The Blackest Day was a treat for kids and criminals alike. Each city and village of the Kingdom held its own fair, bringing a lot of money to local business and lots of thieves in the streets.
It was one of the busiest nights for the members of the law enforcement so Kamila had to leave right after dinner.
The members of the Yehval and of the Fastarrow families dined together at the Verhen's because putting the children together was the only way for the grown-ups to have some quiet.
The fair was a big event for someone so young and they all had saved as much as they could from their allowances for that day. Also, being kids, they believed to superstitions and were excited at the idea of seeing spirits wandering among the living.
As long as the ghosts kept at a distance and their parents protected them, of course.
"Man, you really look like crap." Kamila said while looking at Lith's further debilitated state after practicing for the violet core on his way back.
They only had a bit of time before and after dinner for themselves so mincing words was out of the question.
"Thanks. You too look horrible after a double shift and not even taking the time for a shower or a cup of tea." Lith wanted to sound mean, but it came out apologetic since he was the reason for that.
"If I did that, I wouldn't have been able to welcome you back when you arrived home." She heavily sat on their too comfortable bed, making her eyes droop the moment she started to relax.
"You could have done that later." Lith sat behind her and massaged her stiff shoulders.
"It's not the same thing. You do so many things at once that sometimes you forget the reason why you started them in the first place. I want to be there to remind you of your goals and that power is just a means, not an end in itself." She turned around and looked him in the eyes before kissing his right hand.
Kamila could feel that part of him was still lost somewhere far away, but she didn't give up on bringing it back.
"You know, before meeting you, people would worry for me, but in the end, it was always up to me taking care of them, not the other way around." Lith held her tight, thankful for the attention she showered him with, even at personal cost.
"And before meeting you, I had no idea how home-cooked food tasted like. I'd say it's a sweet deal for both of us." Kamila chuckled. "Jokes aside, remember the rules. No more training for today or the kids will think that you're haunted by a malevolent spirit.
"Remember what I told you about having fun. Whenever you think back to this day, the first thing that comes to your mind must be the small things that you shared with others, not some magical breakthrough. Are we clear?"
"Yes, Mom." Lith replied to both her and Elina that had just called them over for dinner.
Kamila left after the meal, before things got hectic. The kids couldn't wait to leave while the women couldn't wait to kick them out and have some peace. Being ghosts and scary stuff involved, the Blackest Day was a dad thing.
It was up to the men of the family to "protect" the children while Elina and the others took their time to enjoy Lutia's fair, hunt for juicy gossip, and maybe do some shopping.
"What did I do to deserve this?" Nalrond said with a sigh.
He hated crowds and Lutia was packed with people coming from the neighboring villages. There were so many merchants' stands that they had formed a makeshift outer rim since all the space inside Lutia was already taken.
"Nothing." Protector said. "Raaz has to keep an eye on Aran and Leria since Senton stayed home with the triplets. Vastor couldn't make it, so Lith has to take care of Frey and Filia.
"Without you, we'd lack the manpower to keep the kids under control in case one of them gets lost and we need to look for them. You can switch place with Senton, if you prefer."
"No, thanks." Nalrond shuddered at the thought. Having to deal with one small kid and their diapers was already bad. Three at the same time was the stuff nightmares were made of.
Lutia was lit by lanterns that were magical in name only. They were just regular lanterns with a rotating base hung on the decorations between houses. A gust of wind was enough to make their carved walls move so that the light would project elaborate shadows.
Most of them depicted ghosts, small fairies, and the less scary creatures that according to folklore came out during the Blackest Day. The lanterns near the shops, instead, projected shadows that advertised their merchandise.
"Do you think we have the time for a beer?" Raaz asked as the smell of aromatic brews and of the freshly baked salty snacks to go along with them reached his nose.
"Depends. Can you drink it so fast that your kids wouldn't disappear in the crowd?" Despite his bulky size, Protector had a hard time moving around. At some point, he had been forced to put the kids over his shoulders to not let them be swept away.
"No."
"Then it's a hard pass." Protector envied the men that could just sit around and relax, instead of having two little monsters yelling in his ears to reach their destination faster.
Lith had no such problem. His deep blue Archmage robe parted the crowd better than any spell. People made way for him, giving Lith deep bows and many thanks.
"Without you, Lutia would still be a village comprised of just a few dozens of homes." A man said.
The village had never stopped expanding since Lith had become a Great Mage and now that news of his personal Gate was spreading out, even more people would come.
"If not for the awful reputation you gave to this place, I would've had to work hard tonight." A guard and his colleagues raised their beers in a toast to Lith.
Lutia was known as the Graveyard and had the all-time record for the lowest crime rate in L.u.s.tria County. Aside from petty thieves and pickpockets, the moment a criminal set their sight on Lutia, they would soon change their address to a coffin.
"You should also thank Count Lark. He has poured a lot of resources in this village and he's also the one paying your salary" Lith said while keeping an eye on Zinya's children.
On the one hand, he was glad that they behaved so well that aside from holding their hands he didn't have to do much. They would politely tug at his arms to draw his attention and ask for sweets or toys with such a small voice that it was hard to hear them.
On the other hand, however, Lith could see the shadow of fear in their eyes whenever they talked, afraid that he might get angry and beat them up. Fallmug was gone, but his shadow still haunted their lives.
