2229 A Father's Job (Part 1)

Lith put the ledger from Zolgrish and the one from the Baron in Soluspedia, double-checking the numbers for good measure.

Father and son took a short walk through Jambel, accompanied by the Baron.

They bought local sweets and dishes that Elina and Kamila had asked from them. Their cravings were odd and Lith had no way to turn them down since he could Tower Warp around.

Once they stepped back into the car and left, Raaz could finally sigh in relief.

"Thanks for your company, son." He said. "I'm still scared shitless by unfamiliar faces and crowds. I wouldn't have been able to do this trip without you."

Lith's presence and aura of power reassured Raaz. Also, his son had chosen as their destinations only places where people would treat them nicely. Hence hostile cities like Maekosh were not part of the itinerary.

"Don't mention it, Dad. I'm happy to have the opportunity to spend some time together. The last time was when I was what? Sixteen?"

"Twelve." Raaz said with a sigh. "It was right before you started the fourth year of the White Griffon and only because it was winter. Even then, you lived your own life and stayed home even when the weather was good only because your mother forced you to."

"I'm sorry, Dad." Lith scratched his head in embarrassment.

"Don't be. You were working your ass off to practice your magic and bring money and food for our family. You were just a kid, yet ever since you were four, you've been the breadwinner of the family.

"I'm the one who should apologize for being such a poor excuse of a father."

"That's not true, Dad. You always did the best you could and it's only thanks to your hard work that we had a roof over our heads. It's only because of your many sacrifices that Tista lived long enough for me to find a cure." Lith replied.

"Thanks, son, but that's no excuse." Raaz stopped the DoLorean on top of a hill, to watch the sunset with Lith and have the opportunity to look him in the eyes.

"You know, right after you've been born, I never spent much time with you, thinking that I'd have the opportunity to catch up later. Yet as soon as you managed to walk around on your own, you have been a constant source of pride and pain for me.

"Pride because you were smart, kind, and more capable than your oldest siblings. Pain because the more of your talent you revealed, the more I understood that you had no need of me.

"A father's duty is to be there to help and teach his children, yet you learned everything on your own and it was you helping me. First with the food, then with Tista's medical treatments, and then with the bills." Lith tried to speak but Raaz gestured for him to let him finish.

"Let's be honest, you've needed me only twice in your whole life. The first time was on the day that Meln had his friends ambush you and the second was after Protector faked his death.

"Those are the only two moments when I saw you acting like a normal child needing his father's protection. Everything else, you've faced on your own. Solus, Awakening, even your hybrid nature, you carried those burdens alone.

"After all, what good could possibly do to you a farmer whose greatest endeavor as a father is teaching you how to whittle?" Raaz remembered fondly those winters spent in front of the fireplace.

It was the only time of the year that he knew Lith was safe and sound at all hours.

Raaz had taught him whittling earlier compared to his other sons, drawing their envy. Yet back then he was too happy being for once a role model to care about Trion's and Orpal's feelings.

"I'm sorry for having kept so many secrets from you, Dad. I just wanted to keep you guys safe." Lith lowered his head, not knowing what to say.

"And you did. You saved your sister, you drove away that madman of Meln, and saved me from his clutches." Raaz looked at his son in confusion until he replayed his own words in his head and put himself in Lith's shoes.

"Gods, I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to guilt trip you. Since I clearly suck with words, I'll go straight to the point. I just wanted to thank you for everything you have done. To tell you how proud I am of being your father and offer you my help."

"Help with what?" Now it was Lith's turn to be confused.

"But with the baby, of course. When I became a father, I was even younger than you and I know how difficult it can be and the strain it can put on a relationship." Raaz was referring to the awkwardness between Kamila and Lith, unaware of its cause and even that it had already been resolved.

"If you need help or advice, I want you to know that you can count on me. I may be just human, but I doubt that being a father is any different for a Divine Beast. Dealing with children is one of the few things your old man is leagues above you." Raaz chuckled.

"Thanks, Dad. Any beginner's advice?" Lith asked.

"Actually, plenty." Raaz nodded. "For starters, it's easy to be swallowed by the responsibilities once the baby is born. Between work and raising them, you are so tired that it's very easy to let the spark with your wife die.

"At some point, you become more colleagues than lovers. To avoid that, you need to learn how to pace yourselves and take a break from parenting from time to time. We couldn't because we had no family, but you can.

"If you ever want to take a night out with Kamila, even just to eat and sleep without worrying about diapers, I'd be honored to be your to-go babysitter."

"I could definitely use a few lessons about those damn cloth diapers. I can't set them right for the life of me." Lith showed Raaz a hologram of the nursery in the tower and of his failed attempts with the doll.

"Will do. Damn, I wish I had enough space for a nursery when I was your age." Raaz sighed. "You have to give me another tour of the tower once we go back. By the way, have you already thought about a name for the baby?"

"Yeah, we were thinking about calling her after Mom and we could need help. I'm terrible with names and Kami has no imagination either." Lith's words made Raaz burst with joy.

He had feared that they would name her after Salaark or Faluel as a thank-you for everything they had done for them.

"That's wonderful news! I can't wait to tell your mother." Raaz said.

"Actually, I think Kami and Solus will tell her during our absence. We are not the only ones who are using this break from the war for a little parent-child bonding." Lith replied.

"What has Solus to do with this?"

Then, Lith explained to Raaz the agreement between Kamila and Solus about the baby. Raaz was so dumbfounded that they barely talked until they reached Belius.