2594 Old Neighbors (Part 2)

Valia was embarrassed to death from discussing her personal life with her parents, but they just didn't care.

They were happy to have her back and the fact that thanks to her body she looked perfectly human without the need for Light Mastery gave them hope.

Hope that maybe Lith could truly resurrect her or that at least their daughter might have a child and leave behind a part of herself even after her soul decided it was time to move on.

Lith cast a quick Hush spell to not be heard as they walked in front of the house and protect what little privacy Valia had left.

"Hey, I was listening to that!" Solus said.

"I know. That's why I did it. If Valia wants us to know, she'll tell us. Otherwise I'm not getting involved in her mess." Lith rebuked her.

After a few more steps, they reached Selia's house, or as Kamila called it, Lith's house number two. Not knowing what humans would consider cozy, Protector had built their home in the woods according to Lith's blueprints for a dream house back after gaining his memories and life force.

After moving back to Lutia and seeing the real deal, Selia had gotten angry at him for his lack of originality, but at that point, she had gotten used to that design and she appreciated the amenities that Lith had devised.

So Selia had kept the tradition over the years and had her house in Lutia remodeled every time Lith upgraded his own. The only difference between the two buildings was the shack for maturing the game that Selia had kept for her work.

Solus stepped in front of the door and froze in surprise.

Such was the silence that she could hear the whisper of the wind. The house was supposed to be a cacophony of yells and mayhem due to the hybrid children playing rough with their steeds, yet not even Lith could hear a peep.

Seriously worried, Solus knocked on the door that was instantly opened by Protector. In his human form, he looked like a barbarian 2.1 meters (7") tall. He wore a cotton apron over a brown shirt so big that it could be used as a tablecloth and black pants covered in colored stains.

Ryman's face was rough and savage, with a square jaw and a cleft chin. His long flaming red hair and beard were messy, and his face looked tired.

Despite his unkempt appearance, Ryman's emerald eyes lit up with joy at the sight of his friends and he welcomed them with a warm smile.

"Come in. It's so nice to see you. Can I offer you something to eat or a drink?" He said while letting them inside the house.

What they saw shocked them to the bone. Everything was in order, the floor was clean, and there was no claw hole in the walls. Lilia and Leran were sitting on a couch, reading a book together, while Slash and Crash played chess.

A version of chess that required to roll dice to move a piece and cards to activate their skills, but that was beyond the point.

"Who are you guys and what you have done to our friends?" Solus activated her breathing technique, Sky Blessing, to make sure it wasn't a case of Doppelgangers.

Sure, they would have to be the laziest and least professional DoppelgÃ¤ngers on Mogar to make such a terrible impression of the Fastarrows, but she preferred to err on the side of safety.

"What do you mean?" Protector said with a hurt voice. [I know how to cook and clean. It was all in Lith's memories."]

The last part was spoken in English, dispelling every doubt about his identity.

"What happened? Is Selia alright?" Kamila asked, noticing there was no trace of the huntress or Fenrir, their youngest.

"Yes and no." Protector sighed. "It's easier if I show you."

He led them to the bedroom on the ground floor, the one where Lith and Kamila slept in the original house. If not for the furniture being completely different and arranged in different places around the room, it would have creeped them out big time.

To make matters worse, Selia lay in bed with lots of pillows to support her back and with Fenrir in her hybrid form, curled up over the blankets between her legs like a scared puppy.

"Hi, guys. Thanks for the visit." The huntress said, glad for the break from her boredom. "Forgive me if I don't stand up to greet you. Even if Faluel hadn't forbidden it to me, it would take me so long that by the time I'm up you'd be about to leave."

She caressed her belly which had reached impressive proportions now that the pregnancy neared its end.

"What do you mean, forbidden? What happened?" Kamila asked.

"Long story short, when the big of activated his bloodline ability, he passed it unto us as well." She pointed at herself and her womb. "After he returned from Zelex, it seemed there were no side effects, but after a few days, I started to feel weird.

"According to Faluel, the surge of energy tricked my body into thinking that the baby was ready and it was time to give birth. I can't move, get angry, or even upset without the risk of going into labor too soon."

Even with magic, premature babies were at high risk of death on Mogar. There was no such thing as incubators and ventilators. A Healer was required to take care of the newborn 24/7 until they were developed enough to survive on their own.

"Good gods, Selia. How do you feel?" Lith asked, giving her a full check-up.

"Bored to death." She replied. "At first, silence and rest were nice. I hadn't slept so well in years. Then I got sick of sleeping all day and the silence became creepy. I miss the voices of my children laughing.

"I miss chasing after Fenrir and fixing the mess she always makes. Heck, I can't even sleep with my husband. I feel like an undead trapped inside a tomb!"

"Why can't you-"

"I can't let my pressure rise for any reason." Selia cut Solus short and made her blush.

"I'm so sorry, Selia. If there's anything I can do-"

"Yes, there is!" She jumped at Lith's offer like a shark at a wounded fish. "You can come here often and project your movies. I tried asking Nalrond, but that guy has the imagination of an empty pan.

"His stories are so boring that he falls asleep before I do."

Lith swallowed a lump of saliva at the idea. Movies were long and even though they were a novelty to Selia, those he could project he knew by heart so unless there was a special occasion, Lith drew no enjoyment from them.

"Sure, I can come from time to time and-"

"Are you already taking back your word?" Selia said amid sobs. "How can you be so cruel to me when your wife is pregnant as well? Wouldn't you help Kamila if she were in my same condition?"

Between the dreadful silence in the house and Sella's desperation, her tears were heart-wrenching.