2021 A Place Called Home (Part 1)

"I don't have many fond memories of Belius, but you do. Also, Thrud must be stopped. If she learns from Night's steed how to Forgemaster portable towers, there will be no place on Mogar safe from her.

"Sure, Grandma can easily slay Thrud and her generals even if they get a tower, but there's only one of her whereas the troops of the Mad Queen are immortal. They only need one good shot to kill people like Sinmara and once Grandma will start losing her nest, it would be only a matter of time before the Desert starts falling apart.

"I have already lost my home once, I don't want it to happen ever again." Solus waved at the kids playing nearby the dunes.

Then, at Trion and Raaz playing their chess game so badly that she was starting to believe that they would screw up even checkers. Lastly, at the tower standing in plain sight without anyone giving a damn about it.

"Lutia may be your home, but the Desert is my birthplace." Solus said. "Not only because it's here that I regained my human body, but also because it's the only place where I can freely move around without worrying about my identity.

"Here I'm not seen as Menadion's heir or a priceless artifact to steal, only as a gorgeous girl."

"Wow, ego much?" Lith chuckled as she swept her hair with a dramatic gesture and the sunlight reflected on it creating sparkles of seven colors.

"Because I'm worth it." She chuckled as well as the hologram of shampoo appeared on the palm of her hand. "Jokes aside, I don't want the war to reach this place, no matter the cost. On top of that, we have yet to pay Meln back for everything he did to our friends.

"By fighting Thrud's forces, we might find a way to infiltrate the Golden Griffon. Once inside, we just have to kill Meln with Baba Yaga's spell to take the threat of more towers off the table. Two birds with one stone."

"Yeah, it would also be the perfect opportunity to get back in the Headmaster's office and study the academy's power core." Lith said. "Without the Golden Griffon, defeating Thrud would be much easier."

"Don't forget about Dad." Solus pointed at Raaz. "He needs to get back home, or he will never recover. Remember that we are not just fighting for a bunch of assholes. By protecting Belius, we are going to protect everyone we love."

"Thanks, Solus. I needed to hear it from someone."

"You are welcome." She leaned her head against his shoulder, enjoying that rare moment of intimacy they were sharing outside the walls of their labs.

***

Since Lith always wore his Voidwalker armor and brought everything he needed inside his pocket dimension, he had no need to prepare for his departure. He spent the time before his summon with Solus and his family.

"Are you sure you don't want us to go back to Lutia with you?" Elina asked. "This way, we could share with you and Kamila the free time you have and support the two of you to the best of our abilities."

"I wish it was possible, Mom." Lith sighed. "Things are being ugly for Kami and there's no telling if Lutia would treat us any better."

"It's not a problem. I know how to defend myself." She shook her head.

"I'm sure of it, but what about Dad? What about the baby?" Both Elina and Lith instinctively touched her womb, making sure that everything was alright. "The stress would do either of them no good, especially Dad.

"If he witnesses any form of violence, even in self-defense, he might go back into the rabbit hole for the gods know how long."

"You are right." She said after a brief pause. "Your father struggled too much with his recovery to allow some rude jerk to send him back to square one. We'll wait for you here. Please, you two, be careful."

Elina held his face between her hands, looking at Lith for a while as the images of the child he had been, the man that he was, and the one she hoped he would become overlapped in her mind.

She let him go after a brief embrace and then Elina caressed Solus' face as well.

"I don't care about the deal with the Royals." She said. "If things get ugly, just run away. I've already lost two children and I can't bear the thought of losing two more."

"Why are you telling her/me?" Lith and Solus asked in unison.

"Because unlike him, you are wise enough to know when everything is lost and you are strong enough to knock him out if you need to." Elina said with a chuckle, but her words didn't sound like a joke.

"Will do." Solus hugged her tightly before shapeshifting into her ring form and slipping on Lith's finger.

He walked through the Warp Gate, reaching Belius in one instant.

Despite what Lith had said to Meron just a few hours earlier, the sight of the grey stones that comprised every building of the city, the cold air of the north, and its familiar smells made his heart clench with nostalgia.

Even though Lith hadn't come there since after Manohar's death, Belius was still the place where he had lived for three years during his tour as Army Ranger first and then as a civilian.

He had lots of memories there, both good and bad.

Just like those he had for the room he had appeared in and for the man that he found waiting for him.

Lith had expected to come out from the main Gate of the army base, instead he was in the very same room where three years ago the King, the late General Morn, and Tyris had made him a Great Mage as a reward for the destruction of the Black Star and the Lost City of Kaduria.

In front of Lith, stood Berion, his old commanding officer, who now wore a single gold star on his shoulder board that identified him as a Brigadier General. In the past, Berion had often watched Lith's back during his service in the army, protecting him from the influence of nobles and Morn.

On the other hand, however, he had also messed more than once with Lith's personal life and family in order to further his political agenda.

"Major Verhen, is nice to meet you again. You look good." Berion said while extending his hand and studying Lith as if it was the first time they met.

His pitch-black eyes ran up and down Lith's body, almost expecting to see a tail or wings popping out of his back at any moment. With his1.8 meters (5'11") of height, the General was almost as tall as Lith.

"You too. I just wish this happened in better circumstances." Lith noticed that the handshake had lasted a bit too long.

Berion's iron grip was meant to show the Tiamat both his physical prowess and that he wasn't afraid.

"What are we doing here?" Lith asked.

"I wanted to speak with you man to man and also to avoid the mess that your presence here is bound to cause." Berion's tone was neutral, but the uneasiness of his gaze and the absence of his security detail told Lith that something was wrong.