet there were a few differences from a normal Indech that only those who knew about Solus’ secret were allowed to see. Golden and silvery veins streaked respectively the left and right sides of her body, creating delicate patterns.

The enchanted metals’ veins formed mystical runes that gave the Indech the appearance of a priestess with votive tattoos painted across her skin. Also, elemental crystals replaced the pupils of her seven eyes, giving them an ethereal glint that further reinforced the impression.

’If you remember, the human threads of my life force are held together by the same enchanted metals that support the tower’s structure.’ Solus said with a mind link. ’I don’t know whether they’ll go away once I reach the bright violet or be forever part of me.

’Yet just like my full life force, I can’t let anyone see me like this without exposing my bond with the tower. Right now, Grandma is concealing the crystal eyes and metal streaks, but in the future, I’ll have to hide them with Body Sculpting.

’Please, act natural, because I can’t allow anyone to use their breathing technique on me.’

"I see what you mean." Quylla nodded. "Your transformation started with your hair. The world energy flooded six of your seven streaks, and from there, it moved to the rest of your hair and then into your body.

"A human’s streaks are the manifestation of their affinity towards an element, so it’s only natural that they are the perfect medium to draw it in and store it if necessary."

"Correct." Solus nodded. "Maybe it’s because I went from a rank 0 human to rank 3 just a few days ago, or maybe it’s thanks to the resonance effect with Lith I experienced in Jiera before my breakthrough, but my transformation is slow compared to the other Indeches of the family."