2275 Bloody Path (Part 1)

'If something happened between him and Phloria back in Kulah, now she would be safe.

'Sure, it would make Lith a two-timing bastard and I'd hate his guts, but I'd be willing to forgive anything if that meant that my daughter was protected by the Guardians as well and with me at home.' Orion thought.

***

The next morning the sky was clear and the sun was bright, yet it brought Lith and Solus little comfort. Mogar seemed to have turned one shade darker and even after a good night of sleep, they were still troubled.

They were worried about Phloria and whatever Thrud might be doing to her just to get even with Lith for Jormun's death. The idea of receiving another video but with Phloria as the victim instead of Orpal had kept Lith awake until late.

They were also afraid that at any moment Thrud might reveal the existence of the tower to break the alliance between the Kingdom and Lith, ruining their lives for good. On top of that, there was the guilt for the massacre.

Lith and Solus felt no pride in having killed so many innocent people in their attacks. They had done what was needed to challenge Thrud and hopefully force her to reveal the position of the Golden Griffon, but that didn't make their hands any less bloody.

They got up with their minds still clouded by sleep and stress, finding a pleasant surprise waiting for them.

Jirni had kept her word so even though the sun was already up, Kamila was still there and had made them breakfast.

"Good morning. How do you feel today?" She asked.

"I'm okay." Lith replied with a yawn to hide his mouth and face with a hand, hoping to fool her.

"Much better, thank you." Solus replied with a thin smile that didn't extend to her eyes.

"I'm sorry you still feel like crap." Kamila nodded. "All the more reason you have a hearty breakfast. Life always looks better on a full stomach and you need your energy. Today is going to be a busy day."

"I'm not hungry and I don't want to go anywhere." Lith grumpily said while sitting down. "I'm tired. All I need is a little peace and quiet."

"Yeah, right. Because fasting does wonders for the mood and spending your time looking at the ceiling is such a great idea." Kamila clicked her tongue. "What about you, Solus?"

"I don't know." She scratched her messy hair in an attempt to jump-start her jammed brain. "Maybe another trip to the moon?"

"Are you asking me or are you telling me?" Kamila asked.

"Uhm…"

"Great. Since neither of you has plans for the day, you'll follow mine." Kamila filled their plates with pancakes and drowned them in syrup. Then she poured Lith a cup of coffee with a drop of milk.

For Solus, instead, Kamila prepared a cup of hot chocolate with sugar, whipped cream, and lots of chocolate biscuits dipped in it. It was sweet enough to give diabetes, just like Solus liked it.

Solus was in a bad mood, but the smell of her favorite food made her squeal with joy anyway. Her fork moved faster than her brain and once the sweet flavor filled her mouth, her grey matter lost authority over her body.

Lith, however, was of a different mettle.

"I'm not hungry."

"And I worked hard to put food on your plate." She brought a dish filled with freshly baked cookies to the table, making Solus squeal harder and Lith groan louder. "Yet you don't hear me bitching about it. Now eat."

Lith sighed, sipping his coffee to buy himself some time. The milk lessened the sourness of the drink and his mood. At the same time, it reminded his stomach of how hungry he was so it demanded its due.

Lith started taking nibbles of his food just to keep his stomach from grumbling. He didn't want Kamila to realize that she was right and that he was just brooding. Alas, before he noticed, the pancakes were gone and he had also eaten a few biscuits.

"Good boy." Kamila ruffled his hair and gave them a second serving of pancakes.

"This time I want them with chocolate syrup!" Solus begged.

"Me too." Lith grumbled along with his stomach, tired of fighting a losing battle.

"Same here." Crank tugged at Kamila's legs in a knelt position, resembling a small furred knight.

"Why are you still here and what are you doing?" Lith asked.

"The kids kept hugging me the whole night. I couldn't leave without waking them up. That and your beds are really soft." The Hyperion shrugged. "About your second question, I'm paying respect to my host."

"This is my house." Lith snorted.

"And you obey your wife, the Guardians protect her, and even Mogar's Serpent dropped his spells at her mention." Crank snorted back. "The pecking order here couldn't be more obvious."

"Aww, thanks. You're adorable." Kamila said.

Hyperions were proud warriors and didn't like being referred to as "adorable". Yet she had just handed him a plate full of steaming sweets and a whole jar of honey. As any practical creature, Crank had his priorities straight.

He gave her a small bow before dropping the content of the jar on the pancakes and eating them in big mouthfuls.

"Wait a second. Where are the others?" Lith asked.

"Zinya has already gone home, your parents went to the Desert, and the kids to school. Valia and Locrias are still with their families. Please, before we leave, warn them in advance and give them the time to say their goodbyes." Kamila replied.

Seeing Solus happy and feeling much better himself, Lith just nodded.

'There's no point in ruining the day for everyone. Whatever Kami has in mind, I better suck it up and smile.' He thought while his mind drew an unflattering comparison between the two messy eaters.

Solus and Crank both had their hands and mouths dirty, but while the honey badger looked cute, Solus looked like a starving hobo.

"Do you mind if I stay here?" Crank said at the end of the breakfast. "I can use a place to crash. This way, I can hold the fort while you are away and the moment you are free, we can start our lessons."

"Yes, I do mind." Lith answered.

"No problem. You are welcome to stay as long as you want." Kamila said. "The kids can use a new playmate and a Divine Beast bodyguard while I'm away at work."

"It will be my honor." Crank ignored the former and gave the latter a deep bow.

Lith and Kamila glared at each other for a couple of seconds before he slouched his shoulders in surrender.

"Pecking order!" The Hyperion laughed his ass off as he trotted back to the kids' room and their bed.

"Where to, master?" Lith said, his voice oozing sarcasm.

"Trawn woods, Jeeves. And make it quick." Kamila straightened her back, using a stuck-up tone that held as much mockery as her husband's.

Solus was now laughing her ass off as well, making Lith feel dumber by the second.

"Yes, my liege." Solus stood on attention and gave Kamila the salute before opening a series of Steps in order to lose any potential tail before reaching their destination.