Lith resumed his duty as a Ranger and since he had used most of his free days preparing for the gala and recovering from the clash with Tezka, his schedule was very busy.
Qinyu, Friya, and Quylla would have to wait for their turn before he could help them. Weeks passed and soon the entirety of the north was covered in snow.
Most of the time he was called to quell the riots caused by the lack of food in poor neighborhoods, or to discipline merchants who ignored the tiered food prices imposed by the Crown thanks to the support of local mercenary guilds.
The insides of Solus's tower had been completely redecorated with the coat of arms Lith had chosen for his Household. It depicted a black and red dragon coiled around a tower. A magic staff and a sword were crossed below the tower.
Now it was embroidered on every carpet, curtain, and tapestry in every room.
\"You really have great taste in coat of arms.\" Solus was proud of her complete form standing proud in the middle.
\"Why the dragon? Is it because of what Phloria said?\" She asked feigning simple curiosity.
\"No. It's because dragons are symbols of power while demons are a symbol of misfortune. I already have the reputation of being bad luck, there's no reason to give more fuel to those rumors. Can you please remove some of the banners? I find them tacky.\"
\"How can you say that? I even mimicked the positioning they have inside house Ernas and you've always said their house is classy!\" Solus was outraged at being called tacky.
\"It's classy because with so much space and high end furniture you can ignore those tacky coats of arms. Maybe it's because you are a shorty that you don't realize that the tower feels cramped with so much crap.\" He chuckled.
Ever since he had seen her light body after they merged for the second time, Solus had become sensitive about height issues. It had gotten even worse after Lith had grown so tall.
\"I'm not short, you insensitive jerk! I'm petite, there's a big difference…\"
Lith's army amulet interrupted their quarrel.
\"Ranger Verhen, what's your status?\" Kamila's voice was worried.
\"I'm still a bachelor, but who knows what the future holds?\"
\"I meant your position! There is a huge snowstorm approaching the spot of your last report.\"
\"Don't worry, I've created an underground cave as shelter.\" He said as Solus warped them from Lutia back to the north and modified the appearance of the tower entrance to resemble an actual cave.
Lith gave Solus thumbs up for her excellent work and activated the hologram function.
\"How are you? Do you have enough food? The storm may last a few days.\" Kamila was relieved that the cave was deep enough she couldn't even hear the wind.
\"I have plenty of food. Anything else?\"
\"Yes. As soon as the snowstorm ends, you're expected in Jambel. They have a problem with a dungeon.\"
\"A dungeon? This time of the year?\" Lith didn't bother to hide his disbelief. Unlike in Earth's videogames, dungeons didn't magically appear out of nowhere.
Monsters were chaotic and bloodthirsty creatures, unwilling to cooperate even with members of their own tribe, let alone with other species. Sometimes, however, a monster with great power and intellect was born.
That kind of creature was capable of enslaving all the other tribes in the surroundings and create an underground fortress thanks to earth magic. Such places were called dungeons or labyrinths and they were chock full of monsters and traps.
Any sane person would stay far away from them and call the army the moment people started to disappear.
\"Yes and yes. It's odd because there has been no sign of monster activity for months there, yet the town has been already attacked twice during the last week by a group composed of different creatures.\"
\"How did they survive the encounter?\"
\"Winter is a great shield. Deep snow slowed their movements and the strong chilly winds sapped their strength. Monsters don't wear warm clothes, so whenever they attempted to climb Jambel's high walls, the guards only needed to throw buckets of water on them to kill or incapacitate them.
\"The problem is that the second group was stronger and better equipped, otherwise they wouldn't have called for our help. The people of Jambel are proud of their strength.\"
\"Is that a polite way of saying that they're a bunch of pricks who despise outsiders?\" Lith asked.
\"According to army regulations, my answer is no.\" Kamila said while nodding.
\"Great. I can't wait to experience the local hospitality.\" Lith smiled while banging the back of his head against the wall. He was tired of being treated like crap just because his skin wasn't pale white or his hair being black.
\"Your next report is due tomorrow morning. Over and out.\" His handler closed the communication too hastily, making Lith inwardly gripe in advance.
\"What did I do wrong this time?\" He waited a few minutes before calling her with his civilian amulet. Their daily routine involved at least two calls a day, one during breakfast, while they were both off duty, and one at the end of her shift.
\"Only one way to find out.\" Solus sighed.
\"Hi, Kami. Are you excited about tomorrow? It's your first day as field assistant, after all.\" Lith opted for a soft approach. No flattery nor small talk, asking her about something she cared to show her that it mattered to him too.
\"You remembered! Yes, I'm very nervous but also very happy. It's a dream come true.\" Her frown turned upside down, bestowing upon Lith one of her warm smiles he loved so much. Sadly, it didn't last long.
\"But let's talk about that later. Why didn't you tell me that Quylla had a huge crush on you back at the academy?\" She pouted with her arms and legs crossed. That day she was wearing a black pencil skirt, so that pose exposed and emphasized her slender legs.
Unfortunately, Lith didn't have the opportunity to enjoy the scenery.
\"Why would I tell you something like that? It was just puppy love from a small girl. It was as irrelevant back then as it is now.\" Lith pinched his nose in frustration.
\"First, because I'm your girlfriend and I would like to know when I meet one of your exes to avoid embarrassing situations. Second, it's not irrelevant at all since she's one of your best friends!\"
After exchanging their communication runes, Quylla and Kamila spoke often. They could both use a good friend.
Also, Kamila wanted to learn about Lith's past while Quylla was curious about life in the north and wanted to make sure Lith was alright. Jirni's birthday had been their first meeting since he had joined the army. Quylla missed him dearly.
The issue had come to light while talking about their respective past relationships. It had made Kamila fear she had overshared with Quylla, embarrassing her in their previous conversations.
\"She's not an ex. Quylla has never been anything more than a friend, period. Do you want to know about my days with Friya and Yurial too while we are at it?\"
His retort sounded too much like \"Do you feel also threatened by men?\" to Kamila's ears, but she didn't budge and rose to the occasion.
