Blessed by Night

Not to mention the fact that they cannot effectively reproduce.

They can have children, sure, but the kids born from those unions are only a bit stronger than regular humans and do not inherit their parents' divine abilities.

Even Camille is no exception to this rule, as she bears neither Luna's, nor Malachi's blessing.

However, what if there was a way to tie the individual powers of blessed to their bloodlines, and not just their individual selves?

And what if there was a way to increase their fertility rate as well?

Far fetched though it may seem, such a thing would literally drive the blessed from being a minority in the world to a stable majority in just a couple of generations.

Especially when considering how they tend to take more than one partner and draw in the attraction of others.

"That is what the building that was destroyed was… A hospital designed to cure our kind's only genetic weaknesses and help secure our future in this world.

We have a current rate of success that stands at around 98% for new births… It's existence was supposed to be top secret." Arias explained in a grave voice.

"Jeez, why is everything so complicated now..?" Anna complained. "Why can't they have just decided to blow up a 'Build-a-Bear' headquarters or something?"

Joanne patted her daughter's head in pity. "You really were never going to end up following in my footsteps, were you?"

"Well, I dunno. We did kind of end up fucking the same man."

"…I regret even bringing this up with you. Why do you take such pleasure in embarrassing me?"

"A small payback for the years of abandonment, ma." Anna beamed with pride as if she were the funniest woman alive.

Meanwhile, Joanne deflated with shame and had to rest her head on Bianca's shoulder.

"…What an interesting family dynamic you have here." Arias muttered.

Morgan didn't like Arias very much, but even he had to nod his head in agreement at such a statement.

"Not important." Mal waived his hand dismissively.

"How would the other side have known about that hospital if it's supposed to be so top secret?" Bianca questioned.

"Obviously I need to expend some more effort to discover the answer to that little problem, don't I?" Arias rolled his eyes.

"It's so hard to believe that someone would shoot you in the chest. You're soo likeable."

Everyone else just snickered, but Morgan made a point of laughing obnoxiously to further stoke Arias' ire.

It worked flawlessly.

"Do not concern yourself about my wound… I will definitely have my retribution for this and so much more! You mark my words!" Arias yelled with his fists clenched.

The mood became somewhat serious once again as everyone remembered the events of this evening.

An entire hospital had been set ablaze to get Arias out into the open.

People had died tonight.

Not just blessed, but innocent humans who were only guilty of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

They deserved so much better.

And Arias would ensure that their deaths were not in vain.

"There's that look of yours I despise so much." Morgan shook his head. "Scorching the earth should be my thing, but you seem to have it all covered."

"You're damn right I do. But you're welcome to get off your ass and stop being a traitor to your kind at any time, Morgan."

"You bratty little ingrate…"

The girls took a step back from Morgan once he started to show signs of overheating again.

"I am no supremacist, and any allegiances I have sworn are to my family and my family alone!

Now I am no less upset about this attack than you, but I will never side with you in indiscriminate warfare!!"

"Then you may as well say that you are condoning more deaths, Morgan!! Do not fill my ears with needless excuses, if you're going to be a coward, then spare us all some time and say it proudly with your chest!"

"My chest should be the least of your concerns, because I am about to put a second hole in yours!!"

Morgan summoned a great sword as black as the color of coal.

Brightly colored orange-red flames ran along the metal of the blade and surged in tune with their owner's fury.

Just before Morgan could give Arias a new hole to spout his dangerous nonsense from, he suddenly felt all of his agitation leave his body.

Arias had something similar happen to him.

Both men glanced behind them and found Mal with his hand outstretched.

A swirling red energy was dancing in the center of his palm; catching the attention of both men.

"What… did you do?" Arias asked in genuine confusion.

Malachi clenched his fist and absorbed the energy into his body.

A red current traveled along his veins until it reached his brain and disappeared. He winced slightly before his face returned to normal.

"Just my little way of helping you gents keep cool heads… One time only I'm afraid."

Morgan had no idea what Mal had done, but he felt incredibly mellow.

It was almost as if he had been through the most relaxing course of yoga imaginable.

"Look… I think we can all agree that there is a problem in the world that needs fixing." Mal began. "But we have to find the right way to do this. Ideally, together."

Morgan and Arias glanced at each other momentarily before coming to a deep understanding.

""Not a chance in hell.""

*Sigh*

Malachi had no idea what the future had in store for him, but he was 90 percent sure that these two were going to make it as difficult as humanly possible.

-

Malachi tried to persuade the two men to swallow their pride for a bit longer before accepting that it was a far too big a task for one night.

So, he sent the girls back to their room for the night so that they could rest, and in the meanwhile he returned to the base to find Celeste.

It was around 3 am, and while the place should have been very quiet, he could already hear faint sounds of arguing.

'Good to know that she is awake…'

Malachi turned a corner and found Celeste rampaging against the young and beautiful dragon princess, while his sister and Aisha tried in vain to calm her down.

"I don't want to hear any more excuses! Take me to wherever my daughter is right now, Thea!"

In hindsight, Mal now beginning to rethink just which situation would give him the bigger headache tonight.