"Gods, I wish Solus was here. She would drag you into your damn lab and I'd have five minutes of peace!"
"Uhm, hi guys. Is this a bad moment?" Solus asked.
"Very bad, Solus." Kamila nodded. "I swear to the gods, Lith, if you don't behave, I'll call Solus and- Solus!"
The moment Kamila's brain registered the current events through the fog of rage clouding them, she forgot about the quarrel and welcomed the group back.
"It's so good to have you back." She sighed in relief. "How long are you going to stay this time?"
"Just the time to recharge and say hello to everyone." Solus returned the embrace. "Where is the rest of the family?"
"Aran and Leria are in the Desert to attend their classes while Mom and Dad are in Lutia to check on the crops and the farm. The harvest time is approaching and the Kingdom needs as much food as it can find if we want to avoid the third famine in a row." Lith replied, waiting for his turn.
"Welcome back, Solus. I missed you a lot." When they hugged, the physical contact hastened her recovery and eased their respective nerves.
They had both accumulated a lot of stress but the mere presence of the other was enough to make it fade away like mist under the sun.
"What about me, jackass? I'm your sister." Tista gave him a weak kick, demanding her due.
"I didn't miss you but I worried about you a lot." Lith embraced her, his words earning him a slap on the forehead. "Have you decided what to do with your life force?"
"Not yet." Tista sighed.
"Nyka." Lith gave her just a nod in greeting.
His paranoid nature made him cautious due to Dawn's presence and wounded the Vampire deeply. Lith was carefully limiting their interactions to the bare minimum to keep the Horseman from using her breathing technique on him.
It was unlikely that Dawn would manage to find out about the tower, but he didn't want to take any risk.
"Take a good look, you rude jerk!" Nyka opened her shirt, showing the white crystal as it disappeared under her skin. "Happy now?"
"Yes." Lith replied, sighing in relief and giving her a proper welcome.
After that, they shared with each other the most recent news. Lith told them all about the issues with Kamila's job and his decision to give Void Magic lessons at the White Griffon academy.
Solus, instead, told them about her intention of turning the remaining of her trip into a vacation.
"That's a wonderful idea, Solus." Kamila nodded. "You deserve a real break and as long as you stick with this oaf, you'll always end up working on a side project."
"Sadly, she's right." Lith had to admit. "Come, let's go meet Mom. She has been worried sick about you girls ever since you fought that monster horde."
"Not so fast." Solus shook her head. "Kami, can I take a look at the baby?"
It took Kamila sheer willpower to not exhale in frustration and roll her eyes at the request. Lith checked on Elysia at least once per hour. More if a relative visited them and asked to see the baby.
Zoreth and Bytra were regular guests at the mansion since with Solus' absence, the Raiju wasn't afraid of causing trouble with her presence.
Solus used her breathing technique, Sky Blessing, please visit
Elysia was now about 10 cm (4') long and her mana core was close to reaching the red. Her arms and legs were fully formed, ending with five fingers or toes each.
"By my Mom, she's gorgeous." Solus' eyes swelled with tears. "Can you please shapeshift?"
Her words sent a shiver down Kamila's spine but she did as asked.
As her skin became covered in scales, so did Elysia's. Her small fingernails turned into claws and her ears disappeared, replaced by a short tail on her back. Kamila then took a draconic and Abomination appearance and the baby changed along with the mother.
"Thank you, Kami." Solus sniffled.
'I can't believe I've been away for such a short time and yet I've already missed so much.' She thought. 'I'd love to stay here and keep you company, little one, but I have to think of myself first.
'I'm sorry for being a Lith. I promise I'll make it up to you.'
And so, after a brief visit to the Verhen farm to check on Raaz, Elina, and the baby, Solus and the others had moved to Zalma.
It was a port town built on the Arsman Ocean that separated the Jiera continent from Garlen. The city was the farthest place possible from the former frontlines and the perfect location to forget about all of the girls' worries.
Since the invention of dimensional magic, naval warfare and travel had become obsolete. The only boats anchored at the harbor belonged to fishermen and cruise companies that offered tours of the deep waters and ferried people between islands.
The climate was hot due to the summer but Awakened could barely feel it while a Vampire's sweat glands were as dead as the rest of the body. Zalma's commerce had been flourishing non-stop during the past three years and if not for the recent end of the war, even the most luxurious hotels would have been booked.
During both the famine and the conflict, the ability to provide food outside of the allotted rations had brought lots of people to Zalma. Fishing had helped the citizens to not suffer much from the food rationing and made the fishermen a pretty penny.
Anyone could get a fishing rod and with a bit of luck, they could catch enough fish for a meal and sell the rest for a bit of extra money.
Solus decided to stay at the Grilled Kraken, a high-end hotel famous for its ocean view and seafood menu. Just looking at the tasteful frescos that decorated the lobby and the elegant uniforms of the staff would have made Lith's wallet bleed.
Luckily, he wasn't there so Solus only felt a slight sting in the back of her mind while checking the prices for the suites.
"One room for everyone like usual, right?" She asked.
"Two actually." Tista scratched her head in embarrassment. "If this is a vacation, then I'd like to spend at least the evenings with my boyfriend."
"By my Mom! Nyka, did you hear that? Tista just called Bodya her boyfriend!" Solus gasped in amazement.
"Way to go, sister." The Vampire said nudging at Tista.
"He's not- I mean, he-" Tista took a deep breath to calm down. "Not here, please."
Only then did Solus remember where they were and noticed the amused look of the receptionist who according to the nametag on her breast pocket was called Urta.
She was a woman in her mid-thirties, with light brown hair held up in a ponytail and chestnut eyes that shone with interest at the gossip that she would share with her colleagues to vent the frustration from serving rich weirdos.
"Two suites, please. Give us your best rooms on the highest floor available. I want to see the sun rise on the ocean in the morning." Solus said.
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