Chapter 187
Part 26
“The forty-four of you are already a very distinct group due to your cohesiveness and your abilities as
warlocks, and it’s our intention to keep you together as a military unit. Your number will be your
collective name and title, as it already informally is. We further intend that when your training is more
the most formidable unit of its size in all of The Just Alliance!”
This brought a proud cheer from the forty-four and some of The Volunteers as well, and Six let it go on
for a few seconds before he finished. “Now you’d better get your weapons and armor ready and
checked. We’ll be finished eating pretty soon.”
“Yes Sir!” Kimran said as he grinned and gave a snappy salute. As he Translocated back to his group,
the others couldn’t decide whether he was being sarcastic or not.
When they were finished eating, the Governors gathered beside Mark, went to one knee, and bowed
their heads in respect.
“Father,” Six stated as they raised their heads and met his eye, “We’ve been assuming a lot. You still
haven’t formally given us permission to take militarymand of our brothers and sisters, or to name
their unit or perform their training as we’ve said. We do most respectfully ask your and Mother’s
response to our request.”
“Oh you just go right ahead!” Markughed as he ruffled Six’s hair a bit. “I’m so pleased with your
results with them that I almost don’t care what you did to get them!”
“If it’s something that we wouldn’t approve of, I’ll happily remain ignorant, I think!” Taliaughed.
“We just let them get to know us some, and let them know all their parents as we know our parents.”
Six shrugged with a grin.
“And we made them think we hit them in the face a few times, but we didn’t.” Fire giggled. “Not really.
But it was really funny.”
“Ah. Well that doesn’t sound too excessive.” Mark chuckled. “You children run along and y now, be
good and stay safe and stay out of trouble.”
“Yes, Father.” The children chorused together, then giggled uncontrobly before Translocating
downhill to the lowestwn.
All of The Forty-Four were ready and waiting, their armor and weapons cleaned, polished, and oiled.
“All right, first things first.” Six announced as the Governors appeared among them. “This is Karz, and
he’s one of us. I’m sure you’ve heard of him. Show them what you really look like, Karz.”
Karz assumed his natural dragon form and struck a proud pose on thewn, and emphasized it with a
huge st of me.
“Next is the basics, or what are basics for our family, anyway.” Six continued. “Our parents never gave
you The Skills of Visinniria or The Healing of Valentia, because you were too hard to control as you
were without them. We’ll give them to you now, along with the bestbat spells we have that you can
use.”
The Governors cast, and The Forty-four reeled for a moment as they assimted the massive influx of
spells. As soon as they’d steadied, Six continued. “After today’s activities each of you will be evaluated,
and will receive individualized training to correct your personal weaknesses and to build on your best
talents.
“For now we’re all going to the firing range at Focus Mountain to work with what we’ve just given you.”
With that, all forty-eight of them vanished.
A few seconds passed, then Kalem was heard toment; “Suddenly this seems like the most
peaceful spot in the universe. This is the first time I’ve feltfortable with taking my mind off those
cubs of ours since they were born.”
“Amen!” Balenughed as she raised her ss, and they all raised their sses and drank to it like
she’d proposed a toast.
That night, as they were getting ready for bed, Mark asked how things had gone with the training.
“They’re twelve.” Fire firmly stated with a bit of a frown. “That’s the main thing about The Forty-Four.
They’re very intelligent and capable for twelve, and of course they’re all exceptional magic users for
twelve, and they’re doing their best to improve as fast as they can. But still. Their personalities and
behaviors and attitudes are still typical of twelve-year-olds, whether human or elven. Somehow, I
expected more from them that way.”
“Ah. Well not everyone can be you, you know.” Talia teased, and they said their good-nights.
The next day all twenty-seven of the time-bubbles on Keran reached the end of their nned
duration, and were deactivated by the gods.
Mark and his entire family went back to Hiliani to wee its residents back to the outside world. They
took part in many of the happy reunions and enjoyed a huge cook-out prepared for the asion by the
residents of Homestead, most of whom nned to stay there rather than move back to their homes
from before the time-bubble. One of the mostmonly-heardments was; “My! You look so young
since the Transformation!”
Perhaps the most poignant reunion was that of Hilsith with Yazadril and Nemia. They had only been
separated for three years from Hilsith’s viewpoint, and for a day and a half from Yazadril and Nemia’s,
but Hilsith had found their separation to be much more difficult than she had expected. It was very
unlike her, but she cried like a baby with relief and love when she again held them in her arms.
After spending an hour and a half there, they went to the ins of Xervia to re-acquaint with Sran
and Equemev and their extended family, including their son Fran. He was now just as big as Sran,
and more than mature enough to associate with dragons without being unduly disturbed by it.
The Six of Hilia were reunited with the greatest of joy, and they embraced and nuzzled one another
with smiles and tears of happiness on their faces. The absence of the unicorns had been sorely felt in
the subjective years they’d been separated, and they all promised each other to do what they could to
prevent such a lengthy separation from ever being repeated in the future.
Soon after they arrived in Xervia, word came that an important Revealing had just been made
avable, so Equemev cast it above the grass hundreds of meters high to be seen by all in the area.
It was Hilsith and her international team of Healers and wizards, including representatives of the
aquatic races and the gargoyles, posed as a smiling group portrait on the beach in Hiliani. Hilsith made
a happy but brief announcement: “We are sessful! Variations of the spell set known as Hilsith’s
Transformation are now applicable to every race on Keran who can benefit from them! As of now,
every member of every race can use magic and avoid death by aging! Already automated versions of
the new spell sets are saving the lives of the elderly of the races represented here with me! It is our gift
to all of Keran, and we are honored to give it!”
Her whole team and everyone else on the beach around them gave a huge cheer, then the Revealing
ended.
It was great and happy news, if of little personal relevance to the unicorns and their guests.
“It looks like Hilsith wanted to avoid having her news spilled again.” Val teased as she gave Fire a little
tickle on her ribs. “She was more prompt with her announcement this time.”
“Yes, and you’d better get to work!” Fire teased in return. “Now you need another seventy or so
different trantions for your Magic Education!”
N?velDrama.Org content rights.
“Or I could delegate that to my staff!” Valughed. “Of course, first I’d have to recruit a staff, but that
wouldn’t be too hard.”
“Bah! Our staff is your staff, silly!” Six assured her with a one-armed hug. “And we have plenty of staff.
Technically, all of The Sylvan Nation are avable to Fire. And besides, with what you’ve done for the
worldtely, there’s no end of others who’d be d to do you any favor you could ask.”
“I know, I was just being silly.” Val assured him with a giggle. “I actually anticipated that Hilsith’s team
would be sessful, and arranged for the rest of the trantions to be done as soon as the first set of
tranted Educations were sent out and working. The new ones are already starting to work with their
new students.” She tilted her head to the side a bit as she considered her monitoring spells. “In fact,
one of the Kag and two of the Southernmost are already finished. They have a few good psionic
learners among them, that’s for sure.”