Viren flinched at Aaravos's voice, and turned to face the cecaelia.
The carnivore was smirking, just on the edge of the kelp forest.
"Dad?" Claudia asked, swimming around to face him, "Is something wrong?"
"They cannot see me," Aaravos said, swimming closer, "Or hear me. Astral projection works by projecting my consciousness off of your mind - like light off a mirror. I am not in your mind - before you begin to worry."
Viren just caught himself from expressing his disbelief.
"Dad?" Claudia waved a hand in front of her father's face, "Hello?"
"Sorry, just…" Viren sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "I thought I heard something. It's been… a trying few months."
"Well, duh," Claudia, said, "You've been out here all alone for six months!"
"What have you even been doing?" Soren asked, "Like, besides working on your skincare routine. Oh, do you think your treatment could make me stronger?"
"No, Soren," his father hesitated, then sighed again and started leading the way to the Sanctum, "It's… easier to show you."
"This is your son?" Aaravos chuckled, swimming ahead of them, "I can see the resemblance in your daughter, but…"
"I brought all your favorite memory crystals!" Claudia said, "Well, okay, maybe not all your favorites, since I couldn't bring any on dark magic, but all of your favorites besides those!"
"Thank you, Claudia," Viren said, noticing then that both his children had bags with them.
"It seems your old friend was very generous," Aaravos said, "For someone who exiled you."
"Oh, and we should catch you up on everything that's happened since you left," Claudia added.
"You mean how you're jealous of the step-prince's new shark friend?" Soren scoffed.
Claudia scoffed back, "I am not jealous of shark girl!"
"This is where I've been staying," Viren interrupted, leading the way into the Sanctum.
"Ooooh, ancient ruins!" his daughter said, darting ahead.
It seemed the barrier did not stop his children as it had him.
"You invited them," Aaravos supplied, watching the mer girl with much softer amusement than usual, "The barrier only keeps out strangers of unknown intent."
"Dad! Dad, what do you think these murals mean?" Claudia asked.
"They're the same murals you see in every ruin," Soren sighed, "Dragons and carnivores lording over mer, blah blah blah."
"Oh, now I see it," Aaravos said.
Having no other choice, Viren ignored him, "No, your sister's right - from what I've gathered, this used to be a school."
"A school?" Soren asked, grimacing.
"Why would you think it's a school?" Claudia asked, frowning, "It's not like a carnivore would teach mer. Oh, do you think it was a servant school? For some kind of… special instruction?"
"I-" her father found his gaze darting to the cecaelia nearby.
Aaravos merely smiled back, offering nothing.
"Well, if I had been forced to go to some dumb servant school," Soren said, punching his palm, "I would have just punched my way out of it."
Viren almost sighed - but… didn't. A bitter taste filled his mouth instead, and he remembered his earlier self-reflection. So instead, he reached out and clasped his son's shoulder, and while it wasn't enthusiastic, he managed to reply, "I'm sure you would have."
"Uh, thanks, Dad…?" Soren said uncertainly.
"You two must be tired," Viren said, leading the way further inside, "Let me show you where you can rest."
It didn't take long to get his children settled - Claudia ogled the facilities and asked questions, while Soren… mostly figured out ways he could work out and complained. And Aaravos… Aaravos watched in uncharacteristic silence, though Viren was not looking forward to what the cecaelia would have to say later.
"I'm glad you found such a nice place to stay," Claudia said, as they shared a meal in the common room, "I was so worried you'd be all alone in some dark cave somewhere - but this place is almost perfect!"
"Yeah, you could have like, a whole village of exiles here," Soren added.
"A small one, perhaps," Viren sighed, "Tell me, how is-" he felt a lump in his throat that stopped him from saying Harrow, "-Katolis?"
"Well," Claudia started, then heaved a sigh, "Callum and Ezran went to Xadia with two of the shark assassins to return the dragon prince, and apparently he hatched on the way and he and Ezran are like… best friends now?"
"That is… interesting," her father allowed, continuously fighting the urge to watch Aaravos, "Though why did the princes undertake such a journey?"
The cecaelia merely floated nearby, still the quiet observer - though his knowing smile was no less infuriating than it usually was.
"Some kind… gesture?" Soren shrugged, "I don't really get it."
"It was a gesture of peace," Claudia rolled her eyes, "Anyways, when they got back, shark girl - um, I mean, Rayla - decided to stick around cause she and Callum are such good friends."
"You mean dating," Soren laughed, "They're not even hiding it. They're dating."
"Ugh, what does he even see in her?" his sister huffed, crossing her arms, "She's rude, and violent, and-"
"So it worked? There is peace between Xadia and Katolis?" Viren interrupted. He hadn't even realized Claudia was… interested in Prince Callum romantically, but it seemed obvious she was feeling at least a little jealous of this… Rayla.
"Oh, right," his daughter cleared her throat, blushing a little, "It seems that way, yeah. Rayla's dads moved to Katolis as like, ambassadors or whatever. They… don't like us."
"Yeah," Soren rubbed the back of his neck, "They're like, her adoptive dads because… er, because you killed her parents. When you stole the egg."
"Right, the Dragonguard," Viren said, looking away. If it hadn't been for one of them, he would have simply destroyed the egg - would that have made things better, or worse?
Aaravos moved into his line of sight, tilting his head with an arched brow.
"Oh, but, um," Claudia searched for something else to say, "Callum can do magic now!"
"Oh can he?" her father asked, looking back. It didn't surprise him particularly - the elder prince had always seemed intrigued by magic. Viren hadn't thought the boy would gain the stomach for actually performing it, but things could always change.
"Yeah, and this mantaray came to teach him," Soren said, "I mean, I guess Ibis is cool, but it's like… another carnivore, you know?"
"You're just mad he keeps beating you at sparring," Claudia grinned.
"He can't beat me at sparring if he never agrees to spar!" her brother refuted.
"A… mantaray?" Viren asked.
"Oh, right," Claudia said, "Callum doesn't do dark magic - he connected to Sky Primal! Somehow… I mean, he tried to explain it once, but it made absolutely no sense."
"A mer connecting to an arcanum?" Aaravos asked, speaking up in his own surprise, "I hardly thought it possible…"
"That's… unexpected," Viren agreed, brows knitting as he considered, "Claudia."
"Er, yeah, Dad?" his daughter asked, smoothing a strand of hair with both hands.
"I…" her father sighed, "I want you to give up dark magic."
There was a pause.
"What?" Claudia asked, very quietly.
"I've been thinking," Viren said, wanting to turn away - he was… so bad at this. But he reached out to put his hands on his daughter's shoulders instead, "Look at me, Claudia - look at what using dark magic has done to me. What it will do to you."
"Dad, that's… I know the risks, I'm okay with-" Claudia tried to reassure him.
"That's not what I'm saying, Claudia," her father said, unconsciously tightening his grip, "I'm your father, I-"
"Dad!" Soren cut in, pushing Viren away from his sister.
Viren opened his mouth to snap at him - then saw the way Claudia winced and rubbed her shoulder. His jaw snapped shut, and he turned away from them, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath before continuing, "I'm your father. I'm supposed to protect you - and I've been doing a poor job of it."
"Dad, it's okay," Claudia said, brushing past Soren to circle in front of him, "You've just… been under a lot of stress! You were always working too hard, and now you've been out here by yourself-"
"Claudia," Viren opened his eyes.
"... but… I love magic," his daughter said, then her eyes shone as she glared, "I already lost you, and mom - now you want me to give up more?"
"No, not-" Viren reached out again, then tucked his hands behind his back, "If Prince Callum can connect to a Primal Source, then I have no doubt you can do so as well. I don't want you to give up magic - I just… don't want you to make the same mistakes I did."
"Dad…" Claudia said.
"I can't force you, but… please, consider it," her father said, and turned to face his son behind him.
Soren flinched in surprise, "Uh, yeah?"
There was so much to say. So much - but with an audience, too much. So he picked the most important thing.
"I want you to know I'm proud of you, " Viren said, "Both of you. I… have had a lot of time to think, and I know I haven't said it enough. I can't be there to look after you anymore, and… that's my fault. But you've always looked out for each other," better than I looked out for the two of you, "And I know I don't have to tell you to keep looking out for each other."
"What if we don't go back?" Claudia said, swimming back to her brother's side.
"Claudia-" Viren sighed.
"What? Why can't we stay?" his daughter demanded, glaring, "This place has plenty of room, and we could be together! Just because you're exiled doesn't mean we can't be a family!"
"Clauds," Soren said softly, putting a hand on his sister's shoulder. His expression was so painfully conflicted.
Claudia shrugged his hand off and rounded on him, "What? What is it, Soren? You want to leave Dad here, alone?"
"No, I don't, I just-" her brother held up his hands.
"Then what's the problem?" she demanded, shoving him, "You just don't want to give up your new boyfriend!"
"What?" Soren asked, but his face was a little panicked, "I don't- that's not-!"
"I know you-!" Claudia started.
"Stop," Viren said, more harshly than he'd intended.
Claudia flinched, and looked guilty over at her father.
Soren looked over as well, face flushing just a touch.
Behind them, Viren could see Aaravos - but the cecaelia only watched the tableau with a carefully neutral expression.
Viren sighed, rubbing his temples, "Claudia, I know how important family is, but there is nothing for you or your brother out here. The two of you have futures in Katolis - you have lives there. I don't want you to give that up. I don't…"
The mer sighed again, and reached out to put a hand on each of his children's shoulders, "I haven't always been the father I should have been. And I love you both very dearly. But I don't want you to suffer for my-" he struggled for a word, "-miscalculations."
"Miscalculations?" Soren asked, then shrugged off his father's hand and turned away, "You haven't really changed at all, have you?"
"Soren?" Claudia asked, "Sor-bear?"
"It's nothing," Soren said, "I'm… going to go sleep. It's a long swim back to Katolis."
Claudia reached a hand out after him, then looked back to her father, "Dad, I…"
"It's alright, Claudia," Viren said, "I'll be alright. You two should prepare to go home."
"But…" his daughter hesitated, then resolve entered her face as she swam after her brother, "I'll talk to him. You'll see!"
Viren sighed after her, then let his head turn to the cecaelia.
Aaravos offered nothing, seeming to wait for the mer to say something.
Viren just sighed, and went to retire himself. Not wanting to bother his children, he hesitant for only a moment before deciding to borrow the cecaelia's room for the night.
As he laid down in the glowing cubby, more light filtered in as Aaravos followed him. The cecaelia continued to be silent, however, just staying nearby.
The mer didn't want to admit it was comforting not to be alone. For the moment.