The conflict between undead and Abominations weeded out the weakest among Baba Yaga's children, throwing the Courts into chaos. Yet it was only a matter of time before they emerged stronger than ever before.
All Lith know, however, was that the crime rate was at an all-time low. Between the curfew, the constant patrols, and all the cities now having elemental blocking arrays, it was a really hard time for the underworld.
Winter made everything worse, cutting off the trade routes and leaving the dishonest citizens without a good reason to step out of their homes. Once guards could be bribed, but now the thought that the hand offering the gold might be linked to the mouth that would rip their throat at night, had turned them into responsible officers.
Lith was surprised when Kamila notified him that he had been granted a full month leave that would allow him to spend his birthday home without worries.
"Are you serious?" He asked.
"I would never joke on something like that. The situation has calmed down a lot now. Military officers can apply for honourable discharge and even though overtime is appreciated, it's not mandatory anymore." Kamila replied.
"What about you?" Lith said.
"What do you mean?"
"Did you receive a leave as well?"
"Actually, yeah. For some reason, both my commanding officers made sure that our respective leaves overlapped. Thanks for asking." Kamila had expected a rant about his leave being long overdue, about all the magical research he had to do, and all the people he had to catch up with.
Discovering that her presence was the first thing Lith was worried about, made Kamila so happy that she felt her heart skip a few beats.
"I was thinking about working part time." She said.
"You what? After months without a break? You need some proper rest and relaxation!" Lith was flabbergasted.
"Yeah, right." Kamila giggled. "Your 'pot calling the kettle black' attitude never gets old."
"Meaning?" He asked.
"Are you really saying that you're going to spend all your free time home? No magical research, no working on any of those mysterious projects of yours?" Her questions were answered by an awkward silence.
"That would be torture." He replied after a while. "I love my family, but once we're done catching up, I would die of boredom. They have their own lives and so do I. Also, I don't know if I'm able to stay idle for that long without going crazy."
"I feel the same way." Kamila nodded. "Sure, I'm going to spend a lot of time with Zinya, Elina, and the kids, just like I hope to spend even more time with you. Yet after a week of goofing around, I'm sure I'd start to get restless.
"I can't ask everyone to change their routine just to keep me company and if I spend too much time cooking or cleaning, I feel like a housewife. Speaking of cleaning, can you get home first? I've abused Lady Ernas's hospitality during the last few months and I'm afraid of what I might find on my return.
"You, instead, have plenty experience with clearing dungeons and facing mold monsters." Kamila tried and failed to keep a straight face while making her plea.
"I'll see what I can do. When does my leave start?" Lith said.
"As soon as you're done with your current assignment." Kamila replied.
Lith was currently sitting on top of a pile of broken bodies that once had been known as the Black Dragons, an infamous mercenary group composed of dishonourably discharged ex-military.
Nobles, Undead Courts, organized crime, the list of their clients included whoever could afford their services. Jambel's local constable had requested Lith's help to bring them in for questioning.
The Black Dragons didn't like taking orders just like Lith didn't take a no for an answer. Luckily for him, the amulet filtered out the ambient moans of pain.
"I'm on leave then." Lith opened a Warp Steps and tossed them in jail. "Will I see you at home tonight, honey?"
"Wait. Is it your parent's, Zinya's, or our home?" She asked.
"Our home." Lith resisted temptation of answering with just a "Yes".
"I'll never get to Lutia before sunset. If I come knocking after the curfew, it will not be a surprise but a jumpscare. Also, I'm too tired to answer all the questions they are bound to ask."
"Good thinking. I'll be there in a few hours with dinner. See you soon." Kamila sent him a kiss and closed the call.
Lith could actually reach Lutia in record time with the tower, but that would leave no official record behind and he really didn't feel like getting a third degree as welcome gift.
Usually Lith's first day home was more tiring than being interrogated by Jirni.
When he opened the door of Kamila's apartment in Belius, Lith was flabbergasted. He had expected curtains of cobwebs and long forgotten dirty plates with so much mold that they had grown a fur and might be mistaken for pets.
What he found, instead, was a dusty place with stale air that seemed to have been abandoned for months. There was no sign of the Camellia, something that reassured Lith about his relationship.
It took him a minute to clean everything, five for a decent hot shower, and three seconds to fall asleep after his head touched the pillow.
'Man, I have so many things to do. Let's hope a month is enough. I need to check if Nalrond reached out to Protector, meet Selia's third born, speak with Faluel…' Were his last thoughts until the creaking of the door woke him up.
"Baby, I'm home." Kamila had learned the hard way to announce her presence to prevent a sleepy Lith from mistaking a playful girlfriend trying to surprise him for a real assailant and welcoming her as such.
He cursed his own paranoia, put Ruin back under the bed, and dispelled the thunderstorm brewing over his right palm.
"Do you need help with the plates?" Lith opened the door to the living room, finding Kamila with a bag full of take-away food in her left hand and the army suitcase in her right.
She dropped them both the moment she saw him and threw her arms around his chest.
"Welcome home, Kami. You have no idea how much I missed you. Even cleaning up your mess felt nostalgic." Lith returned her embrace, losing himself in her warmth and in the scent of her hair.
"I missed you more, silly. Why do you think I didn't set foot in here until now? Without you, it was just an empty place. Now it's home again." She said, dealing a huge blow to the great wall surrounding his heart.
Lith held her even tighter and used Invigoration on her. He examined every single millimeter of her body, fixing even the slightest damages he could find down to the cellular level.
A blue glow enveloped them both while Lith made her health as perfect as her heart was. Kamila felt her body relaxing, as if instead of being back from work she had just returned from a spa.
The tension built up in her muscles during the past few months disappeared and she sweated like a galloping horse while a warm feeling spread throughout her body.
