Chapter 848: A Goofy Son and a Perceptive Daughter
Xalathar was an exceedingly proud creature. Without Orion’s express permission, no one could command it. This included Orion’s own children; neither Elara nor Pallas could move the great dragon.
"Daddy, Pallas wants to ride the abyssal dragon too!" Pallas piped up from his perch on the other shoulder, following his sister’s lead.
As he had grown, Pallas had become cleverer. He had realized that he could often get what he wanted by either egging his sister on or by making his own request right after hers. In such cases, his daddy would usually agree.
"Alright," Orion said, reaching up to ruffle Elara’s hair.
As a look of disappointment began to cross Pallas’s face, only to be replaced by one of hope, Orion reached over and ruffled his head as well.
"Tomorrow, there’s a festival at the outer city’s textile market. It should be quite lively. I’ll have Dace accompany you, and you can ride Xalathar there. Remember," he advised, "Xalathar is easy to please. Give it plenty of food, and it will have a better attitude toward you."
As long as his children’s requests weren’t excessive, Orion was quite accommodating.
"Daddy, the fruits in the magical plant garden are ripe. I saved this one especially for you," Elara said. She reached into her pocket, pulled out a bright red fruit, and popped it right into Orion’s mouth.
The familiar, sweet flavor filled his mouth. He knew without thinking that it was one of the rare magical plants Lilith cultivated. It seemed his two little ones had been raiding her garden.
"It’s delicious," Orion said, a broad smile spreading across his face. It was a heartfelt gesture from his adopted daughter. The gift itself was small, but the sentiment left him feeling satisfied and content.