“Because at the time Leria wanted to be like me when she grows up. Now she wants to be like Lith.” Senton clenched his hands in fury, but it was soon overcome by despair. “She wants to go to the White Griffon and become a mage.”
“That’s idiotic!” The old blacksmith blurted out, drawing Raaz’s and Kamila’s reproachful gazes. “I mean, sure, Leria may not become a blacksmith. Heck, she might even not be fully human if she chooses a different life force.
“Yet that doesn’t make her one bit less your daughter or my granddaughter. It’s not the profession that makes the person but the values they live for. I’m proud of what you have become, Senton, but not because you’ve taken up the family business.
“I’m proud of you because you are a good man and a good father. Because you live an honest life and know the importance of hard work. If you pass these values upon Leria, she’ll be like you even if she decides to become a politician.”
“He’s right. I couldn’t teach Lith anything about hunting or magic but I’m certain that without my example, he may have grown into a much colder and crueler man.” Raaz said, having no idea how true his words were.
“You can only do everything that is in your children’s best interest and show them the right way. It’s up to them to follow it. That’s what a parent is. The only way Leria will become like Lith is if he’s her only role model since you’ve pushed her away.”
Kamila nodded, feeling that she needed to hear those words as much as Senton.
“Let’s say you are right.” Senton said. “How can I live with my head held high if I’m constantly under the shadow of my brother-in-law and my daughter?” Senton asked.
“That’s easy.” Kamila said without an ounce of hesitation. “Think about the life you have and compare it with what you had before. I wouldn’t give up on my family for the world.
“Sure, the insults hurt and I’d love to be appreciated for myself rather than for being on Lith’s bandwagon, but it’s a small price to pay.”
“I agree.” Raaz nodded. “I’d love to have played a bigger role in my children’s lives and not have relied so much on Lith. Yet thanks to him Tista is still alive and my family has never been happier. That’s the only thing that matters to me.”
Senton mulled over those words for a while, his wounded pride battling with his logic.
‘Lith is a cumbersome figure but without him, I wouldn’t have married Rena. Even if I did, Leria would have still had her magical powers and we’d have to way to teach her how to control them.
‘Without Lith, Falco would have been born dead.’ Senton shivered at the thought of how close he and Rena had come to losing their son to the Strangler.
“Thanks for this little intervention, but now I need time to think.” Senton stood up, shaking the hands of the members of his family. “I know you are right, but it doesn’t feel that way. I let this fester for too long.”
“Don’t worry.” Zekell pushed the hand away and hugged his son, patting his back. “If you need to talk or a solid kick in the ass, you know where to find me. Be smart and don’t force me to show you why I choose the Proudhammer name.
“I’ll literally knock some sense into you if needed.” Zekell slammed his fist on his own hand to emphasize the concept.
“I know you will, Dad.” Senton smiled.
“I know that I wasn’t invited and that this isn’t my place, but Rena is my sister and I have something to say as well.” Those present gasped as one of the shadows in the room rose into a human form.
Contrary to what Senton feared, it wasn’t Lith who had eavesdropped on the whole conversation but Trion.
The Demon of the Darkness walked right in front of Senton in a similar way to how Zekell had done earlier, bringing his face millimeters away from Senton’s.
“Before making your mind, think about Meln and me. We both faced your same doubts, living our lives in the attempt to pander to our wounded pride. Before doing or saying anything that you can’t take back, think about how we ended up.”
Trion turned around without waiting for a reply. His body reverted to a two-dimensional shadow and slipped under the door.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know he was here.” Raaz scratched his head in embarrassment. “I didn’t invite him because I wanted to keep this conversation private.”
“Don’t worry, Raaz. No harm, no foul.” Senton replied.
‘Maybe you should have invited Trion.’ He actually thought.
Once the others left the room and Senton alone, he looked at himself in the nearest mirror.
He saw his own angry gaze and his hands still clenched in outrage. He remembered seeing the same attitude and hearing words similar to his own back when he had watched Orpal’s manifesto video.
He remembered all the pain Orpal had inflicted upon his family and especially on his father. Senton could almost see Orpal’s shadow patting his back and he didn’t like it one bit.
***
A few days later, Lith returned to Lutia and life resumed as usual. Kamila would go to work as a Constable and investigate the traitors to the Crown while Lith went to one of the six great academies to hold lessons about Void Magic.
For a while, he had refused every invitation and went to the Lightning Griffon once every three lessons. He would always find an opening for “casually” remarking how the place gave him a weird feeling and recounting a detail of the day he had been denied admission.
The Royals, Vastor, and Marth were always there and Lith would follow up by thanking the former for listening to the wise words of his late friend Count Lark and the latter for taking such good care of him as a student.
Lith was always polite, keeping sarcasm out of his voice, but that didn’t stop the current Headmaster from cursing Linnea’s name nor did it spare the students of the Lightning Griffon from being humiliated.
The other Headmasters and the students from the other academies hated their guts because even though the Lightning Griffon had turned down the Supreme Magus, it was still the only other place where he agreed to teach.
Everyone considered it an unfair honor and an insult to Lith.
Brinja couldn’t care less about the controversy and neither could Lith. Yet while for her it just proved how deep the bond between the Distars and the Verhens was, for him, it was just petty revenge.
Unfortunately for him, his tactic was too successful. To quell the increasing rivalry between academies and the open hostilities toward the Lightning Griffon, the Royals asked Lith to rotate his lessons between the six great academies.
Feeling somewhat guilty for sparking new conflicts while the dust of war was still settling and after receiving an earful from anyone he asked for an opinion, Lith ended up accepting.
Solus soon joined him, her participation receiving a warm welcome.
