“Your neighbors Selia and Gilly.” The huntress rolled her eyes, knowing that Rena could see her. “So much for hospitality. Do you also want to call me on my amulet to be sure it’s really me?”
“Selia! How are you doing?” Rena ignored the sarcasm and opened the door, inviting the guests in.
Lilia, Leran, and Fenrir ran inside leaving the two women in the dust, the little girl was incredibly fast for someone less than four years old. They all clung to Lith, demanding toys, sweets, and stories.
“Busy.” Selia was holding her latest born, Solkar, making sure that fangs and claws wouldn’t pop out while Gilly was there. “You could have told me you were coming back.
“Communication amulets are a thing and for you guys, the Desert is just one step away. It wouldn’t have killed you visiting me from time to time.” After noticing the playpen and its occupants, she sighed in relief. “Hey, big guy, do you have space for one more?”
Shargein nodded, stretching himself a bit more to accommodate the Skoll.
Solkar growled, eager to challenge the authority of the Wyrmling for the position of pack leader. Shargein replied with a growl of his own, baring fangs the size of a nut and the Origin Flames burning down his throat.
The infant Skoll whined in submission and fell asleep almost instantly.
“Thank the Great Mother!” Selia was still wondering how to solve the shapeshifting issue when the problem had worked itself out. “You too can visit me anytime.” She caressed the Wyrmling’s head who chittered in reply.
“I’m sorry, Selia.” Elina said. “We’ve never forgotten about you. It’s just that between the kids and Lith’s trip, we already had plenty on our plate. We couldn’t risk some weirdo taking a shot at us in Lutia and forcing Lith to abandon the expedition.”
“I don’t want to intrude so I’ll just ask my question and leave.” Gilly said. “Lord Verhen…”
“Lord Verhen is my father. Please, call me Lith.”
“Okay.” Gilly nodded with a smile. “Lith, if you are not going to leave soon, can you please let my father come back home? My mother and I have missed him a lot and I’d love to spend as much time as possible with Dad before something else happens.”
“Sure.” Lith cursed his bad memory and let out the Demons of Locrias, Valia, and Varegrave.
Their families had moved to Lutia and bought the neighboring houses to Lith’s to be reunited with their loved ones whenever he wasn’t away for a mission.
‘Why didn’t you remind me of this sooner?’ Lith said Trion via a mind link.
‘Because I forgot about it. First, I was too happy seeing our family again, and then I couldn’t stop worrying about that shithead of Orp- Meln. Unlike you, I can’t call Mom and Dad whenever I want and you didn’t let me out in Jiera except that for fighting!
‘On top of that, while I’m inside your Void Sigil I’m stuck in a dream cycle so when I wake up, I always have a lot on my mind. What’s your excuse?’
‘My bad.’ Lith replied.
The relationship between the two brothers was still pretty rocky. Lith had yet to forgive Trion and conjured him often solely because doing otherwise would hurt his parents and cost him the scolding of a lifetime.
Solus would never let him hear the end of it if he put his petty grudges above his parents’ happiness.
‘Progress, not perfection.’ Solus telepathically patted Lith’s head, proving that she’d been listening all along. ‘It’s not an apology for acting like a jerk but admitting it was your fault is still a step forward.’
‘I’m not-‘
“I missed you so much, Dad.” Gilly threw her arms at Locrias’ neck who lifted her off the ground like she weighed nothing.
“I missed you more.” He had neither a smell or a heartbeat anymore so he treasured hers above all. “My liege, do you mind?” He pointed at his horns and multiple eyes.
“Damn, I must be having an off day.” Lith waved his hand, giving the Demons the same semblance they had in life by coating them with a paper-thin hard light construct.
It made their skin pink and warm to the touch. Even those like Valia and Varegrave who had their original bodies needed it to not look like animated corpses.
“Thank you, my Liege.” The Demons said in unison while giving Lith a bow before walking out the door that Selia immediately closed behind them.
“Okay, now that we are away from prying ears, feel free to congratulate me.” The huntress said with pride.
“No offense, but Solkar is old news so unless he has learned how to change his own diaper, I don’t see why we should.” Lith said, making the children giggle.
“No, he can’t. He stinks a lot.” Fenrir made a disgusted face, holding her nose at the memory of the smell.
“That’s not funny, young lady.” Selia tapped her foot. “Until a while ago that was you. Down to a t.”
“Me?” Fenrir looked both shocked and humiliated. “I did that?”
“Everyone did.” Lith embraced the little girl to console her.
“Also, what’s with the sass? Didn’t Ryman share with you the big news?”
“Oh gods!” Rena dropped the empty cups for the tea that bounced on the floor instead of shattering thanks to their protective enchantments. “Selia, are you pregnant again?”
“Gods, no! I couldn’t survive that!” The huntress said in horror before noticing the sad expression on her children’s face. “I mean, every child is a blessing and I wouldn’t give up on any of my babies for the world.
“Yet your daddy and I have decided that Solkar is going to be the last for a while. A long while.” She took a long, meaningful pause to shook the dread off her voice and find the strength to change the topic and shift the mood.
“Speaking of that wolfhead, I can’t believe that he never bothered to call you and announce my Awakening.” Selia straightened her back, her arms akimbo as she exuded a red aura.
“Congratulations, Selia!” Elina hugged her old friend.
“That’s amazing. How does it feel?” Rena’s voice was filled with curiosity.
“Wow, that sucks! You are the weakest Awakened I’ve ever seen. Are those deep red streaks I see? It’s no surprise you never used chore magic. A deep red core has barely any mana.” Lith laughed at the vision, drawing several angry gazes on himself.
“Respectively, thanks, Elina. It feels amazing, Rena. I rarely get exhausted anymore. And I’m sorry for offending your sophisticated eyes, Lith, but I didn’t choose to be born with no mana capacity.
“Also, with a whole pack of hungry wolves at hand, I don’t get much time to practice. Unlike you I don’t have a big loving family or a hot dude at my finger to take care of the children for me.”
“A hot dude?” Solus pointed at herself in confusion.
“Let a woman dream. If I was in his shoes, you’d be a man.”
“Well, thanks then.” Solus chuckled.
“Okay, I get it. I’m sorry, Selia. It’s just that I’ve never seen an Awakened with a red core. I thought they were a myth.” Lith said before his family piled up on him.
