"What are you guys doing here?" Lith said after identifying them as Phoenixes. "Grandma prohibited you from intervening."

"No. She simply didn't mobilize us." Said a male Phoenix with dark hair and eyes who introduced himself as Urxat. "Grandmother gave us permission to answer your call individually, but only as long as we could find a proper substitute to cover for our territories during our absence.

"We old coots have a child of two who can take our place for a few days so it's not a big deal." He shrugged.

"I'm grateful for your assistance but I'm pretty sure I've never met any of you." Lith looked at the nearby crowd, receiving many greetings yet recognizing no one. "Who are you guys?"

"Seriously?" Urxat clenched his chest as if Lith had stabbed him, quickly followed by the others. "We are your relatives from your father's side. Did you really expect us Dark Phoenixes to sit out of this and let those scummy Fire Dragons hog all the glory?"

"Of course not." Lith lied, having no idea how much of their enthusiasm came from the bloodline they shared and how much from the ancient rivalry between Dragons and Phoenixes.

Either way, he didn't want to spoil the mood.

"Since you are already here, do you mind showing me the Ears? It's not the main reason we decided to give you a hand but I would lie if I said it's not a factor." Urxat said and most of those present shamelessly nodded.

"Sure. I left it to Grandmother for safekeeping. You can ask her." Lith replied, making all those with Phoenix blood cheer.

Calling the Overlord just like they did and entrusting the artifact to her was a huge plus in their book. Among the Dragons, only the children of Surtr and Rethia didn't grunt in annoyance at the news since they were direct descendants of both Guardians as well.

"Thank you for coming, Gentor." Lith shook his hand and tried to give him a bow but the Father of All Golden Dragona stopped him.

"Nonsense. We are brothers. I have many wives of different races and I wouldn't stand any of them being kidnapped either."

This was the first time Lith didn't feel the need to clear the misunderstanding and fanned the flames instead.

"If it ever comes the day I can return you the favor, all you need to do is ask." The two clasped wrists and then Lith left.

There were too many people to greet them all. He introduced himself to their representatives and let them introduce him to the rest of the group.

"Guys, this is your Uncle Lith." Surtr said to his children when it was his turn. "Solus is for him what your Aunt Sinmara is for me. Since you know neither of them, feel free to leave and go back home.

"The task at hand is dangerous and the reward is insignificant compared to your lives."

"No way in the nine hells, Dad." Said a male Griffon with silvery wings.

"No one is allowed to hurt you, old Wyrm." A female Dragon snorted.

"I'm serious!" Surtr said. "Lith is an ass and the stingiest man alive. If you expect him to reward you with magic lessons or by Forgemastering something for free, you are deluding yourself."

"Whose side are you on?" There were only so many insults Lith could take to his face. "Are you here to help or sabotage the rescue mission?"

"Please, don't take it to heart, Lith." Rethia chuckled at her husband's embarrassment. "Surtr can't stand the idea of our children getting hurt just like they refuse to let us walk into danger alone."

"I can see that." Lith looked at the sea of colored wings in front of him in awe.

"No, you don't!" Surtr snarled. "These are just the bright violet-cored Awakened among our children who also have plenty of battle experience. If I hadn't set boundaries, there would be much more."

"Is this really all your doing, Rethia?" Lith gasped at her slender figure.

"No, silly." She giggled at his shocked expression. "I would have needed to pop out eggs every day of my life to have so many children. These are our children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and so on."

"We are not like those guys." A male Dragon with black hair, silver eyes, and fiery red wings said. "Father didn't have to convince us to come. He had to force the weakest of us not to."

"An artifact that allows one to read the flow of mana and world energy both!" Surtr's eyes brimmed with Dragon greed. "The Ears have a few drawbacks, but in the safety of one's lab it can give birth to marvels of Forgemastery worthy of Menadion herself!"

"Then allow me to make an exception for you guys." Lith replied. "The line for the Ears is long but I can tell you everything I know about its workings. I had no time to study it thoroughly but I fought against its previous owner and have a good idea about what it does."

He used a mind link to show them the entire battle against Maergron, highlighting how powerful the Ears made him in their unlocked state and how they had crippled him once the connection with mana geyser had been cut.

"An artifact that allows one to read the flow of mana and world energy both!" Surtr's eyes brimmed with Dragon greed. "The Ears have a few drawbacks, but in the safety of one's lab it can give birth to marvels of Forgemastery worthy of Menadion herself!"

He spoke loud enough to be heard and steel the resolve of those who still hesitated. After all, even though there was only one Ears of Menadion, the artifact could be shared.

As long as a member of a bloodline got it, everyone would get access to the Ears as well. That was the pact the patriarchs had enforced to drive the most reluctant of their brethren to follow them.

Lith decided to boost morale a bit by sharing that information with the representatives of the Fire and Golden Dragons before returning to the War Room.

He found Kamila conversing with Baba Yaga, Silverwing, Sinmara, Tessa, and Fyrwal. Jirni was there as well, but she was overwhelmed by the situation and kept to herself.

'Tessa and Fyrwal were Oghrom's friends. If I'm lucky, they might intercede in my situation with the Gernoff. Yet if I ask for their help and they are as stubborn as those old fools, I risk adding two more powerful mages to the list of my enemies.

'This is a huge and unexpected gamble. Before making a decision, I must be quiet and observe my marks. Only when I know what kind of monsters I'm dealing with can I choose the best possible approach.

'First impression matters and at the moment I'm unremarkable and have nothing to offer them for their help.' Jirni was overwhelmed by the unexpected boon, not by the presence of creatures of legend.

"How did it go?" Kamila gestured for him to join them. "How many people have come to join you?"

"Three greeds of Dragons. One more than I expected. Gentor is on board." Lith replied.

"That's good." Baba Yaga nodded. "Every bit helps. I've already contacted my Firstborns and asked the best fighters among them to join us. They have all accepted and are on their way."

"Just the best fighters? Why not all of them?" Kamila asked.