'As Marth has just said, Professor Vastor is a man of many talents. Maybe he Forgemastered something capable of bringing him to safety in the case he lost consciousness.' Solus pondered.
'After all, Zinya is no Healer and we both know that injuries can look way worse than they actually are. A mage doesn't survive as long as Vastor did without picking up a few tricks along the way.
'I mean, we are far from having the knowledge that Royal Forgemasters share, and yet our equipment allowed us to hold our ground against Night. Vastor could easily have an armor as powerful as War.'
By the time Protector returned home, Selia, the children, and the beasts were fast asleep in Lith's room.
"By the Great Mother, Scourge, I would've never thought that the day would come when I envied your paranoia." Ryman had spent almost an hour just looking at his asleep children and checking their bodies with Invigoration before leaving the room.
"If not for the magical books and the equipment you provided to the other Kings over the years, Nalrond would have died and with him my family."
"Paranoia or not, this doesn't answer an important question. Why didn't you call us for help, Lith?" Quylla asked.
Once dimensional magic had been restored, the Royal Guards had escorted Kamila and the Ernas sister to the Verhen Household.
"Because I had no idea what I was about to face and I didn't want to endanger even more people." He replied. "Let's be honest, Quylla, even after training with Faluel your combat experience is limited.
"I knew that without dimensional magic or very powerful equipment, defeating an undead is hard. It's the same reason why I didn't contact Friya. No dimensional magic means no quick way out of a fight and no tricks.
"Physical strength becomes crucial and as regular humans, your bodies would crumble after a few hits. You wouldn't even be able to cast a single spell."
The two women had to admit that chanting in the middle of the battlefield was suicidal. To use their true power, mages required time and space to prepare their spells.
"Then what about me?" Phloria said. "What point did it have turning me into an Awakened if you didn't even trust me enough to stand by your side in moments of crisis?"
"I didn't call you simply because I didn't want to break our cover. You're now very powerful, almost as much as me, but do you really think that your family would have opened the Ernas Gate for you knowing about the attack?
"Even if they did, how would you have explained your abilities afterward? I can shapeshift into a Wyrmling, but you only have your face. I knew about the Queen's Corps units protecting my family and acted accordingly." Lith said.
"You're right." Phloria sighed. "The moment Kamila called for help, Dad called all of us back home and put the mansion on lockdown. Friya and I were already there so even if you called us, reaching Lutia would have taken us too much time."
"I still can't believe Archmage Deirus did all this just because of what happened at the Belin mines." Kamila said. "He put an entire village in danger and attacked innocent civilians! I hope that Archon Ernas finds the proof she needs to bust his ass into jail forever."
"For once Yurial's dad is innocent." Lith said, drawing the attention on himself.
He then explained the details about his meeting with Night, how the entire attack had been an attempt to turn him into a madman like Balkor and induce him to become her host.
"After meeting Dawn, I checked the royal archives about the Horsemen. While Dawn is completely focused on following the mission that Baba Yaga gave her and Dusk likes to pull strings behind the Undead Court's scenes, Night is batshit crazy.
"She doesn't care about being seen or about the number of casualties. The Black Night considers everything like some kind of sick game of which she makes the rules and then forces you to play at.
"In her case, immortality didn't give her wisdom, but rather made her indifferent to the consequences of her actions. Night has no rush to complete her assignment and everything she does is just her way to relieve the boredom that her long life causes her." Lith said.
Then, he told the others about Xenagrosh's arrival and the deal the Abominations had cut with Baba Yaga.
"Are you telling me that if not for Vastor's visit my sister and her children would be dead? Just because they happen to be your neighbors?" Just saying those words made Kamila shudder in fear.
"Yes. Night carefully planned everything and waited for the perfect opportunity to strike. The only thing she failed to predict was Vastor's frequent visits, and that only because he considers all humans beneath her. I think-"
"Do you mind leaving us alone for a while?" Kamila cut him short.
The Verhen household was filled to the brim with guests, leaving Tista's room the only place available to hold their meeting. Tista, Protector, Faluel, and the Ernas could feel the tension in the room.
They left without saying a word, just making sure to Hush the walls to give the couple privacy.
"Please, tell me that you weren't about to question our relationship." Kamila said the moment the door closed and Lith conjured a Hush spell of his own.
"I wasn't, but I expected you to do it. Tonight, your family went through a lot, and all because of me. I failed to predict Night's attack and I didn't even bother putting the slightest protection around Zinya's house despite I knew that something like this would have happened, sooner or later.
"In your shoes, I would be furious at me and I can't blame you if you are. At this point, I'm a liability to you and to all those you love." Lith could read the anger in Kamila's eyes yet he didn't shy away from her gaze.
Lith was well aware of having failed her trust beyond reason.
"Gods, I can't believe you're such an idiot!" She lashed out, but not how he had predicted. "You and Vastor are cut from the same cloth. Always whining about failing someone or about not being strong enough to bend Mogar to your whims.
"Bad things happen and expecting to always be ten steps ahead of life is just moronic. I'm not saying that I'm not scared by Night's threat or at the idea of another attack, but surely I'm not going to blame you if that happens.
"You and Vastor gave my sister sight, then you helped Zinya to get her children back, and even got her a house. Vastor took care of her finances while your relatives showed her what a real family is.
"You two have given her a life and the opportunity to enjoy it to its fullest, yet you keep thinking that nothing is ever enough because you set your bar so high that you're never happy."
"Do you have any idea how many attempts on her life my job caused? How many times she would have risked her life if she didn't live right next to you, making every mercenary in their right mind turn down the job?"
