Page 57 of Consort of the Dragon King

In true Kizoshi fashion, she answered his question with one of her own. “What have you deduced?”

“I don’t know if it’s deduced so much as Elder Bancho implied to Kitsuki that I’m Imeyu’s son.” Auslin wrinkled his nose at the thought. “It all seems so outlandish to me, especially since I lived at a temple that wasn’t dedicated to him.”

“Would that not explain a lot?” Kizoshi’s expression was inscrutable.

Auslin made an indecisive noise. “Well, I guess it would on some level, but I don’t have any Power markings. Kitsuki says my scent has no trace of Divine heritage, so what Elder Bancho says doesn’t add up.”

“You are missing a few pieces of that equation,” Kizoshi conceded. “Perhaps this will clear things up for you.” She walked over to stand in front of him. “May I?”

He wasn’t sure what she was asking permission for, but he nodded his approval.

Kizoshi placed two of her perfectly manicured fingers in the center of his forehead. He shivered when he felt her immense aura pulsate while summoning her powerful magic. She chanted in the Divine language, a beautifully melodic sound. Ancient magic surged forward, entwining with hers to embrace him. It reminded him of the sensation he experienced when he passed through Fate’s Gate.

Auslin’s powers rose to answer the call, fusing with the magic surrounding him. Her lyrical intonations and the warm glow of magic suffusing him brought him a great sense of peace.

When she finished her spell, the combined energy pulsated around Auslin before bursting in a flash. The suddenness of it dazed Auslin. It took him a few moments to gather his bearings enough to realize there was something different about him. It almost felt like his magic was too big for his body to contain. His powers hummed with a new strength that was dizzying.

It took a few attempts for him to form words. “What did you do?”

Instead of explaining, she summoned an ornate black lacquer mirror with bejeweled inlays into her hand for Auslin to see himself.

The silver in Kitsuki’s claiming mark on Auslin’s neck was now entwined with royal purple lines. They shined brightly the way Kitsuki’s did whenever his dragon was in control. He reached upto touch it in disbelief, only to discover the purple markings were also on his hand and ran down both of his arms.

Words failed Auslin. “I don’t…what?”

“You are indeed Imeyu’s son,” Kizoshi confirmed, making her mirror disappear before taking her seat once more.

“But I’ve never…these lines,” Auslin struggled to respond. “I don’t understand.”

“When Imeyu ascended to the Beyond Realm to be with your mother, as his rightful heir, you would have been called to the Divine Realm to assume his role as the next Healing Power,” Kizoshi explained. “That would have left Sephen alone in this Realm because he could not join you in the Divine Realm since he is fully human. To prevent that from happening, Imeyu sealed your powers to hide you and ensure his brother would take over his position.”

It was a lot of information to process. “Sealed my powers? But I could still heal and purify.”

“You were so young when this happened that the seal used to suppress you was sufficient for that time,” Kizoshi explained. “However, as you grew older, your powers grew beyond what that seal could fully contain, giving you limited access to them. Now that I’ve removed the seal, you will find you are even more powerful than you were before.”

Auslin could already feel a difference in the way his powers felt inside him. They felt more immense somehow. But her news left him distraught. “But if you removed the seal, won’t I have to return to the Divine Realm to become the Healing Power?”

“Be at ease, Auslin. Your father appointed his brother to be the next Healing Power, who continues to reign today. His successor is his daughter. You will never be expected to serve in that capacity.”

Auslin sagged in relief. It made him realize something important. “So that’s what Satsuma meant when she said my father was protecting me from himself.” He stared in disbelief at the purple lines now covering his skin. “I really am the son of a secret, just like she said.”

“Exactly,” Kizoshi confirmed. “By suppressing your heritage, Imeyu protected you from taking his place as the rightful Healing Power.”

“But how did no one else in the Divine Realm notice what he did? It seems like someone should have alerted the authorities about Imeyu hiding me.”

“It did not go unnoticed.”

Auslin’s brow furrowed. “Then why did nothing happen to me?”

“Your father was a wonderful man who was a great friend to many. He also was very wise. Because the Fate’s Gate Temple worships the Fate and Knowledge Powers, it gave Sophina the power to ensure your fate was to remain in the Living Realm. It also granted Liros the ability to conceal the knowledge of your whereabouts. And I may have started a brutal civil war in Kunushi to distract the other Powers from paying too much attention to what my friends were doing. It is one of the few times Nasume has proved useful to me.”

“What do you mean?”

“His willingness to murder his father to steal the throne was a convenient way to hide our actions to protect you,” Kizoshi said.

It was a lot for Auslin to process, so he took a moment to collect his thoughts. “Did me showing up in the past make you want to help me when I was a child? To keep me from being recalled to the Divine Realm?”

“It was partially that. But the three of us adored your father, so we wanted to help him rest in peace, knowing you were protected once he crossed over to the Beyond Realm. As you grew older, we all found different reasons to take care of you.”

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