"That's wonderful news, but you can't fit inside my home in your true form and even if you could, Rena would have a heart attack." Lith said.

"Point taken. We still need a fourth Healer, but I can't recommend Protector. I taught him well but his experience in the field is extremely limited. We need someone with both experience and lots of mana." Faluel hinted at Solus not being up to the task, at least not in her stone ring form.

Lith racked his brain searching for a potential candidate. Phloria had yet to complete her specialization as Healer and Friya didn't practice Body Sculpting since she had graduated from the academy.

'Damn. I have no chance of success without Faluel, but at the same time, her presence prevents me from calling in Healers like Marth. Where do I find someone that fits my bill and has a high tolerance for weird?' Lith wished that Yurial was still alive.

Lith was certain that, given the chance, his friend would have become a great Healer.

'At Protector's home.' Solus said. 'Nalrond said that his people mastered the light element and that they were considered miracle workers by human mages.'

'Solus, I swear, if you had a physical body, I could kiss you right now.' Months had passed since their little heart to heart with the Razer and Lith had completely forgotten about the skillset of his latest ally.

"I think I know the right guy for the job, but I'd like to hear your opinion about him." Lith said.

Faluel nodded and wore a full set of fur clothes before opening a Gate to Selia's Living room.

"The sun is still high and the sky is clear." Quylla couldn't believe that someone so powerful could also be so sensitive to cold.

"Thanks for your concern, dear, but I like my climate like I like my men. Hot and sunny." Faluel replied. "Is that the man you were talking about?"

"That's him. Hi, Selia." Lith nodded.

"Hi, guys!" Selia was unfazed by the sudden intrusion in her own home. She just made sure that the children would stay away from the open Gate.

"That's me indeed so stop talking like I'm not here." Nalrond replied. "What are you doing here and who are the bear and the little one?"

"The bear, I mean the lady here is Faluel the Hydra. The little one is Quylla Ernas a friend of mine. Faluel, Quylla, this is Nalrond." Lith said.

Faluel skipped the pleasantries and grabbed the Rezar's hand, activating Invigoration.

"It's been decades since the last time I met one of the werepeople. How good are you with Healing magic in general and Body Sculpting in particular?"

"I practice the mystical arts since I was four. I studied light magic all my life and I'm specialized in manipulating life forces. Along with my tribe, we were looking for a cure for our condition." He replied.

"Do you have any experience with unborn children?" The Hydra asked.

"Yes. We studied the separation of our life forces from conception."

"That's perfect." Faluel ruffled Lilia's and Leran's hair who were clinging at her legs, begging for a new adventure.

"Please, Auntie. We're so bored and uncle Nalrond is no fun. It will just be another little secret between us." Leria said.

"What do you mean, another little secret?" Selia tapped her foot in annoyance.

"I'll lead the procedure and you'll be my seconds." Not having a plausible excuse, Faluel ignored the question and explained the situation to the Rezar who gladly offered his help. "When do you want to do it, Lith?"

"The sooner the better, correct?"

"Well, the kid's condition is only going to get worse with time. So the question is, are you two at the top of your game?" Faluel asked.

Both Quylla and Nalrond nodded. The former had rested a whole day, preserving her strength to face the worst-case scenario, while the latter had not exerted himself in weeks.

Another Gate led them outside of the range of the arrays that protected Lith's house.

"I understand that you don't want to scare your sister, but I can't afford to rush things nor to have Rena freaking out if she wakes up from her nap and finds a bunch of people casting magic on her. You need to talk to her." The Hydra said.

"Isn't there a spell that can keep Rena calm or asleep for the duration of the procedure?" Lith asked.

"Yes, but they require to alter her metabolism, adding even more stress to that our combined spells will inflict upon her. It's the magical equivalent of drugging her and I'd rather have a patient that can tell me when she experiences discomfort than one more enemy to fight."

Faluel looked comical as she shivered under the sun and the multiple layers of fur, but her voice was firm.

"Fine. I'll do it." Lith entered his house, searching for the best way to soften the blow. He was so focused rehearsing his lines that he almost failed to notice the deafening silence that welcomed him back in the living room.

Almost.

"There you are." Rena was sitting on a sofa with Senton to her right and Zinya to her left.

For some reason, Elina was alone in a corner with Raaz, whispering. Lith could hear the children playing with Kamila in his room. She was using one of Lith's devices to project a movie and keep them from panicking.

"Can you please tell me what's wrong with me?" Rena asked.

"What do you mean?" The cat seemed to be out of the bag, all Lith could do was damage control.

"For the gods' sake, Lith, I'm not stupid. How could I miss three of the best healers in the Kingdom casually visiting at the same time and each one of them casually touching me for way longer than a friendly greeting requires?

"I've lived here long enough to know how a Healer works, how you work. With white lies and omissions." Rena said.

"Just be calm, dear. I'm sure that Lith had his reasons." Senton said.

"Senton is right, Rena. As his sister, you should know that he puts his patients' wellbeing first. I was just a stranger to him, yet he went way beyond his duty to help me. Imagine to what lengths he would go for you." Zinya said.

"That's exactly why I'm angry. He spoke about it with Mom and Kamila, yet he kept me completely in the dark. Whatever is happening, I have the right to know. My body, my decision." Rena acted angry, but she was actually scared.

Scared that the illness affecting her could harm the children in her womb. Scared that the fairy tale that her life had been up to that moment could suddenly turn into a nightmare.

Lith took a deep breath to calm down and then moved a chair in front of Rena.

'She will need all the support she can get. Senton is the father of her children and Zinya has undergone a risky procedure as well. They are the ones that can relate the best with Rena.' Lith thought before explaining the situation in detail to her.

He talked softly, answering all of her questions to try and keep her as calm as he could. By the time he was done, despite his best efforts, Rena was pale as a ghost and on the verge of a breakdown.

"I don't understand." She said. "I remember that even Tista was born healthy. The disease manifested later. Leria is fine, the other children are fine. Why him? Why now? You must be wrong, your story makes no sense."

"Just bad luck, like Tista. She was the only one affected by the illness among her siblings as well." Lith stated the obvious to help Rena overcome her denial.