Li silently came into the cottage to see Old Thane in a chair by the fireplace with Tia sitting cross legged on the ground nearby. She wore a long blue tunic embroidered with patterns of gold roses that reached down to her shins. An expensive piece of clothing, especially for a child, but Jeanne had not spared any expense in choosing out Tia's wardrobe.

Speaking of Jeanne, Li wondered what the adventurers were up to now. They had been gone for a little over two weeks now, having been called down south on a mission of some importance involving the appearance of wraiths and ghosts, and most parties with powerful priests had been called down. 

With demons becoming a looming threat, Li expected that Triple Threat would make their way back to Riviera soon enough when the news spread of the attempted attack. They would not abandon their hometown, even if they were now gold-ranked and acting at a duchy-wide capacity. 

"And that, little lass, is how I beat that demon knight up right and proper. My fists made great dents in his blazing armor, and when I shattered his blade wrapped up in bright fire, both of us knew it was over," said Old Thane with a wide smile as he reminisced of the battles he had fought in the past.

Li had heard this story too, how the old man punched his way through a sea of lesser demons to challenge the commanding knight in a duel. 

"Did you kill?" asked Tia innocently. It was a little jarring hearing a little girl speaking about murdering, but then again, it was unsurprising considering she was not exactly human.

"No, I did not," said Old Thane. "Both of us were warriors fighting at different ends, but we were still warriors, and we knew that the fight that we gave each other was a joy in of itself. He withdrew his forces, and we promised that in years to come, should fate will it, we would face each other once more."

Old Thane rubbed his back. "Though, I fear, I may be less a challenge now, heh."

"But demons evil," said Tia. "Sister Jeanne says so."

"Hrm." Old Thane stroked his beard in thought. "Aye, certainly, the demons were no radiant saviors. Quite the contrary, really, but when I was that young, I had little thought of right and wrong. Only the fight. 

But you know, lass, now that this hard head's had more years to think, I would dare to say that it is precious rare that anything can be called truly evil or truly good. Many who shout loudly of justice often hold great darkness in their hearts, whilst many who have known but darkness may show hearts of gold when the time arises."

Tia nodded slowly, trying to digest the complicated topic.

Old Thane noticed her confusion, and he spoke more. "That demon knight, I spared for the gift of battle he granted me. In return, he withdrew his army. Should I have killed him in cold blood, then most certainly, his forces would have continued their relentless assault.

It is good to know when an enemy is beaten, and that a beaten enemy does not mean he deserves death." 

"You know, this bedtime story is a little violent to be telling a child," said Li jokingly as he neared the fireplace.

"Ah, lad, you're back! You missed my grand tale, and I tell you now, nothing is better to make this little one strong than tales of great feats. Certainly, old tales of heroism inspired me."

"Old man, if that were true, with how many times you've told your tales to me, I should be able to rule this world by now," said Li. 

"But I'm already strong!" pouted Tia.

Li knelt next to her, putting a hand to her head. "I don't believe it. How can someone so strong be so tiny?" 

"Look!" Tia protested by grabbing Li's arm and chomping down on it to prove her strength. It was a playful act, but certainly, it would have been a frightening thing to see for any regular human observer. Her teeth, even as a child, were developed and meant for tearing apart flesh and crushing bone. 

When she bit down on his arm, she shredded the fabric of his clothes, though of course, she could not pierce through his skin. Judging by the amount of force she used, Li determined that she had, indeed, become stronger since the days she could rip apart wolves. 

Now, he judged she could probably easily turn even some enchanted metals into scrap. 

Which made Li realize that he was not the only one who had to begin learning to fine tune his power. Soon enough, he would have to get her to control her strength too. She was isolated from the city people, and many were quite afraid of her due to her appearance, so the only humans she regularly interacted with were Old Thane and Triple Threat – all quite sturdy compared to the average person. 

Tia unlatched her bite from Li's arm and looked up at him expectantly, her round black and green eyes exuding pride.

Li looked at the shredded pieces of fabric falling from his arm and nodded. "Okay, I admit it, you're strong." Li stooped down and picked Tia up, and she giggled as he rested her on his shoulder. "But even the strongest need their sleep."

================

In their room, Li finished bundling Tia up in her blankets. He liked to spend the night sitting up against the wall, entering his own 'sleep' where he meditated. Often times, Tia would move her bundled body near him, sleeping in his lap, and tonight was no different.

Tia rested her head atop Li's leg with a content smile. Usually, it was rare that she needed to enter into Li's meditation to get into a deep sleep, but of course, when she had her nightmares, that was the best option. 

Li did not feel great about wiping away that smile, but he knew it would be back soon. "Tia, tomorrow, I'm going to be away for the whole day. Thane will be taking care of you, so make sure to listen to him."

Tia frowned. "All day? Gone?"

Li put a hand to her head, gently stroking her hair. "Yes, all day."

"Where?" asked Tia.

"Another forest south of here," said Li. "I have to help a few people with important things. But don't worry, I'll be close enough to reach you in an instant if you need me."

"Have to go?" said Tia as she widened her eyes, this time not with pride, but in pleading.

"Yes, I have to," said Li. "I'll be back, though, and when I do get back, we should spend a whole day out hunting together."

The prospect of an entire day of adventuring with Li made Tia brighten up a little, but she was not yet convinced of this deal. 

"Day will be boring," said Tia. "No Jeanne, Sylvie, Azhar. Thane farming."

"I've made sure to have Zagan stay with you as well. You could play with him, too."

"Black dog not fun," said Tia. "Don't know how to play. Not like other dogs. Only stay still."

"Well, I guess I shouldn't be surprised," said Li. He tried to think of something more to say, something more that would comfort Tia but would not be an outright lie, but he began to realize his inexperience as a father figure was showing through.

It was Tia that spoke first.

"It's okay, papa" said Tia as she read Li's concentrated expression. "I can stay and be good. But make promise: come back at night? Might be cold."

Li smiled and nodded to Tia. "I promise."